This is quite possible the most epic blog post ever!!! It has taken me DAYS to get all of the pictures uploaded. Between falling asleep at the computer, to the taking care of the children and the dogs, and trying to get the pictures all in chronological order - sheesh! So here it is - our fantastic week long trip to SLC, the last week of May. Jason and Holly, my brother and sister-in-law moved back to SLC last August, so we were so excited to be able to go visit them, be back in FABULOUS SLC, and to visit old friends.
Jason and Holly have two girls as well, Skylar, 15 months, pictured above with Olive (however she is almost the same size!!!). And Brooke, pictured below with Emma, and she is 3years. The two older girls played so well together, it was like they were old friends! It was so fun to watch them interact and figure things out. In the picture below, on our first evening there, Emma said, "I love you Brooke", as they were sitting at the table side by side.
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On Memorial Day we headed out to Thanksgiving Point, about 20 minutes south of SLC, to a little farm/petting farm. Emma was a stitch, running from animal to animal, so excited and yelling what was in each pen. Her excitement was a joy to watch, if not a little overwhelming:) Right off the bat Emma was excited to help Brooke and play mother to her! Above you can see her giving Brooke some food to feed the goats.
As we were sitting in a clearing, enjoying the fabulous 70 degree weather, a woman brought out a baby pygmee goat. Olive's legs started kicking when she saw the little goat (which is what she does when she sees an animal or otherwise gets excited about something).
There was a little horse drawn trolley that takes you around the perimeter of the farm, and of coarse Emma had to sit next to Brooke - no parents. please! Jason and Holly are in the background.
Olive and Elliott.. yes, she is starting to warm up to him a bit more!!
Skylar - Olive Grace - Emma - Brooke
The classic "all the cousins in the bathtub" shot! This was actually AFTER the picture that is below. We spent Memorial Day evening at Holly's dad's house to celebrate his birthday. Marve and is wife Gail have re-landscaped their backyard, which has a drop off and over looks the valley, so that there is a large beach for the kids to play on! The kids were digging most of the time we were there and required a dunk in the tub before a very late bedtime!
Holly, Skylar and Brooke
On Wednesday we headed to the new outdoor mall downtown SLC, so excited to let the girls run around in the water fountains. We packed swimsuits and towels and everything....
The girls were having a fantastic time - until we were told they had to put there shoes one - then we were told they could not wear swimsuits! Goodgrief!!!
Emma and her Dad found some rockin' sunglasses at Gap Kids - that she promptly lost:(
Wednesday evening was beautiful so we decided to go up Millcreek Canyon to have campfire tinfoil dinners.
Emma had a BLAST catching Beetles and Daddy Long Legs spiders! Our little princess tom-boy took a campfire coffe pot and filled it with three beetles and eight daddy long legs - eewwww! She was in heaven. She also found an inch worm - on the way home Elliott was commenting how he felt like they were all over him. Five minuts later I noticed an inch worm crawling down his shirt!!!
Jason and Skylar taking it easy around the campfire.
Holly took the time to make a pear cranberry crisp and put it over the campfire to bake it, AND took the time to pack ice cream! It was such a treat!
Good sport Daddy had the girls peeling with laughter as they chased him with the giant water guns to beat the heat. We spent a good portion of our time out on the trampoline and are considering getting one - we would be out on it all the time, I think!
On Saturday we were fortunate to have Olive baptized by my dear friend Nick's dad. As a matter of fact, he also baptized Emma and at the same age as Olive! My dearest and oldest friend Rachel became Olive's Godmother, and suggested we have the ceremony and luncheon in her backyard - yeah!!! It was the most fantastic day full of dear friends, good food, lots of love and laughter.
Sweet Emma was concerned about Olive after she had the water poured over her head and cried a bit. Emma is a very caring and loving big sis and I am so glad we waited to have Olive at this point in Em's life. While the initial transition was hard, it is so fun to watch Olive and her together.
The Patterson Clan - look at all the girls!
Godmother Rachel and Olive Grace
Nick, Nathan and Natosha - my three dear friends who helped shape my life during and after Grad. School
We left Rachel's house about 2:30, remembering that the pet store near Jason and Holly's was having a reptile show... Holy Crap!!!! Look at this GIANT albino python!!! Brooke wanted to kiss and hug it. The show was fantastic and both girls were enthralled.
Enjoying time out on Holly and Jason's deck - Emma drew a picture of her Daddy. I LOVE IT! Don't know if you can see, but that is his phone in his hand on the left side.
Auntie Tosha (her Godmother) gave Em this dress and sandals while we were there, and this is her before we left a children's fair up in Park City. The fair was put on by a local montessori school and it was so fabulous! We loved being up in Park City again...
The young girls - OG and Skylar
The fair had a reptile petting zoo of sorts - and the girls spent an easy HOUR there holding one snake after another!!! Emma was enthralled and asked over and over a gain for a lizard - NO MORE ANIMALS!
Holly and Brooke - note that Holly's face looked nothing like this the moment before I took the picture!!! I love the look of total joy on Brooke's face!
And leave it to Emma to "go big or go home" (I say that seems to be her motto!)... She had a ahrd time staying standing, this snake was SO heavy!
What sort of mom lets her daughter play in the water of the dog bowl? This one does:)
She was SO happy, how could I say no?
I had bought a Costco chocolate cake for the baptism, and Skylar was enjoying some left over's:)
Our final night there we thought maybe the girls would like to have a sleepover... It almost worked, until Emma came downtstairs and said, "Brooke doesn't want me..." :) Maybe next year!
We had such a fantastic week with Jason and Holly, and visiting dear old friends... we can't get back to SLC soon enough!
