The Bean Museum

This summer with some of my friends from our ward, we have tried to do a Wednesday activity for the kids. Sometimes a splash pad, sometimes a park. Today we went to the Newly remodeled Bean Museum at BYU, I haven't been here since I was probably 10 and it was much better than I remembered it being! Best of all it was free. 

These giant peacocks were a hit. 

Won't lie this was a pretty cool exhibit. 

Derek with his friends Kaisen and Abby

No, I don't have a daughter, but I would take her in a heartbeat. Abby Olsen was with us today since her siblings were sick and her mom couldn't come, we didn't want her to miss out.  

Day 7-8 Derek at Grandma Carol's House

 Day 7 - The Last Full Day
This day started out with visiting a pioneer grave, Stopping by "Rock in The Glen" and then going to a picnic and play at the Ayers Natural Bridge.,  This is the only Natural Bridge in the U.S. that expands over flowing water.  The Bridge arch above the water is 50' high and 100' long and is surrounded by red sand stone. 

This picture was taken on the way to Ayres Natural Bridge at a place called "Rock in The Glen" where pioneers heading west camped and carved their names in the limestone.

Ayres Natural Bridge

Derek said the water was really cold, but felt really good.

Trying to skip rocks.

The Day ended with going to see the movie How to Train Your Dragon 2 and dinner at Pizza Ranch with Grandma Marla.  Grandma Marla is Marla Severts and is Carol's best friend.  Since none of her family lives close by we have included her as part of ours and Derek just loves her to death.  In fact he has even asked her on a date to Pizza Ranch before.

Day 8 - It's time to come home!

The very first night Derek was heartbroken because he had forgotten "Dusty." Dusty is a stuffed animal that he sleeps with every night and he had left him at home.  So Carol improvised and gave him "Billy" Corey's old Cabbage Patch Doll to sleep with and he seemed ok with that. 

On the last morning Carol overhead something, This is how Carol wrote what she saw "I heard Derek talking to someone this morning and discovered him and Billy having breakfast together.  Derek is telling Billy that it is their last morning together and that he hopes they won't miss each other too much... That they can see each other when he Face Times Grandma Carol."

I was so excited to see my sweet little Derek in Rock Springs that I forgot to take any pictures but I promise it was a happy reunion.  All week long it was very quiet at my house, and Jake truly learned to walk as Derek was not their to drag him around or impede his progress.  But something definitely was missing.   It also made me even more grateful that my family is forever that we were sealed in the Temple and that we will be together forever in Heaven one day

Thank you Carol for being such an amazing Grandma and spending this amazing quality time with Derek he loved it and has many memories that I'm sure he will treasure forever.  He is still excited to come again next year.

Day 4-6 - Derek with Grandma Carol

Day 4 Included Put Put golf with is one of Derek absolute favorite things to do!  And the Science Museum, They had a blast and Derek even held a snake, eww gross, but he did a lot of things on this trip that were brave and way out of his element.  I was so proud of him.  Every night Derek would still cry when he would see us, but during the day as you could tell he had so much fun.

Derek with Nessa and Leti Palepale

I'm honestly having a hard time picturing him holding a snake

and then Smiling about it.

Looking at the big Boa Constrictors. 

Day 5-6 The Saturday and Sunday were pretty much spent just around Casper.  Grandma had to work some, so Derek got to go play at her office or at some of the new friends house.  They went to church and Derek told me that he loved it, that it was exactly the same as his own primary.  Well that's how its suppose to be! Unfortunately for Derek Sunday was also the day that he was the most homesick.  But he stuck it out and was a trooper.  

Cousins

Last week aunt Dani and her family came to town. We had a cousin day complete with story time at the Springville Library, lunch at Pier 49 Pizza, and the Springville Splash Pad which felt really good since it was over 100 degrees.   Later on that week we went to the Soanish Fork Rodeo with everyone. We were lucky enough to have a babysitter so we didn't have to take Jake which made the rodeo super enjoyable. 

Annistyn and Hattie at Story Time 

Making his super hero mask! 

Cousins 

Quite the crew 

Sisters 

We always love going to the Spanish Fork Rodeo.

It was over a 100 degrees so snow cones were on the menu. 

Day 3 at Grandma Carol's

 Day 3 started with meeting up with two other families from Carol's ward the Palepale's, and Niemeyer's.  They both have kids that are close to Derek's age.  Derek came to truly love these families and he still talks about his new friends and all that they did together.  Thank you for sharing your families with my Derek, and I know it made Carol's life a lot easier.
 They went to Ft. Fetterman, and the railroad interpretive Park which Derek loved.  He loves train so he loved to see the real trains up close.  They continued on in Douglas, WY to for a picnic, the water park and it all ended with a concert in the park.  This was the day that I think Carol might have just been reconsidering whether or not she wanted to continue to have Derek stay all week, not that he was bad but that she was just so plum wore out!  Derek can wear anybody out. 

A Fort Employee telling them about how the camp was built in 1867.

Derek and Ammon Niemeyer running around the parade field.

Derek with the plaque telling about Ft. Fetterman

The whole group in from of the remains of an old wagon

Derek and the old wagon

Looking for old artifacts and they even found one.

Here is the grave of a guy name John who was born in 1860 and died in 1884.  The writing on his stone describes him as "An Old Time Cowboy."  I wonder why he died at the age of 24? Not that old to be an old time cowboy. 

 The Railroad Interpretive Center in Douglas, WY.  Apparently Derek took off Running as soon as he could get out of the car. 

 Derek LOVES trains, this was an open-air exhibit featuring a CB&Q locomotive with tinder and seven cars.  Included in the collection are several streamline passenger cars and a dining car from the post 1930's passenger era. 

Getting ready to go explore the rail cars.

 After all of that they went to the waterpark and stayed there until it closed. 

This is Nessa Palepale.  This became Derek's new best friend.  They were super competitive with each other and just had a blast!

They are trying to figure out who is taller!