party in the 202 - WASHINGTON DC

*this post isn't loaded with pics because i seriously overgrammed it*

if you follow my instagram, you know i went on a vacation of a lifetime lately to washington dc with my handsome sailor. it seriously was amazeballs so i just wanted to share a few highlights. justin's work goes to DC every year and this was my time to go. Not pregnant, not nursing, no babies- it was on! this year proved to be their biggest flyout ever and they even offered a spouses package. we left early friday morning so we could have some time together before justin had to work.

his work had us staying at the marriott marquis which was right next to the DC convention center. this hotel was ginormous. easily the largest hotel i've ever seen. it had two restaurants, two bars, a breakfast diner, their own fedex and starbucks. we started our vacation with a night bus tour to help me get a baring on the city. also, i knew i didn't want to spend too much time on the monuments and i wanted to keep my taxi rides to a minimum. i'm so glad we did it this way. our bus was pretty small, the monuments weren't crowded, and they were so beautiful lit up at night.

my favorite exhibit: at the newseum, they featured all of the pictures that have won the pulitzer prize since it was started in the 1940s. this exhibit affected me more then anything else. the pictures were amazing and the stories that accompanied them were so profound. Here's a link with some pictures.

my favorite moment: monday night we attended an opening gala and i was pretty worried about what to wear. i couldn't find an affordable, modest, and beautiful gown anywhere! especially when you don't look that hard... i went out on a limb and ordered one off a chinese website where i usually get my party/school supplies [aliexpress]. i was getting a bit worried about the arrival date [i had cut it close and only ordered it 6 weeks out] but thankfully it got here on time. the dress fit and while it's not my perfect cinderella dress, it was beautiful, modest, and affordable. i fussed over my shoes, makeup, handbag and took a lot of advice from friends on how to look the part. thankfully it all paid off. that's not my favorite moment. my favorite part was justin surprised me and arranged for the company photographer to come with us to the lincoln memorial [along with other work colleagues] and take nice photos. so sweet and very unlike justin. he hates work events, photos, and even more so, stuffy suits. he's a keeper. i still haven't gotten the fancy pictures back yet but i'll prob. post them on instragram or facebook when i do.

my favorite place: there's so much history and beauty in washington dc and you can't throw a stone without hitting some historical marker. all of the buildings were gorgeous and no doubt, millions have been spent on keeping them that way. i loved seeing all of them but the one building i was in awe of, the one that i was taken back physically, was the capitol building. it was so ginormous! and gorgeous! and that was before i even went inside. i had heard about the tunnels and those were very important to me. i convinced my intern from the state of UT to take me down and it did not disappoint. i know there are even more cool tunnels but these ones did the job. more importantly, the tunnels had a cafeteria and in that cafeteria was a DUNKIN DONUTS! and a BASKIN ROBBINS! can you imagine? it was amazing. i feel a bit crazy town being so excited for that but it was pretty cool. the other parts of the building were pretty amazing too. it was here that i met...

the most famous person i met: vice president mike pence. i was touring the dome when crowds started flocking to the roped off walkway. i'm not big into politics so honestly i didn't even know who that old white guy was until my intern told me. he took his time shaking people's hands, posing for pictures, and saying hi. that was pretty cool of him. he crossed to the other side of the rope when he got near me but thankfully, a soldier was right next to me and drew his attention. it was pretty cool. i also met anthony scaramucci who was the white house communications director for only 10 days. he spoke at the gala and was pretty honest, open, and entertaining. even cooler, he spoke to them for free which is pretty legit for political figures. i also met some state senators but that's not nearly as cool.

the coolest way i travelled: i took my first solo taxi ride and solo uber ride but the best way to travel was the metro. let me tell you, that thing terrifies me and i don't think i would have braved that alone. it was so confusing and crowded but also very downtown and cool. there was a street performer, the old and young, wealthy and poor. i loved it. also terrified me because no doubt, so. many. germs.

the most somber place: so many places featured those who scarified for this country. arlington was pretty cool and massive. so much history and made me feel very patriotic. visiting the holocaust museum was very impactful. people were very respectful and quiet throughout the museum. the pictures were so horrific and stories were heart breaking. i can't wrap my head around how many people were murdered. in so many hateful ways. what breaks my heart the most is the people that have gotten lost in the massacre and the children harmed. i couldn't handle seeing the children harmed. my favorite part of this museum was a wall that featured so many names of people who helped others. it had short stories about their impact and efforts. in almost every case, people said that they didn't think twice about what they were doing, it just seemed like the right thing to do, and that they would do it again without hesitation. i spent the most time here and it was time well spent.

the worst part of the trip: missing my babies came close but i've got to be honest, the bug bites were the worst! i seriously cannot stand them. i hate the itching, the raised and enlarged bumps, the discomfort. i just cannot deal. one night we went on a bike ride and i ate so many bugs and got so many in my eyes. so gross. i love pretty green places but i can't handle bugs. i just can't. also, i didn't have a bathtub so yeah... life was rough. oh, and losing $50 worth of cupcakes. we waited an hour for the georgetown cupcakes only to have to bike back to the hotel in the afternoon heat [DC was hotter then vegas this week. of course]. i think the heat and bike ride was just too much for those fancy cupcakes. i still ate them but they weren't quite as pretty.

coolest artifacts: i loved seeing church history in our nation's capital. brigham young has a statue in the capitol from the state of utah. there's a painting of joseph smith and brigham young at the national portrait gallery. an original book of mormon at the smithsonian of american history. when i was at the holocaust museum, i kept thinking how these poor people were not lost to our Heavenly Father. He loves us all so much and knows us. He's with us through everything and was with these people during their struggles and in the last moments of their lives. that was the biggest comfort to me and i hope they felt that love when they were at their darkest.

we seriously had a blast in DC and i'm so glad justin and i were able to go alone. more then that, i'm grateful my mom was so fantastic to come and watch my kids for a week. they absolutely adored having so much for her attention. i truly am #blessed.

harrisons on holiday: californi-yay! part III

day #6

by this day we were all beyond pooped! we had to take a slower day but not snail speed. dave and kristi wanted to go see the USS midway so we went to downtown san diego. we ended up getting there a little later then i had hoped. parking was a nightmare but the actual ship was very cool. i think bigger kids might have enjoyed it more. it was GINORMOUS! so many planes inside! it was amazing how they construct and do everything in those ships. we stayed there about 2-3 hours and could have stayed longer but the food choices were sparse and the kids were starving.

we left there and went to cafe coyoto, a harrison family favorite since aunt lynsey went to school there. it's in old town san diego so after lunch [and a very horrible pooping incident with my two big boys], we visited the mormon battalion. i haven't been here in years and was expecting to just stop by and look outside for a bit. the sister missionaries convinced us they could do an abbreviated tour for us so we decided to give it a shot. we were not disappointed! they've completely rehauled the tour to make it very kid friendly and fun. you moved room to room with some characters that appear in picture frames [reminds me a lot of the haunted mansion at disneyland] and get to dress like a solider, play music at the camp site, see a lighted fire, and even take a glamorous family picture. outside you can pan for gold in water, build bricks, and climb up the tower for a gorgeous view. it was a highlight of our trip.
 

that night we visited belmont park again and spent too much money on our kids. seriously, that place is a parent trap.

day #7
our last day we were on the hunt for landon's prize. he had saved his money up for months and still couldn't find something he wanted to buy. kristi had gone to a SWAP meet a few days before with her friend so she suggested we go there. it was actually pretty cool. it was my first time at a SWAP meet and it did not disappoint. i wish we lived there because there were several things i wanted to take home. sadly, all we did were some fidget spinners and seashells. so naturally our next stop was target where landon got a giant pokemon box set. we grabbed some supplies and headed for home.

our neighbors happened to be in the san diego area at the same time as us met us at the beach after lunch for some fun in the sun. they also have 3 boys who are almost the same ages as ours. we collected so many seashells and even clams! i had high hopes of killing those suckers a la the walrus in 'alice in wonderland' but kris has a bigger heart then me and threw them back in the ocean. we BBQed together after hours of playing at the beach then spent our last night at belmont park riding rides.

day #8
we happily said sayonara to san diego and headed home towards las vegas. we stopped at the san diego temple RIGHT as griffin had fallen asleep. but luckily he woke up right as soon as we were leaving. we got stuck in a HORRIBLE accident that made our 6 hour trip into a 9 hour one. i seriously thought we were going to die of old age on that highway. then we got lost in victorville and it was terribly hot and everyone had to pee. it was the worst. every single time we go to CA, we say we'll never go back because the traffic is insane. yet we go back, every single time. we are insane.

in all we had a blast and i'm so glad we got so much grandpa and kristi time. they were so generous and helpful; we couldn't have asked for a better family vacation after the terrible 6 months that is the legislative session.

harrisons on holiday: californi-yay! part I

remember how we got legoland season passes from grandpa dave at christmas? since justin was gone from january-june, we knew he'd get a week of vacation after session ended and we wanted to go to legoland again. justin thought it would be fun to invite grandpa and kristi to come with us. that turned into a week's long vacation at a family friend's beach house they rent out on mission beach [san diego, ca]. we decided to go father's day weekend and invite kristi's parents to go with. lynsey & skyler couldn't make it because she's round and pregnant and with her new job in washington and an impending maternity leave, time off is precious.


day #0
the night before we left for our vacation, dave, kristi, justin, and i went out for some grown up time. to prepare for the storm, in a way. we all got pedicures [hallelujah!] and the girls got manicures. such a wonderful treat! they put this mystery chemical on justin's feet that basically made his calluses just melt off. afterwords we went to a delicious mexican restaurant and planned out our adventure.

day #1

kristi's birthday! we left bright and early. justin and i woke up at 4am and packed up the car. we got the kids in and of course, they didn't fall back asleep until hours later. porter didn't go back to sleep at all [and he's the one who needs the most sleep]. we stopped for donuts and to change our clothes in victorville [hello pokemon donuts! you know my son so well] then kept on trucking to san diego. we made it to the beach house well before noon. after unpacking, we walked to the boardwalk [not even 2 blocks away] and went to lunch. i've been to mission beach several times before [my sisters even tried to get me to get a tattoo there!]. it's not my favorite beach but it's definitely fun with the carnival games/rides. justin and i took the kids to the beach later in the afternoon and if you follow me on instagram, you know it was terrible.

when justin and i went to florida, we brought back landon a treasure box filled with some seashells [still the best vacation ever. because we were in florida, but mainly because we didn't have kids with us] and porter has been jealous of it ever since. so that's what porter mainly did while landon splashed in the ocean and built sandcastles. griffin was not a fan of the chilly pacific water [another reason why florida is the bomb.com] so he did a little bit of everything but mainly liked playing with balls and other people's toys. that night, dave made a trip to costco so we enjoyed the best pizza in the world that night and went to bed early.

y am sick of those perfectly posed pictures of families on beaches; looking gorgeous, tan, with happy smiling kids that look like they belong in GAP ads. maybe i'm doing parenting wrong but it was nothing like that for us. you pack so many things and plan to stay for a while and the kids just go crazy! granted, they got better after a little bit more exposure, but it's still pretty stressful. especially when you've got anxious parents and cranky kids.

day #2
the next morning was father's day and we dedicated it to taking it easy. it was also the sabbath day and while we couldn't make it to a church, we tried to play games as a family, read scriptures, and listen to church songs and hang out. after lunch and naps, we headed down to the beach with dave and kristi. that day was much better. the kids knew what to expect and so did justin and i. justin and dave played catch on the beach and it was a picture, perfect, hallmark moment. we buried dave in sand and just enjoyed ourselves. after a few hours there we came back to the house and dave grilled some food for us. after a bath, we headed down to belmont park [where all the carnival rides are] for dessert and rides. the weather was so perfect too. vegas had a huge heatwave, hitting 117 degrees [an all-time record high] while san diego was a cool 75. the kids didn't go to bed until close to 10pm but it was worth it.

day #3
monday we knew we wanted to go visit the san diego zoo. kristi has a friend who lives here and she suggested that would be a good day to visit. the zoo is not too far away from the beach house and we got there right at opening. you always hear how amazing and big the san diego zoo is and it did not disappoint. it was giant and very well maintained. justin and i are the world's best parents and we've taken our kids to several zoos in the past [sacramento, santa barbara, miami, phoenix, salt lake, and now san diego]. this was by far the nicest in the most ways. you easily could spend several days there but we crammed a lot in in one day. my fitbit clocked in almost 17k steps that day! there were lots of hills but thankfully a lot of pushers for the double stroller. my favorite animals were the koalas [seriously, they sleep 20 hours and then eat for 4. that is the life]. the giraffes were amazing as well. they had a pretty cool tour bus that gave you a good overview of the zoo and then a bus that would help cut down on the walking. the kids and grown ups were just DRAGGING by hour 7. the heat plus all the walking and sugar just wore us all down. once we were in the car, all three were out. that night we had some down time and brought some mexican in and have a nice chill night.

to be continued...

sedona: park city with cacti

well it finally happened - my best friend got married!

kayla and i have been friends since the dawn of time. we met playing peewee soccer and played on the same team for years. she moved to my school in the 4th grade and the rest is history! we have always been very similar - and thus fought A LOT! we compete over everything and did almost everything together. we shared boyfriends, played on the same lacrosse and soccer teams, were in the same choirs, in the same classes at school; there is almost nothing we did without the other [except that time she played basketball like weirdo]. most of my childhood school memories involve kayla. we had always said that we would be each other's maid of honors and now it was my turn.

just like old times

i threw her her bachelorette and bridal shower at the end of last year and the wedding weekend finally came. we weren't sure if we would have to bring the kids with us or not but thankfully it all worked out in the end that justin and i could go solo. thank goodness because fancy weddings are no places for kids! especially when the mom is MIA most of the weekend.

we drove out to sedona thursday afternoon and barely got in town in time for the rehearsal dinner. we had to drive through flagstaff and hit a snowstorm. as i was driving in my flip flops and sandals, i was very worried that i hadn't properly packed for this trip. thankfully once we got in sedona it was lightly raining and cleared up in time for the wedding. dinner that night was at a yummy mexican restaurant with some delicious churros. justin and i were able to have a great night together hot tubbing and staying up late watching HGTV.

friday morning i slept in until 9am [the luxery!]. that whole day i spent at kayla's room with the other bridesmaids. this being my first [and last] time as a legit bridesmaid, i wasn't fully prepared for what i was supposed to do but it was fun. we spent a lot of time getting ready, taking pictures, and helping kayla. justin spent the whole day in a hotel bed chilling out which he desperately needed. once we were all ready, i helped kayla and zack take their bridals up in the hills. gorgeous! but i was not prepared for a hike. i don't know how kayla did it in a wedding dress! then we went back, got the bridal party and then did another little hike to take pictures all together.

i should mention that i had the hardest time finding a bridesmaids dress. the ones at david's bridal were not modest at all. thankfully justin's old coworker is a fantastic seamstress and makes her own clothes all the time. she made me my dress which i love!

the actual ceremony was gorgeous. it was perfect weather and kayla looked stunning. the reception was so much fun too. she had an awesome smores bar, dancing, and the best trail mix i've ever had. and like all the best parties i've ever been to, we left before 10pm*. success!

didn't miss us at all at chuckee cheese

the next day was not quite as wonderful since we had to leave town. we decided that we'd try to squeeze in a hike and left later that morning. well if you know hiking, you don't leave later in the morning. we got incredibly lost trying to find the spot and once we found it, all of the parking spots were no where in sight. like we would have had to park two miles away on an inaccessible. i don't HIKE before my HIKE, ya know what i mean?? honestly though we couldn't have even done that because they didn't allow pedestrians on that road. bummer center. either way, we enjoyed most of a saturday kids free!

once we got home, the kids smothered us with love. we spent our day playing outside and enjoying some prime family time. i don't really have a desire to go back there ever again. it was gorgeous and all but vacations aren't vacations unless they involve a beach and a slurpee.

*her dad's truck had broken down and needed a ride that day

lego my eggo

i've had several people ask me about legoland- what i'd recommend and what worked for us. not that i needed some incentive to blog about our trip but i sure feel like a celebrity with some inside knowledge. having been to legoland for two whole days, i'm basically an expert.

we've wanted to go to legoland for a while but wanted to wait until our boys were older. since justin was going to carson city, we knew we wanted to go on a family vacation somewhere and had planted a bug in our father in law's ear that we were saving up to go. well, my father in law is quite generous and loves to surprise us and he sure did! he found season passes at costco for $100! what a steal. as luck would have it, legoland's slow time is the first of january so we planned a trip, complete with a lowest-price of the year stay at the legoland hotel. note, in the summer it averages $450/night. we paid $150 + $30 resort fee/taxes. kind of steep for a hotel but it was a once in a year splurge and it ended up being so worth it.

the legoland hotel is so close to the theme park's entrance; like ridiculously close. the park itself is weirdly located in a residential area and not close off the freeway. i didn't really see any hotels nearby so staying so nearby the park was nice, considering the weather was predicted to be raining cats and dogs the days we were there. during the off-season, legoland is closed tuesday-thursday. we decided to stay sunday-tuesday; go to the park two days and the seaquarium/swim tuesday before we left. that helped keep our hotel cost lost. the park is about 5 hours away so we left sunday morning about 5am while it was pouring. i was quite anxious driving [well, sitting shot gun] through all the rain and sometimes snow. thankfully the kids slept until barstow; where griffin threw up milk before we stopped for breakfast. after cleaning up the kids and enduring several hours of screaming fits of who gets to hold the ipad, we finally made it.

the hotel held our luggage and actually had a room available several hours before check in. the legoland hotel itself is quite kid friendly. in the lobby there's a lego pit for the kids to play in while parent's check in. then there's a huge indoor pirate ship and legos near the cafe for kids to play inside. that's also where they host several night activities like lego building competition, storytimes, etc. they offer two restaurants; BRICKS, a buffet style restaurant [where they host a free breakfast each morning. super delicious and a wide variety] and skyline restaurant which was actually super yummy and had some cool lego sculptures/figurines. we chose a pirate themed room. the boys had a bunk bed in their own room and we set up griffin's pack and play in there. not only did they have their own TV but our room also had a treasure chest. after doing a hotel scavenger hunt for the combination, they opened the chest to find their own lego mixel packets and some chocolate coins. every night we were there. they also had a box of legos to play with in our rooms, plus free juice boxes/waterbottles for us. honestly, i felt like $180 a night for all these amenities was a steal. $450/night? not so much. oh- i didn't mention the best part of the hotel. the elevator turns into a disco party once the door closes. that was so fun! we briefly swam in the pool which was nice and heated. since the park closes at 5pm, it would be nice to go for a dip before dinner [assuming it's not pouring rain like it was for us].

legoland itself is not disneyland so don't expect it to. they don't move people through the rides as quickly, things are not as coordinated as well, and the desserts are severely subpar. still, it was better then disneyland in some ways. landon is 5 and could ride every single ride. that says a lot right there. the rides aren't made for adults and there aren't adults walking around there without kids. that by itself makes it less populated. porter, at 3, could only do half the rides [with an adult] and griffin couldn't do as many rides as he could have at disneyland. another great thing about legoland is that they have alternative activities near the big kid rides for the younger kids to do while they wait. like a sandpit, enclosed ball area or jungle gym. they also have waiting areas with legos in the lines for kids themselves- all enclosed. that was genius right there. there are a ton of lego figurines to look at but we didn't spend much time on that, or the several carnival games. my boy's favorite areas were ninjago ride [griffin could go on] and costersaurus roller coaster [porter could go on with an adult]. other favorites include: the 4D movies [lego movie spin-off and nexo-knights. they also have a friends one but sadly my boys weren't interested in that], the characters [not as plentiful as disneyland but a good amount], and the race car track [where landon won 1st place!].

our time there was seriously so much fun. because of the predicted storms, the crowds were away. it would sprinkle off and on but it was pretty clear. there were just two times we had to head inside to avoid the rain but even then, it wasn't that bad. legoland has a surprisingly amount of inside activities, more so then disneyland. probably because it focuses more on construction. movies, race car building, game stations, lego factory tour, build your own figurine, etc. that worked out for us but i think in the summertime when it's more crowded, it would be hard to get into those places. with the crowd level almost non-existent, we rode every single ride several times. in fact, on the coastersaurus we rode it 10 times in a row. without stopping. can't get better then that! plus no line for characters. the souvenirs are crazy expensive of course. i bought a legoman flashlight at christmastime for $10; $15 at the park. i bought some sets on clearance at target beforehand and got some shirts from walmart for $1. so definitely prepare.

i wish we could have checked out the water feature rides or the water park but it's the price we paid for going when we go was worth it. we'll definitely be going back in the warmer months so let me know whose going with me!

we went to the aquarium the last day at the last few hours of the day. it didn't take longer then an hour. it's small but nice. there's a fun passport activity that allows kids to get a fun headband at the end. there's a touching pool that my kids were too scared to do.

a couple of tips: 

legoland doesn't allow for outside food. not that disneyland does but i felt more comfortable sneaking in food there. there's just not empty tables in secluded places to eat at. i still brought in several snacks and lunchables. that held us over until dinner + snacks inside the park. [apple fries = not worth the hype. same with nutella rice krispies. i do wish i would have tried the chocolate dip and churros]. that being said, they didn't scour my bags when they did security checks so you really can.

although under 3 get in free, i wouldn't go until at least two of your kids are over 3. that plus the height requirement is needed for some rides. babies going to disneyland for free which is a score because they can still go on a lot but not so much at legoland.

you really need two adults if you have little or more then one kids. i don't think i could take landon and porter by myself, just because of the logistics of rides. landon couldn't go on many without an adult.

bring some figurines to trade with park employees. they have way better ones with cool accessories. you can trade it as many times as you want!

ask for badges on rides/attractions. they're free and fun souvenirs! we got some at the aquarium, ninjago, and carousel, to name a few.

legoland does rider swap just like disneyland does for parents with small children.

download the legoland app for deals on merchandise and food when you're within the park.

at disneyland, the professional photographers will scan your card and save all your character/ride pictures in one place that you can look at online after. legoland has wristbands that you can't access after you leave the park so make sure you look before you leave. i kind of regret not doing this.

go with extremely low expectations and just do as much as you can! then you can be pleasantly surprised.

utah is for exhausted mothers

right after kayla's supersize weekend, we headed up to utah for thanksgiving. packing up to leave was somewhat hectic: i had just the craziest party weekend, justin came home early from his trip to south america because he got really sick, and the 3 of my boys had dr. appointments. we didn't end up leaving vegas until 11am. right before we left our house, we discovered that the car DVD player didn't work [after working just fine a few days before]. after a more pleasant drive then i could have imagined [thank you grandma for keeping the kids entertained!].

we spent our first two nights at my sister devin's house. she recently got new carpet and mattresses- super nice for us! my boys loved playing with ayden & bree, and unfortunately, their dogs. the first night we got there, justin and i snuck off after the kids were alseep for some dessert. tuesday we visited the imagination museum at thanksgiving point. we spent most of our day there. so much fun! i love the water section the most but the zipline and treehouse is pretty cool. landon especially love the floor game system- whatever it's called. he worked up a serious sweat! that afternoon we hung out with the kids, got some costco pizza and then snuck out again once the kids were alseep and saw 'the arrival'. justin hates movies, especially sci-fi, but even he enjoyed the movie. it was pretty good.

wednesday we drove up to temple square. i've been wanting to do this with my kids for a while and i'm so glad we did. it wasn't super enjoyable but it was nice for landon to see the special places there. they know a few names and faces so it's so cute to see them recognize Joseph Smith or our Savior. we really enjoyed the children's section at the church history museum. after a lunch at city creek, we drove up to my parent's house in deweyville [north of brigham city]. we got a hotel in tremonton with a pool which was so much fun! that night we had a delicious spaghetti dinner with my parents and sister shannon. we had to eat in a large, industrial garage room- pieced off by plastic tarp. it was freezing and uncomfortable but so much fun. i love my family and miss them so much.

the next day, thanksgiving, we had planned to play at mcdonalds in the morning but it was closed so we headed to the farm. it was freezing but fun. the kids chased the chickens, we walked the grounds, drove the polaris, and took a drive in papa's tractor. thanksigivng dinner is my favorite meal, especially my mom's. it was divine! the kids made life miserable but it was worth it. after lunch we headed to logan to see the trolls movie. [side note: logan is so beautiful!] it was so cute! i was dancing in my seat. the music was amazing but justin timberlake was some serious wasted talent. we went back to grandma's after to pack up some leftovers, have a lego party, and eat pie. then we swam with my sister devin and her family back at the hotel.

the next morning, after some delicious chocolate chip waffles, we met my mom at mcdonalds to get that play on that we missed the day before. after saying goodbye, we hoped the kids would sleep for a long time. they made it to ogden. we stopped by the air force museum [another thing that's been on our bucket list for a long time]. couldn't beat the price of FREE. landon liked it- the other two didn't care much either way. then we headed to discovery museum at gateway. now, i haven't been there in a few years but man it has gone GHETTO! so ghetto. i remember it being super nice and busy. it was black friday and no one was there! my SIL remarked that city creek took away a lot of it's business but still, gateway- step it up. clean your bathrooms! i really like the discovery museum, especially the vacuum/ball tree thing. my kids played there for several hours- at nap time. that's saying something. we were trying to stay up north because we were meeting my college friends that night and were trying to limit car time. the kids got cranky real fast and took a quick snooze in the car on our way to jungle jims in midvale. i didn't quite know what to expect. it's like a dirty chuck e cheese with better rides. landon had a blast! the rides were super fun, the food was terrible. the company was really what was worth it all. since my kids were so tired we didn't get to hang out for long. it's hard being a grown up.

the next morning we played with our cousins then headed back to vegas. traffic was pretty bad and the kids were even worse. i shouldn't say kids- porter. that kid has really been testing my love as a mother lately. i'm really hoping three is a better age for porter because two has been quite rough. no one was more happy to be home then griffin though. he just loves his home! we were all pretty tired from our crazy, fun-filled week. i feel like i never have enough time/money/patience/space for all the people i love in utah. i guess that just means you have to move to vegas!! you hear that??!