Happy 4th of July from our little firecrackers!

Jen

Summer Adventures: Park City!

A super kind friend is letting us use her Park City condo for a little staycation! The kids are ecstatic because there is a pool just steps away, and we are not great pool parents (meaning we'd rather be in the mountains, so that's where we go for free time), so it's a real treat for the kids! 

Gosh, I'm always amazed when people do such generous things like offer their condo to a friend with 4 kids for the weekend! Anyway, we sure are enjoying this special summer treat (with the expected "four kids in a teeny condo"moments thrown in there:)! Jen

Summer Adventures: Tracy Aviary.

Don't you just love birds?! They are Amazing. We haven't frequented the aviary here, but it is so great! Today we got to watch a bird weaving a nest with its beak... I could have watched it for an hour! After the aviary we hung out at the little rivers in Liberty park, then ate lunch while the kids rolled down the big hill. So many memories in that park over the years! 

Look at that sky! Beautiful day. Jen

Summer Adventures: Logan Canyon

This weekend we went up Logan canyon to camp. My gosh it's beautiful! From the backyard grapevines to the mountains and valleys, I love the green that summer brings!! 

Joel and the big kids went up Friday night and camped with the Cox family and the little two and I went up for the day on Saturday. I'm so glad we decided to do it that way! When Ollie is two-ish I think family camping will be much more doable. But constantly having to make sure he isn't toddling toward the fire pit, etc. just isn't fun at all. Anyway, it worked out great for all, and it was fun for me to have a little time with Jubes and Ollie. 

Oh, and happy Father's Day to Joel- the amazing adventurer that is passing on his love of life and nature to our little ones! And to my dad, who so lovingly gave me a childhood where I felt safe, unconditionally loved, and believed in. 

Happy summer adventuring to you! 

Jenny 

Wild.

I just finished reading, " Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest trail", a book about a young woman dealing with the grief of losing her mom and her months hiking the PCT. It was horribly sad. I cried my eyes out several times over the course of the three or so days it took me to read it. The loss of a mom is just tragic, and her mom had loved the author and her siblings with all that was in her, which reminded me of my mom, and thus the crying continued. Anyway, besides causing me to cry uncontrollably, the book also made me want to get back out on a trail. Especially living here, where trails and natural goodness abounds! So, yesterday evening we went for a short hike close to the house. A few things I loved:

* Seeing Jubilee hike. Um, she's amazing! I would look at her as we were going uphill and say to myself, " Now Jenny, if your 22 month old can do this, you can too!" 

* Coming upon a large flock of magpies and hearing Amelia gasp at the sight. She loves birds because, well, she wants to be one! " I just wish I was a Magpie so I could have wings and fly like that. So I could lay eggs and build a nest. Mom, I really do wish I were a bird. I want to live in trees. But mostly I want wings. I really hope in heaven that I have wings. I'd either like to be a unicorn or a bird." 

* To see Sam in his element. He is a child connected to the earth and its creatures and always has been.

* To see Joel in his element. Sometimes I forget what an outdoorsman he is, but boy is he. 

* To remember the freedom of being out on a trail in the fresh air. Love it. 

All for now, 

Jen