County Fair Time Again!

Well, there has been so much going on lately that I'm not sure where to start. I think I'll start with the County Fair since we spent a whole week there. I know most of you are saying, "Why a whole week." Well, Chalisse and Jensen are involved in 4-H. Many think of 4-H as horses, sewing, or cooking. This is somewhat true. 4-H does offer the opportunity to learn in the areas of horse riding, sewing, and cooking, but this is actually only a little part. 4-H areas include citizenship and civic education, communication and expressive art, consumer and family sciences, environmental education and earth science, healthy lifestyle education, personal development and leadership, plants and animals, and science & technology. Basically you can participate in about anything. I usually ask my kids what they would like to learn and then go from there.

Chalisse has participated in public speaking and talent contests, portfolio contests. She has taken modeling classes and given demonstrations on first aid. She also has participated in each of the above categories as well. This year she showed a lamb ($$$ for education $$$), and participated in expressive art, consumer and family sciences, healthy lifestyle education, and science and technology. She actually has three items that are down at the state fair now. So if any of you are going to the state fair look for her items. They will be in the Deseret Building. I had to put this picture in because Chalisse loved working with her lamb.


Jensen has participated in demonstration contests and other categories as well. He finds his love of 4-H in learning about animals. He actually belongs to 3 different 4- H groups. This year Jensen wanted to raise and show a lamb at the fair. Since he also has his own rabbit business, he wanted to show his rabbits as well.
So, here is Jensen in the showmanship contest. He is showing one of his rabbits that was born in June. He received a blue ribbon in showmanship where they judge how well he works with his animal and knowledge about his animal. All five of his rabbits also received blue ribbons.

This is auction time at the fair where they take their lamb into the auction barn and their animal is auctioned off. The money he earns from this goes into savings for education.
This is a picture of Jensen during the lamb showing. This is where his lamb is judged.
It was another successful year at the fair. Yippee!

21 Hrs. of John Wayne = 10K Race - Hmmm?

For Greg's birthday my sister Liz gave Greg something he absolutely loves (John Wayne movies). He was so excited he wanted to watch them immediately. Knowing that I hate John Wayne made it even more a conversation piece. That is-- Greg asked me to watch them with him. I told him, I would make him a deal. I would do something that I didn't like to do if he did something he didn't want to do.

He has always supported me in my running, but never gets involved. Okay maybe not never, but he said he would never run more than a 5K. So I made a deal with him that if he ran a 10K race. I would watch his John Wayne movies with him. (YES ALL 21 HOURS)! I actually had it calculated all in my head that by about November, he would have put in at least 21 hours of running training for this 10K so I thought it was fair.

Well three weeks after the deal was made. Greg ran his 10K. Who do you think got the better end of the deal? I think he did, but we still had a lot of fun, and Greg actually has said he wouldn't mind running a couple of days a week. Wahoo--- Another running buddy!

This is Greg and I after running the Wheat & Beat-- Hit the Street 10K. It was a perfect way to start our anniversary. Greg ran the whole race with a smile on his face. Our times: Greg 1:06:12 (after only running 12 times total this year). Cherilee 47:37.

Old Ephraim's Grave

On Saturday, Greg, Jensen, and I hiked to Old Ephraim's Grave via Old Ephraims Cut off. It is a 12 mile loop that starts south of Camp Lomia on the Right Hand Fork up Logan Canyon. There are many ways to get to Old Ephraims's Grave, but this is the only route that you can view a 120 foot deep sink hole.

Old Ephraim's grave is a Logan classic. Old Ephraim was an infamous grizzly bear with a hearty appetite for sheep, cattle, and big game. He was 9 foot 11 inches tall. The rock on his grave site stands 9'11" to understand the size of him. The 1,100-pound beast was the last griz known to roam Utah. After many years of trying to trap and kill him, Frank Clark who worked for my Grandpa Ward was able to kill him.


This is the sink hole. I tried to get as close as I could without falling in to get a picture, but I could not even see the bottom. I can't wait until our next hike. Greg has it all planned out.

Enjoying the Simple Things in Life

Time goes by so fast that sometimes it is hard to enjoy the simple things in life. Yet some of the most simple things are the most beautiful things. So, Greg and I decided that this summer we would enjoy what was just around the corner and take advantage of this beauty around us.

Over the last few days, we camped and then hiked 20 miles throughout Logan Canyon. We hiked on the Nature Trail, the Riverside Nature Trail, up to the Wind Caves, Crimson Trail, up to the China wall, around Bridger Loop and some trails I have no idea where we even were. But I loved every minute of it. Here are some pictures to enjoy: