Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend has come and gone.  Summer is definitely over.

I have a few more summer stories to share.   and some are significant.  The significant stories are taking some significant time to compile.  In the meantime, here are a few stories from last few days.

Shakespeare Festival

Last week my in laws were in town for the Shakespeare festival.  We love when they stay with us.  We appreciate the effort they make to be a part of our children lives and the opportunity to visit with them.

Carolyn and I saw Les Miserables and The Merry Wives of Windsor.  We all saw Mary Stuart and Marty, Carolyn, and David saw Titus Andronicus and Scapin. 

It is thrilling to watch actors at the top of their game.  Actors like Monica Bell, Jaqueline Antaramian, J. Michael Bailey, Melinda Pfundstein, and almost the entire cast of Merry Wives, were superb.  It was disappointing, however, to be reminded of how bawdy Shakespeare can be. It was another reminder that the world needs art, music, theatre, and dance, that uplifts motivates and inspires. "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things" (13th Article of Faith)

CampINg 

(Get it...camping in...campINg)

Ethan is now in boy scouts and he needed to set up and take down a tent by himself to pass off a requirement for the camping merit badge.  So, he did.  In our front room.  We moved the couches and chairs, put down sheets to keep things clean, and took advantage of the opportunity to vacuum out the tent. It was our version of camping in. We invited our neighborhood family to come over for a "late night" movie in the tent.  These are memory making moments!

On Saturday we worked hard.  We weeded the flower beds which were overgrown with weeds thanks to the recent rains.  We also tidied the garage and cleaned the inside of the house.  Not much fun for a holiday weekend, but Monday we made up for that.

Labor Day

We are trying to be conservative with our time and our pocket book, so for the holiday weekend we stayed close to home and explored some of the natural treasures of Southern Utah.

 First, we loaded up the motor home with the Camp family.

The kids love to be in the Motorhome. (Even if it makes the Mommies crazy.)

  We drove about an hour to the picturesque Kolob Canyon.  

 The kids were all good hikers and had fun playing " I Spy" on the trail.

 It's good for the soul to be in nature.  Is it any wonder Moses went to the mountain to escape the world and commune with God?

 Ethan was quick to find the lizards.  Can you see the lizard below? 

I'm surprised he is so good at seeing things like that, especially because he is colorblind.  Perhaps because he can't see colors like you and me, maybe he is better at seeing patterns.

 We next ventured up to Cedar Mountain where Will Camp spend his boyhood summers.  

 There we hiked in the cooler weather, explored an ice cave, and visited Duck Creek; a popular vacation place for Southern Utah and Nevada residents. 

It was encouraging to see many fun campsites we could use without traveling too far.  

We love the Camp Family.  What fun to go camping with the Camps!  (Ha! Couldn't resist)