Aspen Grove and other Utah Details

I was getting nostalgic for Utah's cool summer evenings. The memories I have of running through cool, soft grass and eating watermelon in the refreshing Utah summer night are hard to recreate in the valley of AZ, so I was getting anxious for some family time up north. We took advantage of Christian's week break to travel, but first, my sister Kathryn made her first flight (that she can really remember) to spend a week with us and then drive back up to Utah after the week was over. My sister Kathryn (who graduated HS last spring and just started Snow College) is amazing in so many different ways and Claire and Clark had so much fun with Aunt Kippy. Not to mention, she entertained Claire most of the whole 11 hr drive to UT - easiest drive (for me) ever!

Once in Utah we spent lots of time on our alma mater's campus at BYU's Education Week. Christian's mom and brother Samuel was there for the week as well so we spent time with them and Richard. I loved spending so many days on that familiar campus. I love BYU muchisimo. I am totally going to be one of those those ladies in my tennis shoes and skirt, pulling a roller backpack in my senior years as I come back again and again. For someone who loves learning - that week for me is heaven.

I also am slightly obsessed with family history right now and so I got three hours to spend in the family history library in SLC, searcing over some fascinating endowment house records of my ancestors. They definitely rubbed shoulders with early prominent leaders of our church. Can't wait to meet Eliza Snow, Brigham, Joseph, etc. and break the ice with - I'm Alonzo Raleigh's or BF Johnson's gr-gr-gr-grandaughter!

Another highlight was a day at Aspen Grove with most of my family. My brother David is a counselor there this year and so we got a good deal and a great host :)

Aspen Grove's pioneer night:

Watermelon eating contest!

If you look closely, that is a knife in the air

Learning skills from her tennis (or in this case badminton)-playing grandma. I admire my mom for pursuing her athletic passion amid her busy life. You are awesome mom!

Creeping on Mitt Romney (or his twin, can't really tell)

                                 Playing Legoes with Uncle Dan (and his sweet action hair)

Uncle David! Love you!

 Stuart Falls:

 Time with Christian's sister Laura and her kids at their beautiful new renovated home in SLC!

Thanks to everyone who made our Utah trip so fun! Love you all!

Summer days in the life of Claire

Being two for Claire I think is pretty great.

Our independent girl feels even more grown-up now that she's made her way into and (almost) through potty training! Most days she is stellar and stays dry at night too. Way to go sister!

 She sure does love that Kindle or "tin-doe" though and will guiltily sneak away to a hiding spot to watch Netflix on it when she knows she's not supposed to.

 Summer days bring surprises like a cute froggie in our swimming pool!

 She also can't help but kiss and eat (and sometimes bite) her little brother's fingers. They're just so delicious and she loves that little boy up and down. Watch out though Claire, he's almost got teeth and I have a feeling retaliation with a "Charlie bit my finger" moment is just around the corner.

Dress up is fun, especially sticking magic wands up your nose and dancing to Mickey Mouse music on Pandora. Thanks Aunt Keri for the awesomest clothes and this beautiful costume (and future Haloween costume I'm pretty sure)

Free passes to the Zoo from the library are a fun way to spend a Saturday (but just make sure you get there by eight and leave by 11 or you will melt in heat (and humidity right now, yuck!) 

Swimming in our pool is so nice this time of year and Claire is getting braver about going under and floating on her back. We all love when dad gets home from school and we all get in the pool together (or he takes them in so I can make dinner! :)

We also love reading lots of books, blocks, play dough, and playing with baby brother. I feel like we've survived the summer relatively well and in a month or so we can go to the park, hike, and generally spend more time outdoors! Yay. 

We are so blessed by this bright girl. I love your "yub you mom" and your giggles and how snuggly and affectionate you are. You are a sweet sweet girl Claire! 

Escaping to Flagstaff and other Summer Adventures

So Flagstaff in a second. First off, here's Claire in her first swimming lessons - and if you look at her face you can tell how she felt about it: 

                           

 She learned lots but did it all while crying. Still getting used to going underwater.

 She also has enjoyed taking pictures with my camera...

... and going on outings like our weekly trips to the library, meeting up with friends, and with mom and dad to Chick-fil-A for their "dress up like a cow get free meals" day!

Clark on the other hand is enjoying the summer too (besides getting itchy heat rash from a hot car seat :( and he is getting SO darn cute! I love six months - so many new skills and pure rolly-polly baby-ness. Clark is a strong little six month-old - scooting, and trying to push himself into a sitting position. He's getting in some real hair, is starting to teethe and eat rice cereal. He has a piercing happy/tired shriek and is still all big smiles. We LOVE our boy.

Freedom from the stifling heat is found two hours north in Flagstaff. This city has offered us a reprieve from the sun-baked valley and we have decided we love it. In June my dad had a chance to teach some classes at EFY at Northern Arizona Univ., so him and my mom flew into Phoenix and we drove up there together for a couple day stay. It was so fun to spend that time with them. Such a fun week. 

                The deer (and exotic animal) farm in Williams, Arizona - just 25 min. or so from Flagstaff. The deer basically swarm and attack you for food. They've learned all the tricks, including just grabbing the cup of food by the rim and pouring it into their own mouth.

 Poor Christian had to stay at home to work on people's teeth during that trip so we decided to go again, this time as a complete family for the Fourth of July weekend.

 My favorite thing we did: Walnut Canyon. Here you can hike through the canyon which filled with cliff dwellings from Native Americans. You can actually walk through a lot of their old dwellings and then look across the canyon to see rows and rows of more homes - they're like little apartments. Their people thrived there during the 1100s AD.

This is our first full summer in AZ but we're surviving and having fun during dad's long days at the clinic. He worked on my teeth for the first time last week and he's quite professional, if I do say so myself. I love getting a glimpse into his future career and see him looking and acting like the real thing!