Utah: Temple Square

After leaving the mansion, we went to show the kids around Temple Square a little bit before driving to Bountiful to stay with the Marujis for the weekend.

Eagle Gate

{Katie, Thora, Dancy, Shad, Samson, Tommy}

We toured the Beehive House, but took no pictures. I was a little disappointed that tours can't go upstairs anymore.

Salt Lake City temple

{Thora, Katie, Dancy, Samson, Tommy}

Inside the north visitor's center

{Shad, Dancy, Samson, me, Katie, Thora, Tommy}

I forget which building we finally found the kids' play area in because we asked several different people who worked on Temple Square and they all told us different buildings. But we found it!

Tommy had fun building, but ended in tears because the other kids playing were careless in bumping the table.

Giving the chicken a piggy back ride

It's the boat that Nephi built!

Artist Dancy

Tommy's ruins

New art by Jorge Cocco Santangelo from Argentina. I love his style!

Jumping a photo spot before the bride and groom got there for their shoot.

{Tommy, Shad, Katie, Sam, me, Thora, Dancy}

These trees look so whimsical!

After Temple Square, we went to The Beer Store before going to the Marujis. Shad was interested in finding a home-brewed root beer and that's the place we found after searching Google. A blogger talked very highly of Brigham's Brew, which could be had in a can or on tap. We were very disappointed. They no longer had it on tap and it was overly sweet, nasty honey root beer. Don't do it!

Utah: Goodbyes

The last morning.

Thora and Samson asleep on the floor

Lisa did not spend the night at the mansion and Thora found out in the morning. This is how she felt about it.

Samson took a while to warm up to saying goodbye to his buddies.

{Seth, Drew, Ian, Samson}

Throughout the whole reunion they had a routine of high fives and knuckles, so naturally, that was the way to say goodbye.

{Aubrie, Drew, Samson, Seth, Isaac}

Oh, that boy loved his friends so much!

{Parker, Aubrie, Drew, Samson, Seth, Isaac}

Goodbye hugs

{Aubrie}

{Drew}

{Seth}

{Isaac}

{Parker}

{Grace}

Utah: Backyard Shenanigans

On the last night, something very strange and unexpected happened. My cousin Brian was shooting off two-liter bottles in the backyard with a launcher he had brought, trying to make it over the roof. And instead of scolding us, Grandpa Wayne was amused and hung out to watch the show. Some relatives hypothesized that he's less uptight because reunions aren't at his house anymore, but he was still making sure everybody kept food off the carpet and was concerned about proper vacuuming. So that doesn't explain it. Besides, why would he be relaxed about shooting plastic bottles at a building he was renting? I don't know what was going on...maybe it was a full moon. That always causes people to act strangely. But this man smiled. And then he laughed! Two things I can count on one hand that I have witnessed before.

Brian is prepping the next bottle at this point to try again after adjusting his angle and pressure to achieve correct trajectory.

Observing the person on the balcony who was filming Brian's attempt.

Houston, we have lift off!

(I like how Shad and Grandpa Wayne have matching expressions in these pictures.)

Looks like it's going to make it!

Success!

Brian is celebrating.

The balcony people are celebrating. I missed the launch, but honestly, I got the better show. I'll see the launch video later.

Minute to Win It games

{Katie, Ellie, Aimie, Ellie}

{Bryson, Camden, Tommy, Austin, Jesse, William}

Samson loved the orange frisbee!

I love this face!

{Parker, Grace, Lynne, Katie Martin, Dancy}

Thora was upset (no surprise) and Momma Lisa was comforting her.

Samson and Tommy

Samson and Eleanor

{Aimie, Ellie, Katie}

{Sam, Katie, Ellie, Grandma Jayne, Aimie, Ellie}

{The Katies}

There's a happy one!

Katie and Emmie hatched a plan to try to prank people with oreos. They scraped out the cream and filled it with toothpaste and gum. I was so proud! I corrected Katie's technique and told her that next time she needs to make sure the toothpaste and gum are WHITE instead of green and pink. No one was really buying it. Here she is trying to prank William.

William knows there's something wrong with this cookie.

But he tried it anyway.

Dancy knew it was a prank cookie, but volunteered as tribute.

{Aubrie and Katie}

{Katie, Kaidyn, Austin}

{Katie and her bestie Emmie}