"Warning: unattended children will be given a puppy and an espresso"

Ryan saw a sign with that comment on it at a store in Park City when we were there for our family reunion. We laughed our heads off but I know, in all reality, there's nothing funny about it. My moms dog had puppies this summer and my kids have been begging me for one ever since. I think I'd rather give them the espresso.

The Beast!

Friday night my sister Nikki got remarried in the Jordan River Temple. Hooray! We're so excited for her and her new husband Brent. Since Ryan's parents had the kids spend the night Ryan decided to take me to hike to the top of Mount Timpanogos early Saturday morning. I figured since I was in pretty good shape that that was a great idea.


We started a little after 6 am since we had to park a ways down the road. The trail head was full and a Ranger was redirecting people to park along the road. It was dark but there were lots of people heading up with us. As the sun started to come up I was shocked to see how many people were coming down! In my mind I was thinking maybe they started around 4 or 5 am.

It wasn't until a little later that Ryan informed me this was a 9 mile hike to the top! I soon overheard some of the people coming down say that they started at 1 in the morning! I was already feeling winded, weak and shaky, and started to seriously question my ability to get to the top. Especially since most of the people passing me (everyone) was in their twenties or in high school. At one point I pictured myself lying down in a field of flowers and curling up in a ball to sleep (or cry). But I kept that to myself. I told Ryan I was struggling and he just kept handing me granola bars. (For some stupid reason I started a high protein low carb diet the day before. FYI, don't do that before you hike Timp!)

Believe it or not I made it to the top! It was as great as everyone was saying it would be, albeit absolutely terrifying if you're afraid of heights, which I am! I actually only made it to the Saddle. There was still another trail to the Summit but I don't think my heart, or my fears, could have gotten me there. Maybe another time Ryan says. ???

We made it up in 4 1/2 hours which I'm sure is nothing to brag about and down in 3 hours. We were in a hurry to get Cameron to a birthday party and clean our house for another showing. (I got that phone call on top of the mountain. It was really weird when my cell phone rang 10 min. from the top). On the way down I stubbed my toes on hidden rocks about a thousand times. I was sure my left toe was bleeding so when we were fairly close to the bottom I sent Ryan ahead to get the car and meet me at the trailhead.

When he came to pick me up he said it was a blessing I sent him ahead because two Rangers were writing tickets on everyone's car that was parked on the road, $125! They were just filling out his ticket when he showed up! He argued with them and told them that the Ranger this morning told us to park on the road. Amazingly, he got out of the ticket. But it seems some people even got their cars towed! How evil is that? You hike a mountain for 8 hours only to come down, exhausted, to find your car gone! I think something is seriously wrong with the Ranger department to do that to people.

When I went to bed Saturday night, early, all I could see in my mind were trails of rocks and dirt! Not a good thing. By the way, my toe was not bloody, or broken, but definitely bruised.

Are You Looking For A Good Laugh?

I love my sister Bre's blog. She works as a librarian and often recounts her experiences. They crack me up. Unless you happen to be one of the people she's writing about and then they're not funny at all. But if any of you need a little laugh, just pick one of her entries. She's also very insightful, as is Ryan, and they both have some entries that might make you think.

Why I Blog

I don't know any of the rules for poetry but I really love to write. I wrote this poem for Dallin before he turned 2 because I felt guilty for not keeping a better record of all his precious moments as a baby. I never got any better with any of my other kids until now. I'm so grateful for this blogging invention and the chance it gives me to write down some of the special moments I have with all my children.

I Never Wrote It Down…

I never wrote down
The day you poured a box
Of rice crispies all over the floor.

I never wrote down
The first time you said doggy,
Or ducky, or car, or car keys.

I never wrote down
When you heard the thunder roar.
You put your little hands on my
Cheeks and gasped, “ooo”.

I never wrote down
The afternoon you took my hand
And led me into the kitchen.
You sat me down in front of
The cupboard and carefully
Selected the snack you wanted
Me to let you have.

I wish I had written down
The day I sat on the floor and cried.
You gently put your head on my
Shoulder and wrapped your arm around
My back and softly caressed my
Tears away.

I never wrote down the day you were born
and a joy I had never known
filled my life.

You are already 18 months now
And the adventures we’ve had
And the things we’ve learned,
Could fill pages – should fill pages.

But instead they are wrapped up
In my heart and only remembered
In the way we look at each other,
The way I hold you in my arems,
And the love I feel when you call me…

Mama

The First Day of School 2008

Stewart Falls

So, since Cascade Springs was such a success and I figured everyone would want to get out of the cabin again, I thought it would be a good idea to take the kids on the hike to Stewart Falls. I'm not so sure 3 hours later if anyone still thought it was a good idea or just a lot of work. But I was honestly so proud of all those little kids. We had three 3 year old girls who hiked all the way to the falls, 2 miles, and most of the way to Sundance, 1.5 miles. There were also three 5 year old boys who were total troopers since they didn't stand a chance of getting held at all, and the bigger kids hung in there without a single complaint until almost the very end! What Superstars! It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed myself. Fortunately, we had lunch ready for everyone when we got back to Sundance and I was amazed to see Eden and Austin eat their whole PB & J sandwich, plus everything else we had for them. It's good to work up an appetite sometimes, and according to my dad, everything tastes better when you're outside.

Gilroy Family Reunion

On Wednesday Aug. 13th we went to Timberlakes to stay in a cabin for five days with my family. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins in and around the cabin but especially in the Hot Tub! However we did manage to make it out of the cabin to see some of the sights like Cascade Springs. Austin, Lynne, and I were curious about the water so Lynne helped Austin reach down to touch it. It was mountain cold. I was thinking it would be warm like a hot spring but it turns out the minerals that collect in the pools wash down from the mountain.

Erika and Doug rented a canoe from REI. Doug and Kimball took turns paddling the kids around the little lake in back of our cabin. I took a turn too and was very grateful, after seeing the water, that no one fell in!

Lightning Flashes?

Last night Ryan was sitting on the couch watching Eden and her cousin Katy play when he thought he saw flashes of lightning out the window. There were about five of them before he realized it was unusual. He turned to see Austin sitting on the other couch with the camera in his hand. This is one of five pictures that he took.

It's About Time

I keep a box under the kids's beds, one for each of them, where I put their schoolwork from the year. Then, usually, at the end of the school year I lay it all out and take a picture of it. They get to keep a few of their favorite things and the rest I throw away. Well, the new school year starts in about a week and a half and I finally got around to going through the boxes from last year. Better late than never, right?
Dallin had Mrs. Penrod for third grade last year. He thought she was a good teacher. This is a sample of some of his favorite things he worked on and learned last year. There was so much stuff in his box we couldn't fit it all into the picture. Dallin aced all his spelling tests and is an excellent reader. He loves art and making up stories. He wrote quite a few books involving, Dallin, Carter, and Peter Pan! They are very fun to read.

Cameron had Mrs. Lee last year for second grade. She loved her teacher and was very loved in return. Once again we couldn't fit everything she did in her picture so she picked some of her favorite things. Cameron seems to excell in every subject. She loves writing stories but she's also good at drawing and reading. I was so proud of how helpful she was to her teacher and what a good friend she was to everyone in her class. Cameron is a social bug!

Eden participated in a Mother Goose Time Preschool with me and five other moms from the neighborhood. Every Tuesday and Thursday she went to one of the six houses and played with friends, heard stories, made crafts, and learned letters and numbers. She especially loved it when it was our turn to have it at our house. She loves telling stories and coloring pictures. She is also kind to her friends and is very good at sharing.

"Mama broke car, so sad."

This is what Austin said all night Wednesday after I crashed and most likely totalled our van. Of course I had all four kids in the car but fortunately everyone was okay.

I came home from Girls Camp Wednesday afternoon to find Grandma leaving with all the kids. When I asked where she was going she said she didn't know but that our house was being shown from 4-5 and so she was leaving with the kids. It was already 4:00 so I frantically did a quick check over the house, put the carseats back in the van, and loaded the kids up. We decided to hang out at Grandma's for a little while.

Feeling a little overwhelmed by current events in my life I wasn't paying attention and drove past Grandma's street. I pulled over to the shoulder and saw in my rear view mirror as she made the turn. I told the kids I need to turn around and just as I started my U-turn, BAM! I never even saw the guy.

I'm so glad everyone was okay and I'm grateful that it wasn't worse. When I checked on the kids Cameron was crying and asked if we needed to buy a new car. I said "yes". Then she asked if our new car could have a t.v. I said "yes Cameron, whatever you want". I knew she must not have been hurt too bad. Austin still had his rice crispy treat in his hand and just looked a little shocked. Grandma was able to take the kids to her house while we waited for the tow truck and filled out information for the police.

I still feel shocked and upset and miserable because I know it was all my fault. I keep reviewing in my mind what happened and promising myself that I'll never let it happen again. Hopefully time will calm my nerves and help me feel better about driving again.

Dallin's Swim Meet

Dallin was on the Spanish Fork swim team also this summer. He swam freestyle and backstroke but added butterfly for the first time this year. It was great to see him try something new and I thought he did a great job. This was the last meet he participated in this summer and he cut 12 seconds off his freestyle time! I really enjoyed watching Dallin improve so much this year.

Cameron's Swim Meet

This summer Cameron made it on the Spanish Fork swim team. She practiced hard and improved in all her times. I was so proud of her. Before the start of summer she could barely swim across the pool, but by the end she was swimming laps without a problem. Her favorite stroke was freestyle but she also raced in backstroke and breastroke. This video was taken a few weeks ago at the new Payson pool. We missed a few meets but she had good experiences at the ones she attended.