Utah Trip - Post 3

Trains, Pioneer Houses, River Walks, Aquariums, Cousins, Reunions, Oh My!

Owen's preschool summer bucket list included a trip on a real train. Well, we could make that happen so we got tickets and boarded the Heber Creeper in Heber, Utah for 90 minutes of beautiful scenery, silly dancing, and train riding joy. Here are some shots of our crazy crew riding this historic train.

Owen is intensely studying his real train ticket.

Grandma's are so silly sometimes

Check it out! It's a rare Rebekah's sighting. She doesn't know I got her picture. He he!

Even the Grandma and Grandpa Cornelius and Uncle Jason and Uncle Jared joined us for the awesome train riding experience. Choo choo!

While in Kaysville we visited this beautifully restored pioneer cabin and learned a little about what pioneer life was like when the Saints first came to Utah. We had fun learning so much about our hardworking, faithful ancestors' way of life.

Playing pioneer games (The local splash pad is at the other end of the park. That's why we are all in our swimming suits)

Even the little ones had to work to help support the family. Churn that butter, John!

All that fun in the Kaysville sun sent us looking for a little shade. We found a few hidden jems in Morgan at the city park as we walked the Weber River trail.

With so much to see and do and so little time to get it done we didn't have too much time to lounge by the river. No, we needed to head to the Layton Aquarium to learn about fish, lizards, and birds!

Check out all the birds in the parakeet room!

Thinking about if we are brave enough to touch the sting rays in the string ray pool....and yes, we all touched a sting ray!

As cool as the sting rays and the birds were, everyone's favorite part of the aquarium was getting a free manicure from the doctor fish. If you put your hands in the water and held still they would swim right up and nibble away at your dead skin. It was a ticklish experience.

While in Utah Rebekah had the opportunity to take a week long Cosplay Creation Camp through the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She designed and made an awesome moon elf inspired costume for herself. I'll have to post a picture of her in the costume when she isn't looking.

Since we were driving to Salt Lake City every day for a week we decided to take the whole family up one of the days and visit This is the Place Pioneer Park. What a wonderful way to learn about and connect with our LDS pioneer heritage. It was so fun and interesting to visit the pioneer homes, learn more about daily pioneer life and the different jobs and trades that were around during that period of history. The kids really enjoyed visiting the farm to take a pony ride and panning for "gold" in the replica of the California gold rush. This was a really neat place and we hope to visit again. We saw so much, but still have so much more to see!

Seriously panning for "gold." It was just fool's gold in the end. ;)

For the first time in over a decade we happened to be in Utah at the same time as the annual Extended Family Phillips Reunion in Mannerlands, Uintah Mountains, Utah. Rebekah won the silly horse racing game, but everyone had fun participating.

Cousin Kaylin came over to visit a few times and even brought her big dog, Rocket, with her a time or two. Can a dog still be called a dog when it's bigger than most of the little humans in the room???

Maeve is in love with Rocket

Baby John was a big hit with the twins. They are pretty great babysitters already and they are only 9 years old!

While we were off playing all over the state, Grandma Phillips was busily cutting, sewing, and tying 4 beautiful twin sized Levi quilts and one baby sized Levi quilts for the kids. She performed this work of love and incredible industry at my request. I thought the quilts would look perfect in the boys' room and she helped to make my vision a reality. Well, Maeve was feeling a little left out of the Levi quilt love so Grandma pulled off a miracle and made a twin sized for Maeve too in just 2 days! Grandma is truly amazing. Thank you Grandma P! We love our quilts!