Grandpa's Birthday- Young Reunion

My cute Grandpa is struggling.  He smiled for his birthday cake, but really he isn't feeling his best.  My mom, her sisters, and brother are trying to keep him in his home but they are worn out.  I don't know anyone who embodies honoring her elders more than my mom.  Most of my life she has been taking care of someone elderly in our family.  Her Grandparents, her Aunt, her in-laws, her Mother, and now her Father. Not only that, but she takes care of graves and honors her loved ancestors multiple times a year. My mom is service in action. 

So this photo is bittersweet.  My grandpa is here to celebrate another birthday, but he only stayed a little while and was so tired.  

Still fun to see him, and to see our Young relatives.

Miriam was at a ballroom thing so this trip was just the boys and I.

I insisted we run out to The Wedge Little Grand Canyon overlook. I have been trying to get my kids out there forever!  We want to do a biking trip soon.

This time we just hiked around....

on "Rotta the Huttlet" or "Little Jabba"

and then on to "Jabba"

*not official names of rock formations, Ray names 

No wildflowers in sight...but this tenacious bush!

Lots of gorgeous views...even with all the wildfire smoke.

College Tour

Our good friends invited us on their annual BYU campus adventure.  My friend's dad works in the acceptance office (recruitment office?) I am not sure what it is called but it's where you go to get a tour.  As a BYU alum, my friend takes her kids every year to get a golf cart tour, visit the museums, and get some ice cream.  So we signed Miriam up as a prospective student, which she is, and tagged along. My friend's dad was so cool, he gave the boys BYU shirts, and all the students that go on a tour automatically get one so M got one too. Now we have proper attire if our cousins invite us to a sports game.  We only had U attire before (but not much of that either....we are not very enthusiastic I guess).

The museum had a very interesting fun/interesting strange exhibit by Nina Katchadourian that was quirky enough to entertain all of us at our range of art knowledge.  This was my favorite part of the day.

Chick-fil-a lunch surrounded by throngs of EFY students.

Then on to the Bean Museum. My boys love this place!

It was such a fun day I have decided to plan some day trips to other colleges.

Snowbird

Darin's company party was at Snowbird this year.  I was over the moon happy! Last year we went for my birthday and just road the Tram, ski lift, and hiked but this year (thanks to Darin's company) we got to try everything! Plus...they catered lunch.

Not pictured was the obstacle course and drop tower.  The obstacle course was my favorite, but no way was I going to take my hands off to take any photos! Darin and Miriam braved the drop tower.  

It was fun running into a Darin's colleagues as we were adventuring.

Darin and I would have stayed for the outdoor concert, the band sounded great during the warm-up, but the kids were exhausted...and so was I. 

Mountain Air

My parents let us have a weekend at their cabin just in the nick of time.  The endless 98 degree days were stretching way too long, and we (I) needed a break from driving everyone around to their summer classes, and then getting the kids to do their summer chores. 

Oh those blessed mountains! I adore the ocean, but I am at my core, a mountain girl.

We hiked

Darin and the older two biked partway between Fairview Reservoir and Huntington Reservoir.

Soren and I dropped them off and drove lunch down to meet them.

Soren took a little dip in the water....

Here they come riding to the dam.

We picnicked, Darin helped a young fisherman untangle his line... 

The kids got way too wet after "just dipping their feet in" (except for Byron...that boy stays dry and clean if at all possible).  Darin and I have determined we need to have towels in the car at all times for moments like this.  

We biked, and 4-wheeled around the subdivision to the swings, and to the lake.  There were tons of pelicans, egrets, and great blue herons at the lake so we kept going down to the lake to watch them fly in, fly out, and swim around. There was a toxic blue algae bloom in effect so we just watched from the shore. The weather was perfect, never getting higher than 80's with afternoon sprinkles, and one fantastic hail storm that lasted 15 min.

We played games, slept in, watched bats or hummingbirds from the hammock chair,  watched a movie or two.

I had packed books, and creative activities for each kid so that there would be plenty to fill our lazy days, and also to entertain the kids the morning that Darin and I went on our mountain bike adventure.

Darin and I rode up to Monument Peak. 14 miles up and down the mountain, but mainly up.  Just under 2,000 feet of climbing to reach an elevation of about 10,400 feet.
It was HARD, but I am so glad I went.  I didn't know if I should even attempt it, but I just plugged along...silently.  I guess I get really chatty when I am nervous, and super still and silent when something is hard.

The views were beautiful but I loved the scenery on the way up and down the best.  It was cool with trees and wildflowers, it smelled so great. One of my favorite memories of the summer!