Pioneer Day

The kids didn't get to do their own fireworks for the 4th of July since we were up at the cabin, so they have been so excited for the chance to do them on the 24th. They sat in our living room for everyone to see them for about 2 weeks. Truman loved all of it this year and was all about helping dad do everything. Prentice liked them, but didn't want to get too close or too involved in the whole thing.

Last Hurrah!

We decided to go to Zion's National Park today as a last activity before Jeremy has to go back to work. Initially we intended on camping out and making a big ordeal out of it...but in the end we just spent the day there. We went to the very end of the park where the "Narrows" finishes. It was so nice in the 100 plus degree weather because there was so much water to wade in. There are miles of beautiful water that you can walk through while you enjoy the sights. I had been to this point before, but never walked through the water.

If you are wondering from the pictures...YES, Truman does have a mohawk thanks to Jeremy. I told him it has to be gone by tomorrow, but I actually think it's kind of fun for a change. I didn't realize how many comments we would get from it. Someone today even called him "gorgeous." He was European. Go figure.







Truman couldn't of been happier. He looked like a little seal out there floating along the water. It is always interesting to me how nervous people get when they see him because they think he is too little to know how to swim.
Prentice enjoyed it as well. She only wished she could have gone further in the water, but the water was moving pretty fast and got a little deep for her in some parts. We stayed back and played for a while and just Truman and dad explored further.


I held Prentice's hand for a lot of it, but we had to laugh because when she was on her own it wouldn't be long before she would slip and fall into the water. It is pretty uneven because the bottom is covered in rocks, and slippery as well. She would get right back up and play some more. She did have a pretty good whining episode when we had to walk the mile back to the buses. We are seriously working on that.

I love going to this park. We were all tired by the end from playing hard and being in the sun, but I'm always so glad when we go there. I am already planning on maybe doing the Narrows hike at the end of the month.

Cabin 2010

Jer had this last week off. By off I mean he still had to work whenever he got the chance. So we headed up north for some cooler weather and to get away. The kids always love going to Jer's family's cabin up Logan canyon. And well...Jer and I love it for a few days and then we are ready for bigger beds, more room, less bugs, and some down time. I do think that the cabin will be a place that our kids will have many memories as they get older. I still remember going to Logan canyon with my grandparents. While we were there we saw: mice, snakes, chipmunks, a coyote, and a moose.


Family picture after the annual 4th of July breakfast.

Riding on the 4 wheeler with Grandpa while the boys trail behind, picking up branches that he had cut off to clear the path.

Jer also pitched in by cutting off a huge branch that hung too low.

We put Jer in charge or pest control. He did catch 2 mice while we were up there. The kids thought he looked like a doctor. The attic can be a scary place in a cabin in the middle of nature.


Truman got to touch a king snake that Uncle Glenn caught.

Can you spot the snake in this picture. We probably saw no less then 10 snakes while we were there.
Not sure what kind this one was, but it sure was cool to see.

Helping Grandma get the corn ready for dinner.

Prentice had fun picking up all the little bugs that were all over this time of year.

There is a stream that runs in front of the cabin and the kids spent a lot of time playing there.

Fireworks at USU

We watched the firework show that Utah State University puts on, from our camping chairs on the street above the stadium. We got pizza and hung out until the fireworks began. At least neither of the kids got scared this year. I think that's a first.

Wind Cave

It seems like we have made it a tradition to take a hike to the Wind Cave whenever we come to the cabin. This year we changed it up a bit and decided to take Truman with us. We figured that if he could hike to Angels Landing, he could make it to the Wind Cave. He was such a good hiker. This kid does not complain or whine. We wanted to spend some alone time with him and let him be the center of the attention and be able to do something without his sister. He fell a couple times and scraped his knee, but he just kept on going.








This is where Jer proposed to me. Love going back to be there. No one was there, so we had the place all to ourselves.

Bear Lake

We couldn't go up to the cabin without heading to Bear Lake to let the kids play in the water. It was actually a pretty cool day and breezy as well. But of course, things like that don't bother kids. They still played in the freezing water, played in the sand, and listened to stories from Grandma about the Bear Lake monster.

American Heritage Jensen Farm

On our last day we headed to the place that Grandma Linda said all the grand kids love the best. She was right. The kids had so much fun. Even Jer got into it...except for the doll making in the pioneer area. I learned that not matter how hard or stressful my life seems, it can't be harder then how these people lived! I am hot cut out to be a pioneer wife. But what great "family time" they must have had.



In the tepee learning about the Shoshone (no idea how to spell that) tribe. This is a replication of a map they made with pictures depicting major events that happened over many years. We learned how they hunted the buffalo and what their life was like.


Jer got to shoot a black powder gun.


We all got a turn to throw the tomahawks. Truman did really well. Out of four, he got two in the targets.




I was so impressed with how many hands on activities they had for the kids to do. They got to go pick out some freshly laid eggs, and then wash them off.

Truman tried his hand at milking a cow.


One of their favorite things at the farm was just feeding the horses. Prentice didn't like to get too close, so she would stand back and reach her arm out as far as she could and the horse could barely reach it and a lot of the hay would fall on the ground.

They even got to pan for pieces of gold.

Jer's favorite part. In fact, I think he disappeared for this part. Prentice made a doll out of yarn, and I helped Truman make a BOY doll out of cloth.



We had a great day here and will definitely come back another time. There's nothing like a hands on education experience that everyone enjoys!