This is the Place

On Monday the kids and I went with the Staker Women and kids to This is the Place State Park. I didn't even know there was so much stuff to do up there. The village is really cool with all kinds of activities for the kids to do to learn about what life was like for the Saints back in the early days of Utah life. We started off with a train ride which goes all around the village. The kids were having a great time and Grandma sat with most of them to keep them from falling out the windows of the caboose.

We stopped at the Deseret News to watch how they printed the newspaper back in the day. The kids all got to stamp the ink all over the plates before they pressed the paper down on it to print the news.

I love this picture of Chase, he was barely tall enough to see over the table.

Next we went to the bank where Michela tried to break into the safe. Nice try girlie!

The kids brought their own money so they were itchin' to go to the ZCMI general store where they could load up on some candy. On the walk over the wind kicked up and blew dust all over the place. Aria started crying and I couldn't figure out what the problem was. When we went to get ice cream she kept screaming, rubbing her eyes and freaking out. The ice cream helped a little, but she kept crying for about a half an hour before I realized that she might have gotten something in her eye. After I dunked her head under the faucet, which she was pretty mad about, she started to calm down. Poor thing, I thought she was getting sick or heat stroke!

The kids went to the little school and learned some pioneer spelling. We were too late for the pony and wagon rides, darn it, but the kids got to look at all the farm animals.

We saw a Staker Cabin on the map so we had to go and check it out.

It was a Tinsmith shop and the kids loved looking at all the tools and metal. Mike's love for the metal shop working must have come from the Staker side of the family.

When we were leaving we came across this really cute little park with little houses, a store, fire station, teepee and this awesome wood train. The kids could have stayed here all day!

Thankfully Aria started perking back up and had a blast. She found this little plastic loaf of bread in the little store and carried it around half the time we were there playing.

All the kids loved the train, they used it like a jungle gym.

Hunter and Chase kept fighting over who would drive and Aria found a little ladder she could use her stellar climbing skills on.

It was a really fun day, thanks Peggy for suggesting it. I'll have to take the kids back another time when we have a little more time and when the weather isn't so Scorching HOT!

All the HOT Mommas!