Every year at the beginning of the school year the youth program at our church has a combined activity where they go ice blocking down the grassy hill at Cottonwood Creek Park.  I decided to surprise Peter and Emma this year and snap a few photos.  I loved watching their expressions as they flew down the hill on a tiny block of ice.  They were both so excited to have their own block of ice this year.  According to Peter and Emma, Andrew hogged the block of ice last year.  It was easy enough to get them their own this year.  The thing I loved most about watching Peter and Emma was their interactions with their friends.  I love that they are two social butterflies. I hope this year brings them good friendships and good memories with their friends.

​There are several reasons to live in Colorado.  Most all of them involve being outside in this great state enjoying the activities that the mountains offer.  This year, we had epic amounts of snowfall, which translates directly into great white water rafting in the Spring and Summer.  We departed on a Friday afternoon to Canon City and camped in a Red Rock enclave that was secluded and beautiful.  The boys enjoyed climbing up on the red rock bluffs that encircled our camp. We had a fire, food, fireside and all the usual good stuff that makes a camping trip excellent.  
 
In the morning, we embarked for our white-water adventure.  As we waited for our bus to be ready to take us to the boats, we played Volleyball in the sand.  All I could think about was that I hoped the boys would be better at rafting than they were at playing Volleyball. The older boys went down the crown jewel of Southern Colorado: The Royal Gorge.  The Royal Gorge is an impressive site any way you see it.  However, being on the water is a whole different experience: terrifying, exhilarating, and memorable.  We separated into two rafts of 6 boys each and headed down the Arkansas River.  The white water was plentiful and fun.  It bounced us around, soaked us to the bone, and made for some great memories.  The River goes up to Class V rapids when it goes through the Gorge, so it was some serious white water with memorable names like Boat Eater, Wall Smasher, and Sunshine Falls.  The boys loved it and the leaders loved it too.  Certainly, a memorable and fun experience.  

written by Mike

​Trek was a good experience with a lot of spiritual as well as fun experiences. The Clawson’s were our MA and PA. They were extremely nice and Sister Clawson acted like a mother to all of us giving her the nickname mama bear. Trek wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but I later learned that Dallin and I did most of the work. After a long day of trekking we had fun at camp where my friends and I would either play frisbee or go jump into the river and lakes. There were a lot of spiritual experiences that truly tore at my soul. I thought that when the girls did the women’s pull it would be a nice time to sit back and relax, but when they were pulling, I felt a great injustice that needed to be corrected within me, and this gave me a greater understanding of the Plan of Salvation and the Family a Proclamation to the World. 

​The young men in our ward were supposed to go white water rafting for their high adventure trip but since it had rained so much in the spring the water levels were at a dangerously high level, so the trip got postponed. However, they decided to spend the time doing a service project for a lady in our ward. They helped to repair and build part of her fence. My boys had a great time serving. They both told me later how good they felt for helping with the activity. Afterward the service activity everyone headed up to Woodland Park to go shooting. With several families that brought guns the boys had a great time being able to shoot with a variety of guns to choose from.