2nd week of July

Here are some highlights from the first full week of July. 

On Monday, July 6th we took the boys up Camp Tracy in the afternoon.  I worked in the morning, then we met at our house and left.  We only had 4 kids since that's all we have in Activity Days and almost in our whole Primary.  I drove and our neighbor Sydney Evans came w/ me, since she had 2 of her own boys going, and she's the Activity Leader.  Steve took Nyles and Hudson to cut some trees down in the Uintas to get firewood while we were gone.

A deer, up where Steve was cutting wood.

 Clay Evans, Ethan Gatherum, Carter, and Beau Evans.  A moose in Camp Tracy.

BB guns.

Playing w/ rollers, then rock walls.

Dinner time!

Then playing gaga ball.  Carter won one round.

Then they played a dinosaur tag game w/ tails.

Then row boats.

They had a lot of fun in the boats.  Since there were only 4 in our group, they had us join another group of 18 kids the whole day.  Thankfully, we got along.

Bow and arrow time.  Then final skits.

Tuesday night we went and watched Toy Story 5 since it's $5 Tuesdays.  

It was a cute movie.  Dave, Joann, and Rob met us there also.

The boys are selling firewood pretty quickly this summer, even with fire restrictions in place.  Steve and the boys went up to the Uintas on Wednesday afternoon.  Rob and Zach also drove up.  They had a moose going through the campgrounds.  They found a "free" campsite just off the road.

Hudson laying on a rock, then at Moosehorn Lake.  

The boys cute and wrapped up more firewood before they left.  Someone asked for a few more than they had bundled, so I wrapped them during my lunch break, and then they came and picked them up from our porch.  Cute Piper in our room, while I worked.

Phill and Conor came up Thursday.  I was going to meet Phill that morning to give him the boys' jackets (since they accidently forgot to pack them), but he was running behind schedule.  So I ended up leaving them at Diane's house on her porch.  Phill then came and picked them up there, and took them up to Steve and the boys and camped w/ them the next 2 nights.

Rob, Phill, and Zack up at camp.  Hudson getting dinner, along w/ Nyles and Rob.

Hudson, Conor, and Carter by the campfire.  

Hudson caught a fish all by himself at Moosehorn Lake.

More fun camping.

Then over to Mirror Lake.  Nyles, Carter, Conor, and Hudson.  Steve and the boys.

They took a walk around Mirror Lake.

A cowboy watching for the moose in the campground.  

Playing a game, making s'mores, and enjoying the fire at night.

Dave and Joann picked me up Saturday morning, and we drove up and met them at Trial Lake.  Zack, Phill, and Conor went home, though.  It was over 100 degrees down in the valley, so we were looking forward to cooler temperatures up in the mountains.  It was still 70 degrees up there, though, and felt hot.  A lot of people must of had the same idea, as it was pretty busy everywhere in the mountains.

Nyles fishing at Trial Lake.  Hudson in the hammock.

Carter, Steve, Hudson, and Dave.

Steve and I went out for a paddle.  Hudson and Carter playing w/ trucks in the water.

Hudson tried to paddle on his own, then Steve went out w/ him.

We made some turkey burgers for lunch.  

I cooked them up the night before, so we just needed to warm them up.

Steve and Nyles went out fishing.  Hudson made a friend to play with at the lake.  Cute Carter.

Pretty flowers at the campsite.  Steve said he thought of me when he saw them. :)

Hudson wanted a picture w/ the flowers.  I made fajitas for dinner.  I cooked them the night before, so we reheated them.  I also cooked up tortillas, along w/ cilantro lime rice.  Nyles w/ my sunglasses on.  All of us eating dinner under the canopy of our little camper trailer.

We went home after dinner.  We unpacked and got ready for Sunday.  It was great to get up in the mountains, even for the day.

We had Ward Conference at our ward on Sunday, so that was nice.  It was our last Ward Conference to attend at Stake Leaders.  Now we just have Primary Programs, which will start in September.  Hudson was asked to give a talk in Primary.  I had a quick ministering meeting after church and Steve had a meeting as well.  Then in the evening we had Sundaes on Sunday at a neighbor's yard.

Great quotes:

4th of July week

We had an eventful week leading up to the 4th of July.  Here are some highlights. 

Steve got another fan put in by the formal dining room and living room.  Nice work Steve!  Silly Piper trying to hide in our room as we go to bed.  Pretty Lily in the back yard.  The Evans made us a 3D printed hockey stick holder so Steve installed it in the garage.  He also installed a handle bar in Dave/Joann's shower. 

The boys are selling firewood again this Summer.  They went and cut trees down up in the Uintas, then came back and started chopping the wood.  Steve actually let Nyles use the chainsaw this time to actually drop and cut the trees down.

We ordered and put up another sunshade as the other one tore.  The backyard.

Steve took the boys up to the Uintas.  They took a small grill and cooked up hotdogs.  

Rob came up as well.  They also went fishing.

Friday, July 3rd, I went w/ Pauline up to Burley for Anna's baby shower at my parent's place.  Steve stayed home the boys and cleaned and cut firewood.  That afternoon Jeff invited them over to go swimming at the pool.  Cute Piper chewing on her bone and laying on her bed.

Anna opening gifts after we had lunch and played a few games.  Those who came: Anna, Becky, our cousin Angela Buhler Cockrell and our daughter, Barbara, Ava, me, Pauline, Rose, Sophia, mom and Calley.

All 5 of us Sisters and mom.

Pauline and I visited w/ mom and dad a while, then drove home late afternoon.

On Saturday the 4th of July, 4 jets did a flyover across the State of Utah.  They went right over our house in the morning.  A little later, we then drove down to Lehi to Thanksgiving Point to the gardens.  As we were walking in, they flew over again.  It was so awesome!  The refuel jet was w/ them on their way back, and we only saw 3 jets instead of 4 coming back.

We went to Thanksgiving Point's Imaginaria, celebrating 250 years in America after signing the Declaration of Independence.  They went through the history of America w/ fun facts along the walkway.  There were also fun statues and replicas of historic places.  We're so grateful for the beautiful country we live in.  For the freedoms we enjoy, especially religious freedom.  We're grateful for those who came before us to make this all possible.

American 250!

Cute Hudson by an Army truck.  Flags on the lawn.  The Statue of Liberty.

Mount Rushmore, Liberty Bell, Lincoln Memorial.

Then a fun slide.  Though it was getting really hot and they weren't sliding very well as the water and bubbles were drying out too fast ;)

Showing gratitude to our veterans.  I wrote Dexter's name and put it up, Steve put his mission buddy's name Eric Seamons on the wall.  Cool cake. 

Cool ship, space, and the boys jumping for a bit.

Arches and pretty flowers.

Then Saturday night, we watched the Sandy Parade, as Nyles was in the marching band w/ Alta High School.  He practiced all week from 8am to noon.  They allow middle schoolers to join for the week during the Summer, which is awesome.  Nyles rode over to the parade earlier w/ our neighbors, the Hamiltons. 3 of their kids were in the parade (Anna on the piccolo, Jacob, who is also in middle school, plays the trombone, and their oldest son James, who helps direct the band).  We met up w/ other neighbors the Marcinowskis to watch the parade.

At the parade.  They threw out a lot of candy.

Carter, Hudson, and Timbo.

Here comes the marching band.  They were basically last, but definitely the biggest and best band!

Anna on the piccolo and Nyles on the flute behind her 2 rows.

Nyles in the marching band, in the Sandy parade.

The kids did a few quick activities right after the parade, then we went to Sam's club to pick up a watermelon for family dinner the next day, and a few other things.

Since it's so dry this year, and we've already had so many fires this year, the state of Utah banned all fireworks, except by organized cities.  After getting groceries, we came home.  I made sugar cookies in the shape of a star.  We then added whip cream and fruit to make mini fruit pizzas.  

Star fruit pizzas, yumm!

Sunday was fast Sunday.  There was a worldwide fast for religious freedoms.

After church and lunch, we drove up to Silver Lake.  A large American flag in the canyon.

Going up beautiful Big Cottonwood Canyon.

It was a beautiful day up at Silver Lake.  Pretty flowers along the way.

Steve and I went to Silver Lake when we were dating, so it's extra special to us.

Beautiful views, a duck, and a beaver in the lake.

The beaver was hilarious and HUGE!  He came strolling out of the lake w/ moss dragging from his body.  He saw people and then turned around and went back in the lake.

Big beaver coming out to Silver Lake.

A hawk and more ducks.  Cute Steve.

Butterfly, baby ducks, and the hawk.

The boys just had to climb up the rock wall.  After we were done, we drove up Guardman's Pass to go to Midway, since we were having family dinner there.

Beautiful views going up to Guardman's Pass.  

This is where Steve proposed to me (October 3, 2008).  It's also a special place to us :)

Hudson and Nyles fell asleep on the way down.  A few deer as we got closer to Melanie's house.  

Family dinner.

Great quotes:

4th Week of June

We had a busy last full week of June.  Here are some highlights.

Monday morning, June 22nd, we drove Nyles and Conor down to FSY at Snow College in Ephraim.  I took the day off work so I could go w/ them.  It's been a while since I've been down there, so I wanted to see it.  Plus, they're now building a temple in Ephraim, and I wanted to see that as well.

Dropping Nyles and Conor off at Snow College, at the dorms.

After we dropped them off, we went to McDonald's to get some lunch, then explored Snow's Campus.

I showed the boys some of the buildings I used to use as a Snow College Ambassador.  

We also found my old apartment (it looks exactly the same from the outside 23 years later).

We went to the Bell Tower and the Student Center (where I used to meet prospective students as an Ambassador and give them tours of the campus).  The boys found the Badger.  We also found the Ephraim Temple, which is only a block from where my old apartment is and across from the stadium.  It will be dedicated on October 11th, which is super exciting!

We then drove home (pretty scenery).  Our neighbor Sarah Nelson gave Nyles a treat and thanked him for his talk he gave on Father's Day.  Tuesday night, Steve took the young men's up to Silver Lake for their activity.  They saw a few deer and a moose.  It's so pretty up there.

We went swimming at Dave and Joann's place.  

Steve is working on teaching Carter and Hudson how to swim better as the rec center was a bust.

It was a little cool, but we managed to swim for a while.

Steve took Diane to get her cataracts done on Wednesday.

Hudson was drawing a dinosaur while we were at the chiropractor.  Steve put in a new ceiling fan in our living room.  Steve took Dave to his heart ablation procedure on Thursday.  He was gone most of the day w/ him.  I was thankfully working from home and kept the boys busy doing things like puzzles.  We had the sister missionaries over that night, and they shared a message w/ us.

Saturday morning, at 5am, Steve met Phill off the freeway and drove down w/ him to pick up Nyles and Conor at Snow College, finishing up FSY.  They went and had breakfast at McDonalds afterwards, then they drove back.  They got home around 9:30am.  Nyles said he had an awesome time and can't wait to go back!  We're grateful he was able to go and had a positive experience.  He said he learned he feels the Spirit through music.  I'm definitely the same way.

Nyles and Conor and their FSY group.  

Pretty Day Lilies in bloom now and pears.

Dave's older brother Mike McGrath, passed away Monday morning.  Dave called us right after we dropped the boys off at FSY.  They had his funeral on Saturday afternoon, which we went to.

Rob's birthday was on Sunday, so we had him over for dinner.  I made chicken noodle soup and brownies for dessert.  Steve and Rob also went over to Nathan Hong's place (a guy they did Trek w/ last summer), and they had pie.  We also played a few games (Sleeping Queens and Flip 7).

Happy Birthday to Rob!

Great quotes: