natalie ann: September 2020

oh my goodness what a good summer even though covid happened. It was our first summer in utah and it was very fun exploring. I can't believe we have lived in utah a whole year. This year has been so hard but so good and everything in between. We hiked a lot, swam a lot and spent a good amount of time with family.

One big thing that happened this summer was we moved!! Ethan decided to go to uvu instead of slcc which meant we needed to move to orem. We were really itching to move out - I mean who wouldnt want to as well when youre living. ina basement. But we still wanted to save more money. But ethan was looking at apartments and he found this one that was doing this deal for the first two months free when you move in within the next week. So we applied and we found out Thursday that we could move in on saturday. We ended up moving on monday and it just went all so well. Kind of crazy. We live in vineyard and we really like it so far. It's closer to things and we live close to utah lake and like to long board a long it. I do kind of miss living with my nephews though. But of course I love my own space! Like our apt is so big and nice! We have never lived anywhere thats so big haha it's very weird. We have a coat closet, a pantry and a storage unit! It's amazing. It's just one bedroom but spacious. We don't need to bedrooms. Honestly would be more work to decorate. Decorating is so hard and buying furniture. But we are finally down and the place looks great! I feel like. ittook so long. to print things, get frames, go to ikea etc. I went. to ikea twice this summer. Holy crap it was a lot. And we bought 17 plants this summer! So I have learning about plants and I love how they fill our apt. We just need to make friends - a lil hard right now with covid. Everyone has a dog at our complex and we really want one. We are actually taking care of Ika, my brother-in laws dog. He is so cute. We havent gone back to church yet but I think we will in October. But it will still be hard to meet people.

For the 4th of july we went to Logan and visited Alyssa and Trey. It was way fun. We hiked the wind caves, swam in Newton lake, and had a bbq and watched fireworks on friday. Saturday on the 4th we woke up in the trailer in blacksmith fork canyon. We went camping with her family. We went jeeping and floated the river. It was very fun. We ate yummy food and played games.

A big thing that happened this summer is that Eli had craniosurgery! It was a very big thing that happened in our family. It was an emotinal crazy week and idk how brittany did it. But Eli is all good and recovered so fast. He is a tough boy and I can't believe he is one!

For pioneer weekend, we went campng with ethans family to strawberry reservoir. it was really fun but. alittle sad cause we were supposed to have jet skis and a boat and then we ended up having ZERO lol. Alyssa and trey were bringing treys family's boat and but then alyssa got the corona! and then the jet skis got compounded I guess that we were renting. Anyways we had smores and tin foil dinners. Swam/ kayaked/ paddle boarded with tubes in the lake. Nothing too crazy but I got BURNT. And then right after that trip our AC was out for a month!! And it was the WORST! Like literally heat of the summer. But luckily we barely got it fixed right before our road trip!

Our trip this summer was to Glacier National Park and Sandpoint. On the way there we stay with Jake and Madison in Rexburg. We went to the sunflower field in idaho and it was amazing and made me really miss living in Idaho! I miss the slow pace of it. Driving in utah is the worst. Anyways we played settlers with them and it was good seeing them. Satruday we drove and then went. toflathead lake and paddle boarded/swam. We then went to whitefish lake and ate at the best restaurant ever! Got the best sandwhiches. And saw a pretty sunset. My dad rented a cabin and it was very nice. We were going to camp in the RV but that didn't work out cause the RV cant go in glacier. Anyways I was glad we didnt camp! My parents, Sarah, Ella,and Naomi all came. Sunday we hiked trail of cedars and avalanche lake. And we ran into devin and maddi! It was so fun seeing them! We saw a black bear too! Then we swam at lake mcdonald and. it was very nice. Our fav lake! Tuesday we drove the whole road and it was SOOOO pretty. Literally took pictures the whole drive. We hiked saint mary falls and it was so fun cause we all bridge/cliff jumped and it was so fun! The bluest and prettiest water!! I loved that waterfall. We saw a moose too! We then made it to hideen lake just in time and it was GORGEOUS. We saw mountain goats and pretty wild flowers. Wednesday we woke up really early because we heard parking was terrible. It was raining that morning and it took like an hour to find parking but it was fine cause it was raining anyways. And just after. weparked it stopped raining to it was perfect. It was the longest hike we were doing so I was glad. itwas cooler out. We hiked the highline trail and. it was my favorite hike there! Sadly a lot of the park was closed but it was fine cause we didn't have time to do it all anyways. The wild flowers were amazing and the fews were stunning. We were driving and saw some people cliff jumping off the side. ofthe road in the bluest clear water. So we have to stop and go! It was fun we all jumped and then ethan had an idea to get the tube and do a lil waterslide. Anyways we did it and it was actually so fun with lil rapids. We then ended the day with a lil dip in lake mcdonald at a different spot with a dock. We paddle boarded and swam and it was so fun. Then we got icecream! The next day we drove to silverwood! It was really fun. Maddi and devin joined us but we were the only ones with masks on...freaking idaho. The next day we boated and went to the rands lake house! We stayed in the cottage this time. We were there for a few days and it was fun like always. Boating, sun, pickle ball, games. Anyways I didnt want to leave at all. Espcially cause becky offered for. usto sleep. in the treehouse but we needed to get back! It was. a much needed vacation!

Anyways it was a good summer and now ethan is back at school and really seems to like it. Oh and he just become vegan- with some slip ups but i am still impressed on how much he neer cheats. I am working my butt off and love it too. This last weekend we took care of brittanys kids and it was really fun but holy cow i do not want kids any time soon. But i feel like i love them as my own. I'm excited for fall and the cooler weather. Other things that my summer consisted of:

- Our two year anniversary! We went to station 22 for dinner and got icecream!

- Utah olympic park

- farmers markets

- rock climing

- bell canyon hike

- scout falls hike

- swimming pools

- icecream

- frisbee golf

- sonic drinks

- lots of shaved ice

- bloods lake hike