August Minus Michigan

 On August 1st, we took a little Sunday drive up to Antelope Island State Park.  I had been once before maybe ten years ago with the kids, but Matt, who grew up 30 miles away from it, surprisingly, had never been.  It certainly isn't super exciting out there, but it definitely is an interesting place with early Utah history.  It was a beautiful day with brewing storm clouds off in the distance.  Thankfully the huge rainstorm held off while we were on the island, but we were in the middle of the downpour the whole drive home to Provo.  We drove as far south as the Fielding Garr Ranch which is a historical landmark dating back to 1848.  But archaeological findings have shown that there has been human activity on the island for at least 1000 years.  It is a cool landscape and fun to see the Wasatch Front from a different perspective and the Great Salt Lake which is sadly shrinking.  We were lucky to see some of the native buffalo that live out there.  

Josh sent us pictures from a work adventure that he went on.  He and one of his students, who is working on his instructor's license, flew around Manhattan Island.  The air space over the water was open and clear for them to fly through as long as they didn't go over Manhattan.  What a view!  So proud of him!

Smoke has been the plague of the summer (besides the historic draught!).  There have been huge fires in California as well as a local one in Park City.  This picture is from the worst day of smoke in August.  It was so thick that you couldn't see the mountains just a mile a way.  

I finally went to my parent's house to show them how to use their sun oven that they purchased ten years ago.  I used it a couple of times during our last summer in Meridian when I wanted to test it out for our relief society emergency preparedness meeting.  To make it easy, I decided to make the same thing I did in Idaho, Cafe Rio chicken for tacos or enchiladas.  It worked once again!  And it was even during that weekend of horrible smoke.  The sun is ever powerful!  My parents were impressed with their little gadget and vow to use it again for fun.  

Emma has had a rough month, but she is growing so much.  She is a great example to me in patience and also in putting her faith in Christ's love for her individually.  She is doing her best with the situations that she is put into.  She has about seven months left in her mission.  

I love walking!  A morning power walk while listening to a good podcast is one of my favorite things.  Rock Canyon park and the Provo temple are usually on my route.  

The month ended with peaches.  Lucile and Eric have a bounteous peach tree that they are always willing to share with us.  Matt climbed Eric's ladder invention and picked way too many.  So we are eating them, freezing them, and sharing them with neighbors.  We want to plant a peach tree soon in the corner of our backyard.