Summer Vacation

July 1st we left for our big road trip. We were all so excited.

The plan was to leave at 4:30am. It being hot and humid kept Sterling from sleeping that night. So around 1:30am he woke me up saying "The van is packed, the kids are buckled in. Let's just hit the road." So we did. The kids slept most of the first 4 1/2 hours maybe.  That made the last 6 hours easier. Athena did very well. Even though she doesn't like playing with toys in her carseat she still did well. She napped and ate snacks.

We did our schedule map for the trip so the kids can know when it's movie time, present time, stop at Mcdonald's to play, etc.

We only stopped at Mcdonald's once. Our second play stop was at Independence rock. We walked to the rock and climbed up it. Athena couldn't so Ster and I took turns going up. There were lots of bunnies everywhere! Mostly baby bunnies. They were so cute! Athena spent her play break chasing bunnies. She so wanted to cuddle them. One young bunny would allow Athena to get really close then he would slowly hop away, knowing how slow Athena was herself. It convinced me we should get a cute fluffy bunny for our pet. Ster worries it will smell too bad, being in the house during the cold months of the year. We will see what we decide to do when we get back from our vacation.

We arrived in Provo around 2:30pm on Wednesday the 1st. Dad Roundy was the only person home that day. Mom was at Girl's Camp.

The next morning Dad and Sterling went to Girl's Camp to help teach archery.

The kids and I went shopping and played at home. Dad, Mom and Sterling came home that afternoon. Tiberias was so excited and so ready for grandma to come. He and Athena had been starving for extra attention. The more relatives we are around the more attention they get. Although Athena does not need the extra attention like Tiberias who has always.

Matthew, Maria and Nicole came for dinner that night. It was fun for Luke to get to know Nicole finally.

Friday we got up early in the morning. Abi had arrived late the night before. 

We went to the balloon festival in Provo. It was fun to see the large balloons fill up and raise into the sky. Of course our favorites were Darth Vador and Yoda. It was even more fun that there were people dressed up as Vador, Chewy, a Jawa and troopers of many kinds. 

Shortly after the balloon event we went to Pioneer park. We met a huge group Wilde's and Sterling's siblings. We had a morning water fight. It was so fun. Most of the adults stayed in the safe zone not participating in the water fight. But a few fun parents got into it. Elliot, Sterling, Tess' husband, Aubrey and Travis, Valerie's husband Jacob, Cameron and the teen boys.

 Abi, Elliot and Nicole

 Ster, Nicole, Athena

 Luke and Cameron

 Tess getting her son

 Mom and Chloe

 Tess' daughter and husband

Trevor, Simone and Chloe

 George and his son

 Ster and Athena

 Jacob and Trevor

Jacob and his son

 Simone and Jessica's daughter

 Athena and Jessica's 2nd daughter

 

Aubry and Travis

At 10am our huge group drove down the street to the Purple Turtle for an early ice cream lunch. lol. We almost filled the whole restaurant (almost all the tables) just ourselves. 

Dad Roundy paid for all of his children's food. That was very nice.

We had fries, onion rings and ice cream shakes. So yummy! 

 Trying to get a new Tiberias portrait for grandma

We spent some time with Abi, Maria and Matt at mom and dad's house. Aubry and Travis came over for a little while. Sterling and I went shopping and left the kids at the house. Then I watched the kids a few hours while everyone went to run errands etc. Nicole and my boys played all afternoon and had so much fun together. I took some pictures of Nicole for grandma's display on the piano.