Now, before I begin, I have MANY friends in Utah, and sadly, because of how quickly we had to get back to Colorado for Lily to start school, it meant that I had to cut my time there short and so was only able to visit two friends.  Please don't be angy at me.  And don't forget, now I live closer, and so I will go there more often :).

Wednesday morning we were up before the sun and heading through the Rocky Mountains to Spanish Fork, Utah to visit some wonderful friends of ours from when we lived there.  We lived next door to Glenn and LaDawna back before I had Lily, and we used to spend all our time together, and although we had kept in touch, it had been years since we saw them last.

That evening I had the craziest experience.  I was helping LaDawna get the pizzas from the pizza boy when he stopped what he was doing, looked closely at me and said, "Did you teach school?"  His question made me look more closely at him and by some miracle, I was able to see the 9 year old boy in the 18 year old in front of me. 

It was Austin, one of my fourth graders from when I taught in Spanish Fork.  The amazing thing was that, not only was he one of my old students, but he was my FAVORITE student – of all the kids I taught.  It was awesome as we caught up for a minute before he had to leave and do more deliveries.  I like to think of that meeting as a gift – a tender mercy. 

(And just because I was feeling nostalgic, I had to snap a picture of the school I taught at – great memories!)

After dinner, LaDawna and I left Kevin and Glenn to get the kids to bed while we went and saw "Eclipse."  We had a great time – it felt like old times.

*Side note, as we were sitting there, we realized that the last time we went to a movie together, it was at that exact theater and I was in labor with Lily.  Just in case you wanted to know :).

The next morning, the guys left bright and early to play golf, while LaDawna and I took the kids to play at BYU campus.  It had been 4 years since I had been there, and I was blown away at how much campus has changed. 

We started off at the BYU Bookstore, so I could get T-shirts, etc.  The kids loved it, and Derek went on and on about his awesome new hat.

After the bookstore, we headed to the Erying Science Center, because the way my girl loves science, I just new she would think it was the most amazing place ever.  I was right, and she loved it so much I couldn't get her to leave.  It took promising her that "if she studied hard and came to college at BYU, she could go there and study as much science as she wants."  He he!  I know, she is seven – crazy.

Then we took them to the Museum of Art, and I was so impressed with how awesome all four kids were.  They even seemed to enjoy looking at the art, but I think they had more fun with the sculpture garden and the random statues around campus :).

Then we headed back to Spanish Fork to meet the boys, so that we could head out to meet our friends, the Jones', at Temple Square.  When we arrived, we showed the kids the outside of the Conference Center, which they thought was pretty cool, since it is where General Conference takes place.

It was then we noticed that Marilyn and Stephen were across the street waiting for us.  We couldn't wait to get to them, since it felt like forever since we all moved away from Savannah, but the light would not change.  Finally we had the go-ahead to cross, and the kids literally ran into her arms.

 
After they said their hellos, it was then that Lily and Derek noticed the temple.  They were so excited that they couldn't contain themselves, as they were finally seeing in person the place they had heard so much about – the place where Kevin and I were married.  They loved it.

 We also had to get some pictures of us in front of the temple – how can you resist?

Soon, Lily was taking us all on a tour of the visitor's center.  You would never had known that the only other time she had been there she was two, as she new about every exhibit, and really did give us a tour.  (She had learned all about it on the Friend Magazine website.)  They have done some amazing updates there, and I only wish we had had more time to see everything.

Soon enough we were all starving, and so we headed over to the Lion House for rolls and dessert.  Just thinking about it makes me want to eat there again – so good!  We each got a different dessert so we could try each then all, and not a single one disappointed.

It was about then, that Kevin realized that he had left his golf clubs in Glenn's car back in Spanish Fork, and so instead of all of us going back to get them, he took Derek and left Lily and I with Brent and Marilyn.  On their way, they happened to find an IN-N-OUT, and so of course they had to stop.  Kevin even took pictures.

While the boys were enjoying their cheeseburgers, Marilyn and I took Lily on a tour of the Beehive House.  (Lily had been begging us to go there.)  It was so amazing and so beautiful.  It was crazy to think that they did all that back in a time when they were so isolated from civilization.

After our tour, we were pretty exhausted, and so we headed to Ogden with the Jones.  Kevin met us there and we had dinner with them and had fun catching up, before we hit the road again that evening, but this time to Idaho.