Then Sings My Soul.....

For the first time in quite a while, Adam had a Saturday off of work. We wanted to do something fun with the kids, but we were having a hard time deciding what to do.

Buggy ride? ...We always do that.
Swimming?...Too crowded.
Movies?... Nothing good showing.
Ride bikes at the park?...Too hot.

We were about to give up. Then Adam and I heard an add on the radio...THAT'S IT!!! We Knew exactly what to do!

We did all of our chores as fast as we could, then we all piled in the car and away we went.
We wanted the activity to be a surprise for the kids, but we did give them some clues.

Clue #1 : Hold on to your seats.
Clue #2 : It has nothing to do with corn.  (We've been up to our "ears" in corn lately and frankly we needed a little break from it.)
Clue #3 : You'll see trees in a whole new way.
Clue #4 : It's past Show Low, but before Green's Peek.
Clue #5 : You're going to have to trust us!

Ha! We had them stumped. They were really starting to get on edge. After all, they cleaned their play room, worked in the garden and cleaned their bedrooms. But  for all they knew, we were taking them to run errands in White River.

Finally, we turned off the main highway towards Sunrise Ski Resort, and by the time we pulled into the parking lot, they had figured it out. We were going to ride up to the top of the mountain on the ski lift. They were SO up for it. I can't tell you how many times they told us that it was the best day of thier lives! 

The weather was amazing.  Partly cloudy skies with a cool breeze = Perfect day!
The kids had no trouble hopping on the chair lift (we all fit on one together). Up, up the mountain we went. It was so quiet and relaxing on the ride. As we looked around at the natural beauty that surrounded us we couldn't help but be awed by, and grateful for this earth. 

"...When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee,
How great thou art!...."

Of course, the best view of all was the one from the top.

We hiked around and got a snack at the restaurant there. Then it started raining a little bit and it was getting cold so we hopped in the lift and headed back down the mountain. It stopped raining on the way down and we were having so much fun, so we asked if we could keep riding. They were happy to let us (there was hardly anyone there) so we went back up the mountain, then down then up and down again. On the last ride we really got wet from the rain and we were just too cold to keep riding so we reluctantly got off.

We decided that we have a new summer tradition. We'll definitely be back next year.

***The Sunrise ski resort offers scenic lift rides 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturdays and Sundays from  Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.  It costs $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids up to 12 years old. (I think senior citizens are $5.00 too, but I'm not positive)  SO worth it! ***

Got Veggies ?

                                     I'm Loving my garden! 
Today I harvested: tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers !  We have several cantaloupe, carrots, and watermelon that are almost ripe enough to harvest.  The rain has really been an abundant blessing this year and we are so grateful for it.  If the weather continues to cooperate, we should be able to bottle tons of salsa this year.  Yum! Can't wait.

Russ and Ashley Sittin' in a Tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G.!

This past weekend we took a quick trip down to the valley to be at The Mesa Temple while my Brother Russ was married to his sweetheart Ashley Perkins. They make a great couple and we wish them all the happiness that life has to offer.
We enjoyed seeing so many friends and family members at their reception. The Trio had a blast with all of their cousins.
We had fun staying with the Andersons (Adams sisters fam.) We always have so much fun with them. They were great hosts and It was nice not to have to worry about getting a sitter for the kids while Adam and I were at the Temple. Thanks Heather!

First Day of First Grade

Whoa!! Summer went by WAY too fast! Where did it go??
Well in any case, it's gone.
The kids had a great first day of school. At least I thought they did but then Caleb scowled said "Mom, we had Way too much recess and we didn't learn any thing". (where did this kid come from?)
All the kiddos really like their new teachers and we are looking foreword to a great year.
Now that the kids are gone all day, I get to enjoy days of leisure and relaxation. NOT!!! Adam's already put me work running errands for his work, and my Etsy shop is keeping me pretty busy too. It is nice to go thrift store shopping (or any shopping) without the kids in tow, So I think I'm going to enjoy this "season" of my life.
Before to long summer break will be upon us again and I'll be saying "where did the school year go? It went by way to fast."

Into the Woods

Last week we decided to go on one last camping trip with Grandma and Grandpa Quist before school started.
As usual we went to our favorite spot. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
We saw so much wildlife. We enjoyed going on a walk in the woods with my dad. He notices things and points out things to the kids that most people would miss. He counts the rings of cut trees to know how old they were, he points out berries, and mushrooms and knows which ones are safe to eat and which ones aren't. He finds animal tracks and bones and can identify them. He loves nature and is teaching my kids to love it too. Thanks dad.





Caleb loved finding wild strawberries and eating them. YUMMY!


Eliza and I went for a walk one day and saw "wild horses"! Eliza was able to coax them over with some grass and feed and pet them. She is so great with all animals and she especially loves horses.

Girls Night Out!

We had the pleasure of having our nieces Macey and Jewelana stay with us this past week while Caleb stayed in the valley with their brothers.
As a special treat we took all the girls out to see The Silver Creek Little Theater preform "Beauty and the Beast".
The show was Fantasic! All the actors and singers did a wonderful job. We had a great time. I had a hard time actually watching the show because I kept wanting to watch the faces of My girls while they were watching the show. It was so fun to watch their eyes light up every time Belle walked on to the stage. I enjoy musical theater, and I'm so glad that my girls enjoy it too.