time with nana and papa

With my parents living in London, and our living in New Zealand we are exactly opposite sides of the world.  You really can't get further away.   While we were all in the States we only had a little more than a week to spend with my parents before they rushed back to London to prepare for their move and retirement coming up in December.   After the family gathering in California we all headed up to Salt Lake City.

We took a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Silver Lake.  After a bit of encouragement Maya enjoyed the hike and even managed to smile for a photo with her Nana.  The weather was beautiful and warm and the leaves were just about ready to change for Autumn.

I went with my mom and dad and five kids to the Hogel Zoo.  It was a busy day and we lost Max more than a couple of times.  After raising five kids of her own I was surprised at how stressed it made my mom.  She commended that she now understood how her mom felt.

Trent, Maya, Stella, Max and Sam acting like monkeys.  

Nana and Papa bought everyone their own ice cream cones.  

It was nice to see how quickly Max and Maya felt connected to their cousins.  Sam and Stella were very kind in sharing their home and toys with their younger-mess-making cousins.

We also took a ride on the carousel.  

We probably should have taken a group photo before the kids were fried.  

We also enjoyed quite a bit of time at my parents house, where Laura and Tom and family are currently living.   We watched lots of sunsets, played lots of "Ticket to Ride",  hosted friends, watched British television shows and most importantly had lots of time to talk.