Summer in Utah wouldn't be complete (according to my kids) without a trip to Lagoon. It was a pivotal year for Ben, he is now tall enough for the big rollercoasters (mostly). And that officially makes it tricky to go to Lagoon with the younger cousins, since now we are in different sections of the park. But we managed to have a good time connecting at various times during the day.
Headed off to their first big ride together with no adult!
Thankfully the weather was a little cooler, and the lines were slim to none for everything but the water rides.
Libby got to help out in the cool magic show.
They loved this huge Bison/Buffalo at a store in Pioneer Village
Ben was so excited to see a peacock!
Getting wet wasn't Libby's favorite thing. But the rest of us enjoyed a cooling splash as we rode down Rattlesnake Rapids.
It was a long day...there were meltdowns (not a few) by the time we got home. Turns out even older kids get worn out and struggle when they get tired. Maybe we can skip next year?
I crashed my Harris cousin family reunion again this year. I just love being there in Salmon. It is so peaceful. My cousins are so loving and accepting and full of kindness. And, it is a country kid paradise. So good for my city kids to get their hands (and everything else) dirty. They swam in muddy water, climbed on hay bales (hay rash for days!), did some rope swinging, and played with cousins. It was an amazing weekend.
Playing in the river. This was the first carload. I didn't get a pic with everyone that day.
Enjoying the cold water & warm sunshine
Ben has always loved throwing huge rocks into the water.
Sarah and Ava, such a cutie
Sarah went all the way in! BRRR!
We played lots of games. I liked this game called The Mind. I even bought it, but I haven't been able to get anyone to play with me yet.
The slide was really fun in the afternoons & evening when the sun moved to the other side of the house.
There are 3 girl cousins right around their age for the girls to play with. Sarah spent more time playing board games with the boys.
Nancy and Jeralynn are the two cousins that I lived with when I was at USU living with my grandparents. They are awesome women.
Our home for the weekend. I was so glad that the wind wasn't bad this year. Our tent didn't blow down once!
They have done a lot of work on the Salmon house since I saw it last. I am so excited to see the finished product.
This is a part of the group. It looks like it isn't real when you look behind us, right? But it is! Cougar Point Campground.
Then they set up the rope swing. Erin climbed way up to set up the swing. I didn't do it this time around. Sarah had a rough time and there was a big line. But Libby and Ben each did it twice. They loved it!
Below the house is a gravel pit. Ben scaled this mountain with cousin Joseph.
I boosted him up on this hay bale. He walked across the bales (including a big jump) to get home from the river after our walk.
Jerry, getting some welding done. He keeps the gas canister on a baby stroller so he can move it wherever he needs it.
The Salmon River!
The girls got into catching, cooking & eating grasshoppers. Yuck!
It was such a lovely trip. See you next time Harris family!
On Wednesday evening we headed to Centerville for a week with my parents. I didn't really have much planned (Lagoon, of course). But we fit in some other mostly fun (to a point) day trips.
My decision to go to the Great Salt Lake was based on a memory that there were lots of flies right around the edge of the water. But the reality was that there were flies everywhere. On the beach, out in the water, and they were biting. And the water was a good 1/2 mile from the road. My decision to drag a bunch of gear out to the water was a big fail. It was super hot. We didn't last long. But we made some memories, right? I took Ruger out, when it became apparent that the stroller wouldn't make it. He was worried that the bugs were messing up his hair. He liked the water until he fell in. The salt stings the eyes! So I walked him back up. As soon as I got back, the girls (who had been having fun) were over it. And Ben had started having fun. But it was time to make the hike back up. I offered a sno-cone to anyone who didn't complain on the way back up. We had several complaints turned "observations" about the conditions, flies, heat, etc. I bought everyone a sno-cone for enduring. It was an experience for sure!
The water was incredibly warm. I could have maybe even gotten all in. But of course I didn't.
It was raspberry season. Amazing picking at my parents' house!
More of the GSL (I took some on my phone and some on my good camera). This is the HOLY Cow picture!
A glimpse of the distance from the car to the water. This might be from the gift shop, so it wasn't quite this far...but it was a hike.
All 3 kids wrote postcards to Dad. I loved Sarah's synopsis. Ben's was "I went to a Great Salty Lake. It was Epic."
On Saturday Bryn took Libby for a pedicure. We all joined in (except Ben who watched the iPad).
Then we got to meet Bryn's cousin Dalton who is on Studio C. So fun! He was really great. Libby was so starstruck! But not so starstruck that she couldn't ask lots of questions and give ideas for sketches.
Libby wanted gold nails. Her current favorite color. She wants me to paint her room red and gold. Shockingly, I said no.
My mom got us tickets for Freaky Friday at the Hale Theater. It was so good! Really fun. And a glimpse into my life as I become a mother of teenagers (AHHH!)
Ben noticed the sign at the bottom of my parents street for the cemetary. He asked if we could go up there. Of course! So we walked up and saw all the Randall family graves. He was super respectful and thoughtful during the walk. And I was extra impressed that he turned down screen time to go!
Libby loves her nieces & nephews. Reagan is such a good baby!
Ben and Ruger. They had a good time playing together.
The video at the top is Shark Tank Jr. We went down and a did a shoot with Black Hat Media (my brother Brian). It was fun to see him in action in this real movie shooting environment.
That same day we went from Provo to Eden (almost 2 hour drive) to see our piano teacher and friend Laurie Shorten & her husband Steve. They moved to Eden this summer. They have a great house, great view, and awesome pool. Loved spending time catching up. We will really miss them!
Ben finally lost the 2nd front tooth. He even pulled it out himself, no nerf gun needed. (Which is good because he lost the "TOOTH" dart during the Fillmore adventure leg of the trip.)
I did some shopping at athome, my new favorite store. I came home with 2 lamps, a globe-ish book end, and a gift for Libby's upcoming bedroom makeover (it will be a very small makeover--but have to keep the family tradition alive!)
During the drive we finished 2 more books for the Norton Reading Challenge (Artemis Fowl & Alex Ryder). I also listened to Girl, Wash your Face, and Front Desk. They watched lots of movies in the car and at Mimi's. It was a fun week.
The best part was seeing how well my mom is doing. She cooked, took Libby shopping, and even skipped her nap 2 days to spend time with us. I am so happy to see her looking so much like herself again. I love her!
