For me, the month started out with me helping in the Youth Center at the Logan Temple. I was able to watch the child of a couple that's been attending the 17th Married Student Ward, that Dale's serving as the Bishop in.
What a cutie this little 6 month old is too. I was so glad that I could help the Jess' out on their special day when their little girl was sealed to them. It was a great way to start out the month.
I also helped with a 3yr. old who had siblings that were 11,7, and 6 that observed, later in the month. Their was a special feeling of love in that room during the sealing. This calling to serve in the Youth Center is like a touch of heaven, I love it.
For Matt and Amie the month started out with them celebrating 15 years of marriage! Sweet stuff!
The next day, I headed over to the Mallory's in the morning and we loaded up my bags into their van and we headed to California to see and explore in the Redwood National Forest as well as see some of the sights on the coast.
For our first stop, we checked out the Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats. We also made up some sandwiches and had lunch there. Pretty cool looking, but VERY salty alright! We made sure we rinsed off pretty good before we got back in the van.
We ate dinner in Reno, NV and stayed at the Baymont by Wyndham Reno in Nevada. We had traveled most the day, so stretching out in bed felt pretty good. Matt and Amie made a great team as the driver and navigator for our travels.
Day 2: After breakfast we hit the road again and were excited when we saw the Welcome to California sign. We ate sandwiches at a park near where we stopped for gas. We also stopped along the way to the hotel and saw some of the Avenue of the Giants sights in the Redwood National Forest.
We tried to drive through a big Redwood tree that had a hole carved out in it, but the van with the Thule made it too tight, so we drove on the trunk of a downed tree and walked through the trunk of one instead. We also saw some hollowed out trunks because of lightning strikes.
The kids loved the treehouses made in the trunk of trees that had been damaged, and we all were awed when we walked through a place called Founders Grove. Those Redwoods are pretty impressive with the area being so green and lush. Just beautiful!!
We stopped for dinner in Eureka, CA and stayed at the Ramada by Wyndham Arcata. Things are starting to get fun now that we're in the area and can get out and see the sights more. I am still in awe at how majestic those Redwood trees are. They made you feel like you are a dwarf in a big forest! So cool! We live in a beautiful world.
Day 3: After a good nights sleep and tasty breakfast at the hotel we headed out for more adventures and sightseeing. We stopped and checked out the Trinidad State Beach by going on a hike down to an area where we were able to check out tidepools on our own private beach area. The hike down was through lush green foliage and flowers everywhere. I loved it.
When we got to the beach it was kind of misty as we walked around, and hearing the waves roll on the beach made it feel so surreal.
I've never seen so many mussels, starfish and sea anemones in one place. It was just like finding our own treasure chest. We all had a wonderful time and it was soooo pretty!
We checked out the Trinidad Head Hike, the Pier, and a Marine Laboratory where we got to touch starfish, anemones, and crabs. There was also a lighthouse there.
We had lunch at the Lighthouse Grill and tried Mashed Potato Cones. They're waffle cones filled with mashed potatoes, melted cheese, bacon, and brisket. They were different, but pretty tasty.
Then we got a few groceries for breakfasts and dinners at the grocery store while we were in town.
We stopped and checked out the College Cove tidepools, but they weren't anything like the ones we'd seen earlier in the morning. Just a lot of rocks, but pretty in it's own way.
We also checked out Patrick Point State Park and walked along the Wedding Rock Trail, and Rim Trail. We saw dolphins, seals, sea lions, and squirrels. We also saw a Rock Whale! That's what we called it because we watched it for so long thinking it was a real whale, but in reality it was a rock. The sea lions were all over on the rocks in this one area and they were barking loud too. We spent a lot of time trying to find the seals and dolphins swimming in the ocean.
Then we hiked down to this rocky beach area and checked out the tide pools there before we headed to the hotel. We saw a few crabs and some anemones, but nothing like we saw at Trinidad State Beach. We did see some seals out sunning on the beach and swimming in the ocean though, which was pretty cool.
On the way to where we'd be staying for the next two nights we found another tree that we could drive through and made it through this one. We also saw a big herd of elk as well. Another reason to feel blessed to live in such a beautiful world.
We found our hotel and unpacked the van to stay for a couple of days. We heated up the chicken we'd bought at the grocery store for dinner and ate and played games before hitting the sack. We put in a lot of walking today, but it was all worth it.
Day 4: After getting everyone fed and ready for the day we headed back into the Redwood National Forest to go on the Lady Bird Johnson hike. It's the area where the area became designated as a National Forest by Lady Bird Johnson, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson's wife. She was so overcome with the beauty of the area the first time she visited it that she pushed to have it become a National Forest. The area has the oldest Redwood trees in it. Again, it didn't disappoint.
From there we went to Fern Canyon. This was like walking through heaven in my eyes. We walked up a rock bed stream and climbed over logs, saw ferns and flowers, lush green and just beauty everywhere. We even saw a big banana slug. The air smelt fresh and the temperature was perfect. Another gift from God for us to see and experience.
From there, we went to the Gold Bluff Beach and checked out that area. We even had lunch on the beach and the kids played in the water some. There were some pretty big waves coming in.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped and checked out the Klamath Cove Tidepools. This too, was more of a rocky beach, but there were a lot of starfish and even some pretty big crabs. We even came across a dead sea lion that was on the beach as well. Sick, right?
We got back to the hotel and went across the street to check out the Mystery of the Trees stuff and see the talking Paul Bunyon and his blue ox, Babe. We even hit up the gift shop and bought a few souvenirs.
Flower bushes were all over in the area too.
Day 5: We loaded up the van and started the trek home, stopping at Ocean World in Crescent City, CA where we went to Ocean World and got the pick up starfish, and anemones, pet a leopard shark, and saw the eggs of a horned shark. The eggs were interesting. They looked like spirals, it was pretty cool. We also saw a seal and sea lion show.
While in Crescent City we went and saw the Battery Point Lighthouse. It's a working Light House that people live in. It had tide pools below it and a bright pink groundcover of pink flowers. We drove out to the St. George's Reef Lighthouse, but it was out 6 miles in the water, so we couldn't get a decent picture of that one.
Heading out again, we stopped at the Marine Mammal Center. It's kind of like a refuge center for abandoned, malnourished, or lost sea lions or seals. We got to see one of the Elephant Seals have it's blood drawn. Their were three Elephant seals that had been rescued from malnutrition. They were going to be taken back to the ocean in three days. They had come to the center weighing 80 lbs. and now weighed 150 lbs. They also had three leopard pup seals that had been found either on a trail, on a picnic table, or just found on the beach. All were malnourished. It was a pretty cool place. Kennlyn said she wanted to work at a place like this.
We stopped to have some sea food for lunch at a restaurant on the pier and saw sea lions and a seal on the docks
Then we went and checked out one more lighthouse, the Umpqua River Lighthouse that the Coast Guard mans. It had homes where people lived by it as well.
As we were driving Amie found out there were Sand Dunes at the Ziolkousk Beach. We checked them out. It was pretty cool because there was also a beach nearby the Sand Dunes. Jaxson found some baby jellyfish on the beach by the water.
We ate our dinner, chased the waves, and watched the sunset there. Then we found our hotel in Florence, Oregon.
Day 6: After breakfast we took the scenic route and headed to Nampa, ID. It was a 8 1/2 hour drive. We ran into rain a few times and at a stop we took to see the Sahalie Falls we got caught in a downpour, but we didn't let that stop us from seeing this natural wonder. The water that was pouring out had a light blue hue to it because it was so pure. So pretty!
The kids did pretty good for being in the car most of the day. The sights were pretty which helped as well. It also helped to have a few good movies that they could watch to pass the time.
Day 7: Homeward bound! on this leg of the trip from Nampa, ID to home we stopped in Meridian, ID to visit Matt's mom and sister, Kelly and her husband and kids. It gave us some time to stretch and get some of the kinks out.
We got to the Mallory's place in time to unpack and I got home before dark. It was a wonderful trip, full of beauty in a lot of different ways. I brought home a pinecone from a Redwood Tree as my souvenir. It's just a small pinecone about the size of my thumb, but that small pinecone is packed with a ton of seeds and when the seed takes root a HUGE Redwood tree grows. Amazing isn't it?
Dale sold our trailer while I was in California with the Mallorys.
We decided we wanted a true hard side trailer and one with a little more room. We ended up getting a 2019 Keystone Passport Grand Touring bumper pull trailer. Pretty fancy.
We celebrated Father's Day here by having dinner with the Mallory's. I am sure grateful for my loving dad, patient and loving husband, and some great sons and son-in-laws, who are (or will be) great fathers. I feel very blessed.
Dale and I went to help our good friend, Floyd Griffiths, celebrate his decision to retire from teaching art. Alison, his wife, hosed a get-together with family and friends at Mack Park in Smithfield, UT. What will Floyd do with all his empty days? I'm sure he'll get in some fishing and hunting along with completing Alison's "to do" list.
The Four Seasons Theatre put on the production of "The Little Mermaid" at Sky View High School. Dale and I supported their cause and went to see it. It was very entertaining, and they had great sets and costumes to top it off. We had a delightful evening "under the sea."
Dale took a day off work and went on a motorcycle ride with Gary Thomas, and Tim Smith, some guys from work. They took to the road heading to Jackson Hole, WY via Emmigration Canyon, then towards Driggs, ID and back around the Palisades Reservoir, then back through Soda Springs, ID and Preston, ID before hitting Utah again. He couldn't stop talking about what a pretty ride that was. I was just glad he came back without any scrapes or bruises.
We went to a few of Kennlyn's softball games, and I went to a few of Jaxson's soccer games. Both enjoy the sports and do well in them.
Dale pulled my friend, Kathy Fishburn's trailer over to Blue Water Resort at Bear Lake with a friend, Mike Bullen, Kathy and I because our trailer hasn't been ready to be picked up yet. They helped us get the trailer all set up and then we ate and played card games. They both slept over and left in the morning. It was a pretty cold night. I was glad I packed a sweatshirt and long pants.
Kathy and I stayed in the trailer for six days and five nights. Sunday we had Dale and Mike come over for dinner and then we all rode around the lake in his red Mustang convertible with the top down. What a pretty drive it was too. We played games in the trailer and they headed back home.
Our friend, Jeanette Petersen, drove over from Bountiful, UT to Bear Lake and joined up with us on Monday to stay a few nights. We visited, went to The Pickleville Playhouse production of "Shootout at Shadow Mountain", ate dinner at Cody's restaurant, and played games.
The next day we played pickleball in the morning when it was still a bit chilly, then hit the beach and played Bocci Ball and soaked in the sun. It was still a bit chilly and the water was REAL cold so we just hung out on the beach. After we went into Garden City and got a shake at LaBeau's and then came back to the trailer, took a walk along the beach (which was still chilly, but the sunset was worth the chill), ate, played games and visited.
That night we had a visitor in the tree above us that kept letting out his "WHOO...WHOO"..hoot to lull us to sleep. NOT!! Oh, the joys of nature.
Jeanette's car had been acting up so to be safe she decided to have a tow truck take it to Logan, UT for repairs rather than risk having it die in the canyon where there's no cell phone service. The alternator went out, so her hubby, Mark, drove from Bountiful, UT in his truck and came and brought the trailer back to Logan and they got their car latter that day. I'd say, Mark loves his wife.
I sure love these ladies, I call friends. I'm glad we can get together and hang out at least once a year.
We got home and I helped Kathy unpack her trailer and then I went with Dale to get our trailer!! Fun times ahead!
With the weather warming up some we decided to get the boat out and test it out for warmer days ahead. The Mallory's joined us and the water wasn't that bad, but the air was still too cool for me. Fun was had by all though.
Nate made time to make this a Jim Dandy June by hiking up the Muir Snowfields under a full moon with Mt. Adams, and St. Helens in the background.
Another weekend he rock climbed goat wall in Mazama WA. Can you see why he loves living in Washington?
Work hard to play hard is his motto.
Andrew and Lindsay celebrated 9 years of marriage this month. Here's to many more!
They've been making the most of Andrew's down time from working by working to get their yard done, and it about killed them and us a few days, but they got it done and it looks great. They had help from Matt, Jaxson, Dale, and I as well as some great neighbors to get it all done. Hard work does pay off. It looks great. Andrew had four weeks home to get it all done, and they did it. He finished on Sat. and left for work on Sun. Lindsay finished up the flower beds to add that finishing touch.
They took some time to play in the sun by hanging out at the pool with Grandma Leslie, going to the splash pad, and playing in the sprinklers in their new yard.
What's summer if you don't have a shaved ice, right?
Garrett golfed in the "Have a Heart" charity golf tournament, tried out his new bike on the Elephant Rock trail, and is still doing little loan info. spots on Facebook to keep us all informed of the what's and why's of loans. With the way the economy is and the market for real estate is it's good to be in the know for sure.
Garrett & Zandra hosted our Come Follow Me Dinner/Discussion at their house. Garrett cooks up some pretty tasting ribs on the grill.
I also got to join up with Zandra's hiking group and go on a nice hike with her and the kids in Ogden Canyon while I was waiting for the Subaru to have the air bag fixed because of a factory recall. Luke loves bugs and Jorie loves flowers. It was a pretty day for a hike.
Garrett and Zandra took the kids to Hogle Zoo for the day. Who doesn't love the zoo?
Jorie's taking swimming lessons and loving it and is learning how to float and improving each lesson. Soon she'll be a Jim Dandy swimmer!
For Father's Day Zandra had the kids paint pictures for Garrett and then she had them framed. I'd say they may have some of Garrett's artistic skills in their genes. What a great gift. They were all feeling loved.
Danica used her artistic skills and painted a mural on a bedroom wall for her mother-in-law, Jan Hassell. She's never done anything on that big of a scale, but with patience and her good eye, she did an awesome job! Looks great, doesn't it? I can just feel the sun going down and hear the waves rolling in.
For Father's Day Jason's siblings took their dad, Steve, camping at Pineview Reservoir for the weekend. They slept in tents and cooked with the fire, made great memories and had some good family time. A great gift I'm sure Steve will never forget.
They headed south for warmer temps for a weekend because we've had a crazy start to summer. It's been quite cold for June, to be honest, which I don't mind, but I am getting antsy for more sunshine days myself. They love the red rock of St. George, it never gets old.
When it got a bit warmer in South Weber, they got outside and took a hike up Adams Canyon to a pretty waterfall. There is beauty all around, you just have to make the time to see it. They do that pretty well.
Toward the end of the month when we had more sunny days they had Garrett and Zandra join them at Jason's mom's house to swim in the pool. Can't beat that for a way to cool off.
It has been a Jim Dandy June for all of us!
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