With year-round school, sometimes you end up with a two week summer. We tried to pack in as many adventures as we could in that two weeks. Lindsey actually made a list of things to do everyday. We hiked, school shopped, swam, boated, visited Lagoon, LDS Motion Picture Studio, the zoo, and stayed up late every night. Here are pictures of some of the things we did.
Nicole, my sister, and her family came down for BYU Sports camps. We met up with them in Provo and decided to hike in Rock Canyon. We made a big mistake when we let the older kids pick the trail. Before we knew it, we were scaling the moutainside up a trail that appeared to be a rock slide. Nicole and I were pushing the littlest ones up the rocks while the older ones kept scurrying to the top. We finally had to shout out for them to stop. We reached a plateau and asked some rock climbers if the the trail got better. They informed us it was the same and "it really wasn't a trail for little kids." We directed the older kids to head down the trail while Nicole and I slid, stumbled and fell down the trail. I am pleased to report that we were able to keep all little ones from falling. Our only injury was the split down the back of Nicole's pants. We chose an easier trail that led us to a creek. The kids really enjoyed playing in the water and it made it all worth it.
Nicole's friend who came with her from Texas had connections and we were able to take a tour of the LDS Motion Picture Studio. We had fun exploring the back lot and the different studios. We were able to go through the prop and costume warehouses. A highlight for the kids was getting to see a replica of the golden plates. They made them as heavy as the originals so the actors would look believable carrying them. They all got a turn trying to lift the plates. The littles kids thought it was great fun to chase the cotton that was dropping from the trees. I think they are too young for allergies.
Another adventure we had was a trip to the zoo. Luke and Lindsey decided they were too old for the zoo so they stayed home. The three younger ones and I had a great time exploring the zoo. It has changed since I was there last. They have made some real improvements. It was Matthew's first trip to the zoo. It was fun to watch his excitement over all the animals. Heather loved the monkeys and Savannah loved the snow cone she got.
I think our biggest adventure was hiking to Timpanogas Cave. We went with our good friends, the Daniels. We had to hurry to the top because our tour ticket times were set for an hour after we started at the bottom. We made it just in time. The kids made it with only a few complaints. The hike down was much more enjoyable. After the hike, we went to the Gateway and had dinner, enjoyed a concert, and ran through the fountains. As it got dark, we stopped at the Capitol Building and watched a movie under the stars. It was a funfilled day and we were exhausted by the time we got home.
