Cherries, Apricots and Plums

So far this year we have enjoyed fruit tree harvest of cherries, apricots and plums.  (from neighbors, sisters, and a random KSL listing) 
We really love the sweet cherries, but I could do without the mess that accompanies them.  

I don't think you can see in this photo how messy and sticky Tessa is.  After we got home once from picking cherries I had to clean her off with the hose before taking her inside.  She had clothes on  that were already a bit worked over from enjoying those sweet treats.  

Amy, Renee, and I pitted and froze all the cherries that we couldn't eat fresh.

I have to thank my sisters for letting me in on these great deals!!  Keep them coming!  I'm hoping we'll still have some grapes and apples before the summer is out! 
We didn't have much of a garden this year since we were in the middle of moving.  We have relied on produce co-ops like Bountiful Baskets and family members have shared peas, peppers, squash, beans, and cucumbers.  Summertime tastes good!  

Harston cousins

In June the Kentucky Harstons were in town and we had a great time!  We met baby Soren for the first time (ah, where are the pictures?!), celebrated Seth's birthday, and played a lot.  The Harston cousins stay at Grandma's house when they visit, so the kids were excited to see them when they went to bed and then each morning when they woke up. 

Sophie is the queen and adds quite a bit to the little girls elegance.

"Roughin' it" at Mirror Lake

The boys got out their BB guns quite a bit this summer.  Thanks Grandpa Clark! 

Jordan really enjoys playing with his cousin Sophie too. 

 

We love cousin Bethie!

Seth was covered with mud after helping Grandma with projects.

Messa Tessa again...

Joel Fuhrman Style Smores

Jared and the boys got to squeeze in a Grandpa campout before the time with cousins ended, at City of Rocks this year!  

 We'll miss them for another year!

House Hunting

House hunting started at the end of April.  May was nearly consumed by checking new listings, scheduling visits, and putting offers in on a few homes.
We looked mostly in the areas of Sandy, Riverton, Lehi, American Fork, Saratoga Springs, Herriman, South Jordan, and West Jordan.  We learned a lot about what we wanted and liked.  Jared is definitely more "real estate" minded.  (He had more qualifications and needs.)      
The kids enjoyed coming along in the beginning and dreaded it by the end.  I think we all did.
I found the biggest challenge to be the bidding wars.  Inventory was low and demand was high.  So everything was under contract within a day or two, unless there were major problems with the properties.

Then in the first week of June, a miracle happened.  We found a place that seemed to suit our family well and our offer was accepted!  We completed the purchase process and closed on July 6th.

We have officially been in our new home now for one month!        

Pictures will have to come at a later point.  We are still in the thick of settling in and projects.  But we are getting comfortable and we are so grateful for a house in which to create a home.  

Hikes

June was filled with bits of bunches of hikes: Dog Lake, Mary's Lake, Bell Canyon, Wild Horse Canyon, Goblin Valley, Mirror Lake, Hidden Lakes, and Timpanogos Cave.  

1st hke of the season.  Michael skinned his knee on this one.  I wanted to take a photo of all the kids' scrapes.  At one point all the cousins had real trophies.

Me too! 

The boys are exploring by the lake at bottom right.

group shot!

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Fishing with Daddy

We made this trip to Uinta National Park the day after Memorial Day when Jared had a day off of work.  We gained some elevation getting to the lakes and the temperature dropped around 20 degrees.  So we brought along boots, jackets and warm hats. 

Provo River Falls

Trial Lake

This was the first catch.  I think we brought home five 10-12 inch trout.  The smaller ones were released back to the lakes.  Jared figured out what bait worked best and the boys reeled them in. 

first Spring wildflowers peeking out at Mirror Lake

Super Scenery and a fun boardwalk for Tessa and I! 

Good fishing for the boys

We also got to enjoy some fancy fish from Flaming Gorge after a father/sons trip with Jared's Grandpa and uncles.  The boys loved camping and boating on that trip and playing (running wild) with the other young boys that were there.

Peterson Reunion 2012

The extended Clark family has their reunion routine figured out.  The location and schedule are the same, every other year on the third weekend of June.  Several of the families live around Capital Reef National Park with a few homesteads in Caineville.  There is a lone hotel there also.  So the town of Caineville is able to accommodate lots of family travelers, trailers, and campers.
This is the forth reunion in Caineville I have made it to since I have been part of the Clark family.  It's funny that I have been pregnant for three of them and some people seem to remember me by that.
This year in conjunction with the reunion, Jared really wanted to return to Goblin Valley and Wild Horse Canyon and hike around those spots with his family.  We left a day early for the reunion after Jared finished work.  The kids crashed at the hotel after the long drive.   

Every visit, I take a photo of "the mesa."   Caineville homesteads are in front of the mesa along the banks of the Fremont river. 

  

The group is climbing up the middle of this formation in Goblin Valley.

Time to explore

Tessa and Daddy

Tessa and I are a team at these kind of events.  The boys run off with Jared, so I seem to find lots of photo ops of my little girl. 

Messa Tessa is at it again...playing in the dirt with cousin Andrew. 

found the shade!

 

Grandma photographs the group taking a break in the shade under the far right cliffs.

Heading back for lunch

big rocks to climb at the head of Wild Horse Canyon

The bark on this tree has history.  I think it's an Aspen tree, the biggest I've ever seen.

The kids were ready for naps, so the "bigger boys" made the rest of the hike.  (And me.  Jared pressed me into coming along too....)

fun little cave alcoves

Narrow slot canyons

Uncle Bridges --to cross underneath

not too narrow for my belly...

good times

Amazingly we went for more hiking the next day with a group from the reunion.

boys on top

Another great year with the Peterson clan in Southern Utah

p.s.  I regret not taking some photos with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles or the whole group gathering.  There's a mistake to learn from.  Next time....

Quest for Learning

Our school year is out for the summer. Michael has been working on 1st grade level material more or less.  Jordan and Tessa have chimed in with whatever was interesting at the time.  Some of the perks of homeschooling include making our own schedule and curriculum.
Like parenting in general, school at home is still an experience I am trying to figure out.  Although I really like the path we have chosen, I still feel pretty new to it and continue to refine our style.  At this point, I don't want to make a list of our progress or successes.  However, in summary of the year I can say that we definitely enjoyed learning together.

Here is the boys' school cooperative called Quest Club.  We got together with several other families each week for some great topics and learning activities.

 

These great kids and moms got together pretty faithfully for playtime and Spanish.  Their dedication was pretty impressive and we gleaned from the lessons and friendship throughout the year.  

The boys also participated in some book clubs with other boys at the library.  They were motivated to read piles of books.

A+ grades all around!