Utah Valley Half

I love running races but I haven't signed up for any this summer. I like running long runs on Saturdays so if I wanted to run a race I would be ready. Last Friday I woke up and knew I wanted to run long the next day. I decided to look on KSL classifieds for any race bibs for sale. I found one for the Utah Valley half marathon. I bought it from the person, picked up the packet and ran the race Saturday morning. The weather was perfect and I had a great race. We started in the middle of Provo Canyon just east of the tunnel. We finished at the new City Center Temple. I got my personal best but since I purchased someone's bib it is under that person's name. I also took 5th in my age group so that person will get mailed a plaque because I didn't stay for the awards. So it's kind of funny!

Start line

Finish Line!

That pace isn't the average so no I didn't run that fast the whole race but my average pace for the race was 7:50 min/mile.

Big Slide

I've wanted to make a slip n slide ever since we moved to our house. This year we finally did it. A huge thanks to Marshall for making it happen. Our kids have had so much fun playing on it!

Bridal Veil Falls

Last week we hiked to Bridal Veil Falls.  We went in the morning so it wasn't crowded.

We played at the bottom for awhile before we started up the trail.

I love all of Lynnlee's poses in each picture. She came up with them all on her own.

I haven't hiked Bridal Veil in a few years so I couldn't remember where the trail started. I knew it couldn't be too hard to find but I still managed to get us lost. After we took this picture we should have gone left but it didn't look like the trail. It looked like a dead end. So I told my kids to go right and boy was I wrong.

We went right and it started out with lots of small rocks but not too steep. As we kept going it got steeper though and then it was too hard to turn back. James was loving it but Lynnlee and Kaden were not. I felt so bad. Thankfully we met up with the trail eventually and got back on track.

The mist from the waterfall felt so good.

Lynnlee and Kaden stayed on the rocks while James and I hiked up further. In the picture it's like a Where's Waldo. See if you can pick out James and me.

The way down was much better and I found the spot where we went off trail. I won't make that mistake again.

We had fun playing at the bottom again. We each found a stick and raced them down a little creek next to the path.

We had lunch afterward.

This was a really cool area between our picnic table and the river. We needed to get back home so we didn't have a lot of time to explore but it would be fun to go back again. Thanks Aunt Pat for watching the minis!

Library Box Car

The library had their summer kick off activity last week. We took a box and then all of the decorations were provided. James and Lynnlee helped me glue all of the parts on the car. I thought the minis would be really excited but they were pretty grumpy. Once the car was finished there was a race course to walk through. It was so creative because the race had a water pit stop, stop for train crossing, obstacles to go up and down and then a treat at the finish line. James, Lynnlee and Kaden each took a turn going in the box car through the race course. Thankfully I found some snacks in the bottom of my purse to keep the minis happy.

The minis had fun playing in the box car that night.

BYU Museum of Art

When your aunt asks if she can watch the minis so you can go the the BYU Museum of Art Family Festival you immediately say yes. Then you take Katelyn and Drew with because everything is better with cousins. The family festival was full of fun activities and crafts. They made bird feeders, painted animal foot prints, learned about field journals, constellations, animals, and art. Plus we saw Cosmo right before we left. It couldn't have been better! Thanks Aunt Pat for watching the minis. 

Then we went to the Peppermint Place to get a treat.

Seven Peaks

We went to Seven Peaks one afternoon. It is tricky with all five but nice that the younger ones will wear flotation devices. Marshall met us after we had been there about a half hour so then it was much easier with another adult.

Y Trail

I'm determined to not let this summer get away from me. We made a summer fun list and we are checking things of the list each week. I'm trying to take the older kids on a hike once a week. Thanks to my Aunt Pat for watching the minis and Kaden so we could hike the Y trail in Provo. Everything is more fun with Ali's kids and they came along too.

We were in no rush and taking plenty of breaks for Lynnlee so we stopped lots to take pictures.

I just love these kids so much! They made the hike very entertaining!

They are doing construction on the Y so we did have to go to the side a lot so the Bob Cat could go up and down the trail.

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get to the top. We enjoyed the view from the top while we had a snack and drink.

The way down was much faster. It only took us about thirty minutes. Drew and Lynnlee thought it would be fun to bum slide down the steep parts.

James and Katelyn made it down in about twenty minutes. Drew and Lynnlee had fun taking pictures on the way down.

We had a Creamy at my aunt's house. Kaden and the minis love going to her house but they were glad to see us when we got back. Kaden wanted a picture with this unique tree in the neighbor's yard.