We have been enjoying our July. We were able to take our vacation and did many things. We left on July 30th and drove to Meza Verde National Park in Colorado. We enjoyed the day looking around and seeing many amazing things. We were able to take a tour of one of the cliff houses and got a up close view of it. Ruth brought her binoculars and we enjoyed taking turns with them at look out points to see the cliff dwellings. We also enjoyed looking around at the top dwelling ruins. That night we camped in the park. The next morning we got going early, had a simple breakfast, and had time to look around more before leaving at lunch time. We were also able to see a dancing group from the local Hopi tribe at the visitors center. We drove the rest of the way into Utah to the Hubbard’s home in West Jordan. It was great to get there in time for a delicious dinner with the family.
Looking across at the Cliff Palace that we toured later in the day
The house we got to tour, (below) Caleb climbing the final latter to get out of the house.
Proof that Ruth is taller than me now
Sunday we went to church with the Hubbards. James (Neal's nephew) was also in town and we had fun visiting with him and doing things with him. He is Ruth’s age. Sunday evening Grandma Johnson came over with Lavon and her son Bob. We enjoyed the visiting time with family. Monday morning was busy getting things ready for our camping family reunion. We got all packed up and drove up American Fork canyon. We were early for the reunion and stopped at a picnic site to let the boys try fishing. Andrew, Spencer and James all had their fishing poles. They enjoyed fishing, but sadly they didn’t catch any fish on our trip. We made it to our camp site at Granite Flats in the mid afternoon. We were able to set up our tents, play in the stream and visit with the family as they started to gather. It was good to see so many. Although it was a Johnson reunion it was the Hubbard family that slept at the camp ground. Neal’s parents and his siblings David, Holly and Dallin with their families were able to attend. We enjoyed time around the camp fire and plenty of time relaxing and visiting in the three days we spent there. Tuesday, the 4th of July, we had many in the Johnson family join us for visiting during the day. It was a nice reunion. We all pitched in with the work and took turns cooking for all the group. Neal and I cooked a dutch over dinner for Wednesday night that turned out nice. James thought it was so nice that everyone was so willing to share their food and help each other, he told me he was especially grateful since he was the only one from his family there and was glad everyone was feeding him.
The Hubbard family Sunday evening
Stratego, the game of choice at the camp ground. Caleb challenged anyone to play with him and the game seemed to be constantly in use.
Ruth's favorite stop of the camp ground
Neal with his grandma
a deer camp through our camp area, (below) the stream that came through the camp ground, it was cold water and felt good in the hot afternoons
Thursday after we broke camp and got packed up we drove the rest of the way around the Alpine Loop. I enjoyed the drive through the Aspen Grove area. We stopped at the Theater in the Pines area and I enjoyed walking around and telling the kids stories about when I worked at Aspen Grove. It was a pretty day for the drive. We camp out of Provo canyon in Orem and went to my mom’s home. It was good to see her. We were able to clean up from camping and visit with her that day. Friday the 7th we went up Big Cottonwood Canyon with Holly’s family for a walk and picnic at Silver Lake. Then we went back to the Hubbard’s home to visit and play games during the afternoon. That evening we went to Rachel’s home and gathered with the Hancock sisters. Rachel has a nice back yard and it was a nice evening to sit and visit. My mom and her five daughters were there. We missed having Doug’s family with us.
The view of Mt. Timpanogos from Aspen Grove
Our walk around Silver Lake with our cousins
Me with my sisters
My mom with her daughters
Rachel got the kids the pose
Saturday morning the 8th of July, Mom, Jeanie, Rachel, Mandy, Neal and I went to the Mount Timpanogos Temple together. We did a lot of sealing from our family files. It was really nice to be there together. Neal then took our kids out for the day. They visited Pleasant Grove canyon area to see a large American flag that was hanging in a small canyon. Then they went to Nunn’s park in the Provo Canyon for a picnic lunch. Andrew did try a little fishing then too. They also went to Bridal Veil Falls and enjoyed the pretty falls. I went with my mom, sisters and niece Jessica out to eat lunch. We enjoyed a little Mexican place. The food was great. They had a few problems when their electricity went out and it took almost an hour before we all got our food served, but we were their to visit and enjoyed the time together.
At the temple together
Spencer is a monkey
Sunday the 9th we went to church with my mom. It is always nice to attend her ward and see many friendly faces. We had more visiting time with the Hancock family that afternoon. Monday we worked for Mom. The boys and I worked in the yard doing weeding and pruning. Ruth helped with house cleaning and Neal did some small fix up things mom needed done in the house. It was a good morning and we got a lot done for her. That afternoon I took the kids and my niece Grace swimming at the Lindon pool. We had a fun time and even Caleb was brave enough to try to small water slide. It is nice they are getting older, it makes it easier to take them to places like that.
Tuesday morning we went to Thanksgiving point and the museum with the dinosaurs. They kids enjoyed seeing it. It has been a few years since we went there. We met the Hubbard’s and James there and also Mandy with her boys (Grace had gone to girls camp). It was fun to have cousins to visit with in the museum. We spent the whole day there. The kids had so much fun in the water/erosion room playing with the sand and water. We went into that room twice. It was a fun day.
At the water/erosion table room
The kids had fun playing in the sand excavation room too
While we were visiting Mom I did a lot of the cooking. Mom appreciated me fixing her dinner. It was something I could do to help out. Wednesday morning we got up early and drove up Little Cottonwood canyon to the Albion Basin camp ground. May Bo (Neal’s sister in law) met us up there and took our family pictures. She does a lot of photography and told us she had a large family group scheduled to have their pictures taken there and she wanted to try out the location with the lighting. We were helping her out that way and she was kind enough to take some good pictures of us. While we were their a female moose came along and we enjoyed watching it. In the afternoon we drove to Provo with Mom. We visited the new Provo City Center Temple. The grounds were so pretty. I was reminiscing of the things I had gone to when it was the tabernacle. We drove by the apartment we lived in when Ruth was a baby, it is only a block from the Temple. Then we went to the Provo DUP museum. We enjoyed looking at the pioneer things there. After the museum we went next door to the little Pioneer village. It was interesting to see the old homes that have been relocated there. I also thought it was cool to see an old fashioned plow, the kind that goes behind a horse, with the insignia “John Deere” in the metal. I guess that company has been around for a long time. When we got back to the house Mom showed the kids some of her antiques she has while I fixed dinner. That evening we watched the new movie of “Beauty and the Beast” and all enjoyed it.
Albion Basin, the kids had fun playing in a patch of snow. Notice the moose in the back ground below
Provo City Center Temple
The pioneer village area in Provo
The boys standing in front of the plow
Thursday morning we said our good byes to Grandma Hancock and drove up to the Hubbard’s home. We spent the afternoon visiting there. Grandpa Hubbard, Neal, Ruth and James went to the Oquirrh Mountain temple and did baptisms. We had a nice relaxing day. Friday morning we got up and managed to get everything packed into our car again for the ride home. My mom had given us more of her food storage to bring home and James was catching a ride with us. So we had more going home than coming. Thankfully we can pack things on top! We had a fun ride with James and the kids enjoyed visiting with him. He is a good young man. We made it home Friday evening and were thankful to find all was well.
Andrew with Grandma by the garden he helped to weed
Mom's back yard that we worked in
Me with Mom before we left
Saying good bye to the Hubbard's
Saturday morning I went out into the yard and was thankful that my timers and automatic watering systems worked and our garden and flower beds were doing well. Things had grown a lot in the two weeks. We have picked spinach, peas, squash and a three little tomatoes. I pulled the over grown radishes and found only red roots, and only about 12 that had balls on them. I guess I needed to thin them more. I have been doing yard work this week to catch it up from being neglected for two weeks. It is looking well for July. We have gotten rain this week too, so that helps.
Saturday afternoon James went to visit his friends who live in Albuquerque (the reason he wanted to get a ride with us and come into town earlier than his other ride would be coming). It was a family that lived in his ward in Texas but moved a year or so ago. He had a great visit with them. It was also nice that when we looked up their address we found that they live in the neighboring ward, by Andrew’s school, only a little over a mile away. Sunday we were happy to go to church in our ward again. Ruth and James enjoyed going to a BYD in the afternoon.
Monday morning James was able to catch a ride with Neal’s sister in law to go back to Texas, as planned. They arrived safely that evening. I am glad that we were able to visit with so many of the family.
This week has been busy getting back into the routine of things. Spencer had a BCA class with making string art on a board. It turned out well. Yesterday Ruth started a Stake Youth Conference. She did service projects during the day and had a fireside in the evening. Then this morning they left early to drive to Socorro for activities and will stay overnight there. She was excited to be able to go on the activity. Last night we had Pack Meeting for the boys. Spencer earned many things from going to day camp. They had some fun games for the boys to play outside and it was a fun evening. Andrew had met at a ward members home and did some swimming requirements with his scout troop.
This morning I took the boys mini golfing. We had a fun time and enjoyed the dinosaur statues in the course. Andrew is getting pretty good and won us all.
I am thankful for our family and the time we can spend together. I hope that everyone has been safe in their activities this summer. We love you all.
