Utah July 2012

We almost weren't going to take a trip to Utah this year.  We wanted to spend Spencer's last off time a little closer to home spending lots of time with the kids.  We took a trip to Kansas City, MO and Nauvoo (I will back-track later) and also a quick camping trip (our first as a family - also, pictures to come later).  I had decided two years ago that I would not travel with the kids on my own any more.  That was a hard trip.  And this time I didn't have anybody who would be coming with me.  We thought it best we didn't take the trip this year.  Then, looking ahead, we realized that we wouldn't be taking a trip next year.  We'll be moving to Indianapolis in June and there's no other time we'll be able to take a trip.  And we're not sure we'll get a trip during the three years of residency in Indiana.  So, it looked like this year needed to happen.  It took me a while to decide that I would be going for sure.  But I finally made the decision.  The kids and I would drive out.

I'm not sure when it was, but Eden called one evening when she was with my parents trying to get a flight for Harper to come to Tulsa to drive back with the kids and me.  What a blessing!  I ended up doing all the driving (I hope you don't mind, Harper!) even though Harper was more than willing.  It was great to have help with the kids, though.  And rest stops were wonderful being able to split up and have all the kids taken care of (side note: we started toilet training with Lilia just two or three weeks before this trip and I was so worried of what might happen on the road.  She was in a pull-up the whole time, but you never know.  Lilia was a champ and went to the bathroom successfully at every stop!  She would then have an accident at each destination, but we were sticking with pull-ups for the trip, so it wasn't horrible.  More on her toilet training another time).  We made good time to Denver where we got to stay at Bethany's and Nate's.  Twelve hours from start to finish.  Beth, Nate, and fam had already left for the Callister reunion at Lake Tahoe, but were so generous as to let us stay over anyway.  Such a blessing to have a home to stay in.  The next day, 3 July, we left early again and this time took 8 1/2 hours to Draper.  I think that in some ways I really have learned patience - definitely have so much work to do, so I'm not inviting new lessons, but I noticed that I had the easiest time on this drive than I ever have before.  Things went really well.

We had a great time seeing all sorts of family.  The Anderson reunion was the second half of the first week of the month and we got to see everyone but the Justinianos.  It was a great turn-out and we had a great time!  The kids loved playing with all their cousins!  (A few times since the trip when doing video chats with Bubbe and/or Papa the kids have asked where all the cousins are.  They really loved it.)  We also got to see a lot of the Cotterells!  Spencer's parents got home from their mission the Friday before we got there.  (I had originally been trying to make it for that day, but we found out that Spencer had his white coat ceremony that day!)  It was great to see them back in Utah and to see everyone together.

And now the trip in pictures.  With more words.


I had signed up some time previous to run the Freedom Run 10k.  I was doing half-marathon training (more on this at a later time) and thought it would be great to run the "adult" race for once.  I've done the 5k before with a niece and was looking forward to really running.  Then I hurt my foot.  In a non-running accident (Andy's rocking horse and I are still not on amicable terms).  My sister-in-law Jen (some weeks pregnant) was going to be walking the 5k with her sister.  I switched my registration over to the 5k and decided to walk with them.  Well, we jogged for about half a mile, walked for more, jogged another bit, and walked the rest - except for across the finish.  It was a lot of fun to do it with good company - the next best thing to running the race.

 During the race - me, Jen, Ange

Immediately following the race.  You can tell how worn out we are!

By grandmother's wall on our way to the parade with the rest of the family in town.

Someone at this point (who had also run) asked how we did.  The only logical answer considering the medals around our necks: We won!!

Very intently watching the parade.  They all loved it.

 Anne really enjoyed herself.

Andy with Mark.

Anne had a great view with Eden.  And Eden was one of the first that Anne was okay going to besides me.  She sure took a while to warm up to anyone on the trip.  It was very helpful, though, because now she goes to nursery without any problem!  A major break-through.

Benny spotted his favorite: the tubas!

Sporting one of Bubbe's hats.

Lilia with Bubbe.

Enjoying Anne's hair.

One rainy day of the reunion we ended up at a place like Incredible's Pizza - a buffet with a game center.

It's a really blurry picture, but there was a Go Kart round with all family members: Harper and Benny; Graydon and Andy; Dominic and Jimmy; Adam and Jack; Sara and Rab; and Adam (Jr) on his own.  Everyone had a great time.  I think the drivers are still debating over who committed what foul.

I went on a run up to the temple one morning.  The weather was beautiful!  And it was great to get out.  2 miles each way.  I didn't run up the whole hill, but probably ran a total of 3 of the 4.

Eden was helping get kids in the car on afternoon and "she says" Max got in on his own. :)

Grandma Joy was down for the Sunday Spencer's parents spoke in their ward.  It was great to see her and to have the chance to visit with her for a little while.

Here she is with all of her Cotterell great grandkids!

Brinley wanted to join in on another picture!

We're so glad we had the chance to see her!

We spent part of a day in Provo visiting Grandmother and feeding the fish and going up to campus.  It was hot, but we had a great time!

The kids love the fish!

Enjoying some BYU Creamery ice cream!

I think I'm the only one who finished my little dish.

Anne was offered bites from all, but after her first taste, all other offers were rejected.  It may have been too cold, but it was hot as the dickens out, so I would have thought she'd like it.

The courtyard with the First Vision statue was locked, so we came to see the other Joseph Smith statue.  Lilia was being a bit of a stinker and refusing to be in some pictures.

She'd gladly join in when it was all of us, though.

The 'Y' shot.

And I decided to stop by the stadium to get another picture with Cosmo.  We got a picture three years ago just after Lilia was born.  Quite different now!

The one thing the boys said they wanted to do on this trip was to go to the Dinosaur Museum.  Thank you, Bubbe for taking us with some cousins!

Anne was a good sport for being buckled in everywhere.

Andy, Jimmy, Benny

These boys were so happy with their island!  They were working on this the whole time.

Digging for fossils at the end.  Another favorite.

Two mornings before we left I took the kids to the "dinosaur" park (on the underside of a climbing section there a dinosaur "fossil").  We had been once or twice with some others and the kids were dying to go back.  It's just a short walk down the train behind my parents' house, up a decently (albeit short) steep hill, over the railroad tracks, and down a little path.  I'm actually quite impressed that we made it without any help with the three bikes and Anne in the stroller!

Anne had free reign and was pleased as punch.

Our visit with Grandma Spendlove that afternoon.  We got to have our own time before the rest of the Cotterell cousins came over for the group picture!

I'm just sad that Lilia's blurry in this one.  This is the best one I got.

The whole group.

Our last morning we went downtown for a little trip to Temple Square.  It wasn't much.  Just into the South Visitor's Center where they have a model of the temple with a view to the inside so you can see what some of the rooms are like (I'm really glad we saw this since I showed the kids "The Mountain of the Lord" and at the end when it shows a lot of the rooms the kids call out, "We saw that!").  Then we went over to the Beehive House to see where Brigham Young lived and then where his son added on later.  I don't think the kids remembered, but we saw Brigham Young's house on our trip to Nauvoo.

Anne was a trooper!

Whenever I can, I love to get a picture of Lilia with her Bubbe and Grandma.

Lili, Lilia, Lilly Ann

The ride home was different than originally planned.  I was originally going to drive home on my own with the kids leaving 17 July (Benny's birthday) and getting home the 18th.  Then, when talking to Jen (Dominic's wife), I discovered that they were planning on their move to Houston happening on the 13th.  I thought (and Spencer concurred), "Why not caravan?!"  It would be much safer.  Our trip would be cut short by four days, but it would make the drive home much better all around.

Dominic and Jen had to check out of their house at 11 on the 13th, so I decided that I would drive to Bethany and Nate's ahead of them and then we could leave together Saturday for Tulsa where they would spend the night before moving on.  I don't know all that happened with Dominic and Jen's getting out of Provo, but I do know that they had to deal with a lot!  They ended up not making it to Denver until really late on the 13th and decided to spend an extra day there before making the long, long drive to Tulsa.  It's too bad things didn't work out like we were hoping, but God is very kind and things worked out.

The morning we ended up leaving I asked my dad for a blessing.  He had given me a blessing before the drive home three years ago and I still remember some of the things he said there.  And I know that we were all being watched over on that ride home - particularly me (I had found out recently before that I was pregnant with Lilia and had been having a lot of lower back pain that entire trip.  The pain just about disappeared for the drive home and didn't return until some time after the trip).  I knew I was in good hands asking for this blessing.  Dad mentioned a few times that time would pass quickly - including the phrase that "time will quickly fly."  I love that.  And the only explanation I have for how well the whole drive home went was just that: time quickly flew.  Even with Lilia's throwing up incident (we were only set back half-an-hour and that ended up working as our lunch break that day) and with Anne's tired screaming/crying.  God was taking care of us in very real ways and I am so grateful for the power of the Priesthood so that I can be a direct recipient of that power.  What a blessing it has been (and continues to be) in my life.

Not a great picture, but the best I could get while on the road.

I'm not sure if the helmet was in case of accidents, but he was happy!

And the poor kids kept dealing with "bums hurting," so they would sit on their pillows.

The only sleeping we get in the car is right before we reach our target destination.  Andy fell asleep when we were within 5 miles of Bethany's and Nate's.  Granted, it took us probably 45 minutes to cover those 5 miles, but we were close.  And this was our short day!  Nobody fell asleep on the 12-hour day.

 Well, Anne does sleep, but very little.  The most she probably slept in the car was around an hour or so (she did sleep twice, I think, on the long day back).  That being said, the drive goes very well!

Sleeping arrangements in the Callister's basement.

Iris, Lilia, Andy, Benny.

Taken at the start of our last day on the road on the Callister's driveway.  The kids were great!

And can you see the four bikes on back?  Spencer and I finally have our bikes back!  And the bike rack held up great the entire drive.  I'm just glad I didn't have to open up the back or anything.

Thanks, again, Dad for getting that all set up for/with me!

We had a wonderful trip and are so glad we went.  We sure missed Spencer, but it all worked out.  And we wouldn't have been able to see much of him had we been here - we haven't been able to see too much of him since we've been back!  We're just grateful for whatever we can get.

Until next time, Utah.

We'll see you when we see you.