Jordan and Lindsey Visit!

We have been looking forward to having Jordan and Lindsey come visit since they got married in April. This is the first time Lindsey has been to our home and it's the first time Jordan has been back to Monticello since Grandpa Barton's funeral. Too long between visits!!

They had time off between semesters so they took a week and came to spend some time with us. They came on Wed, Aug 21 and came to the ward party with us so they could partake of Dutch Oven potatoes. Traditional summer ward party fare.

On Thursday, they, James, Charles and I went to Bluff to see Grandma and the Fort. Grandma treated us to lunch at the Twin Rocks Cafe and then we wandered through the Bluff Fort Visitor Center and through the Fort itself, checking out the cabins. I forgot to take any photos of this event.

On Friday, they went to Canyonlands by way of the mountain. It was a stormy day and Jordan got some cool pictures of the storm rolling in.

On Saturday, we did yard work and other projects and then in the afternoon, we went up to the shooting range. It's so close to home, it's silly that we don't utilize it more often. I like that all my kids enjoy learning to shoot and are becoming quite good shots. I'm glad that Curtis has all the equipment to allow them to learn and that he also teaches them safe gun use and is very vigilant about it.

Getting things set up....

Some stylish safety eyewear...(Sadie, 12)

Same stylish eyewear and some happening ear protection, as well. (Hannah, 14)

Sighting in the gun in preparation to shoot...(Sadie)

Hannah's turn to shoot the single shot 22.

The little guys patiently waiting their turn, but trying out the eyewear...(Charles and James)

Dad getting his sights lined up...

Soren's turn to try to hit a can...

The girls knocking them down! (Sadie hit a target at 100 yards) (Hannah hit a penny at 50 ft)

James kept himself busy picking up shells...

Taking a break to go set up more targets or hunt for coins that were shot...

Lindsey(in her cool pink ear protection) is a good shot!

Jordan showing us his stuff!!

Not sure what he's being timid about...not wanting us to see him in glasses, maybe??

The gun range is fairly new and was a young man's Eagle Scout Project. It has a big berm on the west side and has target areas set up at 50 ft, 50 yards, 75 yards and 100 yards. It is close to our home and will provide us with another option for a family activity during the summer.

On Sunday we were going to drive over the mountain to Blanding, but when we woke up the mountain was invisible and stayed that way all day as the sky drizzled on us the entire day. We were in the path of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ivo. No flooding, just a soft, steady drizzle. It lasted into Monday as well.

On Monday, Jordan and Lindsey headed to Moab to Arches, Dead Horse Point and the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands. They are surely making good use of their yearly pass that gets them into all the National Parks and Monuments.

Tuesday we said goodbye as they headed down to the Grand Canyon, where they had been given a night's stay by a friend. Guess what they saw when they got there??

Not much, it was cloudy and drizzly. Thankfully it did clear up enough for them to see the Canyon. They headed back to Idaho on Wednesday, back to life and school. Hopefully we will see them here again in less than 1 1/2 years!!