A little trip to Utah

Recently Jeannette and kids Brenden and Brenley and I with Danielle took a little trip to Utah to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Marshall. We had such a good time.

It started on Saturday, April 4, with Diana dropping Danielle and I off in Stateline and Jeannette and her kids picking us up. Jeannette and I both seemed to think that we were having some very bad allergy reactions as we both felt like we were coming down with "something." After we got into town we quickly got ready and went to Brenden's T-Ball game. (Ahh yes, that did bring back a few memories of long past games with kids.)

Here's our little up and coming baseball player

I just have to show this off because Jeannette made it and I'm so impressed with it. She did it all, she used a few friends toys to help her with lettering, but she designed it and put it all together!

Later that night I was pretty sure that I was getting a cold, unbelievable, I don't get sick all year and then I do the one time I don't want to. I didn't sleep well and kept wondering if I should go home instead of on to Utah. On Sunday, I attempted to watch Conference but I have to admit, not too much penetrated with the way I was feeling. Fortunately, by around dinner Sunday night I felt like I would live and by Monday morning I was doing much better, so on to Utah we go!

We drove on Monday getting there about dinner Utah time. Mom described our kids as exploding from the car when we got there which is pretty apt. I have to admit, for the six some hours it took to get there, it was probably not until the last hour that I felt they were getting really antsy to be there. After getting a tour of the house (which I will describe and post pictures in my next post) we ate and then decided to walk to Keith's house. It's only 1.1 miles all uphill. Fortunately its not too bad of an incline but the walk home was by far the better way.

On Tuesday, Mom had to go to the temple for some training on phones. She is volunteering at the Family History desk. So all of us and my dad took off for yet another walk to a small park by the library in town. (There isn't much that isn't within walking distance if your so inclined where they live.)

Here's a really big tree we saw along the way.

Danielle found a picturesque spot to sit.

Later after lunch, my mom decided she would take all the kids to the public recreation center to go swimming. If you ever go visit there, you HAVE to go to the recreation center if only to see it. It is unbelievable. It has an ice skating rink, tons of exercise machines, a weight area, walking track, lap pool and a mini water park area. This is where she took the kids. It has a large slide, jungle gym with water pistols, river current and varying depths to about 3 feet, plus more I'm sure I missed. It was so cool.

So mom took the kids and managed not to lose any while Jeannette and I went shopping and dad scanned photos. When we came back from shopping, dad was ready to go see if mom was done swimming. We got there but couldn't find them, but got a good tour of the facility.

Then we had him take us to Costco where I found
Danielle the prettiest Easter dress.

(Sneaks in another Easter photo!
There's Sheila, Brenden, Brenley, and Danielle)

Wednesday, all of us plus Cindy and Tina went for a tour at a candy factory - Sweet's Quality Candies (I can personally attest their Sweet and Sour Eggs are addicting) in Salt Lake City. From there we went to some store, the name of which completely has left me, that Cindy likes to go to. Her and my mom made a good haul out of there. At lunch I proposed going back to Salt Lake to Temple square. Danielle has never been there and the other kids were babies last time we went. When we got there we decided to visit the Conference Center first as neither Jeannette nor I have been inside it before.

We saw the inside (they were taking down General Conference).

We visited with long past family.

(Back: Jeannette, Mark, Pres. John Taylor, Sheila, Beth
Front: Danielle, Brenden, and Brenley)
(gr gr grandpa to Sheila)

(Gr gr gr grandpa Williard Richards
Back: Mark, Sheila, Jeannette, Beth
Front: Brenden, Danielle, and Brenley)

We had future missionaries mix with old.

We marveled at the Church
Headquarters Building where Keith works.

After we got done with the tour of the building, we went back inside to view the Art Show they had going on. Then we crossed the street and went over to church headquarters building and went in the lobby. We saw the big mural with Jesus where they do the press conferences.

Then we left that building and found this ever
so cool fountain. Just seconds after this picture
was taken the water poofed, such luck!
(Brenley, Danielle, Brenden)

We wandered down towards the temple and found
this spot to take a picture while we waited
for the "official" place to take temple pictures.

(Brenley, Brenden, Danielle)

Here's the picture from the "official" place.
A strange man kindly offered to take one with all of us in it.

(Back: Mark, Sheila, Jeannette, Beth
Front: Danielle, Brenley, Brenden)

After the temple we found the Joseph Smith
building and of course, had to have a new
generation pose with the great man himself.
(Danielle, Brenley, Brenden)

We checked the movie and found we missed it by a half hour and knew that there was no way we were getting 3 very tired and hungry kids to wait another hour for it. So that is something we will have to do another trip.

On the way back to the car, we stopped at the Tabernacle with it's new shiny roof (seen from the conference center roof) and went inside to check out the new refurbishing. It was very nice, but the seats are still very hard. We found that on Thursday, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would be practicing. (After we left, I realized my ulterior motive in going back to Salt Lake and Temple Square was to get a picture with Danielle in front of the Christus statue in the visitors center that we never even visited. I had wanted it to put in front of her scriptures when she gets baptized at the beginning of the new year. Drats!)

Thursday was our lazy day. Actually, as good as I felt on Monday, with all the walks and walking we did I think it caught up with me. I was very tired this day. (I'm also blaming my lack of pictures on this, I'm usually a much better picture taker)

Mom was so wonderful, she kept the kids entertained in the morning while Jeannette and I hung out with Dad down in the basement going through boxes he got that had stuff from his mom. Then that afternoon she took them back to the water park again and said she had as much fun as the kids. While mom was gone and I had passed out on the bed, Jeannette and dad made some very cool discoveries in the boxes. We believe there is a copy of the blessing given to my gr grandfather Fred W. Taylor by his father John Taylor, a letter by Fred of his father's funeral, and my personal favorite, a little letter to my gr grandmother, Amelia, from her grandfather, Joseph Ellis Johnson, expressing how happy he was to receive his first letter from his first grandchild. It was quite an enlightening afternoon and Jeannette now wishes she had delved into those boxes earlier!

Then that night mom had Keith's family over for dinner and we had an early Easter dinner. Here is Keith turning my granddaughter into a pendulum...unfortunately, I don't think she kept good time and had to be returned!

After dinner, Jeannette and I drove back to Salt Lake so we could hear the MTC practice. It was amazing to hear/see them in real life. (How sad we were when on Easter morning we forgot with all the morning activities to hear them sing.) It was cold, so I made sure to take my coat not only for the temperature outside, but for good padding to sit on inside!

Friday morning, I felt better and mom and I went and did a session at the Bountiful Temple. It is a beautiful temple. Jeannette and dad brought the kids up to see the temple and then went to a park to let them play until we got done. After we got back home, we ate lunch, packed up and took off for home.

Mom and Dad, we had a great time and
I hope we can come visit again soon!!