This IS the Place

Saturday was a fun filled day for our family.  After spending the morning doing my Team Meeting (had to do business) we then headed up to Salt Lake.  Jessica had been so disappointed at the end of the last school year when their field trip to This Is The Place Heritage Park got cancelled because there were not enough drivers.  So we thought it would be a good summer activity.  With one week left before school starts we figured we better get started.

We stopped at the official monuments before entering the park.  I was afraid we were in for a long afternoon when John was already pouting before we really got started.  But things did improve. 

Question of the day was is this really the same monument that was erected in 1947, or have they added to it since then.  It is so large and tall that I didn't think it could have been the original one.  But from what we've read and asked it really was what was put there in 1947 to commemorate 100 years since Bringham Young entered the valley and stopped his carriage at this spot and said "this is the RIGHT place".  Somewhere in the years the word 'right' was dropped.  And Mark had more faith in our ancestors that they could erected such a huge monument in 1947.  They've added lots of little monuments off to the side since 1947, but the big tall one is the original.

After entering the Heritage Park, we started out on Main Street where the kids got to card wool.  Then Ashley and John both enjoyed an old fashioned shave.

All the kids got to try their hand at applying ink and making an old fashioned newspaper.  Then the whole family learned the Virginia Reel.  John took this very seriously and always wanted to be the head couple.  I think it was the favorite part of most of ours day.

John's favorite part was riding the minature train.  Though he also loved the big train that takes you around the park and kept asking over and over and over again about when we could get on the train.

As we were leaving the park we ran into Rosemary from our old ward along with her daughter from Idaho, Nancy, and Nancy's daughter.  I love Rosemary and miss her dearly and should really call more often.  We worked together in the Ward ever since Rosemary moved in.  And for the last 2 1/2 years in the ward she was my right hand man as my Secretary and then my Compassionate Service Leader.  I would have never survived without her.  We think way too much alike and she always makes me laugh.  And I think Nancy and I would be best friends if we lived closer.  We always had a good time visiting when she is down and we both love her mom!

As if 4 hours in the hot sun was not enough for the day we then headed over to our friends house in Kearns for Miami Dinner.  We always have it at their house in August because it is Kearns days and their house backs up to where they light off the city fireworks.  So after good food and visiting we got our own private fireworks show.  Or at least that is how it feels when you are lounging in the backyard with just 3 families and the fireworks are literally going off over your head.

It was a long day, but we sure had a lot of fun.  This was our good bye day to summer.  Now we have to get serious about getting ready for school!