Timpanogos Cave

I was reminded recently that it's been a while here since I've posted anything.  I've been working on a family history project and have been debating with myself on ancestor family history vs. current family history - a challenging problem.  Something else I've been thinking about lately, partially because of the lack of pictures in much of the ancestor family history.  What is it about our time now that we need so much documentation?  I've taken a couple thousand pictures this year at least.  It helps that I have an adorable little baby so it's cute to snap shots of him doing basically anything, but world-wide there is an incredible amount of records being created.  Why?

But I digress...

Besides family camp, our family hasn't taken a really real family vacation for I don't know how long.  Last week Jamie's schedule freed up, we decided we could skip some of our homeschool group things, and off we went!

We started with a closer expedition to Timpanogos Cave.

Stopping to read about the points along the trail.

I have lots of good posers.  :)

The little girls decided this is a fairy slide.

Cool to see how the plants work so hard to survive in all these rocks.

We happened upon a small rattlesnake!  The rangers at the top, including our guide (apparently the snake expert), confirmed that.  We couldn't really see a rattle, but again, it was probably pretty young.  Our guide said there are enough people back and forth along the trail that even bigger rattlesnakes up there usually don't rattle.

A look down towards the valley.

Yay!  We are getting close!

Stopping for snacks

Madeleine hiked the whole way up, inside, and back!

We had an excellent guide!  We told him we homeschool, so he said he expected lots of questions.  The girls were more than happy to ask away.  There was only one other person in the group with us, so it was a pretty cozy tour.

Of course the inside the cave pictures are never as good as the real thing.  Oh well.  The guide told us that Madeleine is the perfect height for the cave, that everyone else would have to do a lot of ducking and bending.  He was right!  Madeleine kept pointing it out.  "I don't even have to duck!  This is the perfect size for me!"

Headed back down!

Some Random Pictures

Two beautiful girls all ready for church.

The other day at the park.  Issac learned how to sit early this week!

Everyone there wanted a picture with Isaac.

The professional photo bombers got to work.

Our kids play this steal the sword game of some sort when we go to the park.  Melanie had stolen a sword.

Another day, Sam got this cute little monkey on his foot.

After he started sitting, the kids brought the high chair up.  He thought that was pretty fabulous.

And check this out!  He muscled up a lotion jar to chew on it for a moment.

And hooray!  A picture of all the kids together at the zoo. 

Erin getting eaten by the lion.

Woo hoo!  Waiting for our first bird show of the year.

There's Just Something About Food

On Saturday, this guy got hankering for some good food.  He found a really great recipe for blackberry rib sauce, and was all over trying it out.  With ribs already in the freezer from a good deal a while back, he was in business.

Shortly after the cooking was over and we were beginning blackberry rib bliss, this guy came home from being a pioneer for 3 days with some of our homeschool friends.  We got to hear some of his stories in between bites.

When that was gone, it was proposed that maybe s'mores were in order.  That was quickly seconded (and thirded and fourthed...)

(Hello chickens in the background!)

In the picture below you can see our favorite s'more method.  Those Keebler striped cookies with the marshmallow are much easier and in my opinion better than the traditional graham cracker and chunk of chocolate.  The chocolate is well-spread and melts nicely, and the cookie breaks without being getting really crumby.

This is my favorite picture of the evening.  Looking at the picture above, I was sitting in the chair next to Jamie with Isaac on the grass between as, as you see him above.  While I was getting pictures of everyone, I turned the camera to get him but couldn't see what I was getting very well.  After taking this, I pulled my phone up to see if it took very well.  Jamie quickly started telling Madeleine to get her s'more away from Isaac, but apparently his quick little fingers had already grabbed enough to get marshmallow.  By the time I turned again (seriously, seconds), it was on his hands, shirt, and blanket.  I ran in for wipes, and by the time I got back his pants were involved too.  I love the pre-chaos captured here, with Madeleine's hand tempting him with the perfect s'more.

Today after church I asked Adam what he wants to eat this last week before he heads off to camp again.  After dutch oven cooking on the pioneer trail, dutch oven potatoes topped the list.  Knowing today was probably more low-key than the rest of the week, we dove into that and had most of the pre-cooking preparation done when Jamie got home from after church meetings.  He quickly set us straight on the appropriate dutch oven potatoes recipe ingredients, and the men folk got to cooking.

Delciousness again.

This picture is actually after that meal was over and the dutch oven berry chocolate cobbler was about to be partaken of.  Melanie has the serving spoon at the ready.

Multiple times both evenings the words "wholesome family recreation" came to mind.  It's lovely sitting around a campfire or a dutch oven, filling our tummies with great food, laughing, and sharing that time together.  An important piece of what helps "establish and maintain" successful families, but so simple.