Flying on an Airplane to Uncle Michael's Wedding and Lots of Utah Fun!

The kids went flew on an airplane for the first time! We went to Salt Lake City, Utah for Uncle Michael and Aunt Tessa's wedding!

I made friends with the pilot while we were waiting at the gate, so he let us go inside the cockpit, which was SO cool! It's extremely tiny in there, and there are so many buttons! I can barely change my radio station while driving without crashing into something, let alone fly a plane. Winston and I were both super impressed with his aviation skills!

Stanton and Noelle got to pretend to fly the plane too, and he even got on the ground with them for a picture. He was the nicest pilot/human being ever!

They all loved every single thing about the flight, especially the free drinks and the Sky Mall catalog. They became best friends with the elderly passengers behind them, and they counted down very, very loudly from the time the plane made its final descent, all the way until we landed. The stewardess said Winston was the best baby she'd ever flown with. Way to go Winnie!

When we got to the hotel, first things first, we jumped on the beds! I think I've gotten taller since our last trip because I don't remember getting any of the hotel's popcorn ceiling in my hair the last time.

After we unpacked we met the whole family for dinner. The kids were all happy to be united with cousin Rhea! They ran laps around the restaurant to celebrate, true story...lots of laps! Then we went back to the pool for a family swim.

The next morning Uncle Michael and Aunt Tessa got married in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. It was such a happy day! She looked gorgeous, and she's as sweet and nice and fun as she is beautiful! They are so perfect together! I love them both so much!

It was really great to be with the entire family, all of the uncles and aunts and cousins! I love weddings, and I love family, and I love the temple because it lets me love those things for ever!

It was fun taking girly pictures.

And more girly pictures.

I think Winston wished someone had taken boy pictures, or maybe he was just hot or tired or hungry. He really was a good sport all day long! We just happen to like taking pictures of his cute, little cry face!

Robert and I made Tara be our wedding photographer so that we could relive some of our wedding photos.

Then we gathered up the darling kiddos and headed over to the park for a really, really fun wedding picnic!

There was delicious food and tons of games. Stanton absolutely loved playing Uno with the big boy cousins!

Baby Winston and Married Michael, one is smiling cause he just got a wife, and the other is smiling because he just got a Tootsie Roll.

That evening we headed over to the reception. It was the most beautiful place I have ever been! This time Robert and I took Twilight-ish photos in the greenery since we both resemble Edward and Bella so closely. We looked so much like them, I think people were expecting some of the other wedding guests to phase into werewolves or something.

Grandma Hurley looked so pretty! We just had to get a picture with her too.

And then, after the world's cutest slideshow and a delicious dinner, we danced the night away! i am not exaggerating! We all did some serious dancing, including Robert's parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and Grandma Hurley! It was so, so, so much fun! Unfortunately for my brand new dress and all the people behind me who I flashed, I did do the worm...twice. I blame the cheering. It went to my head!

And here's my dancing feet! Sorry newly pedicured heels, but the shoes had to go. It was a GREAT, FUN night, a serious party!

The next day we went to Olympic Park in Park City.. We toured the museum and watched the skiers do flips off of the ramps into a pool. It was amazing! I could've watched them all day, but Winston wanted to hit the slopes too.

Robert and Colton rode the bobsled, like the actual 80 mph bobsled. Adrienne and I were impressed and terrified for them! They both said it was totally awesome, and Robert only has a couple bruises and a new found need for speed!

Next we went to the Alpine Slides. After riding the ski lift up the mountain, we were expecting a nice leisurely ride down the mountain on the alpine slides, as evidenced by the fact that we brought our babies. Well, it was raining by the time we got to the top, but they told us to go ahead and go anyway, failing to mention that the brakes don't really when the track is wet. So, Stanton and I sped down the mountain, past everyone who started before us, with me screaming and crying a prayer. I asked Stanton if he was scared, and he said in his very calm voice, "Yes, cause you're going a little too fast." When I told him I didn't know what to do, he said, "slow down." I couldn't use the brakes all the way even if they had been working correctly anyway because everytime I tried to pull the brake lever, Stanton would say, again, in his very calm voice, "Ouch, that's hitting my ballsies." They told us when we got to the bottom that he was probably too big to be riding on my lap and that they probably should not have let us go in the rain because we were going faster than they've ever seen anyone go. Robert guessed 30-40 mph. By the time we got to the bottom, I was just so, so happy and thankful that nobody was hurt, so we thought.

Robert and Winston made it down alright, except for that Tara, who was going as fast as I was couldn't brake either and ran her slide straight into Robert's back. He said the alpine slide fiasco was scarier than the bobsled.

And then there was my poor little Noelle and Aften! They were going so fast, they flew off the slide and landed on the track. They sent the EMT up to get them. Poor Noelle had a little bump and a bruise and a cut on her head. She was pretty scared, but then felt brave telling her story to everyone afterward.

Plus, ice cream before dinner makes everything better!

Then we met everyone or dinner, and Stanton lost his 3rd tooth, this time while eating cashew chicken. He was proud of himself for not swallowing this one.

That night I just had to take a picture of the kids because our hotel gave out free suckers and apples, so every time we turned around, this is what we saw. They probably had more suckers on this trip than they've had in the last six months, but they did wash them all down with a healthy apple.

The next day we went to "This is the Place." It is for sure my new favorite place! It's like Williamsburg, with Mormons!

It's a pioneer town, with real pioneer houses and people and activities. This is an original pioneer house from the 1800's, and 13 people lived in it. There was a washboard and flat iron and clothes line outside. Noelle washed their clothes and then asked me if the pioneers would have been so proud of her for helping them if they weren't dead.

After that we enjoyed some homemade donuts outside, where we called on the doctor, who walked by just in time because Stanton and Rhea fell ill.

After that we went to the one roomed school house. That was the kids' favorite part.

I had to stand on the timeout log, with my nose to the wall, holding books. That was the punishment back then for talking out of turn, not that I would ever be guilty of that.

Robert got to wear the Dunce cap. Somehow, he still looks cute in it!

While the boys were watching the Civil War soldiers march and fire their guns, we chased down and caught a chicken. We LOVE chickens! (Someday I will have them as pets.)

Then we visited the blacksmith shop. Stanton watched him making a sword. He was very impressed.

After that was the petting zoo. The baby pig's name was actually Winston. Baby Winston gave piggy Winston a kiss, which was so cute, yet so gross.

Our kids got to ride ponies for the first time. I told Stanton that technically he's ridden a burro cause I rode one in Mexico when I was pregnant with him, but he said he didn't remember and this pony ride was more fun.

Winston had the time of his life on the pony! He kept saying "Hee-ha!" the whole time. It was adorable!

Then we rode the train all around the place. Chuga-chuga, awesome!

I am not kidding, This is the Place, really was the most fun place ever! I could've stayed forever, but not actually forever, cause I would not have liked to be a pioneer.

Afterwards, we all went to City Creek for lunch and play place fun! We even got to see Uncle Adam's fantastic Deseret Book window display that he made. It was so impressive! The tree has quotes from books written all over it, and the leaves are made of pages from books. It was quite a sight!

Next we went to the Church History Museum, which I love, love, love! There were so many wonderful things to look at and learn about there!

We spent a lot of time in their new kid's exhibit. We Flamenco danced for a bit.

Then we walked around Temple Square. We saw the Tabernacle and the Conference Center, and we tried a jillion times to get a family picture in front of the Salt Lake Temple, but all 50 attempts were blurry. We also really loved the Visitor's Center. It's so peaceful and beautiful inside, and just such an uplifting place to be. The section on the Church welfare program was really amazing, and there were all sorts of quotes that made me wanna be better, like "A man filled with the love of God is not content blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." And "...My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. The world in which we live is the accumulated goodness of many small and seemingly inconsequential acts." It motivated me to want to be better. I loved Temple Square!

We ended our day back at City Creek in the fountains, cooling off and splashing around.

And on our last day, we fed Rhea's llamas after church, with a beautiful view of the Bountiful Temple from their back yard. Winston and I both really like llamas! (I will have some of those someday too.) Then we had a nice family dinner, and the kids had such great fun playing together. We were so sad to leave, but so excited to see each other again soon! It was a really memorable, fun filled, happy, happy trip!