A Good Day!

 

A morning run and then I checked the garden....what a good day!

This is the picture I took to make Hans jealous that I got to eat the first tomato!!!! Mwahahaha!

And yes, this was back in July, now I have tomatoes everywhere....I'm not complaining!

Little get-a-way to MANTI

 

So we packed up the car...met up with Tricia and her kids and we all headed down to Manti!  Along the way we passed the "Lavendar Fields" at Young Living Farms and I have been wanting to stop for ages! We went to their little visitor center and noticed they had all of these outdoor gardens and play areas.  We walked around a medieval village with a lavender labyrinth and the kids couldn't resist the "stocks' for a few torture pictures!  Funny thing was, the sprinklers were on so there was a lot of screaming and squealing.

  

Next we walked passed their fish pond that had paddle boats, the rock wall and on to their western town. It was crazy, all these little play stores and houses, with tons of bleachers like there are big performances here.  So after we went back into the visiter center to get my lavender oil I asked them when their facilities were open or used...... and their answer was "Lavender Day."  So they have this amazing park, open to the public, with tons of crazy things, but they really only use it once a year.  The kids want to go back for a picnic.... next year on our way to Manti!

 

We enjoyed a night out with Grandma and Grandpa at a local burger and donut joint and then went back to their place to get settled in....cousin sleepovers are always a riot...the first night Tricia woke up at around 3 and Truman and Olivia were watching TV because they thought it was morning.

 

Grayson, Chloe and I got up and met Grandpa at the temple to do baptisms.  It was Chloe's first time.  It was neat for them to see Grandpa in his white suit, giving them love and instruction. And the temple workers are just darling!

  

Later we went for a little walk up main street and found an awesome playground that the kids loved....everything spun! They would spin Luke around fast and then tell him to run and it was sadly hilarious! We had lunch at Joe Mae's Bakery....amazing chocolate dipped macaroons.  She was a fun lady to talk to, she raised her kids in CA and decided to move to Manti and start a bakery.  She isn't a member, but she loved the quaint feel of Manti because of the temple. Could you imagine taking that kind of leap to do something you love? 

Josie's favorite part  of the day was the monkey bars that were just her size...she made it all the way across! 

I just happened to catch this shot, too bad they are cousins and that she's bigger than him...they are darling!

 

After an afternoon of swimming at the outdoor pool and slide, a great BBQ dinner prepared by Grandma and Grandpa,  we walked around the temple grounds with Grandma!  Here she is telling the kids that these doors are the special entrance for the prophet if he ever comes to the Manti temple to the Priesthood Room.  The kids felt very important knowing this secret information!

  

The Skousens packed up and drove home, but we wanted to hang out a little longer, and it just happened to be Pioneer Day!  Fairview had a big parade and antique car show that had Rock's name all over it!  Hans even came down to spend the day with us before he flew out the next morning on another work trip!  

Rock was loving this vehicle...cool, whatever it is.

  

The kids all had their turn on the Rock wall....even Josie in her flips!

 

Josie took this picture...not too bad.  Poor Grandma was fighting allergies and her eyes were all red. 

What a lucky girl to have such awesome Grandparents and to know them!

Skousens taught Josie a little cheer...pretty cute! 

We  had an awesome time in Manti! I LOVE spending time with my parents, especially just sitting around chatting.  Manti is a great town.  I could raise my family there, but don't know if I could endure Hans' 2 1/2 hour commute to the airport.  We can't wait to go back for our next visit!

Squaw Peak

So...before I was invited to go to Zions, I had planned to hike Squaw with my friend Ingrid who I had been trying to reconnect with for a while.  The date was set and we got back from the canyoneering trip the night before.  Needless to say, I was crazy sore....like couldn't walk down the stairs sore...so hiking Squaw Peak was hard to say the least!

I invited my fave cul de sac friends Laurie and Suzette (Suz was sore too!), and Ingrid brought her 16 year old daughter Shannon. We started early and got to the top in about an hour and forty minutes. Luckily there were a couple of nice people at the top to snap some photos of this...yet another, UTAH FIRST for me!

 

Here are my feet on top of the world.... you can see the little temple and then the peak shadow on the right is the peak we are on top of! So cool!  Getting up on top was tough.....

 But nothing like going down.  I had to be brave again and fake it, but each step made me want to cry!  Later that day I drove with the kids and Tricia to Manti.  When my Mom saw me she said I was moving like I was older than her....yes I felt it!

Zions

Hans has an annual work trip for "play!"  This year, a lot of the guys couldn't go, so I got invited a long with our neighbors the Astles and Hans' sister Holly and her daughter Emma.  The rest of the gang included Kevin (our guide),  Mark (a four time olympic wrestler), Dave (a videographer) Bjorn and Kristin (funnest couple around)  and Ryan (a rec therapist ).

So the trip is a canyoneering trip in southern Utah.... Zions National Park to be specific.  The first day I missed because of a Peterson family reunion, which I loved, but the second day was.....

The SUBWAY!

Remember my summer of "Utah firsts?" 

1. Float in the Great Salt Lake

2. Hike in Zions

Up next

3. Hike Squaw Peak

4. Hike Timp!

Anyway........

  

Here we are with Dirk and Suzette Astle on the beginning of our descent.

 

Amazing views everywhere you look.

 

My favorite color combination.... red rock and blue sky!

Once we got down into the canyon 

(it was about a 3 mile hike down with a very steep bit at the end - right as we hit the steep part, we came upon a group of 14 that were being kicked out because they only had a pass for 12....they were scouts and 4 leaders....the rangers were dang serious and weren't giving in one bit, it was sad), 

we started hitting the water.... little ponds here and there (with tons of tadpoles), then it was the "bowling alley!"  A full swim, in super cold water! 

  

Here is Suzette halfway through....isn't she beautiful & so brave!

I just couldn't believe all the trees growing straight out of the rock... it was amazing!

 

A little repel after lunch down to a waterfall.

 

 And of course Hans wanted to get frisky in the frigid water.

  

This picture and the next 3 are great to show you why it is called the subway.... looks just like a subway tunnel.

  

Walking down this never ending staircase of waterfalls was awesome!  I loved just tromping through the river!

  

Kristin and Bjorn

 

Emma and Holly

 

Suzette and Dirk

Day two was just outside of Zion's in a canyon called Birch Hollow.  It was much shorter, but had 13 repels..... I've never repelled with a harness and helmet,  I was very nervous, but pretended to be brave...fake it 'til you make it!

 

In our gear after our first repel...it was a cliff with a "swing," where we had to just swing for a while until we hit a ledge down 20 feet or so... tough girls for our first time! Our legs were shaking at the bottom!

 

 Yes that is me, and yes that is crazy high! 100 feet!

  

But I made it! No problem!

 

Here I am belaying Suzette.... At the top you would call to the person below and say, "on belay," they would respond "belay on," then the person on the top would say, "repelling," they would respond "repel on."  And if you were lucky enough to have Bjorn with you, you would say, "on Rock," and Bjorn would say, "ROCK ON!"

 

So many crazy caverns and canyons, things I would have never seen.... simply breath taking....but really I was just holding my breath most of the time.... the nerves never eased.

  

The last repel of the day!

  

An excited sigh of relief! It was a huge day of conquering fears.

  

Such an awesome group of people!

Mark, Kevin, Ryan, Kristin, Bjorn, Dirk, Suzette, Me and Hans

"STAYCATION" Day 3

Early in the morning, we got dressed and jumped in the car for a little hike.... the goal:

to get to the top of Squaw Peak without hiking the whole way up.... tricky yes... possible?

 

NOPE!

Well .... at least we couldn't figure it out! So we hiked up the mountain just behind Squaw Peak!  It was very cool and we all had a good time.

(Gray volunteered to stay home with Josie...of course! Which made it super enjoyable for me....love ya Josie!)

 

You can see Utah lake behind us.

 

 If we would have been just a week or so earlier this field of yellow flowers would have been incredible!

 

After the hike we went home and cleaned up, then headed to the movies.....

 

 We loved it! Steve Carrel is a genius! 

  

After the movie, we headed down to Riverwoods to this great new toy store!  The kids each got to pick out a few treasures to end our "staycation!" It really was a blast!  Not much cheaper than a real vacation, but sleeping in your own bed on a vacation is dreamy!