They say not all who wander are lost but as we wandered the perimeter of Temple Square trying to find a way to get into the Tabernacle, we discovered we were lost. And uninformed. Turns out the entirety of Temple Square is closed for renovations. We were redirected to the Conference Center instead.
The youth are in a heated indexing challenge between the Young Men and the Young Women. I sent this picture to our Bishop asking if they could possibly get extra credit... LOL!
Worth a shot, right?
Once we found it and settle into our seats, something in Brent's soul tuned in to that choir. It was like all the stress and worry he carries with him was in a backpack that he slid off and left at the door. I rarely see him so at peace and so happy.
I was happy to see him that way. I was also happy to be in my new dress which was a purchase at the O'Hare airport during our long delay.
Due to the pandemic, Gita had never been inside the Conference Center so I'm glad it wasn't in the Tabernacle. We listened to the rehearsal, the live taping and then they had to re-record a number from the previous week so we got a little bonus song too. God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again brought tears to my eyes and I grabbed Brent's hand while we listened to that sweet melody.
Afterwards, we discovered both Visitor's Centers on Temple Square are gone- they are building something new where they used to be. Still, the Conference Center is pretty cool so we got to explore. There are so many pretty spots.
They had a replica pulpit so all the girls tried their hand at preaching. Can you guess what their gospel topic is?
Creation of the earth?
The Second Coming of Christ?
Keeping the Commandments?
I Am a Child of God?
This one just cracks me up with little Sydney poking her head up there when Gita had no idea. Maybe this one is Suffer the Little Children?
I couldn't get a good picture of this one because of the reflection but this was Brigham Young's cane- the one he used to mark the spot where the temple should be.
I loved this painting- so different close up than far away.
Even though the fountains weren't on, the Garden Terrace was beautiful!
Liesel loved the view and asked that I take this photo.
Spinning.
Twirling.
A quick change in the car and we stopped by East High where Uncle Tim went to high school and where High School Musical was filmed. The front was closed for construction (do you see a theme here?) so we went to the back where they could at least see in to where a lot of the cafeteria scenes were filmed.
Since we clearly couldn't nail a jump at the same time, individual shots were a must!
Sydney's is my favorite- she's so full of joy!
We tried stopping at Pig in a Jelly Jar but the wait was ridiculously long. We decided to head south and try Waffle Love.
We tried the Nutella Love and the Dulce but it was the Chicken and Waffles that was the favorite.
I needed a second monitor for work and my sweet brother in law delivered on that for me. I just needed to pick it up from their house and I think we sent my sister into a mild panic asking to stop by. We had been planning to get together for lunch the day before but our flight was so delayed that made it impossible. I really needed the monitor because I was going to be working out of the hotel.
The girls fell in love with their dogs- especially Gita (no surprise there).
I think Katrina used Kool-Aid to dye the tail and paws.
Katrina had been hard at work sewing special outfits for their American Girl dolls. She had a little goodie bag for each of them which was so thoughtful and kind.
The girls definitely enjoyed their time with Aunt Katrina!
Back at the resort, I was able to snap one photo of all the girls together before Gita and Sydney ran off to play.
Liesel and Ireland were patient enough with me to try out a photo technique I had see on TikTok and I was determined to figure it out. It take a photo from this:
To this:
From this:
To this:
And this:
To this:
Turns out the secret is holding as still as possible for three seconds while the live shot captures everything. Then the images can be combined and the water effect turns out just stunning. Holding still is actually a bit tough and the second images are just a tad blurry but at least I know what it takes to get the shot.
We packed a lot in- especially for a Sunday- but it was really good to be back in Utah!
Just as we were arrive to O'Hare, we received a message that our flight was delayed. We decided against going all the way home and decided to just hang out in the airport instead. Turns out we would be hanging out for quite some time- FIVE HOURS to be exact. And man that got old fast. Apparently there was something specifically with the plane and they needed a part flown in to fix it.
Everyone had brought stuff to do but even a couple hours of doing the same thing gets old and everyone was getting antsy. I decided to take the two antsiest kids and just wander the terminals for a bit of exercise. We had gotten everyone these cute Designer Park Co bag where they could display their favorite pins and which had a hydration system. That came in real handy and I sent the owner of the company this picture (I mean, since we had the time and all).
At the end of the K terminal there were a whole slew of sailors heading out to Reagan International. We sent Aunt Regan this picture (I mean, since we had the time and all).
We had walked by the Sprinkles cupcake vending machine and we decided to try it. Not gonna lie- it ate my money once but at least we had a little entertainment for a bit. Now we know how it works!
We were getting so loopy being cooped up in the airport that Gita even flipped over just the picture of a puppy!
They announced they were giving out vouchers for the inconvenience and Brent grabbed ours. Between the 6 of us, it was a fair amount of money! As we headed to different shops in the terminal, we were told over and over they refused to accept the vouchers. They were only good for the day and I was determined to get the money out of ours. We ran- and I mean RAN from shop to shop until the sweet lady at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory said sure. The girls grabbed as many goodies as they could and she patiently waited for me to punch in all those vouchers. Our flight was actually boarding by then but we made it. I was dripping sweat but with our chocolates in hand, we were feeling rather triumphant. After they scanned my ticket I turned around and yelled, "Peace Out Chicago!" because I was so happy to finally be leaving.
Once we were onboard, the flight attendant said there was a time when everyone would have automatically been given frequent flyer miles but these days they have to be requested. She suggested going on to the AA chat feature which I did immediately. I kept getting transferred around and every time I'd just ask for more and more stuff. Here's the chat transcript:
My question is if we can get any miles for today's delay? Or a free trip to Hawaii would be cool too. Haha.
OK first of all so sorry for the delay to let you all experience such experience. And for that compensation to claim due to delay ill be shearing you a link, so no worry.
Does the link have miles in it? Or a trip to Hawaii? Or maybe a Tesla? I'd also accept a meet and greet with Chris Hemsworth.
Yes you can claim compensation in credit of miles through the link. https://www/aa/com/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/customer-relations.jsp. And for accommodation or voucher suggest you connect to the airport.
So no Chris Hemsworth then? Well that was a Hail Mary anyway. So do I need to enter this request on the webpage you send then?
yes just visit the concern link and you will find all the information. If you want I can also transfer you to the miles department, if that's Ok with you?
Sooo where are we on the Tesla then? Yes. I can transfer!
No problem. One moment please. Transferring to miles department please stay connected. Hi, I'm Aneesa, please give me a moment to review your messages.Hi. How may I help you?
Our flight was severely delayed and I was wondering if we could get some ff miles. The last person I talked to offered a free trip to Hawaii and a Tesla but I'm ok with just getting some miles.
Hello Danika. I would have to transfer you to the correct department for better assistance on this. One moment please.
Are you transferring me to the Tesla department then?
I'm transferring you to the department which will be able to better assist you. Hi, I'm Milan, please give me a moment to review your messages.
Hey Milan! Our flight was delayed and I'd like ff miles for my family. The last person offered me a free trip to Hawaii, a Tesla and a meet and greet with Chris Hemsworth. I'm ok with just ff miles
Thank you for chatting with us today Danika. We are not able to provide compensation through our platform. For compensation inquiries you would need to contact Customer Relations. I do wish I could provide that meet and greet though but sadly he may be a bit busy for that!
Oh, ok. Well I will try again through the website then. Thanks for your help.
At long last we landed in SLC. Of all of us, Brent has not been to the Crossroads of the West the longest. Each of the girls has had their 8 year trip but the last time Brent was in Utah was for Whitney and Tim's wedding- a decade ago!
Our first stop was to Cafe Rio in Park City which was particularly yummy given we had been eating crappy airport food all day.
Then we headed to The Zermatt Resort in Midway. Sydney was so excited to show it off to everyone. We ended up having to move rooms because the first one they gave us smelled like smoke and didn't have space for a roll away bed. The second room was much bigger. After an evening in the pool and hot tub, we all fell asleep, happy to have finally arrived!
We enjoyed our trip to Petoskey so much two years ago, we had to make a return trip. Petoskey is a resort town but not too overgrown and overpriced to ruin the charm of its location. We were able to get the same room we had last time with the two queen beds, pull out couch and bunk beds. The top bunk ended up being a source of contention for the girls (Gita was always maneuvering to have it to herself) but by and large it was nice to stay somewhere familiar. We unpacked and headed down to the waterfront just in time for golden hour.
The long shadows stretched as we meandered back to the car,
The ability to make fresh waffles at the Hampton Inn is a big reason why we stay there. The girls came down with their fuzzy hair and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Sydney was particularly delighted about those Nutella packets. She not only had plenty of them for breakfast, she squirreled more away to snack on throughout the day.
Who doesn't love a warm waffle?
Gita had been bugging everyone about jumping off the breakwall. Honestly, I thought that would wait a day- you have to time that kind of thing since you will be wet. Then we decided to just go for it since the parking was ideal. Brent and Sydney missed out on this right of passage last time and we insisted they come along this time. The water was lower, and colder making the jump a lot more intimidating. I jumped as quickly as I could- before I got in my head. Gita went in right after me.
Fighting some nerves, Brent and Ireland agreed to go together.
His "Oh no!" right after he jumped made us all laugh because that's what you feel like when you are mid-air- what have I done? Here are some still shots of their jump.
The "Oh no!" moment.
Even though last time Liesel not only jumped off the breakwall, she flipped off the breakwall and then she jumped off the choppy side- she was reticent. Again, the jump looked a lot further since the water was lower and she had gotten in her head. Finally she made the plunge.
I wish you could have seen her face coming back out of the water because she had a look of complete shock at how cold the water was. You can tell by how quickly she swims back to the ladder.
Sydney sort of jumped. She climbed down and let go of the ladder for a few precious seconds before going right back up. We told the girls they could have a t-shirt from Grandpa Shorters only if they jumped and decided this was enough to earn Sydney her t-shirt. She was pretty terrified and overcame a lot to get there.
Ireland was the brave one and after a jump with Brent, then helping Sydney, she wanted one more good jump.
Away she went.
Cheesy as it sounds, this was really a bonding moment for our family. Encouraging each other while grappling with fear and then cheering each other on when we made it was a sweet time. We snuggled in our towels and walked away feeling triumphant.
On Sunday we went to the local branch- something we couldn't do two years ago due to the pandemic. It was a really great experience and Ireland even bore her testimony about jumping off the breakwall. As he concluded sacrament meeting, the Branch President invited everyone to jump off the breakwall and the congregation laughed. Liesel and Ireland ended up going to the youth class which consisted of two young men from our home ward taught by their parents. It was nice to see familiar faces on vacation! The Sunday School teacher played a clip from a talk by Elder Oaks and didn't realize how loud the volume was so Liesel and Ireland heard a booming, "I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY" in their own classroom. It was pretty funny.
We went back to the hotel to change, rest and play some games.
Cards Against Humanity- Family Edition was hilarious!
It was such a gorgeous day, we went for a long walk. First we did the waterfront again where we enjoyed watching people jump off the breakwall. I'm glad Gita had urged us to do that early because it was much more enjoyable watching it with that experience under our belts.
We decided to take a walk along the waterfront which was just lovely! We found flowers to put in Gita's braid.
We came upon a pretty park where Sydney dubbed this the Little Mermaid rock and asked that I take this photo.
We had no idea there was this sweet waterfall! The girls all scrambled around the rocks and of course, more photos.
Next to this was a big staircase which had stunning views of Lake Michigan at the top.
We found this adorable pavilion with telescopes and I just happened to have some quarters in my bag.
On a whim, we decided to stop at American Spoon for some gelato.
Gita and I shared the coconut and the pineapple. That pineapple tasted just like a creamy Dole Whip and it was SO good! In the corner of this picture you can the the little boy who was watching Gita intently.
On the 4th of July we figured Petoskey State Beach would be busy so we got there early. I decided to rent a kayak and oh man, we had so much fun with that! Liesel and Ireland had both been kayaking at camp but I had never gone kayaking with them. Gita and Sydney tried it and I was so impressed with both of them. There was another family in kayaks and the parents were doing all the paddling while the kids sat back and just looked around. Gita and Sydney both paddled their little hearts out and they were really good at it too! We had so much fun and I put a pin in this for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I have some video but everyone is so far it out, it's not that great. Here's Brent and Liesel.
Just before we returned it, we let Liesel and Ireland go out on their own. This is just another sign of our family growing up. The girls used to be content to just play in the sand on the beach. This was a fun, new memory to make with them now that they are old enough.
Even though everyone was still in swimsuits, we were good and hungry. There is a place in Petoskey called The Back Lot which has a central seating area and then a bunch of food trucks. The alleyway to get there had some really cool photo op spots.
While we were deciding what to get, a mother accidentally spilled her beer all over her little girl. I happened to have wipes in my bag which I offered and they gratefully accepted- smelling like beer is awful. We were able to snag seating inside out of the sun and next to what became our favorite food truck- Happy's Taco Shop. The street taco was fantastic!
Not only did the skies cloud over, but it started to rain and I took the girls to the big Kilwin's on the outskirts of town. This is a 3ft tall, hand-crafted, chocolate bunny we spotted while waiting in line.
I dove into the coconut chip while the girls dove into theirs!
Especially Ireland:
Again, carrying those baby wipes came in handy!
It started raining pretty hard so we decided against going anywhere to see the fireworks- even though it had cleared up, the ground was stilly soggy. We were again able to watch them from our balcony which was lovely and we didn't mind missing the crowds.
Driving home I really wanted to get a picture by this sign and as we neared it I blasted Livin' on a Prayer. Aside from jumping off the breakwall, this was my favorite memory from the entire trip- flying down the freeway and belting out "Oooooh we're half way there! Oooooh oh! Livin' on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it I swear. Ooooooh oh! Livin' on a prayer." I think it's kinda cool we spent the 4th of July a tad closer to the North Pole than to the equator.
The girls humored me in taking this photo of them making parallel arms.
Then of course the oldest three needed individuals (Sydney didn't care so much).
It was another great trip to Petoskey! Next year we are planning to do the Wisconsin Dells- apparently the fact we live so close and have never taken the kids is kind of considered child abuse in these parts but the year after that? We may just have to return to this lovely place! We always have so much fun in Petoskey.
