Spring Break 2016
For spring break this year we packed up the car and the kids and hit the road to Utah to go see Reilly. It is still rough having a child that lives 700 miles away. I am pretty sure it always will be. I can only go for so long before I need to see her in person and check her out with my own two eyes.
We got an early start and made good time. This year we left at 4 am, stopped for breakfast in Montana, listened to General Conference while we drove, and also listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It helped. A 12 hour road trip is a good 6 hrs too long in my book!!
Breakfast in Montana
But it was all worth it when we rolled into Provo and met up with Reilly at our hotel. Usually we stay in SLC when we come to Utah so it was extra fun and nostalgic to stay in Provo this trip. This pic caused some real concern on FB and Instagram because apparently it looked like Reilly had an engagement ring on. NO. That is TYLER'S hand on top of Bryn's head as we were all piled on the bed in our hotel room. Hilarious.
Then we were off to dinner. Ahh...there is nothing like having the whole family together again with everyone being loud and silly, talking over one another, arguing, laughing, and just having everything back to normal. I love it.
Reilly had to work while we were there so we entertained ourselves for a bit the next day. We started our morning off right at the Provo Bakery. The weather was gorgeous while we were in town. It was in the 70s. Delightful.
We tromped around Rock Canyon. It was fun to go to the places that we love but never have the time to see or visit when we usually come to Utah. This was the sight of one of me and Tyler's first dates/fights when once while hiking I asked him "Am I the most fun girl that you have ever dated?" and he infamously replied..."Well...(long pause)....you are ONE of them!!" 22 years later and it is still fresh!! Ha Ha!!
Then it was time to pick up Reilly. First stop...BYU. It never gets old and always delights. The kids humored me with one picture.
Except for this girl...
#favorite ;)
Then it was off to see the new sights on campus, buy stuff at the bookstore, and eat at the Cougareat. Good times!!
Then we got down to business... we had some serious shopping to do...
Reilly was promised a belated Easter dress and some running shoes amongst other much needed items. We also happened to find Ailey a darling dress for her 6th grade promotion not to mention Tyler and Kam nearly bought out the tie shop. I bought some artwork. Boom. Everyone was pleased. Our shopping adventures took us to both malls. I haven't been inside the University Mall since I was in college. Tyler and I were both curious to see inside and to see if either one of us recognized anything from the mall that we grew up with. Nah. The only thing that we recognized was the glass elevator in Macey's that used to be in ZCMI. That was it.
That afternoon we drove to Springville. I used to live there before I moved to Springdell. I showed the kids my old house and my old elementary school.
Then we drove up Hobble Creek Canyon and went to Kelly's Grove:
Reilly found a butterfly...
We ran around Kelly's Grove and swung on the swings. I was dared to wade in the creek which of course I did. We made whistles out of the snake grass just like my mom used to make for us when we were kids.
On our way back to Provo we stopped to put flowers on my Grandma and Grandpa McKinnon's grave...
Doing all my family history posts has really made me miss them more than ever. It's been great though for Tyler and I to share more of our family memories with our children.
Then we hit the Provo Town Mall as we still hadn't found the perfect dress for Reilly. Luckily we did there. Then we hit the food court. What you may not know about our family is that we are something of food court connoisseurs. Whenever we travel and go to a mall; we must check out the food court. In case you were wondering...our very favorite food court that has yet to be surpassed is the one in downtown Seattle at the Pacific Center. There is every cuisine that your heart could desire. Vegetarian food galore. The Provo Town Mall food court wasn't too bad as it had delicious Brazilian food and we got to introduce our children to the delights of this magical place:
They were fans!! (Enlarge pic for full enjoyment!)
Tyler was attempting to use Reilly's selfie stick. It's trickier than it looks. This hot dog on a stick got high marks from all of the Johnsons and a lot of our money because not only could you get a regular hot dog on a stick you could also get various kinds of cheese on a stick ...american cheese, mozzarella cheese, or pepper jack cheese... AND you could get a tofu dog on a stick. SCORE!! They also have three flavors of lemonade, really good fries, and FUNNEL CAKE STICKS. Yes, we ate everything!! The hands down winner was the american cheese on a stick. When I was a kid the University Mall had a knock off one of these called The Corndog Factory. My mom always let us get something from there every time we went to the mall and to my delight it was still in operation when I was in college. My favorite there was the shish-ka-dog which was cheese then hot dog then cheese then hot dog on a stick. You could also get a sausage on a stick which was my second favorite and a tasty lemonade. Sadly, there is no Hot Dog On A Stick in Spokane.
Then it was back to our hotel to regret our food choices as we put on our swim suits and went swimming and soaked in the hot tub.
It was good to see them. Liv was also on Spring Break which was perfect for the kids to have some fun cousin time.
The girls took my phone and took a bunch of pictures and videos. There are some real gems!! Ha Ha!
After that we went over to Temple Square. We haven't been there in quite awhile. Bryn was pretty little the last time we went and actually walked around the grounds so it was fun to show her things that she could really appreciate now.
It was a gorgeous day with all the trees in bloom and flowers everywhere.
I mysteriously had quite a few pics like this on my phone. :)
It's hard to believe that Kam will be heading out on a mission in three years!!
We got to go into the Tabernacle and listen to the tour. That was kind of neat since the kids hadn't done that before. We have always missed the tour and they have only been able to peek inside. It really is surprising how small it is compared to the new conference center.
We got to take the tour there too. Tyler and the kids had done that before. They took the tour several years ago when we were in town for one of my vintage shows but I was working that day. They kindly went on it again. I was surprised at how beautiful it was inside. I mean I knew that it would be nice but I didn't realize how truly gorgeous and lovely it would be with the woodwork, windows, fountains, and breathtaking artwork. I am really glad that I got to tour that beautiful building.
Some of my favorite original artwork inside:
I also loved the artwork by Walter Rane. This one is called Alma Arise. A painting depicting Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. I love the movement and power that his paintings show.
View from the top
It was fun to take this picture and think about where once two people stood now four more stand.
Then we were off to City Creek another place that I hadn't been before. Our kids love City Creek and have been there several times with Tyler. They were happy to give me the grand tour. It is amazing how cool it is!! Also if you must know... their food court is top notch!! :) We happily snarfed down Greek food while admiring our lovely surroundings. Also, Reilly introduced us to this delicious treat...
Chik-Fil-A's Frosted Lemonade. Clutch the pearls!! That was AMAZING. A lemonade milkshake?! Yes, please!! It was sheer heaven. Reilly has been raving about this treat since she arrived in Utah last August. We don't have Chik-Fil-A here in Spokane and that is truly UNFORTUNATE!!
After our fun filled day downtown our next stop was dinner at Kirk and Meki's house. I sure love my brother!! It was a late night full of lots of laughs, teasing, baby holding, and good food. Kirk wanted us to try their favorite Vietnamese place called Oh Mai. I LOVED IT!! We ate Banh Mi, Pho, Kimchee (a family fav), and my favorite the Bun Bi Nuoc which was shredded pork and noodles in coconut milk. So fab! I love hanging out with my brother!! We always have so much fun together!!
Kirk and his youngest son ...baby Kirin
Our kids had a great time helping Meki take care of him. They did a great job!! Bryn loved feeding him. So cute!!
It was a super fun night hanging out with Kirk and his family!!
The next morning we slept in and had a leisurely day. We helped Reilly with a bunch of things that she needed our help with. While she and Tyler ran a bunch of errands, I shopped for Sisters Creed. We hit Swig for drinks and cookies. That place is awesome and, again, I am glad that we don't have one here or I would be there daily!!
We cruised around American Fork. Reilly wanted to take us to the Puppy Barn which is a place you can pay to play with puppies by the hour. Or...you can walk around and hold and pet various puppies for free. (That is what we did.) It was spring break in Utah so the place was packed!! There were some super cute puppies though. Especially the pug puppies!!
Tyler showed the kids where his grandparents used to live in American Fork:
Grandma and Grandpa Kofford's house.
I have fond memories of family gatherings there when we were dating and newlyweds. Tyler's grandparents were so sweet! We also stopped by the Orem City Cemetery to put flowers on Tyler's dad's grave. Then we drove up Provo Canyon and went to Bridal Veil Falls.
Provo Canyon was gorgeous as usual!!
Then we got the crazy notion to hike to the Y. So back to our hotel we went to change into appropriate clothing and shoes. I remembered having hiked the Y a few times... that the hike is harder than you think it will be...but we were up for the challenge, itching to get on a trail, and to get on the mountain.
Well after legit two minutes of actually getting on the trail I remembered exactly why I have always hated this hike!! It is steep and there are 50 million switch backs. It all came rushing back to me. It was a flash back to jr. high when we had to hike the Y for PE and to the two other times that I did it in college to impress boys.
While we were hiking up we were passed by some paragliders who hiked up and leaped off the mountain. It was awesome and they glided right over our heads. So cool.
They glided down and then hiked up again. They passed us for a second time and leaped off once more. Thrilling to watch yet again. We were slow hikers (I the blame the altitude) but we weren't the only ones gasping for breath and taking regular breaks. That hike sucks.
Finally the Y was in sight but unfortunately there were about 20 more switch backs to get there.
We finally arrived at the top and everyone was THRILLED. Ha ha!! We sat on the tip top of the Y.
Looking down the Y and out across Utah valley with the sun setting over Utah Lake. It doesn't get much prettier than that. It was spectacular and worth the hike!!
I love this picture of Ailey!
Much happier after we had rested for a bit!! ;)
Then it was time to head back down the mountain...
It was a completely gorgeous night and we were so happy that we did that hike. It was stunning. Then we headed to Brick Oven Pizza to celebrate our victory. The kids were thrilled!! Aahhh...it brings back so many memories of BYU. Plus, they have a great salad bar and apple beer on tap!! :)
We dropped Reilly off at her apartment after dinner. She was scheduled to work the night shift. She is a med tech at an assisted living facility while going to school. She's a busy bee. The rest of us headed over to the newly dedicated Provo City Center Temple. It is amazing to see how this beautiful building has risen from the ashes quite literally and is now a shining beacon. I remember going to the Utah Valley Symphony there many times and other community events. I am so glad that this building and piece of Utah history has been saved after being burned in a fire and rededicated for a higher and holier purpose. It is magnificent.
The next morning Tyler and I took Reilly out for breakfast by ourselves. It was nice to have a little private time with her before we left. (Our hotel had a great breakfast and Kam had things under control.) It was great to see her and spend some alone time with her. It is fun and painful and hopeful and tender to see the growth that has occurred since she has moved out on her own. Some good experiences...some mistakes... and a lot of living life on her own terms for the first time. All of these experiences have had an impact and have changed and matured her in little ways. She is still our living loud daughter but there is also a vulnerability that hasn't always been there before. I guess that will probably always be how it is with our children as they grow up and move away. We will visit and we will always search their eyes, and their faces, and probe their hearts to make sure that they are okay; that they know that they are loved and that Tyler and I are always there for them. Gah! That is the hard part of this parenting young adults thing!! They aren't five anymore. You can't make everything okay with a kiss and an ice cream cone. You can't hover and meddle. You offer advice and hope they take it. Sometime they do and sometimes they don't. You have to trust them and have faith in them. You celebrate their victories with them and encourage them when things are difficult. You have to say a lot of prayers and hope for the best, right? And then... you have to drive away. It doesn't get easier. I hear it never does.
My heart x 4
We broke up our trip home with a stop in Rexburg, Idaho to see my Grandma who lives there now to be near my aunt. We have missed having her close to us. When we drove into town we immediately ran into my cousin Zeke at the gas station. So crazy. It was fun to visit with him. He's a great kid. The assisted living place that my grandma lives at is really nice. I was impressed and think that it is the best place for her. It is LDS run and so she has an opportunity to take the sacrament and attend services in the commons area. It is the little things like that that mean a lot to me and to her. I think she is treated with dignity and respect and she seems to be happy there. I thought that she had gone down hill a bit more since we last saw her over Labor Day. We had heard that she wouldn't know us and doesn't really talk anymore. I was pleasantly surprised that she did know us and would talk a little. I pretty much kept up a running one-sided conversation but she would chime in here and there. We made her laugh a few times. We had letters from the great-grandkids that we read to her and we decorated her walls with some new family pictures. I know that she can't see them but she is loved and missed and her walls represent that. It was hot in Rexburg that day but my grandma said that she was freezing so we bundled her up in her Christmas blanket and had a sweet visit.
This is the building that she is in on her campus. It is really cute and cozy.
I was really happy that we got to see her. I am especially glad that she knew who I was and that we got to laugh together again a little bit. I am also glad that I got to tell her once again how much I love her and how much she means to me. She told me that she loved me and misses me too. That is priceless.
This picture was when we were telling her good-bye. I have tears in my eyes and she has a little smile on her face that you can barely see peeking out from her blanket. She was comforting me and teasing me a little when Tyler took that picture. It reminds me that my grandma is still in there and that she is still her...strong personality...and loving grandma...even if it is only in fleeting moments. We also stopped and visited with my uncle's mother, Iris, who also lives in the same facility for a few minutes on our way out.
Then it was back into the car, back on the road, and back to real life. We got home in a good amount of time and still had a three day weekend left to our spring break which was awesome. It was a fun-filled and packed trip and a great spring break!!
