Climbing, Running, and Canning!

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Last Friday afternoon, we packed our climbing gear and hiked a couple of miles up Neff's Canyon to some slabs for the first family climbing of the summer.  We'd been talking about going, but it hadn't yet materialized, so yeah for us.  Hallee had been sick the two previous days with a fever and hadn't eaten much during those days.  The poor girl looked pretty palid, but she was so excited to go.  It was HOT at the start of the hike, but as we climbed higher into the canyon and into the shade, it was much cooler.  
A giant fallen rock slab near our designated climbing area.


Last year, Sophie displayed crazy climbing skill, but the chunky route we picked to climb this time wasn't her favorite so she didn't get very high before asking to be lowered.  All of the kids climbed, and though they didn't get very high, they all had fun.


Little Hal, getting her harness on.


Zeke did fairly well, and had some sweet climbing moves.  He looks pro in this shot.

Zeke, however, did not appreciate what he termed the "spider handles"--the rock holds covered in old spider webs and moss.  And there were a lot of  those.  I don't think anyone had ever climbed here before.

Climb on little buddy.

By the time we got back down to the parking lot, the sun was setting and casting a gorgeous glow on the front of Mount Olympus.  Although Casey looks entirely drunk in this picture, I can positively say he was not.  :)
Saturday morning, I woke up early for the first annual "Friends Free Half-Marathon"-- a little race some friends and I came up with to boycott escalating race entry fees.  Seven of us ran the inaugural race, which is set to repeat next August.  We started at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and destinated at Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon, where we met a few more people (including Casey and the kids) and chowed down on breakfast.  The "early bird special" is where it's at; two eggs, has browns, two pancakes, biscuits, bacon, sausage, and a slice of orange for $4.99.  As I told my friend Lisa, we had as much fun as was humanely possible running 13 miles uphill.  (Sarah was the course planner, and since she is missing her ACL she didn't want any downhill in the course.  Fun for us.)

Some of our crew after arrival at Ruth's Diner (Me, Don, Heather, and Sarah)
Casey worked on the back-splash in our kitchen Friday and Saturday and it is almost done.  Hard to believe, but TRUE.  It looks awesome.  Now we just need to put the crown molding on the cabinets and we are officially finished with the kitchen project that we started more than two years ago.

Casey's handiwork!!  Lookin' SOOOO good!
Saturday morning, after my big burly run, I went with Casey and the kids over to our neighbor Shirleen's house to pick peaches.  She generously allows us to have at her tree every year.  She is a saint in every way.  This morning, Casey and I woke up early and did some utilitarian canning.  I am headed up to Big Cottonwood Canyon for the week to camp with the kids at Redman (Casey gets to stay home and work), so I had to get these done or I'd have a mess when I came back.
Numberless concourses of PEACHES!!!

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