St. George has always been known in my family as the "Happy Place".
It is where we went as kids to vacation. It was the place where you could - Shop, See Movies, Swim, and Sit Around. Everyone is always HAPPY in St. George!!
Day 1 -
It rained and snowed the entire drive... scary!!
Kenzie and I sang to the top of our lungs.
Hayden watched his movies and Mackay played his playstation games.
After we got settled, we enjoyed Iceberg for dinner (tradition).
Hayden and his MINI shake...
Everyone found their "toys" for the weekend.
Mackay and Hayden made THE track (it has been in the condo for years).
Kenzie strummed her guitar.
Give me a blanket and a crossword puzzle book and I am HAPPY!
Day 2 - Kenzie stayed in her bed the ENTIRE day. It was HER vacation too so if she wanted to stay in bed all day - fine.
The boys and I went SHOPPING!!
Since it was 53 degrees outside... burrrrr... we decided to go to Sand Hollow - the indoor pool.
Aaron arrived at 6:30 pm and we hit the Pizza Factory for dinner (tradition).
Day 3 -
It was Kenzie's turn to shop. The boys were happy. The NFL draft was on TV.
Have you ever known an 8 year old to sit at the base of a TV and watch the entire draft AND understand what they are talking about?? He amazes me.
Later, we went back to the indoor pool. This time, Kenzie joined us. With a little encouragement from Aaron, Hayden was willing to wear a life jacket so he could go on the water slide and play in the deep end. Unfortunately, it gave him "boo boos" around his neck and torso. This led to a long shower later.... Quite the story....
Heading for the slide!
The deep end...
The Story:Aaron and I had planned to go out to dinner this night - date night. We had been gone for about 30 minutes when we get a call from our children. Hayden's "boo boos" were hurting so he decided to put soap on them to make the feel better. Kenzie put him in the upstairs shower to rinse him off. Now ALL the children are upstairs in the master bed room and they begin "hearing footsteps downstairs." We try to explain that our condo is connected to condos on both sides and they are probably hearing the neighbors. The tears got worse. Mackay was pacing and crying. Kenzie was hysterically bawling. We forfeited dinner and raced home to prove no one was there trying to kill them. Hayden got out of the shower and asked why Kenz and Mackay were crying. After we explained, he said; "Guys, that was just me, bumping into the shower wall." Whatever.... Dinner was at Subway for the crying children and Albertos for Aaron and I - gross!!
Day 4 -
After a bit of shopping at Christensen's (Manda, Bis. Christensen says "Hi"), we went to the cemetery to put flowers on Grandma Helen and Grandpa Ralph's graves.
We spend a lot of time at cemeteries - note the silliness and football action... Cemeteries are not exactly a reverent place for our family - they are a place for picnics, tulips, and football games -headstones become defenders...:( , they are a place to smile and chat about the people we love, who have left us much too early - grrr...
After a quick and greasy lunch at Jack in the Box (line was too long at In & Out Burgers), we headed up to the OUTDOOR pool. The boys tried to swim. Kenz and I laid out. Aaron sat and read his book for a minute and fell asleep. It wasn't "St. George HOT" so we didn't realize how much sun we were getting.... oops ... we are feeling it now. Gotta love the first sunburn of the season!!
Amazing how fast time goes when you have a crossword puzzle and an Ipod in your swimsuit...:(
Aaron and I went to the Gun Barrel for dinner (kids ate pizza). We figured it was okay to go out without the kids, since the restaurant was literally ONE minute away...Day 5 -
The kids slept in. Each morning, the boys would get up around 7 am... don't they know we are on vacation?? Aaron and I were up and ready BEFORE anyone else. They must have known it was the day we had to leave. We sadly said Goodbye to the "Happy Place" and drove home.
I really love St. George.
It was interesting, I dreamed of my mom each night we were there. (I love it when she is in my dreams, but it doesn't happen very often.) There are so many memories of my childhood and with my mom that I think about her constantly when I am there. It has always been my "happy place." I hope someday, my children will develop enough good memories that St. George will be their "Happy Place" too.
Three Happy Children!
7 comments:
What a great vacation! I am glad you were able to spend time in your Happy Place. I remember our adventures in St. George with you and the Derricks - so much fun. Staying at the condo was awesome! My favorite part of this post was hearing that you dreamed about your mom every night. I hope your dreams were vivid and lifelike. Almost like you were really with your mom....
So fun. I remember roller skating at your condo. We had so many fun times together there.
I love and miss the happy place. I wish I could make it my kid's happy place too:( Oh well--we are too far far away. I have so many memories of the happy place. I can smell it now!! Glad you had a good time.
st. george is my happy place too..we went there all the time as kids to visit my great grandparents. we would eat homemade doughnuts and black and white cake.. and the big rule at there house was NO Fighting! We would lay out by the pool, and for easter we went to the best egg hunt ever! we would always stop at christensens to shop too! I am so jealous my sister lives there now because there are so many good memories i have of st. george! i would love to live there!
What a fun getaway..even better that it was at your "happy place". I'm sure it was a well deserved break:)
I love your condo! It's great that your kids will grow up loving your childhood love.
I have so many wonderful memories of going there as a child! Going swimming (and being attacked by the bats at night), listening to Bread on the old record player, playing Rook at the table in living room--it was definitely a happy place for me, too! And I am excited to be taking my kids there this summer for the first time!! I still call it "Aunt Helen's Condo." It probably always will be for me!
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