Day 9:
After a final pump-out of the motorhome's waste tanks (it's not all fun & games on a trip like this!) we began to make our way south from Idaho to Utah. Our already-long-day of driving was made about an hour longer because Aaron is a very kind good Samaritan. Three teenaged boys in a tricked-out Honda Civic were flagging down help on the side of the highway and Aaron stopped to help them. (Their custom exhaust was falling off and they didn't have any tools.) My kids had plenty to do while we were stopped, and this extra time allowed me to accomplish the goal of finishing another book! We arrived back at Jake & Tiffany's at dinnertime and they fed us delicious homemade pizza. Yum!
Day 10:
We got up early enough to thoroughly clean the motorhome, inside & out, fill it with gas & propane and return it. Then we made ready for yet another adventure, Timpanogos Cave. I had never been there, and I didn't realize the 1.5-mile, 1100-ft elevation gain hike was going to be so grueling! But we all made it; the kids did great; and we all enjoyed the sights inside the caves:
On the way back down we enjoyed a lovely view of American Fork Canyon & Utah Valley:
But the fun didn't stop there! That evening we went to Josh & Nicole's house for a family BBQ to celebrate Monique's birthday. The kids had a ton of fun:
and really loved spending some time with their Utah cousins that they rarely see.
Day 11:
It was time for the fun to end; we packed up & made our way back to good ol' AZ. The kids do a pretty good job on long car rides.
We had such a great time; it was fun to see so many beautiful things, to spend time with relatives and friends, and especially to spend time together as our own little family.
Some people think that family vacations are so much work for the parents, that they aren't really vacations at all and not worth it. There is some truth to that; all the prep work, logistics, packing, expense, arrangements, scheduling, etc etc that go into big trips like this can be a pretty big headache. But I still love it and I'll keep on doing it! I was fortunate enough to see a lot of our country on family vacations growing up (and a few parts of the world) and I am so glad to have had those experiences; I am thrilled when we are able to share some of those same experiences & memories with our kids now.
We had such a great time; it was fun to see so many beautiful things, to spend time with relatives and friends, and especially to spend time together as our own little family.
Some people think that family vacations are so much work for the parents, that they aren't really vacations at all and not worth it. There is some truth to that; all the prep work, logistics, packing, expense, arrangements, scheduling, etc etc that go into big trips like this can be a pretty big headache. But I still love it and I'll keep on doing it! I was fortunate enough to see a lot of our country on family vacations growing up (and a few parts of the world) and I am so glad to have had those experiences; I am thrilled when we are able to share some of those same experiences & memories with our kids now.
7 comments:
This looks like such a fun trip. My kids would have flipped for a trip like this.
Sounds like Aaron is quite the fisher. Does he take the kids anywhere around here?
Thanks for the reminder that they are all worth it--as I'm packing and arranging and trying to get it all together.
Your kids are so cute.
First comment, but I've been following your vacation recap every day. Now I'm kind of sad it's over. What a fun trip--makes me want to drive cross-country and see all the things I haven't gotten around to yet.
As I looked at your photos from the cave and the family party, I realized that I haven't even looked at ours yet. But, I couldn't even if I wanted to, Jake took the camera with him this week to scout camp. Thanks for spending time with us! We had fun.
All of these posts have been great. It sounds like SO much fun.
Thanks for being such great parents and taking our grandkids on such a memorable trip and thanks for taking us along via your blog. Your kids will remember it their whole lives. You are awesome!
G-Ma Pratt
I agree - family vacations are a big headache for the parents, (especially the mom!) but I love spending time with the family as well - so worth it. And, as long as you follow up your family trip with a vacation a couple weeks later with just the husband then it is all worth it!! :)
Post a Comment