Utah Trip Day Three

Tuesday was another fun filled day. We started out at Wheeler's farm which is a real working farm kind of similar to Underwood Family Farm, but not as big or as "commercial". This was more natural and rustic. The kids had fun running around and feeding the ducks, playing in the tree house and just being silly. We got to go on a wagon ride that was quite bumpy. The driver must have been in a hurry to get back because he was going pretty darn fast for a wagon ride.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch and then headed home again to let Carter take a nap. He was pretty tired. While he slept my mom took the kids to Classic Fun Zone to play the night away. We met up with them after Carter woke up and had dinner together and let the kids keep playing until almost closing time.

This place is pretty awesome but kind of ghetto. But the kids don't care. It's the one place they always ask to go to when we come to my moms house. Plus it's only about 5 minutes from her house in Sandy, so how can we not go. They have tons of bouncers, an indoor jungle gym, a roller rink, ball pit, laser tag, arcade and more. There's even an outdoor water play area with some slides and stuff but we opted out of that this time.

Ever since the last time we came here, a year and a half ago, Leah has been dying to go back for this very reason. To try roller skating with this little "helper". Last time we came, she got skates and had an awful time so we traded them in for a scooter (which they are also allowed to use on the rink). But then she saw some kids with this little thing and was upset she had traded in her skates. But it was too late at that point. But this time, she was ready and knew exactly what she wanted. It was still tricky for her since she hasn't ever really skated, but she was determined and she did a pretty good job. She kept at it for over an hour. I was proud of her. When she puts her mind to something, she always figures a way to do it. 

Ashlyn and Brandon got scooters and headed for the track and then came over to the rink a little later with Ashlyn to skate with the black lights.

It was a really fun night. The kids were totally wiped out by the time we got home and went straight to bed... after baths that is. After all that fun, they were DIRTY!

Utah Trip Day Two

Monday morning we headed to the theater because well it's only $5.00 for a matinee movie in Utah, so why not. Monsters University had just come out and the kids were excited to see it. It was cute. Carter was a little squirmy as usual, but he did pretty well.

After the movie, we hit Cafe Rio because we were just too excited to wait any longer. Then that afternoon while Carter was napping, everyone went to the park to fly kites and play in the water splash pad. It was a perfect windy day and the kids got their kites really high. Well, at least that's what it looks like from the pictures. I stayed home with Carter while he napped. 

That night Paul and I got to go on a date with a FREE babysitter. So we went to the movies...again. This time to see "Man of Steel". Super fun movie. I really liked it. It always helps to have a geek husband though to explain the comic book stories to me though. I'm usually lost. Love that hubby of mine!

It was a great first full day in Utah. 

Utah Trip Day One

Day one looked a lot like this. Driving, driving and more driving. The kids did really well though considering it was a 10 hour drive and we made it to my mom's house in time for dinner. 

Carter was getting delirious after a while. This was his sunglass mustache. It kept him entertained though and that was what mattered.

Aren't Utah mountains beautiful?  I love them.

Beauty and the Beast

The night before we left for Utah, I got to take my girls to see a production of "Beauty and the Beast" at the SCV Performing Arts Center at COC. Honestly, I loved it because well.....it's my favorite Disney movie of all time. But the best part was that Grace and Nicholas were in the show. They did a great job and we had so much fun watching them. I was quite impressed at how well all the actors did and how nice the sets were. Good job Santa Clarita! Can't wait for the next one.

The Final Girl Scout Hoorah!

Ashlyn has been in girl scouts since she was in kindergarten. She's had a lot of fun years with the girls in her troop. But alas, the time has come to bring it to an end. I think Ashlyn's a little sad about it, but she has gotten so busy with band, and ballet and piano and Activity Days, that cutting one activity would actually be good for her. Plus the fact that her BFF Grace quit this past December. Oh and her troop leader is moving across town. That was the final reason. It would just be too hard for me with three other kids in tow to not be able to zip home while she was at her girl scout activities. So....we are saying good bye to Girl Scouts. Lucky for us though, she got to go out with a bang and take a trip to Disneyland for the day. We planned our family vacation to Utah with this day in mind, so Paul took an extra day off at the beginning of his vacation so that I could join Ashlyn. And I'm so glad I got to go because we had the best time ever together. Definitely good memories for us both. Ashlyn kept saying how she wished the day would never end!

The girls started out the day at 10 am with a 3 hour tour of CA Adventures and behind the scenes activities on animation. That was old hat to Ashlyn who has had some pretty awesome "take your kid to work days" with Paul, but she still enjoyed it. They got to go on a couple of rides on the tour (one of which was Monsters, inc and the other was a show I believe) and bypass lines, so that was an added bonus.

After the tour, we had lunch and then headed to a water rapid ride in CA Adventure. We waited quite a while to get on and then once we got on and up the first ramp, the ride broke. Total bummer cuz it was getting warm and a few splashes from the water would have felt nice. The crew members had to come rescue us off the boat and lead us out a back entrance, so that was kind of exciting. 

 They gave us a fast pass for the inconvenience, so we got on "Soaring over CA" pretty quick and then made a pit stop for ice cream.

Then we headed over to Disney and stopped for a group shot. 

There are some fun cute girls in her troop. I'm sure Ashlyn will miss them.

From left to right is:

Emma, Ashlyn, Abbie, Ainsley, Dominique, Hailey, Arriana, Candice, Abby, Brooke and Yleana.

First up at Disney was Haunted Mansion. Then we did Pirates of the Carribean.

Then we made a stop at the pin shop and started a pin collection for Ashlyn. Two pins came with her lanyard and then I let her pick a special one to remember this particular trip. SOMEDAY when we get passes again (crossing my fingers), it'll be fun to get a new pin each trip. I'm sure Leah and maybe Brandon will want one too. And Carter too. Yikes...what did I start?

After that we got on Matterhorn which I was SUPER proud of Ashlyn for being brave enough to get on. So I figured if she liked Matterhorn (which she did) that she would like Space Mountain. We waited in line FOREVER to get on that ride. Like over an hour. And as you can see from the picture, it wasn't her favorite. But I'm still proud of her for getting on it. And at least now she knows!

After that we got dinner and then went over to test out Ashlyn's car driving skills. Let's just say she needs some practice, but it was definitely lots of fun.

Got off that ride and the fireworks started. So we all hurried and found a spot to stop and watch them. I loved it. I was in Disneyland heaven with my little sweet Ashlyn.

Oh, but we were not done after that. Next up was a ride on Buzz Lightyear.

And of course no trip to Disney is complete (I think) without a ride on "It's a small world". 

After that we were completely exhausted, so we made the long trek back to the parking lot and left the park about 11:30 pm. 

Did I mention we got there at 10 AM. It was a LONG day. But seriously the best!

I had three other girls to take home, so with hitting construction traffic and dropping them all off at home, I didn't get home until about 1:15 am. But it was worth every minute. Even if I was exhausted the next day. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

A farewell and a date

Poor Leah has probably had the worst luck in the moving friends department. It might have something to do with the fact that she makes friends easily and thus has a bunch, but still. 

Anyway, one of her good school friends Adrianna moved a week after school got out. Before she left though, her mom organized a friend get together at Chuck E Cheese for one last playdate. My kids thought it was great cuz I don't think we would have gone otherwise. 

 But it was a fun time and the kids were all really good and it's getting so much easier to go places like this with them. Even though I still follow Carter a ton, but still.

From left to right. Adrianna, Gracie, Leah, Jazmin and Kayla. 

Leah has been so blessed to have good friends in her class at school. I hope it continues. 

That night I got my favorite sitter and Paul and I got to go the crew premiere of "Turbo". It was a really cute movie and always fun to be with my hubby.

(yes, this is a creepy weird picture of me. But it was the best I could get so I'm going with it. Ignore the spider hand and the red eyes.)

Umami Burger happened to be around the corner and since Paul's never been there, we had to go for a late dinner. Totally a guys hamburger place.  And totally yummy!