we left town on friday one hour later than scheduled….no surprise there. we dropped off waffle with friends.
he got to be outside the whole time with a new doggie friend.
we got in to colorado before dark so the kids got that view…one minute there are no mountians…
i remember my first time seeing that…so awesome.
we checked into a hotel in fort collins, colorado.
and went straight to the pool.
we had two rooms…everyone went to bed at the same time.
then craig and and i watched a recorded 30 rock on a dvd player sharing headphones in the dark.
i saw lauren was reading by the light of her camera.
in the moring, we ate our free breakfast….spilling only one hot chocolate
and dropping one glass syrup bottle.
not bad for our family.
then we were off towards utah.
this picture cracked me up…taken by someone in the back seat…
me using the internet on craig's phone.
i looked back at one point & told craig "everyone is using a personal electronic device of some kind."
kind of funny between the dvd players, video games and iPods how they can all be entertained.
not necessarily okay….but also much appreciated for such a long drive.
and another photo from the back seat…
i love dramamine.
it's my new favorite travel friend.
they were all out for a long time…it was awesome!!
we arrived at our friends' UTAH home early afternoon.
so good to see them!
so nice of them to let us all crash with them…seven is not a small number.
their oldest son josh took us to the skatepark near by so we could see his skills.
not too shabby….
as a mother i was nervous and i kept flinching.
josh was fun to watch
but can you imagine that view at the park? it was everywhere….mountains!!
pretty cute right?
josh is the nicest guy..my kids just adore him.
our friends we stayed with, rod and lynette, were our youth pastors when craig & i were in high school.
(long long ago..)
they had to put up with so much from us as kids…and now they had to put up with OUR kids.
they moved to utah a few years ago to be part of a church plant called
Daybreak.we got to go to it!
that was awesome…we saw their ministry up close…met their friends…we loved it.
rod and allie, their 14 year old daughter play guitar on the worship team.
then you walk out of church and there are those mountains again!
i couldn't get used to it.
we all ate lunch with other friends jason and nicole and their kids after church.
10 children and we actually got to talk…we went to playplace.
what a smart choice…i wouldn't have thought of that.
i noticed that one child is missing here…a twin.
he must have scooted right out of the shot.
they played on this curb for a long time.
so funny what they choose to entertain themselves.
it was fun to check in with jason and see how utah is for them.
they moved to utah from oklahoma.
and i finally met nicole! i've heard about her for years. she's a blog reader. ;)
i got annie down for a nap and immediately the big girls left for….
it was all i had hoped for…i miss that place.
i found goodies. (not the stuff on the car…that's an ikea display)
lauren found goodies.
we saw this license plate right after….very appropriate.
we met up with everyone else for dinner.
pizza.
such good pizza!
then over to boondocks where josh works.
it's got an arcade, lazer tag, go-karts and bumper boats.
so basically….heaven for my kids.
everyone rode go-karts but annie.
oh yes…that means me.
i got to ride.
we said "we're just going for a sunday drive"
and after four laps we asked to quit.
we were the only two out on the track.
we pulled over and i shouted "we're bored!"
the guys were disappointed in us.
the thrill is just not there for me…no desire to beat my friend in a go-kart race…crazy, i know.
we got back and put everyone to bed.
they had a big day of skiing to rest up for.
i sat on the floor in lynette's living room pinning flowers on shirts for etsy.
we all watched a movie…talked and laughed…just like old times.
don't you love the real friendships…that never change…over years and miles?
i do.
ok…that's it for this post.
you are awesome if you made it this far.
it's like getting trapped watching someone slides…sorry.
but just think of the mountains when i bore you.
traci - wow, that looks like a wonderful store. i would have walked around it for hours. every lap you see something different.
Kristy Murphy - Awh, I’d love to visit that store. Grab a cup of coffee and just enjoy the store :O)
Tami - That store looks like so much fun,very whimsical I would have wanted everything in there lol
Aubrey - I forgot to add that I hadn’t even heard of the Star Mill and am now hopping mad because I was in American Fork yesterday all day with NO KIDS. I guess that’s what I get for taking a blogging hiatus. Next time I’m that way, that place is my #1 priority. Did I mention how sad it is I haven’t known about these places? Then again I live farther north and don’t trek down there often.
Aubrey - Is that store by Thanksgiving Point? I’ve heard about those little shops and almost went there yesterday. That would have made reading this a little surreal. 🙂
Now I think I better take my kids down there. We’ve only ever gone to the one north of us and I think it’s time for a change. So sad I have to learn about fun places by me to go from an out-of-towner.
Susie - I have a picture of my baby about to be “eaten” by that freaky fish thing. He looks absolutely terrified, which is perfect!
That’s a super-fun museum.
Oh, and now I’m sad that I don’t live there anymore. It’s such a beautiful place! (But at least my friend lives 2 minutes from Thanksgiving Point, so I get to visit sometimes)
chelsea - oh my gosh that store is amazing!!!!!
gina - Two great stops! That store was just divine!
Tess S. - i want to live in that store and frolic.
liz - ack! your posts are making me SO homesick!!
thanks for sharing. whenever i go home i have forgotten how BIG the mountains are and am amazed.
Jeanne - Oh my goodness….that shop..I could live in there!!!!
Rachel - Ooh I would take all of it too!
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Annie’s style!!!!
susanne p. - every town needs a store just like it. and how you settled on just that star is beyond me. i think i might have taken one of those pillows, too.
Jill Adkins - Oh MY!!!!! I want the whole store shipped to me…right now!!!!- LOVE EVERYTHING!!!!
How fun!
Blessings!
Katie Snead - amazing!!!!!!!!!!! love it all! i was looking at your pictures and fell in love with the pink star, then saw you purchased it. wahoo..great find!
artbyanya - What a beautiful shop! Can’t wait to see where you put the pink star.
Wendy - My boys LOVE that museum! They love the sand/water area as well as the dino dig at the end. My mom and sisters LOVE the shops at Thanksgiving Point. They have wonderful cooking classes there as well.
Glad you found a fun non-ski activity to fill your day. 🙂
Anna - I am drooling!!! I immediately went to google to see if that shop has a website…no such luck. You know how I love those polka dots AND all the red :o)
Trina - What a cool museum but lets just be honest I’m really more interested in the store.. what a fabulous store.. that is the kind i could spend a couple of hours in looking, looking again and looking one more time in case I missed something! Glad you all had a fabulous trip!
xx Trina
danyele - that store is a little slice of heaven…
i love the birdies…and the chandeliers…and now.
now.
now, i must go and see for myself.
hopping a plane.
kathy b - The Utah Star Mill looks just like you with the jars full of colorful things…too bad. It looks like you both had fun anyway.
I have the box packed and I will mail it to you tomorrow! OK!
Kathy b
jennifer - Mmmm! That’s what Heaven is going to look like for me! 🙂
Laura Phelps - LOVE the dinosaur drink in hand as she takes in the fantastic merchandise.
And I wold like the bird with party hat, please….
Ruth - You and Annie have the cutest clothes and shoes! And that shop is just gorgeous. Definitely a good call over skiing!
kasey - that looks like heaven.
ang - That store looks totally amaaaaazing!!! Just wish it was a little closer to the middle of Nebraska!
melissa - oh me too!
sara - what a pretty store & the musuem looks like it was a lot of fun! glad you had a great spring break!
chas at the wild raspberry - oh, i forgot to ask….did you ever find Nacho Libre and watch it? we watched it for the third weekend in a row–it is hilarious!!! we finally found it at a used dvd/cd store called vintage stock…
carissa... brown eyed fox - that STORE!!!!!!
a little slice of heaven walking through there…
my head would have been spinning!
glad yall found fun too!
chas at the wild raspberry - the first photo of that lovely boutique literally took my breath away!!!
katy - What a neat neat store!!! I love and want that angel shown in the cabinet. Looks like you all had a nice time.
Nicole Quiring - So sad your store wasn’t open – just means you have to return to Utah again. You were right by our place. We live right by the museum, just a minute away – sometimes I feel that I LIVE AT the museum with three boys. Glad you found that fun store . . . I like walking through it to dream!
Trish - oh my that store is di.vine.
loving the star that you bought.
i hope my little girls will love shopping with me someday too 🙂
elisa - those chenille pillows with the puffy dots- LOVE.
Love the pink star too 🙂
Nina - I just love how Annie dresses…..so cute!
Brooke - i can definitely tell you two places i now will be hitting up when i pick up the ladies from grandpa’s in july….better start saving my pennies and ups boxes now!
Jenn Thomas - This is much better than skiing! I would love all those chenille pillows.
Julia - when I go to places like dino museums or ZOOS – I’m sending thought waves to my kids “you so owe me…the things I do…wait til I’m 85 then payback!
sandy toe - I want it for my birthday too~
sandy toe
Courtney - I could kiss that store.
ForeverFoldingLaundry - Oh, I could do some serious damage in that store. (Or, more like that store could do some serious damage to my checkbook!)
From one non-skier to another: you made the right choice!
~Keri
Melissa Mae - You’re making me so homesick for Utah! I love Thanksgiving Point, and the Dino museum is awesome.
Debby Graber - Exactly where is that store? Also, very much my kind of store. My husband would hate it! He would think it was just cluttered junk. I could spend hours. Once for my birthday, my son, Josh took me to those kinds of stores in Arkansas. Love it!!
Debby
Heather Mattos - i’m freakin out
Starnes Fam - Oh, you should open your own store. Such fun. A distant dream of mine.
And, I want it all, too. Every last piece.
Lorelei Eurto - Meg
That’s the prettiest place I have ev-er SEEN. thanks for sharing pics from you special day! 🙂
Alyssa - that store is very yummy!!
Alyssa - You should open your own shop….I can see you having your own place. How much fun would that be???
Cami - You must have went to Thanksgiving Point. Am I right? Skiing at Brighton is also awesome. More for snowboarders, but good none the less. Glad you came to visit and liked.