Summer Fun!!

As the weather starts to warm up and we head into the last school term for the kids I have really started to think about summer this year and what we are going to be doing. I like to keep my summers busy and full of fun. With three kids we need to keep moving or the summer will be WAY too long. I've heard many people say they don't know what do to over the long summer, or there aren't that many things to do in Salt Lake so they'd have to spend a lot of time and money to have a really fun summer. I've found that's not so true. Here is my list of summer fun we are going to do. Some are free, some are cheap and we have one big spend activity. I buy an entertainments coupon book from the schools fundraiser every year which helps cut the cost. Ready for my list;

Canyons water feature at Liberty park they've created the canyons of the salt lake valley into a fun place to splash on a hot day. The rivers from each 'canyon' run into the Jordan river and out to the Great Salt Lake. A fun way to spend the afternoon. A little nicer with older kids that you don't need to see every minute. With a picnic lunch you've got a fun free afternoon.
Clark Planetarium if you want to take it inside for a day head downtown to the planetarium plenty for the kids to see and do, it's another free one, unless you see one of the movies they have (I usually don't so all I have is I think the tickets are $6)
Hiking There are tons of great hikes up Big and Little Cottonwood and the other canyons. You can do a search on the Internet or find books. I have a great little book called Salt Lakes best Easy Day Hikes. Most short great for a family, Anthony's been hiking them from the time he was four.
To go with hiking is Camping one night or a weekend kids love to sleep in tents and cook over a fire. I love camping too.
Zoo We buy a year pass so after the initial cost it's free all year, if we go five times in a summer it's paid for it's self. Pack a lunch or eat before going and you've got another free day (I don't know what the rate is this year) (Entertainments coupon)
Antelope Island For $9 a car this is a fun day (and for us it is all day) time on the 'beach' is fun for the Utah kids who don't know what a beach is really like, do not forget your bug spray tons and tons of bugs out there. There is an old farm to explore. And to see the bison is really neat. (Although with the way gas is going we may not drive out there this year.)
Bee's Baseball we love going to the ball park for a game. We usually sit in general admission putting us down on the grass, but that way the kids can move around during the long game, there is also a playground to entertain the little ones. There is a family pass to get your whole family on the grass for all 72 home games for $200. Good if you plan on going to more then one or two games. And depending on where you are coming from there is a trax station really close to the ball park. (entertainments coupon)
Movies a lot of theaters will do summer movie programs where they show older kid movies for just $1. Typical one movie is shown a week so you'll want to know the day and time of the program. Also you cannot forget about the drive in movie!! A family favorite for us. Grab some blankets, snacks, and hop in the truck. Watching movies outside is a fun way to stay out late.
Water slide park/swimming, Bowling need I say more. (entertainments coupons, multiply coupons for many different places)
Tracy Aviary go see the birds, we typically combine this with hanging out at the park. The aviary is on the south end of Liberty Park. (entertainments coupon)
Have fun down at the Boondocks laser tag, mini golf, bumper boats, and more. Boondocks has lots of fun to be had pick on activity or all they have different packages and costs but my kids have always had a great time ( entertainments coupon)
Utah Museum of Natural History they finished the new building and have moved everything over. I worked an event here and it is amazing. You could spend hours here and see so many things. They've done it in a way that is interesting and fun.
Discovery Gateway (children's' museum) Another way to head inside on a hot day, just make sure it's not a holiday. It's a very popular spot and the one time we went it was too crowded to have much fun. But I could see how it could be tons of fun with fewer people. (entertainments coupon)
Living Planet Aquarium what's not fun about watching the fishies swim? They also have a little pool for you to pet the stingray. (entertainment coupon)
George Eccles Dinosaur Park We haven't made it to this one yet, but a big park full of life size dinos, sounds like a good time and we are headed there this year for sure. (entertainments coupon)
This is the Place Heritage Park also a favorite for us. A pioneer village in the middle of a modern city, fun look at the past. Houses, church, old stores, drug store, newspaper (where you can help print the news of the day) blacksmith shop, and more, plus a train and horse rides. And don't forget to stop and pet the goats and sheep. We are making this a spring break stop this year to see all the baby animals they have this time of the year. (entertainments coupon)
And of course Lagoon we all know about Lagoon.
There is also exploring temple square, going though the church history museum, the air force museum at Hill Air Force Base (we've been there Jared had a great time) the beehive house, touring the capital building, Kennecott copper Mine.

We have ti all written down, but who knows how much we'll do. This list doesn't include the park going on picnics, walks around the neighborhood, playing with cousins, running through the sprinklers, bowls of ice cream and Popsicles.
Summer is a great time to have ideas of what to do, but keep the plans loose. Remember the fun you had as a kid and have that kind of fun again. I hope you summer is half as fun as mine because ours is going to be AMAZING!!

(Oh and if you ever want to join us let me know we love going with other people making the day that much more fun)

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the surrender of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher claim. Sounds fine giving up something you like for something better, but then why is it so hard to do sometimes. Do we really think we can have the thing we like and the thing we'd really like without giving up anything? Or do we just hope that it can happen that way? Sometimes it seems easy to make the choice, we sacrifice sleep to take care of our babies, sacrifice days of fun to work, (of course we do that so we can pay the bills, have a house, and eat), sacrifice dates for family nights, sacrifice sweets for a fitness. The list of things that we give up every day for better things could go on and on. But what about big things, how easy is it to make a life changing decision that will be hard and far from ideal to make life better in a year from now.
It can be hard to see past all the challenges that come with a sacrifice in order to see the thing that will be better, worth giving up the thing you already have and like having.
We can have all we want in life, but sometimes that means have very little of what you want for a short time to get all you want in the end.

“Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” ― J.M. Barrie

I have dreams and goals in my life that I can have, will get if I wont stand in my own way. I will sacrifice the things I have and enjoy for the things that I will love and want more then what I have now. I will do it not only me but my husband who gives so much to me and my three kids who I would sacrifice everything for.