Park City: Part 2

This is one of my favorite pics from our Park City trip.

Not that any of us look particularly fantastic, but just that we are all together, enjoying a remarkable weekend, just the six of us, looking exactly like us. Easton with his hat turned backwards. Afty with her chocolate brown eyes and hair pulled back. Barrett, always smiling, perfectly adorned with her cute flower headband and earrings and all. Rowan just looking cute. Ryan looking like the love of my life. Me, just there looking like me, overwhelmed to be blessed with such an amazing family.

On Saturday, we walked up and down Main Street, shopping at the Park Silly Farmer's Market. A hundred or more vendors had their wares for sale at little tented booths all up and down the street. Lots of food and treats, and fun for the kids. We picked up lunch there and had ourselves a little picnic by the creek.

We rode the ski lift (which you could almost touch from our hotel balcony) up the mountain on Saturday afternoon. We've done that in prior years, too, and everyone thinks it's quite a treat. Since my kiddos have never actually been on a ski lift when there's actually snow on the ground and skis on their feet, they always have a ton of questions about how it all works. About the skiing. About when to get off and if anyone has ever fallen off...you know, the usual.

Of course, Easton's always up for an adventure. He rode up with Ryan and Afton.

The views are amazing. We even saw some baby deer running right below us on the way up the mountain.

I love this guy.

We hiked around a while, and the kids all picked dandylions. I hope they made a wish before blowing them to the wind.

Every once in a while I get a glimpse of what heaven might be like...

On Saturday night, we went up to Promontory and enjoyed some amazing festivities at the Club all night. The three younger kids participated in a the Kid's Cabin party - food, games, magic show - and Barrett did some golfing with the bigger kids and had a blast cruising around on the golf cart. Ryan and I were at the big Promontory Foundation party with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys performing live in concert and a fancy dinner. We sat at a table with my boss and his wife and a couple of colleagues from Pivotal with their spouses. It was such an incredible night. We danced all night, then had the kids join up with us at the end for an over-the-top fireworks show right above our heads. So much fun!

On the 4th, we walked outside our hotel (which was right on Main Street, and watched the Park City parade. That's always a treat and seems so patriotic and home town-ish to me. I love a good parade. I even tear up when the local bagpipers or high school marching band comes by. Go figure. Makes me glad to be an American.

Easton on the bridge over Main Street

Our girls after the parade and BBQ. Oh ya, Promontory had a nice catered BBQ at their lodge on Main Street after the parade. We had burgers and dogs and giant chocolate cookies and brownies and snow cones and all kinds of delights.

The kids and me at the parade.

The Browns in PC.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I leave you with one final aside...

When our kids saw the giant white painted "PC" on the mountain on the way up to Promontory, one of them asked what it stood for. We giggled, and then started brainstorming all the things it stood for (other than the obvious Park City, of course).

Me: Politically Correct (and then I had to explain what that meant - big mistake).

Ryan: PC, as in "not a Mac"

Rowan (I think): Pork Chops

Me again: Party City

Someone in the back: "If you put a "T" in between the "P" and the "C", you'd have PTC, like PT Cruiser. Oh...PT Cruiser Bruiser! Right there!" And then someone got hit.

Everything about the trip was great, except for one thing. The little time we spent in the car. They argued about who got the middle bucket seats in the rented mini-van, then someone always got mad about getting slug-bugged or PT Cruiser Bruiser'd. And invariably I'd be throwing out some way over-used "be kind" reminders that no one really listens to anymore. Only twice on the drive back from Temple Square on Sunday did I pull over on the side of the road and ask them if they wanted to walk. Only twice. But I thought about it seven or eight times. I didn't have any takers. Easton kept volunteering Rowan to get out. She was making everyone mad. My stopped car on the side of the highway and apparently idle threats only bought me momentary sanity.

But truly, that's all part of the experience, right? I still remember road trips growing up and nary a time did we make it without a little car contention. I guess it just adds to the memories....Someday, at a Sunday dinner many moons from now, maybe my grown kids will laugh and reminisce about that trip and mom pulling over on the side of the road and Easton wanting his sister to walk.

Thank heaven that we flew this trip.