SUMMER ROADTRIP 2014: Seven Peaks and Puppies!

Dad and Susie finally got back into town, so it was time to spend some Roper time on this trip. On Sunday we went my Aunt Valerie & Uncle Jared's ward because her third son, Peter, was giving his mission farewell talk.  The kids were surprisingly good for the meeting!  So much so that my aunts and uncles actually told me they were a little disappointed, after having read about my kids' antics in church for years and years.  What can I say? They caught us on an off week.

We had a delicious lunch at Valerie's house and spent the rest of the day at Dad and Susie's, hanging out and relaxing.

On Monday we went to the Seven Peaks Water Park.  I don't have any pictures because I didn't want to deal with my camera there.  But it was soooo fun!  Spencer and Josh were in heaven because they were both tall enough to go on all the slides.  We spent the day juggling who was in charge of which kids: Spencer and Josh (who were up for just about anything but the straight down slides), Cole (who could go on most of the slides), and Tess (who wanted NOTHING to do with any of the slides - even the kiddie ones).  Uncle Kevin helped watch the boys a bit and Grandpa and Grandma were awesome enough to watch Tess the most.  I expected to be black and blue and sore the next day, but the only injury I got was on this racing slide as I raced against Kevin, Spencer, and Josh.  I hit the bone just below my big toe on my right foot pretty hard going down; so hard that it started swelling and bruising pretty well right away, and I couldn't wear shoes that covered it up at all for several days. (I wonder if I might have just very slightly fractured it.  Well, it's pretty much better now.)

That evening we had a most delicious dinner at Cafe Rio (a Utah must) and then went to my Uncle Bryce & Aunt Janee's house. I did really want to visit with them, but the real reason we went?  PUPPIES!!

Their dog, Siri, had had seven puppies about 6 weeks before, and they were DARLING.  I mean, just look at them!

Don't they just melt your heart?

I pretty much just wanted to take one home after all the puppy kisses.

But then I remembered three very important things:

1. Spencer is allergic to dog saliva
2. The puppies were all spoken for
3. Even if we could have a puppy, we'd have to drive TWO DAYS with it in the car back to Indiana.

I don't care how cute they are - no puppy is worth that.

Spencer, not wanting to break out into hives, stayed far away from the puppy cuteness.  The other kids looked at them a little, but were far more interested in the trampoline, play set, and tennis court.

That puppy is sooooo cute!  I have to say I would gladly drive two days back to Indiana with Kevin.  But not three.

Tess and her princess dresses.  Grandpa and Grandma are certainly enablers when it comes to all things pink and frilly.

Josh did warm up to the puppies.

One adventurous pup wanted to jump on the trampoline.

Cole got brave and petted a puppy, too.  Because you know, it was a ferocious beast of a thing!

Snoozin'.  Being a puppy is hard work.

Lance seemed to tolerate the puppies.  He is apparently immune to their cuteness.

I'm not.

There's Siri, the momma.  All those puppies wanted to do was eat, and the poor momma had to keep trying to get away from them for a little peace!

Total puppy love.

In the end, after I really, really thought about it, I decided these were the best kind of puppies: someone else's.