Utah

Well, my post will be without too many pictures. I could blame it on leaving our camera in Thatcher, but we did still have Phil's camera phone. So I'll just say it's cause we were having too much fun to stop for a picture =) Sorry for all the details--but this will be my "journal entry" for our trip.
Our trip was WONDERFUL!!! I left town right after the kids got out of school on Thursday (they have early release every Thursday), and we met up with my mom in Mesa (she had ridden over with a friend and gone to the temple). It was great to have her help traveling! We spent time at her house playing and eating, until bedtime when I took the kids over to Uncle Phil and Aunt Lisa's house to sleep. We kept the kids up until their dad arrived to tell them goodnight. I was so thankful that the kids (especially Tyler) went to bed great and already seemed at home there. Phil and I slept at his parents house for a few hours before waking up EARLY to start our long trip.
The drive went so smoothly. We made great time and arrived at our hotel in downtown Salt Lake by 6:00 that night.

We unpacked quickly and then walked to the nearby Olive Garden to eat dinner.
On Saturday we watched the first session of conference in our hotel room (we got a suite so we had a small living room to watch in), and then went to visit my Uncle Loren and Aunt Julie and their family. We had a great visit, but poor Loren couldn't find the conference tickets he was going to give us.
We picked up Phil's sister Wendy by the Temple and then went back to our hotel room to watch the second session with her. Then Phil's sister Cheryl and her husband Robert met up with us and we all walked to Temple Square where Wendy left with her friends and then the four of us waited in line so that Phil and Robert could go to the Priesthood session. They didn't get in, though, so they just went to the Tabernacle.

Cheryl and I walked over to the Gateway mall where we met up with one of my college friends, Meggan. We shopped and caught up. It was great to see her!!! I bought a new coat because I was FREEZING in the cold weather. Cheryl, on the other hand, was loving the "warm" weather (she lives in Idaho).
After the men were done, Cheryl, Robert, Phil and I went to dinner at Red Robin. It was so late by the time we finally ate, and then the waitress accidentally dumped Cheryl's dinner all over the floor!

Sunday morning we walked over to Temple Square again to stand in line as we listened to the first session. We were hopeful that we would get into the conference center when they passed out numbers to those in line and we were only 128 and 129. They even took us across and let us through security only to stand in line again at the top. Then they told us that it was still a slim to none chance that we would get in. While we were waiting, Loren called to tell us that he had found tickets for us and that Julie would drive them by. THANK YOU Loren and Julie for going the extra mile (or shall we say extra 40 or so miles) to get us tickets. We rushed in and then enjoyed an amazing session! Our seats were SO close--only about 11 rows from the front, and way off to the left side. It was incredible to be there!
After the session we saw a couple who had been in line in front of us, and they had not gotten in after all. So we are incredibly grateful for Loren and Julie!
We visited Phil's Uncle Gary on our way out of town, and he saved us from near starvation as he gave us some great croissant sandwiches to eat as we traveled. We arrived at my Aunt Leisel and Uncle Scott's house near Monticello late that night, and had a great time visiting with them in the morning. THANKS Leisel for letting us stay and a great breakfast!
We had to leave too soon, and made the long trip back to Globe where we met up with Phil's mom, Lisa and the kids.
It was then a very long trip home as the kids were tired and wanted to be out of the car. We arrived home where the kids discovered strawberries growing outside (THANKS Erika for watering them and feeding the fish!) just as I was talking to the credit card people who had left several messages worrying that our credit card had been stolen due to all of the sudden activity on our account. And I thought we had done a good job being frugal =).
Well, I'm impressed if you're still reading at this point =) It was a great trip and we're so glad that everything went so well. We can't thank everyone enough for all the help they gave us!