Apart and then Together

We almost all went our separate ways at the end of the summer. First Sarah left Saturday July 26 for Kenya with RXP for a 2-week trip. But we still tried to have fun without her.

When my kids were really little I used to take them to the park for breakfast, instead of lunch, since it is so hot by midday. It was time to bring back the activity, if just once, this summer. We went to the doughnut shop and then to a park in Spanish Fork we had never been to before.

A week after Sarah left, we went to the airport again. Justin went to Minnesota with his high school friends for a canoe trip. He did this last year but not quite the same group of friends.  I drove them to the airport and man, these boys don't miss a beat. They were all 17 again.

They met Dave in Minnesota then headed to the Boundary Waters for five days of canoeing, fishing, camping, and avoiding mosquitoes. He didn't have service that far into the wilderness so I just prayed each day that he was safe and that I would hear from him on Friday as planned.

He had so much fun and it was such a good trip for him to truly get away from work and church responsibilities. I know he missed me and the kids but I think it's nice to just be yourself with friends and not have to be responsible for everyone. Well, except that he is always looking after others, by nature.

Meanwhile at home, the other kids and I went to our ward's treats on the street. The first house we went to had an ice cream maker! We love Sister Davis. She is so fun.

Monday meant another goodbye. I took Henry and his friend Ross to FSY at BYU. Fun fact: Ross's mom is my good friend from high school. And they are moving 7 houses away from us in a few weeks!

I don't have a lot of details from Henry about FSY other than he loved it all and can't wait to go next year. Counselors: awesome. Food: good. Other boys: fun. Activities and classes: enjoyable. He even liked the dances and asked a girl to dance. 

Wednesday the littles and I packed up and headed to SLC for a couple of days. I didn't want them to sit at home and be sad that everyone was gone or that everyone was having fun but them. So I put on my fun hat mom and tried to say yes to anything they wanted to do.

First stop was the aquarium. I had never been to this new location so I think I was looking forward to this more than the kids. 

The penguins were our favorite. They were so fun to watch and seemed to enjoy swimming up to the glass for attention.

After the aquarium we checked into the hotel and the kids went swimming until dinner. We went to a little hamburger place in the Glendale neighborhood which was near where the Sandlot movie was filmed.

After dinner we went to a grocery store and picked out pints of ice cream that we took back to the hotel. Then the kids wanted to go swimming again and swam until the pool closed at 10pm.

This picture doesn't quite capture the sweet hair James had the next morning. Hotel breakfast was one of the highlights of the trip.

Back to the pool! This hotel had a pretty cool waterslide which is why I chose it. They went down it like 20 times each, at least. 

That afternoon we went to the mall where I introduced them to mall pretzels then we saw the new Bad Guys movie. After the movie we went to Costco to get a fountain soda (this is what happens when I say yes to all their ideas) but first we had to hit up the free samples and check out the stuffed animal situation. Then James got a Sprite and Erica got a root beer and ice cream to make her own root beer float.

That night I took them to Cracker Barrel (we were in the heart of ethnic food in West Valley but they are not Mexican and Chinese food fans like I am so pickings were slim). Then they went swimming again and then watched Disney Channel until 11pm. The next morning they must have been all swimmed out because they just wanted to go home. We ate breakfast at the hotel and then stopped at a doughnut shop nearby and then drove the hour home.

The next morning Henry came home from FSY and it was so great to see him! That afternoon I drove to the airport to pick up Justin and 3 friends. I missed him so much and they all had me laughing all the way home. 

Sunday I taught relief society as my new calling. It went okay.

Yesterday afternoon we went back to the airport (4th time in 2 weeks) to pick up Sarah! I was so excited to see her again. I was so worried the day she left as she had 36 hours of traveling to get to Kenya.  I heard from her during her layover in London (she was exhausted and airsick) and then briefly again when she landed in Kenya but then she turned her phone in. We got photo updates each day from the leaders but I didn't hear from her personally until 15 days later when she left Kenya. 

Even though she had traveled for the last 24 hours, she was pretty well rested. All she wanted was ice cream and ice water.

That evening when everyone came home from friends' houses, we were finally all together again!

Watch for a separate post about Sarah's trip.