Spring Break, Utah Style

We were all SO excited to be heading out west for Spring Break. It was our first chance to meet Baby Beau and our first chance to see my parents' awesome new digs in St. George. We all boarded the plane in Detroit and couldn't wait to get to Utah. Thanks mom and dad for the chance to come visit everyone. It was even better than we could have imagined!

Here are just a few of the highlights: 

Seeing this darling little mister and little missy. I am so glad Pierce will have these cute cousins to grow up around.

 Watching Ellie love all these babies. Really, cutest thing ever when she saw any of them she immediately ran to them and said, "Hi, hi, hi, hi" right in their face. She LOVES the babies (as long as her mom or grandma isn't holding one of them :)

 Seeing the house! It was incredible and we felt so lucky to stay there. We got the basketball room, which, as you can imagine was the coolest thing ever for the kids...a hoop on the wall? Crazy!

 The kids also occupied themselves by playing lots of pool, watching movies in the theater room, playing games and swinging on the swing in the under the stairs playroom. They were in Heaven! The adults loved having so many places to gather, eat and talk. It is the ideal house for a large family to vacation together...plenty of private space and plenty of gathering space inside and out.

 Of course, swimming was the main attraction. Most days were warm enough to swim or dip into the hot tub and we all loved soaking in a little sunshine!

 Another highlight? Fully stocked outdoor and indoor fridges with gatorade and juices. A little boy's dream!

 With a great outdoor sound machine and TVs all over the house, it was the perfect place to listen to conference, sunning on the deck, swimming in the pool or relaxing in the house. 

 While the boys went to preisthood meeting, the gals took the kids to the park to enjoy a little more playtime. It was so nice to be with my mom and sisters for the first time in a very long time during priesthood session. Wish it were always that way! 

 Ellie and I became best buddies. I LOVE this age!

True to his personality, Pierce was wonderful. He was so smiley and so much fun...he showed off all his tricks, sitting, rolling and clapping...until he got sick :(. Bummer.

 We loved watching the Sunday session of conference together as a family. My boys were so excited to share our fun conference game with our cousins and I love how it gets them all to listen so carefully. I found all the sessions so inspirational. I just love this time of year. We had a great brunch in between and it was just the best to be with my family! 

 Grandma always makes sure there is plenty of fun to go around. The boys spent a good deal of time hunting and hiding eggs.

After conference everyone left except for my mom, Katie and her kids and our family. Monday was a very chilly day, so we decided to do our favorite thing...BOWL! We had a great time bowling while grandma stayed home with the babies and Jace who got really sick :(

 We had a fantastic time hiking the beautiful red rocks. The boys were wishing we had brought a dad or two (all were back at work) since a grandma with Ellie, a pregnant Katie, and me with my baby didn't allow them to be nearly as adventurous as they hoped to be scaling the slippery rocks.

 It was great watching Pierce with all the cousins and all the love! He was the most darling little guy on the trip! 

The boys all got their first pair of flip flops for the summer! 

 In addition to the fantastic pool and hot tub, there is lots of room to roam out front. The gals took walks on paths and the little kids loved playing frisbee, soccer and riding scooters all over the neighborhood. It really felt like paradise for a week!

Another highlight was definitely the firepit in the backyard. The adults sat around and chatted at night and the kids couldn't get enough s'mores. It was a great tradition and so much fun. I would love a fire pit at my house, instant cozy entertainment.

 On our last day in St. George we headed to the St. George temple. The visitor's center there was great and we loved seeing one of the first temples built (plus connecting it to our family history)! They have a new family display that we all loved watching. It was so sweet and perfect to cap off our week together as we watched, listened and felt the spirit testify to us about the importance of families. I am so grateful for mine and so grateful we can be together for eternity. We are all so thankful for my parents and their generosity. They made this trip possible and it could not have been better. We will never forget our amazing spring break. Thanks you two...you are the best!