Park City Staycation

Frank came to stay with us for a night.  He happened to be there when it was Ellie's birthday. Can't believe she's one.

We had chocolate chip cookies and milk to celebrate.

Blowing out her candle

Next up was present time.  Kyle and I got her some clothes, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book, and her own Legos. Dexter got her a magnet drawing board, an echo microphone, and a small item. GG and Papa gave her a kid swing.  We have some big plans for that.

Too focused on the awesome toys to continue on

Reading her new book.  A favorite of mine from childhood.

On Saturday we headed up to Park City for a staycation with the Hansen grandparents.  They have a timeshare there and invited us to come have some fun there.
That evening we headed over to Bruce's cousin's house in Oakley, the Aplanalps.  They had horses ready for us to ride.  It was so fun. They had 2 horses and a baby.

Everyone gathering round the barn

Watching the others ride

Honey and Dexter.  She loved him, but was skiddish around adults

Dexter taking his ride

I was there near him.

 Dexter rode it not very enthusiastically.  When he got off after going around just once, he said he didn't want to go anymore since it made his groin hurt.

Leanne was in HEAVEN

The gals takin' a ride

Lots of space to ride

I loved it a lot too!

Kyle got a turn, and the pony would run around the other two

Ellie took a short turn.  She was too scared to do much.

Dexter enjoyed watching the others.

Dexter with our awesome hosts

Grandma and Grandpa took a ride together

 After some horse riding, we had a bbq dinner on the front porch, then included some 4 wheeling for Dexter at the end.  He enjoyed this much better and only stopped once we said ice cream was being served.

Ellie was a handful to watch.  She just wanted to explore and eat everything

Ridin' on the 4 wheeler

Sunday we visited the Park City visitor ward, and later that afternoon went to a local park. We celebrated Ellie's birthday again with the Hansen family this time.

Dexter loved all of Ellie's birthday toys

She got chances to play with them every now and then too

Exploring the park

Taking a picture of someone taking a picture

Riding the zipline

The gals sitting at the park

There was a special sand area

My cuties

I love her face just devouring her cupcake

Our fam

She devoured a few mini-cupcakes and this was the result

Trying out a tire swing

Tense at first, he eventually relaxed a little

King of the cubes

There were quite a few times that Kyle and Bruce went to go play tennis.  During these times Leanne and I would take the kids to the park.  It is Park City after all.

Ellie enjoyed just exploring at this park

A really large net climbing structure

New type of merry-go-round (there was a more standard merry-go-round here too)

Taking a walk with Leanne

Monday we enjoyed Park City.  We walked Main Street and had sandwiches at a place that was recommended. Then while the kid's napped Leanne and I visited the outlet stores.

Tuesday we drove up to Ogden for the temple open house.  We grabbed some Farr's ice cream for lunch, then took the kids over to the Treehouse Museum.

She was making silly movements and sounds

Cutie, and notice her double pigtails...

Showing them around the Treehouse

Making a puppet together

She loves the almost her size chess pieces

Dad and Pop Pop helped Dexter build an arch

Astronaut kid

Many fun trips in the car

We stopped off at our house since we were right there and got to show Bruce it.  He was the only Las Vegas Hansen who hadn't seen it yet.  Then we drove for Park City again. On our way into town we stopped off at the Olympic Park. The Olympic Park has 2 small museums, and the slopes where people train.  This was really cool, and Dexter loved watching them flip then land in the bubbled water.

In a bobsled

Everyone (except Ellie) is in position

This looked like it would be really fun to try.  Rock climbing wall over water.

Someone jumping, and the bubbles just coming up

Kyle the advanced skier

We train them young

Going to find Pop Pop in the 2nd museum

He loved following Pop Pop around (while wearing a pink ninja band)

In front of the huge slopes

Wednesday we wanted to do something outdoorsy.  So we took a drive to Solitude/Brighton.  That road was interesting because it was such a deserted backroad, double lanes but no stripes, potholes and rough spots...everywhere and took 15 miles or so til we finally saw another car.
We had found an easy kid hike because of Dexter and Leanne still having a sore ankle/leg from her recent injury.
It was quite the easy hike being a boardwalk or level trail all around, but it didn't lack in the beauty.

Taking a stroll

Crossing the marshland

Everyone holding hands or being carried

Cute picture of the grandparents...but I spy someone

He's a photobomber in training...still some work to do

Talking to those fishin'

Some parts were through foresty sections

These ducks walked right up to our feet. 

She enjoyed just being carried around

Showing her something

Time to strut...

 We had a little picnic while there too.

Yummy picnic

Of course babies find the puddles to sit in

That afternoon we got to do some more Park City activities, by doing the Alpine Slide!  I was actually not scared, but nervous about it. I just had heard stories of people dumping off and getting hurt.  However, I shouldn't have been so apprehensive.  It was tons of fun!  Wish we could have gone one more time because by the end I felt like another ride would have been more fun.

Bruce, Kyle and I on the chairlift

Waiting with Nub Nub

There's Kyle on the slide...

A closer view...

There's me coming down...

A closer view

 Dexter was technically old enough to be a passenger on the Alpine Slide, but we didn't want him too.  He isn't adventurous and hates trying new things.  So to have him sit still and no freak out wasn't probably going to happen.  Instead they had some kiddie rides and he just got to be adventurous on that since he's never been on those either.  His face might not show it, but he really did like it.

On the train

Our fam (part ?)

He loved making it go up, and down

He was the only kid on it

Thursday morning was just one more time at a park, and then we left.  It was so much fun, but as you can see it was packed with lots of activities everyday.  The kids were exhausted and so were we, and enjoyed being home and sleeping in our own beds again.