The Lake

The lake always seems to be good therapy. The cool, soft sand between my toes, the sun on my shoulders, looking out into the gorgeous blue water...it's got a calming effect. Isabelle and Dylan would live there if we could. They love the cabin, the beach, and of course, the raspberries! We need to spend more time there so I can watch Bucky throw sand:

And take pictures of Izzy when the sun gets in her pretty blue eyes:

Thanks mom and dad for a nice, relaxing weekend. It was just what we needed!

Thank You

Thursday didn't start out great, as you can clearly see from the photo of my car in the last post. I don't know which was a bigger pain, the window being shattered or my bag being stolen. I know better than to leave my purse in the car, so I have been kicking myself all weekend. I spent Thursday at the DMV, the bank, on the phone with the Social Security Administration, cancelling bank cards, etc. On top of that, Dylan had a fever (just over 103), so he was pretty cranky. Also, Izzy went to the doctor for a follow-up exam and we ended up scheduling tests at Primary Children's Hospital. To say the least, by the time I got home Thursday evening, I was pretty cranky myself. But, when I got the mail, guess what I found?
This:

My blogging friend, Kari, had sent me the most wonderful surprise. Not only did she make me a CD (I was the queen of mix-tapes), she wrote a little note about each song as well as her favorite line from each one. What a treasure! I love music, especially hearing a mix someone else has made. It's like taking a little peek into their soul. And Kari's mix is fabulous. I listened to it on my way to Logan Friday afternoon, and I found myself crying. It was exactly what I needed after a really bad day. The first song, "Heavenly Day" by Patty Griffin was beautiful. "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles started the waterworks, but "The Rainbow Connection" by Kermit T. Frog was the kicker. I cried and cried because how could Kari know that is my favorite song? In the universe!? That song is so special to me and my kids. It made me more convinced than ever that God works through each of us to make the world tick. He knows when we need a friend, and getting that gift in the mail was priceless to me. Kari, you truly made my day! Thank you so very much. I adore the CD, and more than that, I love the time you took to write about each song. I will treasure it always.

Not my favorite morning...

Camping

On Friday, we packed up our camping gear and headed to the mountains. We usually spend our days hiking and exploring, gathering firewood, and generally having a good time outside. The mosquitos and deer flies were so bad that we had to go sit in the tent to get away from them. It was insane. Honostly, I can't even begin to explain the number of bites we came home with. I've never had to think about it before, but I guess packing a deck of cards might be a good idea, because being stuck in the tent staring at each other was not the highlight of the trip. After using an entire can of repellent, we did manage to escape the tent and have some fun. Izzy found a hill nearby that she used as a slippery slide, which officially made her the dirtiest camper. We made tinfoil dinners with hamburger and fresh potatoes, carrots, and sweet onions from my mom and dad's garden. Pretty much the best meal ever. Even Dylan, the world's pickiest eater, ate everything on his plate.
As we were falling asleep, we listened to thunder, which is one of my favorite things. I love how it echos in the mountains.
The morning brought more mosquitos and deer flies, so we ended up packing up our stuff and heading out to find a spot to kayak. It was perfect timing, because while we were out on the lake, a storm started to roll in. It was so beautiful--this photo doesn't really do it justice. I think it was the way the air changed around us more than the way the sky looked. Kind of eerie and cool. It looks like I changed this photo to black and white, but I didn't. The color of everything just changed right in front of us. Here's a short video of Izzy taking me for a ride. I was impressed at her ability to get the kayak straightened out and move forward at a good pace. She loves it as much as I do, which is written all over her face at the end of the video. All in all, a good weekend. Itchy, but good.

Time Flies...

My cousin Kaysie posted a few pictures showing how her cute little girl has grown over the past three years. It made me start to think back to when my big kids weren't so big. Really! When did my quiet baby boy go from this...

to this?

And my little girl go from chubby and silly...

to all grown up?

Donut Falls

I can't think of anything better than getting up into the cool mountains on a hot summer day. Luke and I love hiking so much, and Izzy and Dylan love it even more than we do. I didn't think that was possible! We headed up to Donut Falls, which is not a hard hike by any means. It's only 3/4 mile from the trailhead to the falls, but such great fun when you get there.

Awww. We had to take a picture once I got to the top to prove I made it! Izzy made it about half way, but got a little nervous about finding good foot holds, so I ended up taking her down. It was slow and scary, but she was so happy to be off the rocks that she didn't even mind wading through the river to get back to the trail. She's such a trooper!

Dylan made it to the top--on Luke's back! There were people standing across the river, shaking their heads while watching Luke scale the rocks with Dylan's little arms around his neck. I think one mom in particular said it best: "I'd be pissed if that were my kid". I knew Luke had everything under control, but I'm not going to lie. My knees were shaking. Dylan was unphased by the whole thing, and just so excited to say he made it to the top. And yes, I realize his teeth are blue. I thought a slurpee on the way up the canyon would be a good idea. I guess not.

If you haven't been to Donut Falls, you really should go. I know I've said it before, but we are so spoiled here in Utah. I look at Mt. Olympus every morning and just can't believe how lucky we are to live minutes from spectacular canyons, world renowned ski resorts--places people travel from all over the world to see. Spoiled. That's all there is to it.

Tagged

Eight things I did yesterday...
pitted cherries
slept in
went to a parade
ate great food at Fred and Kelly's
hung out with the Robbins
lit fireworks
watched Cooper and Camden impersonate Michael Jackson
went for a bikeride

Eight favorite shows...
Intervention
Without a Trace
Cold Case
Big Love
So You Think You Can Dance
The Next Food Network Star
The Amazing Race
Does public radio count?

Eight favorite eats...
Red Mango
Diet Coke
Steak
A little mexican place I don't know the name of
Bacon
Costa Vida
Fruit in general-watermelon the most
Any vegetable picked fresh from the garden

Eight things I am looking forward to...
Going to the kid's Home Depot class in the morning
Grilling steaks for dinner
Fireworks and sparklers
Izzy going to the Jonas Brother's concert--rock on!
Relaxing
Spending time with great friends
Cooking/baking
paychecks?

Eight things on my wish list...
Pay off my car,fix my car,or maybe just get a new car
Be a better friend
Teach my children to be good, confident people
Make a difference in someone's life
A vacation
Lots of money
Get a fence around our yard
My garden to do really well

Eight things I am thankful for...
God
Luke
Isabelle
Dylan
Ozzy,as well as any other pets buried in our backyard :)
My family
Luke's family
Good friends--we have the best around by far!

Eight people I tag...
Anyone who wants to be tagged!