June 2024

Backwards again. June ended great with our first ever stake activity days camp. The kids were awesome, and we got a ton of volunteers. It'll be something we hope to continue, while tweaking a couple things next time. 

It was pretty funny watching these kiddos get uncomfortable learning to do the trust sit really close to each other.

Relay races are always fun! Especially with water.

We spent a day in Utah Country with the Birds using our Get Out Pass. This was well worth it this year! So many bounce houses!

Jodi gave us a whole bunch of pony beads she used at girls camp. These boys spent one hot day working hard.

Aunt Katie invited the boys and all of Katie's nephews to the pool. I hung out with my niece Brynley's little guy Henry. It was a win, win.

Dean and Lincoln went on a young men's campout. We had a perfect summer backyard day with Astrid and Philip and their mom Brittany. We chatted, and the kids did a wonderful job being perfect kids and playing!

Water gun fights!

And getting buried in the sandbox! Everyone was so happy. The. Whole. Day.

I talked these three into going on a bike ride with me to enjoy the sunset at the dog park. They did great, and it was a great sunset.

For Father's Day, we went to Washington Park up Parley's Canyon to check out the place for the Activity Days.

This summer has been the summer of sword fighting. These boys have been collecting the perfect sticks. Oliver went to a lightsaber camp and taught his brothers some moves. They are pretty fun to watch. 

Dean got some egg savers for camping. He's just thrilled!

We went to the new Millcreek Commons for some summer fun. The climbing wall was only $5.00 for unlimited climbing. They did great. Lincoln and Thomas were speed climbers, Oliver made it to the top several times, and Ezra is coming along...

Ezra had fun at the splash pad. It was busy, and he was one of the biggest kids there, but he was loving it. Until he realized his big brothers were climbing and he looked around and noticed a bunch of toddlers.

Our good friend Julie invited us up Millcreek Canyon to escape the heat. Ezra found a little friend.

The water was freezing, but sure enough, it was a delightful get away into the mountains.

This was our last stop after our crag mama's trip to Grand Junction. We stopped at the river boat museum in Green River, Utah. My kids were very unimpressed and quite frustrated that we made the stop...it was on the Get Out Pass. I just had to try it. But after 8 days camping. They were very ready to get home.

At our campsite in Grand Junction the kids caught a ton of little fish off of string and a stick. Oliver's fish was, this big.

Here's my Ezra watching his brother fish.

After our rafting trip, we played at this little lake and Ezra was hamming it up!

We had an extra day to spare in Grand Junction. So the Blackhursts and our family went down the river. We did not regret our choice. It was so fun, and refreshing, and beautiful! Dean, Thomas and Oliver.

We got our boats together to share some snacks and some splashes. Holly, Annalise, Ezra, Dean Thomas, Oliver, Dave, Oliver, Claire, Lincoln, Peyton.

There's the Blackhursts. They were daring to get their legs wet.

At the put in. Here's the rafting crew.

The whole group went to Glenwood Caverns. It is an amusement park on top of a mountain with caverns you can explore while you're there. Landon and Thomas are getting ready to be launched on the boomerang ride. 

Catherine, AJ, Dean and Holly were waiting in the heat for the cave tour to begin. It was hot, but we had some snacks and it's always fun to be with friends while you wait.

Here's my Ezra by some dude who was about to eat him.

This ride was pretty amazing. It was a classic swing ride that goes in circles, but on half of the ride you were swinging over a giant 1000 foot cliff.

Here's Oliver getting ready for take off on his alpine sled.

We had to take the gondola to the top of the mountain where the amusement park was. Thomas, Dean, Ezra, Lincoln, Oliver.

The boys had a ton of fun fishing and skipping rocks at the campsite pond.

We went biking at Fruita Colorado and did a park called Kessel Run. We spent the day in the sun, but packed some shade. Ezra took a serious spill as he was navigating a new bike with hand breaks. He did a classic endo, but luckily landed in a giant bush and not a grate and fence right next to the bush. He still talks about his first front flip ever.

I think this is Peyton. It was fun to watch the kids to things they didn't think they could do.

Peyton, Isaac, Holly and Lincoln on the big kids ride.

Peyton was doing things she didn't think she could do!

We found this fun rope swing at Ken's Lake in Moab. This looks like Lincoln

And Thomas

We did a big canyoneering canyon that Catherine and Tamara led us on. Ezra was all in, did a great job, was thrilled for everything, until the very last part in the water. He did not want to descend into that water. Also, it was freezing and nobody wanted to. But this kid threw a tantrum for the record books.

Peek-a-boo. Just around the riverbend.

It's so hard to imagine how angry he was about to be. He was so much fun up to this point.

All smiles this guy!

He was a rockstar on the slick rock. There were a lot of nervous people with us. But Ezra was not one of those.

We got to hang out here, while our guides checked the trail.

It was our turn at Ken's Lake while the other half of the group went canyoneering. Ezra was showing off waddles the library's duck.

And Thomas was having the duck talk!

We did a few fun trails in Moab. This is Andrea Jensen.

Holly and Dean made it to the next part of the trail.

Holly rockin the rocks.

Our beautiful, exposed, fun campsite in Moab. We camped at horse thief campground and enjoyed all the biking trails!

We went on a hike, that was too long for this group. But we did find a small slot canyon off the side that we were able to enjoy.

The hike followed a little stream up a narrow canyon. But it was pretty hot and exposed.

This was a really fun place to make mud creations. We spent over an hour here.

Day one of our trip, we stopped at a park in Spanish Fork and had some lunch, played at the park and played ultimate frisbee. The Crag Mama's trip was full of adventure, sun, friends and memories. This year the Blackhursts, Kranings, Jensen's, Packard's and Graham's went on the adventure.

Let Summer begin!