"This is the Place" Heritage Park

My dad had a doctor appointment in Salt Lake City today, so the kids and I hitched a ride and had them drop us off at the "This is the Place" Heritage Park. The park is state run, celebrating Utah's pioneer history. 

The Livery 

The Blacksmith

The original cabin of one of the first pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. They had seven children in this teeny thing. Seven. In this cabin, I totally gave my kids the mom-speech about how blessed they are to have our house and their own room.

They made their own leather wristlettes. (I call them wristlettes, because the word bracelets is too feminine for my boys.)

There was even a splash pad to cool off. Kids got sopping wet. 

 Cousins Madi, Parker, Myles and Hazel joined us.

We went panning for gold. 

Made an arrowhead necklace (necklette?)

After the doctor appointment, Mom and Dad joined us.

Chores! Washing clothes-

Plowing the fields

Cleaning the rugs

Sylas REALLY wanted to plow the fields too

 But it was too heavy. Here he is saying "UGH!"

 I sent Ander to the rescue to help him out.

 When this picture was taken, a storm was rolling in. But as is typical of Utah storms, it rolls in, and right back out. 

Statue of Brigham Young standing with Joseph Smith on the bank of the Mississippi river discussing moving the saints westward. 

 When Brigham Young made it to the Valley, he was sick with Mountain Fever and in the back of a wagon. As they came out of the canyon, he looked out on the valley, stood for several minutes enwrapped in a vision, and saw what the valley would become. It gave me chills to realize that what I was looking at, was what he saw in the vision. Grateful to my ancestors for the hardships they endured. 

And of course I gave my kids another mom-speech about how blessed we are that we made almost the same trek as the saints, only we did it in 3 days, instead of 3 months. 

Afterwards, we went to my Dad's work. It was kinda fun explaining to my kids that this is their business, and when Tamsyn asked me how they had their own business, I replied, "Well, they had a good idea so they used their own money and brains to get it started." 

I am having a blast. Another big day tomorrow! Cherry Hill, here we come!