Weekend in Utah!

The week started out with my birthday - with the boys back to school and Jim out of town it was a pretty quiet birthday but thank goodness for girlfriends. I went to lunch with 10 of them on Monday and then celebrated again a few days later with another lunch and another friend. It is nice to stretch out the celebrating. Thanks to Tricia, Jayna, Tamara, Grandma and Grandpa Wilkes and my folks for the birthday phone calls and emails too. I ended up buying my own birthday cake but that is o.k. because that way I got my favorite cake - a cream cheese, poppyseed cake from Beaverton Bakery - yum! The girls and I enjoyed a slice each day all week long!

Jim was in Idaho and Utah all week, braving the snowy and icy roads while we just continued to wash away here in Portland. Big excitement on Thursday was a tornado that touched down in Vancouver - just north of here. We never get tornadoes and especially not this time of year!

On Friday the girls and I headed to Utah to meet up with Jim and to see the boys. Logan and the Young Ambassador's were performing on campus this weekend. Jim saw the show Thursday night and the rest of us saw it Friday and Saturday (except for Clark who opted to go to the Jazz game on Saturday night). Friday afternoon Tricia took the girls and I (and Jim tagged along) to the most amazing shop and cafe - Dear Lizzy in Highland. The girls and I were in heaven -it was the cutest place I have ever seen! We had a yummy lunch including a delicious cupcake and had fun looking at all the amazing things in the shop!! I think Jim felt a bit out of place as it was definitely a "girly" place!!

Before the show on Friday we had dinner at my favorite-Cafe Rio with Clark and the girl he has been dating - Brooke and Logan's girlfriend Shayla joined us too. It was fun to meet Brooke. She and Clark then went to the show with us but Shayla had rehearsal for a show she is in so couldn't go with us.
Saturday, Jim, Cali, Tessa and Clark and went snowmobiling with Uncle David and kids. They had a great time - there was lots of snow and it wasn't nearly as cold as the last time they had gone (35 degrees below zero). I stayed in town and took Logan out to breakfast and did a bit of errand running with him. He had a matinee performance so couldn't go snowmobiling.

Grandma and Grandpa Wilkes braved the icy roads and drove down from Idaho so they were able to go to the show with us Saturday night. A group of 20 of us Wilkes went to dinner at another favorite place - Los Hermanos before the show. Wynn, Emily and kids, Brendy, Cecilia and Jacob Wilkes, the David Wilkes (including Lane and Chelsea), Grandma and Grandpa and all of us (except Logan and Clark who was at the basketball game with Brooke) We had some yummy Mexican and then headed over to the show.

The show was wonderful and the crowd was great - lots of yelling, cheering and standing ovations. It was the first time the girls had seen the show.

Sunday Grandpa gave Tessa her Patriarchal blessing and then we attended church at Uncle David's ward. Aunt Tricia fixed a yummy Sunday dinner and the boys joined us for that too. We arrived home safe and sound last night, tired but happy. It never fails - each time we leave Utah someone always makes the comment "I wish we lived closer". A special thank you David and Tricia for always putting us up or should I say putting up with us and being wonderful hosts!