Drunken Playground Fun

This is in Salt Lake with Grandma and Grandpa Nicholas.

Gabe's First "Official" Camping Trip

In June we headed up to Pine Flats Campground for Gabe's first real campout. We had attempted camping last fall, but had to head home when we got to the campground and discovered that someone had left the sleeping bags and blankets at home. And then this Spring, Dave took Gabe up to a ward Fathers and Sons campout, but didn't stay overnight. SO, this was really the first and Gabe LOVED it. We're not sure if WE loved it. Most of the weekend was spent corralling Gabe away from the fire or the ax or the cliff or any number of other dangers. Also, the first night, he didn't realize until morning that we had come in and were sleeping right next to him in the tent, but the next night he woke up and started screaming at us to get him and so that night we spent trading him between our sleeping bags. He actually slept, but we didn't!

S'mores are Delicious!

The Rugged Mountaineers

On the last evening, we couldn't take it anymore and just strapped Gabe into his highchair and gave him garbage to play with while we got dinner ready.  He did pretty well with that set-up!

Check out Gabe's face as he watches his manly dad chop logs

Utah trip

We recently returned from a fun trip to Utah.  We spent the first four days in Salt Lake with Pete and Robyn.  We visited:

 Temple Square

Wheeler Farm

Red Butte Gardens

(with Gabe's cousin Benton)

City Creek Mall

Liberty Park

(The reason Gabe is clinging so lovingly to Dave in the following pictures is because he had slipped into a big pile of mud while goofing off and Dave didn't make him go wash off in the fountains because he was scared!)



and of course we didn't pass up The Red Iguana and The Pie, we were just too busy stuffing our faces to take pictures!  Gabe had a WONDERFUL time with his Grandma and Grandpa Nicholas.  Here is a picture of the boys watching ESPN:

This post is getting a little long, so we'll talk about Cedar City and Heber Valley Campground a little later!

 

We're part of the blogosphere!

Here is the conversation that happened in the car on our way to our Thursday lunch date at Mai Thai (a first for us: both the midweek date and the restaurant):

Dave: I think we need to start a blog.  We are doing nothing to record our lives.  We don't journal or take pictures or do baby books.  No one in my family knows what is going on with us and Gabe will have no idea what his childhood was like.
Shannon: I know.  But a blog seems so overwhelming.  I'm worried that it will suck up all our free time and we will be so busy writing about our lives that we won't be living them.  But you're right.  It's a good idea and I think we should probably do it, but we need to do it together.
Dave: Well, I don't have time.

(By the way, the lunch buffet at Mai Thai was awesome).

So, if you're reading this, thanks for being our friend and interested in our lives. However, the impetus for me in finally starting this blog is so that Gabe (and our other kids to come) will know about their childhoods and how much they are loved.  And so that one day, when they need to know about their youth and I am too riddled by Alzheimers to tell them, I can hopefully say: "Go check the blog!" and all their questions will be answered.