Utah Trip -- The trip that almost wasn't

Day ONE -- BBQ with the Morrises and Raguskuses
We planned to leave on our Utah trip as soon as the kids got out of school on Thursday, May 29th. It was just going to be the kids and I on this trip. Eric had to stay home to work and build the deck. The kids (especially Mason) were very helpful as we packed up the car. We were finally all buckled in and ready to go...but the car wouldn't start. I tried and tried, but it just made a wheezing then clicking sound. Eric was at work and in a meeting. I was panicking! What do regular people (who don't have mechanic-husbands) do when their car won't start?? I went to the neighbors to get help. The husband and teenage son were home. They came over to look at it, but they really had no clue what was wrong. I called Eric. I had no other options. Eric left his meeting and came home (he only works 7 minutes away). I think it took Eric all of 5 minutes to diagnose and fix the problem. Soon we were on our way. I was more than a little jittery...it was not a good start to a trip that I would be without my husband for.

Our first stop was Alpine, Utah where we met up with some old friends (the same ones that we went to Bear Lake with in April). We ended up being about an hour late (due to our late start), but it was okay. We had a BBQ at the Morrises house and most of the Raguskus family was there as well. The kids played, and played, and played. We spent our first night there. The kids pitched tents in the backyard and Sadie and I slept in bunk beds in the house. The Morrises were lovely hosts and have a lovely home. Sadly we took no pictures. Zero.

Day TWO -- Picnic up Hobble Creek Canyon
On Friday we drove down to Provo. Our first stop was at my Grandma and Grandpa Jensen's house. It was nice to just be there by ourselves for a few minutes. We had a good time sitting, talking, and catching up with my grandparents. After a while my parents met us there. My dad took us out to lunch at a family favorite...Stan's Drive-In on 9th East.

We were spending the next leg of our journey at my older sister's home in Provo. We went to drop our stuff off there and make preparations for our picnic up the canyon that evening. We decided to try a new canyon this time. We went up Hobble Creek Canyon in Springville. Fun historical note: Eric's great-great-grandpa (the one whose grave we visited at Memorial Day) was one of the founders of Springville and he spent time at Hobble Creek. Isn't family history great?

Here are some fun pictures to share:

 Sadie and Pops...the dynamic duo

 See how he is taller than me now?!? Not by much, but it still feels so weird to look UP to my son.

There was a fun park for the kids to play on and benches for adults to sit on. My mom and I decided to walk around a path that circled the play equipment. We must have done a couple dozen laps. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with my mom.

It was a fun evening and a great way to kick off a family-filled week.