Kayaking and Paddle Boarding

 We are continuing our kayaking and paddle boarding adventures in the Provo River in Utah. Daniel, Sonja, and Lea went together early in the summer, then we went all together as a family.

 Having fun on the river as a family. Well, it was a bit stressful with the water flowing faster than expected, but we all stayed safe and it ended up being a good time.

 Later Daniel and I took our friends Andrew and Rachel Skeen down the river. It was much more enjoyable for me not to be worrying about my kids and to be able to relax and have a good time kyaking.

Hatching Quail

 One day Daniel found an abandoned nest of 11 quail eggs in the backyard. We brought them inside, and read online that you can use an electric skillet as an incubator. So we thought, let's give it a try! We kept the eggs at 100 degrees for three weeks and then miraculously, they hatched! 9 out of 11 eggs hatched! It was truly amazing to see! We then researched how to make a brooder (a plastic bin with holes on the top and a heating lamp to keep them at the right temperature) and we raised these baby quail. Daniel built a coop in the backyard for them once they were full grown (6 weeks). It has been a fun experience that we have had this summer having these quail.

 Here is a picture Micah drew of a baby quail on my cell phone. He is such a talented four-year-old!

Sadly, half of the quail ended up escaping the coop and getting lost. They never did produce eggs like they were supposed to, so we decided we should use them for their meat so they wouldn't go to waste by escaping and dying. We didn't have a plan to keep them forever anyway. So my farmer husband respectfully ended their lives and prepared them for us to eat. They are currently in the freezer. My gratitude for grocery stores has increased. I am thankful to have had this experience and I definitely respect the life cycle in a whole new way. Thank you little quail.

Family Hike

 As soon as school got out this summer we went hiking up Battle Creek Canyon with Seth, Heidi, and their kids. The kids enjoyed being with their cousins and we all got to see the beautiful waterfall. After this hike we got dinner at The Purple Turtle and went to the Dollar Theater to see The Croods. It was a very fun afternoon and night with some of our favorite people.

Mothers Day 2013