Summer 2016 Trip to US Part II - Reunions

We didn't do a good job of documenting our trip to the United States this year.  Part of the "problem" was that we were very busy while we're there, and then we came back and immediately went to Russia.  Yulia and the girls stayed for an extra three weeks and I came back to Astana to get ready for, and begin the semester.  I needed to be here to welcome three new faculty members, and to make sure things were ready for the new semester for the department - I've been the Department Chair since August 2015.

We wrote a post about our big adventure at Disneyland.  That was one of the highlights of the trip. The other main highlight was the opportunity to spend time with our family. We had the wedding reception of my cousin's daughter the first day we were in the states, which was a good opportunity to see family from my Dad's side.  The son of my oldest cousin on my Mom's side also got married this summer.  My mom has been kind of his adoptive grandma while he's been studying at BYU before and after his mission to Brazil, and so it was fun.  We also had our annual family reunion with everyone in conjunction with his wedding.  My oldest niece, Abree also had her mission farewell and left for Peru, so it was a busy time for all of us.

At O'Hare waiting for our last flight.  We were all ready to be done traveling by this point!

Cousins playing UNO at Oma's

The lazy river at the Payson Aquatic Center.  We went here a few times and had a good time.

All of the girl cousins.  Aubree (rear left) getting ready to leave us for 18 months to Peru.

Lina is our nomadic birthday girl.  She is our summer birthday and celebrates it in different places each year.  This year was at Oma's! She got glasses this summer.

Lina with her farm cake. It's nice to have a talented mom. Yummy. 

The cake.

Bowling on Lina's birthday because it was too cold to go swimming.

The twins at the pool. 

We met our friends at Temple Square.  It is nice in the summer.

The girls at the Christus statue.

With our friends.

Playing Ticket to Ride with the cousins.

Cousins having fun at Oma's house.

Trip to Salem pond.

Parents enjoying the shade at Salem Pond.

Trip to Palisades Reservoir.  It was colder than when we were there last year - and much higher.

Hiking to the Grotto up Payson Canyon.

What a crew!

We weren't the only ones with this idea.

Max and Danielle: A lovely couple and a lovely wedding day!

At the reception.

Family reunion at Payson Pioneer Park.

Our girls putting on a show.

Hanging out at Oma's house.

Other highlights of our time in Utah included the opportunity to spend time with my brothers and sisters and our nieces and nephews.  We made a trip to a museum at BYU that was about anthropology, and which had a huge focus on textiles from south America.  It was interesting to see, and was a fun time.

At the BYU Anthropology Museum.

Springville Art Museum.

The museum has a large Russian art collection and we loved looking at it.

Cousins!

We made outings to go see "Finding Dory" and just little trips around town as well.  Overall it was a quick four week trip. We are grateful we have the opportunity each summer to spend so much great time with the family.  Next year we'll do a better job of documenting things while we are there!

Getting ready to fly home to Astana.

Sunset Over the Atlantic. On our way home.