And why not another?...

We are so close to finishing all our miles for our Children's Marathon so we decided to pack the last of them into another hike.  This time it was Stewart Falls.  I loved this hike as a kid and couldn't wait to share it with my kids.  I grabbed a few friends and we all headed up the mountain.  This one was probably the most difficult one for Emma so far.  The rest of the kids did this like champs, I do believe hiking with friends makes the difference here.  Emma's special friend on this hike was mom, so she felt it wise to share with me all her grievances.  From start to finish I got an ear full.  It wasn't until I convinced Emma that the Emma bird was trying to talk with her that she finally lightened up.  As we were hiking in absolute beauty we heard a bird loud and clear.  I quickly told Emma to talk back, now to fully understand this you have to know that Emma just recently taught herself how to whistle.  She has practiced and practiced to fine tune those little lips of hers all summer long.  So she broke out into whistle and gratefully enough the bird whistled back and Emma was officially convinced she was the ultimate bird whisperer.  We quickly named it the Emma bird and from then on whenever she commenced whining I would distract by telling her we can't hear the Emma bird let's talk to her and see if she is still around.  And the whistling would commence.  Quite brilliant if I do say so myself.  I wont mention that this spark of creativity didn't come until after I threatened to leave her on the mountain!:)

Another hiking adventure- Big Springs

This hike was especially fun for our family we had never heard of it, no one we knew had ever gone on it and we found it via GPS.  During the hike it became even more grand as we discovered it was probably the flattest hike we have ever done, and two moose decided to greet us along the way.   Only feet from us we were able to observe them in all their grandeur.  The kids were happy from start to finish.  They had great attitudes which I especially appreciate.  Talking kids into a good attitude is probably one of the most difficult things during a hike for me because it usually occurs in the heat and with a child on my shoulders.  I often times feel I am having to keep myself from falling into an exhausted funk let alone having to keep them sprightly.  However, this one kept us all in good spirits and it was a trail worth taking and will be taken again.  I love these family moments when we are together and having a good time with mother nature.  We missed Madi on this one as she wasn't feeling too good.  Maybe next time Madi Moo!

Strawberry Days

In Order to become full fledge residents of Pleasant Grove one must experience what is called Strawberry Days.  We have done bits and pieces of it every year but this year I decided to throw caution to the wind and do it all.  And it was fabulous.  Everything from the parade to strawberries and cream to the carnival was perfect and I am happy to say we are officially residents of Pleasant Grove, UT now!  HA!

And of course you have to throw in a little Firebird Pizza along the way to keep the little ones happy.  It is a local pizza joint right next to the carnival.  What a fabulous day.!

Rylie the Dancer

Seriously isn't she the cutest little dancer you have ever seen???

The joy this child shows when she is dancing is enough to make my heart beat right out of my chest.  I have never seen Rylie enjoy something more thoroughly than when she is dancing.  I am really proud of her.  Not only was she a rockstar during her performance but she overcame some anxieties she had about messing up.  Love this smiling, dancing, talented little thing.

Da Swummin' Poo!

We love our local pool.  Every year so far we have bought a pass and we go every ODD day.  What makes this more fun is that nearly every time we go we see neighborhood friends.  There is always someone there to hang with.

More than just swimming though I love the magic that the pool has over my children.  I see the big ones playing with the little ones.  I see the ones that fight the most play the hardest together.  I see bravery in the hesitant ones.  I see the pride wash over those that need it most.  I see a mom who wonders if her kids like each other turn into a mom that knows they do.  It is truly a magical place and the highlight of our summers.

Summer of Hiking

I signed the kids up for a "Kids Marathon." Easier than it sounds I promise.  Basically from the time you sign them up to the race day on July 14th they need to run 25 miles.  They then finish the remaining 1.2 miles on the actual race day.  Well we started off great, but then the whining kicked in.  Apparently my kids are just like I was at that age and they hate running.  So we have taken on hiking.  We can get our miles in that way and as a bonus the kids are having much more fun doing it.  We may not be race ready come July 14th but it is all about the experience in getting there and so far our experience has been fun!  I have been so proud of these little troopers and love that they let me put them through tortures such as these.

Here is our first hike of the summer up Battlecreek Falls in Pleasant Grove, honestly only a mile from our home.  We brought the cousins with us to add more humor and goofiness to the hike.  We came home afterwards to some homemade smoothies.  That's always the best reward for a hike well done!

This state of Utah is quite remarkable, view and see:

And the mighty shall fall...again

It's quite hard to explain what took down the mighty giant this time.  We thought at first it was yet another kidney stone, then we figured maybe his hip joint, then onto his S-joint, then we landed on pinched nerve.  We settled into that notion for quite awhile but 2 expensive MRI's, 1 x-ray, a visit to the physical therapist, several to the Chiropractor, three to a general practitioner and from there on to an orthopedic surgeon we were finally left with a diagnosis of herniated disc pushing up against a nerve.  However, although we knew the diagnoses we were left without any cure.

This experience was not only frustrating in every sense of the word from not knowing a diagnosis to dealing with intense insurmountable pain but it was disheartening and depressing.  Harvey has been defined much of his life as an athlete.  When that is taken away from you and you are left somewhat debilitated it can bring even the most positive and mentally sound down.

One day in particular I could sense he was feeling depressed...after weeks of dealing with chronic pain he was beginning to be unbearably cranky.  Grouching at everyone left and right, not being able to enjoy much in life, missing out on everything the kids and I were doing it was starting to take it's toll and I was beginning to feel helpless towards his cause.

It was then that I urged Harvey to receive a blessing.  From there that urging turned into persistence.  I felt as though I grabbed two men and Harvey and threw them into a room together and said "Now GO!"  I am sure it was much more gentle than that but the Spirit was overwhelming me and I knew this was the course of action that needed to be taken.

In the blessing Harvey was told his injuries would not be healed through medicine but through faith.  Disclaimer here: I know that this isn't the case with all suffering.  But in this case and in this trial Harvey needed to be taught the valuable lesson of healing through faith.  Apparently we all did.  For as he and myself and our children have fasted and prayed we have watched the healing process take action.  A miracle?  Some might say coincidence...but the Scott's know better.  We were told as plain as day, that through our faith he would be healed.  So we applied it.  As we have done so our hearts have changed for the better.  I can attest that miracles do happen in the most unusual ways.  Not only has Harvey begun to heal but all our hearts have changed.  Empathy has taken over, we have developed an understanding of the weak and sick and the fallen, our hearts are softened.  God has given us unbelievable bodies that are capable of so much but he has also given us hearts and minds.  He can heal both, I do believe that with all my heart.  What an amazing experience.  And although Harvey has a long way to go in the healing process his heart has been filled with hope.  And for that I am grateful.

First Job=Growing up too fast

Savannah started working this summer.  We decided Volleyball is way to expensive and we needed some assistance in paying for all her summer camps.  She eagerly accepted the challenge and took on a job.  It wasn't too hard since her Papa thinks she is one of the best girls in the world.  So one phone call later she was hired on at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course where her Papa manages the Clubhouse.  She is the cart girl.  She picks up golf balls with the range ball picker, manages the carts, cleans the garage and waters the flowers.  She looks like a princess but this girl can work.  She has not only made her mom and dad proud but her Papa beams with pride each and every time he talks about her.

Kicking off the summer the right way

We are having one of the best summers so far and I am dying to journal.  It's been awhile since I felt the need to journal anything but this has been one of those summers I just don't want to ever forget.

We kicked off the summer in the best fashion...Madison and I ran the "Girls on the Run 5K" and while we were there we helped them with our new Promotional Video for Girls on the Run Utah.  Both of us were interviewed.  It was awesome.  Madison went to the race with the decision being made that she was not going to run.  She has this knee problem and every time she trains for these races her knee pops out and in and results in painful swelling.  But the girl just couldn't help but feel the overall excitement and about 2 min after the gun went off she decided she wanted to run.  I am glad she did.  We took it nice and slow and learned to listen to our body.  But we were still able to get in the experience of the completing our goal.

I love this girls spirit of determination.  She is a bit crazy like her mom and can let the spirit of the competition override her logic.  But you just can't beat that feeling of pushing your body to it's limits and succeeding.  At the very end of the race there is a downhill run into the finish line.  We were approaching it and she told me she probably should walk the downhill and into the finish line because her knee was hurting.  She asked what she should do.  I told her she could do the right thing and listen to her body or the crazy thing and sprint to the finish line.  She asked what I would do and I answered, "Well Madison I am crazy!"  Right then she sprinted, all the while yelling back at me, "I guess I am crazy too!"  Love this girl!  She finished strong and after some ice she felt as good as new!