We found two really fun places in Utah County, The Lindon Aquatic Center and the Lehi Aquatic Center. I don't think these places even existed when I lived in Utah County many moons ago. They both have lazy rivers, water slides and places for the little babies to play in ankle deep water. My kids LOVE the water so these were some of their favorite days.
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My sister in law Cara helped plan most of the fun we had on this vacation. She knows all the haps in Utah County and informed us of half price specials, and fun activities we never would have known about except for her. She invited us to their house for PIE FEST 2009. This was a potluck dinner where everything we brought had to be in pie form. We ate a feast of pies from The Pie Pizzaria, and Marie Callenders. Our arteries will never be the same. After Pie Fest, we went into their back yard where my brother Grant had set up an outdoor movie theater and we watched Kung Fu Panda on the side of their house after it got dark. Brave Cara invited all the girls to have a sleepover at their house. So much fun.
My parents and I took the kids to Park City to the Outlets so we could pick out school backpacks and school shoes. We had marginal success finding what we were looking for.
Next we went to the Alpine Slide at the Park City Ski Resort. Last year we tried the Alpine Roller Coaster and it got mixed reviews. Rachel, Allie and I LOVED it. Grandma and Grandpa HATED it. My mom thought she was going to die and I think my dad did too. They weren't really going to DIE because the car is attached to the track. I think it's fun to FEEL like you are going to die when you KNOW you aren't really going to. This year we decided to try the other attraction there in PC, the Alpine Slide. Grandma declined to try it, even when I offered to stay with Jackson. I guess the memories of the Coaster were still too fresh in her mind. We all liked the slide. My dad says he didn't, but I know that deep down, he did. We got snowies afer the ride. My dad poked a hole in his and got pink juice all over his white shirt. I tried to get a picture of it but he wouldn't let me.
The night before we began our journey home Jim and girls came by to say adios. We went to Crown Burger for dinner. If you haven't tried a Crown Burger while in SLC, you are missing out. I highly recommend them. We had Jackson who refused to sit in a high chair crawling all over the table. A soda got spilled and my brother Jim had a small meltdown. I saw my old friend George who owns the place and he gave the girls ice cream cones on our way out. Good times.
As a side note, I have eaten many hamburgers in my lifetime. It seems like when I go home I eat more than usual. For those of you planning a trip to Utah, I would like to share my favorite hamburger places in Utah, rated on a scale where 5 is REALLY GOOD and 1 is AWESOME.
1. In N Out- You might be saying to yourself, that there isn't an In N Out in Utah but I heard that there is one in St. George. So, if there is one, then the In N Out wins this constest, hands down.
2. Hires-Next to In N Out, the Hires Big H is the best hamburger out there. Sometimes I think it might even beat In N out but, for now, I'm putting it in the #2 position.
3. Crown Burger- They put pastrami on the actual crown burger and I don't like pastrami so I just order the cheeseburger. Very delicious.
4. Five Guys, Burger and Fries- I ate there for the first time this trip and I LOVED IT. No wonder Barak Obama goes there for lunch. There is a long list of things you can order on your burger and you don't even have to pay extra. They also tell you where in Idaho their fresh french fries came from that day. I don't know about you, but I always like to know where my fries came from.
5. Training Table- Training table has always been one of my favorite places to eat since college. How cool is it to pick up a phone at your table and order your meal? The mushroom swiss burger is SO GOOD! If you ever order it, ask them to cut it in half because it's very messy eating. Also, if you like fries, they have the BEST fries and mayo-barbeque dipping sauce ever.
We stopped at the same gas station in Fillmore UT on the way home to LA as we did on the way to SLC. It was still hot. There were still wasps in the muddy grass. This time Grandma stepped in them instead of Rachel. We stayed at the Excalibur in Las Vegas and got up early the next morning to get out of the Excalibur in Las Vegas. I guess there is a reason why it only cost $35 a night. A big thanks to my mom for putting up with all the screaming and seat kicking that she experienced on the way back. She is a real trooper.
Jackson and Luke. Someday we can use this picture for blackmail purposes. 
Jackson hearts Confusius
This is where Jackson slept each night. Kidding!
We tricked Jackson into thinking a pool with no water is fun. It's much safer that way. 
Allie with her cousins Luke and Kyle. The kids heart the trampoline and so do the moms! You can zip them inside and know that they are contained for a few moments. 
Since we live so close to Vegas, we thought it would be a good idea to teach the kids early how to play blackjack. Tanner taught the Bekah and Rachel how to play with loose change. It was funny to hear them talking about "poker faces" and "taking a chance." They sounded like mini-adults.
Grandma and the girls. 
Grandpa and the babies.
The kids and I took a road trip to San Diego this past week. The Idaho branch of the family was in town and since we hadn't seen them for quite a long time, I drove down so the kids could see their cousins. We had fun swimming, jumping, eating, guitar heroing, fighting (a little) and having a great time! I meant to take many more pictures than I acually did. I was too busy making sure that Jackson didn't fall down the stairs, off the trampoline, into the pool, off the dining room table, run out into the street, eat dog food etc. that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. Thanks to Jill for letting us crash at her house. Thanks to Lance for taking one for the team and staying behind to care for the other 90 children we are responsible for in the building we manage. I'm so glad we were able to get away and join the family for a change.
What is different about Rachel today? If you can't tell from the before and after pics, she got her ears pierced at the mall. She has been asking to do it for the past few months and I finally got around to taking her. She is so excited and has been stopping people in the street to tell them about it. On another note, I just about DIED when I got up to the cash register to pay. There was a sign in the window at Claire's advertising "FREE" ear piercing with the purchase of a starter kit. Well, I though to myself, how much could a tiny pair or earrings cost? I was thinking $15-$20 tops. WELL, let's just say that it cost quite a bit more than I thought it would.
