28 August 2016 - Back to school

After a summer of growing, it was time to see how our onions and potatoes did. Answer: not great. Fortunately the zucchini and squash are producing plentifully.

After a summer of fun and travel, it was time for school again. Jessica and Emily went back on Tuesday. If you can believe it, Jessica started her senior year.

Madeline went back on Wednesday, and was happy to finally be out of elementary school.

On Saturday, Karl and Jolene brought Amanda for her to start school at BYU. We all went up Provo Canyon. A few of use rode bikes up to Bridal Veil falls.

Madeline and Bailey went for a wade in the Provo River.

21 August 2016 - Philly Temple and Grass

This week I had to work in Pennsylvania, so I took the opportunity to attend the Philadelphia Temple open house with Karl and his family. It was an awesome experience to get to be there with them.

On Saturday evening, we enjoyed a Phillies game. The heat index (temperature plus humidity) at game time was 108 degrees and I only have a long-sleeved Phillies shirt. It was still cool to be there.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our build finally, finally finished our landscaping. We're very pleased to finally have our yard done.

A view of the back porch/patio, which I plan to expand next year.

Joanne's been working hard on the flower beds and the front of the house looks very nice as a result of her efforts.

14 August 2016 - Palisade State Park

This week we had a little North family reunion at Palisade State Park in central Utah. The lake is a paddling only lake, so no motor boats to content with, and we rented a small cabin for our stay. The kids loved playing in the water. Here is Levi with his fishing net.

Natalie playing in the sand with her pail.

Tiffany rented a pedal boat for an afternoon and we put some serious miles on it.

One of the days we rode the 4 wheelers up Six Mile Canyon to a little waterfall. The kids loved cooling their heels in the water.

This is Emily making tracks across the lake on the stand-up paddle board.

The kids found schools of very small fish right near the dock and enjoyed some catch and release with the net.

The sunsets over the Sanpete Valley were spectacular.

Madeline gave me a grumpy face because I took this picture when she was covered in dust from the 4 wheeler ride.

We also celebrated Jessica's birthday while we were there. Among other things, she got Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

7 August 2016 - Work on the House

This week we spent a good amount of time working on the house. The builders finished the house next door and the neighbors moved in. Great, except our stairway window looks right into their master bathroom window. Joanne turned our window into stained glass to address the issue.

We're working on the basement as well. We went to Lowe's and Home Depot to look at cabinets and counter tops for the basement bathroom, but came down with a serious case of sticker shock. So we went to the Habitat for Humanity Restore and bought this used cabinet.

Joanne then worked her magic on it, and it looks amazing in the new bathroom.

Joanne's also been working her magic in the craft room as well. This is her latest quilt top.

31 July 2016 - Zion Ponderosa Ranch

For our family reunion on Joanne's side, we went to Zion this week.

We stayed at a place on the east side of the national park called Zion Ponderosa Ranch.

We finally got a chance to use our new four wheeler, which the kids absolutely loved.

Zion Ponderosa Ranch has a very cool double decker swimming pool -- the perfect place to beat the summer heat. This is Jessica cooling off with Eden.

Madeline and Bailee had a blast swimming with fashionable baby Adrienne.

On Tuesday of our trip, Phil guided us on a slot canyoneering trip through Birch Hollow.

Me and the girls ready for some rappelling.

We did 10 rappels in all. Here's Emily on one of the longer descents.

This is Madeline in a very cool part of the slot. There were lots of smooth, narrow areas of the slot, carved by thousands of years of wind and water.

I like to hang like a bat from time to time.

Here's Jessica in an iconic spot at the end of the Birch Hollow trek.

Another shot a little closer up as Jessica is descending the rope.

On my way down.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Joanne enjoyed a little R&R.

Joanne loved taking the little ones for rides on the four wheeler.

On Wednesday we took a little trip into Zion. We hiked up Zion Narrows to Mystery Falls, which requires some hiking in the Virgin River.

Baby Adrienne, letting me know what she thinks of me.

We had a lot of fun and it was a great place to go for a family get away, but late July is the wrong time of year to be in Southern Utah.

24 July 2016 - Girls Camp

This was the first and only year that all three girls would be at Girls Camp together. Joanne joined them at MIA Shalom in Fairview Canyon near Scofield Reservoir.

Jessica was a  Youth Camp Leader (YCL). This is her with some of the girls from our ward.

The YCLs made some signs to help the younger girls feel welcome at camp. 

In addition to our three girls, cousin Bailee was there too.

Joanne celebrated her 29th birthday at camp. The girls and leaders helped make it a good one. I was able to go that evening for bishopric night to be with her for her birthday.

All the girls, together on the last day of camp, ready for a hot shower.

On Sunday after camp, Jerry's family was in town for a little family reunion and we had a birthday dinner for the two of them.

17 July 2016 - The Great Outdoors

This week I accompanied our ward's young men to Moab for their summer camp. We ran the Colorado River and did some great hikes in the intense summer heat.

This is Morning Glory arch with two of our young men in the foreground.

Young Men and leaders at the halfway point of a three mile hike.

While I was in southern Utah, the girls enjoyed a rappelling trip with Phil to American Fork Canyon.