Evans Family Reunion 2009

Evans Family Reunion 2009

We were very blessed a couple of weeks ago to be able to spend time with the members of the Evans side of the family including all of our cousins from Colorado!  Grandpa Bob planned and provided an amazing trip for us to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas of Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, including a stay at the historic, gorgeous Old Faithful Inn located inside the park.  

Our family arrives in Salt Lake just before the 4th of July, and the following Monday morning our three car caravan hits the road. By that afternoon we are pulling into the beautiful Grand Teton Lodge to orient ourselves on the area and find our way to Colter Bay, where we meet up with the Colorado Evanses and settle in to spend the next few days. 

The second leg of the journey involves exploring Yellowstone National Park itself, where we are able to spend a couple of days inside the park discovering the things that it is famous for, namely magnificent scenery, accessible wildlife, bubbling hot springs and mud pots, and amazing geysers including the most famous, Old Faithful. 

Most importantly we spend five wonderful days reconnecting with each other, and watching the kids just get along and truly enjoy each others company. I'm a big believer in family road trips and spending time together, the importance of travel and experience, finding adventures both large and small, and just taking time to make and document memories that will hopefully last for a long time.  This trip was exactly all of those things and honestly could not have gone any better.  

Thank you SO MUCH Grandpa Bob!  You continue to bless our family in so many ways. 

Here are the pictures from our trip, in two albums.  I have had a fun past few days sorting through the photo multitude to choose a select few that will adequately represent the people, places and adventures of our vacation. My thanks to Spence and Sarah who took many of these photos and selflessly gave me a copy of every single one they took to use at my wish and whim.  Most of the best ones are theirs, and I hope you enjoy them all! 

First album:  Colter Bay/Grand Tetons/Jackson Hole 

Jackson/Colter Bay/Tetons

(Click on album to activate the photos) 

Second Album:  Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Lodge - Idaho Falls

And lastly here's a little live action which really is only fair to Old Faithful:

Old Faithful eruption:

Independence Day

For the first time in awhile our family was in Utah for the 4th of July.  Normally we have our summer vacation later in the summer in mid-August, but this year due to our fabulous Evans family reunion planned in Yellowstone and surrounding areas we drive up early, arriving in Salt Lake on July the 2nd. 

The fun begins immediately. While we are sad that our Utah cousins are not here to celebrate with us (do they have The Cul-de-Sac of Fire down under we wonder?) we are more than excited to hang out with CD, Spence, Sarah and of course, Grandma and Grandpa. The evening of July 3rd while Grandma and I kick high gear into road trip planning and prep, Peter and Carol-Diane take the twins to a Real Salt Lake soccer game at the new Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy.  

sort of an odd assortment of characters present during the anthem

unidentified mascot flying the Real Salt Lake flag

the game ends with a tie and holiday appropriate fireworks

Pete and Jack riding home on the light rail

system Trax after the game

Fourth of July, 2009

First up, neighborhood pancake patriotic breakfast

held at G'ma and G'pa's church next door, advertised earlier in the week above

boys during the pledge of allegiance

mom and Henry ready for breakfast 

our next pastime is the national one,

 Pete and the boys play some baseball in the backyard

First up to hit is Henry - watch out pitcher he's a heavy hitter!

Jed takes his turn at the plate

For our evening activity we are invited to a BBQ at the new home of Uncle Spence and Aunt Sarah.  They host a wonderful gathering in their fabulous backyard and we have a great time eating, playing and doing some sparklers.  After a fireworks performance from the neighbors down the street its time to load up and head home to start packing and preparing to head out first thing Monday morning!

Harriet says it all....

Happy Independence Day!

One More Before We Go

 (We will be on summer vacation for the next few weeks -  hanging out with family and hitting the road touring through the great Western states of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming - Yellowstone here we come!  So until our next post we leave you with some photos of the kids and our summer activities so far)

Finished with organized sports until the fall we spend some time just getting familiar with the game of tennis at our club.  Jack and Harriet took lessons a few years back, but for now its just fun to come and volley to each other.

Harriet and Jack play doubles against Jed

Henry returns volley

Jed keeps an eye on the ball

finally breaking a sweat on the court

Jed's got the endorsement thing down already

Of course the best thing about the court is the water cooler

Harriet and her good friend Mimi

Dippin' Dots on a boy's sports night out with dad

This is what free seats at the Angels game looks like 

One of the first grade classrooms hatched chicks and ducks this year

they are sooooooooooo cute!

Cub Scout Day Camp

This year Jack got to be an Orange shirt youth volunteer

He loved running the Cub Games - Thursday was go-cart day

pushing his friend Trevor

Pete and the twins attend a fireside given by Katie Larkin

a BYU graduate who now plays soccer for the Los Angeles Sol

Harriet was delighted to meet her afterwards.

In other girl power soccer news, Harriet tried out for, 

and was selected to play on 

 an AYSO Plus soccer team this fall beating 

out about half of the other contenders!

Also, she made the decision herself to get 

bangs cut for the summer, and doesn't

she look cute! - also, Katie looks like 

Harriet in about 12 years don'tcha think?!

In appreciation of a school year well done, and in anticipation of some

long hours in the car this summer Harriet and Jack earned some

personal handheld listening devices

Harriet at the park near our house -

also near the stables and the horse path

Water Fun!

June gloom finally burned off for good, and the sun is out all day.

Saturday we go with some friends to play in the fountains at

the Irvine Spectrum

soaking wet friends

laying out on the hot pavement trying to dry off

We have also started living 

at the Sun & Sail Club,

our home away from home during the summer

we love the diving board the best  

Jed 

Jack

Porter

Live action from the diving board

                            Jumpin' Jack

            Porter, Jed and friend Scott

a trip to the snack bar is practically required

Jack and friend Scott and cousin Porter by the fake lake

"putting the Lake in Lake Forest since 1990"

Harriet and her identical twin friends on the volleyball court

Porter and Jack demonstrate some lifesaving techniques

climbing tree

Did you know Herbie lives in our neighborhood?

Have a wonderful summer everyone!