Duck Creek

We spent the last weekend of June at Duck Creek for a family reunion. It was so much fun to spend time with everyone. Even though we only spent a couple days together, they were quite memorable. Here are a few highlights:

1. Grandpa cutting down a 70' dead pine tree, and watching it crash into the shed.

2. Gunny sac races in Panguitch. We stopped there to wait for Steven who planned to bike from Duck Creek to Bryce Canyon-what would have been a 54 mile bike ride if we hadn't decided to cut it short (he completed 32 miles).

3. Hiking trails in Bryce Canyon. This trail had amazing switchbacks down between the canyon walls. It was a hot and dusty climb, but the views were spectatucular!

This chipmunk was so fat, feeding off of scraps from hikers. My nephew Spencer kept calling, "here chipmunk, come on chipmunk," trying to get the critter to follow him up the trail.

Lauren Hits Double Digits!

On Sunday Lauren turned 10. Monday night we celebrated her birthday with dinner at Taco Bell and the movie, Kung Fu Panda. (Taco Bell was what she wanted, her idea of Mexican food. Steve and I haven't been there since college as that was all we could afford when "eating out.")

Lauren is going through a huge growth spurt right now. She is nearly as tall as Nate and weighs almost as much as he does. She has also discovered all the shoes in my closet, now that she has the same foot size. She is so much like me, when I was her age. She loves to read books, play soccer & volleyball, do gymnastics, baby-sit, and hang out with her friends. She is good at drawing and I have high hopes that she continues on so that I can have her do some oil paintings for me to hang on my bare walls. She is just becoming interested in sewing and will start lessons this summer. I really do believe that my mother must have once said, "I hope you have a child just like you," because I do. Thanks Mom!

Scout Camp

Nate & Caleb with swamped canoe

A week of Scout Camp netted the boys a combined 11 merit badges, 9 mosquito bites, 8 sleepless nights, and one fractured clavicle. On the first day of camp, Caleb was swinging on a rope swing, when the knot came undone and he fell on his arm and shoulder. He toughed it out the rest of the week with only a quick visit to the camp medic, and a daily dose of Ibuprofen. A week after his accident it was finally confirmed by x-rays that he had broken his collarbone. I was surprised that Caleb stayed the whole week with his hurt shoulder. Steve reminded me how high a pain tolerance Caleb has-as evidence of his last injury, when he skewered his foot without any crying.

On Thursday, Steve and Grandpa were able to go up to spend the day with the boys. Grandpa probably showed them a few tricks he's picked up in his many years of scouting. The boys came home dirty and tired, and according to them, "are still recuperating from their week at scout camp." And I'm just recovering from the pile of dirty laundry they left me at the door of the laundry room.