Aaaaand he's 8! I freakin' love this kid. His favorite colors are black and neon yellow and orange. He loves art, word play, reading, nerf guns, and being outside. His sense of humor is on point. And he asked for sushi for his birthday dinner. I'll keep him another 8 years I think. ;)
Ivan wanted an "explorers kit" for his birthday. But when I looked for one, all I could find was the cheap toddler version with flimsy plastic little kid tools. I was sure Ivan would want something with "real" tools. I decided I'd just put together a kit myself. It was one of the funnest presents I've ever put together. We got him a fishing hat and a vest with lots of pockets. Inside the pockets we put things like flashlights, a mini fold-able shovel, binoculars, rope, pocket knife, carabiners, a pocket journal and pens, etc. Grandma and Grandpa Swan completed the kit by giving him a bug net and a bug encyclopedia. I think the kit was a hit.
In order that Ivan might have the opportunity to try out his new kit, we invited the Swan side of the family to come spend the afternoon with us exploring at Red Ledges up Spanish Fork Canyon. I love Red Ledges, it's a really cool spot. It's right off the road, so not hard to get to at all, and it's like having a little slice of southern Utah right in our backyard. There are sand stone formations, and kid friendly hiking trails, and red sand to dig in; plus picnic tables and bathrooms. The weather was a gorgeous 75-80 degrees, and we relished every second of it. It was the perfect outing for all. And I think everyone had a great time.
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| Ollie, Eli, Ruby, and Eliza |
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| As usually Cal was such a happy, chillaxed little dude. He's so easy to take a long, I love it. |
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| Eliza, Luke, Lincoln |
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| Cal and Aaron on top of the world! |
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| Eliza and Adelia |
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| Ivan the birthday boy. Love him! |
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| Ruby, Eliza, Ollie |
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| Lincoln and Ivan in a shallow cave they found. |
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| Asher and Adelia |
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| I love this picture of Rue, she looks like she's controlling the universe, bending it to her will. |
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| Adelia and Eliza |
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| Malia and Ollie |
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| I took these two determined kids on a hike. Eli and Rue kept telling me they wanted to go "Up!" But eventually I had to bring us back down. Couple of little mountain goats. :) |
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| Silas and Cal. These two babies were so happy to see someone else their own size. They jabbered away at each other anytime we put them together. |
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| Adelia the hiker chick. |
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| Cal, Malia, and Silas loved the sand. |
2 comments:
Red ledges is one of our go-to nature places. We tried to go last weekend and the gate was still up. Glad they opened it.
Oh, and I love the present you put together for him. So awesome!
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