My Week In Review (otherwise known as WIR) posts are just that: a review of my past week.  I post an update here every Tuesday sharing some tidbits of my previous week as well as an accompanying photo recap with selections from my Instagram.  Here’s the buzz from my week:

If you can’t tell from the pictures, we’re back in at the family vacation home in Utah for our summer visit.  Huzzah!  I absolutely love coming to Utah for extended stays, which we’ve been doing seasonally for a few years now.  Summer is a beautiful time in the mountains and I feel so blessed to be here!  Of course, I love going anywhere I can take my pup and Winnie feels right at home here, just like me.  We’re very much enjoying being back in our favorite place!

We flew out Sunday evening with Don’s folks, Keith and Suzanne.  We spent most of the week getting settled and prepping for our house guests for the weekend.  My parents flew in on Thursday to spend the long weekend with us.  Friends of Keith and Suzanne’s from Tokyo drove in from California that same day.  We had a full house for a couple of days!  It was fun to co-host everyone.  We planned several excursions and, of course, lots of good food for our guests.

On Thursday night Don put together an awesome meal of flank steak, caesar salad, and garlic bread.  What a way to kick off the weekend!

On Friday, we went on the Timpanogos Cave National Monument hike.  In order to reach the caves, you have to hike up 1,092 feet of incline.  Luckily, this path is designed with switchbacks and is paved for easy footing.  It’s still quite the hike (pun intended!), but includes breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valley.  You buy tickets for a specific cave tour time, since access is limited due to the fragile nature of caves.  While the hike itself can be quite toasty (we lucked out with a cooler day), the caves temperature averages around 45 degrees.  The tour is guided by a park ranger who informs you on the history of the cave and geological facts pertaining to it.  It’s an awesome tour and I highly recommend it.

We hosted a gathering at the house for our guests and our local friends on Friday night.  Don made delicious smoked pulled pork.  I baked the always popular cornbread pudding and Suzanne put together a fresh cucumber and tomato salad.  Yum!  There’s nothing like good food to bring people together.

On Saturday, our friends from Tokyo headed back to California for family gatherings of their own.  My Mom, Suzanne, and I drove up to Sundance for lunch and to walk around the beautiful grounds.  Unfortunately, a summer storm came through cutting our walk short, but we enjoyed watching the rain from the safety of the porch.  That night, the six of us went out to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants located at The Blue Boar Inn.  The menu is a combination of Eurpoean and American influences, with a German/Swiss emphasis.  It was a delectable meal!

We drove up to Deer Valley on Sunday to ride the chair lift, which gives great views of the surrounding mountains and valley.  You get a breathtaking 360 degree view at the top!  We had brunch at Stein Eriksen Lodge, which is one of my personal favorite things to do food-wise whenever we visit.  The bacon is divine!  It’s nice to sit out on the porch and enjoy the mountain air and views while you dine.  After brunch I took my Mom to Park City for a walk around and a little shopping.  She hadn’t been in over thirty years and was interested to see how it had changed.  That night, we made a feast out of all of the delectable leftovers from the previous nights and relaxed outside until the sun set.  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend together.

If you’d like to see more from my weekend, check out my vlog:

I loved being able to spend time with loved ones, including both family and friends old and new this weekend.  Do you have any special family gatherings or trips with friends planned this summer?  I’d love to hear about them if you care to share.  It is always so special to spend quality time with the ones you love.  I hope that you have the opportunity to share good conversation, laughter, and memories with your loved ones this summer.

* This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *