Antelope Island

This fall, we didn't have a lot of extra time, so when we noticed a free afternoon/evening we wanted to make the most of it. We decided to head out to Antelope Island and The Great Salt Lake, which I had never visited, even living here all my life!

It was one of those afternoons that turned out to be pretty perfect. Our family loves being outdoors and especially loves exploring, so an entire island with hikes, water, rocks, wild animals, and ideal temperatures was just right for family memory making. For a few hours, we couldn't help but smile and enjoy each other's company. Mike and I loved watching each child take hold of their surroundings in their own way. They each declared that it was such an awesome day and they couldn't wait to do it again...next time with swimsuits! Our only regret was not having even more time to spend there. 

Buffalo and antelope roam freely. It is pretty cool. 

  My boys outside the visitor's center, which was educational and interesting.

We took a short hike along the waterside trail. It was a bit hot and we were so grateful for our mosquito repellent, but it felt good to be outside enjoying beauty.

Parker took this awesome picture of the sunflower for his reflections entry. I think it turned out awesome!

A little climbing which makes these tough boys happy!

The hike was okay, but they were all super excited to get to the water!

They all tasted the rocks on the beach which were all salt! 

My boys!

We weren't planning on heading out into the water, but I should have known I couldn't stop them. They were right about needing swimsuits. The bugs didn't even bother them!

This little guy loved every single free minute.

Mike loves it when I make him do stuff like this ;). 

The sand rocks were perfect for skipping! They all got record numbers!

Jace was so cute and drew this in the sand for us. Glad he knows how much we love each other. 

They all spent a long time drawing in the sand. They are all so active, artistic, and creative. I love it!

 There is something awesome about digging holes. 

James captured this perfect sunset photo.

Stuck in the mud and happy as a clam!

 A perfect, perfect day!

The Fall Begins

My birthday was one day after school started, and Mike had to head out of town, so we snuck in a quick lunch on my birthday. He had also been so sweet and decorated the hall with 35 reasons he loves me. He is the best!

We had a crazy night with scouts and sports, but my parents still made the drive up with my favorite birthday cake so I could have someone to celebrate with! They are the best!

Our apple tree was a bust this year, but our pear tree was positively amazing! The pears were the best we had ever had and we enjoyed every bite of them. After a little research, we learned that you pick pears off the tree unripe...made all the difference! Pierce was the cutest little helper! He loved harvest time.

A few times during the fall we took advantage of the beautiful weather and met my mom downtown for lunch. She spends a lot of time these days giving service and is a great example, though we do miss her freedom ;)!

Marci and Rick got me these awesome chairs for my birthday and I love them! We are slowly collecting furniture!

With lots of our garden harvest, I made Laurie's homemade salsa. It was divine. We ate vats of it and shared it too. So yummy!

We enjoyed taking advantage of the beautiful weather and later church time with morning hikes or evening walks. We found a fun trail right by our house that the boys got nice and dirty on ;), then we rolled down the big hill together. I love that my boys enjoy nature and discovering new parts of the world. 

Parker played in LOTS of soccer tournaments over the summer and into the fall. Over Labor Day, they won the Mayor's Cup, which was super exciting!

At one of James' soccer practices, after using the port-a-potty, Pierce says, "Mom, this is a really fun place. You should come in here." I love that kid!

Jace is so much fun and is always happy to organize fun neighborhood activities. He started a ultimate frisbee league that brought the boys and girls together. I love watching kids play in our backyard!

Our harvest this year was totally amazing. We had a huge haul of pears, zuchinni, beans, tomatoes, and lettuce. Pierce and James especially enjoyed picking the veggies and helping eat them. We had lots of great meals from the garden all summer and fall.

One of the most exciting things that happened at the beginning of school was that Jace was elected to student council. He wanted to be a part of it SO badly, so it was awesome when all his hardwork paid off and he was voted in. He had the cutest slogan and an awesome skit that his peers absolutely enjoyed. He learned a great lesson about grades and effort, when he realized to run he needed and certain grade point. He barely made it and was so relieved! So happy for him!

Our family took a Sunday morning hike up Ensign peak where we were able to see the whole valley. Pierce was positively obsessed with watching the airplanes fly in and only wanted dad to watch them with him!

 Another afternoon downtown with Grandma. Pierce discovered the joy of throwing ice into the fountain ;). Loved spending these beautiful days with him.

 I felt especially blessed to be able to do a Relief Society meeting for my Aunt Kathi's ward. The theme was "The World Wants to Reinvent You and Christ Wants to Restore You." It was an awesome opportunity to have serious spiritual study. So many of the women in my family came to support me and I think we had a really wonderful, spiritual evening together. So grateful that Kathi asked!

Jace took these awesome pictures of Pierce one evening after he had found the cotton plants in our backyard. We love seeing life through the eyes of a little one again. I love how it looks like the cotton is on fire!