Utah Trip-Days 7 &8

 Thanksgiving was a good day I blogged about it a little bit already. After the dinner we helped Nana set up her Christmas decorations including the tree and then we headed out to visit Rebecca and Caleb's family, but not before Mitchell won a round of Scrabble. ;)
We enjoyed a nice evening the boys went to see a movie and the girls and kids stayed and cleaned up the Kids and got them to bed.
The next day was a blast. A long fun day.
First we all took it very slow in the morning up until My sister and I decided to go shopping- good times. We went to several stores and got cute outfits and jammies for our kiddos and some sweet gifts from Ulta for the big peoples.  It was black Friday so they had good deals and long lines but it was fun. A highlight was that my little niece decided she wanted Auntie (that's me) to hold her hand the WHOLE TIME, this is a big deal because this girl really only likes mom and occasionally other people like her dad and grandparents.

In the evening we had made plans with Mitchell's Parents (Nana and Papa) to go out to dinner and then to the Lights on Temple Square.
we had a yummy meal and ran into one of Mitchell's brothers (t) and the kids thought the mall decorations where so pretty.. loved it.
And then!!!
Temple square, As can be expected on the opening night it was VERY BUSY.
 We went last year too and it was a very sweet and memorable experience to have with the kids I loved it so much I knew we had to go again this year. it was Beautiful and Uplifting and magical and I was so glad to go. Unfortunately no one got me in any pictures which is a bit tragic (I am pregnant okay I cry about silly things). We did get some pretty pictures of the evening though.
The kids loved all the lights and seeing the Salt Lake Temple they also as last year loved seeing the Christus statue in the visitors center.
We also stopped at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to get some Hot Chocolate and cookies. SO many sweet fun things.
After all the Temple square sight seeing was done we headed bad the other way and went to Macey', I am so grateful, Mitchell's parents wanted to help us out and so they bought Mitchell new dress shoes for work, black and brown. This si a huge blessing he has been needing new shoes for over a year, like the bottoms of the shoes are split wide open and the seems are coming apart, my sweet husband has been gluing them back together every month or so to avoid the expense of new shoes. (Because he wheres his dress shoes every day and has some back problems we try to only buy fairly nice ones since the other ones fall apert really fast anyways). It was a generous gift and we felt blessed.
After that we all went and got some light snacks from the food court and then headed back to the Barthlomes house.
We got their after the kids where in bed, the boys played a game and us girls talked and made sure all the laundry got cleaned. A long but good day!

Temple Square

We went to see the Lights at Temple square.
We parked up the hill across from the capitol building.
It was so beautiful.
The view, the lights, the weather, most of all the beautiful Temple.
I loved being there with my children and husband.
It was amazing.
Truly.
Eli loved the lights but mostly he wanted to go inside the Temple.
It brought tears to my eyes to hear him ask over and over to go inside the Temple.
I told him he could someday and we talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus and families.
Later in the visitors center He sat still while the missionarys talked and he just looked at the Christis statue.
Kayden sat quietly too, he folded his arms.
Without being told.
I know they felt the Spirit Testify to them that God loved them and that Jesus Christ is our Savior.
I love my Boys.
We talked more on the drive back about Temples and how they are sacred. We told the Boys that we all wanted to be a family together forever.
What a great way to Start the season that Celebrates Christs Birth.

Always my favorite sight 

Thanksgiving Break- Friday

On Friday morning we got up early and went shopping really quickly to JC Penny's to get me some new shoes because I had kinda hurt the only pair I had brought on the trip.
Then we headed to Allison and Ron's house to spend the day with them. the kids where so excited. First we stopped by their house and they gave the kids the gifts they had gotten them in Jamaica.
Then we followed them in our car to the surprise place they had planned for the kids.
we soon arrived at the aquarium!
BIG HIT with the kids!
they kinda have this thing for "fishy s"
So my camera dies as soon as we got their but Allison had a phone with a decent camera so that ended up working fine.

It is seriously a cool aquarium they have there! we all had a great time.
pictures say it best:

3

After the Aquarium they where kine enough to treat us to lunch at Red Robin. After that we decided to go to the mountains- (I may have had something to do with that) The mountains had been calling to me since i got there! It was great we drove fast on a great mt highway and then we did a little hike it wasn't too bad so the kids cloud do most of it. It felt so good to just be out a bit. After our hike we drove down past a lake to get to a stream that has some good fish and we all looked around and took a few pictures. The kids loved it.

In the background of these last few you can see Carlin pretending to throw Eli into the river. It was pretty darn funny at the time.

That Night we wen tot Temple Square with Jon and Diane. Eli LOVED it. I had some very proud mommy moments when he kept wanting to go inside the Temple. I told him someday he could. Then we went to the visitors center so that he could enjoy a bit of quite and peace. 

 Again pictures say it best. It was fun after we got back form Temple square we played more games with Mitchel's siblings and watched the old cartoon movie of Batman.