4th of July 2012

The kids and I have been on our own for a little over a week now, and so far we are surviving.  Kurt has started his new job at Total Welding and is feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the information being thrown his way.  I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with getting the house "show" ready for potential buyers, working full-time, and keeping up with the kids on my own.  Lucky for me I have wonderful family here that have been helping me out a ton!

Kurt wasn't able to come home for the 4th because he had a lot going on with work.  We didn't have to be alone though, because my sister Melanie and her family came to Utah for a visit.  It was nice having them stay with us to keep us company and also to have a distraction from Kurt being away.  

To start the long weekend, well long for me since I took the days off from work, we woke up early on the 4th and headed to the West Jordan parade.  It was really hot that day which made it hard to enjoy the parade, but the kids got candy and they seemed pretty happy about that.  Mandy and Mason were able to go to the parade with us and all Mason wanted to do was run into the street!  He was such a cutie!  Afterwards, the kids and I headed home for naps while the Smith family went tubing up near Ogden.  Later that evening we had a cookout and waited for it to get dark.  The sprinklers turned on and Hailey and Mason striped down to their diapers to run through them!  It was so funny to watch!  Once it was firework time we headed to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  The view was amazing!  We could see all of the firework shows that were going on around the valley and didn't have to fight the crowds!  We could also see the glow of a fire that was burning and at times you could see the fire getting bigger.  It was sad to think about everyone celebrating the 4th while there were fire fighters battling such a big fire.

Parker and Hailey

Our group (Melanie was taking the picture)

                                  
The next day we decided to head to downtown Salt Lake for a few activities.  We went to the Clark Planetarium, which we weren't too impressed with, the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, the Lion House Pantry Restaurant, and then to the LDS Conference Center for a tour.  It was a lot of walking and it was raining for part of the day, but my kids were pretty good for the most part!

                                     

On Friday I had to get the house ready for a showing and then we headed South to Provo for a tour of the Brigham Young University campus.  It has been so long since I have been there, and so much has changed.  I had a great time going on the tour and seeing my Alma mater.  I will have to take my kids back when they are older and will remember being there.

Saturday was the Smith's last day in Utah and we decided to hike to the Timpanogos Cave National Monument.  I had never been there before and was excited to see it for the first time.  I had heard that it was a hard hike, but I never expected it to be so difficult!  

The following is taken from the website: The only access to the cave system is by walking a strenuous 1 1/2-mile-paved trail, which rises 1,092 ft to an elevation of 6,730 feet above sea level. The round-trip hike and tour of the cave system takes about three hours. Mid-summer temperatures on the trail can reach 100 degrees F. However, temperatures in the caves average 45 degrees, so a sweater or light jacket is recommended. Hiking shoes, water, flashlights and sunscreen will make your visit safe and enjoyable.

It's no joke when it says strenuous, and imagine hiking with an 8 month old strapped to the front of you!  Amy was such a trooper and hiked the whole way up and back with only a little complaining!  Hailey was the luckest one and got a free ride up and back on her Uncle Ryan's back!  I felt so bad having him carry her all that way in the heat.

The caves were amazing!  I didn't need to wear a jacket since Trey was strapped to my front and it actually felt pretty good to get out of the heat.  I wish that I had taken some pictures, but I didn't.  Someday I will have to go back again and maybe Kurt will be able to go with us next time!

We were all so tired and hungry by the time we got back down the mountain, so we decided to stop at the Pie Pizzeria for dinner and Mandy, Anthony, and Mason met us there.  There is a fountain next to the restaurant and it said "no swimming", but the Smith boys went for it anyway!  It was too tempting after that long, hot hike! 


I am so happy that Melanie and her family were able to come and visit us for a few days.  It was nice having other people in the house, besides just me and the kids.  I was able to do a lot of things that I haven't been able to do before.  I know that it took my family a lot longer to get ready and in the car and to go places than it did Melanie's family, so I'm glad that they were patient with us!