High Adventure & Education Week

Summer is clipping right along. 

A few more highlights to recap from recent weeks...

Our stake arranged for the older scouts to participate in one of several High Adventure activities.  Tanner chose the most physically demanding of the adventures offered.

Tanner, Jacob, Jared, Taylor, Bro. Hill, Nick, Drake, Wyatt

His group (smallest in number) covered over 100 miles in four days (July 30 - Aug. 2).
 Biking, hiking and canoeing.

Day One - several of the boys rented mountain bikes and covered over 50 miles.

Their hiking packs were waiting for them at the end of the ride.
And a cozy night's sleep - on the ground.

Hiking in the high country of the Teton Mountain range afforded breath-taking scenery.

They carried everything necessary for survival on their backs for two days.

Days Two & Three - the young men and their leaders hiked over 40 miles. 

Here's a screen shot en route.

Wildlife in abundance - Mr. Moose.

Tanner on the trail.

Another screen shot...

Once again, Tanner requested to order his birthday gifts in the summer and thankfully the new sleeping pad arrived the day before High Adventure started. Other odds and ends he put to good use were a compression sack, a dry sack & paracord and a blister care kit.  I'm totally content with Tanner's desire to open gifts in July instead because it's a win-win.  He has acquired some quality equipment and my December budget is happy.

Day Four - The boys canoed over 15 miles from Jackson Lake to Deadman's Bar.

 

And look who showed up to join the group?

 

The Stake President.

Recovering from surgery just weeks ago, G-pa M is a new man.  

He and Tanner canoed together the entire route.  Now that's impressive!

Mr. Otter

Tanner enjoyed this time away from work and out in nature.
It's always rejuvenating for him to re-connect with Mother Earth. 

Definitely a high adventure to remember - well done Tanner!

Back at home - another gorgeous sunrise.

Jantzen - collecting bugs.

Big green caterpillar became the "family pet" for a few days.

When the Community Connections department was completely eliminated from BYU-I (a few years ago), rumors circulated that Education Week would become a "thing of the past" and would only be offered by the Provo, UT campus. Being a real fan of the opportunity, I was disappointed when these rumors were confirmed.  Fortunately, it wasn't really the "end"  -- there were changes in the works and a "new and improved" version of Education Week rolled out last year - with a family focus.  In years past, I have only been able to catch a few classes here and there due to Aaron's work schedule and my own responsibilities at home with the children.  

This was the second year we attended the family-oriented Education Week (July 31 - Aug. 2).  Nice to see a few logistical bugs were improved upon from last year and overall, the kids enjoyed the experience. 

 

 The youth programs are run by BYU-I students with lots of energy and creativity.  Quinn and Elsie were part of the "Alligator" group and they participated in various gospel-centered learning activities.

Parents were required to check the younger children in and out. 

Jantzen had a lot of flexibility and made new friends wherever he went.

So did Anna.  

Of course, she was super excited to unexpectedly meet up with her good buddy, Lillian (her father was a presenter at Education Week).

We enjoyed our lunch-time adventures together (me, Jantzen, Anna, Elsie, Quinn).

One day we ate at the park and rode the carousel.  Another day the kids used their various coupons as we drove through a few fast food joints in town.  On Saturday, Aaron and Brinley joined us for lunch at the Cross-Roads eatery on campus.

Last year the four oldest children were able to participate in the ropes course with their assigned youth groups.  This year is was organized differently.

Jantzen, Anna and I joined with other family groups to accomplish difficult tasks.
Working together, we were able to help each other climb and repel from this structure along with other team-building activities.

Jantzen and Anna can do hard things!  And they did.

I enjoyed a variety of thought-provoking classes and took Jantzen and Anna swimming on campus during the day.  We also had fun at an evening concert (and left the younger kids at home with Dad).

"Ryan Shupe and the RubberBands" performed for an energetic crowd.

Ryan sings and plays all kinds of instruments.  Especially the fiddle!

 

I'm not one to hang around and ask for signatures but Anna really wanted to meet the band so we waited in the L-I-N-E.  I was accommodating to this request in part because Ryan and I knew each other from a college ward many years ago.  He dated one of my roommates and we had a tennis class together as well.  We reminisced a bit and laughed at the thought that I knew Ryan before some of the band members entered elementary school:).

 

 Another fabulous week!