Backpacking the Tetons

Paul and I have been planning a fun backpacking trip for this summer. We've been slowly getting our gear ready and finally set out on our adventure last week. We left the kids with Grandma Suzy and Aunt Livy. When we picked up our permit from the ranger station he said they still have a lot of snow and that rangers were getting lost in the backcountry because trails weren't visible in all the snow. We were not outfitted for a lot of snow so we changed our route around to lower elevations and it worked out great. We loved the scenery and the solitude and getting away from it all. It was hard though! We liked backpacking all our gear in and and camping with no children is always fun :) 

I loved all the waterfalls! 

We saw a lot of wild life, including a lot of snakes! 

One night when we were hiking out of Death Shelf Canyon to camp by Leigh Lake we came around a bend and there was a mother moose with her little  calf. She was right on the trail and we were nervous to pass her in case she got aggressive and decided to charge. We waited for a little while but they didn't leave so we braved it. We walked very slowly past her, trying not to look at her. She watched us the whole time. Once we passed her we picked up the pace and stopped awhile later to say a prayer of thanks that we were safe! So glad it was only a moose and not a bear! This picture is of a male moose we saw that was further off the trail. I was too scared to get a picture of the mother and baby on the trail haha. 

Trip to Grandma Suzy's house!

It's always fun to take a road trip during the summer and Grandma Suzy is kind enough to let us come and invade her house with our craziness. I love packing up all my kids, loading up on snacks and games for the car, and traveling somewhere fun. I think one reason I love it so much is because I watched my mom do it every summer and I have wonderful memories of those road trips.

Mom would give each of us a tupperware full of snacks we could eat throughout the day and that's definitely the way to do it!

We had a fun Cedar City bucket list. We wanted to go to the splash pad in St. George, go for walks, play at the river park, and have movie nights with popcorn. Mom and I even got to go to the Cedar City temple together. 

We had a such a great time on our trip! 

School's Out!

We are super excited that school is out for the summer! The last day of school we celebrated by picking the kids up in the "party bus" and heading to the mall for lunch and a scavenger hunt. We had plans to go to the park but it won't stop raining! We had a lot of fun with the scavenger hunt and used our pass to the mall aquarium too. 

We made some fun goals and plans for the summer and have already started on our bucket list, which of course involves a lot of snow cones. 

The kids started swim lessons the week after school got out. Yay!

Our family service project for June was yet another scavenger hunt. We went around the neighborhood doing little acts of service for FHE and that was fun. I'm really excited for this summer! 

Fun in May

Susie and Braden have had fun with sports this last month. Susie finished her first season of soccer and loved it! She's played softball for the last 2 years but I think she liked soccer better. 

This is Braden's first year trying out a sport. He is doing baseball and is having lots of fun with it. I think his favorite part is the caprisun and rice krispie treat they pass out after the games haha. He has a hard time getting the batting helmet over his ears without messing up his glasses and sometimes he walks from base to base but he's learning. 

We had fun visitors for Memorial Day, Grandma Suzy and Aunt Livy the birthday girl. We went to the Kaysville Cemetery and found our ancestors tombstone, Elias Adams. That was really neat. We had fun at the mall and hanging out at home. 

Other May happenings:

We've been to the park a few times enjoying the Spring weather (even though it has rained most of the month!) 

We've been sick a lot too. Braden had an sinus and ear infection and Clark had an ear infection the next week. 

I got to go on a fun kindergarten field trip with Braden to the Ogden nature center. 

We celebrated Mother's Day!

We have been grilling a lot more, too. Yum! 

We are excited for the summer!