Trip to Rochester

Cute cousins!

It was a great week. We left Monday (June 21) to drive up to Rochester. The kids were so good in the car and it was an easy drive; we didn't even stop once! We had brought food and had movies and Harry Potter to listen to and books to read and we just chugged along and made great time.  We had a nice evening with my parents and my sister and her family did come over for a few minutes in the evening so we could say hello.

Tuesday we went to the mall and just walked around and shopped and had lunch at the food court. Everyone got to pick a book at Barnes and Noble and my mom also bought Lily a beautiful dress as an early birthday present. I also went to visit KayLee at work and sat with her while she had lunch since she was very busy all week and it was probably our best time together. After the mall the kids and I went over to the Jansson's house to just hang out with whoever was around. They are all very busy but it was good to see Erik who got home from his mission just a few weeks ago. He has grown a lot and was still a bit awkward but we had some good chats. We played some games and the kids went on the tire swing and then we went back to my mom's for dinner. 

Wednesday we went to the zoo with my parents. It is a smaller zoo but it has some cool animals like a polar bear, penguins, a snow leopard and giraffes. The enclosures are smaller so it is easier to get up close to the animals than at the National Zoo so that was cool. It had lots of shade and it was a perfect temperature so we had a good time there. There was even a huge temporary play area with lots of fallen logs and ropes and stuff to climb. Mom bought the kids each a stuffed animal (Lily traded hers for chocolate covered pretzels) and we called it a good morning. We went back and had some chill time (especially for my parents) then after dinner we went miniature golfing. I had bought two games two years ago when we were there and we only used one so we went back and used our second one.  Mom did very well but I ended up winning by one stroke after getting two holes-in-one. We were the only ones on the course and it was a lovely evening and we all had fun.

  

 

Thursday we went to the temple and it was beautiful. It always makes me happy to be at the Palmyra temple since that is where we were married, plus it is home to me and an area with so many special memories. It was even more wonderful to be greeted at the door by my mom and to have my dad check my recommend. My nephews and niece were supposed to come with us but they had some travel issues come up for their Hawaii trip so it was just me and Lily in the baptistry. She was able to do about 20 names, a few of them from our family, and it was so beautiful. Sister Graham was there (the mom of my best friend growing up) so that was super sweet too. Lily loved it and said she felt refreshed after being there. After 16 months, it was so wonderful to be back inside a temple and especially with Lily. Dad did the confirmations and other than missing Josh and my nephews/niece, it was really special. 

    

 

Then we walked through the Sacred Grove, drove to the top of Hill Cumorah and then we went to lunch at the one place in Palmyra. They serve the biggest ice cream cones and it was so good. I love that area so much and cherish my Hill Cumorah Pageant memories. Those experiences really helped make me who I am and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it as a youth and that my kids have at least seen it a few times. 

Friday we went to Charlotte Beach and it was so fun. I was missing my beach chairs and our sand toys but we spent all morning and early afternoon playing there. The lake water was cold and shallow but the kids still had fun. Erin met us there with her kids and a friend of hers came too. We haven't talked in so long but it was great to catch up. It is strange to me how she knows 5-18 year old Alecia so well but not who I am now as much and then I have other friends who have only known me as an adult and a parent. I think that is one reason that family is special because they know the complete you. It took a little while but by the end, all the kids were playing together and it was really nice. We got Abbott's and I was very happy. 

 

We went home, got cleaned up and then headed to Braddock Bay park for a picnic with KayLee's family. It was nice to be there (so many picnics there as a kid!) and mom made good food and took such good care of us. We played bocce and KayLee was annoyingly good at it (people wonder why I'm competitive) but we had a good time. Then it was home to get packed up and organized so we could leave the next morning. The drive home felt a bit longer because I was more tired but the kids were really so good and we just made one quick stop to fill up on gas and for Emma to go to the bathroom so we made it in 7.5 hours and got home before Josh had even gotten back from his camp out. He had a very, very busy week so I was glad we weren't around because we wouldn't have seen much of him anyway. 

Sunday was a nice church day and then on Monday my good friend, Jana, came to visit from Texas. We chatted for a bit in the morning and then I took the four girls (Lily's group of friends--Jana's daughter is one of her best friends so it was a happy reunion) to the pool for the afternoon (and Emma and Brandon). Then the girls headed to another house for a late-over and Jana was here for dinner and we hung out and talked. She has always been such a good friend to me. She is naturally so willing to help people out and was always serving others. We had so much fun going to the gym together and since our daughters were besties we spent a lot of time together too. It was fun to have her here for the night. 

Yesterday we spent the day at Six Flags and it was fun. A bunch of the water slides were closed so that was kind of annoying but we spent most of the day at the water park and then about two hours riding regular rides. Curtis was super brave and went on the biggest rides with Lily's friends (no way she would) and he loved them. Brandon and Emma were brave and tried the swings and loved them too. We may turn them into ride people yet! Lily is just so tough because she only likes the water park area but she was a good sport for the most part. We left when it closed and got dinner at Chipotle and then drove home to get a bunch of very tired kids in bed. Jana was super cool and either rode on rides with Curtis since he didn't have a buddy or she'd stay with the younger ones so I could be his buddy. It made the day much smoother and I was really grateful again for how natural it is for her to help and be fun. I really wish she hadn't moved!

Today we chilled, cleaned, I went to the gym, we went to the library, got some stuff for Lily for camp next week, did piano lessons and laundry. There is a lot going on the next few days so I was glad for a day without anything scheduled.