Day 2 in Utah

We started off our first full day in Utah by heading down to Temple Square.  Noah has been talking about seeing the Salt Lake Temple, or 'Gram's Temple', as he calls it, for months and months. He was not disappointed.

It didn't take long to see that two parents each pushing a stroller was efficient for getting around, but really hindered picture taking.  But I came to terms very quickly that this was just the first of many trips our family will take to Temple Square.  So, I'd just have to be happy with any moment I could capture, even though a lot would be left out and forgotten.

Noah has also started calling the Salt Lake Temple 'My Temple', and he made sure his temple got a full inspection.

The time is not far off when I'll be able to share with him the story of this great building and how it took forty years to build.  I love the phrase I was reminded of recently that 'If you let your children touch the temple, it will touch them.'

I'm really not surprised that Noah liked the exhibits and things to see in the Visitor's Center.  He's a take it all in kind of guy and asks lots of questions about EVERYthing.  We laughed when he ran past a statue and Nate said, "Hey Noah who is that?" He turned, looked quickly, and said, "Dat's Adam and Eve," and continued on his way.  He did pause for a few seconds to check out a painting of his namesake ("Dat's Noah!) in the Old Testament section of the Visitor's Center. 

We also visited the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, rode to the 26th floor of the Church Office Building to see the amazing view, and spent time at the Church History Museum.  The Museum has a really great (and free!) section for kids.  One of the exhibits was Nephi's boat.

Noah helped finish off the building of Nephi's boat and then did some fishing off the side.

We could have stayed there for a lot longer, but naps were calling.  We'll definitely be back.

Before leaving we also walked through the new City Creek Mall (AMAZING) and had lunch at the Blue Lemon.  And, despite the lack of pictures of Luke, he WAS there.  I guess he was just such a little gem in the stroller that we didn't want to take him out for a picture.  Sorry buddy.  I do have a few that I'll use in another post.

The boys naps were long, so we weren't sure what to squeeze in before dinnertime.  Nate suggested Cabela's, so we checked it out.  Talk about a fun store.

It seems weird that a retail establishment played a part in our super fun vacation, but it sure did!

Our first stop was the huge aquariums with fresh water fish.


I love when Noah says, "He's a mean guy," referring to one of the big fish, and "It's under the sea!"   I also think this little clip captivates the excitement and energy Noah had during almost the entire trip.  His little legs were constantly on the go and ready to see whatever lie ahead.

And sweet Luke, just continued to be a champ in the stroller -- as long as we kept moving and looking at new things.

We lost Nate in the fly fishing section for a while, so the boys and I took a look at the crazy amount of taxidermy in the store.  If taxidermy can be considered impressive, it sure was.  There are animals of literally every variety, climate and habitat.  Once Nate caught up with us we stopped at another area to feed the fish.

After taking in the rest of the store, we headed back to Gram's for a late dinner and much needed bedtime. Our first full day in Utah was an exhausting success!