This is the Place State Park and welcoming Crystal to the family!

Play song, "We Are Family" with this post

Last Thursday (the 9th) my wonderful sister (Steve's sister, but I claim her too!) invited us to go to the wonderful Utah heritage place, conveniently named, This is the Place. Her work put on an event (she works for a social services type place), so we didn't have to pay either. They also did it last year, but we didn't plan on going since it was right when Em's hip surgery was supposed to be happening, but a lot of you know that she wound up in the hospital with influenza instead ;) So we missed out. We were glad to make it this year though, even though it was a bit cold and windy and rainy at first, it still ended up being a great day with family! Thanks Amber!!

Basically it is a place that they have set up to look like how Utah was when it was settled in. A lot of the buildings are the authentic ones too, just had to be moved.

I will try to be sparse with the pictures, because I took a ton that day!

 Em sitting on the train with her uncle Jeff (Steve's younger brother) and his wife to be Crystal (yes, we'll now have 2 Crystal/Kristal's in the family, but luckily they do spell it differently!)

 Just some cool looking houses on the train ride

 Em's cousin Isabel and their uncle Cory (Steve's youngest brother) on the train (she doesn't look like she's having fun at all does she?!)

Next few pictures are from Brigham Young's house (and this was his actual house moved there to this location, and renovated, but stayed as authentic as possible) :

Some cool pictures of Brigham's children and grandchildren 

 Coolest thing I saw there hands down! And we lucked out as the tour guide told us, it had just arrived the day before!

 This was the part of the house I found the creepiest. Housed the most valuable antiques in the whole place, so the whole room was off limits.

 Seriously creepy (I've heard before that this place is haunted)

 Donut stove, bet you've never seen that before! I certainly hadn't!

Another house we stopped in at:

Caught a cute one of Isa exploring!

 A lot of the places we had to park the strollers outside, I was so fortunate to not have to hold Em hardly at all! She is so loved by her aunts and uncles! This is her aunt Amber holding her

At the school house:

 Isa and Em trying out school in the 1800's :)

 Em was mostly fond of wiping off the chalkboard, didn't like holding the chalk (I don't blame her!)

 Isa, Kristal, Crystal and Jeff trying out the "Deseret Alphabet"

The teacher

 More wiping of the board

 My happy girl was NOT happy when she woke up that morning, but had herself a great time, like I knew she would!

 The soon to be newlyweds (on June 25th!), Crystal and Jeff! We are so happy for them, but aren't sure if we'll be able to make it to their wedding with it being in Seattle and so close to Em's next surgery (which is this Friday), but we're glad they're having a reception here in July!

 The all too real "welcoming committee" in the streets, with real gunshots. Em did not care for this, scared her and made her cry :( I guess with "normal hearing" it makes sense ;) Yeah, and if you didn't know that, it's what we found out at Em's last ENT appointment, that her hearing is considered in "normal range" :)

Pounding leather. Em had fun with this, and was very proud to show her little piece of work to daddy when we got home :)

On the train (Amber stayed off so she could snap pictures with my camera, thanks Amber!):

Crystal, Em and I

 Cory, Isabel and Kristal

 Going round the bend

 The conductor bringing us through the tunnel

Cute one of Isabel and Kristal :)

On the ship:

 Inside the bunker (not really made for adults to get in!)

 The cute cousins born only four days apart (though they were only due 2 days apart!)

 I started to head out with Em because I was getting claustrophobic... but Em pitched a fit, so I handed her back to Amber so she could stay where the fun was!

 It afforded me a few more cute pictures anyway :)

 Loved this house (the front was better, but you could only see it on the train, and as I mentioned, Amber had my camera)

Last picture of the day, Em in front of the biggest monument there. And yes, she had quite the load on her stroller! ;)

We sure had fun! Thanks again Amber!