The Great Race and Great Basin

Sorry, another massive post.

We finally got a bike trailer. The kids don't totally stay sitting the whole time, but had

Chars not been hungry and REALLY tired, he may have loved the entire ride.

We took a spin down to our favorite local shop, "the yogurt stop"! Tasty!

I'm not sure if the native Bountiful folk attend the parade, but I tell you what, all the transplants are sure there!

We love this little tradition. 23rd of July, we snag a pizza (and about every other idem that is edible), a shady spot, and sweat while we enjoy the candy being thrown, and of corse FAM!!!

Oh my heck it was HOT!

Oh yes, lest I forget the reason why I woke up at 4:50am.

Friday was the day! The 24th of July 10K.

Me, my sister Jenny, Jenna and about two thousand others joined ranks and ran this race.

I have to say I went into this race with 2 goals. One, we'll not say, but the other,

come in under 55 min. Both I achieved!!!

Yup, I was THRILLED with my finishing time, and considering that I didn't train more

then 4.3 miles, I'm pretty darn pleased! Bring on the half Jenna!!!

Must have been a lucky number and day!

We rushed home to finish packing for our trip to Great Basin NP.

Who the heck does not like camping? AH!!!! The smell of the tent, tromping through the weeds, taking things back to a simpler day, eating DINTYMORE!!!!!waking up with the sun, peace and quite, you and nature....love it!!!

Our little fam took a quick trip, and it was a blast! It was not ideal weather, but it didn't stop us.

The rain was luckly just in the early evenings, which gave us time to see the National Park.

Oh my heck this character! This little boy is a darling! Very great at self entertainment, but VERY serious about his food!

Oh, and Lucy, she pounds the french toast! I don't know what Jeff puts in it, but you'd think she had been fasting her whole life.

A hike we took up to a lake. Very private and beautiful!

So, one of us is faking it. Can you tell who?

LOOK AT THIS! I could not believe my eyes!

One of my favorite things, well, my favorite, were the Lyiam Caves! SO cool!!

I love caves, and this one did not disappoint.

Lucy mostly kept herself busy by moping the floor with her clothes. Oh well, thats why we're camping. To get messy!

It was a fun 24th! We've still got a few camp trips we look forward to, and plenty more great weather to enjoy!

The tents first trip of summer

Well, here we are!

The Tetons almost in sight, camp is set up, and we're thrilled to be out of the car.

The kids did GREAT on the ride up.

No, this was not taken before they went to bed. This is the morning!

The kids did great at night, and it was not as cold as I had anticipated

(somewhere around the 40's)

We had Jeff and I, with 2 pack n'plays in the big tent! We fit with PLENTY of room.

One of the fun things we did was swimming at Granite Creek. It is a natural hot spring, and although beautiful, it was WAY warm for swimming! But perfect temp. for the kids!

The granite falls. A nice surprise to an already beautiful landscape.

You gotta get one of these, right?

We had a BLAST in Jackson!

We got fries from the grill, walked around, got a shake, LOVED the main square,

and deeply sucked in all the fresh mountain air.

Look at these troopers! It had been a ton of driving, and they were such good sports.

They are just now beginning the recovery process. :)

The fam!

We did stay to watch the shoot out, until the shooting got too loud. It looked like a fun thing...

perhaps in a few years.

The hike around Jenny Lake.

WOW! If you want great views of the Tetons, come here.

Its a busy busy trail, that I had not been on in years, and it is beautiful.

Lucy taking a break from the back pack. Both Chars and Luce did great.

Enjoying the vacation.

It was a whirl wind of a trip, but its ALWAYS great to get out, and now we have no

more worries about the 1 st night in the tent for the summer! YAY!

Back in Good old SLC.

We hit the free concert series at Murray Park. You gotta love free.

Oh, our sweet boy. He got this stuck, and was not thrilled how it accentuated his fat rolls.

Poor little potato head!

Oh, how we love this little boy.

We did it!

The first swim, with out the cast of the summer! YAY!

Lucy has yet to be a water lover like her mama, but we'll get there!

Bring on the heat!

Its all a blur

This post contains the most pictures I've ever attempted to attach,

so viewer, you have been warned!

I said I'd never do a mass post, but lest I begin to weep at our crazy life,

I'll spare the details, and just blog!

I'll make my comments brief, as they will be many!

Me and the kiddos watched dad pickin the cherry tree, and then enjoyed the fruits of his labor!

I swear the only time I see Jeff anymore are the few seconds before we fall asleep at night,

and Thursday afternoons, when he has scouts!

This week, we took the boys on a hike!

Love these boys! I hope Charlie turns out just like them.

Charlie and his great grandma (my moms mom, Helen).

We had gone for a swim at my uncles pool.

The long process to prepare the "precious" as to not get completely soaked with water.

That was the idea, anyway. It never really stayed dry! Oh well.

Perfect day for a swim!

And here is Lucy and cousin Brig with great grandpa, at the park, celebrating my parents

arrival home from their 18 month mission to New Zealand!!

My cute aunt Sue from OZ sharing her popsicle with Char bar.

And I'm not sure if my dad was helping or forcing my mom into that tree.

I guess after spending 18 months with just one person,

I'd want to shove them up a tree as well!

Oh my heck have we been glad to see them!!!

I'll bet they are sorry they ever came home!

Oh, and this little potato head, LOVE this boy!

Its been a ROLLER COASTER with him being sick, but we are hopefully on the mend~

The final seconds of the cast!!! YAY!!!!!!

And off it came! I just about passed out from the smell. I figured it would stink,

but she's not 2 yet, it had only been on for 3 weeks, I thought, how bad could it really be?

Oh boy was I wrong!!

She was a trooper with the saw they used to cut it off!

I swore if she cut Lucys arm, oh, the nurse would get one from me!!!

And this was the cutest thing! For almost the entire day, she did this with her hand!

She'd just hold it up, and spread her fingers! I can just imagine the relief!

We made spud nuts at my aunt Dinies house, TASTY!!!!!!!!

And just enjoyed the 4th holiday (this was on the 3rd)! My mom, left, and her sister Dinie, right, painting each others toe nails. I guess what they had waited 18 months for!

Fire works! The kids loved 'em! Charlie could have cared less, and Lucy had a ball. Yay. I was really worried, but we had a blast.

Up bright and early for the Centerville parade, with my mama!

Love this parade. Oh, and I always cry when the police and marching bands come by.

Can anyone explain? Awkward!

Char Bar, our potato head! Its a great thing he loves the stroller. He'll probably think that is where he was born!

I love love love my kids, and truly, would be NO WHERE with out them!

Hope ya'll had a great 4th!