Elder Fox Had a Birthday!

Happy 19th birthday to our very favorite missionary in the world!

Clark was taken very good care of in Greenville, Texas with a proper birthday cake and a beautiful "Happy Birthday" serenade from wonderfully kind members in his ward.  Let's be honest, what he got was way nicer than what we would have done for him!  We don't sing "Happy birthday" nicely and we don't make pretty cakes.

He looks so good and so happy.  We couldn't be more pleased.  Of course we thought about him all day and missed him like crazy.  I am anxious to get his email on Monday to hear all the details of his big day.

 Here at home we celebrated his day by hiking "Clark's Trail" in Draper.  It isn't just a hike he liked (actually, we don't know if he ever hiked this particular trail).  Rather it is actually named "Clark's Trail".  

And it was beautiful!  I'd really like to do this hike again.  It was a loop hike, but we just did out and back.  We had to hike a rather steep little section to get up to this vista.  Peter doesn't like the steep parts, but he loved when Abe told him that he was a mountain goat and he could do it.  Peter kept saying, "Me a mountain goat!  Me a mountain goat!" Who knew calling someone a mountain goat was such a compliment!

This was the steep part.  We went on another hike today and I tried to used the same reasoning to encourage him during a steep part.  I said, "Peter!  You're a mountain goat!"  He angrily screamed at me, "No!  Me a snake hunter!"

My bad.

We have too much fun with our group selfies.  Now it's tradition!

Fortunately, this is my blog and I can write about whatever I'd like.  Even so, I feel sort of embarrassed to go on and on about how much I'm enjoying this summer of hiking.  I know why I haven't done this earlier-- hello babies, pregnancies, and nursing!  But now I just can't get enough.  It feels so good.  It's free.  It's healthy.  It's family togetherness.  It's exciting and the perfect cure for summer boredom.  I realize I may be in danger of burning out my poor family in my manic exuberance for hiking-- but thus far they seem to enjoy joining in the adventures!

On the way pack down the boys did some trail running and jumping.

I am so glad these boys have each other.  And I'm so glad I have them.  

 Faith and Emma are great hiking partners-- they're quick and they never complain!  The only challenge for them is waiting for the rest of us to catch up.

Happy birthday, Clark!  Thanks for the hiking inspiration.