Fun with Trigg!

Since our sweet Weed passed away it has been a challenge to take care of Trigg during the day when people are at school.  He has gone here and there with different people.  Once sweet lady in Moss and Christie's ward offered him free pre-school for a year!  He has stayed with Ferf, Christie, Sis. Sandberg, Grandma Smith, Aunt LaTressa, etc.  My chance to help out during the school year was Mondays for the end of that first school year and then Fridays for the next one.  I would pick him up in the morning and spend time with him and then take him to school where I would hand him off to LaTressa for the afternoon.  One of his favorite things was being able to come to school and be a little part of the class for that few minutes of transition time.  Sometimes he just came and ate his lunch, but other times he sat on the carpet with the kids for the end of the morning class or went to a center table or played with puzzles, etc.  He called it his kindergarten class and Ms. Godfrey his teacher! The kids and Ms. Godfrey were always sweet to him.  Even the office people who know his situation have been really understanding about our little switch at school.  Here's Trigg eating his Happy Meal as school.  

 I tried to make sure we got to do something a little bit extra other than just hang out at the house as many times as possible.  Of course, we did enjoy just being at the house and doing fun stuff there too. 

I feel so sad when I think what he's missing with his mom.  He loved spending time with her just one-on-one when everyone else was at school.  I can't even imagine how hard this has been for this little guy.  He has grown so much since that first story time at the library that I took him to.  It hasn't always been easy for me to take the time with him, but I do feel thankful that I could help just a little to make Trigg's life fun in the midst of the sorrow.  And now he's going to go off to Kindergarten and I won't be a part of his week.  Bittersweet time, but good for him to be moving on.  I will remember our good times!  

Father's Day 2017

What an awesome dad Paul has been for our children.  He's also a great grandpa now and still a great dad to our children as adults.  Here are some of the cute things the kids put together for him!  Of course the most wonderful thing they could ever do and are doing for him is to be the wonderful people they are.  They make him so proud.  We love them all so much.

Brian Head camp...and then a fire started

We wanted to get to the high country for a camp out and chose Brian Head.  We went to one of our favorite spots and were happy to find it empty.  It was perfect weather...so much cooler than in St. George with flowers blooming and the aspens so beautifully green.  Paul made us stew and biscuits for dinner and then we took an evening walk.  The next morning we had a great hash browns, bacon and eggs breakfast and then cleaned up and drove to High Mountain and then took a little hike down to a beautiful little pond.  I swear Paul has a built in GPS and always seems to get us where we want to go and back while I'm baffled at how he does it.  It was a beautiful day.  When it was time to head down the  mountain we decided to go via Yankee Meadows.  The lake was so full from all of the snows this winter.  We found a little spot to park and eat our lunch and then as we drove back out to the highway we saw this huge cloud of smoke over the mountain by where we had just come from. The highway back up that way had just been was closed.  It has now turned into a huge fire started by someone burning yard debris.  So sad.  Hope they can save some of that beautiful stuff we love so much.

Family Camp 2017 - Johnson Hills Camp

We had another wonderful Family Camp this year.  We went to Johnson-Hills Camp, which belongs to a family in our ward.  We knew we needed to go early because Christie is very pregnant and due in early July and it needed to be low so it wouldn't still be too cold.  And it needed to be comfortable too since she's not really up to sleeping out in a tent when she's very pregnant either.  So the Johnson's place filled the bill and at an affordable rate to boot.  We went May31st - June 3rd (Wednesday-Saturday).  We had everyone there except Kaebri (on Trek), Supe and Beacher (starting business at Veryo Pool/Crawdad Canyon), and Bean.  Some people couldn't stay the whole time, but it was still a pretty good showing.  We had 36 some of the time.  This year was different because Juge, Lou, Ferf and Derek all had camp trailers.  Lou was in a tent and Moss, Jay and us were inside the "grand hotel".  The camp had bathrooms, showers, water and electricity.  It had awnings and a big gathering area and toys for the kids to play on.  It was like a developed camp ground but private for us.  It was very nice and close to Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon for some fun outings.  We had good weather pretty much all of the time.  We did have one little rain/wind storm that nearly took out Lou's tent, but thankfully that was the only real bad spell.

Here's the entry and layout of the camp spots for everyone.

The toys were a big hit with the younger set.  Lots of forts were also built our in the "boonies" of the camp.  

 As always, eating was a big hit too.  The food was plentiful and tasty!  

 Clara Lenae was the youngest in camp this year...and oh so cute!  

Thursday evening we celebrated with Madi #7 and Lance #39.  We also had a talent show that night.

Thursday morning everyone got ready as quickly as possible and we took the big "family shot" and then left for a hike to Mossy Cave and the Waterfall which are a part of Bryce Canyon.  It was a really pretty, family friendly hike.  

 Friday morning Jay got bikes ready, Brynnli got hair ready and then we went over by Red Canyon to ride 5.29 miles along the paved bike path that runs by it.  We went in two different heats so that everyone could have a turn on the bikes.  Some of us toured the Red Canyon Visitor's center while some rode.  It took much longer to get ready and loaded up and drive over than it did to do the ride, but it was fun and worth the trouble.  Zade learned to use his coaster brake thanks to Lance and Lance also saved Madi from an unfamiliar bike she was riding on the second  ride.  Many thanks go to him for his patient, helpful ways.  

We also found time to just have fun around the camp - playing table games, Capture the Flag, hanging out with the cousins, etc.  It's so fun seeing the kids and dogs enjoying each other...and the adults too.

 The last morning the Smiths were in charge of an easy, let's get things cleaned up and ready to go breakfast.  There was a vast array of cold cereal and Pop Tarts to choose from.  The kids thought it was the best meal ever! (I thought every meal was wonderful!)

So glad we are trying to continue the chance to spend time together every year in this organized fashion.  Supe and Beacher were going to be in charge this time, but at the last minute the job at Veyo Pool came up and they couldn't, so Paul and Bonnie took it on.  So Supe and Beacher are up for 2018!  

Memorial Day Weekend at Pine Valley

We were trying to think of some place close to do some camping for Memorial day and then remembered the Stucki's had offered their cabin.  We decided to take them up on it for a week end at Pine Valley.  We got there Friday evening and came home Monday morning. What a fun time it was!
We stopped in at Baker Lake to see the water cascading over the dam. Heavy snows this year have made the water abundant.  The water hasn't gone over the dam in years.  So pretty!

Saturday we hiked the waterfalls trail and found it covered in downed tree debris, but made it through to see that favorite beautiful place.  The water is very high this year and it was lovely to see the stream so full.  

We also took another hike down "upper Crawdad Canyon".  We have talked about doing it for a long time and it did not disappoint.  We went as far as we could downstream and then went upstream until the canyon ended in a cow pasture in Pine Valley.  We wanted to go further down, but it became to much of a bushwhack and you couldn't cross to the other side because of the dangerously high water...another adventure.  

We pretty much filled Saturday with short hikes.  This one was to "Bridge Camp", and old scout/family camping spot.  Such a pretty spot .

Sunday we took a walk before church and spotted this pretty old house we had never seen before.

Then we attended church at the Pine Valley branch which was overflowing for the holiday and we got to sit outside and participate via TV/speakers.  We chose a shady spot and nearly froze, but it was fun to be out there and made us think of Jesus and early saints who met outside much of the time for their meetings. 

We took a walk later Sunday afternoon and discovered the confluence of 3 streams in Pine Valley - something we had never noticed before.

Late that evening we took dinner down and ate with Supe and Beacher at Veyo Pool/Crawdad Canyon.  We walked down canyon for a bit until they were ready and then enjoyed visiting/eating with them.  Monday morning it was time to clean the cabin and head home.  It was a great week end and we got the very most we could out of it!