July

July was the official start to my summer although I still wasn't able to get things organized and on a "summer schedule".  Oh well, we still had a good month.

4th of July
The 4th started off slow for us.  We had a very lazy relaxing day. Later in the evening though we invited family over for desserts and fireworks.  I made some YUM-O homemade ice cream--hot fudge brownie and mixed berry.  We just did fireworks out in the front yard this year.  However, now that aerials are legal and the fact that most of the neighborhood did just what we did, it was like having a fireworks show at home...with even more fireworks...just no music to go with it. I know these photos were taken in daylight, but no worries, we had plenty enough to last us well into the darkness and , of course, all of the cool aerials were saved until last:)

Heber Valley Camp
Every year right around Grandpa Hatch's birthday hoards of Hatches gather in Heber to celebrate..this year was no exception.  Our annual family camping trip to Heber was, as usual, a success.  This year there were plenty of s'mores and even more spit takes..silly boys. We love going to Heber every summer.

Even Jack took a turn at roasting a marshmallow

Nathan loves Alice and Ben

This year we stayed in a camp with yurts.  The kids loved them-inside and out and Tyler just loved fitting the word yurt into all of his sentences.

Holly and Katie in front of a yurt

Logan and Christian inside their yurt

finding-capturing-making a new home for some butterflies was lots of fun

 And then came the wonderful time out on the lake.  The kids ALWAYS love this.

Vincent all ready to go!

James, Matthew, Katie, and Ella all listening to instructions

Jen, Vinny, Greg, and Mike--one of the few groups to pick a canoe this year

a train of paddle boats

Christian, Owen, and Logan

Grandpa letting the boys do all the work

 Playing in the sandbox and playing horseshoes by the lake

Mt Timpanogos 
Also in honor of Grandpa's birthday we hiked Mt Timpanogos.  We hiked it the week of his birthday.  he had hoped that he would be the oldest one on the mountain that day, but sadly he was not.  This is also a hike we do every year...I say we, but this was my fist time..Nathan's fist time too.   Actually we had 6 first timers this year.  Nathan (10), Caroline (10), Logan (9), Matthew (12), Dave Proctor, and me.  I was not planing on making it to the top this year as I am horribly out of shape, but I did.  It was really amazing actually.  We climbed about 4300 vertical feet and walked 15 miles.  It took us about 12 hours.  Getting to the top wasn't too bad.  i did have to stop a few times on the steep parts to let my heart calm down, but he worst for me was the last two - three miles.  That down hill killed my knee and it just seemed never ending.

from the saddle to the top...we climbed up/over/through that peak you see here..that is not really the peak

We DID it!

James and Dave Proctor

It was an amazing view from the top

Nathan and Matthew

A toothless Logan and Greg

We had to pretend to be mountain goats on the way down 

Tyler and James crossing the  meadow. I believe it was their 4th or 5th year up for them.  Crazy boys!