Thanksgiving Point + Bees

I was treated to a really lovely baby shower lunch one day by some of Ben's family. A group of us went out to lunch at Cafe Trio (coincidentally, Ben and I had our first date at Cafe Trio) and enjoyed some really yummy food and good company. I received some very adorable baby boy clothes which we were definitely in need of. Sadly, no photos were taken.

While we were out to lunch, Ben and his dad took some of the kids to Thanksgiving Point. I met up with them there after lunch and they did not seem too happy. It was "Two Dollar Tuesday" and apparently every mom, stroller, and child from Brigham City to Provo was there. They braved their way through the dinosaur museum, but I guess it was pretty crazy.

When I got there it was mid-afternoon and we attempted the farm area which was much less crowded by that time. The girls even got to ride a pony and then we all went on a wagon ride.

















That evening we headed downtown and met up with our friends the Dicksons. We enjoyed some very delicious waffles at Bruges Waffles and Frites. (I recommend the strawberries with creme fraiche...yum!) Then we headed to a Salt Lake Bees game. Amelia had fun reconnecting with her friend Ella and it was nice to just relax on the grass and enjoy the beautiful weather. (Amelia came prepared with a purse full of Barbie books to entertain herself during the game.)

SLC Library + Canyon

Clearly we're a little partial to downtown SLC since we ended up there nearly every day. We spent one morning at the SLC library which is fairly new and is a really neat building with a lot going on. The landscaping wasn't done yet when we moved away so it was fun to see everything complete. They have a great children's area as well.










(The ramp up to the rooftop)







In the evening we went up American Fork Canyon with Ben's parents and his brother Nate and his family and had dinner. It was nice to actually have to wear a sweatshirt for a change. Love that cool mountain air.

Temple Square + Hogle Zoo

On Saturday we headed downtown again to walk around Temple Square. Our first apartment was a block from Temple Square, I worked right around there, we got married there, and just have lots of fun memories from that area. I think our kids are going to quickly get tired of us always pointing out all these landmarks.


(It was a very windy day.)









My brother Dan and his family live in the Avenues so they met us downtown for lunch.


(James and Elsa are just a few days apart.)

We spent the afternoon at the Hogle Zoo (discounted admission with our National Zoo pass!)

Sunshine Holiday

We were able to take part in Sunshine Holiday while we were in Utah. This is a holiday that Ben's mom created when all her kids were younger to alleviate summer boredom. Amazingly, the tradition still continues. Our girls ate it up and had fun with their cousins. There was a fun water obstacle course, fishing pond, a bbq, a white elephant gift exchange, and a movie. Amelia has been creating her own obstacle courses at home now.


Amelia and Elsa LOVED Grandma and Grandpa's playground.










(Grace and Elsa...Grace is a few months younger than Elsa)








(Lily, Grace, and Elsa)

Liberty Park + Pioneer Park

Our first outing was a trip to Liberty Park and the Tracy Aviary with Ben's parents and his sister Liz and her little girl Lily. The Aviary was filled with a huge variety of really beautiful birds. The girls loved running around checking out all of the exhibits. Amelia even volunteered to help out during the bird show.

We followed up with a picnic in Liberty Park and the kids had fun playing in the water (a replica of the seven canyons).

Thursday night Ben and I were able to go out (sans kids) and met up with Ben's brother Matt and his wife Amanda downtown and had a yummy dinner at Canella's. Then we met my brother Dan and his wife Rachel (and little James) at Pioneer Park for the final Twilight Concert...She & Him. It was soooo crowded (with the craziest assortment of people...a result of it being free) and we mostly just hung out on a blanket in the back. Ben and I ventured up into the crowd to get a closer look for a few songs. It was a good concert, but my pregnant self was happy to enjoy much of it from a seated position.

Without further ado, the Utah posts begin...

We returned late Sunday night from a fun trip to Utah to visit family and friends.

We (and lots of bags and car seats) made our way to the airport via the metro to begin our journey. Luckily, our flight was direct and uneventful (but long). Everyone stayed busy with tv screens on each seat (we rarely get a plane with this luxury), our DVD player, ipods, a laptop, and a Leapster. Thank you technology.