7 weeks in UTAH!!!

This year we were lucky enough to be able to spend most the summer in Utah with our family.  James got a rotation at the University of Utah in the psych department and we lived with my mom and spent LOTS of time with the rest of our family.   Here's a quick recap of the 7 week vacation...

Scott loved hanging out with his cousins.  He's finally getting old enough that he can really appreciate them.  Here is is with my mom and some cousins on my side of the family. (Dallin, Ellie and Katie)

And of course we spent as much time as we could with Scott's best little cousin - Allie Bowler.  Phil was so good to have around as an extra pair of eyes at 7 peaks water park.  We all had season passes this year and we went there as much as we could.

At Liberty Park with my  mom, kim, mimi and more cousins.

Family BBQ up Payson Canyon with the Palmer Clan.

More 7 peaks!

Scott doing his Buzz Light Year face while jumping with Allie.

At the movies to see Cars 2 with grandma Palmer.

Sara and cousin Ilene (they are about 3 months apart).

Carl's Junior Play Place with Aunt Mimi and Family.

Homemade Fondu Night with the Palmers! (Seriously so delicious!)

We decided that this was our summer of sunglasses.  Neither James nor I ever really wear them but this year we felt like they'd be beneficial.  Plus Grandma Palmer got Scott his very own pair of Batman shades.  We all looked so cool all summer long.

James and I on a date night out to a Fake Neil Diamond concert.  Our favorite part was when the police raided the stage because the singer was going past curfew to sing "Sweet Caroline".

Spanish Fork Rodeo!

Mona Days Face Painting

Scott's Batman of course... with cousins Allie and Dustin

Celebrating Grandma Palmer's birthday at the Art City Trolley.

Scott and Allie just being... Scott and Allie

Uncle Ryan is always giving Scott really cool basketball jerseys.  Thanks Ryan!

Out on a summer evening ride.

Fireworks!

Scott felt very cool that he could figure out the spiderman web thrower finger thing.

more scott and allie

Trip to Bear Lake with the Keyser side of the family.

Daddy and Scott out on the boat.

James on the water weenie with Bridger and Dallin.

Scott driving the boat with my mom's "friend" Brent. :)

Me celebrating the fact that i got up skiing after 6way too many tries.  I can't believe i'm so out of shape!!!

my favorite time of the day... diaper changing parties!  these two are so cute when i change their diapers together.  they just play the whole time.  as much as i want scott to be potty trained i will definitely miss this.

Owl's baseball game at UVU with the Palmers.

Scott and Allie eating their hot dogs at the ballgame.

Trip to Park City with the Palmer family. 

Temple day with the Keyser Family.  We all got together to do my grandma's work along with some other family names.  It was a really great experience. (L-R: Brother-in-law Kelly, Sister Steph, James, Natalie, Brother Mike, Sister-in-law Mimi, Mom, Sister Kim)

Our favorite thing was coming down to grandy's room in the morning to cuddle with her. 

Salt Lake Temple Day with Scott and Sara

I wanted Scott to be able to touch the temple.  He always wants to go inside but i've finally convinced him that it will be better to go in when he's "bigger".

Hike to a waterfall with Grandy Keyser.  (not as easy as it looks.)

i love sara's crazy morning hair.  this picture captures it perfectly.

since we were around for a while i was able to see lots of old friends.  this is my good friend jenny with her kids bella and jonah.

and a sweet girl i knew from my mission... nicki.

and can you believe we even found a way to see brody and anne while we were there.

the 7 peaks season pass also got us in to trafalga.  here's scott and james on the bumper boats (soaking wet.)

and james, me, amanda and ryan living it up at the lazer tag.

splash pad day with keyser cousins katie, josh, kenzie and ellie

me and my sister kim

mauger reunion... scott, sara, addison mauger, and alex mauger

visiting my old work up at the Uof U... jeff johnson and my old boss Jim Parker

some of the ladies i worked with: mary louise, sonia, sandy, kathy and jane

this story is kind of cool... see that bird on the ledge behind scott? well it was on my mom's back deck all injured and not moving anywhere.  so scott and i decided to feed him bread crumbs to see if it gave him enough energy to fly away.  i honestly didn't think it would help, i just thought it would be fun to try to feed the bird with scott.  but when we went back out the crumbs were mostly gone and the bird was too!  i get that there's a chance that the bird just fell off and died somewhere but we like to think that we saved its life. :)

my cute, smiley little girl.

my mom took this picture but i love it because this is just a typical situation with me and my kids sitting in the kitchen enjoying a snack together.  i really do love spending time with these kids.

my old work buddies.. becca morley and julianna barney.

Friends from iowa: Jamie Bingham and Alison Croff

another great photo of the kids in the morning.  this is what i see every day when i wake up.  scott always comes to my bed and happily tells me that sara is awake (she isn't crying she just plays in her crib until we get her.) so scott and i go to her crib and she is just kicking and smiling with this crazy hair of hers. its such a fun thing to wake up to.

Spanish Fork County Fair...

Sawing a log with daddy, allie and ryan.

Classic Skating Day with cousins Katie and Josh (who knew that classic skating now had bouncy castles and a water park!??)

Hogel Zoo with Mom and the kids.  This is my new favorite picture...

Meeting up with our good Iowa friends Shalise and Brooke Kearns.  The last time we saw Brooke she was just a baby so it was so fun to see her and scott play together.

not my most flattering picture but i wanted to show one of shalise...

my favorite missionary couple, the wollastons.

can you believe that sara is big enough to sit in the front of the cart? this poses a big problem at regular grocery stores but luckily costco has carts with two seats up front.

and last but not least my good friend sara tanner.  (as a side note i saw other friends while i was in utah but didn't always remember to take pictures. sorry if i missed any of you!)

on our last night in utah we went to dinner with my family to olive garden.

james and i had to take separate flights back to ohio (long story) so i got another full day of traveling with these two kiddos.  sara didn't love the plane ride but for the most part it went really well... and that guy in the background was a heaven-sent.  he was so nice and he played with scott almost the entire 3 1/2 plane ride.  Thank you random Tyler man that i'm sure i'll never see again!

and of course the second we got in the car at the aiport these two were fast asleep. 

it was an exhausting trip but SO much fun.  it flew by way too fast.  thank you to EVERYONE who gave us beds to sleep in, food to eat, cars to drive and all sorts of time to play with us and make it the best trip ever!