School Days...

In High School I ran on the cross country team when my schedule allowed.  To clarify - I wasn't a die hard, but I was athletic enough to do well.  Since cross country season coincided with volleyball season I couldn't run in every meet.  I did run in just enough to qualify for Region, then run in Region and on to State (where the all grass course literally kicked by butt).  Anywho... at Regionals one year in Delta I had the race of my life.  It probably had a lot to do with my Grandpa being in the stands with my Mom, and me wanting to show him my stuff, but I ran my booty off and placed second in the Region.  That allowed me a lot of time to rest at the finish line and watch my teammates run the final stretches.  That is when I witnessed someone "hit the wall".  I'd never seen it before and it was really quite memorable.  She didn't know which way was up.  She couldn't get force her legs to move her in any which way.  It was literally as if she had run smack into a brick wall and was temporarily blind and immobile.  Oh man did I ever want to run out on the course and orient that poor gal and help her hobble across the finish line, which probably seemed like an eternity away for her.

Whelp- 

It's worth noting that the Friday before school started for us I "hit the summer wall".  

You guys.  I didn't know which way was up.  I couldn't get my point across to my gents.  We weren't communicating.  We were tired.  It was ugly and the finish line seemed ridiculously far away.

But the timing was almost perfect because school started that coming Tuesday and instead of tears from me - there would be smiles as I waved good bye to them from the front porch.  

As much as we loved our carefree summer full of adventures and days in the sun, we were all ready for a little bit of a change.

It's worth noting that it lasted a whole week and half.  Just yesterday Dax said to me, 

"So, where are we going next?  And when will you check us out of school?"  :)

It will be a year full of learning and a year full of hard work - mingled with adventure and days in the sun.  Because what goes around, comes around and soon enough our school year with a Kindergartner, a 1st Grader and a 2nd Grader will be out for the summer.  

(We gave their teachers dirt ball cookies on back to school night.  The boys each wrote a note to their teachers that said, "I promise I will do my best to not be a "dirt ball" this year in class")

Good Luck, Boys.  Work Hard and Be Happy & Don't be Dirt balls.

The Snuggle is Real...

One of the rules of being a good grown up woman is you have to share your secrets with other good grown up women.  I mean not all of them - but at least the ones that can really help a sister out.  Like, "Hello?  It's called dry shampoo, girl.  Go get yourself some."  That stuff is a tool that every gal needs in her proverbial tool belt at some point, you know?

SO, let me tell you about my favorite little pajama secret since there is nothing I love more than clean little boys in masculine but cute pajamas....

LAZY ONES.

Look 'em up or better yet, go visit their warehouse in Logan the next time you visit.  Not a single pair on this little crew cost this mama more than $7.  Bargain.

And they are thick and cozy and oh so well made.

Anyway, I saw they were hosting a giveaway wherein you could win four pairs of Christmas PJs if you posted a picture they liked on Instagram.  The boys were already bathed and jammied.  I loaded them into the car and headed a block away to my favorite empty field for a little pre-dark photo op and crossed my fingers that I could skip paying for Christmas jammies this year.

BOO-YA!  We won!

And I'm not shaming anyone else who entered, but DUH!  Of course we won.  :)

I think this was the winning shot and our caption was, 

"They're 'moosely' trouble, and 'beary' loud, but we love our wild things more than we can say.  Especially at bedtime."

And that's the darn truth.  Coordinating duds forever?

Probably not - so gimme this moment.  :)

Solar Eclipse 2017...

On August 21st there was a total solar eclipse of the sun that traveled across the south of the United States.  Here in Utah we did not get to witness totality, but we did see about 95% eclipse and you guys... we geeked out hard core.  It was AMAZING!

For a girl that was originally like, "What's all the hoopla about?" I consider myself a convert.  It was so incredible!  Interesting to see how nature reacted.  Amazing to see the shadows of crescents all around us.  Quiet as the birds fell still.  We LOVED it.

We were lucky that Ryan's sister was traveling to totality and bought extra glasses that she shared with us.  The boys would head out to the porch and ooooh and ahhhh and then scramble back into the office to draw what they saw.  It was cute how completely into they got.

I posted on Instagram that I was feeling so lucky to watch a near total eclipse of the sun with my sons.  Pun Intended.  :)  It's rare that we all get to experience a first all together.

What a phenomenon and what a memory!

The Final Frontier...

At the beginning of summer I asked the boys if there was anything special they wanted to do as we made plans and looked at a blank-ish calendar.  They ALL said, they wanted to "hike the waterfall hike WITH Dad."  What am I chopped liver?  :)

SO after Dad worked his heiny off one long weekend, we forced him to get said heiny in the car and join us for the epic southern Utah hike.

It was so fun.  That hike is perfection for little dudes.  Water to traipse in and out of nearly the entire hike.  Sun with intermittent shade due to slot canyon walls or large trees offering shade.

It is always a little harrowing to watch my babies climb "the ladder" next to the loud rushing water or to look at my entire family in between solid stone walls.  We kept our eyes to the sky to make sure not a single cloud was nearby or in the distance.  #worrier

My favorite part about hiking with our fellers is the stories.  They talk more during hikes than all other times combined which means they chatter nonstop because they aren't quiet or shy ever.  Funny stories, truths that come out that may have been suppressed, worries, concerns, thoughts about friends.  It's so true what they say about the male species.... wanna hear what's on their mind?  Do something active with them.

Except for Boone who doesn't care if it's the world most interesting story or not - nap time arrives and nap time is honored.  :)

And we love that about him.

Oh Summer - I kinda miss you already.

Good thing what goes around, comes around.

Road Trip... Take Three

At the end of our six days away fluttering from town to town and hike to hike I pulled into the driveway and opened the back hatch of the car and the entire contents of the earth spilled out onto the concrete of the garage.

We made it.  

I felt like doing a happy dance to be unpacking suitcases and shaking sand out from sneakers...

Then I downloaded the pics and I wanted to shove all the things back into the car and take off once again.  It was a magical slice of summer and we saw the most beautiful water fall I think southern Utah has to offer and those skies... and those boys of mine... sigh...

We opted to leave Boone with Grandma Gail since she is now retired and can do those things - HALLELUJAH!  I was nervous because Boone like, REALLY likes me... not that I can blame him.  :)

Anyway turns out when mama is out of sight she is out of mind and little man was a champ.

The big boys and I headed around the east end of Boulder Mountain on Highway 12 and I swear, I didn't even remember just how beautiful that place is.  

Flashback - when Ry and I were just married a few years, I drew a bull elk tag on that mountain.  We spent two gloriously full weeks chasing those animals around that mountain range together, along with my Dad and my Uncle Dave, and I have never been so near to so many incredible animals in my life.  It was really a pretty unique and cool experience in a stunning place.

The hike to Calf Creek was one I'm sure I'll never forget.  Sandy trails surrounded by water lush greenery, topped with cerulean skies and fluffy white clouds.  We told tall tales and danced our way along until suddenly we spotted it... the horse tail waters spilling over the stone walls and cascading into a pool of crisp, cool water.  My heart did a flip -- and so did theirs.

And you can see why.

Sometimes I imagine I'm the first person to ever discover such a wonder.  Like I'm Sacajawea accompanying Lewis and Clark and my eyes are the first to view the amazing scenery before us.  Can you imagine the way you might feel?

Of course, I don't know if anyone is ever really the first... so I'll avoid deep thoughts like this and just say I sat with my feet in the cold water and soaked it all in and watched my growing boys frolicking in the falls and the waters beneath and I was so so happy.

We are surrounded by such beaUTAHful things here in our own back yard.

And my goodness my little ones are becoming obsessed.  I mean, it's becoming a problem... like every time we have a free afternoon they say, "Maybe we should hike to a water fall."  As if there are just waterfalls around every corner in suburbia.  :)

I'd say it's a fortunate problem... we are lucky to have the time together and the means to make it to just about every water fall that makes the map here in our neck of the woods.  

We feel all right about it.  :)

Road Trip... Take Two

The second half of our "Summer's Over so Hurry and Take a Trip with the Boys" road trip found us in Wayne Wonderland.  

We used Grandpa's red house as the home base for a few excursions including a hike to calf creek falls which was GORGEOUS and probably ranks as my top Utah hike we've done together.  Which is saying something because these boys have trekked.

Whoopsies - that was a tangent... back to Wayne...

The first stop is always Grandpa's garage and the "clubhouse" and the little sand pit that borders it.  Boone has been here before but man this time he got inaugurated into the "Baking Club" and the boys made sure he knew the proper sand to water ratio.  :)

He took his duties seriously and I could not stop watching him stir and dump and repeat.

Play is work and this little man was werkin' hard!

Then they baked me a cake because they just love and adore their mama.  Obvy.

It was my favorite flavor.

We took some time to visit the craw dad pond.  It's funny we still call it that because I think the critters haven't returned since it was washed out, but alas, hope springs eternal. 

We didn't score any craw dads but we did find the mud... And really the water and the mud are where it's at for the boys anyway.  Those reeds, the red rocks, the blue skies and the cumulonimbus clouds of my dreams are where it's at for me as I click mental images and tuck them away in my heart and literal images to share here.

One thing I remember about growing up in this territory is the right of passage it was to go from being a passenger on a four-wheeler to being the captain.  

This trip we held driving and shifting lessons on the wheeler and I let them take it on the dirt roads around the outskirts of town.  They were SO serious and motivated to do a good job.  It was fun to watch them.  One of the things we have said regularly when they ride laps in the yard is, 

"Listen to it... Is it talking to you?" hoping they will hear the subtle differences in the engine sounds so they will recognize the need to shift to a higher or lower gear.

It was rewarding to hear Dax yell out to Ace, "Ace!  It's talkin' to ya!  Listen!"

Also, not mad about the scenery we surround ourselves with for the most mundane of tasks.

This hotel was built by my Grandma & Grandpa.  It was one of two in town that they owned and operated.  I love the mid-century modern design and I love hearing my Dad's stories of helping in the cafe when he was little.  The boys are fond of the ice cream served there.  :)

And I've been saving it 'til "the end"...

Our muddy little man turned nudie baker.

XOXO