June 25, 2010: This is the Place

We haven't been able to hang out with the Kirks for a couple of years, so when they told us they were coming to town, we took things seriously. Dave took the day off from work so that we could devote a lot of time to playing, and we met at Red Iguana the moment it opened to start things off right.

After lunch, we headed up to This is the Place Park for a few hours. The first thing we did was hope on the train that isn't a train - as in, it's a series of cars that look like trains, but they are on wheels. It takes you all around the park, but we got off at the Indian Village to check things out and make some crafts.

Jenny, Morgan, Jim, Jamie and Josh

Clara, Corinne, Jamie and Josh in the Hogan

The boys - Dave and Jim - they even dressed alike

Corinne, Jamie and Josh peek through the little tee pee

The Craft: Arrowhead necklaces with beads

A beautiful view of the Salt Lake Valley - the picture doesn't do it justice

Riding the mini train

The kids attempted to pull the handcart but it was chained down.

Clara is gaga over horses and wanted to pet it

Josh was tall enough to do it without being held

Their final event was the pony ride

I think this is universally their favorite activity on the planet

This is the Place Monument with Brigham Young on top

A monument to the first company that arrived on July 24, 1947

My Great-Great-Grandfather was part of that company - Sylvester Henry Earl

He was in good company with Brigham Young

After a while it was just too darn hot, so we headed to the Gateway to play in the fountain. Josh was in heaven. He bounced all over the place trying to find the geysers, and there were tons of kids so I was glad that he was in such a bright swimsuit.

Dancing to the musical fountain

Clara stood on the edge - having nothing to do with it

Josh and Jamie wait for a stream of water

The rules - most of which I saw broken

This definitely cooled him off!

After getting ice cream at the food court, we headed back to our house to relax. We had Kneaders for dinner and then they had to head back home for the night. It was wonderful to have that long to spend with them and the kids had a lot of fun together. We wish they lived closer so they could play more often. Jim was instrumental in getting Dave and me together 8 years ago. Jenny and he got married a few months after we did, and then they had Jamie about six weeks after we had Josh. Clara and Corinne are just a few months apart as well. When Jenny and I were pregnant, we spent the summer at her parents' house swimming and trying to stay cool in the heat and humidity of Virginia. We also ate ate at their house almost every Sunday when we lived there. Good times!