After the huge week Peter and Sheri had already had - a visit up here to see us and the zoo, then a trip to Disneyland the day after they got home - I wasn't sure they'd have the energy to take us on too but it worked out beautifully. I'm sure part of the success of the trip has something to do with the fact that the kids are all growing up enough for travel to not be so demanding. For example, on the drive down to St. George I think I only had to do the butt-to-the-windsheild position once! This is a big deal.
We knew we were heading to the desert at a toasty time of year, so we basically planned a water-outing every single day. It was great! The first afternoon we went to the local splash park, after which we cruised back to the house so I could attend Sheri's weight training class she teaches at a near-by gym. Crap! It was really hard! But it felt great. I can't remember what it's called, but it's one of those classes where you lift weights along to music. I only felt horribly sore and achy for four days....which was basically the rest of the trip. Funny. Sheri is awesome.
The next day we went to ...some reservoir. I can't remember what it's called. But it just has the most wonderful red sand for what seems like miles. The kids had so much fun, and the water, though chilly, was clean and beautiful and the sand was perfect for playing in. That was a good time. Admittedly we went through two entire canisters of sunscreen, but playing in the sun for hours was worth it.
We also hit the city pool, which I guess has been around down-town St. George for a really long time - Sheri's Dad worked there in high school as did Sheri, so she's planning on her kids working there too! I guess not much has changed, according to her reports. It's a great pool - not too fancy but plenty for kids to do, including a hydro-tube. Stomper never even set foot in the regular pool. He just headed straight over to the tube and spend three solid hours going down. He met a little pack of kids to hang out with - he's been doing that more lately which has been really fun. There were a couple of boys and one cute little 12 year old girl whose name was either Gwen or Quinn - I don't think Stomper ever really figured that out. The boys had to take off after an hour or so but Stomper and Qui/Gwenn stuck it out together the whole time. Awwwww.....I hear that our phone number even got passed out a time or two but so far no calls for my son, despite the fact that he's actually checked voicemail hopefully a time or two since we've been home. Cute now...not sure how I'll feel about that in 3 or 4 years!!
Another fun bit to the trip was the fact that Peter had been asked to play in his in-laws church meeting on Sunday (he's a cellist). He had no idea what he was going to play, even a couple of days before. Apparently he and I inherited the same procrastination gene from someone. Nor did he have anyone to accompany him. Well, there happens to be a little piece that I used to accompany our sister Margaret on ever since about 5th grade and though my piano skills are decrepit at best I can still manage Bach's prelude set to Ave Maria by...somebody. It's a nice simple little piece and it was really fun to play with Peter. I'd like to dust of those skills sometime. Later. Not during the summer.
Peter and Sheri's yard also added a ton of fun for us. They have put so much work into it and now instead of a dusty patch in back of the house they have grass, a sand pit, a trampoline, a playhouse and a junglegym with swings. Plus a great inflatable pool which we kept filled for most of the weekend. Basically, we'd go someplace and swim and get hot and all sticky with sunscreen. Then we'd come home to shower and clean up and the next thing you'd know, all the kids would shuck off all their clean clothes and hop into the pool naked. Fabulous. What summer is all about.
So Pete and Sheri - thanks for a wonderful weekend. Hopefully you are now taking a very well-deserved REST and not going anywhere for a while!!
No comments:
Post a Comment