La Madre Springs - Memorial Day Weekend

Atkin and Katie came in town for Memorial Day weekend!  It is always fun to have them here.  We were going to go a few places, but the temperatures dropped significantly and the high winds eliminated some places we were considering.  We ended up in Red Rock National Conservation Area to hike La Madre Springs!  As usual, when we go on a hike, there are some there with less enthusiasm than some of the others.  When we arrived at the trail head, the temperature was probably around 60 degrees - pretty cool for us desert dwellers - so sweatshirts and jacket were worn and carried.

I need to explain a few of these pictures - my camera has a setting when the timer is used so you can set it to take multiple exposures.  From trial and error, I've discovered that for our family, 5 seems to be the magic number - at least one of the pictures will turn out so that everyone has a good expression.  You can see in the first picture the varied levels of enthusiasm - so we said we were going to do it again with everyone standing - just keep an eye on the girls!  You will notice that Atkin has bare feet and though he took his shoes along, they were not put on his feet.

It was a beautiful day for the hike - cloudy, cool temps and not too many other people on the trail. The scenery is dramatic and beautiful.

Agave (agave utahensis) about 8 feet tall - get up to 15 feet

La Madre Springs forms a series of small pools and waterfalls that go on for half a mile or more in a fairly rugged narrow canyon.  Because of the water, there is abundant life that you don't find in the surrounding desert - grape vines everywhere, wildflowers, bamboo, reeds, etc. 

Crimson Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) - in the Buttercup family

Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)

Utah Penstemon (penstemon utahensis) or Firecracker Penstemon (penstemon eatonii) - didn't get a good enough look to tell

We stopped by one of the pools and waterfall to get some pics. 

So we crouched around and tried to keep the waterfall in the picture. We took one set of pictures and then decided to take another set - Rebecca decided to entertain herself.

There was a wild rose that had a few blosssoms left and they had the most incredible fragrance - very strong and spicy - much like cloves.

Wild Rose (rosa woodsii) and Laurie

As we were leaving the springs, Laurie and I paused for a picture by a grape vine that has grown over the tops of some trees, making a little grotto.  Notice the Yucca in the foreground - we both got poked in the legs by its spiny, stiff, very pointed leaves.

And on the trail, nearer the car, the light was shining on these beautiful yellow blossoms of the Old Man Cactus.

Old Man Cactus, Grizzly Bear Cactus, Prickly Pear Cactus (opuntia erinaceae)

It was such a fun day to be with the children and enjoy the beautiful desert.

Mid-Summer's Dreamy . . .

Aw!  Summertime!  And the living is busy!  Yes, busy.  We’ve had a month full of lots of activity.   

Independence Day was low key, since Katie had to work – we went to lunch together and then just had a quiet afternoon and evening until the thousands of illegal fireworks started going off in our neighborhood and all across the valley! 

A few days later, Katie and Rebecca left for the Moab area on the Stake Young Women’s High Adventure.  It has been fun to listen to them talk about their trip, especially climbing up to and rappelling off of Corona Arch.  They had to climb up the massive cliff that the arch comes out from and it was a very steep and narrow path, of sorts.  They said lots of girls were crying and hyperventilating.  Katie was the first of our girls to go up and she looked down at one point, while climbing up and was like, “Whoa, can’t do that!!!”  She said she was singing Primary songs and just staring at the cliff.  When Rebecca went a little while later, Katie was yelling to her, “Don’t look down, Becca!!”  Rebecca said she isn’t usually scared of heights but got really scared as soon as they saw the cliff and wasn’t going to go, and was with a girl who was so afraid of height that she said she wasn’t going to do it because she thought she would pass out.  So when Rebecca decided to go, the other girl went too – Rebecca thinks that Heavenly Father let her feel scared so that the other girl would see that there was someone just as scared as she was and go when Rebecca went.  Rebecca said she was singing a hymn she wasn’t even that familiar with about courage and faith while she was climbing. 

At the top, they walk out on the arch and there are several steps down to the part where you walk backwards over the side as you begin to rappel.  That was quite scary and they both really concentrated and did it.  Once they were clear of the arch, it was not scary they said, just an incredible view.  (The picture below is a generic one, I will replace it with pictures of Katie and Rebecca when they become available the end of September).

Corona Arch

Near Moab

I thought it was neat that they both were singing church music as they were climbing to give them faith and courage.  They also went river rafting on the Colorado River, played in a waterfall, swam, attended church at a little branch (6 members in attendance and they brought 110+) and camped at Bishop Nordfelt’s cabin up in the LaSalle Mountains above Moab.  They had a great time and want us all to go and do what they did.   

The weekend after they returned, Laurie and I drove Rebecca to Murrieta, California to spend a week with her friends, Aubrey and Rachel Waite!  Laurie and I stayed two nights with them and visited the San Diego Temple, Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center and went hiking and played on the beach at Torrey Pines Nature Preserve – we had a blast.

Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center

Beach at Torrey Pines State Preserve

Beach at Torrey Pines State Preserve

Beach at Torrey Pines State Preserve

Katie and Laurie went to Murrieta to pick up Rebecca the following weekend and spent a day at the beach and saw a pod of dolphins jumping and playing.  And, of course, got sunburns which are still itching.

Beach at Oceanside

Beach at Oceanside

Beach at Oceanside

Our stake put on Pioneer Days July 22 and 23 – so we had a deep pit BBQ on Friday evening (they cooked 1,100 pounds of beef) and fed a lot of people.  Late Saturday afternoon and evening was a carnival with food and game booths and entertainment, culminating in a great fireworks show.

Atkin has been working quite a bit at Circus Circus and still teaching private swim lessons.  Katie is working a little at the Aria pools and at Flip-N-Out trampolines.

The last Friday of July we went on a  hike at Mt. Charleston, just 40 minutes from our home.  We had a wonderful time, even Penny!

Mt. Charleston

The month ended with us deciding that we are going to host a foreign exchange student – Line (pronounced Lena) Ødegaard – from Norway!  She will be a senior in high school.  We are excited to have her come and are making all the preparations!

In the mean time, Samuel continues his service with the Karen people from Burma.  A senior couple, the Evertsens, started serving there, so we are finally getting a few pictures from them.

Elder Smedley and Elder Evertsen with ???

District at the temple

Elder Smedley and Elder Barnes out working!