Utah -Week 4 July 3rd-9th...final week

Sunday July 3rd we Celebrated my dad's birthday and Savannah made his birthday sign...
"Happy Birthday Grandpa!
Happy Birthday Popcicle Eater!"

Olivia an Sierra made grandpa some rock cakes!

His birthday gift from the grandkids


Later we went to the park...Austin loved this slide and kept going up and down it even when he ended up sideways half the time.

Jeff and Josh watching fireworks
And later after it got dark we did Fireworks.

Monday, July 4th we went to the Paris, Idaho parade (about 20 minutes from the cabin). A little different than other parades we have been to, the parade walks down one side of the street then turns around in the intersection and walks down the other side of the street. It went okay until they tried to turn a horse drawn wagon with 6 Clidesdales around and they got a little spooked by the orange cones. We were the first people after the turn and had to back the kids when the horse got a little out of control but finally the driver got it and they where fine, just a little scary for a minute.

Played a little more, took a picture of all the grandkids

Grandma did the tradional 4th of July parade...

marching around the cabin to music

Austin was really getting into it.

then we cleanned the cabin and loaded up. We had Great week up at the cabin.

After leaving Bear Lake we went to grandpa and grandma Jensen's to watch the fireworks with our cousins.

Tuesday, July 5th. The kids stayed home while I went shopping with my sister. Then that night my parents took the adults out to dinner at the Mandarin while my aunt and her boys tended all the kids. It was so fun being with my parents and siblings with no kids.

Wednesay, July 6th we took the kids to Kangaroo Zoo, it was the one place Savannah really wanted to go.


Thursday, July 7th we went the "This is Place Heritage State Park" and learned about how the pioneer lived, pet animals, rode horses and did different crafts. It was a lot of fun and I think the kids really enjoyed it.

Friday, July 8th We just hung out during the day kind of getting ready to leave. Then later that night we had a big cousin picture with all the Jensen/Spjut. Then grandpa and grandma Jensen got brave and had a big cousin sleep-over with anyone 3 and older. The kids had a great time spending all that time with their cousins and grandpa and grandma with no parents.

I took this picture at the Farmingon Parade for Jason.
Saturday, July 9th I took Austin to the Farmington Parade before I picked up the girls. Then I packed all day and got everything ready to leave the next day. The girls went to the Fireworks that night while I packed the car. Grandpa and Grandma Jensen came over to say bye, we cried, and went to bed...saying good-bye is always the hardest thing to do.

Sunday, July 10th got the kids up around 7:30am and headed on our long trip. My mom came with me to help with the kids, which was a big help. It was my first time driving the whole way from Utah to Iowa and I have decided the time goes by way faster when you are driving.

We stayed the night in Grand Island because my mom kind of wanted to go see the Winter Quarters Temple and we weren't sure if we would make the last 5 hours. But I had a scary things happen...After we got to the hotel around 9:30pm I dropped my mom and the kids off and then went to find dinner. Well everything was closing because it was 10pm by the time I got into town. So I started going back but knew nothing was by our hotel so I got gas and found a Wendy's with my GPS. Well on my way back it was dark and a Midwest storm started and there was thunder and lightening all over and when the rain came I couldn't see anything. I got lost trying to find the hotel, the GPS didn't have the hotel in it, and I didn't have the address for my GPS so I called my dad since my mom was swimming with the kids. When he gave me the address I tried putting it in the GPS and it said it didn't exisit. So I keep driving and ended up in the middle of the country on a dirt road with thunder and lightening all around me. My mom called wondering where I was, when I told her I was lost she went to the front desk and they tried to help. Finally someone said 911 might be able to track me and help me got backe, so I called 911. Well she was no help, she just told me I was in the middle of the country, when I finally found a street intersection (I already knew that though, I am not the dumb.) Then she started looking up hotels for me in the phone book...what the crap I already have a hotel. Finally I just hung up with her and headed the opposite direct she said and found a KOA and a Freeway enterance. Meanwhile my dad is trying to help and my mom and the hotel are trying to help, on of the guys from the hotel even offered to give me his address to put in the GPS and that would get me close the hotel but finally after the storm slowed down and I started breathing again I decided to type the address in but insteasd of typing HWY for highway I spelled it out and that worked. I was East of where I was supposed to be and I thought I was west of where I was supposed to be...I was very lost. It was the storm that got me scared there were no lights, trees down in the road, I was in the middle of Nebraska, and for all I knew I could have run into a tornado, but I made it back to the hotel around 11:00pm (could have been later I can't remember) and was so excited to see my kids and my mom again.

Monday, July 12th we woke up and drove to the Winter Quarters temple went to the Cemetary and the Visitor Center then walked around the temple. My mom had never been there and we had never been in the Visitor Center so it was fun for us to see the stuff that that they had there.

We finally made it home around 2:30 or 3pm, took a nap, Jason got home around 5:00pm, it was so GREAT to see him again. My mom watched the kids while we went on a date and the kids had one more fun night with grandma.

Tuesday, July 13th my mom's flight was around 6:15pm which with her flying luck it was delayed for a lot of hours but she finally made it home too.

We had such a GREAT trip it was so much fun to see all of our family again. Thanks everyone for all the fun and time we got to spend with you, we made some wonderful memories.

WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Don't have time to edit this so sorry for the errors. I will come back later or Jason will do it for me.