SIDE NOTE: the kids have been playing i9 sports for a couple years. Jeff has been coaching multiple teams and has also been an employee helping them on Saturdays. Jeff had been talking about buying a m i9 franchise for months, but the idea hadn't gone anywhere, just talk.
Back to the story. After I stopped laughing, I reminded Jeff that every time we had a chance to move away from Albuquerque, the answer to our prayer was always NO. I also reminded him that I would only move back to Utah if an Angel came down and told me to move.
The drive was great. We loved the drive up there, so much green and mountains. BEAUTIFUL.
(I am writing this 8 month after the trip happened, so forgive my laps of memory.
We stayed at a Hotel in Orem, Utah. Indoor pool, which was not heated ( I guess I forgot to ask that). I didn't think that was a big deal, but I didn't know that it rained and snowed in Utah in March. which is did while we were there. The snow didn't stick too long. But still, I am not a fan of snow!
The BYU tour was done in the rain, we didn't get pictures. Kellsie was supper excited. We signed Logan up for the tour as well since he was old enough and he got a free tshirt and pen. He wasn't as excited, but dealt with it for the shirt. Two high lights of the tour. 1. the library. The only place we got out of the enclosed train to look at it (RAINING!) Kellsie was in Heaven! Seriously, I think she was drooling. 2. When the tour guide talked about the School motto "Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.". Something similar was said in her patriarchal blessing. And she felt it was important to apply there.
After the tour was over we walked to the sports museum. Kellsie stayed down stairs to read and we went up stairs with the boys. There is two doors at the top and its only for football players. The boys were just standing there wishing and dreaming when along came this guys and said we could go in with him. He let us take pictures with the football dummies and told us a little about the practice field that the room overlooked. Turns out he was one of the assistant coaches and he was an NFL player. Of course I can't remember which one, but that's all the boys and Jeff could talk about for the rest of the trip.
Time with my family. my sister Susan lives in Provo. I have not seen here very much since I got married and moved to Texas. It was so nice to have her go swimming with us. Talk to us in the hotel room and go out to dinner with her at the brick oven. My kids really had time to bond with her. My cousin Chamrie lives in Orem. We were able to go to a trampoline park with her family and another one of my cousins Chrystal and then dinner afterwards. She has two boys about Lukas age which kept Lukas entertained. After talking to Jeff about how much I missed living by family, he said moving to Utah would be a great idea. lol.
this pic was taken at the Brick Oven. We took Susan out to dinner here. Also, this is were I worked while I was going to BYU.
Our friends the Flowers had come up for the week of Easter to be with family. so we went to their house for dinner on Sunday night and spend time with them.
Temples are a big part of Utah. Temples in every direction. We were not able to visit each one, but we were able to visit the salt Lake temple, Provo Temple and the Provo City Center Temple
Provo City Center Temple
We didn't get pictures at the Provo Temple BECAUSE IT WAS SNOWING!!!!
Salt Lake City- We went to salt lake for 2 days and stayed in a motel there (never again. Vacation FAIL. I blame Jeff. We were scared and Jeff wishes he brought a gun in case we were attacked there. Plus the toilet wasn't attached very good and wobbled...a lot. But we already paid for it and it was one night. one very long long long night)
Temple Square
kellsie at a pioneer statue in temple square
Im not adding a bunch of pictures here because we spent most of the time looking around. all the visitor centers were amazing. We especially liked the visitor center that talked about the Salt Lake Temple. The videos and exhibits were great and the kids got to ask questions and learn a lot about our church's history.
The picture above is at the Joseph Smith building. They had a family history area where we got to each get in ipad and go to stations. We had to log into our family history accounts which has our families genealogy on it. one station we linked the account to and it showed us what our ancestor wore and let us take a picture of ourselves virtually dressed up in those clothes. The other station that we liked was an enclosed room. We linked up and it would ask us questions and record our answers. linking the video to our family history accounts. We also went in as a family and answered some questions. It was an amazing experience that each of us really liked and didn't want to leave. It encouraged me more to do more family history when I got home.
The kids really liked the Joseph Smith history building as well and all the exhibits and stations there really helped us know more about our churches history.
We went to the City Cemetery too. Jeff loves Cemeteries and a lot of church leaders where buried there, so we drove around.
On the way back to orem we went to scheels. Its a hudge sporting goods store. Ferris wheel inside and everything. We spent a good amount of time in there buying BYU stuff. Jeff was in heaven and spoke to me again about moving to Utah.
Utah was beautiful. Grass everywhere. No graffiti. we noticed a big difference in community and the kids kept talking about how we should move there. Jeff let it slip (on purpose ) that i9 had a franchise open there and we should move.
It was a really great trip. And Jeff and I spoke a lot on the way home about the possibility of moving. Reminding him again and again how much I hate the snow and that I really didn't want to live with a bunch of Mormons.
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