Trash and Dash - down on the farm

Last weekend was a BLAST!!!

My siblings kids had all spent a day or two at Jewel's annual Cousin Camp (as previously mentioned) and on the culminating day we all decided to get together and help Chad with a bit of demolition on the farm.   But first- we had to stop in town for a bit to watch the parade.  So fun!!

The parade itself was a great time, but what I especially loved was feeling as though I'd returned home.   My old hometown still felt the same to me.

Slurpees and Candy for days.....

On the way out to the farm we noticed something moving slowly along the ditch.  All four of us, pulled our vehicles over to the side of the road and watched as my sister fearlessly gathered up an injured red tailed hawk.  I can't remember ever seeing a hawk so up close before, and the poor thing certainly didn't see too sure of us either.   We all enjoyed watching it for a bit before Crystal drove it into the local vet clinic.  We've since learned that it's wing is only slightly injured and it should be able to mend in time to be released by this fall.   Yay!!!

Afternoons on my brother's farm has traditionally (all few times we've gone;) entailed yummy yummy food.  This pulled pork picnic was one of the yummiest meals I've had in a long time!

The rest of the day was spent watching the kids pull plaster off of the old farmhouse walls, hauling loads of wood to a far off pile, and watching the cousins visit in the shade whenever they grew tired and needed a break. 

It's certainly a big project that Chad has taken on, but every time we get a chance to go down there, I can see my kids grow a little more at ease with country life.  They seem to like it very much. 

After supper that evening we took a second to sing to these three cousins (Sam, Tyson and Brooke) as they all have birthdays within days and weeks of each other), bury a "cousin camp time capsule" and tidy up just a tad.    In truth, we left Chad's old farmhouse in a more torn up state then we had found it (talk about a trash and dash!) but we can't wait to watch him put it all back together again!!!

Summer Reading

I have been LOVING this summer!

It's been jam packed busy, but busy with fun.  

I have managed to find some time for some quality reading (for the first time in a really really long time) and these have been some of my favorites:

The Gifts of Imperfection:  Brene Brown is a hero of mine and this is the type of book I will likely want to read once a year.   Filled with insights and reminders to help us live authentically and in a way so that we don't feel the need to "hustle for approval" from others.   Basically, it spoke to me;)

FISH:  This was a short book that John had been assigned to read over the summer, in preparation for the new school year.   John read it and then subtly placed it on my pillow, suggesting I read it as well.  Begrudgingly, I did so, convinced that I wouldn't like any "self help" book that my husband felt I needed.   One chapter in and I felt inspired to adopt many of the ideas.   In summary, the sentiment from this book that I want to always remember was this- 

"Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure is of less account." - John Gardner

H is for Hawk -   Back in December, this book was recommended to me by my Brother and Sister in Law who had been visiting.   I immediately placed it on hold at my local library and oila (thanks to my being the 89th person to request it;) by the end of July it was in my anxious little hands.   It was a beautifully touching book that chronicled her experience of both losing her father (and grieving his loss) while training a wild Goshawk.  Her writing was descriptive and moving.   Since reading it, I can't help but take notice of the hawks I pass by with new found appreciation.   

Mr. Darcy's Journey-  It took me about a Chapter to get used to the idea of a book about my favorite Pride and Prejudice characters that did not follow the original story line.   By Chapter 2, I was hooked.   Just a plain old, simply sweet and romantic story from an era of time that fascinates me.  

Of course, it helps that I've gotten to read these books from the comfort of a hammock.  

This is what our summer evening fishing trips have morphed into.   John, Jess and Sam off in the boat fishing, Abby and Nate sitting in the van (no doubt playing on my iphone) and me hanging out between the two largest trees I can find.      

To each his own, I guess;)

Happy Summer indeed!!!

Highline Trail - Part of our Summer 2016 Top Ten

Oooooh this hike was so so great, I can barely look at pictures of it without wishing I was right back there!    My sister Jewel hosted a two day "Cousin Camp" for our siblings kids and as a result- John and I had this two day stretch in which we could do WHATEVER WE WANTED TO DO!!!  

We basically spent that time reading and hiking.  

Dreamy.

Speaking of dreamy - the Highline Trail just might be my new favorite hike.  
It begins at Logan's Pass and follows above the "Going to the Sun" road (an amazingly stunning drive in and of itself, we knew the hike would be spectacular!)  And it was, but not for the reasons we expected.  

As you can see, the clouds were hanging low that day.   It wasn't really a overall foggy day, but quite literally thick clouds that we drove up into as we approached the trail head.  

It was the most Erie thing to start out along this trail and hear the traffic directly below us, but not be able to see beyond a few feet.   Because we'd driven this road before, we knew the the view from this trail is usually a breathtaking site.   I wasn't really disappointed though as the lack of visibility added a whole new dynamic and challenge for us.   

Without being able to see far ahead of us we found ourselves constantly surprised.   This hike took us past waterfalls that towered far above, through little streams flowing down the mountain side, over shale, into forest and then back out into open meadow that was filled with the most colorful array of wildflowers I've ever seen.  And we never knew what to expect until we'd reached it!   

At one point we came across these little marmots and their concerned Mama.  

Mama Marmot was a tad bit aggressive actually and charged down those rocks right to us.   I'm still not sure if she was warning us to leave her babies alone or if she was wanting my fruit and nut granola bar.   Either way, I was easily intimidated and we moved along;)

We also came upon a Ram on the trail as well as a bird (a ptarmigan or a grouse perhaps?) and her chick.   We also spotted a Pika running along the rocks.   Love those cute little critters!!

Eventually the clouds lifted a bit, opening up a much larger world to us.  

After three hours, we had reached this point.  We had walked behind and just a bit past Haystack Butte and figured we were almost to the Loop that would take us back up to Logans Pass.   We spoke with a couple of Hikers coming the other way though who told us that we were still had about four hours left go.  

Say what?!!

How had we failed to notice that before starting out?   Here we were thinking we were almost finished and we weren't even half way yet.  There was nothing challenging about this hike (at least not going the mostly downhill direction we were going)   We were in no way too tired to continue on. 

Unfortunately, we had left our van up at the top with plans to shuttle back from the Loop and the last shuttle departure to the top was leaving in three hours.   It was a huge gamble to know if we'd make it in time.   We debated continuing on, with increased speed.  If we ran, we could be there by 6:30.  We also considered the possibility of hitchhiking our way back up to the top - but I wasn't particularly sure we could count on that as an option.   

So, we instead, turned around and headed back the way we came - back up to Logan's Pass.  

As always, for some strange reason, the walk home didn't take nearly as long but it gave us the chance (now that the clouds had given way) to better see where we had hiked from.  
In this picture, you can see the road we followed, only the Highline trail is higher up along the side of the mountain on the left.   

It was such a happy day to be out in the mountains.  I can't get enough of it!

(I particularly love that John is willing to carry all the water, food and hoodies;)

It was a perfect day, one in which we traded in a spectacular view for a walk in the clouds!

Sigh....

Ain't nothin' like them summer nights....

Utah - Part of our Summer 2016 Top Ten

Wow, our recent Utah trip was one for the books!  

We'd travelled down to attend a family reunion down near Spanish Fork, but had to make a two day stop in Pleasant Grove first, for a bit of extra fun!

Highlights for us of those first couple of days included:

* the 12 hour drive.   (Okay, we didn't necessarily LOVE this, but it wasn't as awful as I'd imagined)

* Watching cousins reunite

* Visiting the newly rebuilt Downtown Provo Temple

* Enjoying a morning walk with Luci

* Visiting with a very interesting friend of Luci's who had some advice for me that I hope to never forget

* Eating the coolest Mexican tacos EVER

* Watching "The Music Man" up at Sundance resort.  (The outdoor stage/atmosphere was dreamy!)

On Sunday we moved on to join the rest of the family at a beautiful (rented) vacation home outside of Spanish Fork.   It was HUUUUUGE!  

Our reunion organizers this year (Dave, Aaron and their spouses) rolled out the red carpet for us (literally) and did all that they could to make sure that we would have a fun week with everyone.  Some highlights of these six days together were:

* Our Monday evening carnival was hilarious (Abbys favorite activity was the archery, for sure!)

* Pool Noodle Star Wars battles

* John and Sam enjoyed some morning fishing trips out to the pond at the edge of the property

* Cupcake Wars

* Seven Peaks Day!

* Rock Climbing

* Hang time

* A hike up to Fifth Water Hot springs

* Family Auction Night

* Family Home Evening together where Grandpa taught the lesson

* Yummy Yummy YUMMY FOOD!

and 

LOTS OF LAUGHS!!!!

A personal highlight, for me, was getting to join the other Moms on a trip into town where we talked, had deserts, and shared some of our "favorite things" with each other.  It's always such a fun thing for me to get to catch up with them and get to know them better.    

It was an absolutely spectacular week and after spending the last year planning/anticipating it - I can hardly believe that it went by as fast as it did.   

The next two years will undoubtedly fly by, which means that it won't be long before we get to do it all over again!!!! 

Second Trip to the farm

We had so much fun on our maiden trip to my brother's farm last Sunday, we decided to to it again this week! (I could get used to Sunday picnics here;)

It was even more enjoyable this time to have Jewel and her family there as well.  

We enjoyed yummy mozza chicken and birthday cake (for Jeremy) and then played games and visited on the front lawn.   Jewel shared some stories of a couple of our ancestors, which seemed fitting, seeing as it happened to be Pioneer Day.   

I can't think of a more perfect way to spend pioneer day, then at this place, with these people.  

Homemade Worms

This little project of John's and Sam's deserves a post.   Their summer has been filled with mornings, afternoons and evenings fishing.  So far, they've managed to get a bite here or there, or catch a small fish - but no real success yet.  Bummer!  

After talking with a town member this past week, John learned that St.Mary's reservoir is filled with Whitefish - and they go for a very small worm like hook.  John researched this a little and it didn't take long before him and Sam were hard at work making their new hooks.   It looked like intricate work, for sure. 

It'll be interesting to see if the lures work.  Fingers crossed!

Waterslides and Waterfalls- Part of our Summer 2016 Top Ten

Back around Christmas time, a friend of mine from our old ward (actually a few friends), gifted my family with a day at Big Sky Water slides in Montana.   We've been here with the kids a couple of times before and so they all knew what to expect.    ...A good time, of course!!

It was a perfect summer day.  The kind that you wish would never end.   

Pools, picnics and volleyball in the sand.   Sweeeeeet!!!!

We spent most of our time climbing the hill and trying every slide available.   Nate surprised us the most and bravely tackled all the ones that we did.  He's hooked!

By 4:30, the kids were hungry and all tuckered out and ready to go home.  I was perfectly happy with this, knowing what kind of drive we'd have in store.  Going to the Sun road in Glacier Montana is a "must do" for us every summer.   I can't tell you how thrilled I was that we left Columbia Falls early enough to stop along this road and explore a bit.   This steep road cut into a mountain offers views of so many cascading waterfalls along the way.   My favorite of all though are the falls at Lunch Creek.

After lots of prodding (and promising them it'd be awesome) the kids consented to a small stroll down to Baring Falls.  It looks entirely different now that a fire has burned much of the forest, but somehow, still so beautiful!!!

It was almost 10:00 pm by the time we got home, sun soaked, and ready for bed.   The kids were asleep in seconds (a sign of a busy day of play) and I couldn't help but wonder what part of the day they each enjoyed most - the water slides or the waterfalls?