Summer Summer

Loved our summer! It was fun to have our baby on a flexible schedule and do so so much together. Plus, he really enjoys all of it this year too and that has made it our favorite summer ever. Now getting out and doing tons with 4 kids in tow is super tricky and takes a lot out of me—I swear I'm always missing a child or I forget something crucial while we're out (swim diaper, stroller, sunblock, my own sandwich, etc...) but we forge ahead. We made a pretty generous bucket list back in June, and before school started we had done all of it but hike Donut Falls! (and we can save that for a lovely fall weekend).

Some of the fun included the following:

BYU day with cousins

 Blackridge Reservoir with LeB cousins:

  

 

 Trying out a new hike:

This one is up Yellow Fork Canyon in the Oquirrhs just a few miles west of us

Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum with my old BYU friends and their kiddos:

 

 

 2 sessions of tennis lessons:

 Tons of swims at the Draper Pool and a few visits to the library:

7 Peaks!

Other highlights captured by the iPhone:

Biking date with Cec and Chad up Emigration Canyon followed by breakfast at Ruth's Diner

A farewell date with Nanny and Grandpa at Fat Cats:

(we had planned to do Draper pool but afternoon thunder showers had closed the pool that day)

Hitting 1500 miles on my bike exactly 1 year after installing my odometer.

 Not too shabby, but by Labor day next year I want to have ridden at least 2000 more. I'm a little obsessed but it truly feels so good—it's such an amazing workout and I still have so much to improve on and I just feel happy doing it. This world is too beautiful for me and being out in it working hard and breathing fresh air just does it for me. 

Plus, I sort out all kinds of things in my head while I'm riding!

Our crazy August storms toppled this lovely tree in our backyard. It had been weakened by a pest—some kind of grub—and just couldn't withstand the fierce winds that day. So sad to loose such a great shady tree!

Fun picture of these girls at Maddie's 8th birthday party:

Fun picture of my delicious boy after we ate at Los Hermanos and he was so smeared up with beans that I had to dress him in the spare onesie I had in my purse. He is just too cute for me :)

A pic of the kids and me all wearing Keens in LP last month:

Funny boys on a date night with BYU friends (same ones I went to the dino museum with). We used to go out as couples all the time in our college days and it was too fun to get together again and laugh and laugh until our bellies ached. Love these great friends!

And a few more shots of riding buddies:

Heather and I rode the Mountain View Corridor one morning last month

(she was already needing to be out west for her son's soccer game so we started and ended and at his field by Jordan Landing)

 

With my hubby on the newish Murdock Canal Trail that runs from Alpine 

all the way to Provo Canyon.