After Jake flew home for the next week, the girls and I explored all the splash pads in Utah County (why weren’t those there when I was a kid?), visited with friends and family and mostly just hung out in the backyard. By Day Two, “Where is Daddy????” was the constant refrain/wail from the girls and compounded by the intense August heat, by Day Five, they were in complete meltdown mode. Still, we enjoyed our lack of a strict schedule and waking up every morning with no plans, but to see where the day took us. It was a “slow summer” (or as close as we usually get) at its finest.

Intuitively feeling a meltdown moment coming on, Grammy saved the day by pulling out a craft kit that lasted through those lazy, hot afternoons all week!

Good morning (hopefully)!

A little spider in her web.

Every day when Grammy got home from work, she’d find us lounging around in the backyard, with the kids begging me to push them on the swings, and me in an adirondack chair, pretending I couldn’t hear them. She took over kid duty for me, while I made dinner in peace (a welcome trade-off).

It was scorching hot by 10 a.m., so we tried to hit the trail early in the morning with a bike or scooter ride.

We visited the Highland, Springville, Orem, and Bluffdale splash pads, with Bluffdale and Springville being our faves.

Not only did Wardle Fields in Bluffdale have an enormous splash pad, waterfall, and a creek running through it, the girls were thrilled with the massive zipline and huge playground.

All the heat and humidity culminated in rain and thunderstorms one morning, so after a few hours of bounce house jumping at Kangaroo Zoo, we stopped at the iconic Taco Amigo on the way home… this one’s for you, Kati!

Uncle Mike provided comic relief during meltdown moments and accompanied the girls on a bike ride in the 90 degree evening heat!

Our other Uncle Mike was also there to be silly with the girls and trade off swing duty.

Meredith loved the revolving door of family coming in and out!

It didn’t get dark early enough for the girls to actually roast marshmallows at night, but they did roast them in the heat of the evening, and didn’t seem to mind.

Lounging with Aunt Sarah.

We met up with two of my high school friends at the splash pad in Springville and had quite the crew between us all. Meredith played with everyone, while the twins ran off and made some other completely random friend.

We also hung out with my friend, Katie, from teaching school, who moved to Utah last year. Her twins, Lizzy and Iris, were good sports playing duck duck goose with my twins (my girls’ rules of the game are iffy).

During our vacation, I was trying to transition Meredith to a one-nap day once and for all, and, as a consequence, she was a nightmare from 9 am-1 pm every day! When we visited Thanksgiving Point and rode the ponies, kind strangers offered to hold a screaming/kicking/banshee wailing Meredith while I helped the girls onto their horses and took pictures. Meredith alternated between shrieking in delight when we walked around to see the rest of the chickens, goats, horses, cows, llamas and other animals, and shrieking in anger whenever I pulled her back from climbing into the animal pens!

Jake arrived back in Utah a week later to three little girls clambering for his attention non-stop. I pretty much clocked out for the next week, being exhausted from the week before! Meredith and I took a long nap the day he came back, while he took the twins to the Gateway Discovery Children’s Museum in SLC with Grandma Celeste.

Checking out the train station.

It was an exhausting week for everyone!

Lots of love,