Coming home

We thought we may have to leave on Friday because of the weather in Wyoming but then they changed the forecast and we were able to stick to our original plan of leaving on Saturday at midnight. So, the girls and I got back up to Doug's parents on Saturday morning and then I got to go to a spa and have a massage and pedicure! It was so much fun. I also spent some time shopping with Doug's mom. It is always fun to hang out with her. 

But as the day went by we found out that they had just closed the roads in spots of Wyoming again.

We were debating what we needed to do. If we didn't leave the possibility of getting stuck was high. So, we ended up making the decision to go a different route home through Colorado. It added hours to the trip but ended up being SO worth it. I HATE driving through Wyoming. On the way out we had black ice and snow blowing across the road even though it was nice weather.

We left around 6 pm on Saturday and stopped for the night in Grand Junction Colorado. We got to the hotel around 11. I hoped the girls would go right back to sleep but unfortunately Maddy was wired and didn't crash until around 1am. 

We got up at 5 and got ready, had the breakfast in the hotel, and then headed out. 

Grand Junction, what is up with your roads?

Maddy leaving Sunday morning...

We gave them their Wyoming prizes for Colorado. Abi was so excited to get a Lalaloopsy.

Maddy got another book...

I loved going through Colorado. Even though it was longer it seemed to go faster because it was so much prettier! It had been years since I had been in this part of Colorado so I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. It is really breathtaking.

Maddy threw up.

Abi was loving looking at the mountains...

Vail

the awesome tunnel...

We stopped in Georgetown because when I was a kid there was a John Denver Christmas movie that I loved that was filmed here. 

I thought this shirt in the visitors center was hilarious. Under the white words it says, "Thank you for your support." It is a shirt for the paramedics.

some pictures from around Georgetown...

They were doing car ice racing on the lake that day...

Soon we were out of the mountains and into the area that looks more like Nebraska (between Denver and Nebraska) but it was such a fun morning and we loved bypassing Wyoming.

The girls got more minis for Nebraska...

We had a late lunch/ early dinner at McDonalds.

I thought this sign was funny...

We stayed at the AmericInn in Kearney that night. It isn't as nice as the one in Sidney but it is still nice. We decided to leave at midnight again to try to get the last day over quickly. 

The girls with their Iowa prizes...

Illinois prizes...

The very last prize was a sheet of stickers for Wisconsin.

We were so glad to be home and to get here early. 

We got pulled over in Nebraska for not having a front plate on the car so as soon as we got home Doug had to go get one on and have a cop sign off on it so he could mail it back to Nebraska. Because we got home so early he was able to do that and go to the post office, for a hair cut, and get me some groceries and still be back home again by 3. 

Our time in Santaquin

As soon as we arrived they asked if they could take us to McDonalds for lunch. We went over to Spanish Fork so I could visit the Deseret Book and Distribution Center afterward. The girls played in the playland. It was the first time Maddy has gone up in the toys. She had a great time although she did get a head bonk that resulted in a big bruise.

Maddy's first time coming down a big slide...

Thursday we went to Target because my mom wanted to buy the girls a little gift, my sister came over to hang out for a while, and then that night they decided to have a little birthday celebration for me - very early. We got blizzards from Dairy Queen.

Abi got a dilly bar.

Me pointing out that we are celebrating my April Fools Day birthday in February.

The reason we decided to do this was my mom got my gift in the mail that day. Here it is all wrapped up...

They gave me one of my favorite Cary Grant movies, Every Girl Should Be Married, on DVD and a gift card to Barnes and Noble. YAY!

Friday my brother Brent and his family had said they would like to come down and go to the Mexican restaurant in Payson. The girls watched some cartoons while we waited.

When they got there they had little gifts for the girls. A pink sock monkey for Abi and an Easter Minnie Mouse for Maddy. They loved them!

We had a great lunch and it was so fun to get to spend more time with them. After lunch we drove over to Seagull book so I could get a few more things. Then we went back to my parents house and Maddy took a nap on the couch...

while Abi played out in the snow...

We were definitely sad to go on Saturday but it was so good to spend so much time with them. My mom has to rest a lot but she looks so good and is in high spirits. I am so glad we got to see her looking so good in person because it helped put my mind to rest.

Our time in Saratoga Springs

We were so happy to get to spend some time at my sisters house. They have an amazing house with lots of fun things. Maddy enjoyed having popcorn for the first time from their popcorn machine and watching a movie in the theater room. After that it was hard to keep her out of that popcorn machine!

Monday my nieces McKenna and Courtney didn't have school so the girls loved being able to follow them around and play with them. 

Courtney has the ultimate American Girl doll fantasy room so they spent a lot of time playing with all of her dolls and accessories in there. 

Maddy playing with the movie theater doll stuff...

Abi and Courtney playing with some dolls...

Abi hanging out in McKenna's room...

That night Steph decided to have a spur of the moment family night so she called my brothers' families and my parents and invited them over. My brother Greg was out of town and his wife had to study but my parents picked up their sons so they could come hang out. My brother Brent and his family came except for my oldest nephew Alex because he had to work.

It was so much fun to see everyone again.

Abi and my mom...

my brother brent playing legos with Maddy...

My brother Brent did an awesome presentation on some genealogy work he and his wife Karen have been doing.

Maddy was charming the pants off of everyone since they don't know her well yet and she is so outgoing and funny.

hanging out in my sisters basement...

My parents said that they really wanted us to come stay with them a few days and my mom assured me that she was up to it so we agreed that we would come down on Wednesday and stay with the understanding that if it ever got to be too much she would tell us so we could go back to my sisters. 

Tuesday my nieces were back in school so Steph and I went out for a day on the town with the girls. We went to Quilted Bear so I could get some of the red headed hostess's journals and then we met up with her husband Dan for lunch.

We went to the weirdest looking restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City called Miramar. I am the type to never eat anywhere that looks run down. But they promised me it was good. And it was. It had been a long time since I had Mexican at a restaurant so that was so much fun!

Then we went to the Lehi party store to get some fun stuff and she treated the girls to balloons. For dinner we ended up going out again - this time to Arctic Circle so the girls could play. We all laughed at the crazy way Maddy ate her courtesy cone.

That night after getting Maddy to sleep, Abi got to get in the hot tub with Courtney. She was so excited. They picked out some drinks...

and Steph started it up. It took a while for Abi to get in. She stood like this for a while.

but once she was in she loved it!

Wednesday we got all ready- Abi in lots of purple! We got that new headband at Quilted Bear and she was so excited to wear it. That's the balloon Steph gave her. Then we drove down to begin our stay with my parents.