Aug 1-8 Boating / Strawberry Fishing

August sure went fast! Crazy how the older I get the faster time goes. Ya this month I had my 37th birthday. Not sure how I feel about that. Through one eye I see how mature I have become and love watching my family grow. Yet the other eye refuses to see the good and focuses on the lines on my face and its like it can see the pain my joints I am now gaining when I do simple things I use to do so simply.

We did make it out once this week to Utah lake with a neighbor and Kamis kids... That was fun. Then Bowdee had football tryouts which he made the team he wanted...

He made Barron's A-team, of course he would have played his best and just been excited to play football but now he is extra excited to get the football year started.

We also had our last swim meet of the year. Then the following day the kids got their awards. Bowdee took 2nd, Matia took 12th, Treg took 6th and that was with missing a meet for Flaming Gorge. I am so proud of the great swimmers they have become.

We spent Friday night and Saturday doing chores (cleaning out the barn, yard work, you know not out fun playing but working work). But when Sunday rolled around we just coudn't take it any more so we pulled the boat up to Strawberry to catch us some lunkers for dinner... Well Kristi caught 6 lil' 13" fish,

Matia caught a butterfly,

Treg a crawfish,

Terry a guppy,

and Bowdee well he caught a water snake! So it was a fun eventful day yet it didn't quite fill our dinner plates like we had hoped.

July 17-24 Flaming Gorge

I am just going to throw up alot of our favorite photos from this trip. It was amazing! Yes is rained alot the first few days but we had some fun inbetween the storms. We also created a memory none of us will forget during a major lightning thunderstorm. I guess you just had to be there but we ended up all huddled in our truck with all 6 kids crying because they thought we were going to get struck by lightning. If you get the chance have Matia tell it to you! She is hilarious! So here it goes the photos will give you an idea of how things went.

July 5-10 Brothers Visit

When I was growing up I never imagined a life where my family didn't live close by. We grew up on a farm in the middle of the sticks where all we had was family. We were each others best friends... Of course we are still best friends but it just makes it so hard when we are all so far apart. Kathy in Cedar City, Clint in Seattle and Colt in Minnesota that is not how I imagined it to be when we were little but that is what it is and man it sure makes one fun week when everyone comes into town.

Tuesday Clint, Colt and Kathy all came into town with their families. Clint and Colt staying until Sat and Sun Kathy just for one night. We started it off with a birthday party for little Lucy at my house. It was fun to see my house fill up with friendly family faces but I soon had to leave for the American Fork First Soap Box Derby.

The kids were so excited to race their soap box that they worked so hard to make. It was so much fun seeing all the kids excited to race their creations and the spectators sitting by, and mothers biting their nails hoping their kids wouldn't get hurt.

Bowdee did great, he is a very serious racer who steps up to the ramp with all sorts of butterflies hidden deep within him. He crossed the line at 20.22 with a over all of 6th place. He told me that was the only sport he has played that he really didn't mind losing at all because the thrill of the race was worth every minute of it.

Matia flies down the hill and got all sorts of excited to see her cousins and uncles waving at her cheering her on. So she gives them a cute wave and almost loses control as she crossed the finish line. Then she ends with the first crash into the tires and cardboard boxes with a final time of 20.44.

Wednesday was filled with taking cute Lucy to Build a Bear for her birthday. Which is always a fun activity with a 5 year old. Then to Cafe Rio for lunch with the girls. Of course Cafe Rio is always fabulous especially when you have such great company. Then chilling at the house with all the cousins and family.

Then hustling to the kids 2nd swim meet of the summer. They all had a great swim Bowdee had 2 first place and 1 second place. Matia took 6th, 8th, and 3rd. Treg took 3rd, 2nd and a disqualified Butterfly (which really wasn't very fair). But the best part was all being there together to cheer each other on. All the other family went up the canyons for a nice hot dog roast.

Thursday this was the day of the famous Runway Tea Party. I didn't have the time I would have liked to have this all prepared so I took most of the morning preparing the house for a great Tea Party when you have 8 girls you must have a tea party. So tea party we did with a dress up photo shoot after a nice pampering.

Clint and Colt took some fabulous photos of the girls as they came out strutting their stuff! Then we had dinner here and sent all the kids to mom and dads for the famous cousin sleepover that they all look forward too.

Friday was filled with an innocent game of laser tag. Then off the Timpanogus to hike the cave. The cave was sold out so we opted for Cascade Springs. I have not been there in years so it was so much fun to hike around with my bros and their kids. Not to mention I love to drive American Fork Canyon it soothes my soul!

Saturday Terry, Bowdee and I woke up early to run the AF Steels day 5K. I was so proud of Bowdee for passing me in the last 30 seconds and for me running the whole thing without stopping. Then we rushed home to get Tia and Treg for their half mile race. They both did great Treg took 8th Matia took 6th Bowdee took 5th for their ages.
Then we stayed and watched our friends in the parade, then headed home for a shower then down to the carnival. Bowdee loved the Spinny one that about made me throw up just by watching it. Matia loved he spaceship but loves the classic merry-go-round as well. Treg loved the spaceship as well, but wished he could go on the round the world.

June 30-July 4th (Gooseberry w/ Covingtons)

Last year when we went on this Gooseberry camp out with my parents we had so much fun we decided to make it a yearly tradition. We also had so much fun we decided to invite my whole family to join in on the fun. Well Kyle, Kami and mom and dad were the only ones that were able to make it. Sad that everyone couldn't join in on the fun but we were thrilled to have them come along.

My best part of the whole trip was sitting back watching the cousins just play together. I don't remember then once fighting or disagreeing. They always included everyone that wanted to be included. I loved watching the boys widdle wood, the girls explore the stream and all of them love each other. Its amazing the bond these cousins have with one another. So the plan was to go Fri after work.

However, we were all so excited to get this party started that we left on Thurs. Friday and Saturday were filled with driving the four wheelers around exploring the area. This year it was unique because since it has been such a wet cold year there were many trees fallen over.

In fact Troy had gone camping in the same area just the earlier part of the week and he parked his 4 wheeler on the path to a lake and just as he and his 3 kids got down the path toward the lake a huge 14" round aspen tree fell and landed right on his 4 wheeler!!! Not good he ended up having to hike back to his camp and drive to Salina to borrow a chain saw then head back up cut the tree off his 4 wheeler... By the end of all this drama he decided to just pack it up and head home 2 days early.

We also spent the mid mornings fishing Salina Res. Everyone that had a license caught a fish (many fish in most cases). We experienced the best fishing we have seen in along time. Grandma was thrilled because yes she loves those fish. She even started offering the kids $1.00 for each fish they would catch and clean for her.

So life was good fishing in the morning, four wheeling in the afternoon, and campfire visiting in the evening! Grandma also loves the pixie fires we provide for her. She thinks of them as the Utah Northern Lights. We would talk around the campfire many nights until 1 or 2. Just nice to catchup on our busy lives.

Sunday however, was a complete different adventurous day. You see we wanted to show Kami and Kyle more of the beautiful area and drive over to Fish Lake. We had heard that the road wasn't completely open due to the snow. But we thought we would go check it out in our 3 Diesel trucks and see how far we could go. We came to the first snow bank and Kye checked it out for us. Dad had to pull him out...

So we decided to throw out the sleds and let the kids go sledding in July for a bit, while we made and ate our lunch. Of course Terry had thought to pack the sleds... While we were sledding another group came along and decided they were going to shovel their way through it. So our boys grabbed the shovels we had and within an hour they made their way through to glacier.

We thought since we made it through the worse part that it was free sailing from there on out. It was beautiful and we were glad we pressed forward until we came to a traffic jam of like 6 trucks and a jeep rolled over down the hill. Nobody was hurt even though Terry tried to make our heart stops with a little tease. But in front of the trucks was a mud hole stopping everyone.

We had a little disagreement on whether to keep going or turn around. And the majority decided if we made it this far we need to keep going. So the men threw rocks and branches into the mud hole and we pressed forward. Grandpas truck was the last to go through and it was looking pretty ugly by the time he crossed it. But we made it through and on to Fish Lake it was.

We were thrilled to get out of the Trucks and stretch our legs in the Fish Lake Lodge. Where grandpa treated us all to an ice cream then we sat on the deck and enjoyed each others company. The tension from the drive was released and friendships rekindled.

Then we drove a short way along the lake to find a nice fishing spot. We all unloaded our children, dogs, tackle boxes and poles and headed down to the edge of the lake. Grandpa was the only one to catch a fish but we all gave it our best. And of course just being together is what it is all about anyway.




We all drove down through Salina and back to camp rather then driving the way we came. When we got back to camp we ate simple meals and rested or tired bodies around a nice campfire as the kids played in Kyles condo on wheels. After everything was said and done I think we will look back and remember this day to be filled with memorable moments. Stories that will be told to our families families through out time.







Monday we packed up camp and headed to Salina for a small town 4th of July Celebration. We signed up for the kids Grease pole, bought lots of raffle tickets and played all their booths donating to different groups within the city. Bowdee, Matia, Treg and Tayla did the grease pole... They were the 3rd group but the smallest so all the dollars stuck to the bottom half of the pole were gone. The kids gave it their best and climbed as high as they could. The fire dept gave them each a dollar for trying.

Then at 1:00 began the swimming races. Kami's family decided to head home. And Dad fixed his trailer brakes just in time to watch his grandkids race. They all did great and were thrilled with the quarter they got at the end of their races. The water heater was broken so it was fun to watch because so many kids had their breath taken away when they first got in the water.

But they all loved it when they threw in tons of coins and then blew the whistle for all the kids to jump in and collect as much money as they could. This is always a love/hate event because so many kids get tons of coins and some get none at all. When my kids heard how sad Tayla was about not getting many coins they rushed to split half their money with her. Ya that's a moment where a mother feels like she is teaching her children something right.

So our camping trip was over with a short 2&1/2 hour drive home. It is so nice now that the kids are old enough to help clean out the truck and trailer. I think in less then 1 hour we had everything pretty much cleaned up and back to normal... Besides the leaning tower of dirty clothes in my laundry room :(

Running low on energy we decided a short climb up the ladder to the top of the roof to watch fireworks all around the valley was just the ticket to a memorable 4th of July! I believe this was the first time I have been on our roof. It was steep and unnerving to have all my children up there where I didn't feel like I could help them if I needed to... But it was beautiful and amazing when I focused on the fireworks and not the fear. Thank you to all my family that came to Gooseberry with us. It was a great time, one I will cherish for all my remaining years to come.