Mt Logan

On Saturday, Matt, Shelby and I went on a 4-wheeling trip up to Mount Logan. The trail head starts up Right Fork Canyon and is 28 miles round trip. I googled Mount Logan to see how high the elevation was and I found this description: "For the expert, is an assault of Mount Logan. It involves a terribly challenging climb of 5,700 feet over dirt roads." (It wasn't really that terrible - so don't worry mom!)
The first half of the trail was pretty easy - a little rocky and a lot of twists and turns. I got to lead for a while and so I was able to snap this shot of Matt and Shelby as they came up to this over look.

Matt straps Shelby into the Snugly and she just loves it!



The hum of the engine and bumpy road usually puts her to sleep.



After this point the trail gets a little harder. It involves boulders. Lots and lots of boulders. Good thing 4-wheelers are made for things like that. (My back side isn't though.)


We stopped at this neat little place that's about 2 miles from the top. It's a warming hut for snowmobiler's. You can go inside, build a fire, make some hot chocolate, and snuggle down into a sleeping bag. You can read/write journal entries of those that have been there.




Trying out the self-timer



At the top! Smithfield and Logan at 9,710 feet.



Instead of heading right back, Matt took me to see this um, (swallowing hard) cliff. I uh, don't do heights very well. So I wasn't to hip on how close to the edge we were (I just didn't look). Notice I'M holding Shelby? I got a little crazy and protective about people falling off the edge and dying...




We really weren't THAT close to the edge. (Even though looking at this picture that Matt took my heart starts pounding because it LOOKS like I'm right on the edge.) It took me awhile before I warmed up to the idea that we weren't going to tragically fall over the edge and die. Once I relaxed I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was breathtaking! We watch two bald eagles flying back and forth to a nest that was cradled into the side of the cliff. You don't get to see that everyday. Thanks so much Matt for taking me on another awesome adventure!!

My Bionic Friends

Some friends of mine have been in training over the last few months for Cache Valley's half-marathon. A few of us went to cheer them on as they approached the finish line yesterday.

Cami (on the right)

She is our exercise guru. She is also training for a full marathon (26 miles) in October. So after she finished this race (13 miles) she went on to run another 5 miles. CRAZY!


Leslie



Sarah and her husband Matt



These girls are just AWESOME!!

On the first day of school... I slept in

I don't know what I was thinking, not setting my alarm clock that day. Here's the thing: I set it EVERY day for 6:30am. Guess how many times out of 10 I wake up BEFORE it even goes off?? Yep, all 10. So I must have assumed that I would have no trouble getting up before the kids and fixing them a lovely breakfast and snapping photo's of our cheery, happy morning... BUT it didn't turn out that way. I woke up with a start 10 minutes before Christopher's bus came. (Probably because I was awake all night with my little girl who acts like she is STARVING every 1 1/2.) I rushed out to the kitchen where Christopher and Shannon were already dressed and ready for school. I fumbled around (still half-asleep) for pots and pans and threw together some french toast. Christopher wolfed it down just moments before his bus arrived.

My 8th grader





Shannon didn't have to be to school until 8:45 am so we had more picture taking opportunities.

My Fifth Grader



Shannon with her best friend, Hailey


Poor Ellie doesn't start until next week. That is forever away to a 5 year-old! But she is excited and I will blog about her big day when it arrives.

And The Dirtiest Face Award Goes To....

Matt took the day off Friday in honor of it being "The Last Weekend Before School Starts". We loaded up the 4-wheelers and went up Mantua (pronounced Man-a-way) canyon. We were going to ride all the way up to Willard Peak (12 miles), but we ran short on time so we rode out to the beaver ponds instead. Here are a couple pics from our trip in riding order:

Leading the way - Matt and his trusty navigator...


Shelby



followed by "the kick-start King" Christopher



then slow and steady Shannon


and finally, bringing up the rear is Ellie-bell


and me



Did anyone notice my dirty face? No? Let me take my glasses off...



See it now?? I'm always last which means I get the dirtiest - Yeah!


Ellie was STARVING and couldn't wait to even wipe her face off before she dug into her sandwich


Shannon - playing in the trees

Cardboard and Duct Tape

We had a fun activity this week for Young Women. We were divided into three teams and each team was given the same materials - Cardboard box, Styrofoam pieces and a roll of Duct Tape - with instructions that we had 30 minutes to construct a boat that could float a person down the canal.

Each team came up with their own boat designs. On the left you can see a canoe cardboard construction, ours is in the middle (the BEST) and on the right was your basic box-all-sealed-up-with-duct-tape-so-it-won't-sink construction.



My Team! Ashley, Renee and Heidi. What do you think of this unique design? We even used the PLASTIC BAG that all the stuff came in. Pretty smart, eh?



Here is team 3 with their box. Will it float?



With a person inside it?? Hmmmm....




Box-all-sealed-up isn't lookin so good.


Going under


This is where the pictures get kinda fuzzy - sorry. I was using my cell phone and I was laughing so hard I couldn't hold the camera still.

Mayday!


She's taking on water - but she's still AFLOAT!!



Okay, so we had some minor design flaws.


The girls were all troupers and still raced each other (albeit underwater) for 3 blocks.


No one is dry.



Tips for cardboard boat construction:
Duct tape works really well.
Styrofoam will only keep your boat afloat as long as no one is IN it.
Build a deeper boat, because even a tiny 85 lb girl will sink it.

Newton Dam

We took advantage of Matt's "no school" weekend by pulling the camper out to Newton Dam. We thought that it would be a good idea if we took it out Thursday night so that we would have a nice spot reserved before the weekend rush took over. It was a good thing we did too! As we pulled in Friday evening we found ourselves surrounded not by a sea of water, but a sea of TENTS. One family decided to pitch their tent literally 1 foot away from our camper. It was a little strange... but didn't stop us from having a fun time! Since the three older kids were with their dad again, it was just Matt, me and Shelby.



We invited our niece, Jamie to come jet skiing with us on Saturday. She and I had a lot of fun cruising up and down the lake together and she only fell in once! I make it a point NOT to fall in - especially when we are at Newton. I have seen the monsters (Tiger Muskee's) that live in this lake - they are beyond CREEPY.



Saturday evening we were joined by some more friends and their kids. They all jumped in the water to swim and ride the jet skis. Tyler (the acrobat) got Laci up on his shoulders and that started a round of "Me Next!" from all the kiddo's.



Todd and Tyler then started up their stunts and recreated their signature move of Tyler climbing up on Todd's shoulders. This isn't an easy task. Take a look at what kind of jet ski they are on. Yeah, the kind that's hard to get up on with just ONE person. So Tyler starts out UNDERNEATH the steering bar. Once Todd gets it moving Tyler crawls under Todd's legs and then Todd crouches down. Tyler then climbs up on his back and on to his shoulders. Todd then has to stand up while steering and maintaining his speed. Pretty cool?! They are masters of these kinds of crazy stunts!



In between swimming and standing by the fire to keep warm the kids had fun on the rope swing. The water was too low for them to actually swing into the water, but they still had fun seeing how far out they could swing!





We did have one mishap though - Laci went on the rope swing after dark and missed her landing, running smack into the tree. We thought that she might have to get stitches but she didn't. She was a little bruised at church yesterday - but all smiles as usual.

Couple cute shots of Shelby

Finally sitting up!


Her new favorite toy

When my sisters were here

Brenda and Jana and all their kids came up last week for a few days and we packed in as much fun as we could!



I was just finishing up the last pint of Apricot Jam when they arrived. Look at this beautiful tribute to my father-in-law's apricot trees!




On Monday we went to Willow Park - Logan's version of a Zoo. It's a fun place to take the kids and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.


Brandon feeding fish food to the ducks



Tuesday we hit Bear Lake again. It was a BLAST even without the jet-skii's. The mom's just sat in the shade eating treats and visiting (the best past-time EVER) while the kids played in the water.

Trevor


Madison


Lauren and Shelby


Isaiah was more interested in chasing the seagulls (with his aquired saftey tube) than he was in swimming in the lake.



Isabella. Just to clarify, those are not cookie crumbs on her face. It is sand.


Brenda and Shelby and the rest of the gang





Sweet Isabella. She cannot bear to be out of sight from her mom right now (you all know the age that hits - right BEFORE they are 18 months and can FINALLY go to nursery). But I gotta say, mom took a distant 2nd to the water in Isabella's eyes. Once she got her feet wet, she couldn't have cared less where Jana was. She just wanted to be in that water!


Lauren gets Isaiah in the WATER? How'd she do it?? The whole day we begged and pleaded, bribed and sweet-talked this kid to try and get him in the water. All I can say is, Lauren, you are a GENIOUS.


Me and Shelby having way too much fun


Everyone but the photographer (Brenda)