Auntie Julie, Tayler, and Rylee at Paradise Bakery
That evening Mom and I had a relaxing evening watching the movie, Bride Wars. We also talked to Ryan and Marcela and congratulated Marcela on becoming a US Citizen and learned they are expecting their second! Congrats Ryan and Marcela!
Wednesday, June 17th
We began the day in the yard… nothing better than doing a little work while it is beautiful outside. I got to deadhead the rose plants while Mom weeded. I feel I got the better end of the deal! After playing in the dirt we got ready for the day and headed up to Tooele. We spend a lot of time and money in Wal-Mart I’ve noticed. I guess it makes up for the past 6-1/2 months that I hadn’t been there! After our trek to Tooele we braved the harsh rainstorm and went to Jessica’s. Jenny was in town to help tend the kids since Sean was having surgery today. (As an update, Sean is doing great and recovered quickly from the surgery!)
It is so fun just chill with my Mom and my sisters. It was a beautiful day (surprisingly enough it was actually warm enough for me without a jacket) so we soaked up the sun. We were entertained by the kids by numerous dance routines (which I had the pleasure to be a part of some). Here are some pictures from the day:
Cool Mr. Eli!
Jess and two cute boys!
Tayler and Meggy showing us their mean dance moves!
Jenny and I just chillin'!
Jenny, Mom, and Jess enjoying the beautiful day!
It was rather loud in the house with so much fun and excitement going on all around. So, we got out and headed to the mall for dinner. Chick-fil-a was a top choice and I had a delicious smoothie from orange Julius! That night, once we said goodnight to the kids, Jessica headed to the hospital to be with Sean, and Mom, Jenny, and I visited for awhile before Mom and I headed home.
Eli loves Chick-fil-a!
Thursday, June 18th
Mom and I had a lovely day hanging out. We decided Thursday would be the perfect day for test driving vehicles. I sold my car when I left, so I knew as soon as I get back I would need a new car. I also really want an SUV, so I thought it would be fun (and helpful) to test drive some. So, off to Quality Dodge we go… I test drove a Mazda, CX7 (or something like that) and a Ford Escape that had all the bells and whistles except one very important one for me- dual air control! It was fun to test drive vehicles. Don’t worry, I was good and didn’t buy a vehicle on impulse, but I was tempted!
The rest of the day was spent lazily enjoying the summer day. After I taught Mom how to read Arabic numbers, showed her what the money (Kuwait Dinar and Fils) looked like as well as all my pictures, we were off to enjoy a beautiful afternoon. We walked to Copy Cottage so Mom could mail something off and when we were there I noticed a flier in the window for “My Fair Lady”. It just so happened that Ms. LaForge was putting on a community theater production of the musical during the time I was there, so we bought a couple tickets. Fun! Fun!
Friday, June 19th
Mom and I began our day by sawing up the peach tree, mowing the lawn, and chopping up some overgrown branches of the hedge. I would say it was a very productive morning! We did our work for the day, so now it was time to go play. We met up with Jessica, Jenny, and the kiddos at the pool. I didn’t get in of course, but it was fun to watch the kids having such a good time. There is just something magical about water during the summertime! We enjoyed a lovely afternoon all together and parted ways around 6:30pm. It was great that Jen and the kids came down from Boise so I got to see them. Thanks Jen, Meggy, Alyssa, and Eli- it’s always fun to see you! They were all heading to the duck park and Mom and I headed to visit Grandma. Jared and Katie drove to Utah this day, but didn’t make it until about 1:00am! As the slogan goes, “we left the light on for them!”
Sisters Just Having Fun
Auntie Julie and Meggy
Looking Good Grandma
Saturday, June 20thIt was fun to wake up and say hello to Jared, Katie and Cayden. We made a Tooele run, but mostly we just enjoyed our day hanging. Jess brought the kids out that afternoon and we were thoroughly entertained by all of dances performed!
Jess and Jayson- so cute!
Cayden's Big News- Yeah, it took Jess to come out to notice. Mom and I are a little slow!
Grandma's Turn to Dance
Rylee and Uncle Jared's Dance
Tay and Uncle Jared's Dance
Cayden reading a book- too cute!
That evening was Jared and my 10 year High School Reunion. It just so happened that I was in the states at the right time so I could attend. I heard later that they may have moved the date just for me, but I’m not so sure I believe them. Here is what happened…I received a message on facebook saying they were looking at holding the reunion on June 27th. Well, I immediately sent a message back asking if that date was set in stone or if it was a possibility that date could change to June 20th, if so, I would be able to attend. Oh, and I also let them know that I am fairly certain I would win the coming from the furthest away award! Next thing I know I the details for the reunion were sent out and the date was now June 20th- perfect! Alright, so Jared, Katie, and I headed out to the reunion. We met up with Todd there and we had a fabulous evening. It was fun to see old classmates. 10 years is a long time! We ate, played a game, explored the beautiful building, but mostly we just visited with old friends. After the reunion Todd treated us to some Cheesecake Factory- their cheesecake is delicious!
Jared and I before heading to the big 10 year party!
Does this outfit scream successful and no longer in High School? 'Cause that is what I was going for!
Sunday, June 21stAfter Sacrament meeting Jared, Katie, and Cayden had to hit the road. It was a rather quick trip for them, but I am glad they came. The reunion just wouldn’t have been as much fun if they weren’t there. They finally made it home around 10:00pm. Mom and I played our obligatory Sunday Scrabble Game. Good times! Then we went on a lovely walk to see the new High School grounds. It was such a beautiful day in the neighborhood…. I want to burst into song! It was nice to skype Ryan, Marcela, and Reyes as well as Brent and Ashley that evening. Always a pleasure talking to the Seattle clan!
Monday, June 22nd
The highlights from Monday were cinnamon rolls, haircut, and the musical. Mom made huge delicious cinnamon rolls. They really were a meal by itself-Yummy! I also got my much needed haircut. You see in Kuwait you say take an inch off and they barely take a centimeter off. You say even up the ends and they leave it very uneven. I don’t get it! So, when I walked into get me haircut, I said I don’t want a drastic change; I just want you to fix it! She laughed when I told her why and it dawned on both of us that perhaps they don’t have a whole lot of practice cutting women’s hair since women cover up their hair here! Anyway, I was pleased with how it came out. That evening Mom and I went to the theater. Ms. LaForge did a fabulous job with the conditions she was given. I mean, it really isn’t the most ideal setting to hold a play in a Cafeteria/Auditorium! It was a fun night.
Tuesday, June 23rd
Our fun day! For Mom’s birthday I told her to plan a fun day and we will do it while I’m there- those were the only two rules: 1. It must be planned and 2. This fun day must take place in June while I am there. Mom planned an excellent day for us and the weather was fabulous all day long- the day couldn’t have been more perfect! Here is our day:
We did a session at the Salt Lake Temple at 10:00am. We barely (and I mean barely) made it on that session, but all is well we did make it! I lost Mom in the temple (you have to remember that this was only my second time ever doing a session in this temple, so I really didn’t know where I was going nor did I know where Mom was going to wait for me), but it all worked out with the help of a mutual friend and we were off to continue our adventure for the day. I guess if you are going to be lost, the temple is probably the best place to be!
After the session we walked to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to change. The Lion House Pantry was our next stop. You have to get delicious Lion House Rolls if you are at Temple Square around lunch time.
We decided to walk to the Library to get help rid us of all the calories from our tasty meal at the Lion House. Neither one of us had been to the new Salt Lake City Library, so we went and checked it out. It was huge! I was really impressed with the new library- it is very clean, orderly, and the displays and set up in the children section was a lot of fun. We explored for a bit and then it was off to our next destination: The Gateway.
Mom in front of Library
We took Trax this time since we were still within the free zone and it was a bit farther to walk then we were willing. Mom made us a reservation to have our nails done at a salon there, so we shopped gateway for a bit, got our manicures, shopped gateway some more, and just a fabulous time.
Trax
Mom and I outside the Salon
Before we left the Gateway we stopped in at the Chocolate store and picked up a couple chocolate turtles to enjoy while waiting for the concert to begin. That was a fabulous idea- it was delectable! We took Trax back to our car were we deposited our bags, grabbed our jackets and blanket and walked to the park. There was a free concert in the park performed by local artists. They did an evening of show tunes, a lot of songs I recognized, but there were a few that I had never even heard of the musical before! It was a beautiful evening and a perfect end to our perfect day.
Performing "If I were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof"
The concert ended about 9pm, so by the time we walked about to our car and made it home it was around 10pm. I would say that was quite the full day! Thanks Mom for planning such a great day for us!
Wednesday, June 24th
Thursday, June 25th
After enjoying a fairly lazy morning and playing Disney bingo with the girls, it was time to say goodbye. I am always so touched when Tayler is in tears and doesn’t want to say goodbye. She is such a sweetheart and then it makes Jess and I cry- it is quite the scene! Thanks Jessica, Sean, Tayler, Rylee, and Jayson for letting us stay with you and letting us enjoy your company. It was way fun to be with you!
I also stopped by the USU Bookstore and said hello to the people I still know from back in the day when I worked there 6 years ago. It was fun to see them and know that they still remembered me! Great times in Logan I tell you!
It was nice to visit with them for a few minutes before hitting the road again and making it home around 9:00pm. It was an enjoyable day and so good to see such great people!
Friday, June 26th
Alas my good time in Utah had to come to an end. I did one last chore, which was kind of fun actually, not every day you get to climb out on a roof to sweep and throw off all the big branches that have fallen there! Good times! Once I got all packed and ready for the day Mom and I headed up to Tooele to go to the Arts Festival. The Tooele Arts Festival is pretty small, about an hour is all it took to make it around to all the booths. It was fun to see the different displays. Not to mention I found Cayden the cutest pajamas made out of a Lightning McQueen (from Cars) fabric!
Around 3:00pm Mom and I headed to the airport so I could continue my fun in Denver. So, that is the end of my wonderful time in Utah. Thanks Mom for keeping up with me as we went from one place to the next, for the good times, and for your great company! I love you!
I am proud to say since I sky capped my bag I did not have to pay the overage fee even though I’m sure my bag weighed over 50 pounds! Also, since I was flying Southwest and I forgot to check in on-line I thought for sure I will be stuck with a “C” boarding pass- nope, I was in the “A” group! I’m not sure if either of these two things are because I sky capped, but I like to think they are and I will use that service more often! I made it to Denver around 6:00pm which I will pick it up there in Part III of my adventure.
Julie Overlooking the Gateway
Mom at the Gateway
Before we left the Gateway we stopped in at the Chocolate store and picked up a couple chocolate turtles to enjoy while waiting for the concert to begin. That was a fabulous idea- it was delectable! We took Trax back to our car were we deposited our bags, grabbed our jackets and blanket and walked to the park. There was a free concert in the park performed by local artists. They did an evening of show tunes, a lot of songs I recognized, but there were a few that I had never even heard of the musical before! It was a beautiful evening and a perfect end to our perfect day.
The Concert in the Park
Performing "If I were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof"
The concert ended about 9pm, so by the time we walked about to our car and made it home it was around 10pm. I would say that was quite the full day! Thanks Mom for planning such a great day for us!
Wednesday, June 24thWe didn’t do yard work on Tuesday, so Mom and spent the morning outside beautifying the yard. After the manual labor was over Mom made a cherry pie with the cherries from our tree. We also used this day for hemming my work pants, doing laundry, washing the dishes and other things around the house. That evening we headed up to Jess and Sean’s to spend the night. We enjoyed a great dinner (chicken rolls- love them!), went to the park, painted toenails, and just had a great time together.
Toe nail Painting Fun!
Thursday, June 25th
After enjoying a fairly lazy morning and playing Disney bingo with the girls, it was time to say goodbye. I am always so touched when Tayler is in tears and doesn’t want to say goodbye. She is such a sweetheart and then it makes Jess and I cry- it is quite the scene! Thanks Jessica, Sean, Tayler, Rylee, and Jayson for letting us stay with you and letting us enjoy your company. It was way fun to be with you!
Yes, Jess you still look better then me even though I am the one ready for the day! :^)
What cute neices I have!
From Jessica’s house, Mom and I headed North to spend the day in Logan. Our good friends the Balagna’s recently moved there, so I thought it would be fun to see them and since I graduated from Utah State University I always like an excuse to go to Logan! It was quite tricky finding their house actually… yeah, we got lost! Not to worry though, we have cell phones and know how to use them! Bud got us heading the right direction and met us at a church so we could follow him the rest of the way. It was so nice to see them. Jennie and her kids even came over, so it was great to see her as well. We had a nice lunch there and then I left Mom to visit, and I headed into town where I met up with my roommate and good friend, Jeana, to enjoy reminiscing over all the great times we had while eating some Aggie Ice-cream! It was fun!
The Balagna's and Mom and I
Jeana and I
I also stopped by the USU Bookstore and said hello to the people I still know from back in the day when I worked there 6 years ago. It was fun to see them and know that they still remembered me! Great times in Logan I tell you!
Sue, Annalee, and I
On our way home we made one small detour to stop in and say hello to Tanna and Kip. I worked with Tanna at the Bookstore and I knew Kip since we sat right next to each other in an Economics class. So, I knew both independently from each other and I found out they were dating at the time- too funny!
Tanna and I
It was nice to visit with them for a few minutes before hitting the road again and making it home around 9:00pm. It was an enjoyable day and so good to see such great people!
Friday, June 26th
Alas my good time in Utah had to come to an end. I did one last chore, which was kind of fun actually, not every day you get to climb out on a roof to sweep and throw off all the big branches that have fallen there! Good times! Once I got all packed and ready for the day Mom and I headed up to Tooele to go to the Arts Festival. The Tooele Arts Festival is pretty small, about an hour is all it took to make it around to all the booths. It was fun to see the different displays. Not to mention I found Cayden the cutest pajamas made out of a Lightning McQueen (from Cars) fabric!
Mom at the Arts Festival
This cracked me up... I discovered this in the bedroom downstairs- Nice Jared!
Around 3:00pm Mom and I headed to the airport so I could continue my fun in Denver. So, that is the end of my wonderful time in Utah. Thanks Mom for keeping up with me as we went from one place to the next, for the good times, and for your great company! I love you!
I am proud to say since I sky capped my bag I did not have to pay the overage fee even though I’m sure my bag weighed over 50 pounds! Also, since I was flying Southwest and I forgot to check in on-line I thought for sure I will be stuck with a “C” boarding pass- nope, I was in the “A” group! I’m not sure if either of these two things are because I sky capped, but I like to think they are and I will use that service more often! I made it to Denver around 6:00pm which I will pick it up there in Part III of my adventure.
1 comment:
Why, Julie! You look so...successful! As though you are so nowhere near being in high school! ; )
And hahahaha, I totally remember your mom getting the Disney Bingo game at the nonsensical Showell Christmas White Elephant Extravaganza last year. Good times!
It was so great to see you, Jules. I so hope you find a job in CO when you get back!!
Love, Cassie
Post a Comment