San Francisco

We took a fun day trip to San Francisco.  We decided to check out Golden Gate Park.  We were surprised at how big it was and how much there was to explore.  We didn't even make it all the way through. 

We found a fun park for the kids to play:

Rachel loved this stone slide.  You had to use cardboard squares to go down fast.

We found a little area with a sun dial and beautiful trees and flowers.  It was a great place to sit and read, which many of the visitors were doing.

This twisty tree was fun to climb.

We really enjoyed the rose garden - so many different varieties of roses.  And, of course, we needed to smell them all!

Right next to the rose garden was a beautiful foresty area.

After Golden Gate Park we had to find Lombard Street.  It was fun to twist down the street, but I think the kids had even more fun on the all of the really steep hills we drove to find Lombard.

We finished the trip at Pier 39 where we had dinner with a great view and then window shopped.

The view from the pier looking out at Alcatraz:

The Magical World of Harry Potter

The last Harry Potter movie just came out (so good!) so we have been on a Potter kick at our house, watching some of the movies again. I am having the best time right now listening to Ben, Rachel and the La Vines playing Harry Potter. Rachel is Hermione and has the English accent and everything. They have been playing it for a good hour now. They had a ball in the Great Hall and right now are trying to defeat Voldemort.

Rachel and I are reading the first Harry Potter together right now. I forgot just how good the first book really is. I'm so sad that Rachel has seen the movies before she reads the books. There is nothing like reading a great book for the first time, not knowing the ending. It's been a long time since she has seen the second movie, so I'm hoping maybe that book will be a little more exciting for her. Thanks J.K. Rowling for some fun times!

4th of July

Our annual ward pancake breakfast and bike rally. Rachel was very disappointed that her bike had a flat tire and she had to decorate Ben's scooter. But she still rode and they had fun

The Hodgsons came over for some BBQ chicken. We set up the slip-n-slide but the neighbors invited them to join them on the big water slide they had set up.


Then they invited them to do water games,

and the watermelon eating contest.

We had dinner with Bryan's family then went to see the Elk Grove fireworks show. A great day with family to celebrate our country!

Utah Trip, Part IX - Saying Good-bye

Well, the fun had to come to an end. We snapped a few shots before we parted.




It was an awesome trip full of fun activities, some relaxing and a lot of fun family time. A huge thank you to Barbara for a fun, fun time!

Utah Trip, Part VIII - Salt Lake City

We went to Temple Square with the Morris' and Robyn. This is inside the visitor's center.

We saw an organ recital in the tabernacle.


Amber was kind enough to meet us in Salt Lake and watch the kids while we did a temple session. It was nice to be in the temple with Alex as he is preparing to leave on his mission.

We got ice cream for the kids afterwards,

and saw the Christus before we left.

Utah Trip, Part VII - Lagoon

I used to go to Lagoon every year when I was little. I know now why I liked it so much. It is so kid friendly.

Rachel, who loves roller coasters was in heaven.

Ben wasn't so sure about it.

Despite my hesitations, Lauren got me on the Rocket Ride. It turned out to be a blast. No pun intended.

We took turns watching the kids and also spent some time in the water park. It was a great day.

Utah Trip, Part VI - Visiting Graves

We spent one day in Ogden. We snapped a picture in front of my childhood house. It sure looks a lot smaller than it use to! I have so many great memories of this house: "Laser" tag, Retreat!, riding the big wheel around the square, headstands in the grass, building snowmen, hula hoops, Kevin teaching me to ride a two-wheeler (I have the scar to go with it!), hours upon hours in the backyard with the treehouse, ditch water, swing set, sand box, weed pulling (okay, not so fond a memory), eating raspberries, laying sod, disastrous flood, swinging on the pole (what the heck was that thing?!!), illegal bonfires and watching water skeeters. It was fun driving around the neighborhood and remembering fun things we did. I think I had the best childhood ever.

Then we met up with Amber, first visiting the graves of Uncle Dallas and Grandpa Macfarlane,



then over to visit Grandma and Grandpa Penner and Uncle Kent.

It was nice to be able to remember the ones we've lost. I have such good memories of my family. We spent the afternoon with Amber before heading back to Sandy.

Utah Trip, Part V - Sandy

After Provo Canyon we met up with Dave, Cheryl, Alex and Lauren to visit GG in Sandy. The house we originally rented was unpleasant so we ended up getting a suite at the Hyatt. It was really nice.

The kids got to go swimming. The girls absolutely love cousin Lauren. And Ben had fun water fights with Alex.


We went for a nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse with everyone.

The view from our hotel room included two temples! We think they are the South Jordan and Mt. Oquirrh temples.

Utah Trip, Part IV - Mt. Timpanogos

Bryan, Robyn and I took the ski lift up to the top of Mt. Timpanogos.

It was a gorgeous view from the top.

We followed a trail to get even more views.

Robyn and I were rebels and went on one of the closed trails (just a short distance).

We were glad that we did because there was snow and we built a tiny snowman.



Who knew Utah could be so beautiful?

Utah Trip, Part III - Activities at the cabin

The spa was a big hit with the kids.

There were lots of pretty places to go for a walk.

One of the highlights was the zipline that went over the creek and back.

Rachel especially loved it.

Unfortunately Robyn will have a permanent reminder of the zipline. Thanks for sacrificing yourself to try to save my daughter, Rob!

Just relaxing in the hammock.

A fun BBQ with Grandma and Grandpa Rushworth.