President's Day

Yesterday the weather cooperated with the whole random-holiday-no-school predicament I often find myself in--it was a beautiful day so we were able to enjoy the great outdoors! I love being able to set the kids free to roam and explore and scream as much as they want without annoying anyone. After indulging on Valentine's Day I was anxious to do something active so I found a "hike" that wasn't too far from our house. It was really more of a rambling trail that unfortunately provided nothing in the way of my calorie-burning aspirations, but I will take comfort in the fact that I had a 25 pound baby strapped to my back the whole time. We went with some friends and the kids all had a great time. We had a picnic lunch at the top of the "mountain" (that is really a stretch, but I don't know how else to describe it.) We continued on and took some pictures by some neat looking rock formations. We also found a little treasure--a Geo Cache (is that what it is called?) I need to find out more about how that all works--I think it would be fun. At the end of the adventure Isaac even found a bone--we think it is the vertebrae of a cow. He was hoping for a dinosaur bone. Chloe then told us she knows what happened to the dinosaurs. "They got stinked." Fun times!

Here is Lincoln enjoying his picnic.

The kids taking a break before lunch.
Audrey
We were hiking in an area that had been settled at one time by pioneers, so when the kids found this random thing, they were all speculating about what it could have been used for. Pioneer swimming pool? Pioneer bathtub? Chloe decided it must have been a pioneer ice skating rink. I guess we will never know.
I heard snoring right behind me soon after lunch--Lincoln had crashed right on my shoulder. He slept for most of the rest of it. Poor little fourth child.
Isaac-part human, part mountain goat. I was the exact same way as a child.We made it to the top!!!! Not really that big of an accomplishment, but hey, we will still celebrate! Look at little Lincoln's head sticking out behind mine.
I really love living here! There are always things to do and people to do them with! Hope you all had a good President's Day too!