A vacation at last- Zion camping

After 5 years we finally made it back to Zion with the kids!  The Narrows did not disappoint, what an amazing and beautiful and unique hike!  The kids were shocked and thrilled by the first deep part!

on the way back through at the end, Maris went too deep on purpose and ended up legit swimming for a minute until Katelyn grabbed her and pulled her to a shallower part!  She wasn't scared though, she was smiling and laughing the whole time, it was so funny.

cute Emma taking a break- she did amazing though, walked most of the way for 4 miles!  It was just so new and different to be walking in the river.

and the kids by the giant walls of the canyon.

side note because moving pictures in blogger is a pain:

These signs around the visitor's center cracked us up!  Even though I'm sure it's true, it was still a funny picture.

Eric was concerned about camping in Zion in July, and it was pretty hot but he survived it thanks to his cooling towel haha.  and he took this cute picture of the kids sleeping in the morning.

We enjoyed the hammocks in the shade as usual.

and our camp had a deer just hanging out in the shade too, for like an hour!

Okay back to the Narrows.  So we got to Zion, set up camp, and went immediately to the shuttle (with our reserved tickets, thanks COVID!) and went straight to the best hike ever.  Here we are by some little waterfalls.

just past the first deep part, and Eric and the girls when they left us and trekked ahead for a while.

Emma laughing in delight at the water pouring down the rocks, and being so cute with her trekking (ski) pole.

me and Emma, with the rest of the fam in the background.

the spot me and the littles turned around, it was so beautiful!!

brave kids.

hiking family!

Maris falling on the left, and Owen about to fall on the right.  They got soaked!  It was hot but they still got a little chilly in the shade.

family pic almost at the end, when Emma wanted to be carried.

out of order, but great times.

Jumping ahead now to day 2!  We did a short hike in the morning, pictures at the end.  Emma had to be coaxed along the WHOLE WAY and it was torture.  She is too big to be carried for very long, but she was totally burnt out on hiking after the long one the day before.  but we survived!

Then we sat on the grass- socially distanced from others- under a huge tree by Zion Lodge and had a leisurely lunch, it was actually really heavenly!  to be outside in some of God's most beautiful creations, on soft lush grass, eating good food with smiling children.....it wasn't too crowded thanks to COVID, and the sky was so blue, and we had the endorphins from some good exercise......I seriously felt like this is what I want heaven to be like.  We stayed for a long time!

Then before we took the shuttle back to our campsite to pack up, we walked back across the river and found a nice swimming hole!  Katelyn and I seriously regretted not wearing our swimsuits-- she ended up jumping in but I didn't.  I didn't want to ride all the way home in wet clothes!  But I should have just gone for it, they had so much fun jumping off this rock!

Even Maris jumped in, to Eric.

riding the shuttle. We actually wore masks, but they took them off for the picture.

And here's the pics from our hike to Emerald Falls.

you go under the thin stream of the falls, it's pretty cool.  But the ledge is narrow and crowded so you can't stay for long.

Anyway it was a great trip and I'm so glad we got to go!  In a year of things being cancelled, it was so nice to have a little vacation.  

 

Change-ups, new things, and outdoor fun

 For my 38th birthday we went camping at Zion the week before.  But on my actual birthday I still wanted to do something fun outdoors, so I took the kids (and at the last minute, Jonathan didn't have to work so he came along) up to Payson Lakes.  It was fun!  And Maris took this picture of me haha.  I was brave and jumped off the kayak in the middle of the lake, so I was proud of myself for being a cool mom haha.

and the kids had fun pulling Jonathan around on the paddleboard.

This crazy thing happened: a road actually got paved behind our house!  Sad!  But we are grateful for each day we get without backyard neighbors.

Another crazy thing that happened: Owen got glasses!!!! before Quarantine he had been complaining about not being able to see the board at school, but then with online school and the pandemic it wasn't a problem any more/I forgot about it.  So finally in July one day, Katelyn randomly tried an experiment of giving Owen her old glasses to wear and he was like " wow I can see so much better!  That's awesome!" So then I felt SO bad!  But he had been okay at his last vision screening, so it had only been a few months of blurry vision I think.....anyway we had fun trying on some old time glasses like the ones Eric had as a child!  And then he picked these.  They are way cute on him. And I was worried about sports, but they only fell off once the whole soccer season this fall, so that was good.

UYSA (the State soccer people) organized a short summer season to help make up for the cancelled spring season, so Whitney's team got to play 4 games this summer!  Plus a tournament and a free Shooters tournament.  Yay summer soccer!  So here's Eric and our tent on the sidelines.

4th of July was pretty low-key because we were camping the day before.  But we did a few little fireworks before the police came and asked us to stop because apparently we were in a no-fireworks zone. I had read the rules carefully and I think he was wrong, but we stopped anyway haha.

In July Katelyn got to do the Summer Shakespeare Intensive Program.  2 weeks of 9 to 5 Shakespeare, and at the end they put on the play Much Ado About Nothing-- set in a 1980's high school.  It ended up being postponed because 1 kid got COVID, but then no one else got it (because they were all wearing masks at rehearsals, good job!) so they did end up getting to perform 2 weeks later. She had a BLAST and the play was so fun to watch!  Here she is going to "school" for the first time since March.

Here's her 80's cast photo for the program, and her in the peach prom dress getting captured by the captain of the watch (nerd patrol--hilarious!)

Here she is as part of the mean girl's posse (they had a real car onstage, so fun)

In one of her other outfits, and plotting with Brady.

More mean girl posse and yelling at the captain of the watch

One day when Owen had gotten his own room (up next), I got him a bunch of bins and he decided to organize his Legos by color.  It took several hours!! The girls and I all willingly helped him, it was pretty fun! And it looks awesome on his shelf.

Emma and Owen switched rooms!!!! It was crazy!  But with Emma not napping much anymore, Owen was ready to have his own room.
Here's Emma in her old room.

These two cute pals have had a great run as roommates.

Owen in his old room

Emma asleep on the floor in her new room, late at night, she must have fallen out of bed?  haha

Maris in her same spot!

silly times at the splash pad in Orem.

Katelyn getting COVID tested after she was possibly exposed at rehearsal for Much Ado-- she was negative.

the log at Spanish fork reservoir.

a hike in Santaquin canyon during Katelyn's singing class

Whitney invited about 10 friends to the pond, they had a BLAST on the paddleboard and kayaks and jumping off bridges.....

Yay for summer!!!