Our latest big adventure was to Yellowstone with Nanny, Poppy and our cousin Wyatt. We had SO much fun! It is so beautiful there and so many incredible things to see. The kids favorite stop was at Mud Volcano...we loved the Churning Cauldron but the big hit was Dragon's Mouth Spring. The way the steam came out of the little cave and the growling sounds it made as the water bubbled and churned made it sound and look as if there really was a dragon in that cave!
The weather there was crazy and so unpredictable...it would be blazing hot one minute and then rainy and 50 degrees the next minute! We were caught unprepared more than once and used whatever we had to keep dry and warm. In one unexpected cold rain storm we were in the Geyser Basin trying to keep warm with towels and the steam from some hot pots. It was a strange feeling because the hot steam would quickly warm you but the instant the wind would change you would be FREEZING again! We stood there for a long time just to feel that weird sensation!
We had lots of fun at camp, too. The kids spent a lot of time running through the trees, sitting around the fire roasting marshmallows and even did a bunch of "homework" to become Jr. Rangers...I tried to avoid the mosquitoes as much as I could! One night for dessert we made ice cream in a bag. It was pretty cold to shake but turned out great...that's something we'll definitely do again!
In our travels around the park we saw two elk, one deer, an osprey trying to fish, lots of chipmunks and thousands of buffalo! Caleb loved the buffalo and if you ask him what sound they make he'll tell you "BURRRPPP"! And that's exactly how they sound!!
It quickly turned into this...
I'm not exactly sure what goes on at the Father's and Son's...and I'm not exactly sure that I WANT to know, I do know that it includes lots of dirt, not much hand washing or teeth brushing, big fires, guns and 4-wheelers.
This year the Boy Scouts retired some of the worn flags that they use for their fundraiser. Troy said they put together a really neat program, I thought this was a pretty cool picture.
Later Saturday afternoon some of us girls met our boys up at camp for a little outdoor adventure of our own...the plan was to do a little camping, cook tinfoil dinners and go for a little ride.
Caleb and his best friend in the whole world.
It all started out great! Then it started getting really cold and wet. As we headed back we decided to follow the GPS and take a road that looped back to the main road we came in on and would take us back to camp. When the road disappeared into a big open field I started to get a little nervous. We could see where the road SHOULD have been and could see a trail that LOOKED like it led up the mountain to the main road. We decided to keep going and picked up the double track trail...we forged a river and started up the mountain, next thing I know the double track turned into a single track and the slope started to get VERY steep!
This is where we decided to stop and formulate a new plan! One of the guys went ahead of us to check out the trail...he was gone for a long time...a very long time. It started getting late, then it started raining, then it started to down pour, then the lightening and thunder started and the dirt all around us started getting very wet and VERY slippery...all we could do was to wait and huddle under the pine trees to try to keep everybody dry and standing up straight!
Cousin Jack is up to bat and Ben's on third.
We took our annual trip to St. George and Zion National Park the first part of June. Whenever we go to Zion's we always hike to Weeping Rock. We have so many pictures taken right here at this rock wall starting with the summer that Troy and I were engaged...the wall and the view behind it hasn't changed, but it's fun to see how WE have changed and our family has grown! This year we also hiked to all three Emerald Pools...I'm so proud of us! That hike to the upper pool is pretty intense and we all made it! Our kids are becoming pretty awesome hikers, we all really enjoy the places we can go and the things we can see now that the kids are growing up!
For all the hiking we did this is the only picture we took once we reached the upper pool. Just as we got there big, dark rain clouds rolled in and Troy was pretty anxious to get us all out of there. You'll just have to me believe me when I say it is BEAUTIFUL up there!
The middles pools were full of Tadpoles....millions of them! The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever! Kind of grossed me out!
Caleb's little legs needed a break on the way down...he ALMOST made it the whole way all on his own! Along this hike the kids counted 9 squirrels (not counting the dead one), 3 lizards, 1 million tadpoles and 1 too many snakes!
The St. George Temple is another place we always stop, I love the visitor center there. We were there at night this time and the grounds were peaceful and beautiful and the temple seemed to just glow.
Troy and Ben played a round of golf together. This is something that they are really starting to enjoy doing together. We have a deal with Ben that for every book he reads through the summer Troy will take him to play golf...we already owe him 3 rounds!
We spent the rest of our time in St. George swimming, playing and eating. The kids loved Pirate Island and In & Out Burger...I've never seen Caleb eat a Burger like he did there! And Sara and I went to Tuachan to see Annie. We had a great time together, it's so much fun having a little buddy who likes musicals as much as I do! She came home and loaded up her i-pod with all the Annie songs and has been singing them for weeks! We are already talking about next year's play, Disney's "Tarzan". So even though this summer has really just begun...here's to next year!
Winter - or lack of it
5 months ago
