JULY 2025!

Sean (who is sporting one of Zeke's neighborhood-famous buzz n' bleaches) was so excited about our collection of fireworks, displayed on the hearth and ready for the 4th of July. Sean and his siblings love the ghetto street fireworks that we deploy every year at the Sullivan Homestead in South Jordan and don't ever want to attend "big" firework shows. We bought these before the big "Dap Trip" to the Uintas so we'd have them at the ready when we got home the day before the 4th of July.

We spent June 30th to July 3rd at "Dad Camp." This year Casey decided on China Meadows in the Uintas. Casey, Sean and Mike represented for the dads and we had a few moms this year--Angie, Kim and I went along to help herd kids.

Our camp, 4 miles up the China Meadows trail. The cousins sourced logs from the surrounding forest to start construction on a foot bridge.

The kids found this hunter's camp across the river from our camp. They were convinced that it was occupied by a crazed outdoorsman but it was deserted.

Eisley with her heart rock.

The kids had various methods of crossing their bridge. Bear jumped right into the water every time.

Eisley, Lindy, Maven and Meg with various items they found near the hunting camp across the river.

The second day at Dad Camp, Casey, Angie and I hiked up to Hessie Lake with Sophie, Hallee, Zeke, Lucas, Abner and Bear.

Hallee at Lake Hessie in the high Uinta Mountains.

Zeke, fishing at Lake Hessie.

Zeke and Sophie with some of the fish they caught at Lake Hessie.

Finn and Zeke, cleaning fish near our camp.

Sean was so excited! He caught his very first fish on this trip and was so proud of himself.

Sophie and Zeke, cleaning fish from Lake Hessie.

Hallee stepped in to help as well.

Sean with another fish that he caught.

Sophie, getting our dinner ready.

Cousins around the campfire up in the Uintas.

Lindy in her element.

Bear at Dad Camp.

What a magnificent spot to camp!

The kids found wild strawberries growing on the hillside across the river from our camp, near a place they named "Sunset Canyon."

Cute Sean, picking handfuls of wild strawberries.

Lindy, Eisley, Maven and Meg shared a tent.

There were TWENTY of us this year, plus two dogs! It was an impressive feat to get this many people into the backcountry, especially so many kids!

Abner, Nora, Sully and Zeke, gtting ready to hike out!

Nora, Casey, Simon, and the two Seans, crossing a bridge on our hike out.

Nora and Sean at a bridge crossing on the China Meadows trail. Sean was so sweet and held Nora's hand, shepherding her along as we hiked back out to the trailhead.

Worn out Nora.

Doug and Ilean made the drive up to the trailhead where they met us with a delicious lunch--chicken salad sandwiches, chips and watermelon. It tasted so good!

Simon passed out on our drive back to Salt Lake. We made a couple of wrong turns and ended up taking the scenic route through the backcountry mountain roads.

The annual July Fourth ghetto street fireworks display was next at the South Jordan Sullivan Homestead. Our kids made sure that we scheduled Dad Camp so that we could be back for the 4th.

This year's selection of fireworks, including several big mortars that Casey bought up in Idaho.

Sweet Lindy with another popsicle.

Casey and Ilean delivered rousing patriotic speeches before we started the big fireworks.

The teenagers ran the show this year.

Finn, wielding a roman candle and looking like a boss while making us feel nervous (and irresponsible), but FREEDOM!!

Sophie barely got out of the way of this one that was supposed to shoot aloft before deploying. So much for bargain mortars from Idaho. After this near catastrophe, we dialed the action down a notch.

Sean inside the butterfly biome at nearby Millcreek Gardens.

Sean, taming the butterflies.

Zeke had a landmark day on July 7th. After a few attempts over the course of two different testing days, he finally passed the test and got his much anticipated Learner's Permit.

It rained so infrequently during July that when we got a small shower, we all ran into the backyard to enjoy it.

Sophie and her friend, Rosie, hosted 3 weeks of kids art lessons during the summer to earn money to finance their missions. I thought that it was a clever idea.

Lindy with her fired, Parker, up at Rosie's house for art camp.

Sophie, teaching kids the art of paper mache´ at summer art camp.

In preparation for our trek in Africa--Kilimanjaro in December--we have a goal of doing one family hike a week. This week it was a hike to Blood's Lake and Lake Lackawaxen.

Sean up at Lake Lackawaxen.

Lindy working on her Lego creations. She is always coming up with new and interesting designs.

When we were up on the University of Utah campus for Sophie's high school graduation, Lindy, Sean, Grandma White and I walked past the ceramics building and while exploring the outdoor kilns, one of the professors saw us and invited us inside for a tour of the building. Lindy and Sean were mesmerized so I signed them up for a summer pottery class at the Salt Lake Pottery Studio on 900 South. They had a blast. Lindy especially enjoyed learning the wheel thrown pottery and apparently was a natural!

Lindy with a few of her pots.

Sean and Lindy, covered in clay, right after their summer pottery class.

A bike ride on the Murdock Trail with friends.

It was so hot but we brought popsicles to cool off.

Dinner with Jared and Jennie McBride.

Hallee at FSY down at BYU.

Hallee, hanging out with her FSY group in the BYU dorms

Hallee. Center of the fun, as always.

Lindy, posing as Santa in the middle of July!

Lindy, Casey and I on a hike up to Sunset Peak, elevation 10,648 feet

The peak looks down on Lakes Catherine, Mary and Martha.

Lindy at the Days of '47 Rodeo at Utah Fairgrounds.

Sean, riding a pony before the rodeo started.

Sean, trying his hand at bull riding.

This bull was no match for Lindy Loo.

We all loved the rodeo although it got a bit wild during the bull riding--one of the riders and a rodeo clown both got hauled off with serious injuries.

Casey and I, living it up at the rodeo.

Zeke, with his braces barely off!

Sarah, Hallee, and Sophie, ready to run the Deseret News 10K on July 24, 2025. Sophie came in 18th and Hallee came in 13th in the women's overall. In their division they were 7th (39:03) and 3rd (37:49).

Sophie, coming into the final stretch.

Hallee, cooking down to the finish.

We didn't know it then, but Hallee was running with a stress fracture in her left tibia.

Hallee, rocking a bronze medal for her division.

Here are a couple of pictures of Sophie and Hallee finishing, taken by the race photographers:

Hallee.

Soph.

Hal.

Zeke and I went downtown to watch the Days of '47 Parade roll down State Street.

Some random tanks, rolling through the streets of downtown Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Norwegian Society's float. I took this picture for Grandma.

Zeke, doing what he does best at a game up in Heber!

After Zeke's soccer game, we took a hike up in Park City near Deer Valley past an old mine shaft.

Sean and Lindy at the old explosives storage area.

Zeke, exploring an old mining tunnel near the trail.

At the end of July I took Zeke, Lindy and Sean on a short overnight backpacking trip to Ruth Lake up in the Uintas. More Kilimanjaro training!

Me, Lindy, Sean and Zeke!

Zeke, practicing with his slingshot.

Lindy, lounging at camp.

Sean and Zeke at sunset near Ruth Lake.

This picture perfectly captures two brothers during the peak of summer.

Sean, still sleeping the next morning.

Lindy, catching a few more minutes of sleep before breakfast.

Zeke slept out under the stars in this cozy, mosquito-infested clump of trees. Sean was planning on sleeping out too but decided to join Lindy and I in the tent at the last minute.