Vacations are so GREAT!!!

It is true that vacations are great,

but vacations to go visit family are even better.

Jared and I returned home on July 8th after having been away for 9 days. Our travels started out with a business trip to Park City. The company Jared works for, Ideations, had a install to do there and I got to go along too. We left Denver at 4:30 pm on Friday the 29th and arrived in Park City, UT around 2:30 am. Jared had to drive the company truck which left me driving alone in my car. I did alright until about 11:30pm and then I had to have Jared come and drive for me. So Jared worked long hours and I played. I got to hang out in a nice hotel room, shop and visit my family. I met up with my sister Kimmy in Salt Lake and we drove down to visit our Grandma. Much to our surprise we got to meet our cousins new baby twins. THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!

Kimmy with baby Jasmyne (Kimmy's baby is due Aug. 16)

My Grandma with baby Aspyn

We left Park City in the morning of the 3rd and headed to Stansbury Park to stay with Jared's mom, Leslie. That night we went and saw Ratatouille. It was such a great movie. We really enjoyed it. The next morning, the 4th, we headed up to Clearfield to spend the 4th of July with Jared's sister, Jessica, and her family. Before we got to Jessica's we stopped to see Jared's grandma and grandpa, which is always fun and interesting. We had such a great time hanging out with Jess, Sean and the girls. We had a barbecue and then kinda chilled until we were ready to go watch the fireworks. The fireworks show we watched was amazing. It was like the grand finale the entire time. It would have been nicer though if the ash and flaming canisters weren't falling all around us. Our nieces, Taylor and Rylee, were a little afraid of the noise but by the end Taylor enjoyed it. We spent the night there and on the 5th we stayed and played with the girls until Jess had to go to work. They got Jared and I to play beauty shop with them. We also played hopscotch and with Spud Buds that we brought for the girls. We stayed at Leslie's house again that night and the next morning we headed up to Idaho to see Jared's sister, Jenny, and her family.

Jared teaching and playing hopscotch with Rylee (above) and Taylor(below)

Playing with the Spud Buds (they are a smaller version of Mr. Potato Head, it comes with a potato head, a carrot head, and a corn head) Rylee really loved them.

This was her favorite thing to do with them. She also would take the pieces off the potato head with her mouth and then laugh hysterically. It was super cute.

Jared playing "Beauty Shop", he even had his book to read while he was getting "his hair" done

On the 6th we left Stansbury at about 8:30 am and got to Ashton, ID around 12:30. It was a nice drive, boring, but scenic. I have never been to Idaho and it was interesting to see how bare it is. There was A LOT of farm land. Jenny and Steve were staying at Steve's mom's house in Ashton and Blythe, Steve's mom, was kind enough to let us stay there as well. We felt bad crashing Jenny and Steve's vacation but we were happy that it worked out for us to see them. When we got there everyone got a bite to eat for lunch and then we jumped in our swim suits and headed for the river. We floated down a river for a few hours and enjoyed the beauty around us. Jared and I had our niece, Meggy, in the kayak with us. She rowed most of the time so I didn't have to do anything (except for when those .5 rapids popped up). When we got back to the house we cleaned up and then played for a while. Jared and I had planned on heading home on the 7th but we wanted to spend more time with everyone so we stayed an extra day in Idaho. That morning we got up and played with the girls. We gave Emmy the High School Musical board game so we promised we would play. And boy was it FUN! Later we went up further into the mts. to feed fish and to see the falls. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! However, sitting in the back seat with Emmy and Meggy was my favorite part of that trip. (I just have the cutest and most fun nieces in the world. I was glad I got to spend time with 5 of them on this vacation)

Meggy "pouncing" Jared

Me with 2 of my super cute nieces

Meggy took this picture of us. Isn't the sky amazing?!?! There was the coolest lightning storm that night.

Playing High School Musical. It was actually a fun game.

Jared and Meggy doing a ballet dance to get their cards for the game

In the car driving to feed the fish and to see the falls. Meggy wasn't really sad. (I promise)

These were taken at the lookout point at the top of the Lower Falls (below).

Emmy(10), Lyssa(3), Meggy(7) Meggy is such a little model.

This is at the Upper Falls (Steve ,Blythe & Alyssa, Emmy, Jenny, Meggy, and me and my belly)

Sadly Sunday (the 8th) rolled around and we had to say our goodbyes and head home. The drive home wasn't all that bad. It is way more fun to drive 11hrs with your spouse than it is to drive it alone. It helps too that I have a VERY entertaining husband. I was sad our vacation had to end but I was glad we could do it. It is always so nice for me to get to spend time with Jared's family because I'm still getting to know them and visa versa. So its nice when it actually works out for us to visit them.

Well, I hope this can tide everyone over until next week when we can post the gender of the baby!! Alyssa told us we were having a girl. I love you Lyssa but I hope you are wrong. ;)

Anyway, we hope everyone is doing well. LOVE TO ALL!!!!!!!!