Summer 2016

We started off summer with cub scout day camp.  It is held mostly outside and is miserably hot, to say the least. It started at 1 PM and ended at 8 PM and repeated for three days. 95 degrees and high humidity is the summer norm here in Houston. I'm not sure why day camps here are so long, but if I were in charge, they would be short and indoors! Max had some fun moments, but I think we will skip the next camp unless it is held indoors.

Max and Holly attended vacation bible school while Mallory was at the LDS girls camp.

 The highlight of the summer was our yearly trip to Utah to visit extended family.  For the Clark reunion, we stayed in Moab and visited Goblin Valley and Arches National Park.

Early morning drive to see Goblin Valley before it got too hot.

Goblin Valley

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Rocket blast off at Moab cabin

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Landscape Arch

Sand dune arch

Delicate Arch

Dead Horse Point

Random van that we saw in the theater parking lot while we were visiting the Carlsons.

A man-made freshwater lake with the Carlsons.

For the Miner reunion, we visited Potter's Pond near Ephraim. The kids enjoyed playing in the small creek nearby and we had a lot of fun riding Grandpa Jim's dirt bikes. Katrine may have crashed her dirt bike because of an avoidable large rock in the trail, but that is OK because she is still learning and there were only minor injuries :)

Max and Tiffany spent a lot of time talking Minecraft

Grandpa found snow!  He put it in his cooler pack and threw snowballs at us when he and Jason got back to camp.

Cowabunga Bay with Uncle Ben, Aunt Lily and Simon for Ben's birthday 

While we were staying with Ben and Lily, Simon took his first stair climb.

Max's summer camp

Princess Tea Party summer camp with Holly's friends.

Mallory's first trip to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.

Downtown Houston Aquarium

I couldn't find any photos of this, but Victoria and Grandma Clark came down to visit us in August and we got to see the musical "Wicked" downtown.  It was awesome!

Spring 2016

Jason and Mallory went on a date while I was in Disneyland

Holly went on a field trip to Old Macdonald's farm, and I was able to chaperone.

Easter morning breakfast

A Venezuelan food truck!

April Fools Day upside down breakfast

Pinewood derby

Vogel Solo and ensemble

Max's 3rd grade graduation ceremony

Holly's Kindergarten graduation awards

She received the "almond joy" award for being so joyful every day.  Truly, a major part of her personality.

Mallory and Holly 2016 Birthdays

 For the girls' birthday weekend in March, we traveled down to Galveston with Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Jim.  We spent Friday at an indoor water park, Schlitterbahn, and Saturday at a beachside amusement park, Pleasure Pier. Sunday morning was Mallory's birthday and she opened her presents at our cute Air BnB cottage and then we drove home where we celebrated more with her Swedish Princess birthday cake.

On Monday, Holly's birthday, we opened presents and had chocolate chip muffins for breakfast.  Then we went to the park where we flew her new mermaid kite.  It was a beautiful day. 
We ate lunch at Jax Burgers and Fries.  In the evening, we traveled out to the Drive-In theater near Tomball and ate her birthday cake "donuts" in the lot.  We strung up a piñata behind the screen while it was still light. We finished off the night watching Zootopia which she mostly liked, but spent a large part of the scary parts hiding her face in Grandma Brenda's shoulder.