Hike to Timpanogos Cave

It had been quite some time since we had made the hike to Timpanogos Cave, and so it seemed like a good opportunity give the children a real chance to stretch their legs and put their mad climbing skills to the test.  The Timpanogos Cave hike is beautiful, and the reward of exploring a cave at the end makes it all the more worth it.  Even the drive up the canyon to the trail head is lovely, so an activity like this is really a great way to spend your vacation days.  Isn't that right, Jason?

 No foolin' around.  This is some serious hiking.

 Brevin and Spencer like to lead the way.

 The boys have recently taken a liking to the game Minecraft.  If you are familiar 

with the game, you may understand why this trail sign caught their attention.

 Garrett spotted the entrance to the cave. 

 Here we are at the top.  Brevin is sporting a smile even though he 

was not feeling well and had to vomit at the "last chance" bathrooms.  

I'm not sure why Ella is doubled over as if exhausted.  She was carried 

up the mountain. Maybe she just needed to stretch her legs.

 After a quick check from the ranger to make sure the camelback

was not protruding too much, we got the go ahead to enter the cave.

 The Great Heart of Timpanogos

 After exploring the inside of the cave for nearly 

thirty minutes, we came out into the open air.

By this point in our trip, Garrett had had enough of having his picture taken.

This post authored by Amber

Day Trippin' Fishin'

Our family had talked about doing a weeklong camping trip to the Uintas for our summer vacation, but then Jason and I began discussing the idea of doing something different each day and including  an overnighter at a campsite we'd never been to.  As we explored options of activities we could do, I really took to the idea of "shaking things up" and adding a little variety to our vacation plans.  I'm not going to lie.  I was also sold on the idea of only packing and planning meals for a one-nighter as opposed to four.  Even still, our plans incorporated a day trip to fish in the Uintas.  We didn't wan't to give that up completely, so we packed up our gear, loaded up our van, and headed north for the cool, crisp mountain air.

We arrived early and set up on the banks of Washington Lake for our first round of fishing.  As always, we were not disappointed.  There was plenty of fishing action and opportunities for Ella to touch the fish just before they were to be released.  Aside from the bald eagle that kept swooping in for a dive, we were the only ones out on the lake, it seemed.  It was refreshingly peaceful.

Ella loves to cheer when anyone reels in a fish.  She loves to pet them, too.

 

Brevin and Spencer are becoming quite skilled with a fly and bubble.

When Spencer becomes restless while fishing, he tends to

 put down his pole for rock climbing and exploring. 

Brevin poses with a nice little rainbow trout that he caught.

While waiting on the shore, Ella keeps herself occupied by throwing 

rocks and banging branches against logs and boulders.

This trip was Garrett's first opportunity to try out the new 

Cars fishing pole he got for his birthday.  To say the least, it works.  

I think he brought in the most fish for the day with a final count of eight.

I just love the look on Ella's face in this picture.

After a fair amount of time at Washington Lake, we decided to eat some lunch before heading up to Butterfly Lake.  It started to drizzle a little but, but that didn't keep the fish from biting.

For a moment, Garrett thought he caught a fish, but he started to have a really 

difficult time reeling it in.  Jason went to free his line from what he thought was 

a snag.  Turns out, they were both right. They eventually brought in this tangled 

mess of moss and a fish!  I love the look of surprise on Garrett's face.

Well look there! I finally put down the camera to pick up a pole.

When the children felt they'd had a sufficient amount of time fishing, we headed back to the van and started our drive home.  We did stop off at Lost Lake for a brief time so Jason could get a few casts in.  The children and I stayed inside the van and watched a movie.  I may have nodded off a little, too.  It had been a full and satisfying day.  The best way to wrap it up was a stop in Heber City for a burger at the Train Station, followed by a nice, comfortable evening in my own bed.

This post authored by Amber.

Art City Days 2013

Each year we celebrate the founding of our quaint, little hometown of Springville through a weeks worth of events known as Art City Days.  Our family enjoys participating in some of the many activities scheduled.

One of the events is a variety show that is offered free to the public at the amphitheater of the Arts Park and features local talent.  Spencer and his friend, Gabe, wanted to audition for the talent show, but their decision was made with only four days until auditions were held.  They scrambled to put together a routine for the judging panel who was kind enough to give them a chance and a spot on the program.  The event organizer later told us that she just knew the boys had the potential to pull it off, despite their unrefined audition.  She was right.  The boys practiced non-stop until the date of performance, and they were able to pull off a routine that (in their mother's opinions) might have "stolen the show."  You don't have to take my word for it, though.  You can see for yourself just how adorable they were singing "Anything You Can Do" from Irving Berlin's musical Annie Get Your Gun:

When the performance was over, the two boys gave each other a high-five.  When they were called back on stage for a final "curtain call" they exchanged a hug.  What cute kids!

The next activity that we found ourselves at was the Children's Parade.  My children have participated in this event for many years now, but Brevin felt this might be his year to be a spectator and cheer for his siblings as they rode by in their costumes.  He said he felt he was a little too old for the parade.  He was kind enough to oblige when I requested a photo, though.

As the week's festivities drew to a close, we enjoyed viewing the Grand Parade from the comfortable shade of our canopy, which had been situated in a great location.  Grandma and Grandpa came and sat with us, too.

Brevin had a front row seat for gathering candy 

and flyers being passed out by businesses.

Spencer and Willy the Wolverine sparred with each 

other a little bit before Willy offered him a high-five.

Ella and Garrett both leaped from their seats to take

 a shot at popping the bubbles that were spewing

 from the back of the Wiggy Wash float.

The culminating event was the fireworks show later that evening.  We viewed them from lawn chairs and blankets set up at a nearby park.  After ten to fifteen minutes of firework displays, we returned to our home.  There really is no place like home. We feel fortunate to call Springville "home."

This post authored by Amber 

Cruisin'...Er...I Mean...Scooterin'

After months of research, pricing, and deliberation, we settled on a decision to purchase a scooter for Jason to use for travel to and from work during warm weather months.  Additionally, it has proven useful for taking children to activities, games, practices, or even just for going on a little joy ride.  The scooter made for a perfect Father's day/Anniversary gift, too.

Brevin gets his first ride on the scooter.

Spencer got to go for a spin as well.

Garrett was just big enough to get to ride.

Seeing everyone else getting a scooter ride made Ella 

antsy to have one also.  This was our alternative for her.

This post authored by Amber

We Remember

A full day was planned for our Memorial day activities, so we visited the Provo cemetery on the Sunday before to visit the grave sites of grandparents and great-grandparents on Jason's side of the family.

 Brevin and Spencer posed by the headstones of 

some of the namesakes of their middle names.

Ella made sure that all potted flower within the 

vicinity were properly saturated, while Garrett tested

 out the jumping height of several of the headstones.

Monday morning we traveled north to Logan to visit my mother's grave.  We also took the children by the Logan temple and the Brigham City temple.  They were closed for the holiday, but we were still able to get some pictures near the grounds. 

On our way home, we were invited to Clark and Lisa's home for a barbecue lunch and for a chance to shoot some hoops, dig around in the sandbox, and jump on the trampoline with cousins.  Grandma and Grandpa Gilliland were also there, and we had such a nice visit.

Our final stop on our trip was the West Warren Cemetery where I could pay tribute to my brother, Brad.

After a full day of activities, I returned home with a full heart.  I'm grateful for loving family relationships, and for the temples that allow those relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Those are certainly reasons worth celebrating.

This post authored by Amber