We’ve had so much going on this week I’m not sure where to even begin so I think I’ll lay it all out day by day.
Monday was slow and we didn’t do to much just regular chores and stuff.
Tuesday we drove out to Dugway to pick up David from work. I wanted the kids to see how far their Dad drives every day for work. It is an hour and a half one way, with narrow roads, crazy fast drivers and a scary mountain pass. By the time we got there half of us had to you the bathroom at the checkpoint then David met us outside the gates since we aren’t allowed on Post and he drove home. David is a very good and perceptive driver but since he is so used to the road and I’m not I was pretty much a nervous wreck the entire way over the pass. I kept telling him to slow down and the van doesn’t corner like a car does. We were fine but when we got home I had a pretty good headache and tense muscles.
Wednesday was the 4th of July, we started out our day driving up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the trailhead of Donut Falls. Chet had called on Tuesday and wondered what we were doing that day and we didn’t have any plans so we invited them to go hiking with us.
Chet and Stacy left their house around 5:30 and got to the trailhead at 8am, the drive didn’t take as long as google maps said it would for them. We had all planned to me at 9am so we got up a little before 8 and then headed up. We arrived at the parking lot just off the freeway at 9am and decided to walk to the trailhead which took us about 15 min. Needless to say Chet was a bit miffed that they had wait over an hour for us but he also admitted that they did leave early and made really good time. So Chet and Clayton took off up the trail and the rest of us just walked at the kids pace up the trail.
About 1/2 up the trail forked and we went right which was up the mountain and made sense to me but after hiking a very steep trail for about half a mile we decided we went the wrong way and hiked back down and up the correct trail. Chet had already made it to the Falls and was coming back to meet us. We all got up to the falls and the kids were glad for a break and snack and then Chet took Katie, Justin & Isaac up the rock face to the waterfall that went through the donut hole. The rest of us stayed below and waited. When Chet got back he said it was so beautiful us Adults needed to go up and see it. So Katie watched the kids while David, Stacy, Chet(carrying Clayton) and I went back up. When we got up to the top we were so glad Chet had us go up. The falls at the top was truly magnificent and the reason for the hike. It wasn’t huge but it was beautiful and a great experience. We were able to go into the cave and walk behind the waterfall and David and Chet got some great pictures. Then we hiked back down and Justin came home with us and Chet and Stacy headed home. I said several times that day how glad I was that Chet called and wanted to do this with us. It was a great experience to share and we had a lot of fun. I also think that if Chet hadn’t came we would’ve missed the amazing falls.
When we got home we barbequed so Jalapeño steaks and corn on the cob and had watermelon and strawberries for dinner. It was delicious!! Then we went to a parking lot about the Stake House to watch the valley fireworks. There were a lot of fireworks we could see up and down the valley but we were too far away for any of them to be too impressive. In the end David and I were disappointed and decided we need to go to Pocatello again next year, or go to a show put on by a specific city in the area. Thanksgiving points looked like they’d be good from up close. At about 10:45 we went home, we were all exhausted and sore from hiking and the kids needed to go to bed.
Thursday was a very laid back day. I was really sore up my arms and shoulders and my legs had been sore from lunges and squats on Tuesday so the hike on Wednesday just made me more sore. David and I played some Diablo 3 and the kids played with Justin all day. We pretty much did nothing.
Friday we got up and headed downtown to the Hogle Zoo and met Stacy, her Aunt Bonnie, Clayton & Caleb and also my mom and dad. We got into the zoo right when the gates opened and had a very nice time looking at the animals. We especially enjoyed the new section with the otters, seals, polar bears and sea lions. I think all the kids had a great time and we were done before it got too hot. I think it took us about 2 hours to walk around.
After the Zoo Stacy left to take her Aunt Bonnie to a Dr. Appointment and we took Mom and Dad to the Celebration of Life Monument where we showed them Gabie’s name on the glass wall. Then we headed home. David made Czech roast with dumplings and sauerkraut and mom and dad came over and visited and had dinner with us. It was really nice to spend the day with them and have a good visit.
Today is David’s 37th Birthday. We got up this morning and went to Wal-Mart then a T-Ball game then I went to the Church for an Eagle Scout Blood Drive for a boy in our ward. David and Katie took care of mowing, trimming and cleaning the front yard. Then we had some lunch and David and the girls made a Cheesecake for David for his Birthday. Then David started playing Batman Arkam on the XBOX. He got Mass Effect 3 for his Birthday but he said he won’t play it until he beats Batman.
In just a few minutes David and I are going to leave for our reservations at Tucano’s in Orem for dinner and then go to the Theatre and see the new Amazing Spiderman in DBOX Seats (they move with the movie). Katie will babysit and we’ll have a nice date.
I have a lot of pictures to upload so I’ll load them in a few different albums. And when we come home from our date maybe I’ll have a couple more to load.
You guys have been busy! Sounds like it was filled with fun and great food though!
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