Utah Trip: The End

These are the last of my pictures from Utah. They are all taken with my little point-and-shoot camera and represent occasions when I didn't think I'd be able to juggle my huge SLR along with kids, diaper bag, etc.

We had such a lovely time in Utah. One of the best things about this trip was that the boys had swim lessons every single day with Granny (my mom) and by the end of the trip, they were swimming fearlessly through the water. She's a pretty amazing lady, my mom. I think she was somewhat disappointed with me for letting my kids get so old without teaching them to swim. They had had swim lessons before at the high school we live a block away from here in San Diego, but those were pretty pathetic in terms of what they learned (or, rather, didn't learn, if I'm being accurate). My mom worked a small miracle if ever I've seen one! This picture of The Chief with the boys at the pool is significant because it was Pipilo's first time swimming! He loved it. He just kicked and kicked and kicked his chubby legs happily through the water . . . absolutely fascinated.



Also a highlight of our trip was the chance we had to visit my good friend Jacqui and her kids. Buddha and her son, Jonathan, were baby and toddler friends together way back when we lived in Utah as a young married couple. I love Jacqui. She is such an amazing mother. Truly a modern-day superwoman, that lady. She has FOUR kids now! Four. Wow. Time certainly flies.




{Jacqui's baby is a year old. Pip is 9 months here. She just happens to have tiny children and I have huge ones, so the contrast is that much more crazy!}



One evening, my dad lined up a visit with his good friend (and my all-time favorite artist), Liz Lemon Swindle. Daniel and I went with him and peppered her with annoying questions (okay, not so much Daniel, just me). It was a wonderful conversation. Liz mentioned that she has always felt that her art is simply an expression of her testimony of the gospel. I think that must be why it appeals to me so. That, and the fact that she paints most of her pieces from photographs that have been captured before she begins her magic with a canvas and brush. Another random fact about Liz: she actually came to our wedding reception in Utah after The Chief and I were married. Oh, and she once obliged my dad by personally signing my favorite print, She Shall Bring Forth a Son, which he later gave me for my birthday. It still hangs prominently in our nursery/play room. Some day I hope to have While Emma Sleeps hanging in my house as well (read the "Story Behind the Art" description. It makes me cry every time). Both of these paintings are so tender and convey mountains of emotion and feeling. Liz is currently working on a project entitled "The Parables" for which she is painting each of the parables from the scriptures along with a modern-day parable image. She's also working on a picture of the resurrected Christ walking along a road with two of his apostles, one of whom looks uncannily like my father. ;D



We also took the boys bowling at BYU with their cousin Caleb. Check out that score! I never get strikes let alone two in a row!!



We had family pictures taken by the talented Justin Hackworth, who happens to be my parents' backyard neighbor. They recently put up a new fence and told Justin not to worry about sharing in the expense so he generously offered his expert photography skills in exchange. I think we got the better end of that deal. I can't wait to see how they turned out and share some of our favorites here! This is a picture of our attempt at keeping the wild boys tamed with iPhones. Originally, we had hoped for an outdoor session, but we got frozen out of that option. So, a studio session it was. Lucky for us, the iPhones worked. We are so smart (pat, pat, pat).



And here's a bonus bathtub moment. Gotta love all these boys. My parents are the proud grandparents of seven, I repeat, seven boys. Daniel insists that he and his future wife will have all girls since Sara and I keep having all the boys. :D I don't think any of us would complain about that. We women are feeling a bit outnumbered.


{P.S. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to get a picture of five boys in a bathtub without any peek-a-boo penises. I deserve another pat on the back for this one! :D}