Utah Trip Day 8&9

On Friday I took the kids to the Provo Museums. BYU has some great free ones around campus. One has dinosaur fossils and the other has a bunch of taxidermy animals. (its cooler than it sounds lol)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Tyler kept a healthy distance from the fossils)

Grandma and Erin were sweet and watched the kids so I could go to lunch with some old friends who I worked with at Staples back in the day. It was REALLY good to catch up. I was lucky and had a great crew there and made some good friendships. Its been 8 years but it was just like old times.

Friday afternoon Annie’s Family had to go back to Vernal. So we said goodbye to our first set of cousins.

Kate and Paige really hit it off, so she was very bummed that they were leaving.

 

Saturday the big boys came back. (YAY!) Andrew had an infected finger from a hangnail that was by that point, really nasty. Andrew was also sunburned and covered in bug bites. Needless to say Kyle got a half hearted lecture on the care and keeping of children. (It was his very first burn!) Before the four wheelers were put away we did some rides up and down the street for those of us that weren't cool enough to go on the camping trip.

 

 

 

 

(I puffy heart love this picture)

 

After lunch we headed up to Salt Lake to go hit Temple Square.  This is the part of the day I wish we would have just stayed home lol. I LOVE temple square. There is something magical about it. However the kids had a long week. Tyler was going on minus four hours of sleep every night and we were all pretty done.

We started with a tour of the Beehive House. The kids were being a little pushy and a little loud, but not horrible. Tyler however was already begging to be carried, begging for candy, begging for his life… Oh well maybe not the last one. So I was already worn out from keeping him happy by the time we left. We stopped at the lion house pantry to get some root beer barrels, lemon drops, and horehound candy. (I figured full mouths are usually less whiney) 

Next stop, the Joseph Smith Building. I LOVE the stained glass ceiling in there.  The kids were placated by the antique cars that were being displayed.

The South Visitors Center has a REALLY cool thing right now. Its the SLC temple minus walls. So you can see exactly what is inside. Including a touch screen monitor that explains each of the rooms.  The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. We looked at it for probably a good twenty minutes. 

Tyler must have thought it was the most brilliant thing ever. Because when we went to leave the SVC…. He had a complete and utter melt down. I think each of my kids have had one melt down like this in public in their lives. Tyler chose temple square. *sigh* This was the kind where they do the noodle legs with the windmill arms, and the weeping and whaling and gnashing of teeth.  Nothing like adding to the spirituality of Temple Square with a kid that sounds like he has bamboo shoots being pushed under his nails.

We got him calmed down enough to take into the north visitor center (he was happy as long as he had candy in his mouth and I was carrying him)
We lost Andrew in the bottom of the NVC. Which is also the first time I’ve lost a kid (the day keeps getting better) We were able to find him after a few minutes without having to call in the national guard, but It didnt help my day get any better.
We walked across the street to the Conference Center to do a tour. (now looking back I have no idea why, we had one melty kid and had already had a lost kid. We werent exactly having good luck.) It was a really pretty day as you can tell by the picture in front of the fountain.  But by the time we finished with the 45 minute tour and got to the roof it was practically hurricane worthy weather outside. Driving rain, gale force winds which were stripping the plywood off of nearby construction. We could see stuff flying off roofs. Needless to say the roof was closed to Tours. (for those that don't know, the roof  has a garden with a stream and you can see most of SLC from it)

The day ended with us hitting Taco Bell on the way home.  Taco Bell is usually pretty cheap for my family. The kids and I all get $2 meals and Kyle gets a stuffed burrito. We didnt even look at the prices because we have gotten this combination so many times. We were more than a little shocked when the total ended up almost $10 more than usual. GRRRRR Apparently the SLC taco Bell charges $3 for the meals and added another $2.50 to Kyle’s thing.

Im pretty sure the bigger kids had a good day, but oh my gosh I was drained by the end! I tried to remember why I bother taking my kids anywhere the entire way home. (that and some less than kind thoughts. Im pretty sure I had steam coming out of my ears)