Utah Fun with the Vedeckis Family

It's easy enough to talk about doing really cool things, like visiting friends in a different country.  Most people, however, never follow through.

Our friends, the Vedeckis family, are not like most people.  Their amazing family has traveled all the way from Lithuania to see us not just once, but twice.  Five years ago we explored the east coast together.  Now that our families have grown, it was time to travel west.  After spending some time with Papa Kay in Omaha, they came to visit us in Salt Lake via Colorado and Moab.

Our kids bonded instantly.  Despite living continents apart, they hung out like the best of friends.  (It helped that the Vedeckis family speaks English beautifully, especially since our Lithuanian is non-existent.)

Here's their eldest daughter Liepa: delightfully outgoing, intelligent, and inquisitive.

Next we have Egle: fun-loving, friendly, and considerate.  It's appropriate that Eli should be right behind her in this photo.  The two of them were connected like peas in a pod.

Last but not least, we have our handsome Vytis.  Vytis may seem shy at first, but he quickly warms up, especially around toy cars.

Annika certainly enjoyed showing Vytis all our toy trains.


Can't forget the parents.  Here's smiling Lina...

...and Kestutis.  Kestutis lived with my family in Omaha nearly 20 years ago while he was pursuing graduate studies in music at UNO.  While Kes manages investment properties for IKEA now, that musical training still comes in handy when lulling his baby to sleep.


The Vedeckis family spoiled us with gifts, like this book of Lithuanian fairy tales.


They also brought Jason his awesome shirt, Eli his hat, Annika her bunny, Brooklyn and Talia some lovely jewelry, a beautiful scarf for me, and our very favorite mushroom cookies.  Yup, we're pretty darn lucky.


For one of our first excursions, we went to visit the beehives at the City Library.

For lunch, we feasted on pasta at the Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square.

On Sunday morning, most of the group went to Temple Square to be inspired by Music and the Spoken Word.  Later that day, we all traveled to Hyde Park for Susie's inspiring Sunday dinner.  Delicious.

The Wheeler garden is both tasty and fun to navigate.

To make the experience extra memorable, we set up a tent for the kids.

Sleeping quarters are nearly ready.

The highlight of the evening, however, was taking a walk to see the Suisse's goats.

In what turns out to be a remarkably small world, Charles and Susie's close friends and neighbors, Dave and Karen Suisse, are mutual friends with the Vedeckis family.  Dave and Karen are currently serving their second mission in Lithuania.  They've connected with the Vedeckis family there and adore them as much as we do.  In fact, Dave will sometimes skype Liepa and Egle so they can read stories in English together.  While Dave and Karen didn't make it back from Lithuania in time to introduce their goats in person, Megan gave us a great tour.  Megan and the Vedeckis family already knew each other from when she visited Lithuania several months ago.

Check out Grandpa Charles hopping the fence.  Move over, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.

Kes looks like he has a lot to say.

Maybe he's telling Egle about the three billy goats gruff.

Vytis liked the goats as well.  As for me, I'm just grateful we didn't lose any.  I wish we had a video of the crazy round-up that happened after they slipped out of the fence.

Looks like Talia and Annika are waiting for their turn to be fed as well.


Following our four-legged escapades, we came back for a backyard campfire and yummy s'mores.  Then it was time for bed.  Egle and Liepa found it challenging to fall asleep outdoors, but everyone dozed off eventually.

Sweet dreams!