Our Favorite Things - Summer Edition

Can I just say that I LOVE SUMMER!?  I was SO not ready for school to start again.  Even after school started I couldn't give up our summer fun.  What do you do in the summertime?  These are a few of our favorite things (each of which we enjoyed multiple times) . . .

Salem Pond:

And riding bikes TO Salem Pond:

Swimming Pool (Payson & Murray are our favorites):



Spanish Fork Reservoir:

(Don't judge, this was the first time my skin had seen the sun after India and a very long winter)

Splash Park:

Boating at Yuba State Park:

(Yes, Colton became quite the dare-devil this summer.)

And you can't have summer without Shaved Ice!

Just posting these pictures makes me want summer again!  Can't wait for next year!

Summer Plans . . .

Things we are definitely doing (aka. they are acutally on the calendar):

• Camping at Yuba Lake (haven't been there in years, so we'll see how it goes).
• Mom to El Salvador
• Ride the firetruck in the 4th of July Parade
• Camping at Grand Mesa (or somewhere thereabouts) with my sister's fam
• Fiesta Days Children's Festival (unfortunately it is the same day as Llama fest this year, either we will have to choose or that will be one full day of fun!)
• Celebrate my Mother-in-law's 60th birthday
• Annual Bear Lake camping trip with Russ's fam
• Celebrate the Pioneer Day (It's a state holiday in Utah, in case you are unfamiliar)
• Road trip across Oregon

Other things we will do, because we usually do:

• Seven Peaks
• Spend the day fishing and swimming at Payson Lakes
• boating on Utah Lake, or maybe Deer Creek
• Payson Pool - it's cool, you should check it out.
• Rodeo - Lehi Round up, Fiesta Days, or the "big one" in SLC
• Fiesta Days festivities
• Payson City Onion Days (the morning that they have the free kids stuff is best)

Things I really want to do and am (mostly) planning on doing:

• Build or buy a playset
• Llama Fest
• Spanish Fork Community Theater's production of The Music Man (we have lots of friends that we will be watching!)

Things that I would like to say I am going to do (but by the end of the summer I may have forgotten that I wanted to or maybe I could just never fit it in):

• Moonlit ride up the Sundance lift.
• Trafalga - mini golfing, go karts, etc.
• Lavender Days in Mona
• Visit the Thanksgiving Point Gardens (although I am SO un-inclined to pay such a high price to ooh and aah at nature)
• Utah Valley Parade of homes (though this one is doubtful, because it starts two days before I leave for El Sal and will be over by the time I get back. hmm)
• Float down the Provo River
• Camping at Cherry Hill

The biggest thing we will be doing this summer (as in the thing that has taken up most of my attention and will require much planning and effort on my part) will be our "Summer of Service".  You can read about it here, but understand that that blog is very much a work in progress.  But since summer is starting, I had to just jump in and do it.  No going back now.  Wish us luck!

Oh, and, any other suggestions of things not to miss this summer?

I just can't let it go!

Ok, so this post is a little over due, but it still holds true. Although I love colored leaves and football and fall decor (more on fall to come), I have a seriously hard time letting go of summer. For one, I love the outdoors and there are just so many fun things to do in summer. Once it gets cold, everyone shuts themselves up in their houses and there is no more visiting out in the street every night while the kids ride their bikes.

Besides all the previously posted excitement - Bear Lake, 4th of July, Fish Rodeo, Africa, the Maxwell Reunion, etc., etc. - here's what I love about summer:

Playing at the park:

Running through the sprinklers:

Digging in the sand pile:

Camping in the mountains:

Shaved Ice and Otter Pops

Swimming at the Payson pool:

And of course, playing with my boys:

What do you love about summer?