Thursday, July 4, 2013

summer trip to Utah 2013

We went on a trip to see family in Utah.  We had a great trip.  We started off by going to Bear lake with Blake's family.  Everyone came and we all crammed into his grandparent's cabin and played for a week.  There were ride-on cars and we were always running around making sure the kids didn't hit anyone/thing.


Blake got to play ball with his dad and brother, just like old times.

These are the youngest cousins--twin boys.

We dug in the sand a lot, threw rocks in the water, found seasheslls...





James loved sitting on the big lawn mower.  It is always a red-letter day when we get to watch lawnmowers at our apartment, so to sit on one--!!!

Every time in the car when we start getting really close to Bear Lake, I just have to say, "Oh, it is so pretty here!"  I love this mountain lake.  It is cold but so beautiful. 

Blake led everyone in a sampling of "Insanity". 

The kids wanted to join in too.


We got out the paddleboats.  The kids LOVED them! Especially when Blake took them out and gave the kids all names: pirate, captain, first mate, swabber...

After a long day in the sun, it's time for a movie.
Sweet Grandpa Smith would give the kids rides in whatever he could think of. 


Boy cousins!
And then one glorious day we got out the wave runners!  I love hanging on to Blake feeling the wind in my hair and the cold water splashing up!  The kids were not too sure about these because they went too fast. 


James loved getting a ride on the tractor to bring in the wave runners.  That was his very favorite thing at Bear Lake.  (This picture isn't of James, though.)
This is Isaac's picture of Grandpa Smith driving the tractor with the wave runners on the back.  He is riding a wave runner and I forget who else. 
Blake and I also got to go to Pickleville playhouse to see Bandito Rides Again.  We had a lot of fun.

Then we drove back to Salt Lake City and spent a week with my family.  We went to the new Natural History Museum.  I was very impressed--it was awesome. 

Just some liquefaction--oh, the memories of my geotechnical engineering classes.





I think my favorite part was the dinosaurs, though.
James is brushing some fossils.
Isaac found this great butterfly costume and wants to be one for Halloween.  

One day we went to Wheeler Farm.  It was really hot so we ran from shade to shade. 






My mom made it possible for us to go camping too.  Isaac has really wanted to go camping so we were glad we got to do it.  Bekah and Anne did a great dinner and even surprised my mom with a birthday cake. 



That is not a marshmallow--that's a Rhodes roll.  Totally my style--I don't love smores.  Mmm, rolls. 








Thank you to our families for all the work you did to make our trip memorable.  And thank you for clearing your schedules so we could be with you.  We had a great time!

I took family photos while I was in town and am posting them here in my portfolio.