Back to School Night

Saturday evening we had a most enjoyable evening up Big Cottonwood Canyon with our dear friends, the Johansens.  We are both homeschooling families and we were both planning to start school the following Monday.  So it was a farewell to summer and back-to-school night for us.
They had reserved this really fantastic spot  that was very private and had grass and a volley ball court and it was fenced in by the river.  That is the way to do a night up the Canyon with little ones!

My favorite picture of the evening-- Rachel and Greta.

The food was tasty, but my peace was disturbed by the bees.  I know they are important to our environment...blah, blah, blah, but I hate them.  And I am horribly afraid of them.

Da boyz.

Da boyz did do a "little" hike.  This picture makes it look they were really far away.  They weren't close, but this picture does dramatize a wee bit.  Can you see them up on the big rock?

Here is zoomed in a bit.

This was fun--- we each made our own icecream in ziplock bags!  I've made mini versions of this with Cub Scouts, but this was serious business.  Lots of ice, rock salt, half and half, sugar and vanilla.

And then we shook it for 20 minutes or so.  And this ice cream wasn't just a little icy, it was hard!  And delicious!  I'd love to try it with some raspberries mixed in.

I'm a foodie taking pictures of my gourmet vanilla ice cream with gummy bears!

Boys in trees are happy boys.  Is there such a thing as tree therapy for children?  I think there should be.  Children with behavior problems should just have to climb trees and sit in trees all day.  It's good for them.  That is my non-professional opinion.  

It's crazy that the oldest of these lovelies just started at UVU along with Clark this week.  They were 8 years old when we moved into the neighborhood!

She's like a little baby bird!  Even her hair is like a plume of feathers.  I do try to make her hair look cute, but she pulls it out and she is child #8.  So, you know.