Those two weeks were highly anticipated since January. Of course when we first planned them out they looked very different. The boys were going to be at BYU sports camps and we were going to be in California/Vegas/biking. However, just as COVID has been doing for most of 2020, it reshaped our plans, but didn’t take away the trip entirely. Instead, it went like this:
The Drive: we left Friday evening after Travis returned from work. We started out with our traditional “on the road again” song from the Goofy Movie that we always listen to on a road trip and we joked and laughed out the good times to come .... One Hour Later.... jk it was probably more like 4hrs later, Addie’s head was hurting so bad from the pressure of her glued cut against the car seat and Avery, my tummy sleeper, couldn’t get comfortable... so she began screaming. And all the screaming continued through the night. Until for one brief moment they all fell asleep... this is when the pesky puppy began vomiting/choking. We had to pull over and remove a leash from in Lily’s throat while she threw it up. This woke the kids up. We played musical chairs until 6am when Avery began throwing up and I began dry heaving from the caffein pill I’d taken overnight. And poor Nala couldnt handle the smell of the throw up so she had to keep turning her head away and bury her nose into the fan! Ha ha.
That evening: we eventually rolled in and had a firework/bbq night with the Johnsons, as well as my mom.
SUNDAY: We went to Travis’s grandma’s for a luau dinner where we caught up with family and met a long lost cousin and his family.
MONDAY: My kids stayed at the Johnson’s while Travis and I began our week alone! Woohoo! We took the day to go biking at Deer Valley. We then spent the night with our friend watching Eurovision (one of my new favorite movies), hot tubbing, and eating Texas Roadhouse.
TUESDAY: The kids went with all the Johnson family to a private pool and spent a fun day in the water and the sun. Meanwhile, we met up with one of my life long friends and he took us biking at Sundance. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Eventually I sent he and travis back up without me while I just enjoyed the beautiful Mountain View’s! And then Travis and I took him home before meeting Mackenzie and taylor at the Stewart falls trailhead for an evening hike and then some late night Cafe Rio.
WEDNESDAY: The kids transitioned from the Johnson’s to my moms. Lori said that each time she had to scold Adeline it would cause Avery to break down on floor pounding sobs because it broke her heart to see her sister get in trouble. Ha ha! We met up with my sister, Tayla in Salt Lake and spent the day with her. We shopped around City Creek and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory before taking her home and driving down to St. George.
THURSDAY: The kids spent the day with my mom and siblings. Travis and I woke up early and went biking on a remote trail named Wire Mesa. It was right outside Zions National Park and we never saw another person; it was an awesome trail with incredible views. Later we tried out one of our condo’s pools and then went night hiking through Snow Canyon Park.
FRIDAY: The kids were supposed to transition to my dads, however, his wife and step daughter, Tessa contracted COVID.... so we ended up NOT getting to see them at all during the trip. Travis and I again woke up early to bike all morning, take it easy and nap all afternoon, and then we went to dinner with Travis’s Aunt and Uncle and their daughter in law.
SATURDAY: We got to see Elder Tanner Emory and went biking with him all morning. Then for food. Then for more biking. We had another lazy afternoon and just stayed in that evening and just tried to soak in the last few hours of being kid free. Oh and we went and picked up the most delicious ice cream from Handles; so good
SUNDAY: Back to reality. We met up with my mom, siblings, and the kids and had family pics taken. We spent the night at my mom’s. And Travis, Tayla, and I took a nice walk around the neighborhood.
MONDAY: I threw my sister-in-law a baby shower. Travis went biking with our friend. and I stayed up chatting with a friend until 3am.
TUESDAY: We joined everyone at that private pool and had another pool day. We also joked how Garett was swimming around the pool with his phone balanced on his wife’s head participating in his first day of medical school online classes! He told Travis, “I don’t know why you complained, Travis. Medical school is a breeze.” Too funny.
I can’t really remember the specifics of what else we did, but I know we bought me a new pair of running shoes, detail cleaned our ford, played with cousins, went to my Sisters softball game, attended a super fun/almost brought me to tears bbq get together at my best friend Mackenzie’s and her whole family came, as did some of my family. We went to the park with Gpa Vaughn and Aunt Janelle. We watched the river trail. We had Lily at Ben’s all week while he did an amazing job training her, we had a movie night with Trav’s family where we wAtched Eurovision again. Also watched it with my family... can you tell I really enjoyed it? And had a game night with Trav’s siblings.
SATURDAY: Vaughn took the kids to the park all morning while we packed and cleaned. Unfortunately it was then time to say goodbye! Goodbye’s suck. We drove to Gma Janet’s for a socially distanced outdoor reunion and it was so good to see my family that I haven’t seen for a few years! And my kids were in HEAVEN with the plethora of cousins running around, of all ages. By the time we got in the car to drive home, the kids were TUCKERED out. And then began a far less eventful 18hrs home.
Until Next Time Utah
Ps I don’t know why these pictures loaded so out of order... but I’m posting from my phone, so it is what it is
