Utah

This past Saturday we got home from a trip where we spent almost three weeks in Utah.

We flew in on Tuesday, June 18th and left July 6th.

 {Utah has gotten an unusually large amount of snow and rain this year, so everything was green and ski resorts were open through the 4th of July}

First stop after leaving the airport? Leatherby's.

I dream of their hot fudge and miss their ice cream when I can't get it.

We met my mom and niece there to get my fix.

The next morning I took three of the kids up to what they call 'the zip line park' while Curt took Des to hit some golf balls.

{I will never ever tire of these beautiful views}

  

I met up with my good friend, Allyson, that afternoon for a hike and dinner.

 {we went up the Donut Falls trail, but didn't get all the way to the waterfall as the river was swollen and blocking the path}

I love spending time at my mom's in the summer.
Georgia is a hot sticky mess right now (not dogging on Georgia... our Spring, Autumn, and Winter are lovely), and in Utah the kids can spend so much time outside playing with cousins.
The drawback? So. Many. Sunscreen. Applications.

 Thursday and Friday was spent at the Losee Reunion, which gets it's own post.

Saturday I dropped Curt off at the airport to head back to Georgia (he was teaching a lesson at church and had work that week) and we had a barbeque at mom's (with her home made ice cream).

On Sunday we went to a baby blessing for my cousin's baby.

{Café Rio time}

Lots and lots of cousin time.

Evie lost a tooth.

Curt came back for the weekend...

...and we went to the Kennecott Copper Mine.

 {even though I grew up at the base of this, I'd never been before}

I went through the things mom saved from my childhood and had Evie try on this sweater my Grandma had knitted for me.

{here's a picture of me wearing it at about the same age}

We had a family dinner to celebrate David's birthday.

That night I kept Lane up way past his bedtime talking in his backyard.

Curt got back in town the night before the 4th of July and we joined his parents in walking around Temple Square.

 {where we got married 13 years ago}

The morning of the 4th we went out to breakfast with Dad and Jann.

 {the food was so pretty and yummy, Black Bear Diner}

Curt's parents stopped by later and Shauna and I were kind of matching.

 We did sparklers and poppers in the evening really quick between a brief hail and rain storm.

And then watched the fireworks going off everywhere. Utahns are pyros man.
Every direction for a really long time...we could see a bunch all across the valley and lake.

The next day we went to Curt's good friend's wedding.

And then we headed home.

So good to be able to visit. So good to be home. 

So many people I still wanted to see but introverted me can only take so many social outings at once.

I need to work out my social muscle and build that endurance.