stewart falls

Last week my neighbor, Sarah, and I hiked to Stewart Falls with our kids. The hike is about 5 miles round trip, so I new this might push the limit a bit for them (Luke especially). But, I figured the reward of getting to a waterfall would make it worth it to them. I was so impressed with how well they did! There were no tears and only minimal whining. I ended up carrying Luke a few times, but not as much as I had anticipated. They loved playing at the waterfall and Asa loved eating rocks. I was so proud of them for doing so well, while keeping a pretty cool attitude the whole time.

Luke and Sarah

I'm glad Luke is my little monkey. It made it much easier to carry him when required.

Asa was quite content to sit here and eat the rocks.

Asa had it easy.

The waterfall was the motivation on the way there, and playing on the cement water tank was the motivation for the way back.

we are having fun

1. A couple of weeks ago, Isaac, Luke and I got to be in Heber's parade. Yes, it was very exciting. How did we receive this great honor, you ask? Well, when you know important people like I do, it's quite easy. My brother had an entry for his company and needed some people to ride in his wagon.

Joe the Bandit and Emma

2. For some reason Luke thinks that everything is a hair product and thus, puts it in his hair: i.e., desitin, lotion, liquid soap, vasaline, bug spray, and this week's discovery - neosporin. I have to admit, the kid has style. By the way, I DO make every attempt to keep all of these type of items out of his reach, but Luke is quite a sneeky monkey, so there are moments when my efforts fail.

3. Speaking of my sweet, sneeky monkey, he has been so fun and enjoyable the last few weeks. I think we are enjoying a breakthrough moment as parents. I'm not saying that he wasn't enjoyable before, but we have had quite a few tantrums/melt downs over the last couple years. It feels like we have finally made it to the top of a mountain after a long struggle and it is finally clear and calm (hopefully we don't have to leave for a while). I think what has happened is that we are finally getting to where we can reason with him and he is understanding the whole consequence thing a lot better. It also helps that his language skills have improved dramatically over the past few months and Adam and I are slowly figuring out how to deal with things better. But, despite any struggles that he gives us, we adore our little guy and appreciate all of the fun and love he brings into our home.

Oh, and my favorite Luke phrase at the moment is "huge, big". He says this all the time, as in "My muscles are huge, big."

4. We got Isaac a new bed. I hope this doesn't reflect on what the future might hold for him. I was really counting on him to support us in our old age - not live on the streets.

He requested to sleep here... don't judge me.

5. We took the boys to Cascade Springs for a nice nature moment. They, of course, loved all the water... except the fact that they were not allowed to play in it. Isaac had us read every one of the information signs we came across, and was very interested in learning about all of the animals and vegetation, but most of all, how the underground 'plumbing system' works.

They still managed to enjoy the water.

isaac turns 5!

5 years ago

5 years later

It's hard to believe that my oldest child is 5 years old (just like it's hard to believe that I'm 30!). But, what a blessing he has been to our lives - ever since the day I pushed his gigantic, square head out of my body. And, although he has challenged my mind, my patience, my reflexes, and my ability to explain everything under the stars over these last 5 years, I am so truly blessed to be a mother to such a sweet, fun, and intelligent spirit. Here are a few things about Isaac at 5 years old:

1. When I think of Isaac, the first thing that comes to mind is what a huge sweetheart he is. He has always been very affectionate, loving, and soft-hearted. He says some of the sweetest things - and, not in a suck-up sort of way... he is genuinely sweet. Not that he can't be a little stinker, or say some not-so-sweet things to his little brother... there is plenty of that in our house.

2. Another thing that stands out about Isaac is how a playful he is. There is nothing that Isaac loves more than to joke, goof around, and laugh. If you use the words poop or stinky or smelly in a sentence, it's automatically hilarious - whether it makes sense or not. We have done him a great disservice by using those words when we joke around with him... now when he thinks he's being funny, other kids think he's calling them names.

3. Isaac is very mechanically minded. He HAS to know how EVERYTHING works. And, he's pretty good at figuring it out by himself, if he is allowed to investigate. Before he was even two, he had figured out how to turn an ATV on and put it into gear, by himself. And, I remember about a year ago, getting a full explanation of how a snowmobile engine works after he had been out "helping" Adam fix one.

4. Isaac is constantly asking questions... literally! And, he doesn't just ask you once - he asks you the same question another 4 or 5 times, just in different ways. But, this has made him quite an expert when it comes to ANYTHING involving electricity, water/plumbing, fires, or any other forces of natures. I have gotten use to his constant stream of questioning, except when it's asking me "why?" after I tell him "no"... which he does every time.

5. Isaac is a self-proclaimed inventor. I can't begin to count how many roles of tape and string he has used in making all of his "contraptions" or "booby traps" (his words). Many times his contraptions don't have much of a purpose/use - they are just a bunch of items taped/tied together, but there are times that I'm pretty impressed with what he comes up with.

6. One thing that I love about Isaac is his appreciation for God's creations: plants/flowers, animals, babies, mountains, rivers, waterfalls... beauty. He notices these things, and he knows that his Heavenly Father made them for us (as he gratefully points out). This is something I hope he never loses.

Isaac requested a rocket cake this year. Yet, another work of art from yours truly.

Isaac finally got Bendaroos... he was VERY excited.

Funny... and a little scary.

Some of Adam's family.

Some of my family.

For Isaac's birthday party, we invited both of our families to a park for some pizza and cake. Isaac's only request for his party was to be able to play with his cousins. If his cousins are around, Isaac is one happy little boy. We also enjoy any excuse to get together with our families.

the big three oh.

Adam: "Isaac, did you know that it's mommy's birthday in a few days? She's going to be an old lady."
Isaac: "What is she going to look like?"

I am now 30... officially a grown up. It's a little confusing: my mind hasn't quite caught on to the fact that I am 30 - not 22, but my body has pretty much accepted the reality of "getting older". I'm not claiming to be a geriatric, but you do notice a few changes over a decade... slower recovery time, more complaining of an achy back, a slower metabolism, freckles turning into age spots, and the consequences of years of sunscreenless fun manifest themselves in the wrinkles on my face. I'm not complaining though. I am very happy with my life and like myself much more as a 30 year old than as a 22 year old. My life has much more meaning and richness, and much less self-absorption.

So, for my birthday Adam and I did an overnight backpacking trip up in the Uintas (in the area that Adam is scouting for mountain goats, since he drew out on a goat tag... killing two birds with one stone). I love backpacking, but since having kids, I haven't made time for it. So, this was a real treat that was made possible by my wonderful, selfless, overworked mom. It was AMAZING! I don't know if I had forgotten just how much I love backpacking over the last 5 years, or if it was just a much needed break, but it was simply wonderful. The area we were in has some breathtaking views, and there's nothing like being out away from all the cares of the world getting reacquainted with your thoughts. It was also nice to confirm that I could still physically push myself through miles and miles of trekking (I had no problem keeping up with Adam... I totally rock).

Proving how hard core I am: I climbed up this with my pack on... yeah,that's right.

This part was actually quite fun: climbing up and down the boulders.

Adam searching for the goats. My question: Even if you find them, how are you going to get them?

What a stud.

Kermsuh Lake - so beautiful.

A man wishing he had a fishing pole.

Yum.

Amethyst Basin - such a GORGEOUS place.

Well, the fun didn't end there. Adam had arranged a little surprise party for me afterwards with my family. The lodge (where Adam works) is only a few miles away from where the trailhead was, so he said he had to drop something off before we headed home. He had reserved a cabin for us all to stay the night in, and the fam was all there waiting for us when we got there. I was definitely surprised... I never would have expected Adam to pull something off so smoothly, without giving anything away. It also finally made sense as to why he was so adimate that I wouldn't make it back in time to go hiking with the young women that evening... I just thought he was being stubborn. We all had a fun evening together and my birthday ended up being way more exciting than I had expected... thanks Adam, you are a wonderful husband.

Asa, going crazy in the water - as usual.

Taking the kids down to the ponds to feed the fish.