2013

Melissa's favorite painting

So the year started off with our car hitting 100,000 miles. We were living in our little apartment in Provo just south of BYU and we were at the end of our battle with the mice infestation and looking for a new apartment.

First flower of the year of spring

 So these three pictures show you our entire apartment. It made it a lot easier when we had to clean. The picture to the right is the kitchen and the bathroom. The bathroom had no door. It was great to get more space and a bathroom door. Oh, we do those miss those windows now that we live in a basement apartment.

 We ended moving to Lindon. I didn't expect to move back. I expected more to move to China. We are right by the foothills. There is a park across the street then the mountains. Melissa loves all the deer that come down through the park. I had hoped that we would go hiking often with the foothills right there. It only took a couple of times before I gave up. The only trail near by was ridiculously steep. It still makes for a great view even from the basement.

It has been nice living close to my parents. We didn't have a washer and dryer for most the year so we used their machines every week. My mom wasn't very interested in using the vegetable garden this year. So we decided that we would plant a garden. We had a lot of yellow pear tomatos, a roma tomato plant, lots of bell peppers, squash, zucchini,  heirloom tomato plant, beans, basil, rosemary, dill, and a pickling cucumber plant that produced more than I had ever expected. Also the coolest creeping spinach plant that had purple vine and dark green leaves.

Oh we also had watermelon, cantaloupe, and strawberries

Our Neighborhood

Harvest

Seneya helping us in the garden and trying to smile.

 During the summer we gardened, visited gardens, and went camping. Our first camping trip was to Antelope Island. In the middle of the Great Salt Lake. It was amazing to see the Bison herd. there were so many. However, the mosquitoes had them out numbered a hundred to one. We went with Melissa's sister and brother-in-law  and some friends.

Biggest Calla Lily Ever

The second camping trip was with everyone on my side. It was really fun to be out in the woods with everyone. We had a standing long jump contest in the morning. James was by far the best.

Quite evening

Just on a walk

Our next grand adventure was going out to Maine. This time it was wonderful weather. When I first went there I only saw rain and trees. To make things even better Melissa's Great Aunt had rented a condo right by the beach and let us use it. Waking up with the sun rising over the ocean was beautiful. I swam in the ocean as much as I could. Melissa's twin and her husband came as well. We boys tried as best we could to body surf while the girls lied about or poked about around the rocks.

Of course in Maine we also had to visit a light house or two. It is also obligatory to eat sea food. I had more fish than I had had in years. It wasn't as bad as I remembered, but still not my favorite.

The days were pretty busy and every evening it was card games just like at the cabin. Also, Boston Red Sox games not like the cabin.

 

Yellowstone was our last summer hurrah. Such a beautiful place. We took a hike through the pines to a waterfall. Looked constantly for any type of animal. Watched the geysers. Hiked to another waterfall. We went wading in a lake. I was just about to go swimming in it when Melissa found several leeches on her leg. I quickly changed my mind.