Playing Hard with NomiAnn

At the end of June/beginning of July, NomiAnn came to Salt Lake for a visit.  We sure played hard before sending her off to Puyallup!  Here are a few of our favorite memories:

Dining on top of the City Library.  As lunch is my least favorite meal to plan/prepare, I LOVE summertime when Kids Eat Free at locations all over the city.

Playing at Liberty Park.  Thanks to NomiAnn, we got to enjoy something even better than a free lunch--a paddle boat ride.

We also explored the folk art museum for the first time.

Hiking around Silver Lake.  After discovering this gem a few weeks prior, we were eager to share its beauty with NomiAnn.  I think she'd buy a cabin there if she could.

It's easy to forget how much chillier it is once you get up into the mountains.  Fortunately there were some blankets and towels in the car to wrap up in.

Towels double as blankies inside our house as well.

Yay for snuggles!

Annika's an expert at curling up for a rest just about anywhere.  This is how she settled in for our trip to JoAnns.

After JoAnns, we took a trip  out to Antelope Island to swim in the Great Salt Lake.  Annika thought it was awesome, bugs, brine shrimp, and all.  The only shocking moment was when I told her that instead of trekking a quarter mile back to the restrooms, she could just pee in the water.  I'm pretty sure that now she thinks that's what makes it salty.

Can't say NomiAnn loved the lake as much as Annie, but she was a good sport.

NomiAnn did, however, love the Natural History Museum.  This place is always worth the visit.

Another favorite stop: the Smith Library.  I think we wore grandma out.

Saturday morning we joined our neighborhood for its annual Fourth of July picnic.

The free Model T rides were definitely the best.

I absolutely adore all the unique, quirky homes in the Avenues.  This Fairy Garden that gets decorated for the seasons is a favorite.

With NomiAnn around to guide her through the process, Talia was able to accomplish a major summer goal: learning to sew.

Come Sunday morning, NomiAnn and I headed to Temple Square to watch Music and the Spoken Word from the Conference Center.  As usual, the grounds were gorgeous.

Then on Monday, NomiAnn took Annika and Eli to their first day of swimming lessons while I ran Talia to Girl Scout camp.

She even bought Eli some snazzy new goggles.

Thanks so much for another fun-filled visit, NomiAnn.  It's still hard to live far apart, but we certainly play hard when we get together to make up for it!