Our Annual Trip to Mecca

We were able to go to Utah for 2 weeks in August. I admit I was nervous about going- 2 weeks in the car with 4 kids, driving 2000 miles, staying in 6 different places. But we really wanted to go, visit family, see the sites, escape the heat so we (I) bucked up and went for it.

Our first stop was St. George. We were able to attend Kenny's court of honor. It was amazing! What a great, GREAT kid. We also got to attend Tuacahn's Les Miserables. John's brother, Ross, plays in the orchestra, so he hooked us up with comp tickets. It was an awesome show. My favorite musical of all time. Thanks to Mari for babysitting the kids.
Boy Scout Cousins

John and Jackson- I followed Jackson as he army crawled through the hallways almost the entire program.

Jacey, Ethan and Jared

We left there and headed up to South Jordan to stay with John's mom. We stopped in Beaver at the Cheese Outlet for ice cream and ended up hanging out for almost 2 hours. We took our time driving from St. George to South Jordan. The 4 hour drive ended up taking 8 hours!! It was fun though with stops in Beaver, Nephi and the Mona Cemetary to look for ancestors.

Cute Jackson

Isaac, Jared and Ethan in Beaver- pretty landscape

More playing and hanging out

We were able to attend the temple 3 times during our visit. The first time was at the Jordan River Temple

Jackson at Grandma Simpson's house- their yard is gorgeous!

Playing on the trampline- trying to wear Jackson out

We decided to take a trip to Park City. We hadn't done this as a family before and thought it was time to ride the Alpine slide. Here we are on the ski lift.

This was everyone's favorite part except for (temporarily) Jared who is visibly upset in this picture. He had placed his ticket on the seat for the picture and it blew off. He was still able to ride the slide.

A view of the Roller Coaster we went on.

Jacey having a ball.

Part of the Hamblin Family- missing 2 kids

In line for the Roller Coaster- happy!

Going up the coaster

After Park City, we traveled to Hooper, Utah to stay with Adam and Lisa. They have a beautiful home and we had fun hanging out, eating junk and watching the Olympics.

The kids had the bright idea to make the stairs into a slide.

Jared

Isaac and Jacey

Saying goodbye

These kids were so nice to Jackson. I think they need a baby sibling. :)

Emma and Jackson

Ethan wanted his picture with Jackson too

Jared's piano lesson with Grandma

We went to dinner at John's cousin's house in Sandy.

Carol, David, John, Lisa

Pismo Beach

We got to spend a long weekend at the beach thanks to my parents. They rented an awesome beach house/condo (4th year in a row) in Pismo Beach, CA. This house is awesome. It's kind in a weird location- attached to a restaurant and mall but what a view. It has a hot tub and it's own private stairs to the beach. No loading up and walking or driving to the beach. A few steps and you're there. We got to do lots of fun stuff : Splash Cafe (yummy), playing on the beach, going to the interesting toy store, trip to the farm on the way to Avila, walk the pier, fish on the pier (Papa and Jared). The weather was perfect. So much nicer than Bakersfield weather at the end of July.

Jared

This backdrop is a wall size window in the condo- this is the view from the livingroom. Wow!

Here's another view- John sleeping on the couch

Mommy and Jackson

Jaden in the water

Jackson loved it!

My sister's daughter- Joanna

Jackson getting dirty

This was after Tyler's Birthday Party- they found this hole

Action shot

Swings with a view

Sweet boy

This was weird- one evening thousands and thousands of birds swarmed around the water by the pier. I have never seen anything like this before. Maybe they were feeding??

You can probably see it better if you enlarge it.

Jaden on the pier

Jared- he is looking so grown up

Daddy and Daughter

I love this picture

Grandma feeding Jackson back at the condo

Is it time to go back??

Jackson the Piano Wonder

The other day I walked into the dining room and found this. The kids had pinned Jackson into the piano and he was having a grand time. Jackson loves the piano and this is a safe way for him to play it as long as we wants.