Monroeplanet: Utah - Day Six

Down the street and around the corner from my parent's house is American Fork Canyon. It a beautiful canyon and my parents take advantage of the beautiful scenery as often as they can. When we were planning this reunion, one thing they suggested doing was hiking up to Timpanogos Cave. It sounded like a lot of fun, so we decided to go hiking!

It was a beautiful day! We love being in the mountains! We started our hike at the visitor center where we found out the trail climbs steeply 1,092 feet over 1.5 miles. We were up for the challenge. We packed our backpacks with little snacks, had our sweaters for inside the cave and had our hiking shoes on!

The trail was really nice. It was paved all the way up the mountain. I was expecting dirt, but the paved trail was nice, especially for the little ones.

It was a nice hike. It was steep in some parts, but everyone did really well. I loved the views of the canyon and the valley!

On the way up several of our boys worked on the Junior Ranger booklet. I like the Junior Ranger program because it helps the kids learn things and see things they probably would have missed. They enjoy the challenge of finishing the booklet and receiving their badge!

We took our time going up the trail. Occasionally, we stopped and let everyone catch up and then we started off again. Our last stop before getting to the top was by a fork in the trail. It's where we left our baby carrier backpacks, (they aren't allowed in the cave). Everyone had a nice break!

Once we made it to the top we started our tour of the cave. We had a really great guide.

We have been in similar caves before, but this one seemed a little different. The formations appeared more melted than others we have seen. Also, some of them looked like popcorn and had a greenish tint. It is amazing to see what goes on inside the earth!

Waiting for everyone to come out of the cave.

The hike back down the mountain was just as fun as going up - only a little quicker! I think I enjoyed the view on the way down a bit more than on the way up.

On the way down, the boys searched for markers. Every so many feet they would find a little circle marker with a number in it. They found most of them and they were excited to find the last one at the end of the trail. I believe the last one was 49!

Once we made it back down Kaden, Trevor, Devon and Austin turned in their Junior Ranger booklets and were awarded their badges (and as a bonus, a snazzy looking hat)!

We had a wonderful time. I'm glad we were able to go, because the next day it rained really hard and it caused landslides. They had to close the trail for several days while they cleaned it all up.

After a fun morning of hiking, we had a barbecue at Mutual Dell. It's a fun outdoor picnic and recreational area. It's a fun place to have a family barbecue!

We unloaded the food and then we set out to play a little before dinner. Some kids played on the playground, others played soccer and still others played horseshoes.

I hung out at the horseshoe pit. I enjoyed watching everyone play and then I gave it a try. It was fun, but I have some more practicing to do!

Misty entertained us all with her amazing feats of balance!

Tanner and a couple of the other kids found a cool rock to climb.

The kids also had fun playing in the trees! There was a cool spot just beside the pavilion that the kids loved running in and out of!

The kids were getting excited for dessert!

Our dinner was yummy, Chad did a good job barbecuing!

After dinner we wanted to start a fire and roast marshmallows while telling stories and doing family skits, but the weather had other plans. We saw the clouds moving in and then . . . downpour!

Leese had some fun with the rain. Her mom tried to keep her dry, but Leese had other plans!

Ashlyn tried also, but she didn't get as much as Leese!

Luckily, had reserved the pavilion, so we had a place to stay dry and still share our stories and talents!

We didn't know we would be doing family skits/talents before the reunion. My Dad asked us to figure something out when we all arrived for the reunion. We all scrambled a bit, but we all came up with something fun! Layne and Aaron's family went first - they demonstrated the Krey shuffle - a classic!!

We were next. We sang the shark song (you know, "baby shark, do do, do do, mama shark, do do, do do) complete with actions! It was well received!

Then Kaden showed everyone a card trick. He's getting really good! He struggled a bit at first, but then amazed everyone in the end!

Misty performed next. She impressed us all with the cup song. Many of the kids wanted Misty to teach them when she was done. Misty wasn't done though, she finished off with "Chubby" - always a crowd favorite!!

Chad and Michelle's family was next. They sang the song they made up during their car trip to Utah. Sounds like it was fun in their car!

Lindsay and Cameron came next. They showed us all how they do push-ups at their house! Impressive!!

Nana and Papa were last. They performed "The Ugly Duckling"! They are such a great duo! They should go on the road!!

Listening to stories and laughing with each other was one of my favorite parts of this trip! I wish I had recorded the stories that were recorded! It was fun to hear about my parent's childhood!