Agosto en el Lago Salado

At the beginning of August, we were reunited with our Daddy Jason in Salt Lake.  Here we are hiking up Alexander Basin.  Steep, but beautiful!

Next to family, aspens rank high on my list of favorite things in this world.

Okay, true confession.  These pictures are out of sequence and were taken pre-Omaha.  In actuality, it took a while for us all to reunite.  We arrived home Sunday and Brooklyn left for Girls Camp Monday morning.  Meanwhile, Talia was still playing Ultimate in Minnesota.  She flew home Monday evening and drove up to camp Tuesday.  But we can pretend it was a full family reunion, right?

While the big girls were at Girls Camp, Eli, Annika and I hiked up to Cecret Lake via Albion Basin.  This route is longer than trekking up from the main trailhead, but completely worth it.  (Plus, you save on parking.)

The wildflowers were stunning.

As we crested the summit, the lake appeared aquamarine below us.

The tiger salamanders are so much fun to watch.

A perfect day to explore Little Cottonwood canyon.

Headed home.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Talia were having a fantastic time at our stake Heber Valley Young Women's Camp.  The property at Heber Valley is so beautiful!  Both Jason and I were lucky enough to spend a night with the girls.  Here they are a-craftin'.  The safety pin flags made me smile since this was a craft I did as youth as well.

Friendship bracelets are likewise timeless.

Next activity: floral crowns.

Even James, Kelsey's dinosaur mascot, got a crown.  

Axe throwing was my favorite.  Both Talia and Brooklyn were aces!  All of those hammer throws in frisbee must have paid off.

Carol is the designated yurt mom.

Off to the side in this pic, you can see Brooklyn's colorful Book of Mormon.  The girls put a lot of time into marking passages and inserting quotes that could help them during challenging times.  In the end, these books became their favorite treasures.

Crowned photos to recognize the divine royal heritage of these beautiful girls.

Love their silly side too!

On their last day, these sleepy girls got up early for a sunrise hike.

Hard to imagine a more beautiful place to watch the day break.

In the splendor of nature, it's easier to recognize the presence of God in our lives.

Back on the home front, it was nice to get back to some familiar routines.  Like stuffies.   Always and forever, stuffies.

Our home got a new look with a new-to-us dining room table and chairs from The Other Side.

Plus, our friend Anne Vinsel gave us this portrait she painted of yours truly to redecorate.  

Talia got a new look as well, courtesy of some temporary pink hair dye and cosmetology help from her friend Danyn.  The first go-around was quite subtle, but the second was more bold.  I'll be sure to post some "after" pictures when I find them.

Out of doors, we reacquainted ourselves with Launch Team and the wicked hill workouts.  Those PRs don't happen without some sweat, right Eli?

Running from the Capitol to the U...

...and celebrating with Coach Tara at the bottom of Emigration Canyon.

Meanwhile, others of us balanced out the triathlon with some biking and swimming.  Try as she might, Annika just couldn't get the bike to move anywhere.

Back at church, we upped our social circle by reinstituting the Linger Longer.

Beyond Sunday, we enjoyed a family and friends trip to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

Lily, Brooklyn, Danyn, Talia, and Eli.

As the youngest, it can be a little hard for Annie when her siblings all head off to youth activities, firesides, and temple trips without her.  Still, it gives us lots of great opportunities for Mother-Daughter outings, like this evening hike up Ensign Peak.

Sunrises are beautiful, but the colors of sunset are breath-taking.

Things have changed a lot in the valley over the last 170 years.

I feel like this next set of photos really captures Annika's personality.  None are posed, yet they all show her free spirit where she is perfectly content to be by herself and thrive within her vivid imagination.

Not long after, Jason and I hiked a different peak, Mt. Olympus.  With 4800 feet of elevation gain, it's definitely more challenging to summit, but offers great views of the valley all the same.

Ever so handsome.

The final ascent includes some significant bouldering.

Made it!

Running down the trail.

Mission accomplished.  Thanks for making this journey with me, amor!

Willow Lake.  Judging from the photos, it might seem like all I ever do is hike.  I dunno, maybe you're right.  It's certainly when I take the most pictures.  But gosh, the mountains taunt me.  This relatively unknown beauty up Big Cottonwood Canyon was another new hike I ticked off my tally from the book 60 Hikes with 60 Miles.  Eli and Annika accompanied me on the journey.  Do you like Eli's new braces?  Round 2 for this guy.

I bribed Annika to come by letting her bring a net and terrarium in case she found any cool creatures.  (For observation purposes only--she knew they had to be let free in the wild after.)

We also ran across this fascinating paper wasp nest right off the trail.

Willow Lake.

The friendly ducks were the best part of the lake.  We didn't feed them, but they wished we had!

Until next time!

Last but not least, Venture Out Millcreek.  Justin and Brianna kindly invited us to join them for a reservation they made to camp up Millcreek Canyon at Camp Tracy.  Since Camp Tracy is no longer functioning as a Boy Scout camp, the town of Millcreek used the property to host a super fun weekend for the community.

We arrived late the first night, making it just in time to grill dawgs and top them off with Justin's delicious cookie bake.  

Afterward Annika, Brooklyn, Ruby, Jason and Justin stayed the night while Talia, Eli, and I headed back to Ginny.  Launch Team was leaving East High at 6 am to run Emigration Canyon, so it seemed wise to sleep in our own beds.  Meanwhile, Jason and Justin went for an even longer run through Millcreek Canyon (18 miles!) while Brooklyn watched Ruby and Annika.  

After some much needed showers, Eli and I headed back to Millcreek to join the festivities.  The hammocks were tempting, but there was too much adventure to lie around.

Fishing, followed by mudpainting.

Bubbles and beads.

Brianna's favorite: the food trucks!

As for me, I thought the bird show was fantastic.

With archery and a shooting range, everyone got to try something new.

Annika and Uncle Justing, monkeying around.

And as a grand finale, the climbing wall.

So many thanks to the Wheelers for inviting us to Venture Out in Millcreek with them!