Utah Trip Part 2 and the BEST BIRTHDAY!

I always end up doing these long posts when I should be packing for our next trip!

There are a ton of pictures in this post, but be sure and check out the amazing birthday cake my dad, Jan, Erica, and Robby made for me!

My dad and Jan are living two blocks from Temple Square in SLC while they are working for the church. It was really fun to stay downtown and "do Salt Lake."

Our first adventure was riding the TRAX to Gateway. Here is my dad showing Erica the "dancing" fountain. They escaped unscathed. We had fun eating Ben and Jerry's and watching the fountain dance to Olympic music. Very cool!

We also went to the Planetarium, the unique and beautiful new library, & temple square.

We then drove to Orem to visit my grandparents, the Carlsons. It was a bittersweet visit because they are moving to Arizona...so we had to say goodbye to their condo. I've spent many, many years visiting their condo - it feels like many lifetimes. They were always a calm, happy influence on my life. The Carlsons have been with me through a lot of difficult and joyful times - including various moves, heartache, births of children, and the craziness of life. When little, they took us camping, fishing, and let us ride bikes all over their neighborhood. When in college, they hosted a weekly dinner for all the Carlson cousins in Provo. I'm excited they are moving close to my mom so I'll get to see them there!

This is how I remember of Grandma! :)
Has it really been that long since I sat on Grandpa's lap holding that same helicopter?

I actually looked cute for a picture...too bad Jacob's not looking at the camera! BTW, I started doing weight watchers about a month ago...I've lost 5 lbs and counting!
Goodbye 493 West...hello sunny AZ!!
Next we headed down to St. George. Rob's grandpa Lundberg passed away a few months ago. We had a great visit with Grandma. It felt a lot different visiting without Grandpa being there. He will be missed. Grandpa Lundberg could be a little intimidating the first time you met him...or so I was warned. When Rob first introduced me to him while we were dating, I was nervous to see what his grandpa would say. As we were leaving, he leaned over to Rob and whispered, "She's a keeper." I've always remembered that.

Grandma is working as a substitute teacher for elementary schools...she's in her 80s and amazingly spry. She has such a soft spot for children and as you can see from this picture, our kids LOVE her!

My grandma and grandpa Hansen live just a few miles away from the Lundbergs and they used to be in the same ward when Rob and I were dating!

This picture is special because if you scan all of our Utah pictures, you'll notice that Jacob wouldn't let anyone hold him our entire trip. When he saw the Hansens, he climbed right in their laps and started smiling at the camera!! It's the pirate eye-patch, I tell you!

The Hansens always make every grandchild feel like their favorite. They have this ability to make you feel like a V.I.P. (which is appropriate, since they taught us the song!). They are also grand game players and taught me all the competetiveness I now possess. They were there for all of our baptisms, graduations, and baby blessings. They are an inspiration to their entire family!

In 1983, my dad took my older siblings to the grocery store just before New Years. My dad noticed a magazine with a picture of a beautiful cake at the check-out. He told Heather and Derek that they were going to make that cake...and make it they did! It took them all day and probably an entire roll of film.

When dad found out they were going to be with me on my birthday, he decided he was going to recreate this cake. He went to ebay and typed in the name of the 1983 magazine and sure enough, found a picture of it! Dad and Jan made do with vanilla frosting (per Erica's request) and cookie sheets instead of round cake pans. This was the FABULOUS result!! I don't know how they made is so pretty...whenever the kids help me make anything, it ends up with more fingerprints than decor!

The chefs:

This is the very loved birthday girl!

Here is the inside of the masterpiece. Layer upon layer, glazed with fresh raspberries. Bon Appetit!
We have a ton of great memories at their house in St. George. It has such a great location and AMAZING views!! Next time I'll take pictures of the views of the red rock, temple, and canyons. We LOVE going there! Thanks for the great visit!! We love you guys!

There is the coolest little swimming pool in the basement. It's small and perfect for kids. This was Jacob's first time swimming:

Erica showing off her moves. Note all the floaties.
Grandpa helping Robby take a shot!
This picture cracks me up -- the kids kept themselves entertained during the 16 hour drive home. I think they were pretending to be astronauts. Once again, we never needed the portable DVD player we borrowed. Our kids amaze me.