Utah: Miner Visit & Grandma's Party

I drove the boys out early for some Utah time with my family before we met up with all of Michael's family that weekend for our Daetwyler week.

The boys were champs on the drive and we made it to Ali's with only one stop. Camden isn't super content during those 3.5 hour stretches but making it a one-stop drive is worth it. We were so happy to see Ali and Matthias and Elise, and to make it to them MUCH more smoothly than our last attempt :) Every mile past Rawlins felt like a major win!

Our Utah week felt so fun. On Tuesday my parents came up, and my mom and I met my brother and his kids at Thanksgiving Point at their farm. They had so much fun feeding animals, riding horses, and eating ice cream together. The next day we went to the Aquarium with Ali, Elise, and my parents. I haven't been in years and the new Aquarium is awesome! Penguins are always the best part :) The next day Ali and I got pedicures together, and had a fun slow day with my parents. My Aunt Tanya brought her family over for dinner one night as well, and it's so fun to see her cute Gracie. On Thursday night we got to see lots of aunts and cousins at dinner, which made me so happy since I was missing my mom's family reunion that weekend. 

On Friday Michael drove into Provo with his sister's family from Denver, and we ate dinner at Ali's house. Then she and Matthias were SO nice to let Camden sleep there while we took our older kids to the Lehi Rodeo with some of Michael's family. When the event STARTS at 8pm, it's super nice to not bring the tiny toddler! 

The next day they drove him down to Provo on their way to Deseret, and we took the boys onto campus with Diana's family. It's so fun showing them the Bookstore and walking around campus. BYU is such a fun/funny time. We also went on a treasure hunt in the bookstore to find "Savior" and it was so much fun to see it on shelves in person!

That afternoon we drove up the canyon to Michael's Grandma's 90th birthday party. It was so fun to celebrate her and hear everyone's stories about her. She is a loved, amazing woman. Michael's mom and aunt did a really wonderful job planning the party for her and everything was so fun. I love how content kids are around cousins.

The next morning we went to my brother's ward in Lehi and hung out with them after church for a bit. Michael's parents came to church there too, my nieces and nephews still remember them from their Indiana trip a few years ago. I can't believe how much bigger they are since then. After feeding the Miner's chickens and taking Jaren's new electric scooter for a spin, we stopped by Ali's to say goodbye on our way a little more up north. I love that my brother and sister live pretty close to each other. I pretend I'm close too now that I'm a one-stop drive but.... they're definitely closer :)

After that we made our way up north to Bear Lake for a week of Daetwyler fun!

 

Muffins before packing bags before road tripping my boys.
It's become a ritual.

The body pillow.
It might look like excessive packing, but these are the essentials, people.

Road trip stops. 
So many nuggets consumed on drives with these cuties.

Grandparents came too!

Surprising the Miner cousins at the farm at Thanksgiving Point.

He was sooo excited for this.

Bennett was pretty skeptical of this when the ride started but he got used to it pretty quick.

Uncle Logan got the kids ice cream after and they were so happy at their own table laughing and eating.

A group goodbye hug!
They missed each other :)

Aquarium Day!

These otters were so playful

Such a fun day. Camden kept Elise in check (or at least tried to), Westin and Bennett were so happy, Ali and I were slow moving and Grandma and Grandpa were super helpful with the kids. 

Another goodbye hug haha.

Camden was exxxxxxtra clingy in a new place.

Dinner out with some of my aunts and cousins!
I missed our family reunion that weekend so it was so fun to see them that night.
I love them!

Kindal and I are working on some things for starting to sell art prints from "Savior" and we both have a painting in mind that hung on our childhood room walls. This was mine and I remember it so well! I snapped a picture of it at Ali's.

Sister bellies!

Lehi Rodeo! Ali and Matthias were so nice to let Camden sleep at their house that night so we could take the big kids to the Rodeo with their cousins. Sooo much more enjoyable with him sleeping instead of coming to the rodeo that started at 8pm.

Taking the kids around BYU!
Me; "Look Westin, that's the ballroom where your dad learned to dance so that I would marry him."
Michael: "Yep... the old bait and switch."
Haha 

New play structure in the bookstore. They're doing a good job catering to all these people just like us who bring their kids down the campus memory lane every so often :)

Found our book!
This was so fun to see in person. We are working on a few different retail spots and working with a new distributor, so seeing this in person was just really fun.

I snuck in some of our new "tear proof and washable" stickers and put them on all the copies that were there haha. It felt sneaky for some reason.

Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma!
Almost everyone made it and it was so fun to celebrate her.

The Daetwyler Clan

Bennett was super into the Miners' chickens. Fed them grass for so long even though he was so hot out there.

Did I take an awkward pregnant ride on Jaren's new electric scooter?
Yes, yes I did.