Spring Break in Utah

We left for Utah right after school on Tuesday, March 30th. We wanted to get to Boise for the night and then to Utah in time to get settled before Conference Saturday morning. We had a smooth and enjoyable road trip both ways.

Friday morning we woke up and worked out after breakfast before swimming and then getting on the road.

When we arrived in Draper we went into overdrive, grabbing fresh produce at the grocery store. (I had packed lots of supplies for all the food we planned to make. I even brought my Blendtec, Instantpot, and Demarle sheets!)  We picked up Bailey at the Draper Frontrunner station, and then we all worked together to make two kinds of soup (tomato basil soup with homemade croutons and Zupa Toscana). We also made apple crisp and lemon poppyseed salad dressing. I will not lie. I was tired by that evening. So tired that I could hardly think straight. It's a lot of work to pull off big family events, especially in another person's kitchen. Although, I am so glad that we were able to use Mom and Dad's house to prep food so we could provide the Conference experience which is so important for our family.

The next morning we ate apple crisp for breakfast and then got dressed and watched the first session of Conference. At the end of that session the girls and I drove to the train station down the road and rode Trax to the Conference Center.

We got there in plenty of time to take pictures before we used our tickets to attend the afternoon session.

We were really hoping that an official church photographer would take a picture of us heading into conference to put on the cover of the Ensign, but no such luck.

We were SOOO excited to enter the Conference Center for Conference - for the very first time!

 Our seats were great.

At the end of the wonderful session (we saw Elder Holland speak! When his name was announced, both Aubrey and Bailey did a little happy dance in their seats) we met up with Dan and Joseph, who were going to stand in line for the priesthood session. 

After saying goodbye to them we toured the new Church History Museum with Ashlyn before riding the Trax back to the Draper house.

This was my favorite picture in the exhibit, showing a young Caroline Rollins reading her borrowed Book of Mormon.

That evening we went shopping with Ali and girls, and we found some really cute clothes (including my Easter dress, which I love). After shopping, the girls and I shared a yummy acai bowl which we bought from a food truck parked out front.

The next day we made crepes for breakfast and we relaxed and watched Conference. Bailey's roommate, Caiti, joined us for the afternoon session.

Caiti and Bailey stayed for dinner and to play some games. 

In the evening we drove the college girls home and toured their apartment.

This is a Cow Shrine in Bailey's apartment, with a picture of Bailey's freshman year friend's prize winning cow and everyone's favorite cow jokes posted all over.  

The next day we met up with Bailey after her classes and we spent some time in the bookstore and the Cougareat. 

Can you spot the picture of Bailey? She was on a big board near the ballroom in the Wilk because of her role as an Executive Director for BYUSA.

Bailey showed us around the BYUSA offices and introduced us to her friends. These pictures are of the people on her Student Honor team.

We saw Bailey's face on a banner in the Wilkinson Center (she is the upper left person in the banner advertising devotionals).

Recently she sent me a picture of herself next to another one of the posters. Why the cactus? I guess they were taking pictures to advertise a BYUSA Spring Fiesta.

Then we left and drove to West Valley City to attend Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Hale Center Theater.

Afterward we drove back to the house and got some dinner and then drove to Provo to watch the new Beauty and the Beast show (which was amazing!) and then dropped Bailey off at her apartment in Liberty Square.  

The next day the rest of us spent a chilly day at Boondocks. The weather, which had been absolutely beautiful for Conference, was much colder for the rest of the week. Aubrey got the highest score of anyone in the laser tag game!

And then, Wednesday morning I drove Dan to the airport to fly to Arizona for a few days. The kids and I packed up everything and then drove to Provo. We toured the BYU Museum of Art. I enjoyed a special presentation about Minerva Teichert. The kids especially liked an exhibit about African Americans. I loved Joseph's thoughts on the message board at the end of the exhibit.

These were some of my other favorite paintings.

Then we took an official tour of BYU (during which the tour guide inaccurately reported to us that President Monson had passed away, which she knew because her roommate had texted her this information). Then we met up with Bailey and got a Bowl of Heaven (acai bowl) before running her to the grocery store and then dropping both girls at the college apartment. Aubrey spent the night and the next day being a college student (even attending all of Bailey's classes!)

Here they are making dinner for themselves and Bailey's roommates.

 The college girls. This time on campus cemented Aubrey's desire to be done with high school as soon as possible and on to college!

Meanwhile on Wednesday night, I was running behind, but I drove to Ali's house in Salem to drop off Joseph to play and meet up with Ali. Siri got me totally lost in the middle of Spanish Fork, but with Ali's help I figured it out. The kids all played with Ali and I went to dinner at Cafe Rio with my cousin Chell and her husband Ivan and Mom and Dad.

Joseph and I spent the night at Ali's house. The next day I attended Ali's 12 step spouse's meeting, which I really enjoyed! Then we went shopping and I found some great things in the boutiques in Spanish Fork.

After picking up Aubrey in Provo I drove Bailey to do some more grocery shopping and then the two youngest kids and I drove to Heber to meet my parents. I went to Mom's book club that evening and the kids hung out with Grandpa. 

The next day we spent the morning helping some of my parent's friends move. The kids were so great about helping! 

Then we drove to get a treat at a fun grocery store and did some shopping in Park City (American Eagle for Aubrey, where she found great new pants and Nike for Joseph, where he found an entire outfit for $50!)  Then we drove back and threw together a new healthy recipe, Tomato Basil Cream Pasta. It was thumbs up from everyone!

The next morning the kids and I left at 6 a.m. to drive to SLC to pick up Dan, and then we all drove back to Boise. When we arrived we ate at Cafe Rio again (of course) and spent some time in Best Buy looking at virtual reality and the new Macbooks (Dan felt his wallet hurt as Aubrey checked out which computer she wants for college!)

We got back mid-afternoon on a Sunday, and school started the next day! It was a great Spring Break. Exhausting but good!