Note: You should be able to click on these pictures to see a bigger version. (Nevermind - You can't. Does anyone know why sometimes you can and sometimes you can't? )
What's left of Jaxon's airline freebies.
After visiting, eating and unpacking we grabbed some Cafe Rio (1) and headed back up to Salt Lake for Tyrone's mission reunion. Here's Tyrone's hardest working companion and his wife and four kids. Bet you never think of reunions like that when you're trying to learn Spanish and chasing the cockroaches out.
Saturday was cold and rainy so my old runny buddy Sarah and I ran at the Orem Rec center. Running and talking is the perfect way to catch up. (Thanks for all they gym passes Sarah!)
Later in the aft the adults headed up to Salt Lake for a session of conference. It was rainy and cold but worth the wait. We loved being at the session where Elder Bednar spoke.
Sunday afternoon dried up a bit so we hopped on the Trax light rail train with the kids and headed back to Salt Lake for a little conference on the lawn. Kids loved the train. The temple grounds were gorgeous but I don't think we heard much conference. We did enjoy the visitor center, wrestling on the nice green grass and taking lots of pictures.
On the way out we bumped into old football friend Desmond Lomax and his wife and kids. They are so cute and it was great to catch up.
Later in the eve we headed over to Quintina and Jonathan's new house for supper. It's so cute. The girls did a fantastic job decorating. The dining table was big and solid and just right to fit all the family for a Brown favorite - chicken casserole.
Monday we hiked/walked the path to bridal veil falls. Along the way the boys would climb down the banks of the river and be so excited they wanted to stay right there. I kept telling them, it gets better. Keep heading for the waterfall. We got muddy and wet and had a great time.
Monday eve we had a little BYU 141 married ward reunion with a few friends and our favorite Bishop. We met at the Hancocks amazing, incredible, fabulous house (and that's being modest) for ice cream and visiting. Kids hit the in ground trampoline, bike trail around the edge of the lawn, sand box in the huge back yard and the great rec room and playhouse downstairs. There were 21 kids total and most seemed to magically disappear into the recesses of that big house.
Tuesday, after a quick trip to Willie and Pauline's work, and for Tyrone to give blood (we got great t-shirts that say, "I bleed blue and white, Y" for Tyrone's donation) we headed up to the Y on the mountain. The boys did great, and beat us up. The views were amazing and lunch tasted twice as good after all the effort to get up there. We enjoyed watching BYU workers come up the mountain on four wheelers to put the lights on the Y for homecoming. But best of all we said hello to a young college student with a humongous backpack - he was getting ready to skydive off the side of the mountain, just above the Y. We stayed and watched him get set up and then catch a draft and take off right over our heads. Cafe Rio for supper with the whole Brown Fam. (2)
Wednesday was BYU day. We parked on campus and then went to the Bean Science Museum, the new Hinckley center (the boys loved the animation video Las Pinatas) the new football offices and the BYU bookstore. If you thought the football team was spoiled before you should see the new digs. Off the hook!!!! Tyrone was wishing he was ten years younger and still playing.
At the bookstore we bought BYU sweatshirts and then the boys looked around for things to spend their personal money on. Scotia fell asleep so I sat in the CougarEat and watched the crowds go by. I'd forgotten how white BYU is. It's kind of sad!
Willie made his fabulous BBQ for supper and we all enjoyed eating with new neighbours in the back yard.
Thursday we took the kids swimming at the Rec Center and then took naps before our big outing with Grandma and Grandpa to the BYU Homecoming Spectacular at the Marriott Center. All the music groups and dance groups at BYU performed and it was amazing. Men's chorus was the best when I was a student there and it's still the best. Afterwards we ate yummy warm donuts at Krispy Kreme.
Friday was a busy day. In the morning we met my friend Sarah and her darling little Brinley at a pumpkin patch and corn maze. The kids had a great time running around. And wanted to buy one of those really big pumpkins to take home!
We spent the afternoon resting and getting ready for Brown Family pictures. We all wore white and black. Everyone looked fantastic. We took pictures at a beautiful park with an amazing stone amphitheatre right next to Mt Timpanogos Temple. By then our beautiful sunny week was starting to cool off. Scotia's lips are turning blue if you look closely.
We went straight from pictures to the Trinnamans house for supper. Oh, we love the Trinnamans! Years ago before we had kids and the Trinnamans had just 2 and then 3 cute little adopted kids, James and Laura would spoil us with dinners and outings while we visited and played with the kids. They moved away and then we moved away and now they have four more kids. All of them so nice and smart and talented. It's an amazing crew. Taye had the best night of his whole vacation playing with Tate and Jalen.
Saturday was a busy, cold and snowy day. We started with the Cougar homecoming races. Scotia had a 200 m race, she ran the first half and I carried her the second half. Jaxon rocked his 200 metre 1-4 age group race. He was miles ahead and totally came in first. (See play by play detail at
Your Life Images) Taye had an 800 m race which was hard. He started out fast and then suffered the rest of the race. But he toughed it out and we were so proud. I ran the 5k and it was long! But I finished in good time for me (28 min). After we found some bleachers in front of the field house to watch the Homecoming Parade. We saw the swim team go by. That might be Taye some day....
We had to buy hats and gloves, borrow some coats and acquire some hand warmers for the big football game later in the day. Scotia stayed home with grandma because it was so chilly but the rest of us bundled up and headed in. BYU totally won! And we all had a great time.
Sunday we woke up to lots of snow. Enough snow to make these two big snowmen. It's been a year or two since we've had enough snow for snowmen in NC so this was a big thrill for the boys and the perfect end to the week.
After church Anesha made one of Tyrone's favorites, chicken parmesan, (she's the master) and then we had a little B'day party for Scotia who turns 2 next week. She got a new baby stroller, and doll and cute dress and gymnastics leotard all of which we had to stick in our already stuffed luggage bags. (Thanks grandpa for new sneakers, Tyrone's old baseball cards, new workout clothes for Tyrone, etc etc.)
Monday morning we went to the temple early with Tyrone's parents. A great way to wrap up the week. We packed and loaded up, did some last few laps at the rec center and then after cafe rio for lunch (3) headed to the airport.
Note to self: If you travel alone an hour early to the airport is perfect. If you travel with five you need at least three hours. After we rearranged bags to get past the weight limit, we had to remove four backpacks, take off five pairs of shoes and five sweaters, two watches, a purse, remove our small liquid containers, throw out some shaving cream and toothpaste
(that were in a toiletry bag that got stuck in a backpack to lower the weight of a luggage bag) walk through security and then put everything back. It took forever. No time to admire the planes before we had to get in line and board.
It was a wonderful trip, we loved catching up with Tyrone's family again and seeing old friends, plus we did so much fun stuff. Thanks to everyone who supported, visited, organized and made our week fun and fabulous!
Wow Jess-- That was one jam packed full of fun and new activities and old friends week--- I know you all have great memories---
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip! I'm glad that you all had such a fun time!
ReplyDeleteHow much fun!! That Saturday game was freezing! My hubby went right before we took off for nice, warm Cali. (That means we missed the snow, phew!)
ReplyDeleteYes, sad that BYU is so white, but us can't-get-a-tan-and-therefore-VERY-white people can't always help that! ;)
Sounds like you had a blast! I hope the airplane rides went as well as the rest of the vacation.