Road trips are quite long.  Try squishing eight people and three weeks worth of junk into small quarters for hours at a time.  Especially when someone is looking for something and you have to crawl into the trunk on top of suitcases to let her search.  It was actually more comfortable than it looks; I could've spent the whole ride like that if it weren't illegal.      

   In SLC we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Lundgreen.  I was shocked to realize that I hadn't been to the beloved 1920's home with its beautiful gardens and childhood memories in four years-- and in four years, I'll be twenty.  Old enough by my own personal standards to get married, which is CRAY because four years flew by.  Anyway.
  I was happy to be taken in by Grandpa's traditional bear hugs and Grandma's delight to see us.  She even purchased us "squeaky cheese."  {Cannot say that I recommend it.}  When we weren't swarmed with activities, we could slip away to the huge yard to pick fresh plums or rasberries and observe the fish in the ponds {including the new giant goldfish Harley} or sneak down to the basement to chill.  Sophie enjoyed the company of the old shnauzer Christie and the neighbor's tailless cat Mr. Z.  I discovered that grandparents' houses are also chalk full of old pictures that make you cock your head, like "That's what you used to look like?!"
  Living nearby are my Uncle Chris & Aunt Susan, Uncle Steve & Aunt Sandra & Eli, and cousin Becca with her husband Taylor and adorable baby Graham.  My mom's brother Charlie and his wife Bri even drove down to see us.  Like I said, a pleasant trip of visiting.  Though I can't say it was quite the same as the last time-- with Ben absent on an LDS mission in Madegascar!  It was also quite funny because we ended up hanging out with some of our Boston friends, the Mannings, who happened to be in SLC at the same time.
  One thing unique about Utah is its Pioneer Day.  People are so wild about the parade, we saw them setting up tents 5 o'clock the night before to claim views just the same as the ones we got coming late the day of.  I could see the fireworks from every window in the house.  Even though the people are borderline crazy, I appreciated the holiday because my ancestors sacrificed much to travel across the plains with many other members of the church.
   I also love Salt Lake's the view of the gorgeous temple-- one of my ancestors even helped with the construction of the windows.  

  Knowing that I plan on heading of to college in just a few years, we visiting the BYU campus.  That's where my parents met.  {top left- my mom's dorm; top right- the place my dad lived in when my mom went to visit her college crush and met my dad at the door instead. FATE; bottom left- the jewelry shop where my dad bought the ring that he popped the question on the top of a ski slope one night with}