Day 7 - Grand Canyon

Friday morning we drove 3 hours and reached the Grand Canyon! The kids have been so excited to see the Grand Canyon, ever since Dallin and I hiked down a few years ago. We stopped at the Mather Viewpoint first and had a good view of the river.This is what it looked like by the time we drove a little farther to the village, ate lunch at the car, and rode the shuttle to the Bright Angel Trailhead. Luckily we had a good view the first stop because there was hardly any view at all.

We hiked just a few minutes to this little tunnel. I did not let go of Connor & Savannah's hands the entire time. Dallin held on to Zach except for taking a couple of pictures. Jacob's really afraid of heights so he hugged the wall of the trail without any prompting from us.

Just as we got back to the shuttle it started pouring rain. We were happy to be out of it and the kids had fun on the "bus." When we got out we were supposed to transfer to a different shuttle to go to more lookouts, but the shuttle drivers swapped routes and we ended up sitting outside for quite a while. It was still pouring buckets,windy, and the temperature dropped to 57 degrees. Our poor kids were freezing in their shorts. So we left.

We drove to Phoenix and began our stay at my parent's house. Next summer we'll be back near the Grand Canyon again for a reunion, so hopefully we'll get to go back on a clear day.

Fashion

Day 6 - Bryce Canyon

On Thursday, July 7 we left my grandparents' house pretty early and drove south to Bryce Canyon. The views were amazing. I love all of the red rock.Right after this picture with Dallin and the kids Zach slipped and fell. We were so focused on holding Connor & Savannah's hands that we weren't paying as good of attention to the older boys. He wasn't really paying attention, slipped on the edge and slid down a gravel slope about 50 yards or so. Luckily we just happened to be on a switchback and he landed right back on the trail. But it was really scary. There are many places he could have slid and not been able to get back up or had serious injuries. After Zach's fall I decided to take Savannah & Connor back up to the top. We had only hiked down a few minutes. Jacob wanted to come back up with us too. So Dallin, Landon, and Zach hiked down for another half an hour or so. They got some great pictures of all the "hoodoos" (the rock formations).

We then drove to Page, AZ to stay the night at a hotel. We stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor's Center and showed the kids Lake Powell.

Landon's Big Day

We didn't do much during the day yesterday for Landon's birthday because he didn't know or care. But he sure had fun in the evening after Dallin came home. He loved opening presents with his siblings and actually tore a few himself.Then he would examine the gift (this is a textured ball his siblings picked out for him).Then he would taste it.

Open.

Taste.

Whoops. Trying to taste the wrapping paper too.

Most of his gifts were from Connor's first birthday, and have been put away for the last couple of years. Cheap for us, and new for him!

Clothes from the grandparents. Mommy & Daddy are happy about that also.

Landon likes the noisy buttons on his "ATV."

Time for cake. He was in awe of the candle.

Savannah helped blow out the candle.

And then Connor had a fit because I had promised him he could blow it out, and I forgot. So we did it again and he had a turn.

He stuck his whole hand into his piece of cake. Then he demolished it.

He finally tasted it and decided he'd eat it instead of throw it on the floor.

"This is awesome!!! Why can't I eat food like this every day?!?"

Time for a bath.

Happy Birthday Landon!

Day 5 - Manti

On Wednesday after lunch we said good-bye to Daniel, Alisha & Rusty. We had a fun time visiting and hanging out with them. Hopefully Landon & Rusty will be good buddies someday.Zach misses Zoey. She's such a mellow dog.

Alisha taught me how to play Canasta and Savannah wanted to learn. She actually did really well, other than having to lay out her cards on a chair because she couldn't hold them all in her little hands.

We drove to Manti and got there mid-afternoon. I haven't seen my grandparents since before we moved to Texas. They hadn't met Connor & Landon, so it was a nice visit. Connor quickly found an atlas and kept them busy.

Soon after we arrived my grandmother offered to watch all the kids so that we could go to the temple for a couple of hours. The kids had so much fun while we were gone. They took them on a walk to see the horses nearby and my grandad took each of the four older kids on an ATV ride to a little waterfall nearby. When we got back grandmother showed us how they had a "jam session." My grandmother plays the piano very, very well and played an upbeat song. Connor & Savannah jammed along on the organ. It was loud and crazy and the kids LOVED it.

My grandparents, Lowell & Gayle Nilsson, with all the kids

Connor & Grandmother share the same birthday, so it was nice for them to finally meet their "birthday buddy."

After dinner Grandmother produced lots of treats. This table always brings back memories. When I was child my grandparents lived nearby us in Mesa. This table was twice as long then and our favorite place to sit because the seats swing out sideways from underneath. I think we only had one or two falls off of them on this trip.

We left first thing the next morning. I took a picture of their house because it is amazing how much it has changed over the last few years. My grandad is very talented and can do absolutely anything. When they bought this house it was just the section with the second floor. My grandad added onto the front after a while, creating an additional living room and master suite. The yard was completely dirt with no trees or anything. Now there are huge trees, grass, picket fences, sheds, and even a gazebo in back.

We stopped by the beautiful temple grounds for a quick picture on our way out of town.

Landon is 1!!!

I'm taking a quick break from vacation posts to wish our little Landon a Happy Birthday!!! I can't believe it's already been a year. This little guy has really brought happiness to our home and all the kids have banded together to take care of him. They are always very helpful when it comes to Landon and his needs. Here are some of my favorite pictures of Landon during our trip...

We celebrated Grandpa LeSueur's birthday a little late and Landon's birthday a little early. They shared a cake and Landon LOVED it. He has quite the sweet tooth. He loved it so much that I'm making another chocolate cake for today.Landon is always trying to sneakily grab Connor's, Dallin's or Zach's glasses. Dallin let him try his new pair on and we thought he looked pretty cute.

He loves being outside, but was pretty disgusted that I didn't let him out of the stroller for very long at the park. Everything goes straight into his mouth.

At great-grandma Strong's house he ate a few sticks and leaves, but luckily I caught him before he tried to swallow them.

Pulling Aunt Alisha's hair

Landon and Great-Grandma Lorraine Strong on the 4th of July.

Lauree & Landon in front of the Salt Lake Temple

Zach holding Landon on the shuttle at the Grand Canyon

Landon started taking steps before we left, but didn't get much time to practice on our trip. He was either in the car or contained in a stroller or small area most of the time to keep him out of trouble. He's doing much better with his steps and balance, but still not walking all the time.

Landon's first molar broke through on the first day of our drive. His second broke through yesterday on the other side. He now has at least 10 teeth. But he still prefers baby food he doesn't have to chew. He's getting a little better about trying real food though.

He still loves to spit at everyone, especially if they'll spit back and make a game out of it. Landon loves my sister-in-law Ana Paula. He would go to her over me usually if she was in the room. And he even started crying when they left. It was a sweet little bond.

Grandma introduced him to "Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" (although they did Monkeys Jumping on the Couch). That is now his favorite song and he'll start bouncing any time I start singing any song at all.

Landon is 26 lbs. 12 oz. (98%) and 31 inches long (95%).

We love you Peach!