Summer Activities

We got out for a few activities this summer despite the isolation from COVID.

Here we are on the trail during a beautiful summer day.

This was our only hike of the summer before Jacquelyn had surgery on her foot.  We hiked the Franklin Falls Trail.  It wasn't very long but was very very beautiful and nice to get out in the woods.

The upper falls.

Lower falls.

Falls going into a pool in the ravine down below.

And we joined Malachi and the grandchildren on one of their campouts.  This was at Zion's Camp.  They stayed in the log lean two.  We stayed home in our house and came out in the morning.

Malachi on a log over the river.

Mallory in a swing.

Spencer on a fallen tree.

Andrew pitching at horseshoes.

Here's Jacquelyn after her elective surgery and bone reconstruction on her foot.  She had to do 10 days on this scooter and was  not allowed to put any weight on her foot.

Then she got to move up to this boot cast.  She has to wear it for a month.  The red part is a pump to tighten it up  At least she can walk around now even though she cannot drive.

And we had a birthday party for Andrew, who turned 15.  He's growing up fast.

Swift Family Reunion: A. Bear Lake

 Our family reunion this year was at Bear Lake  It started on Sunday July 18, 2021 and ended on Thursday July 22, 2021.

We went to the part of Bear Lake that lies in Idaho.  The lake was extremely pretty and is known for its intense turquoise blue water and sandy beaches.  

We had a cabin in Fish Haven.  

Nathanael and Mary-Anne arranged the cabin for us.  It was their turn to organize and plan the family reunion and they found a great place.

The cabin had all these cool bear statues and carvings and spacious wood decks on all sides.

This was the back driveway which was very very steep.  The cabin was located in this wooded ravine and had nice breezes blowing down through the trees and past the cabin.

The wooden statues of all the bears were cool to look at and added character to the cabin.

This little bear was spying in one of the outside windows.

It was huge inside.  This is the large family room with a vaulted ceiling and stairs leading to the second floor.

This shows the large dining room table and kitchen.  Everything was decorated with wood in an outdoor cabin type atmosphere.  We took turns doing the meals.  Nathanael and Mary-Anne and Talitha and David did dinner on Sunday.  Nathanael and David grilled about a hundred hotdogs and hamburgers and there were lots of delicious side dishes.

Downstairs was a game room with ping pong, pool, and air hockey tables.  Also that ladder in the back leads to a loft with some beds where Amery and Josiah slept.

This is the large master bedroom where Nathanael and Mary-Anne and Jonathan slept.

One of the two upstairs bedrooms where Joshua and Rebecca and Doranda and Bob stayed, and their littlest children.

About 10 bunk beds where most of the children were sleeping, although some of the older boys put up cots on the decks outside.  Also Dallen and Evan and Ashton and James had a tent outside in the trees.  Jacqulyn and I and also Tianna and Jim had downstairs bedrooms.

Nathanael greeted everyone at the welcome meeting and explained all the agenda.  He and Mary-Anne  did a great job organizing the reunion and they got us a great cabin on Bear Lake and planned out a lot of fun activities.  Everyone was able to come to the reunion this year except for Caleb and Isaac and  his family.

We had 40 family members at the reunion:

     Jacquelyn and I

     Tianna and Jim and Jarom, Paige, Amery, Josiah, Dallen, Evan, Ashton and James.

     Talitha and David.

     Joshua and Rebecca and Julia, Ethan, Christian, Elliott, Agnes and Asher.

     Nathanael and Mary-Anne and Jacob, Hannah and Jonathan.

     Malachi and Layne and Andrew, Mallory and Spencer.

     Doranda and Bob and Tucker, Penelope, Scarlett, Leon, Calista and Beatrix.

     

     

We played this game where you take this ball of plastic wrap all filled with goodies.  You pass it around the table and get to keep whatever you can quickly unwrap.

Paige rolled snake eyes so she gets to put on gloves and unwrap as much as she can until someone else rolls snake eyes.  We did a game for the adults and a game for the children.

And here is the children doing the same game.  They got so excited they could hardly stand it.

Christian, Agnes, Hannah and Scarlett playing the game.

Calista at the other end of the table doing some unwrapping.  There were a lot of cousins crowded around.

Waiting for their turn to roll the dice and try to get snake eyes.

Here's a view from the upstairs balcony.

Also at the welcome meeting we had a Swift family birthday cake.  Some people had birthdays this month: Rebecca, Joshua, Malachi, James and Tianna.  We were off to a great start on the family reunion and all glad to be together.

Swift Family Reunion: B. Swimming at North Beach

 Monday morning was a swim day at North Beach State Park.

We got there early to get a good spot but first had a pancake breakfast prepared by Bob and Doranda.  We got to the beach before the crowd and claimed a good section of beach and set up canopies for shade.

We had a couple of tables and room for all our canopies.

After the canopies were set up, the next step was to blow up all the rafts and floating devices.  Jim has on a red, white and blue swimsuit.

There were sunny and shady areas to enjoy.

Malachi took a spill in the slippery water and sand.

Ashton and Evan in the water and Jarom on a paddleboard.  Beyond that the big floating raft.

Nathanael in a kayak with Hannah and Jonathan.

We had a lot of fun in the water.

Jarom on a paddleboard.

Ethan, Mallory Andrew and James out at the floating raft Nathanael brought.

Asher and Jonathan playing in the shallows.  Lots of cousins to play with each other.

Penelope, Agnes and Hannah.

Penelope and Agnes.

The beach was great and there was a little shallow strip in between the sand and the lake shore.  Julia, Rebecca and Joshua.

Another view of the canopies and some of the cars.

Leon getting some shade.

Leon and Tucker.  Can't get away from their cell phones.

Calista making a sand castle.

Mary-Anne and Hannah on a paddleboard.  The water was calm and we were able to do these paddleboards.

Lots of grandkids out on the water raft.  We had a blast out on the lake.