June 30, 2018

Good Uinta camping trip.  Played with the Kings, the Van Alfens, and Jill Jackson.  It really was a good camping trip.  We kayaked and hiked a little, we hammocked, we roasted marshmallows, and we played a lot of games (including lots of California Speed which I love).  D got some fishing in ad Baylie was great.

We stayed in the Soapstone Campground in site 17.  It was a great site with access to the little river.  I would stay there again.

June 28, 2018

I love the smell of roasted marshmallows.

June 25, 2018

I just really, really love summer nights.  Sitting in the backyard with still a little light and wonderful warm weather with beautiful skies and it's 9:07pm.

June 23, 2018

Finished up the Draper Family Vacation complete with all the Draper siblings in Gulf Shores.  Stuff:

• Graffiti in New Orleans was definite art.
• Learned all about Lake Pontchartrain - brackish water.
• Boogie boarding with R C and Kelcie - way fun.  And exhausting.  
• R and C's shell palm tree in the sand was so cool.
• I love drawing in the sand.
• Played some beach volleyball.
• Looking for crabs with D followed by a night crab walk that was a little creepy with all the little crabs everywhere on the sand.
• Watched some World Cup.  It was easier to watch on Central time than Utah Mountain time.  :)
• Kayaked in the ocean with D where I spotted a dolphin.  Pretty cool.
• Lots more boogie boarding.
• Lots of sunburns.  :(
• The water was warm which made it awesome.
• Moon jellyfish catching.  Ry names hers squishy.
• Waffles the blue heron hanging out with us one evening.
• Treasure searching with Ry and Cam.  We found teeny tiny crabs, lots of shells, and a cool little yellow dead fish.
• More kayaking.  First with Clayton where we saw cool sea birds eating and then with Rylie.
• Seafood lunch at Fish River Grill.  Had some swamp soup and tried some of Laynee's alligator.
• Spotting dolphins is always cool.
• Sunset on the beach - also cool.
• Fighting sisters - not so cool.
• Icky seaweed water one day was not cool.
• Danen captured shark footage on his drone.
• Kinda fun watching the jets do some air tricks.
• Reading Conference talks on the beach is a good place to read.
• Found a dead sting ray.
• Drove to Florida to say we went to Florida.
• King Neptune's seafood restaurant with D had good tartar sauce.
• Cousins hide and seek game was entertaining.
• Tennis soccer is always great with the Kynastons.
• Awesome dinner by Cole and Ben complete with shark that they caught that day.
• Watched pelicans dive.
• The girls thought this was the best vacation EVER!

June 15, 2018

World Cup started yesterday.  Ry and I talked about how we'll really miss Mason during the World Cup.  I'm sure he's missing seeing it.

The Portugal vs. Spain game today was amazing!  Spain had one of the best shots I've ever seen.  Ry and I were loving this game.

June 13, 2018

Ry and I kept listening to "Generation Away" by Lady A on the drive home.  Ry and Sadie are awesome to drive with.  We sure missed Cam.

June 12, 2018

Today goes down in the books as a really good day.  Snow friends mom/kid camping day 1 was awesome in Moab.  (Although it wasn't camping but staying on the floor of a basement.)  Highlights - huge frog, walking in the water on the Grandstaff trail, chilling at the natural bridge (Morning Glory), scary crawdads, Ry and Kaitlyn laughing together, Delicate Arch beauty, sunset at the arch with colors, chatting on the way down with Sadie, sand hill playing in the dark, chatting with Pats and T.

(Hope Shumway, Sadie, Kaitlyn Murphy, Rylie, Kennedy Covili)

June 11, 2018

A much needed email day for me.  He makes me laugh.

June 10, 2018

What I learned from my 7 day Instagram/FB fast:

• I was spending way too much time scrolling.
• There are better things to do when I'm bored.
• I did miss seeing uplifting posts.
• I did miss sharing quotes.
• I didn't have the "there are so many places to see and not enough time to see them and I better get started seeing some but I know I won't ever see them all and probably not the way cool places" feeling near as much.  
• It was a much needed break and allowed me to reevaluate.

June 8, 2018

Capitol Reef camping with Steph and Kelly (and kids) was so great.  Too short, but still good.  Highlights -

Awesome campground (Fruita Campground site #57 and #59)
Playing catch with the boys
Hammocks
Tent with my girls
Good hike with red and white walls
Throwing rocks in the pocks
Gifford House cherries
Campfire time
Stars - including during the night from our tent
Morning chat time
Rock skipping in the river

June 5, 2018

Sometimes I just feel like I need to see Mason's smile.  He has a knack for knowing when I need an encouraging word - or a sarcastic remark.  :).  I could use that right now.  Sure wish I could take him to Five Guys for lunch.

June 4, 2018

8 months out for Mason.  He has had the best 8 months I think any missionary could have.  Just awesome companions (Elder Andersen and Elder Broadbent) and the most amazing Cabot members.  He was able to have a baptism to wrap up the 8 months.  Now he's in Memphis and on to a little trickier adventure.  But there's a Five Guys so he says that can help him through.  :)

June 2, 2018

Lake Blanche.  When you can see through the sweat dripping down your face it's a beautiful hike.  :). The green and the water and Sundial Peak and Dromedary Peak and the lake and the pines and the red quartzite rock and the awesome seasonal waterfall.  And of course a Jimmy Johns sandwich in me belly.