So we get there at 9:00am and the kids are SOOOO excited. You can hardly keep them from talking about it. Laney was just so excited for the train to come and pick her up and the boys...well, they were boys and challenged each other to see who could get on first. The train came and we all found nice comfy seats. The train cars were really nice, I was very suprised. The kids just loved watching out the window as we passed other cars, houses, businesses, etc. But about a half hour into it, I realized I forgot to go to the bathroom before leaving the house (a big no no) and the kids began to get a little restless. My first priority, to find a potty ( I know, it should have been the kids, but I really had to go) and that I did. It was amazing nice also, but a little nauseating since there is no window but a lot of rocking! So I was glad to go back and face my next priority. Entertaining the kids. We managed to get to Salt Lake and were excited to go on our adventure tour of temple square, the conference center and the church history museum, and then off to a park to eat some grub, which may I say I also forgot to eat breakfast (It is hard to get out of the house by 8:30! Give me some credit...at least I brushed my teach ...in the car) so I was getting really hungry.
Landon in front of the train after ride
The frontrunner drops you off at the tracks station so that you can commute using them...which the kids also enjoyed. We just had to figure out which one to hop on and let me tell you, the guys that work there that were giving us advice either didn't speak great english or spoke in riddles. Finally I just guessed and we acutally ended up where we were supposed to be....WHEW!
The flowers all over temple square....beautful!! I couldn't stop to take more, you will see why in a minute
In front of the Christus
The closest thing I will get to a class picture...taken on Temple Square
We toured temple square, visited the Christus, smelled some flowers and looked at the temple. Then we headed over to the Conference Center where we toured the top. It is pretty amazing how they can construct such a grand building and have a beautiful garden WITH a fountain on top! Pretty impressive. In there, we saw the hall of the prophets and the room where all the pictures of the 12 apostles are, which was fun to see. Laney was looking for President Hinckley and was excited to find him. Then we peaked into the actual room where conference was held....it is so HUGE! It never ceases to amaze me.
Chloe fascinated by the elevator in the conference center
You can see by these pictures there is a common denominator....WATER! They are drawn to it no matter where we go. And the pictures pretty much document how it was. We get them somewhere for a pose. Someone runs out, someone runs in...someone almost falls in....Very eventful.
Laney was a big help though...trying to be all grown up and pushing her sister while being tickled by her cousin. She is getting good.
These are taken on top of the conference center...see you can see the temple in the background. Yeah...we made the tour guide a little nervous. I guess a boy fell over the railing about 5 years ago. These kids are fearless. But we could see daddy's building to the left...you can't but we could. He couldn't see us either...but we called to see if he could.
So by now, the kids are dragging and we are all pretty hungry. May I say, that we had two grandmas with us...on that had MAJOR surgery about three weaks ago, on mother who just had twins three weeks ago, and well me....who skipped breakfast...okay so I wasn't a big deal. I could have kept going but everyone else was ready for a break. So we called our daddy and met him for lunch. It always melts my heart to see the girls run to their daddy the way they do. They truly adore him! I almost cried. CAn a man asked for anything more than to be adored by 3 ladies?!!
Lunch was anticlimatic since McDonald's ran out of ice cream, but we all survived. Luckily for us there are a gazillion mcdonalds and surely we can find one that has some :)
Everyone was ready to go by then. It is hard work coralling 6 kids....us adults were exhausted!! And poor Laney and Chloe. They were about an hour past their nap time and I thought Laney was going to fall asleep mid-step. I hoped they would sleep a bit on the train....but....no such hope.
When we finally got to the train via the tracks, the train was standing room only. Not a good thing. So I began going through the trains (holding Chloe mind you, while the train was moving) to find a seat for Betty (grandma that had surgery) and Laurie (mother of twins) to sit. I can stand, after all I had eaten :) I had gone through 3 crowded trains to no avail. And I became a little disgusted at this point. There were men that watched me fight through the trains with a kid and never once offered up their seat nor did they help me through. I was so disgusted I stopped my search and began to return. At this point people go upset at me for interrupting them TWICE...heaven forbid. But two little Asian ladies saw me and said there was a chair on the second level and I should take it with my little one. I thanked them but told them about Betty and they said to hurry and go get her before the seat was taken. So on my return, I was going down some stairs when the train jolted. I fell, trying to catch myself and causing a rucus and what do you know.....NO ONE even tries to help. Luckily I saved Chloe but I tell you, my leg is feeling it today. I did get one man to peer around the corner to see what was causing the rucus, but that is all. No are you alright, can i help you, is your baby fine....nope. Disgusting isn't it. So I finally made my way back and poor Betty had to sit on the stairs while the rest of us tried to entertain the kids for the hour ride home.
Pics of everyone being such good sports, including Betty. My hat is off to her.
So to sum it up....it was an adventure for sure. I don't know if I would do it again, but the kids had fun and it was a good experience for me. It is a testement why I avoid crowded areas and why I do not want to live in Salt Lake. Most people are not very nice. Michael swears that if we had been on his bus, that never would have happened, so I have to say, he is probably better on the bus than the frontrunner.
But don't think the whole experience was a downer. It was really fun to see the kids excitement at the whole adventure because that is what it was for them....after all, how many times do you get to ride a train?
No comments:
Post a Comment