Idaho Trip

On the 17th, D & I had the opportunity to go up to Idaho for the weekend with my dad, my sisters, the kids, and Mikey. My Aunt and Uncle got a mission call to the Tallahassee, Florida mission office and their farewell was that weekend. We always have such fun at Grandma Koon's house, and it's always so nice to see family we haven't seen in a while. Congratulations, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Sheryl! We're so happy for you guys and are so glad to have such great examples in the family!

Liam enjoyed his snacks in the car ride up

We played with the kitties

Visited with D's Grandma Jennings on her birthday, the 18th
Elk Farm
Hannah getting ready to play in the slough (pronounced slew) at Granny Great's house
D had a blast playing around in the water
Who says he can't run on water?
Old school water skiing ;)
All of the fun in the water made him hungry so he caught himself some minnow sushi
...and then a crawdad
Dad always has fun up at Grandma K's too :)
D and Miss Hannah
Shannon and Liam
We snacked on these yummy white cherries. They were soo sweet and soo delicious!!
A few of my many cousins. It was so great to see you guys!
We played with swords
D got Liam to sleep by bouncing with him on the trampoline. It was so sweet :)
The missionaries and Grandma K
Us with Grandma K
The fam!

Nature's Way of Feeding Mosquitoes

Well, sorry for the delay folks, but I (Dar) think I've found some time to tell about the two camp outs that I just went on. Several weeks ago I went with the scouts in our previous ward in Orem (Cherry Hill 3rd Ward, we miss you guys!) on a canoe trip down the green river. The second trip was with the scouts in our current ward on a backpacking trip up in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

Green River

On the Green River, there are many exciting places to put in (meaning get on the river). On our trip we started in Green River, Utah and headed down through Labyrinth Canyon until we hit Mineral Bottom 68 miles later where we got out. The river was flowing high and fast since it was early summer and we had been receiving plenty of rain. Our first stop on the river was Crystal Geyser, a cold water geyser that is right along the bank of the river. It was originally a location where oil was being drilled. A pocket of groundwater fills the cavity with CO2 dissolving into the water. It erupts much like a soda can shaken up when too much CO2 saturates the water.

Crystal Geyser

A little too close when it started erupting again

This shot reminded me of Super Mario Brothers:
A mushroom coming out of a pipe

Just a shot of the pretty travertine deposits from the geyser

It was a few miles after this stop that we had an accident. We came upon some rapids, that are usually pretty minor, but with the river being higher, the rapids were also higher than I anticipated. Me, being one of these crazy fun types, I steered us to go straight into them. After we hit the first rapid, I thought, "Oh crud, bit of more than I can chew." Our canoe happened to be extra tipsy with 40 gallons of water in it, and as soon as we hit the second rapid, we lost our balance and tipped over. My first shock was I thought all of our gear was going to sink to the bottom of the river. Surprisingly almost everything floated. In fact, the only thing lost was my fleece pullover. The water jugs floated (though we lost the water inside), our bags floated, a tent, my camel pack which had my camera, and other minor gear. The other scouts scrambled to gather it up, while one of the canoes pulled us over to shore. I was struggling to keep the canoe upright to bail out water as fast as I could with a small bucket. I knew the canoe wouldn't sink since they are made to float, even when capsized. What a tremendous rush. Another loss was Brother Mullins camera that he had in his pocket when we tipped. It wouldn't turn on. His wife told him before the trip that if anything happened to the camera, he would have to buy her a new one much nicer. Well, I guess she gets a new camera! I beat myself up over it though, blaming the whole incident on me because I steered us toward the rapids.

After we got back on the river and several miles later, we stopped at our first campsite. Just before arrival, a storm blew through and started pouring rain and freezing wind. We huddled under a tarp for a while until it blew over. It started clearing up and then we got to have some fun playing in the mud, going on some hikes, and games in the tents when it started to rain some more.

Stuck in the mud

I made myself some mud claws like Sabertooth on X-Men. It was a very fine clay-like deposit.

I gave a little lesson on erosion for the boys and they dove right in, making miniature canyons.

Some of the canyons that were made

A view of our camp and the river from the hill top

The next day was excellent weather. We pushed about 40 miles that day which was quite an accomplishment for the boys. We saw some wild life, floated along as a group tied together, and had a couple of swims. Lunch was at a place called Trin Alcove or Three Canyon. The mosquitoes really came out for lunch as well, but it's a beautiful place to stop. The scenery is excellent, and if you follow the little tributary up the right fork canyon, you can see some hanging gardens, a place where plants are growing from horizontal cracks in the rock where water is seeping through the sandstone. While we were there we saw a baby fawn that we totally walked right past without seeing it on the way up. Another thing at lunch that was hilarious, was that one person dared a scout to eat a cicada. He said he wouldn't eat it, but would put it in his mouth. So he did, and then it started to walk to the back of his mouth that made him start gagging. We were laughing so hard. I don't have the video of it now, but I'll see if I can get it and post it on here later. By the end of the day, when trying to find a camp, the mosquitoes had gotten vicious. Every stop on the river was a mosquito farm. Just trying to get spray on resulted in 20 mosquitoes landing on you before you got your spray out. As the night waned on, frogs started to croak their melody, however, the sound that came from these frogs sounded more like a baby screaming or crying. It was pretty freaky to go by the river and listen.

Me taking a swim in the Green (brown) River

The baby fawn we walked right past without seeing

This is a Great Blue Heron. We would see these all the time along the river but they usually flew off before you could get a decent shot at one. This time I got lucky.

Greg's mosquito bites. God put them on Earth to test our patience.

Boys will be boys

Overall it was an amazing trip. This is the third time I've done this run, and it stays absolutely beautiful. It even changes as the river deposits and washes away sandbars. I hope you all get a chance, at least once in your life to take a canoe trip down the Green River.

Wind River Range

The Wind River Range is in Wyoming, approximately in the west central part of the state, southeast of the Teton Valley and Yellowstone. It was a backpacking trip, so unlike the Green River trip, we had to carry all of our gear on our backs instead of in a canoe. A much different experience. We got up early and headed out. Along the drive, one of the scouts fell asleep and the scout masters thought it would be fun to play a little joke on him. On the count of 3 we would all scream as the driver slammed on the breaks. I thought this kids eyes were going to pop out of his head. It was pretty funny, but I thought the scout was going to start crying because he kept rubbing his eyes. He was a good sport about it. On the flip side, a downer to our drive was that we hit an antelope on the way up the mountains. We went right over it. It's probably fortunate that it died rather than live and suffer, but it is always sad when something like that happens. The landscape was absolutely gorgeous. It's probably the scenery that keeps people going, because it take a little while for the body to adjust to an extra 50 lbs on their back as well as depleted oxygen in the air. We started hiking at about 9000 ft and almost got as high as 11,000 ft in elevation. The difference in oxygen is astounding to the point you can feel it. Simple hills will put you out of breath quickly. Utah Valley sits at about 4500 ft in elevation. That change in altitude makes a 3.5% drop in oxygen by volume or about 17% drop in oxygen overall. Huff puff! Well, at any rate, we hiked over 7 miles to our first camp by Hobbs Lake. Even at the beginning of July there were many patches of snow lying around so the lake was essentially snow melt. We set up camp and hit the hay right after dinner. That night I realized how much more I miss K than I used to on trips. I would have short spurts of anxiety because I would rather be with her than in the middle of nowhere without her.

The gang: 2 scouts, 2 leaders, and the tag along

A beautiful vista

The next day the boys went fishing. The fishing wasn't the greatest, but one scout caught a couple that we had for lunch and dinner, and boy was I surprised at how good it tasted! I had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and to catch up on some homework as well. While doing my labs, a little chipmunk nearly climbed up my back. After an afternoon nap, more fishing was to be done, but no luck. I sat high above the lake on a rocky outcrop soaking in God's creations. The sun was setting and I could see the wind move ripples across the lake. That night we had an excellent fireside and we stayed up chatting until about 2:30 by the fire. In the morning one of the leaders and scouts thought they would take a dive into the lake to wash up a bit. No, thank you! I washed my face earlier that morning and my hands were frozen. Kudos to them. We decided to hike to another lake, Polecreek Lake, 5 miles away to see if the fishing was any better, but again, no luck. The hike was long, exhausting, and we went through a lot of snow, getting our boots wet and muddy, but the view was worth it. The following morning, I got up early as we planned to so we could hike out early. I spent about an hour enjoying the view sipping my hot chocolate while the others continued to sleep. Watching the sun coming up over the lake was beautiful, just one of those had to be there moments.

Mark unhooking his fish

Hobbs Lake

Two loony birds jumping in ice cold lake water

Just as fast as they went in, they got out

Eric's reactionZac's reaction. He said, "Aaaaaaaaaah." But I think he meant to say, "Holy gizards, that's a cold lake"Some of the snow patches we hiked throughMore beautiful sceneryReflection on Polecreek Lake in the morningThe sun shining through a spider webWe decided to blitz the hike out and only stop once every hour for a break. The 9 mile hike out seemed to go by fast the first 5 miles, then dragged on the last 4. I had 3 things repeat over and over in my head while I was hiking. A quote from Meet the Robinsons, "Keep moving forward," a quote from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gimli says while running all day, "Keep breathing," and the song "One Step at a Time" by Jordan Sparks. Alas we made it back to the truck, feet and shoulders aching, but the burger and milkshake waiting for us back in Pinedale was wonderful!

This spot is called Photographers Point as you can clearly see why. Unfortunately you can't see the panoramic view which is breath taking.

If you look carefully, you can see salt deposit lines on my back where I had sweated profusely and then it dried out

Of course I have to do a science demonstration where ever I go! :o)

It's nights like this...

...that I want to remember.

I love nights when we've had a great day and then keep on playing. On Saturday, J & T took us to the Scottish festival in Payson. We've never been to it before, but it was pretty fun. They had bag pipe competitions, and some keg throwing competitions, along with other fun Scottish things.

I think this guy can twirl his kilt better than I can twirl a skirt! ;)

After the Scottish festival and visiting T's grandma, we went and borrowed some Wii games, picked up some delicious food from Bajio and then came home to play. We played some Wii, ate our yummy food, had a balloon fight and then went to J & T's to look at the moon through the telescope.

The McSweeney's all ganged up on me!

R loves balloons!

When we first got the telescope out, it was too cloudy to really see anything but we knew the sky would be clearing up so we got out a couple of blankets and layed on the grass, made shapes in the clouds, played the celebrity name game, and asked D to tell us about the stars. He pointed out a bunch of constellations for us and told us about the brightest stars we could see. (I love having a smart husband who can teach me new things all the time, and always amaze me with his incredible memory! I love you, D!) We searched the sky for sattelites, and we saw 3 shooting stars! We also got to see Jupiter and her four biggest moons through the telescope, but D couldn't get a good picture of it :( It was super cool to see the sky through the telescope again. It always makes me appreciate God's creations and realize that despite how small and insignificant we might think we are, He still knows us each by name.

We've been busy...

Well, our birthday's have come and gone. The 4th of July has come and gone. I've finished my 1st block classes, started 2nd block classes, D is half way through his semester, and life rolls on. Despite being super busy with school work and other things, we're still enjoying our summer!! I can't believe how fast it's flying!!!

Birthday's

D's birthday was the 24th, and mine was the 27th of June. We celebrated our birthday's early with my family because my mom was going to be leaving for New York to spend some time with her family. She's there until August!! Glad you're having fun, Mom! We celebrated later with D's family by going out to eat at Goodwood BBQ! Delicious food, great company...thanks to both of our families for being wonderful. We love you all!!

D & Liam drawing with 3-D chalk

Liam and his crazy static hair :)

Miss HannahI love Liam's crusty face! We were telling him he couldn't eat his plate.
Birthday babesBaby brother, SkylarPappy J

Shan & Jonathan

For our birthdays, we treated ourselves to some new sleeping bags! We severely needed new sleeping bags, so we were stoked that we found some on sale at Cabela's, and we already got the chance to put them to use!

For birthday's, we have a deal with McSweeney's that we won't buy each other gifts, but that we'd take each other out for dinner to celebrate. Their birthday's are only a month apart, so it works out nicely for us and for them when birthdays come around. This year, they totally blew us out of the water and took us to eat at Tepanyaki! It was totally amazing! Thanks again, you guys! You're the best! They cook your food on a grill right in front of you, and you totally get a great dinner and a show. We went out to dinner on R's 2nd birthday to celebrate hers too. All 3 of us have our b-days within a week from each other. R's b-day is June 30th.

Can't see T very well :(

Onion volcano in celebration of all 3 birthdays

Cake & ice cream to celebrate R's b-day...happy 2nd birthday, R!

Manti Pageant

I guess the pictures are a little bit out of order, but on June 23rd, D and I went down to the Manti, Ut pageant with my cousins, the Lapes. Thanks for inviting us to go with you, guys! We had a great time! They were so sweet and brought cupcakes down to celebrate our birthdays. And, it was great to see Jessy's reaction when she saw the costumes! We got a little bit of it on video, but it doesn't do justice at all to how excited she was.

The cool windmills headed into Spanish Fork canyon on the way down to Manti...we think they're beautiful and fun to watch.

If you look close, you can see the Manti temple in the reflection of D's glasses :)

4th of July Weekend

This year, D & I decided to hit the balloon festival before the 4th. Usually we do it on the 4th and then head straight over for the parade, but this year we decided to go early. We kind of regretted our decision because there weren't nearly as many balloons as there usually are, and they weren't able to go up because there was a storm coming in. It was still fun though. We love going to the balloon festival!!

I thought this picture looked cool :)

One of the balloon guys had funky hair!! We just had to get a shot of it!

Our traditional self-shot. We do these everywhere we go :)A couple of our favorite balloons:
Smokey the Bear
And Tony the Tiger...he was new this year!
We found Big Buddha from Fox 13 news. We're all showing our Buddha bellies :)
Then, that night we went camping with McSweeney's up Hobble Creek Canyon. So fun. We LOVE camping!!
The burning bush ;)
D got some really cool fire shots!J & T showing off on the log.
McSweeney's in their huge, cozy tent.
We made YUMMY peach cobbler in the dutch oven!
D playing with fire...go figure!
R loved sitting in her very own camping chair.
Moonlight coming through the clouds and the trees.
First time officially using our new sleeping bags!
D made a delicious breakfast for us, on top of the scrumptious tin foil dinners he made for us the night before...I seriously have the coolest husband in the world! I love you, babe!
J enjoying his bacon.
R & T
Yeah, that's why I usually don't take pictures of myself in the morning :)

After camping, we went home and got ready to head to the Freedom Festival. We enjoyed a delicious chocolate dipped frozen banana from Travis and Rachel's Banana Stand, and did some browsing.

Us in the car we want to get...a convertible Smart car.

After the Freedom Festival, we went for a hike up Payson Canyon to the Grotto...a fun little waterfall. The hike was tretcherous!! Just kidding. It was only .6 miles to the falls and back. Totally a fun little hike. We heard it's better to visit earlier in the spring though because there's more water. (Thanks for the tip to try out the hike, Janice!)

My cute husband :)
T behind the falls

Then, finally the actual 4th of July holiday!! We were almost late for the parade because I thought it started at 10, but thanks to my punctuality and love of being early to things, we just barely missed the beginning of the parade and pretty much saw the whole thing. Thanks again to the McSweeney family for saving a spot for us and for providing yummy pancakes and other food!

R & J blowing bubbles

Being airplanes :)
D got his first chance to ride on a Segway...I opted to just take pictures.
Traditional shot again
(Mike and Lora, you guys are in the background, and we didn't even notice! Haha...small world!)
Better shot of us :)
And then it wouldn't be a 4th of July post without posting shots of the fireworks!!

We hope you all had as wonderful of an Independence Day as we did!!