Maddie's Week at Grandma's

If you can believe it, my little eight year old Maddie got on an airplane with her favorite eight year old cousin Sarah, and went to Grandma Hansen's "Eight Year Old Retreat" for the week. I wasn't sure how Maddie would like being on an airplane without any adults, but she did great!! It is a tradition in the Hansen family that when you turn eight you get to spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa Hansen. Every Grandchild looks forward too it!! Zach asked me a few days ago how many days he had until he turned eight. When I told him that it was a little over 800 days he got very excited and wanted to make a count down calendar. I told him we would do one in about 750 days.
Grandma and Grandpa kept the girls very busy. They visited the Dinosaur Museum, This is the Place Monument, The Pioneer Village, The Discovery Center, Grandma and Grandpa's pool, a movie, Down town Salt Lake, Great Grandma's house, Timpanogus Cave, (Maddie's favorite) Build-A-Bear, and so much more. I don't know how any of them had the energy.
My favorite place (although I wasn't there) that they visited was East High School where "High School Musical" was filmed. I am super jealous that for one moment Maddie got to breath the same air that Zac Efron got to breath. . . okay, so I am being dramatic, and I know I am a little to old for him, but I still would have loved to go for a tour of the school too!!
As if the girls weren't BFF's already, this trip bonded them for life!! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for such a memorable trip. Even after one week, Maddie looks a little older and a little more mature. The boys really missed their sister, and so did her parents, but we both commented how quiet the house was. . .we are glad to have her back!