Steph+Lars=STARS: Touring SLC with Friends

After camping our dear friends came home with us to have a good time, Utah Style.

We rested and recovered from camping we went out and about. I took Nelia and the kids thrift shopping to DI and Savers. We made bank at both places.

Eli modeling some bras for his sister. What was even funnier were the looks he was getting when he kept hanging out by the bra rack after everyone else left. :) This is kid is hilarious. He would hide in the clothes racks and then jump out and exclaim, "I have been to Narnia!"

Then we took the Trax into downtown to explore. We had lunch at City Creek and walked around the highlights of downtown. We even got a really cool private tour of some parts of the Joesph Smith Memorial Building. As we were talking to the tour guide in the lobby I jokingly asked if any of the Prophets have ever lived there and she said yes and offered to show us some of the rooms. They are all conference rooms now but it was still really cool to see them and the view was amazing. Then we went to the Family History Center in the same building to play. There is so much to do and see in downtown, I haven't even seen it all and I live here.

View from the conference room in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

They had a really cool play area in the Family History Library

At City Creek Nelia and I had an amazing service experience. If you haven't been to the food court it is worth a visit. They have a massive play area for the kids. Nelia and I were sitting in the play area watching the kids when Nelia struck up a conversation with another lady wearing head phones. I was sitting nearby watching this. Out of no where this lady started sobbing. Nelia gave me a look and I ran to her aide. We talked to the lady to figure out what was going on. She was basically struggling with a lot of things in her life (poverty, loneliness, disabilities, single parent etc.) and just ready to give up. Nelia (who has a service detector inside of her and always says and does the right things in these situations) went and got some food for her and her daughter while I stayed and chatted with her. Before we left her we gave her some phone numbers of places to go and get some help, the diapers we had, a gift card, and some cash. She sobbed and we hugged her and told her she was a daughter of God and to not give up. It was a very humbling experience. After we walked away Nelia and I hugged each other. I felt good but also wondered if I did enough and said the right things. It made me extremely grateful for what I have from my things to my own problems. I was grateful for the experience. I know everything I have comes from God so I am happy to be His messenger and an instrument and give anything to those in need. But overall I hope that the young lady understood that she was not alone and that Heavenly Father loves her.

The kiddies checking for holes in their eyelids.

Nelia and I had more fun later on visiting a quiet book open house. (I am going to host one of these in September, more info to come). We originally planned on spending our girls time getting pedicures. However we got side tracked when we started talking about foot and nail fungus on the way there. So instead we went to this quiet book open house. Mother's always thinking and doing things for their kids even when they are not around.

The boys and their matching eyes and shirts

We introduced the family to Artic Circle Fry Sauce, in my opinion that is the best fry sauce ever.

The kiddies loved their shakes and cones

The boys got to go out on their own a few times for photo excursions and manly projects, like a broken sprinkler head because a mad woman mowed over it. ;) The kids were way cute playing together. Roan and Emily are 6 months apart even though they are the same size. The first day of playing together was rough because one of them was always crying, learning to share is hard. But by the end of the trip they were playing close side by side. It was really darling. They even hugged and kissed on demand. That Emily girl is hilarious, she dances on command. :) The older kids were so good at helping and playing too.