Since we didn't do any hiking at Bryce Canyon, we made it through the park pretty quickly. That allowed us to get back to Kira's in time for dinner. Kira and Stew had a temple date planned and we were able to watch their kids for a few hours (a very minor payback for their generous hosting). The kids really got their creative juices flowing and came up with some very interesting costume choices.
It's a rare opportunity for us to be the only extra family when we visit Kira. While we love having everyone together, it was also fun to have a few days with just our two families. On Wednesday morning we went to their local library to take advantage of some impressive kid programs (and I kind of love that we managed to get some library time in while on vacation!).
The under 8 crowd had a "Greatest Showman" themed circus activity. Being Springville, it was unsurprisingly packed with kids.
The 8+ crowd had a finance based class. They learned a little bit about using money wisely, then were each given five "dollars" to spend at different stations set up around the room.
That was fun, but the best was yet to come. As a parting surprise, the sponsoring business (a local credit union) gave every participating kid and parent a coupon for a free half gallon of BYU Creamery ice cream! There were six of us there, so we made out like bandits. After leaving the library we made a beeline straight to the Creamery. We walked out with $37.08 worth of ice cream. Sweeeeeet!
That afternoon we took the kids to Springville's super excellent splash park. Katie met us there and marked the beginning of the influx of the rest of the family. Nellie was super excited to see Jordyn again.
The park was packed, but everyone had a great time (except when they fought over toys).
Thursday morning Kira took us to hike in the nearby mountains. It's not so much a hike as a walk, but we still made quite the procession since Colleen's family joined us as well.
Off the side of the trail we climbed down a steepish hillside to a beautiful, shaded area called "Dripping Rock". The water was painfully cold.
Some brave souls traversed across the deeper areas to hide out under the grotto cover.
Aubree explored for a while, then returned to her favorite pastime.
Considering the icy quality of the water, the kids managed to stay in for an impressive amount of time. Thane (of course Thane) even dunked himself. His cousin Elizabeth thought he was a nutter. There wasn't much to do outside of the river because of the steep, rocky hillside, so we only stayed for a couple hours (if that).
Back at Kira's the kids enjoyed her seemingly unlimited toy and costume selections. This dog costume was a particular favorite of all the smaller kids.
The older kids appreciated having access to a big screen TV and took full advantage of every opportunity to stick their noses in front of the screen. The Food Network was their go-to channel and they watched countless episodes of "Nailed It." Watching the show gave the girls an itch to try their hand and baking. They decided to work together to make and decorate a cake.
It was a slow process. Their original plan involved using fondant to make an emoji cake. By the time they were done (days later), they ended up with a bear (or was it a fox?) with just a small amount of fondant. They now have a greater appreciation for the plight of the "Nailed It" contestants.
When we all get together at Kira's, we take turns cooking the meals. Thursday night I was in charge, but chose to try one of Kira's recipes - Indian Butter Chicken in the InstaPot. It was delicious!
Late Thursday night the rest of the family arrived, so by Friday morning we were a very full house. The plan that morning took us to the Springville Reservoir. Kira had plenty of water toys to keep everyone entertained in the water.
Mark's parents had just arrived in town and met us there. Diane is a super star; she spent all her time playing in the water with the kids.
I snuck out that afternoon to visit the Good and the Beautiful store in Lehi to buy a bit more homeschool curriculum. Afterward, I met all the siblings and my mom at Tucanos for an adult dinner (we hired babysitters for all the kidlets). Someone has a picture of all of us together, but unfortunately that person is not me. Daniel was horrified by my key chain and took it upon himself to make it more orderly and balanced. Kira agreed that it was appalling. I'd never considered that there was a "right" way to put keys on ones key chain. Ha! I love spending time with my rock star siblings.
We got home in time to put the kids to bed. Nellie, Jordyn, and Kami were all wearing monkey pajamas. They were so excited they put on a little "3 Little Monkeys" show for us. Graham had to join in.
After we got the kids to bed, the adults stayed up late playing games. First we played Slide 5 (a very fun large-group option), then we played Headbands. I was skeptical about the Headbands game because it's geared for kids ages 4-8, but it turned out to be hilarious! Next time I think it would be fun to make our own cards.
Saturday is the subject of another post.
On Sunday, we got to go to church in Kira's ward. Everyone kept commenting on how much Katie, Lauren, and I looked like Kira. I suppose we're becoming more clone-like every year.
After church, Mark and I packed our stuff back into the van while my mom (with lots of help) made a huge lasagna dinner.
We are an enormous group all together, but it just feels so good to all be in one place.
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