Camping Father's Day weekend

I finished radiation on Monday, June 15th. My radiation team is awesome and they gave me a bottle of sparkling cider and a certificate to commemorate my success. I figured it out and I drove 1674 miles total that I had my treatment. It was so nice being independent and having the freedom to take myself this time around. Cody did drive me on his days off. With my first tumor I had to be driven because of my seizures. I have grown to love the view of Provo Peak. With the extremely wet May we had in Utah it was nice to see how green the canyon was. 

 Father's Day weekend our family went camping up the soapstone basin with the Calderwoods. Since we no longer have a camping trailer we were able to utilize our tents. I love being in the mountains and watching the kids use their imaginations. The become completely unplugged without any electronics.

 Cody received this hammock from his employees for Christmas and we found 2 perfect trees to hang it in. Someone always seemed to be relaxing.

 Mickey and Cerola surprised the kids with this mini 4-wheeler. All of them but Blake were able to ride it. Blake isn't quite ready for the power in the throttle. We had the perfect campsite with a roundabout that they used. And they did go around and around and around taking turns every 30 minutes or so.

 Kristin and Chris drove up and they spent some time with us as well. We shot some guns, rode the razor and 4-wheelers, and enjoyed the Uintahs.

 If you can't find Cole, look up. He's typically up a tree. It makes for a very sappy, happy boy.

Grant family reunion

The Grant family reunion was held at the Reid Ranch again this year from July 9-11th. Tucker and Aubrey has their piano lessons in the morning before we headed up. We live the closest to the ranch. My parents were driving up with Heather and her kids and they met us at our house and my Mom hopped in our car. We saw baby Bailey for the first time and drove up to the ranch. We arrived in time for lunch and check in. My brother Spencer is the manager their this year.

Every year my uncle Bruce helps the kids make paper rockets and they launch them after breakfast. You can see Aubrey, Blake and Cole in this picture. 

 They rode the ponies, Lady and Tramp. (safety comes first at the ranch)

 We had terrible weather all weekend that kept us cooped up in the lodge most of the time. Thunderstorms and hail, but it gave us a chance to visit and the kids time to play games and to get to know one another better. My grandparents had 7 kids, 26 grandchildren and I believe 45 or 46 great grandchildren with one on the way. There are 100 of us total. Not bad for a posterity. 

 They had fun swimming in the pool. Now that we don't have Grandpa Foster's pool to swim in, it was their one chance to go swimming in an outdoor swimming pool. Blake swam a couple times. It was cold, but we've been in the lake so much that they loved it. 

 Our last day, the 11th, was Blake's 5th birthday. Cody had to work Thursday and Friday. He drove up after work on Friday and picked up this awesome balloon at Day's Market for Blake. We surprised him with it Saturday morning. He loved it and we tied it to him so it wouldn't float away like lasts years balloon. 

 Aubrey and new cousin baby Bailey. 

 I made him an orange Funfetti cake the next day and we invited the Calderwoods up for dinner to celebrate. It's exciting and crazy to think my baby is 5. 

Summer lovin', havin' a blast

Every year my dad gets tickets to a Bees game through his work. It's a fun family outing to the ballpark. Kristin and Chris join us as well for the fun.  The kids really enjoy. Even though they don't quite understand the game yet, they love the atmosphere, the snacks, and the chance to be with their grandparents.

Blake and Cole wanted so badly to have me take their picture with the Bee mascot.

We also have been doing more boating. Blake has impressed us this year and is no longer fearful of the water, the tube, or swimming.

We signed up the two little boys for a swimming class in Heber to help them with the skills. They really enjoyed it.

The kids also have been busy earning brag tags, a local Heber activity that allows the kids to get some tags for getting out and doing things around town.  One night we took them over to the local race series at Euclid. Tucker, Aubrey and Cole competed in their age classes and did great.

We have found time to make it up the canyon and do some dutch oven cooking and marshmallow roasting. One night our good friends the Ashursts joined us.

I love living where we do. The mountain flowers are so beautiful. I am a lucky man to be surrounded by so much beauty.

We also had a get together with some of our good friends from dental school. When we started dental school 11 years ago there were only 3 kids in our big group of friends. Now we have well over 30. Here are some of them at the get together we had at the Starleys house up in Ogden. It's crazy to see how much our little group has grown.

I started a morning boating group with some neighborhood guys that own boats. We rotate whose boat we take and do some skiing, wakeboarding and surfing. We usually wake up at 5:30 and are on the lake by 6:00. We have been treated to some amazing sun rises. After skiing for a little over an hour I am usually off the lake by 7:15 and headed home to get ready for work. It's such a huge benefit to live within 10 minutes of some great lakes for boating.

One morning I had a really nasty wipeout on the slalom ski. My friend Lorin was able to capture with his camera.

We even got Lisa out one evening and got her surfing. 

Needless to say, boating is a very big part of our summers. We love, love, love getting out on the lake. The kids are all getting better and all of them enjoy the outings. They love to swim, jump off the back of the boat, go tubing, and go water skiing. It's a great family activity.