pony rides - Shelley Beatty

We arrived in Salt Lake City and knew we would have to wait a few minutes at the airport before our ride arrived. The Salt Lake airport is not a bad place to spend a few extra moments…it is a place you can witness a moment (and secretly share) the joy and happiness of perfect strangers.

We watched families welcome home and joyfully celebrate their returning missionary. These missionaries were returning home after serving a two year mission somewhere in the world for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). They had not seen their families for that entire time. Only Christmas and Mother’s day are they allowed to call home. Weekly emails were their only form of communication. Cheers would erupt as a young man in a suit would appear at the top of the escalator and slowly descend to the waiting group below. The cheering would continue, signs would wave and people would jump up and down. But when the young man reached the bottom, and it never failed, the first person he would embrace was obviously his mother. It was always a long, sweet and very emotional embrace. And then his dad would receive a big hug. And then siblings would “glom” onto him and create a mass hug. Other relatives and friends followed. So very heart warming. We knew no one, spoke to no one, but we witnessed, shared and thoroughly enjoyed, the sheer joy and happiness of perfect strangers watching their sons come home from their missions at the Salt Lake City airport.

Joyful reunions at the Salt Lake City Airport

And then it was on to other activities and a full few days we enjoyed with Jen, Adam and kids in Salt Lake City.

It was a busy time in Salt Lake City.

One of the reasons we came to Salt Lake City was to see the kindergarden production of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. More specifically the Queen in Sing a Song of Sixpence. We had to see her in the parlor eating bread and honey!

The Queen!

The Queen awaits

The Queen shows us her classroom.

We spent a fun day at This is The Place Heritage Park.

First a quick look at the map…

looking at map

One of the things Becca, Henry and Caroline were excited to show us were the baby animals. First stop the baby chicks.

Henry, Becca, Caroline, Bob and Myself viewing the baby chicks at Heritage Park SLC

Becca holding a baby chick

Bob holding a baby chick for Caroline

Henry holding a baby chick

Henry, Becca and Myself at the baby chicks

Becca and myself with the baby chicks

Next stop the baby goats.

Becca and Caroline with baby goats

Becca with the baby goat

Caroline feeding the baby goat

And of course the pony rides!

Craft making:

Making an Easter Craft

Making a craft at This is The Place Heritage Park

Henry’s craft

The blacksmith…

Visit to the blacksmith shop

The rope maker…

Becca and Henry helping make rope

Henry and Caroline watching Becca make rope

Tooling leather…

Becca showing her tooled leather

Henry and Becca working on tooling leather

Jen and Caroline tooling leather

Henry, Caroline and Becca working on their leather.

Train rides…

Jen and Caroline taking a little train ride

Train ride

But we came for gold, so pan for gold we did!

Becca panning for gold

Gold Rush!

Caroline panning for gold.

Henry and Becca hard at work.

Henry finding gold

Henry counting his gold.

Jen, Caroline and Becca at the stream.

And we struck “GOLD”!

Gold!

and Brigham’s doughnuts

Becca enjoying a Brigham doughnut

Brighams Donuts

And then it was time to go.

Jen and Bob

We enjoyed seeing friends.

Lunch with Carole and Sam Cowley

We built recycling trucks at Lowe’s.

Building at Lowes

Becca building at Lowe’s

Henry

Caroline

Building team

Building at Lowes

Henry

Ballet class.

Becca at ballet.

Soccer game.

Henry at soccer game.

Caroline enjoying soccer game.

We checked out Adam’s office.

Daddy’s office

Went to City Creek.

City Creek

And played in the park.

Caroline

Becca

Henry

Caroline

Becca

Bob watching Becca

Adam helping Caroline

Henry and Caroline

Henry

Becca

Henry

Becca

Becca and Caroline

Jen helping Caroline

All in all a busy wonderful time!!

This is the Place Monument, Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

The West…just as it was! Step back in time with a visit to This Is The Place Heritage Park. The non-profit This Is The Place Foundation manages Utah’s premier living history attraction, a historic 450-acre Utah state Park. The mission is to preserve and promote the heritage and history of Utah. You’ll find it alive in storied accounts of the settlement of the West, told by knowledgeable interpreters in a setting of original and replica historic homes. You’ll also see artisans and interpreters demonstrate 19th Century frontier life in a working environment. While you look on, the blacksmith explains his trade while he creates items used elsewhere in the Village and the furniture-maker turns ordinary wood into a masterpiece!

A lively variety of domestic skills are demonstrated in Village homes. You can watch wool being carded and spun into yarn that will be colored with a kaleidoscope of dyes made from native plants, many grown right here at the Park. At another historic building, candles are being dipped layer-by-layer over a small open fire in the back yard and quilting demonstrations are sure to leave you warm at heart!A visit to the Park is not a tour of historic artifacts behind velvet ropes and glass, but a true experience of life as it was in the early days of the West. The Native American Village offers a window to a world long since gone, where members of Utah’s indigenous tribes interpret the history of their native people. You can also enjoy the Park from the comfort of one of three replica trains and see and hear the history of the settlement, or simply spend the day walking the quiet streets on your own.

One of the highlights of our visit, or at least Henry and Becca thought, was to the Brigham’s Doughnut shop.

Brigham’s Doughnut Shop

I found a recipe for Brigham’s Doughnut in the Friend Magazine, July 1975:
Pioneer Recipes

Buttermilk Doughnuts
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
flour
Combine ingredients, kneading in enough flour to make a soft dough that’s not too sticky. Roll out and cut into doughnuts. Fry in deep, hot lard. President Brigham Young enjoyed this pastry.

We also enjoyed the pony rides and train rides!!