Salt Lake

 

The quickest weekend getaway to Utah for my darling niece's baptism

afforded us our first time to take the kids to the Salt Lake temple. 

 We didn't tell the kids until we woke them up at 4:15 am to start the drive. 

They were awestruck. 

 And that adrenaline made for an awesome 10 hour drive there. 

The ride back?  Not as much.

 

 

The girls were so excited to visit a place they had seen in pictures for so long.

We showed them where Daddy asked Mommy to marry him.

They LOVED that.

They ran around exuberantly and posed enthusiastically.

Grant was just along for the stroller ride.

 

 

I wept like a baby while in the visitor's center.

They have a beautiful display that shows every room

 in the temple and explains what we learn there.

I LOVED IT.

I highly recommend it to everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Right before heading to the temple, we had picked up Grandma from the airport.

We had so much fun eating lunch and spending the day with her.

  

 

First day of first grade!

 

 

It's the first day of first grade!

Both our little girls were begging to have curlers in their hair last night.

Much like their mommy, the love curly-haired first days.

 

We can hardly believe our oldest is in first grade.

Hallie loves to imagine me crying while she is away.

And I keep telling Claire and Grant how grateful I am to still have them with me.

 

We packed up her lunch last night with some of her very favorites.

Packing her lunch squeezes at my heart.

I can't believe I only get her at lunch time on weekends from now on!

We had fresh banana chocolate chip muffins for breakfast

because I totally have my act together and bake in the morning.

Gotcha! Truth: I forgot we were out of cereal.

 

This little guy is running a fever for undetermined reasons. New teeth?

Our other curly haired cutie.

She is so gracious that most of the attention is on big sister.

I am looking forward to the more focused time with her.

She already begged to paint this morning.

I don't ask for these poses, she just hands them out like that.

Love her!

Next year, Claire will be in a matching uniform.

Boy will my bottom lip quiver then.

Hallie chose her first day outfit this year.

It is much like last year's except she elected for a light blue shirt this time.

Here are things that are different than last year's first day of school . . .

She is missing two teeth now.

She is without both her tonsils and adenoids.

She knows how to read!

 

We love our sweet girl. 

Have a great day, Hallie!

Still can't believe I won't see her for six more hours.

Sniff-sniff.