The Last Days of Summer Vacation

Now that Summer is quickly coming to an end, we are trying to squeeze in some last minute fun before we are tied to a school schedule. Over the last week, we have had some really fun family adventures: 2 different dinosaur museums and a fishing trip.

Last Saturday we went to the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden. I got a great deal on a family membership from Groupon, so we decided to check it out. It had a museum inside with fossils and then a large park with huge dinosaur "statues" outside. We were surprised at how many dinosaurs they had. We wandered around the park looking at all of the different dinosaurs for about an hour. It was neat because the area was forested and had a lot of different foliage, so it made it seem much more realistic. They also had sound effects (roars, insect sounds, etc.) playing from huge speakers hidden in the shrubs to create ambiance.

We were continually amazed at how good Christian was at identifying the different species. One particularly impressive moment happened when we came across an amargasaurus (a long-neck dinosaur). He immediately knew what it was because of its unique features that he learned from "Dinosaur Train". Standing next to it was a large carnivore (much like a T-Rex). Christian said, "That must be a giganotosaurus because they lived in the same place (South America) and in the same time period as the amargasaurus." In shock at his ingenious deductions, I walked over to read the sign, and sure enough, it was a giganotosaurus. He still amazes me with how much info he retains.

 Jonathon matching wits with a troodon (perhaps the smartest dinosaur) / The famous amargasaurus

Last Tuesday, we decided to head down to Thanksgiving Point to the dinosaur museum because they were having a special "$2 Tuesday." We got there right when it opened and met up with Grandma H, Crista, Tiffany and Chantel. We were able to go through it fairly quickly, but it just kept getting more and more crowded. By the time our friends got there an hour later, it was so crowded that we could hardly move. We saw a few things again with them and then we all opted for a picnic lunch and a quick getaway. The boys had a great time though, so it was worth it.

Then on Saturday, we spent some time visiting Jonathon's grandparents. Jonathon's grandpa has lived an amazing life, so I am always interested to hear what he has to say. This time, we were talking about the economy and the difficulties that people are having right now. Grandpa told us the story of when his grandpa (the man who raised him) came home from town at the start of the Great Depression and told him that their bank had failed and that he hadn't been able to get any of their money out in time. Grandpa said that he didn't understand the significance of it at the time, but he still remembers how worried his grandparents were that day. They told him that everything they had saved for his mission and college was gone and that he would have to earn what he needed. He told us that his grandpa only made $60/month, so things in the family were really tight after that. Jonathon's grandpa is one of the most inspiring people I know because he never lets trials or obstacles get him down. He has had his fair share of struggles, but he has always remained optimistic, happy, and full of faith.

Then we headed down to Provo to go fishing with Jonathon's family. We found the spot where the Provo River enters Utah Lake. It wasn't the best fishing, but it was right next to a nice covered barbecue area and had very calm water so we didn't have to worry as much about the boys.

I love this picture of the boys kicking back before dinner. They sure look relaxed!

Chantel caught the only fish of the night, and as she was reeling it in, she was screaming, "I don't want it. I don't want it." We were all dying with laughter. It was so ironic that the only person to catch a fish didn't actually want to catch a fish. Haha! She finally got it in, and it was one of the ugliest fish I have ever seen. It was a walleye and was 22" long... definitely a nice size despite its appearance. I told her we needed a picture. She squealed as it was flopping around and made Jonathon hold it up. You can tell from the photo that she wanted nothing to do with that fish. It was quickly returned to the river!

We had hot dogs and s'mores for dinner, which was exciting because it might be Christian's favorite meal ever. The highlight of the entire trip though was when the boys got to ride in the little blow-up boat that Jonathon's family brought. I thought they were going to chicken out (like usual), but they hopped right in and loved every minute. As soon as Andrew got out and Christian started paddling away, he would say, "Me turn. Me turn!" Then when Andrew finally got another turn Christian sat forlornly at the side of the river and said, "It is so hard to wait for something that you really want to do."(Yes, Christian... don't we all know!) It was a lovely end to our Summer vacation!

 Christian, Crista, and Tiffany

Crista, Andrew, and Chantel