How Much Fun can You Pack into 1-Week?

Alas, it was time for Brandon's week-long work conference at the U. in Salt Lake aka FAMILY VACATION for the rest of us. We had a fun weekend, exhaustingly so.
Highlights included being with family, exploring nearby canyons, watching Toy Story 3 (LOVED it! who couldn't???) sunny days in the hotel pool, eating Belgian fineries downtown with my mom and sister, the aquarium, Temple Square, haircuts by our talented BYU student niece, taking walks on Olympus Drive, Costco, Cowabunga Bay, and a Toys-R-Us shopping spree.
Didn't you ever fantasize about what you would do if you won a shopping spree there. I wanted to live the dream through my kids--with some strings attached. 2 weeks prior to the trip I made up a large job list with prices for each one. The girls ...well some of the girls spent the next two weeks working off their little bums. They did things like mopping floor, organizing drawers, even giving me foot massages--those are worth a lot:) It was great fun to let them loose in the store with their money in hand free to run around and choose whatever they wanted. Adrie found a zhu zhu pet. (which we had to shove in the fridge at the hotel just so we could get a good nights sleep!) Brynn got a couple of Barbies, and Kate bought a phone for her room--the kind with a cord. Now she can stay up late calling all her friends and talking about boys.

Lowlights: hours of Disney channel, all of us going to bed too late and waking up too early, sunburns, mosquito bites, and watching Cannon's shoe fly across four lanes of traffic. And not having BD to share in our adventures--poor guy was in lectures all day. He can tell you all about how to treat substance abuse:)

We ended the trip with a sleepover with our super-fun cousins, We found out by all the chatting in the car on the way home that the party included candy bars, Nintendo D.S. and even some pranks into the midnight hours . After the chatting ALL the girls fell asleep for the rest of the ride home. Good times.

Here it is in photos:
Happy Father's Day! Luckily, my sisters and I were all able to be at home to celebrate with our dad. He also just had a birthday and 79. This guy had a massive heart attack earlier this year and we are grateful he survived to be with us a little longer.

I'm the mature one :)

A lovely day in the canyons with family (East Millcreek)

Dirty and Clean: Cannon found a puddle in my parents' driveway and like a good thirsty boy he stuck his head in and sucked in some long draughts. On the clean side, we couldn't let a day go by without taking advantage of the hotel pool.

Hiking in beautiful Little Cottonwood Canyon

Aquarium: penguins, eels, and of course "Nemo" but nothing was more exciting than petting the sting rays.

"Much too good for children." Nana treated the kids to fine chocolates anyway.

An Evening on Temple Square. We toured the Museum of Church History and Art.

Grand Finale: Cowabunga Bay-- Lots of fun in the sun and it is set up so nicely for young families. Moms can lounge on the "beach" while the kids can run off to the slides. The pool was warm and shallow with free lifejackets for the little ones. I think I need one of these in my backyard.

The girls brought new life to my old fort under the pine tree. They fashioned some bow and arrows and piled up some pine needles for a cushy bed. What do you know the aunties had their own special hideaway too. Grandma led them and our other fun cousins to "hammock hollow."