This week

Kevin had an in-town conference on Friday and Saturday this week, so he got Thursday off to compensate-- lucky us! We took the opportunity to visit This is the Place. I haven't been since I visited for work years ago, so it was fun to go see all the ways it has changed... and grown! We spend far longer there than I planned, and we still didn't see it all. We did catch a few sprinkles, but it was nice to avoid weekend crowds and have Kevin there to help with the kids. There is so much to do, but it's a little spread out for little legs, and taking the stroller on and off a trolley or train while juggling three kids is always an adventure I'd rather avoid. We got our tickets through Groupon a while ago, so it was much cheaper than usual charges.

Each person gets three rides or crafts, and the girls used ours too, so they were both able to do a pony ride, train ride, arrowhead necklace, leather imprint, and a pioneer craft (bracelet for Violet, bag for Cora). They loved seeing the pioneer 'dress-ups', especially the children, doing pioneer chores, and playing some of the games.

At the Indian Village

Making the leather imprint craft. I think this was the favorite.

Practicing milking a cow game

Friday we were lucky to meet up with our friends Heather, James, and Samuel. We planned more than a month ago to visit the Kennecott mine that day. We were kind of excited to find out a few days before our trip that it was a free day. Evidently a LOT of other people were really excited, and you can't even drive to the parking lot-- you have to ride a shuttle bus. I think I would have rather paid the $5 than spent the extra time and hassle waiting for the bus both ways (I know Heather really would have, since she had to take her stroller on the bus). However, the kids loved the bus, and the whole drive up Violet kept turning to me over and over and saying 'This is so much fun!'. They loved the touring style bus, and I think most of all, not wearing a seatbelt or using a carseat.

Seeing the mine pit is always a huge reminder of where all the metals and minerals we use come from. Double emphasis on huge... the size of this pit is incredible, and driving through a lot of the mining area on the way up gives a glimpse on how huge this operation is.

Luke loved watching the trucks move along the road in and out of the pit.

Love these cute little friends!

The little visitors center museum has some fun stuff in it too. The maps and diagrams of the pit development over the last 100 years were most interesting to me. Luke was most interested in the 3 display cases full of mini vehicles they use at the mine.

So excited! He could have stayed here for a long time!

Cora started summer soccer today! This morning was a little clinic, and she'll have games every Wednesday for five weeks (they don't do practice for the kindergarten team). She's pretty excited about it. It'll be especially fun that Kevin is coaching and she has 3 friends from the neighborhood and preschool on her team. So cute!We're making progress! I finally clued into the fact that kindergarten starts later than regular school, so Cora won't start until August 3rd so... more time to play!