Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Payson Lakes 2012

Vicki (Rod's mom) is the queen of camping. This woman hauled all of her seven children all over the west to national parks during their childhood. I am so grateful to have married into a camping family, since A) who can afford hotels anyway? and B) out in nature is the only place my children can be themselves (wild animals) and not get in trouble for it.

Our annual trip to Payson Lakes was generously set-up by Grammie & Grandpa,  so we joined them for a few nights/days. Besides the afternoon air being thick with forest fire smoke from the multiple fires constantly ablaze around the state, it was really great. And, as camping usually is, really exhausting too. I know the kids always come back with their tank full to the brim of incredible memories and that is always what makes it worth it for me. (Don't ask me how long it takes me/my house to recover or how many meltdowns occured afterwards though).

Also in keeping with tradition, when the sun finally rises and I'm still awake, a quick jog around the lake can soothe even the achin'-est bones. I had to run back and get my camera after a while because the stillness of the scenery was intoxicating. I think I counted 21 different animal sightings that morning. You know what they say about the early bird...













The best treat of all was that our cousins from Vegas got to join us! My kids adore the Broadheads and our time together always feels so limited but a few days out in nature can sometimes feel like an eternity (at least I know it did to Marg)! They were in absolute heaven.


Sleeping bag heads are the best.

 Super cute girlies.

Juni really did so great. Check out this shot of her wide awake, happily enjoying the peace and quiet while everyone else was still snoozing.
 
Good morning!

Doin' what kids do best.
 "Look, a brownie!"

Typical camping face.

And another...


Our Spanish Fork cousins joined the party too!

G&G with 9 out of their 13 grandkids
 (two babies napping, and two in Portland...missed you Comptons!)

A nap in the shade.

Oh, the places we've drug that old beat up canoe.
Count the kids. Count the adults. How did we let that happen?
 
Where are my children's life jackets, you ask? Yeah, we're awesome parents.

 "I see a chipped munk in there!"

Lakeside snack.

'Till next time...

Monday, August 20, 2012

Another one down, only 18 left...

Say it isn't so. I finally forced myself to look at the calendar last week thinking two or so weeks would be plenty of time to find a pair of shoes or two and some simple school supplies. The fact that school starts tomorrow is still blowing my mind. Back-to-school time is exciting for a lot of reasons, but I cling to the summers knowing that I really only have a handful left of these laid-back months in my mothering career. Plus, if summer is almost over that means my baby is almost half a year old. Now that is impossible! I let the boys in on the news and after the intial excitement wore off, Milo slunk on to the couch and said, "We hardly did anything fun this summer." Trying not to take it personally, I encouraged him to remember just a few of the things we did these past two months that we've never done before and the smile finally crept back on his face. But, I don't want him or any of the rest of us to forget some really great memories we had. So let's get this in writing and start with a brief recap of June:

We still haven't gotten around to replacing our oven that quit working in early march. I figure these kind of dinners would be perfectly ok with me...forever.

We've enjoyed several of Provo's rooftop concerts. Some with, some without the rascals. This time we brought homemade kettle corn. After about 3 minutes of listening to the music they pretty much ruined it for any dating couple that was within 20 feet range of us. But I think any concert outside at night is romantic--obnoxious kids or not.

How many popsicles can a small child consume in the summer? Math isn't my bag, but I'm going to assume it's in the hundreds.

Taking advantage of the $10 Pass of All Passes we snagged in April, Rod dragged us out to a Motocross race. Besides the permeating scent of alcohol, young tweens with pornographic images on their T-shirts, and not one seat or place to stand without getting a gust of dust blown in your face, I'd say it was pretty fun. But really, we are never going back...much to Elliot's dismay (he rides motorcycles in his dreams).

Mom's Summer Camp officially fell off the wagon by the close of June, but I do believe this was one of our Take-a-trip Tuesdays to Highland Glen Park. No fish were caught, but some new friends were made, thanks to Milo the oh-so-socialite.


The down times were like a breath of fresh air. What is better than finding your once-thought-outdated encylopedia set open to the page on North Pole...to see if Santa could hide from even World Books. Who needs the internet anyway!?

There is always something cool going on at the Browns. This is where most of our wildest dreams and craziest ideas come to life. Case in point:

Oh and also? Lots of people to entertain my children and adore my baby.

Speaking of babies, two really really great people are getting an early Christmas present this year. The likelihood of this baby of theirs being illegally adorable is obviously 100%.

Did I say illegally adorable? This also pertains to Bean trying very very hard to resist his urge to squeeze Juni in half because of his adoration for her.

Oh geez. And Missy and Jason are in a league of there own in coolness.

A s'more roast in the backyard always does a body good.

Add a boy's obsession over anything electronic to the comfiest bed alive and you get this scene.

So what is heaven going to be like? A summer's day in bed with a book and a million of these.

Babies do this to him. Every. Time.

Fair warning to any Pass-of-All-Passes holders: DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT go to Seven Peaks on during the first week that school is out. But, if you do, you might meet your cousins there (along with every other person you have met or remotely remember during your lifetime)!

I would not have survived two minutes without B's help. She is the queen. This trip alone burned me out of SP for the month of June.

And then there's Trafalga. My hell involves spending inordinate amounts of time at both of these public places. But, the kids love it and that is THE ONLY reason I suck it up and go. We started up a tradition of weekly date nights with the kids, alone with either mom or dad. And you know what? It's the best tradition ever. We've made it all summer, but I wonder if we can work it in during the school year... time will tell.

Rod and I finally made it to the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo after 8 summers here. It started off with a bang when the BYU team won the chuck-wagon race against the U, even after it lost the back set of wheels! But it went downhill from there when the clown started telling his stupid jokes and never stopped. Been there, done that, once was enough.


Rod's cousin had her wedding in a beautiful backyard on the Provo foothills. We saw lots of extended family and had a great time.

Tom, always workin' the ladies.

Milo always talks about his great-grandmother in Arizona. It's been a while since we've gotten to see her. She is such an inspiring person.

Good-lookin' trio, no? I've never met a Boynton I didn't like.