Playing in the Rain

Alyssa came running inside on Monday and said we all needed to come outside because it was raining and it was deliciously beautiful! (She had already gone inside by the time I took pictures.) Everyone took her invitation to heart and played outside in the rain while it poured for the better part of an hour! 

The puddles were the best in the gutter area, of course! There was much fascination with the way the water ran down the storm drain. A few bits of grass, flowers, and leaves were sent on a journey to the great unknown.

Unfortunately the water was not quite deep enough to float a boat, but it was worth a try.

 

Average Summer Activities

 Erik and Alyssa have been hiking on Saturdays to prepare for a longer hike - maybe Mount Timpanogos - while we are in Utah. They had fun last Saturday hiking along the Barton Creek greenbelt. They crossed the creek at some point and then ran out of trail and found themselves back in the creek and eventually swimming to get back on the trail. There was a little more water than they had anticipated!

While Alyssa and Erik are gone, I have been taking the boys to a community soccer thing. Taft loved it the last week because there was a school advertising and he got hand sanitizer! And chips and juice. Taft also played more than he had the previous week, which probably made it enjoyable. Can you find Taft and Joel? Joel is holding a rainbow kickball if that helps you and Taft has eyes...

We've also been engaging in fun playdates and water activities. This week we went to a splash pad. Joel spent most of the 2 hours on this frog. Alyssa and Taft also played on the nearby playground. There was a giant web swing and a bunch of kids piled on it while Alyssa pushed them and another kid dumped water on them. I had the lovely privilege of holding my sleeping Evan the entire time. :)

When we are not out and about which is actually most days, this is what our mornings look like. Alyssa and Taft have been doing Hoffman Academy piano lessons and everyone gathers around, doing their own thing.

Pedernales Falls 2021

Our family took a day trip to Pedernales Falls. We hiked to the falls and saw the water running over the massive rocks. We went a couple of years ago and it was bone dry. There has been enough rain this year that there was water!

Later we went to the swimming hole farther down river. It also involves a little hike with a lot of stairs, but the kids did great! Evan fell asleep on the way down and took a little nap under the large cypress tree that was our day camp shelter.

After swimming, Evan took another nap and I held him for that one. Erik had taken the kids in a tube down the river. He and Alyssa swung off a rope swing. Then he pulled the kids in the tube back up river against the current. I went down later on my own and couldn't even make it 10 feet back up the river. I don't know how he did it! But everyone had fun!

Kent and Joel spent a lot of time in this little pool. One time Kent managed to push out the pineapple (scented) tube and Erik went to grab it. Kent also managed to push himself out, so Erik grabbed him too.

Joel was ready to hike back up. He wanted to help carry something, so he carried Erik's life jacket. He was pretty proud of his water bottle's spot!

It's interesting. Even though we still have a baby and a 2 year old and a 3 year old, our family is figuring out how to go on adventures. I love being outside with the kids. It is not easy to take 5 kids hiking. We often don't get very far, and if we do go far, we end up carrying 3 of the 5 kids back. But we are creating memories that are priceless. We are developing our family culture and it is one that will endure throughout our entire lives. It probably won't be very easy for a long time. We will have little kids for quite awhile, but it doesn't have to stop us! Our outdoor adventures aren't so much about getting somewhere but about being together and soaking in nature while we do it.