My Utah Vacation

I have a few pictures, ( ok, maybe more than a few), of my recent trip to Utah.  This was summer vacation for me and even though it was hard to leave my husband and garden behind,  I had a wonderful time with friends and family and at BYU Education Week.  I'll cover the friends and family part with this post and then I'll share some of the things at I learned at Education Week with the next one.

 

The first weekend I was there, I had the great privilege of attending the wedding of one the loveliest and sweetest young ladies I know.  She's been like a daughter to me and I served as her Young Women's leader for years.  Whitney and Matt were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake temple and I loved being there to witness that event.  I've been in the Salt Lake temple before, but this is the first time I've been in a sealing room and it was beautiful and sacred.  Unfortunately, my phone was acting up on that day, so I didn't get any pictures of the bride and groom outside the temple, but did get some shots at the ring ceremony and reception afterwards.  Here's Matt, Whitney and Amberley.  That little flower girl loved hanging out with the bride.  

Here's another one of my young women.  I had a great time visiting with April and getting to know her husband, PJ.  I haven't seen her in years, as they've been out west completing their educations.  Now, they've settled down in Idaho and are waiting for... a new baby!  Seeing these girls grow up and have families of their own makes me so happy, and, makes me feel old.  

And here's another one.  Sarah, sister to the bride, and her husband Anthony travelled from England.  She has four children, including little Oliver that she's holding here, and that adorable flower girl belongs to her too.  Sarah and a few of her friends (you know who you are :), kept me on my toes as their Laurel advisor, with all their questions and concerns about the gospel, and it's relevance to their teenage lives.  I'm sure I learned more from them than they did from me.  Sitting in the temple with them now, as adults, was pure pleasure.

While in Salt Lake, I had the opportunity to meet up with my friend Lynette, who has been living in Layton, but who will soon be moving to Augusta, Georgia.  Yippee!  I should get to see her more often now that she will be on my side of the U.S.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at The Copper Onion and had lots of time to catch up on family news. (Forgive the quality of some of these photos.  I shouldn't have relied on my cell phone as much as I did.)

When I travel, I'm all into trying as much of the local food as possible.  I'm sure this doesn't surprise anyone.  This patisserie in Salt Lake was recommended by a friend and I was told to try the Kouing Amann.  This is a recent food discovery and all I can say is, oh, my, yum.  Flaky, layers of buttery pastry (think croissant) with cinnamon and sugar.  I'm glad I tried this here, because I will probably have a hard time finding anything to compare it with around my home town, which is a good thing.  This will be a traveling delicacy that I will enjoy on rare occasions.  Oh, but look what I just found...   

Sunday morning found me at the Conference Center, listening to Music and the Spoken Word with the Tabernacle Choir. This is always a huge treat.  As a bonus, President Monson was there too.  He waved at me, and everyone else!

I loved coming out of the broadcast and seeing these beautiful sister missionaries, ready to give tours on Temple Square in their own languages.

I spent plenty of time walking around the gardens and in the visitor's centers, "people watching" as families came in the rotunda to view this eleven foot tall statue of Christ.  The children especially, were in awe.  A gentle reminder to me that we are instructed to become as little children.

After that exciting weekend, I went to spend a week with my sister, Sherri.  We had a wonderful time, hiking, eating and shopping. Ok, so maybe the shopping part wasn't so fun, but I did find an outfit for my son's wedding, so it was worth it!   In the mornings, we walked in some beautiful areas.  Our goal was to get in 10,000 steps each day, which we accomplished!  

These signs were a warning to watch where you stepped, and were posted throughout the park.  For good reason...

Thanks to Ken and Sherri, I also enjoyed a fun day at the zoo.  

On Saturday, we had a big hiking day planned, with the most beautiful weather anyone could ask for.  First we hiked Cecret Lake in Albion Basin.

After only minutes on the trail, we spotted three moose.

Check out that blue sky.

After that trail, we went to Snowbird and took the tram to the top.  Then we hiked to Mount Baldy at 11,088 feet, where we enjoyed our lunch with a view! 

I mean, really, is this not spectacular?

After all that hiking ( we logged 18,000 steps this day!), we were ready for some good eating.  Sherri and Ken took me to one of their favorite pizza parlors.  And yes, it was delicious!

The last week I spent at J'nae and LaRon's home.  These are my dear friends that I met on my trip to the Holy Land.  I wrote all about them here.  They were kind enough to house and feed me while I was attending Education Week.  They do both very well!

One evening, J'nae taught me how to make hamburger and hotdog buns.  I've already made these once since I've been home.  They are sooooo good.  Watch for an upcoming post with recipe and instructions on how to make them.

The last night of my stay, we had a pizza party with Ken and Sherri.

Ken cooked eight pizzas on the grill, with all kinds of sauces and toppings. They were awesome!  I'm getting hungry just looking at this picture.

He also provided a little entertainment for us after we stuffed our bellies.  That Ken's one talented guy.  I'm so grateful for the hospitality that was shown to me by Sherri and Ken and J'Nae and LaRon.  You guys are the best!

Okay, that's it for now; wedding pictures, hiking, friends, family and food.  Next post will be all about Education Week.  I learned so much.  Can't wait to share it with you.