Salt Lake City - 5th April, Easter Sunday

After a rubbish night's sleep for me (I heard the key pad entrance lock beeping in the night, and thought someone was trying to get in, and then had stressy dreams about it!), we went and got petrol, had breakfast at Burger King (including tater-tots!), then went to a Smith's supermarket and bought a load of expensive rubbish food. I did find a bag of Cadbury's Mini Eggs though, which I was happy about - some Easter chocolate! I'd had some at Lola's the day before, and the chocolate was OK. Not good shopping on a Sunday though.

Driving under Eagle Gate.

We then went up to 'This Is The Place' for a bit, so the kids could get the feel of it, and learn a bit about the first settlers to the valley.

Then we stopped off at the school where the High School Musical films were based, and filmed a bit. So funny! (The real life school sports team, instead of being called the Wildcats like in the films, is called the Leopards!!) We took a few cheesy photos, then headed home and got packed up.

Harry and Tom doing some High School Musical grooving!!

We left all our packed-up stuff in the house, then walked down for the Sunday afternoon session of conference. Gorgeous weather again! We sat in Temple Square for a bit, and bumped into Chase Huntzinger again!

Queuing for conference.

Once we got to our seats, we spotted the Garricks sitting at the front of our section, so went and had a good catch up with them! They'd been doing a similar holiday to us. We arranged to meet up afterwards.
I took my small camera to conference this time, which I was allowed to keep with me, so got a few pictures.

Two of the talks weren't in English and we had subtitles on big screens. When President Uchtdorf got up afterwards, he just started talking in German, as a joke! (There was already a meme about it by that night!)
Lola said the day before that loads of ladies fancy President Uchtdorf (she works in the Salt Lake Temple) and want to know if he's single yet!! She said he and President Eyring were in the temple one day, and she ended up having to call for back-up because people kept going and touching him!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir were singing in this session.

Afterwards we met up with the Garricks outside the Conference Centre, and chatted for a while. It was nice! Clare's so enthusiastic!

Then we walked back up the hill (again!) home. My feet ached by then so I took my shoes off and walked in my tights. It was lovely - chatting with Scott, with the kids up ahead, warm and sunny, and taking it all in. Harry even waved the pedestrian flags to get us across the road! Lucy said the day before that Salt Lake has been her favourite place so far.

At home, we changed and packed up the car, then did the three hour or so drive to Green River.
I was quite glad to leave the house we stayed in. The location was great, but it felt a bit scabby and grubby.
We just had our usual bagels, cream cheese, satsumas, biscuits etc for tea in the car.

Drove past green rocks, coal seams and other cool scenery on the way.

Green River! Scott and I stayed there five years ago... fond memories of the so-called Watermelon Capitol of the World!

We got to our hotel at about 8pm, and Lucy, Tom, Harry and I headed straight for the pool! The hotel was nice, except for no lift!
I swam quite a few lengths and it felt good - for my poor feet especially! Then the other people left and we went in the hot tub. Nice!

In the evening I edited all my Salt Lake photos and put them on Facebook.

Salt Lake City - 4th April

We met up with the Walters at Lola's house at 10am. We'd decided we'd hike from there up to Ensign Peak, overlooking Salt Lake City. It was another glorious, warm day.

At the top, Dan gave me a couple of sheets he'd printed out about the history of Ensign Peak, to read out to everyone. It was really good, and I really felt the spirit. It felt like a special place, especially knowing that some Endowments were carried out there before the temple was built.

Nice seeing the kids with their pen pals!

We then went back to our houses, and at noon Scott picked up the Walters and bought them to our's, so we could all walk down to attend the Saturday afternoon session on Conference together. It was lovely walking down - such a good atmosphere!

At Temple Square we split up. We had arranged to meet up with Chase Huntzinger, the son of some of our US military friends who had lived in Huntingdon. It was great to see him all grown up! He's not long been back off his mission. (Harry was having a bit of a strop about having his picture taken at this point, because he was in the middle of drawing a picture!)

Also while we were hanging around outside the Tabernacle, I saw David Sessions just walking by! He was also the son on some of our US military friends from Huntingdon, and I was his youth Sunday School teacher a few years back!
We also bumped into the Robinsons from Northampton, who Lucy had been to the concert with the night before.

Scott had arranged to meet up with his cousin Dean Cryer, and his family, who now live in Canada but were in Salt Lake City on holiday too!

It was fun seeing the place fill up, with loads of Mormons everywhere, plus a few protesters with placards (which made no sense to me at all, especially the bit about Mormons being drunks?!!)
We queued up at our entrance number, but then saw the Walters again who told us we had to go and check our bigger bags in, so the boys went ahead, while Lucy and I went to check our cameras in, and found them again inside the Conference Centre. We were in the middle of the middle level.

The front of the Conference Centre.

Conference was great! We were in the session where at the beginning we get the chance to sustain our leaders, and have the church reports. When President Uchtdorf asked if there were any opposed, a few people in the audience shouted out 'Opposed! Opposed!' We were a bit surprised, but President Uchtdorf handled it entirely cooly, and noted the opposition, telling them to speak with their local leaders about their concerns. I wasn't sure if this happened every time in conference, but apparently it's the first time it's happened in a long time. By the time we got home that night, there were already 'Mormon Memes' made up about it, which we found hilarious!
Anyway, it didn't bother me really. People have the right to express their opposition (though they are asked to raise their hands if they oppose, just as those who sustain raise their hands - not just yell out.) It just made me feel sure about my own sustaining of our leaders.
The conference talks were all so good. I made notes and went away with a lot to think about.

After conference, we met up with the Walters again, who were flying back to Idaho that evening. Scott, Jack and Tom left then, to get some food before the Priesthood Session of conference, and Lucy, Harry, the Walters and I walked back to our house.
Tyler using one of the flags left out for pedestrians to cross the road and stop any traffic with!

We weren't quite sure then what the plan was, so I popped up with the Walters to Lola's house, and she had prepared food, so Dan drove me back down to pick up Lucy and Harry, so we could all go back to Lola's.
We had a pleasant evening at Lola's - watching bits of the Priesthood session on TV and chatting. Harry went off to play with Tyler and had a great time!
Lola has had a really interesting life! She's lived all over the world, been in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, been married twice, had no children, been secretary to one of the Twelve Apostles, and knows all of them really well!

At 7.30pm Dan drove me, Lucy and Harry back to our's, and Lola followed with the rest of the Walters who were all packed up for the airport.
We said our goodbyes, then Lucy, Harry and I walked back down to Temple Square. We had another look around Deseret Books, and showed Lucy the Tabernacle and view from the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

By that time, Harry was tired out. I will always remember waiting at a pedestrian crossing facing the Conference Centre. Lucy and I were the only ones standing there, with Harry actually lying down on the pavement... the Priesthood Session had just finished and so on the opposite side of the crossing facing us were hundreds of guys in suits! We were definitely going against the flow!
We tried to get on the roof of the Conference Centre, but weren't allowed, so we walked home, where the boys were already back. We all chatted a bit before bed.

Salt Lake City - 3rd April

We went to IHOP (International House Of Pancakes) in Cedar City for breakfast - it was pretty busy as a coach load had just pulled in. The pancakes were OK, but no better than anywhere else (and a lot more expensive!)

We then drove about 4 hours to Salt Lake City. We drove in past Provo, and saw quite a few temples on the way.

The new Payson Temple.

We wanted to take the kids to Bingham Copper Mine, and drove up to the main gates, but the mine was shut to the public. (We found out later that there had been a land slide there a few months before.) Driving near the mine, at one point we could see three temples in one view!

Lots of LDS churches everywhere too!

We drove to our rented apartment, directly opposite the back of the Capitol building - a great location.
The apartment wasn't ready for us yet. Scott spoke to Skylar - the man renting it out, and he'd had to call the Police, because the previous people had left a rucksack with 50 stolen identities in it!
We got there about 3pm, and Skylar let us dump our stuff in the kitchen, use the bathroom, and use the internet, so I could get the address from Facebook of where the Walters were staying. Dan had left me a message, and we'd arranged for us to come by the house of an elderly widowed friend, who they visit from time to time, a couple of blocks away. They had flown down the day before from their home in Idaho.
We found the house OK, and they were working in the garden of their friend, Lola. It was nice to see them! They've not changed much since we saw them in France 5 years ago.
They finished up, and then we drove in two lots (they had no car) down to our house, then walked from there down to the Capitol Building, and went inside for a quick look.
It was nice to see the kids together, getting to know each other again.

Inside the Capitol - beautiful!

The House of Representatives.

The last time I was at the Capitol Building was in 1995, when a couple of American friends and I went running through the sprinklers on the lawn one night!

We carried on to the Conference Centre, and it was so nice! Gorgeous weather, and seeing the Temple and Conference Centre as we walked down the hill!

At the Conference Centre we showed our passports and got tickets for the Saturday and Sunday Afternoon Sessions of conference, and Priesthood Session. While we were there, Harry got a massive nosebleed, so I took him to sit by a fountain and cool him down. A nice passing lady gave us a roll of tissue.

We then walked through Temple Square and down a couple of blocks to the Olive Garden restaurant.

Scott and Lucy just got a quick salad so that Scott could walk Lucy down to The Depot a few blocks away, where she was meeting up with the Robinsons from Northampton Ward, to see a George Ezra concert with them. The tickets had only cost £11!
We had a brilliant meal - gorgeous pasta, endless salad and large soft garlic bread sticks.

After dinner, we went to Deseret book shop, and Mitt Romney's wife (the LDS guy who ran for American President) was in there for a book signing, with a load of cameras etc.

We met back up with Scott then went to the Assembly Hall, Tabernacle and Visitor's Centre.

Inside the Tabernacle - finished by the pioneers in 1847.

Salt Lake Temple, finished in 1893, taking the pioneers 40 years to build.

In the Visitor's Centre, looking at a model of old Jerusalem.

Also in the Visitor's Centre.

We also stopped off at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and went and saw the view over Temple Square.

We walked back in the dark up the hill to our apartment, and the Walters came in for a drink before Scott dropped them back at Lola's.

I was sharing a room with Lucy (Scott had a room off the living room and the boys were all in the living room), and she got home at about 10.30pm, dropped off by the Robinsons after the concert. She was totally full of it!! They'd been really close to the front and Lucy said it was all just brilliant! Heather took this picture from where they were standing.