September 2015

We liked Jackson, Wyoming so much we headed back for Labor Day weekend. We stayed at the same hotel we found over the summer, The Virginian. A clean room at a reasonable price not too far out of town and a great restaurant on the premises.

We visited a fish hatchery and had a great tour. Amazing to see how many fish they can grow in such a small space! It was a bit colder then we expected for early September so we stopped to by hats and mittens in town before heading out to hike for the day.

We took a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to a great hiking spot. Such amazing scenery!

In mid-September the Utah State Fair comes to town. The kids love the 'Little Hands on the Farm' exhibit, one they remember year after year. They are almost too big for the tractors, but they love to pretend they are on a farm.

A great picture spot in Temple Square, Salt Lake City. One of Carson's cub scout badges involved going to a reverent place so we chose Temple Square. Turned out to be a beautiful day for pictures and we had fun being tourists in our own state.

In September we decided that it was time for a family pet and we all agreed on a cat. We answered an ad in the local classifieds and that's how we found our beloved Gracey. She was just a tiny little thing when we first got her, very playful and cuddley. She is a welcome addition to the family.

August 2015

In August we went to see Pete and Jen at their new house in Idaho. It was great to spend a few days with them. We discovered Wahooz Family Fun center which the kids LOVED. They rode go-carts and bumper boats and tried lots of games in the arcade area. We topped the day off with some ice cream, the perfect end to a hot, sunny day.

Can you believe school starts in late August? Here they are on their first day back to school.

July 2015

Carson's cub scout group held a bottle rocket event in early July. The kids (and Dad) made bottle rockets at home then brought them to the event and they were launched high into the air. Carson's rocket went way up but did not survive the landing. Still lots of fun. His other scout activity is the color guard. Carson's cub scout pack practiced color guard twice a week all summer so they could participate in the local parade. They were at the front of the parade holding the flag and their muskets, a very handsome group! 

We attended a rodeo in mid-July and Carson wanted to try the mechanical bull - he did great!

We celebrated Daddy's birthday at the end of July. The cupcakes are shaped liked cheeseburgers, Daddy's favorite food!

The highlight of July was our camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. Here we are camping out on our deck, testing out the sleeping bags and new cots. Good thing we tried them out, everyone was cold and back inside by 3am so we decided to get warmer sleeping bags for the trip!

Our first night in Yellowstone was at Madison camp ground with this scenic river just a short walk away. What a beautiful spot!

We spent the first day driving around Yellowstone to see all the geysers. Tons of amazing geysers all over the place! Sure was crowded, tourists everywhere.

You can get a sense of the crowds in this picture. This is the gathering for Old Faithful which erupts every hour.

Carson was excited to bring his new pocket knife on the trip. It came in handy several times and he is proving that he can use it safely.

Maybe we pushed the kids a bit too much on the last hike, just had to see one more geyser before the day was up. Ice cream anyone??

Time for the campfire! Daddy fights with the tent while we get dinner started.

Great views of the falls!

Headed to Jackson, Wyoming for our last night since temperatures dropped drastically and rain/snow predicted. Stopped to get a picture by Jenny Lake en route to Jackson.

We loved Jackson, what a great town! Planning to make another trip here sometime soon.

Bear Lake was on the way home so we stopped to put our feet in the water and have a picnic lunch. This is the closest thing to the ocean near us in our land-locked state. Can even build a sand castle!

June 2015

We started off the summer in fine clothes for a piano recital. Our recitals are low-key and are held at the teacher's house with all of her students, about 5 total. Its a great chance for the kids to show off their wonderful piano skills in front of a small audience. They both did great. 

We tried some new camps this summer, one of which was archery. It was a hot month so the shade of the archery area was very pleasant and the kids enjoyed learning how to shoot a bow and arrow.

Our other new camp was called Scratch Camp where the kids learned to program in a language called Scratch. They hooked up the computer to their Lego creations, then learned to control the Lego creations using the Scratch language. They made a good team - Carson did the building and Rachel did the programming.

Our summer would not be complete without swim lessons and this year was no exception. Getting braver this year jumping off the diving board, not as much agonizing over it before taking the plunge!

One of our favorite spots in Salt Lake City is Red Butte Gardens. We get a short hike in and then the kids get to do their favorite thing - feed the ducks and fish.