More Utah: Provo Edition

After a super fun week in Blanding, we bid farewell and headed for Provo, where we spent a night with Grandma and Grandpa Pope. Ian and Joseph loved their playroom and eating dinner on stools around the table. "Gwampa Pope! Gwampa Pope!" was a popular refrain on the road after that. The boys just loved them and they were wonderful hosts to us!

While in Provo we toured our old stomping ground. Because of Ian's favorite book (Hello Cosmo!) he was really excited to see the BYU Victory bell, so it was our first on-campus stop. 

It didn't seem to dissapoint his little BYU-lovin' heart. Even though it didn't actually ring. 

 

Then it was off to visit the library. Doesn't Ian make a convincing freshman?

After getting our names printed on our new scriptures, Ian spotted Cosmo in the textbook section. He couldn't help himself. And both he and Joseph were beside themselves that two of their loves, Cosmo and traffic signs, were combined here.

We also went back to our old Wymount apartment. And it was vacant! We felt tempted to unpack our trunk through the open window and move back in. We have such great memories of living there.

 

Still swept up in the nostalgia, we went back to the houses we lived in when we met. And knocked on the door!

Here is where Scott and I first laid eyes on each other -- and the girl who lives there was even making spaghetti when we arrived, just like I had been.

And here is the tree outside Scott's old house, under which Scott first asked for my phone number. Awww....

By now the boys were thuroughly bored, so we headed to the scene of our first date -- the BYU Creamery on 9th, for some icecream. From the parking lot we witnessed this classic BYU scene: 

That's right. A motorized couch, out for a night on the town.

We took the boys to the Provo temple, too. 

 

They loved it. But it was hard not to run around wild after a day in the car, so we didn't stay long.

After getting my ring cleaned and taking some pictures with the "Y" it was time to bid farewell to Provo. (Note: the scary parking lot behind the elementary school is perfect for "Y" pictures. Especially when you set your kids on top of a really large rental car.)

 

 

We then spent a couple nights with Scott's high school buddy Todd, his incredibly fun wife Paris, and their cool little boys. They took great care of us and thought of everything to make us comfortable -- including blankets up in the windows to help our sleep-deprived children start to become themselves again. We loved seeing their brand new house! 

After seeing some more mission and high school friends (Handys and Higbees!) Scott had to leave vacation early for a business trip to Angola, Africa. We tried everything to get the boys and I on the same early flight home to Houston, but it just didn't happen. Luckily, Scott's sister Tori took us in! We ended up spending several days with them and she took great care of us! 

We were worn out from 2 weeks of vacation schedules, and sure missed Daddy, but Tori distracted us with good food, fun activities (that farm was such a hit!) and some extra cousin time. It was just what we needed! From the moment we touched down in Houston again, Ian and Joseph were asking to go back to Sophie, Kendra and Adam's house again!

There were so many people we intended to see, but didn't when plans changed there at the end. I guess we will just have to make a return trip soon!