Girls Trip: Orlando Florida

May 6-May 13

Jamie called me one day and said that she had the condo in Florida and wanted to have a girls trip. I was excited and of course up for it. I had just gotten back from my east coast trip but was able to get work off for Florida as well. I was able to spend time with all the girls and to play with my nephew Ty. Jennett, Jill, Jamie, Lindsay, Betsy, Mandi and me all went. We pretty much spent the whole time relaxing and hanging out. We went to the gym, swimming, to the beach one of the days, we went to dinner and a movie and we spent a lot of time just chatting like the girls we are. It was so much fun!

Orlando Temple

Ty and I playing in the ocean

Some of the ladies at the pool

What a stud!

Attempting to get some sun

Day of Fun: 
May 3, 2012


We were able to get a great deal on Groupon. We were able to do the indoor surfing, indoor skydiving and all day rock climbing for an amazing deal so we decided the time had come to use it. I had been indoor surfing a few times before then so I was excited to go back. We all took some pretty good falls...Dan slipped straight onto his back...just like in cartoons when they slipped on a banana peel. Michelle had a few good whip lash falls, I lost my top on one of the runs and Mike took a good wipe out jumping from the top of the wave. Next we did the indoor skydiving. It was really short but such a blast, I wish we could have done it longer. I think we did a pretty good job at it as well. After taking a lunch break we did some rock climbing then stopped for ice cream. At the last second we decided to stop at Crystal Hot Springs and go swimming....It was a great day.

Ready to surf!

 LJ

Michelle

Dan

Mike

That was awesome!

The boys climbing

Me creeping in the back

Crystal Hot Springs

Back East Trip: Pt. 2

We weren't done with our adventures. We were able to see all of New York, Philly and explore more of the great Washington D.C.

FAO Schwartz Toy Store

Spider-Man on Broadway

Wednesday we went to Valley Forge, Independence Square, and raced up the Rocky Steps. We ate Philly cheese steaks at the famous Gino’s, after that we drove to Gettysburg

                                                         Cabin Replica

Valley Forge

Independence Hall

Rocky!!!

Philly cheese steak in Philly

NBC Studios

Gettysburg

Fort McHenry

Back in DC at the Lincoln Memorial

Friday we went on an awesome tour of the Capitol and then went to Busch Gardens

Apollo's Chariot and Bumper cars

Our awesome "suite"....the lights in the bathroom didn't work ha ha 

Saturday we finished at Busch Gardens then went to the Jefferson and MLK Memorial 

 Sunday it was down-pouring but we headed our anyway. We went to Arlington Cemetery, the White House, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and the Natural History Museum

Arlington National Cemetery, we also saw the changing of the guards

 They were doing a Spring Garden Tour so we were able to get up really close to the White House 

 After Michael, Michelle and my dad went home we still had a whole week ahead of us. I was finally able to show Dan Buena Vista Virginia, where I spent my freshman year of college. After showing him some great places we were packing Staci's room and headed out. We spent the next 3 days driving across the country. We hit Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming and finally....Utah.

Foamhenge! A Stonehenge replica made out of foam....only in Virgina

Footbridge

We slammed into a recently killed deer....that is hair and blood

Our motel in the middle of Illinois

Carthage Jail

Dan and his road-trip diet

Nauvoo Temple

Kansas City, MO open house....we drove 2 extra hours to see it

After 30+ hours we were almost home!

What an amazing trip! I can't wait for our next adventure!!!

Back East Trip: Pt. 1
April 13-28


When Staci went out to SVU for school I really wanted to drive her out there. I LOVE road-trips and I will travel every moment I can. So when Dan suggested we should fly out to Virginia and drive her back to Utah after she finished school I was all about it! We never really planned anything but one day my dad called and asked if I would be interested in going to a dinner with Condoleeza Rice! She is such an amazing woman and I've always wanted to hear her speak in person. The ball got rolling and soon Mike and Michelle decided to join us. We flew in late on Friday the 13th and went to what we thought was our cousins house because Staci was "almost positive" luckily we got out of there before we scared the couple half to death. Saturday we went to the Holocaust Museum, American History Museum, and the BYU dinner with Conoleeza Rice. It was amazing! She spoke of the true meaning of Democracy and Freedom. One of my favorite things she said that night was how it is not the government's job to have compassion. It is the citizens job to care for one another. I wish I could repeat her whole speech! 

Holocaust Museum:

American History Museum

Hanging out at the Washington Monument

Dinner with Conoleezza Rice

Sunday we went to the Air and Space Museum, National Archives where the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights are, and after dropping Staci off at Union Station we drove to New York!!

National Archives

We spent 2 days in New York walking, exploring, and seeing pretty much everything we could possibly fit in. We stayed in the heart of Times Square

Mikes bed for the night in New York

Monday We went to Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial, and dessert with the Pomerantz's.

9/11 Memorial

Wall Street 

Occupy Wall Street 

Tuesday we went to Central Park, the Temple, Metropolitan Museum, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Spider-man on Broadway then we drove to Philadelphia

We rented sail boats

Empire State Building

Rockefeller Center- The ice was melting and it was so wet