Vermont Vacations

We trekked up to Sharon, VT again with our ward. We enjoyed perfect weather, loads of friends, and the peaceful Vermont atmosphere.

We hiked to the top of Patriarch Hill with the primary (around 3-4 miles). You can see the Joseph Smith monument in the background.

Senior primary was invited if they brought a water bottle. Junior primary was invited if they brought a parent.

The wildlife is always a feature here. This year the kids collected at least 50 frogs and put them in the bottom of a canoe. Lance and Dani found a skunk skulking about their tent.

We played at the river. Even the adults got in on the action and a found a small cliff to dive from.

Aaahhhh. (credit to EP for the photo)

Church goers- a little scraggly and slightly smokey, but they had a shower the night before and they were mostly clean.

Suddenly an Artist

I've been a little worried about Ivy's fine motor skills. Her favorite things to draw are tornadoes, hurricanes, and scribbles (all three are congruent objects), and she always has Bryn or Calvin draw anything more complicated than a tornado for her. This girl couldn't even complete a circle or put eyes inside a pre-drawn circle.

Until today- she surprised us all with a carefully penciled portrait. At this rate of progress, I suspect tomorrow she'll get something into the Guggenheim.

Left to right: Calvin, Ivy, and Bryn (next to an upside down balloon)

Salisbury Beach

We enjoyed a terrific outing with friends at Salisbury beach. The water was great for boogie boarding when the tide was out, although very chilly.

The big hit of the day was playing the game of "run away from the wave," which still delighted even the 9 year-olds. 

I brought my trusty full-sized garden shovel and dug to China (complete with stairs). When the tide came in and filled it with water, it made a lovely soaking tub.

She may have gone full blown looney from too much sun

Some photogenic beach bums

They thought the barricade would save them from the water

Platte Clove 2013

And a video I made with a few highlights: 

On Top of Mount Logan

We ventured to the top of Mount Logan and enjoyed the view of the valley. Many rocks were thrown at the peasants below. We even saw a dragon.

Hungry?!?

I got a sandwich for dinner. It was delicious, but I wish they would make the portions bigger next time.

Quarry Waterfall

I have never been to the quarry or the waterfalls in Providence Canyon. My dad and his rhinoceros remedied the situation.

The falls were better than I expected (we saw 3 of the 5), and we made a nice snack from a patch of wild raspberries just above one set. The quarry is impressively large and I enjoyed hearing Dad's stories of when he was a kid and there was regular blasting coming from up there.