BOYSNBERRYMOM: July 2011

Our family summer vacation started out on Friday, July 8th as we pulled out of our driveway towing our tent trailer heading for Page, AZ, where camped near Lake Powell. All 7 of our children, plus D's friend, M.M., helped set up camp, then we went swimming and played on the beach.

The next morning, I got up just in time to see the sun rising over the lake. It took my breath away.

Our dog, Tammy, on the dock at sunrise.

After breakfast, we packed up camp, took one last photo, and headed ourselves towards Utah.

Q and B

After 8 hours or so, we finally arrived at my in-laws home in Saratoga Springs, Ut. The next day was Sunday and we attended church with S and L, then went to my sister, G.S.'s, home where we visited with her family, my sister K, my nephew Q. and his fiance, B., and my nephew Z. and his wife E. and daughter L.

Me and M with E, L and Z

Me and my sisters, K and G

We had dinner with them, and played dominoes later in the evening. G, E and A decided to spend the night with their cousins and the rest of us headed off to the airport, where we picked up our friend, C.C., who had just flown in from Germany to spend 4 weeks with us.

Monday morning, we woke up pretty early for a vacation day and drove up to Provo, where we checked D, J, and M.M. in at EFY (Especially For Youth) camp at BYU (my alma mater). They will spend 6 days there having lots of fun. Meanwhile, the rest of us went to the Life Science Museum and toured other parts of BYU, showing the kids our favorite places.

My dear husband

C.C. "Goldilocks" and the 3 Bears

On Tuesday, we packed a picnic lunch and headed up to Salt Lake City with S and L. First, we learned about the early settlers at This is the Place Monument and Utah Heritage Park. We rode a train, toured some early homes, took a pony ride, went to school in a one-room schoolhouse, made some crafts, played hoops and had a wonderful time together.

On the train.

A rode on "Honey"

Utah Heritage Park

With our Bingo Sheets at the Capitol Bldg.

After the Pioneer Park, we headed to the Utah State Capital Building, where the children played an Architecture Bingo game that we printed off ahead of time from their website. We found everything on the Bingo page and received a prize. It was a great way to get the kids to look around and observe the building and not be bored as the adults looked around and read things.

Ready to work.

Learning how to can food.

Our next stop was Welfare Square, where we watched a video about how the church welfare program helps people all around the world to become self-sufficient. Then we were able to can some fruit punch at the cannery. The kids enjoyed putting on the hairnets and aprons.

Then we headed over to Temple Square, where we walked around and took some pictures. After that, we headed to dinner at our favorite buffet, Chuck-A-Rama, where we ate a disgustingly large amount of food before heading back to Grandma's home for the night.

In front of the Salt Lake City Temple.

In the Tabernacle on Temple Square

Today is Wednesday and was another full day of fun! S and Grandpa took the boys fishing on the edge of Utah Lake. They didn't catch anything, but they sure had fun trying! Then we headed up to Park City, Utah where we had lunch and then rode the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster. It was a long wait for a short ride, but we all had a blast. Heading back home, we first stopped at Granny's Restaurant in Heber, where we ordered their famous thick milkshake. Then we looped around past Wallsburg to look at the home that Stuart spent 6 months of childhood.