More Summer Activities

We had some fun during the last weeks before school started doing some local things that we don't do on a regular basis, so I wanted to document them...

Tuesday, 8/20:  Taco Truck

We took Kelly over to the taco truck that my sister had introduced us to.  The tacos are spicy, and he really liked them.  While we waited for another round of tacos, Heather had fun with my phone.  I just love her.

Wednesday, 8/21:  Group Swim

Jenna and her girlfriends were invited to Kenzie's house for a swim day.  They had a blast as did the moms who sat around talking.

Friday, 8/23:  Skate and Swim

Jenna and Sarah got a skate day together at the local rollerskating rink.  They have too much fun together.  That night, Kelly gathered the men he was going to go hiking with the next week for a planning meeting.  Wives and kids came, and the kids got some great pool and hot tub time.

and...

 On a side note, my vocal teacher and current director of the Arizona Millennial Choir was interviewed on Glenn Beck.  It's great to see the organization getting this much recognition.  Glenn went to the Dallas, Texas concert last year and hasn't stopped talking about it.

Friday, 8/26: Breakfast and Skating

 Although we've done a lot this summer, I hadn't taken the girls out to breakfast at Mimi's.  With high school starting in just a few days, there was no time like the present!  We went from breakfast to a big skate with friends over at the rink.  Heather invited a friend too, and all the kids had a blast together.

Art Class - Watercolor

Shea provided a watercolor project for the girls' last art class together.  They did a beautiful job.  We are  so proud of Jenna and excited to see what is next for her.  

Anniversary Celebration #26

We finally got our anniversary good and celebrated!  We had dinner at The Melting Pot in Irvine.  This is a very pricey place, however, we were blessed to have received a gift card from our wonderful stake friends who participated in our last show, and the card covered all of our four-course dinner.  We opted for the four-course experience, and it was heavenly.  Course 1 was cheese dip with fruit, bread and veggies; course 2 was salad; course 3 our main dinner with steak, chicken and shrimp; and course 4 (pictured) was our Turtle chocolate (carmel and candied pecans).  We were WAY too full, but it was a very nice experience.  The ambience was lovely and because they knew we were celebrating, we had a cozy, romantic table tucked away from the rest of the bustle.  We sealed the evening with a present which I bought for Kelly, but is really for us both.  This Willow Tree statue spoke to my heart and exemplifies the love we share and hope to continue to develop over the next 26 years.  Happy Anniversary Babe!

Art Class - Pencil

Today's creations were kittens with pencil.  These girls are so talented!

Zion National Park - Angel's Landing

After Kelly returned home from his scout trip to Zion and showed us his pictures, the girls and I wanted to go and climb Angel's Landing.  I assumed that since we had survived Half Dome there couldn't be anything that intimidating again.  We booked a hotel for a quick two night, weekend stay and packed our bags.  We have never done Zion as a family, and it was really beautiful.  We had planned to hike to Angel's Landing Saturday morning and then walk about four miles up The Narrows.  The Narrows didn't happen, but we sure had an adventure.  

The pictures above show the "easy" part of the hike.  Ha! Fifteen hundred feet, pretty much straight up, some of it was rock climbing-like.   The photos below show the last half mile of the 2.5 mile trail also known as the treacherous part.  No one has died for a few years.  No sweat.

 Can you find Heather in the photo above?

We made it to the top with a lot of stops to catch breath (me), tired feet (all) and much bravery and perseverance (all).  I worried that my difficulty with the hike was due to being out of shape, and it was.  But the girls were a bit tuckered out also.  We decided later that a lot of that had to do with the 100 degree heat we hiked in.  Well that and the climb.  I really should have prepped with some Stairmaster workouts.

This hike was not as tough psychologically as the Half Dome hike, but I knew better than to look down.  It felt better because there was always something to hold on to whether it be a tree, rock or chain, and sandstone is not slippery like granite.  It was definitely more physically strenuous due to the rapid climb.  It is actually a hike I would do again.  Better get started on those Stairmaster workouts.

As we all returned to the bottom of the canyon, we had sore feet and were really wiped out.  The Narrows will have to wait until next time.  The decision was unanimous to head back to the hotel where we spent some time in the pool, had a great dinner at a pizza/noodle house, and did some souvenier shopping.  A small lizard climbed on Kelly near the gift shop at the visitor's center and it was hard to get him off.  A random event, but a fun part of our trip.

We asked the girls what their favorite part of the trip was, and both the pool and the restaurants we ate at were at the top of their lists.  For me, making the climb with my family was the best.  It's what we went to Zion for, and we achieved our goal.  It took twice as long as my husband would have wanted, but we did it.  I joked with a man on the trail about wishing I had my 20-year-old legs back, and he pointed out that I was out there on the trail when a lot of other people aren't.  Had to agree with him there.

p.s.  HUGE thanks to Grandpa for coming to stay with Winston while we were away.

Beach Camping!

August 9 - 14 - San Elijo State Beach

We had a wonderful five days beach camping this year.  There were three full beach days which included surfing, boogie boarding, boating and digging holes in the sand.  We ate at our favorite restaurant twice and frequented our most favorite and beloved bakery for doughnuts daily.  There were campfires, an X-Men movie marathon, and a day with our friends, the Holbrooks.  Winston camped with us and did really well.  It was very relaxing to get away and be somewhere that we look forward to visiting every summer.

Jenna and Sarah's "Youth Conference"

Jenna and Sarah were without siblings or a parent each this week as most of our family members were involved with our church's youth conference.  So, the girls had three days of fun themselves.  Here is what they did...

Thursday:  Art class and Soup Plantation

Friday:  All day swimming and sillies

Saturday:  Computer time, swimming and visiting with friend, MacKenzie, and Mimi's Cafe