Summertime Recap

It's been such a fun, very short summer! The family and I have had so much fun! Summer started off very cold and rainy, and came down with a case of severe cabin fever. So off we went to the Natural History Museum in SLC. What a fun time we had! The kids are into the movie series "Night at the Museum," so this was loads of fun. Dinosaur skeletons, rocks, frogs and bugs! After the Natural history museum, we went to Hoogle Zoo with my Mom, sister, sister in law and niece and nephew! We had pretty good luck with the animals, and our favorites cooperated and let us see them! So much for June!

In July the kids went up to Idaho for about 10 days to spend some time with Grandma and Papa Kunz. Before the picked up Jaz from the airport they were able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with Grandma and Papa Kunz. Both kids just loved that! My sister in law Jaz made it into town with her husband, and we were all able to get together on July 4th for a little mini reunion. Loads of fun camping at Bear Lake with lots of tubing and boating! We then had a nice family dinner on Sunday the 5th and took some very nice family photos, photos which I'm still waiting for someone to send me a copy of. Someday right? After Bear Lake I took the kids with my Mom to Lagoon for Harmon's Lagoon Days. We had so much fun! My daughter is a little evil kenevil, loving the crazy rides! John he prefers the more tame rides, but loves the Haunted Houses! It was a great day with the Gram and the kids! We also visited the Farmer's Market in SLC, and thought that was great fun, after walking around the Farmer's Market, we went to Boondocks to play mini golf, ride the bumper boats and play arcade games. It was great fun, especially the golfing features that shot out flames! Also during July, we spent a lot of time riding horses out at my parents' house, practicing for a horse show in August!

The kids went camping again with their Kunz grandparents, up on Palisades Reservoir. They had a good time. John was able to get his mandatory ride in Papa's John Deere Tractor while up there. After their little camping trip they came home for a night and then I got to go on vacation with them up to Idaho Falls! It was my first paid vacation ever and we had such a wonderful time! It was cold and chilly up in Idaho Falls, my type of weather even in August! We visited with my Sister and her family, my two wonderful Aunts, a handful of cousins and had a blast! I took the kids and my sister and nephew to Bear World and oh my gosh the bears were right there! John was a little unsure at first, but then really got into it! We followed right behind a feeding truck and really got close to the bears. Good thing they liked their food better than my car! The day after Bear World, my Aunt Char, my kids, Clint and I took a day trip over to Jackson Wyoming and played tourist around the town square. So much has changed, but yet a lot is still the same. It was cold and rainy, and just wonderful! I miss being up in Jackson sometimes.

Once home from Idaho, we really had to start working hard and practicing lots for the Utah County Fair Horse Show. Carol once again showed Butterbum, with Gram in the arena to help in the Lead Line Showmanship. They looked so sharp and beautiful! Carol really worked her stuff, being in the right position at the right time and everything! She won FIRST PLACE and brought home a huge trophy! So proud of my girl! She giggled all the way over to accepting her trophy, it was just so awesome!

John is not much into horses, so Papa Martin decided that the grandkids needed a little 4-wheeler to play with. John thinks this is right up his alley! He's still a little nervous about it, has had his first crash and just loves wearing a helmet! He says he's going to practice lots and be a good driver now! After the horse show, my Aunty Pam and her three kids came in from Oklahoma and my sister came down from Idaho for a wonderful visit! All of my siblings and their spouses came down to my parent's home and we had a wonderful family dinner. Oupa and Granny even made it! After all of this, school started for Carol on August 20th, and John started school August 27th. What a whirlwind of a summer!