Soul Carving

       Remember last year when I raved about the Colonial Fest ? I'm still the mom that carts her kids around to every historic reenactment she can find -- especially when admission is free!         Cove Fort is a Historic site owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The majestic structure was built over 100 years ago to provide lodging for travelers. Free tours are offered year-round, but Cove Fort Days is only held annually, the first weekend of August. The volunteers all donate their time and talents to provide a highly educational and immensely enjoyable event. My kindred-spirit cousin informed me she'd be taking her kids, so I braved the 2 hour drive with my own little ones. Eight hours and seven sunburns later, we returned home, exhausted, but tremendously satisfied.        This link will show you a picture of the trees as they appeared up until last year....

The musty smell of chlorine mingled with sunscreen. Drippy chins stained blue or green from popsicles. Barbecues, car rides, fairs and fireworks. Summer brings it own brand of exhausting and exhilarating magic. Utah offers unique opportunities for fun and education throughout the summer. Today I'd like to highlight some of the events we've enjoyed this season. Splish-Splash Bash        Fitting for a desert, this area has no shortage of public pools and water parks. Spanish Fork and Springville both boast lovely splash-pads, free and open to the public. My children like to gather bark or bring bath toys from home to have boat races! Springville's pad is much longer, with a variety of depths and fountain areas. Spanish Fork's will get you wet whether you intended it or not! But each has a separate playground next to it and bathrooms available. I also love the sculptures, waterfall and rocks that decorate Springville's pad. Of course either one gets pretty crowd...