More Summer Fun

This Summer has been jam-packed with fun and adventures. With school starting next week, I'm anxious to get back into a routine, but also glad that we took advantage of the break and made lots of memories. The first half of the Summer consisted of two trips to Idaho, The "E" Family Reunion, and Aaron's wedding. It felt like we were constantly running from one BIG thing to the next. The Second half was much more leisurely. 

Paddle Boarding

One Saturday, Mom and Dad H. called up and invited us to go up to Deer Creek Reservoir for a picnic. We headed up the canyon and enjoyed a yummy lunch, and Crista rented paddle boards. The kids loved them. They spent the afternoon paddling around with Grandpa and their aunts and uncles. Jonathon took Hyrum on one of the paddle boards, and he sat still as they paddled all around the reservoir. After he got tired of that, he relaxed in the hammock with Aaron and Audrey. The paddle boards were great because you didn't have to have a lot of skill to use them, but if you wanted a challenge, you could try standing up and paddling. We enjoyed them so much, we actually looked into how much they cost. We live by a lake, so maybe some day we will invest.

Fishing

Whenever we go to Idaho, we like to go fishing with Grandpa and Uncle Joe. They are always up for a fishing trip. With each trip, the kids have gotten better and like it more and more. We decided that we needed to get some poles so that our family could go. Christian got a new pole for his birthday, so we headed over to the river. Utah Lake was hit by a huge toxic algae bloom this year that closed the lake. The crazy algae caused the fish to head upstream a little ways. All along our stretch of the Provo River, there were huge carp lining up against the current.... not just one of two, but 20-30 in each 100 ft stretch. There were literally hundreds in the little half mile stretch near our house. Carp are nasty fish, but they are huge, so we decided to give it a try. After calling DWR to make sure that it was safe to fish in the river, we headed out one night for Family Home Evening. It was crazy how many huge fish we could see just sitting there. Christian caught a huge carp on his new pole and reeled it in like a pro. It was over a foot long and weighed close to 12 pounds.

 

 Pioneer Day with the Olsons
We have been trying to get together with our friends for the entire Summer, and finally got a chance on Pioneer Day. They came down to visit for the day. After finding bikes for all of the kids, we headed to our favorite "secret playground" on the Provo River trail. It is the perfect little ride for the kids. Jonathon and Jared rode with the kids, and Michelle and I walked with Andalee. We all met up at the swings. The kids (and Jared) splashed in the river, took turns swinging, and caught some Pokemon. It was nice and shady down by the river and seemed 10 degrees cooler than out in the hot sun. We enjoyed it for a while and then headed back home.

After the Secret Playground, we headed to BYU to tour Jonathon's lab. He showed the kids all of the fish and let them look at the rotifers and brine shrimp under the microscope. After looking at fish, they got to eat some... Swedish Fish, that is! Jonathon keeps a big jar of Swedish Fish in his office so that Students (and Visitors) can have some. When he started as a professor, we thought it would be a fun little gimmick that he could be known for. The zebra fish guy always has fish for his visitors. While Jonathon had to do a few things in the lab, Michelle and I took the kids to the duck pond to play for a few minutes. They loved looking at the turtles and feeding the ducks. After a few minutes, Jonathon and Jared met us at the pond carrying 6 bottles of BYU Creamery Cookies and Cream Milk. I had never had it before, but the Olsons raved about how amazing it was. We took it home and split it between everyone for dinner. It was divine! Super thick, rich, and creamy. It was like drinking a melted oreo milkshake. I didn't even bother to look at the nutrition facts because I didn't want to know. It will definitely be a new favorite BYU treat when we go.

Swimming Lessons

This year marked the fourth year in a row that they boys have had swimming lessons in the Summer. Up to now, they have not been very successful. My boys never went swimming much when they were little, so they were both extremely scared of the water. The first few years of swimming lessons, we fought that fear, and it seemed like their progress was super slow. They couldn't get passed being scared to actually practice what their teachers were trying to show them. Little by little, they have gotten more used to the water. I credit all of our trips to Uncle Mike's pool when we are in Idaho and our Rec Center membership with helping them get more confident. Coming into this Summer, we felt like they were at a really good point where they might actually make some progress. Sure enough, swim lessons were completely different this year. Christian and Andrew had them at the same time, so we would all go to the Rec Center and Hyrum and I would go swimming while the boys were doing their lessons. We did this Monday through Thursday for 2 weeks. By the end I was sick of swimming everyday and ready to be done, but glad that we did it.

It was exciting to see how much they learned. Andrew was a little fish by the end. He seemed very comfortable in the water and successfully completed all of his floats and his elementary backstroke and front crawl. At the end of lessons, his teacher just raved about how awesome he was. She complimented him on his listening skills and said he was the best in the class at his glides. What a difference a year makes! He completed level 2 this year and will move on to level 3 next summer.

Christian has always been more reserved than Andrew and less willing to do scary things. The last time we were at Uncle Mike's, we tried to encourage him to jump into the deep end of the pool. He's not a great swimmer yet, but he can do enough to fight his way to the edge. His biggest problem was the fear of water over his head. It had become a mental block, and he couldn't get over it. Andrew was jumping off the diving board into the pool and having a great time. We told Christian that we would give him $5 if he could conquer his fear and jump in. He stewed about it for 30 minutes, but right before we left Uncle Mike's pool, he finally did it. He jumped in and swam to the edge. That one act was huge in helping him overcome his fears. He realized that he could do it, and that was half the battle. 

He entered swimming lessons this year feeling much more confident. He worked hard and was wonderful with his floats, nailed his backstroke, and made so much progress with his front crawl. When his class went to the diving pool, however, his trepidation came back. When his teacher asked him to dive into the pool from a standing position, he seemed completely paralyzed by fear. The first time that they practiced diving, he refused and said he couldn't do it. We talked about it afterward and made a goal to do it next time. The second time, he was again extremely anxious. I walked over and gave him a quick pep talk. I told him to say a prayer for help, and then just do it! He was still looking green with worry and anxiety, but that brave boy dove in when it was his turn. It was so scary for him, but he did it. I was so proud of him! He still isn't completely comfortable with diving and deep water, but we are amazed by his progress. He completed level 3 and nearly completed level 4 this year. If we keep practicing, I am confident he can start level 5 next summer. On his evaluation, he teacher complimented him on being brave and was so encouraging. I am grateful for a patient teacher who let him work through his fears and built him up.

Good Job, boys!