Don't you love having company...

...it reminds you that there are many great things to see and do just outside your front door, but you are often too busy to really do them...although you always intend to do it.....next week!

We were very lucky in the second week of August to have a visit from my nephew, Scotty. He is the son and youngest child of my youngest brother, Scott. They live in Austin, Texas, and haven't been able to make a trip as a family to this area to spend time with family, especially my dad. So Scotty came to visit with his "Giberson" family. He is thirteen and a great kid. He spent time with us, with a cousin and wife in Provo, with Scott and Chantel, Grandpa and Nana Giberson, and then went on a very short camping trip with us to Flaming Gorge. It was a whirlwind of activities and Utah/Giberson moments.

After spending the morning with Scott and Chantel shooting at targets, we headed out to go to the top of a nearby mountain to enjoy a short hike and maybe see some snow. However the road was closed so we went to plan B which included a stop at Farmington Pond where these first two pictures where taken.

We then headed to the Castle (a large home on the mountain) to take a hike along a trail which was about half way up the mountain. It was a beautiful hike which included three streams and waterfalls. We were there as the sun was setting and got some beautiful shots over the Great Salt Lake.

Scotty taking pictures of the valley below and the Great Salt Lake. Sandy had given instructions for him to take every picture possible on his camera which I think he did by the end of the trip.

Sunset over the Great Salt Lake from our angle half way up the mountain

Friday Gary took Scott and Scotty over to Antelope Island in the morning for a walk to the Great Salt Lake, buffalo burgers, and a 15 mile bike ride back to our house. Scott then took him down to Salt Lake where he spent the afternoon and evening with my dad and some other cousins, Niles and Rachel Giberson. They took him down to Provo for the weekend and they: hiked to the "Y", played basketball at BYU, and then spent the afternoon in Park City doing the alpine slide, coaster, and zipline.

Saturday morning, they brought him back to us in Syracuse just in time to load up and head to Flaming Gorge for a short camping trip.

A group of Giberson cousins. Too bad you all weren't here.

Scott and Scotty working on the fire wood

Gary, Scott, and Scotty were attempting to all have flaming marshmellows at the same time. Crazy boys! They had to eat them afterwards...

View from our camp site

Chantel and Scotty waiting for the return of the men so that we could head off on the rafts.

A moment between Chantel and Scott at the starting spot.

We have done this river trip a number of times and have often lined the kids up on the bench for this picture. They are good sports to humor me once again.

Floating the Green River....except for the water fights, some small
rapids and other boats, it was a quiet peace ride.

It was beautiful all the way down. The river was going fast enough that we did two trips down the river before we headed back to Syracuse that night. It was a brief but nice get away.






Tuesday Scotty, Jena and I headed off for a moment stop at the Capital Building and a brief tour of the LDS Conference Center and Temple Square.

Utah Capital Building

Scotty and Jena in front of the waterfall that falls from the roof of the Conference Center down the side of the building.

Scotty at the reflection pond in front of the Salt Lake Temple--I realized as I talked to Scotty that my maternal grandparents who were the first to join the Church were married in the Salt Lake Temple as were my parents and both of my Mom's siblings (My dad was a convert and the first therefore on his side of the family to be married in the temple.) So when I was married in the Provo Temple I broke a firm tradition in my family. I guess Scott and Chantel made up for that by being married there.

Jena and Scotty by the east door of the temple. No wedding parties on this day so I took the opportunity to get pictures at the door. These doors aren't the everyday doors we use to enter the temple but they are very beautiful.

The famous statue of Christ in the north west visitor center of Temple Square.

Dad, Karla (Nana), Scotty and Jena at Dad's house

Then we went to my dad's and Karla's for a game of "Ticket to Ride" which Dad won convincingly. We left Scotty there where he spent a day and a half with my dad (and playing more games) before he flew out back to the heat of Austin. It was great having him here in Utah and we enjoyed taking time to visit Utah with him, too. Don't you all want to come and spend a week in Utah as well!! See you soon. :)