Hiking through the Wild Flowers

We spent the week down in New Harmony.  While I was teaching all week at the Rural Schools Conference in Cedar City Tara and the kids took advantage of the down time to do all kinds of fun stuff - riding the 4 wheeler, swimming at the rec center, project time at the library. It was non stop adventure.

On Saturday we packed up all the kids and headed to the hills. It was the annual Wild Flower Festival up near Cedar Breaks and we wanted to get out of the heat. It was awesome! The kids loved getting out and seeing all the amazing colors as we hiked around Alpine Pond. Take a look:

New Year's Resolutions

A couple days ago our family sat down to talk about goals for the new year.  We wanted to let each of the kids set a few personal goals and, as parents, Tara and I wanted to create a few family targets for the year.  Here are some of the highlights:

Family Goals:

1. Run in a 5K together.
2. Go on a family vacation to Canyonlands/Arches National Parks.
3. Start Reading the Book of Mormon together.
4. Update the blog weekly (I already know how long it's been).

Kennedy:

1. Go to AFV and win $100,000.
2. Read the scriptures.
3. Exercise more by riding bike and jogging.

Alex:

1. Get baptized.
2. Run on the treadmill.
3. Go on trips to Park City, Bear Lake, and New Harmony.

Dylan:

1. Limit time playing Wii and watching TV.
2. Eat more apples.
3. Be nice.

We didn't think our talk about goals was sinking in until a few days later when Dylan's teacher sent us a photo of his project at school.  Classic!

Family Portraits

For the past couple of years Tara and I have avoided doing family pictures.

There isn't a good reason.

Sure, we were waiting for a Groupon or a different deal of the day.

Still - we should have taken our pictures sooner than this.  The last photo shoot was December 2010!

Oh well.  We finally broke down recently and set up an appointment for a Fall morning.

It was more fun than I expected.  The kids were pretty good sports as they posed and smiled for the better part of an hour.  For the first time we used Wheeler Farm as the backdrop for the photos and there are some cool buildings and outdoor shots to be had around the farm.  

My favorite part of the kids' photos are the different approaches they take for their closeup.

Kennedy is such a poser - she loves giving it the all-american girl look.

Alex is all teeth and he kills me with the crossed legs look.

Dylan refuses to smile.  His little smirk is enough to melt your heart and he pulls it off like a champ.

That's enough from me - I know you only want to see the pictures.  Enjoy!

Happy 4th

With all of our recent travels it was nice to have a day off - at home.  That doesn't mean we weren't on the go a lot of the day, but much of the 4th was spent around the house.

One of our favorite 4th traditions is to go over to Alicia's ward for their annual breakfast.  Lots of food for us, lots of fun for the kids.  They always have games for the kids with many little prizes for the winners.

I think Alex and Dylan's favorite part of the breakfast is the "train" ride.  One of the guys creates a train and pulls it behind his lawnmower every year.  The boys can't get enough of this thrill ride around the parking lot.

A little later in the day we had a fun visit with Jeff and Jeni Wright and their cute little family. Since they live in Virginia it isn't often we can get together. It was a short visit, but great to catch up and hear what they've been doing for the past couple of years.

The real party came after the sun started setting. My kids are way into fireworks - ok, I am too. This year's show didn't disappoint. We went over to the fireworks stand earlier in the afternoon and hooked up with some pretty cool stuff. Add that to a package our neighbor Hal gave and we were ready to light up the night.

After our show ended, we laid out in the front yard and watched the big stuff from the country club. One of the best parts of the 4th from our house is the view we get of the fireworks from across the street. They really go all out. It must have lasted 20-25 minutes and we enjoyed the entire show. A great end to a fun day.

Father's Day

Today was a great day.

At church the kids sang.

I got a treat.

We had presents (including a new tool set for the shed).

I  took a nap.

Nothing beats Father's Day.

Sidewalk Art and More

We needed to break out of the summer blues today. After a full morning of working in the yard, Tara and I decided it was time for a break. After a full morning of watching tv, Dylan needed a break as well. So, we grabbed Quinn and Coleton and headed downtown. Today was the Foster Care Foundation annual Chalk Art Festival. It was great. Cool artwork was everywhere. It was amazing to see the ground transformed into some incredible artwork - Toy Story, Oz, Minions, and more - oh my!

After seeing the artwork, we walked over to the plaza at the Gateway and the kids played in the splashpad til they dropped. A great break from a busy day!

Birthday Blowout in Park City

This year is a big year for Tara.

Yep, you guessed it.

It is one of those milestone birthday years.

The kids and I talked about different things we could do for Tara to help celebrate.

We could take her to Disneyland - Alex

What about getting her a massage - Kennedy  

I think Mom wants to play the Wii - Dylan

In the end, we chose to take Tara on a trip - to Park City.  We found a nice condo for rent and started prepping for our surprise present.  The kids were so excited to help me plan the weekend.  We picked out activities, chose different restaurants, and finalized the agenda.

The hardest part was keeping everything a secret.  The kids (and I) were so excited that it was hard not to spill the beans.  Somehow we made and Tara was very surprised by the whole thing.

Our weekend couldn't have been better.  We had tons of fun on all the alpine rides, the swimming pools, the park, the bowling alley, and just being a family.  It was a great trip and I hope it was a welcome vacation for Tara.

Happy Birthday Tara - I love you!

Easter 2013: The Weekend in Photos

Easter came a little bit early this year, but that didn't slow us down from having a great weekend.  The kids decorated eggs with cousins, found easter baskets and eggs at home, and participated in some mammoth egg battles.  We had a lot of fun and lots of great pics.  Enjoy!

Books and Bagels

This morning we took the kids to Books and Bagels over at the school. This is a fun little tradition that the school puts on once a month. I haven't been able to attend very often, since it doesn't really work with my schedule. I was excited though that both Tara and I could attend. Even if it's a small thing, spending time together is always worth it.

It's funny to see the kids different reactions had when we woke them up to get ready. Kennedy was excited - she practically jumped out of bed. Dylan started slow, but quickly warmed to the idea. Alex hid his head under his pillow. After a few moments of prodding he finally volunteered the reason - "There's not going to be anything for me to eat. I can't stand bagels." We assured him that life would move on and food would be found.

In the end it was bagels for everyone (except Alex).

Hiking Time

Yesterday we took advantage of our trip to Southern Utah and headed to the red rock.  My dad had mentioned a few short hikes that would be perfect for the kids.  So, we packed up the van and headed to Silver Reef to explore the country.

I knew Alex and Dylan were in for sure when we learned that the first hike we went on was to some dinosaur tracks, fossilized in the rock.  It was awesome.  I can't really remember the name of specific species, but the fossils looked like a large bird.

Since our first trail wasn't very long we continued our trek and headed up the next canyon.  I think our final destination was a waterfall, but we were really just happy to be outside.  The kids played on the rocks, jumped over the streams, and had a total blast. 

In the end we had to call our hike off a bit early due to darkness, but no one cared.  It was great to breathe some fresh air and get outside for a change.