Dan and Sarah’s Visit–Garden of the Gods

We spent some time walking through Garden of the Gods with Dan and Sarah and kids.  Fun for the kids to run, climb and explore together.  Love this place.

Dan and Sarah’s Visit—Helen Hunt Falls

After going to the Zoo we headed over to Helen Hunt Falls to walk around a take some pictures.  Then back home for a BBQ outside.  The kids ran around outside and jumped on the trampoline and we ate Garlic Toast Burgers and fruit, played some Dominion and then watched the X Men Movie downstairs.  Fun day.

Perfect Summer Night

This is the view from my bedroom window – which I love.  Supposedly they won’t built back there for another five years so we’re enjoying it while it lasts.   We have ‘slow growing grass’ covering the hill below the fence but with quick growing weeds it’s been kind of an eye-sore.  Hope it gets better up there.

View of the back of the house.

Matt is pretty excited about his recent accomplishment… learning to ride a bike.   The kids have been riding their bikes a TON the last little while.

Camping with the Johnsons– at Smith and Morehouse

We got up EARLY and were on the road before the crack of dawn.  8 hours later we were pulling up into our reserved camping spots at Smith and Morehouse, East of Salt Lake City in the Wasatch Mountains. 

As soon as everyone else arrived we got straight to work setting up tents.  John and Nikole brought the trailer that belongs to their business and the rest of us were in tents.  We purchased a new tent from Costco (see below) to sleep our whole family and it worked great.  I love that it had huge zip windows to close up tight at night and then open to let the breeze in during the day.  Up in the mountains we got freezing cold nights and when the sun came up we enjoyed nice warm days.   Our tent was in the perfect location to be in the shade during the day so with the screens down we could enjoy a really great breezy nap.

Katie, Dallas, Kayla, Bode, Megan, Payton, Emily and Haylee 

Getting Grandpa and Grandma’s tent set up, and cute little Dallas.

It was so great being all together.  My kids LOVE being with their cousins.  Our campgrounds backed up to a pretty big hill which kept the little kids entertained all day long.  They made forts and had clubs and just ran around being kids.  So relaxing.  There wasn’t much to the agenda besides play games, eat food, and sit around and talk – and it was wonderful!

Katie and Dallas – Grandpa in his tent – Ryan in Grandma’s chair and Matthew

Katie, Megan, Emily, Uncle Rob, Luke and Spencer

We stayed three nights and after dinner every night we roasted marshmallows and sat around the campfire. One night Grandma had us do an activity with oranges where we tried to memorize our orange and then where we had to say something we liked about ourselves and then something we admired about the person to our left.  It was a great little devotional.  Fun to be together with these people.  Love them!!

A couple of days we drove down the dusty street a mile to the Smith and Moorhouse Reservoir to fish.  Chris was excited about taking the kids fishing and purchased some fishing rods and licenses the week before and some live worms on the way into camp.

Chris and Ryan playing Cribbage with Ashlyn

Chris and Bridgette, Emily and Matt with Grandma’s Nature Scavenger Hunt, Tin foil dinners and Emily & Megan.

One morning we headed on a hike by the Ledgefork Campgrounds.

Katie, Emily and Aunt Ashlyn

Matthew, Luke and Derek

Chris was still in a walking cast during our camping trip.  Poor guy.  Love this picture of him and Megan.

The 12 oldest grandkids…

Playing Spot It with Uncle Rob back at the camp.  He’s such a good uncle!

A whole afternoon playing Hand and Foot – Chris and I, Nikole, Ashlyn and Grandma – and Lindsey watching.

Up the mountain with Matthew and the kids.

Such a fun trip!