4-Wheeler

He's only Nine! I'm really looking forward to his Teenage Attitude!

A Peaceful Weekend

This last Friday all the boys headed out on a campout. In Goblin Valley. Now don't be scared. It doesn't get its name from little goblins stealing children. The name comes from the rock formations that were formed in this valley eons ago.

As you can see the formations are everywhere. The boys absolutely love going on this trip every spring. They go in the spring because it's HOT in the summer. When you visit the Southwest in the summer you sweat profusely. Not so fun and comfortable like the spring.

I read that originally it was called Mushroom Valley.

I like Goblin Valley better. Sounds funner.

At night the boys run around with flashlights

and light sticks and play night games.

Then when the finally come in the daylight the next morning

they are always in amazement at what the place looks like.

Well, if they've never been before.

The shapes are one of a kind. I don't think there's

any other place on earth quite like it.

In fact, in the movie Galaxy Quest, they set the crew on an alien planet and it happens to be Goblin Valley! You can check that clip out here.

In the meantime I did some stuff that I've been working on for a while and finally finished. Whew! For Sister's Weekend this year we are making quilts. Everyone is bringing eight quilt squares and we will share them to make each of us a quilt.

This has been quite an experience for me. Once I tried to quilt something and it turned out so misshapen that I threw it away. So this time I chose a pattern that didn't have any exact measurements, it was do whatever you want. And I did. The best part is no one will know if I messed up because nothing is square! This one isn't misshapen, it just isn't trimmed perfect yet. I just didn't want any seams to come undone and ravel. That would drive me crazy!

While my weekend wasn't quite as adventurous as the boys, I got some important things accomplished and that made me very happy.

And to top it off, I made cupcakes. Delicious. I bet you're jealous of my weekend now.

Fall Camporee

Hi, it's not the regular blogger, its better Me Bob. I'm usually middle child. Last Friday and Saturday I went on a campout and I had SOOoooooooooooooo much fun, especially dinner. We had chili cheese dogs! The best part was Saturday, we did geochaching, fire starting, cooking, and orienteering. For geochaching we found foreign coins and candy. For orienteering we found tootsie rolls. For cooking we learned how to cook bananas and apples with cookie dough. For fire starting we got sparkymobobers and made a small fire! Then we went home. Wait, I forgot they had rafts that were so fun! Hope you liked the guest blogger.

No Labor on Labor Day

As a child my parents didn't travel on major holidays. That left chores and housework to do on the holidays from work. I had such a fun childhood! Actually, I really did, I'm not complaining, especially if my parents are reading this. But because of the few times my Dad said we were going to "Labor on Labor Day" I refuse to do that as a grown up. This year we went camping with some friends and family. We had an absolute blast!

It didn't necessarily start out that way. We hadn't even been on the road for an hour when Olaf noticed our friends were no longer right behind us. I figured the roads were busy and a few people snuck between us. Olaf begged to disagree and when he got hold of our friends he was right. The back wheel on their camper trailer had completely flown off! Apparently the middle bolt came loose, the whole thing jiggled for who knows how long, and then all the lug nuts sheared off and the wheel went flying through the air! It hit an empty, parked car, thank goodness, and no one was hurt.


Of course, Olaf knows someone in Heber whose husband has a Tire Shop. What are the odds? Seriously? The next three hours were spent with friend's husband helping Olaf and his friend fix the tire and get a new spare; you know another problem would happen if we proceeded without a spare, it would be too tempting for Fate. We couldn't have asked for better weather to wait by the side of the road, cool and cloudy, and it started to rain just as we got in our trucks to head out again.

After we got to camp people started setting up and I made dinner so I didn't have to set up anything. I know how to get out of work! We had a nice evening hanging out with our friends and cousins and aunts and uncles. I always love visiting with Olaf's family, they are a lot of fun. We finally all headed to bed and the kids crashed pretty quickly.

I slept great in my sleeping bag in our tent. I love sleeping in a tent, especially when it's cool outside and I have to snuggle in my bag to stay warm. I did wake up in the middle of the night and heard an owl hooting around our campsite. Then I heard a squirrel that sounded like he was in our tent, but I'm sure he was just above our tent in the trees.

At breakfast in the morning one of the Uncles told everyone he thought he heard our friend's girls out screaming in the meadow in the middle of the night. Maybe that was what originally woke me up, I'm not sure. But then he thought about it a little bit and realized it was probably just a cougar. He and a few others went hunting for cougar tracks and found some good sized tracks by the stream.

The tracks are about six inches across. I didn't have a ruler up at camp to set next to them. But it was cool to see them!

Several people brought 4-wheelers, the kids' favoritist thing about camping. Until last year Middle Child didn't really like 4-wheelers and then last year something happened. We're not sure what but he loves them and we have a hard time keeping him off of the machines. This year Baby learned to drive the big 4-wheelers and loved it!

Notice how his legs don't even reach the bottom! He's driven kid-sized 4-wheelers but he was pretty excited that he knows how to drive big ones now. Of course Olaf and I had to keep going on rides with him. He got bored driving around camp and couldn't go anywhere else without an older person.

This morning I made Decadent French Toast. We have finally almost perfected the art of baking it in the dutch ovens without burning it on the bottom. It was delicious. Then we packed up and headed home. We even got home before dinner. And without any mishaps at all! It was a wonderful weekend and I hope you all had fun too!

First Camp

Girl's Camp was a blast! We had so much fun!

Getting ready for our first hike. I decided we'd make this a Hiking Girl's Camp. What better activity when you're out in nature? This hike to Timpanogos Cave is straight up and back down again, 1.5 miles each way. I'm just barely able to walk up stairs without wincing today.
We are only 1/4 of the way! Aauuuggh!
The hike was gorgeous. The girls were great!
We all made it to the top and got to see Timpanogos Cave. It was worth the hike.
The switchbacks. It was a rather steep trail.
We finally got to our campsite. It was beautiful! I had reserved three campsites. As everyone else was getting out of the cars I hiked up and around the bend to check on the third campsite. On my way back I looked up and saw a huge bull moose right next to the road drinking from the creek! He was staring at me. I've been around moose before, but never that close and never alone. I froze and slowly backed up. I just kept thinking "Please don't charge me! Please don't charge me! Please don't charge me!" I waited at that other campsite all alone for about five minutes until Olaf drove by in the truck and scared him away. Remember the Buddy System, you should learn from my mistake.

We got camp set up and by then we were hungry! Dinner!
We decided to forgo the usual camp skit in lieu of Ribbon Dances. The girls loved the change! Helps that half of the girls are dancers. They were amazing and had put together a great routine in about half an hour!

Roasting marshmallows! Who can make the most perfectly, lightly toasted, gooey marshmallow? You'll have to try next time you go camping.
When my Assistant Camp Leader and I woke the girls for breakfast she said "Morning girls! You have. . ." she paused and I help up two fingers, "ten minutes to get ready." Then she looked at my two fingers and laughed. "We might have to compromise between me and Donna, how about seven minutes." I just laughed at myself and told them all "I'm not used to having girls around!"
Then the girls were up and about cooking breakfast after a night of avoiding bears. We didn't actually see any but some had been seen in the area the week before. It was still early in the year and the animals hadn't been scared away yet.
Stewart Falls. A gorgeous hike that wasn't too hard although I think some people beg to differ! Soon after this the hail and rain started and we were drenched by the time we got to our cars, even those of us with rain gear. One of the girls turned around and asked me "Are we going to go home if it doesn't stop raining?" "No," I replied. And then I thought "What are we going to do if it doesn't stop raining?" Thank goodness it stopped by the time we reached our camp.
Here are the girls playing some games before dinner.
The guy on the right was so helpful. He helped cook dinner, he kept the fire going, and he even gave us some weather lessons.
I had so much fun at camp. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was great! I love the girls that went with us and hope they had just as much fun!

I Still Have 10 Toes & Fingers

I know you've been on pins and needles for a while now, wondering if I would make it back from the frozen North to post ever again. At least my sisters were, thank goodness they read this thing I write. Did you know we crazily decided to camp outside on Friday the 13th!?! I had forgotten and things were in store for us! There was some crazed madman running around the mountains taking out people one by one. I'm lucky I barely escaped with my life. I'm the last one left to tell our sad story.

Oh, wait, that was the movie that came out last night, not my camping trip.



Actually, I had a blast! Would you have ever thought I would say that about a snow campout? No, you say, well that's what I thought before I went. I won't be making this a monthly habit or anything crazy like that. But I did have fun.

We got up to camp by 5 on Friday. We hurriedly set up tents so we would have plenty of time to ski. We were lucky because we were staying at a Cub Scouts Summer Day Camp. There were a few porta-potties by the parking lot (they didn't get used by us) and a huge pavilion inside the gates. After pushing all the picnic tables to the edges we were able to set up three tents and still have plenty of space for cots and beds outside. I guess the boys don't need tents. They're much to manly for those sissy things! Actually, they figured since they were under a pavilion and would stay dry and all the animals were sleeping or had vamoosed South for the Winter, they didn't need the protection a tent offers. I on the other hand felt the need for four walls around me in my sleep.

We headed to the cross country ski area and got our skis on and headed out. It was so much fun! And it started snowing big fluffy flakes while we were skiing. It was beautiful! We skiied for a couple hours. Before we headed to camp we used their bathrooms, they were superheated. Then we headed back to camp.

Baby getting ready for skiing. Yes we took all the kids.

Heading our for a night on the town!

Too many people on skis in a small area

They had a blast!

We had Cup o Noodles for dinner. I had no idea they tasted so good when all else was cold. We also had plenty of hot chocolate. One of the men had a rather large cup and was asking the girls how much chocolate to put in. I informed him that much water needed two packets. He mixed it up and started drinking. "This is pretty chocolatey!" I grinned and Olaf replied, "She drinks her hot chocolate with a fork."

After tucking all the girls into bed with two to three sleeping bags we headed to bed. I told all the girls that if they woke in the night and were cold to ask for Olaf's help, I wouldn't know what to do and I probably wouldn't wake up. Then I crawled into my brand-new Valentine's present, a double -5 sleeping bag. I got to sleep next to my own personal heater, Olaf! And I stayed plenty warm that night and slept great (the babbling brook right outside helped drown out everyone's snoring and my teeth grinding so we all slept well), I was pretty surprised.

Me, Ashley, Alyssa, Susan, & Audra.

In the morning I woke to the best sound ever when you're camping in the winter and it's snowing outside: Someone Else Chopping Wood for the Morning Fire. It was a wonderful sound. We got up, packed up, ate up, and headed for home. Once home I noticed the skin under my nose was a little raw and I realized it was from tying my hoodie tighter and tighter last night in an effort to keep the chilly wind out. And my toes were cold by the time we got home and took a few hours to warm up, but I didn't lose any toes.

Hopefully Not My Last Post

If I never post again it is because I am going to my death tonight. I was asked to be the Camp Leader for the 12-18 year old girls at our church. I said "Yes" and then they dropped the bomb. "We're going Snow Camping!" So right now I am bundled up in about five layers with about three more waiting to be donned when we reach our destination. At least it will start out fun. We are going cross-country skiing tonight. Then the torture starts. At some point we will be eating Cup o Noodles for dinner and lot of hot chocolate. Then later on tonight we are sleeping in tents! Olaf bought me an early Valentine's Day gift, a new sleeping bag. It's a -5, so stuck inside another bag I shouldn't freeze too much tonight. I'll be bundled up like a Pioneer girl, hats, socks, lots of clothes, and braids to top it off. So, after the fun, I hopefully won't freeze in my sleep. One good side effect, hopefully, my body will burn LOTS of calories trying to stay warm. Maybe I'll come home five pounds lighter!

Olaf

I have decided to call Hubby by the name of Olaf. Whenever I was pregnant he wanted to name our children Olaf after his Great-Grandfather who immigrated to the US just before his Grandpa was born. He remembers his Great-Grandfather & Great-Grandmother a little. He remembers that his Great-Grandmother didn't speak much English. We have a picture of the family and there are six children pictured. The four older ones look to all be above the age of 10 and then there is his Grandpa and his Grandpa's little brother who are much younger, so the Greats were a bit older when they immigrated here. We also have a picture of his Great-Grandfather in his military uniform on a horse back in Denmark. It is a very distinguished picture. So, in honor of his Great-Grandfather I have decided to name Hubby after him, Olaf.

This morning I got a call from Olaf. He was in the mountains camping with the Boy Scouts.

"Morning Hon. I need you to do me a favor," he woke me with.

"Yeah," I sleepily relpied.

"I need you to get a pen and paper and write down the VIN on the truck. I locked the keys in the truck," he chuckingly replied.

I sat straight up. "What!"

"Yes, I did. But at least I'm not calling to tell you a tree fell on the truck, or we have two flat tires, or someone found and ate a rattlesnake, or the cops told us to get the Hell out of Dodge there's a murder suspect in the mountains near us," he laughed.

All of these things have happened on his Scout camping trips, among others. One of the other mothers once remarked to me, "I wonder if J will ever have a normal camp experience." I told her not while Olaf was his scout leader, but at least he would remember Scouts with fondness. Thankfully she agreed.

So, right now I am frantically calling the local Ford dealership to get an extra key made because I lost ALL my keys at the local city Fiesta Days while at the Carnival with the children. The dealership seems to be operating on it's own time and no one is answering despite the hours they have posted on the internet said they opened 15 minutes ago. What an eventful morning already!

Accomplishments Over Labor Day Weekend

1. Traveled to Moab since all our camping friends left us high and dry.


2. Bought a new pair of Teva's half-price at one of the many outdoor stores. I do believe Moab has more outdoor stores than any other county in the state, probably even if they were all combined.

3. Tried and liked 'Whole-Grain Pasta.' It's only 51% whole wheat, therefore bearable. While I love whole wheat bread I have not found a whole wheat pasta that doesn't taste like cardboard.

4. Played at the park instead of hiking since there were Flash Flood Warnings all over the area. The kids still got to play in the water in the relative safety of town.

Somehow this Hottie Chick got in our park pics!


5. Saved $20! Checked out the Wall Arch, which recently fell, online instead of in Arches National Park. We've been quite a few times and decided a fallen arch wasn't as cool as an intact arch.
Before (National Park Service Photo):

After (National Park Service Photo):


6. Saved a small fortune on gas by driving the New Old Car to Moab instead of the gas-guzzling truck.

7. Actually brought home the Ketchup from Moab Brewery, my favorite restaurant as seen here.

8. Learned that Sister-in-Law Fashionista's past relatives built Hole-in-the-Rock. A house carved out of the rock.

9. Drove around Moab and saw areas I had never seen before. It's quite picturesque up in the hills around Moab. But I still love the valley best because it is so green and lush with the red rock cliffs towering above all around. It's a beautiful picture almost year round!

10. Hiked to Moon Flower Falls. At the beginning are some petroglyphs.

It was a beautiful hike along a stream with a waterfall at the end.

First Born participated in Cliff Jumping.

Other Children rode the small falls like a water slide.



Brother-in-Law Copper posed beautifully as a red-neck for us all.

Murder Campout

My husband is Scoutmaster for the 12-13 year old boys in our neighborhood. He is perfect for the job. He loves Scouts, camping, and all things outdoors. This last winter he took the boys camping near our house in the mountains. I think they're a little crazy. Camping in snow? There's a nice warm bed at home, 15 minutes away! But the boys dig it and can't get enough. As if once a month isn't enough for anyone! This time they left, camped, cooked food, made ice cream in their new ice cream ball bought for $1 at an estate sale, and went to bed early since they were cold. About 1am my husband was woken up by a commotion outside. Peeking his head out of the tent, and only his head since it was cold, he saw some sheriffs. He decided he better check out why they were visiting his camp. Since he was already dressed, I've learned you sleep in your clothes on winter camps, he hopped out and asked what brought on this nocturnal visit. "We want to let you know we're searching for a murder suspect and think he's tromping around the mountains here." Well, that's enough to wake anyone up! His description? "He's in his 40's and carrying a briefcase." By this time all the boys were awake and some were starting to get a little worried. They heard helicopters buzzing overhead and saw spotlights on the surrounding mountains. Sheriffs - "Have you got a gun?" Silly question if you know my husband - "Yes." Sheriffs - "Load it."

At first my husband thought about putting everyone back to bed and then he started thinking. Chances are pretty slim of actually running into this guy, but these aren't his kids. So he woke the other adult who had slept through everything, sounds like me, and packed up camp. At 3am Baby woke me to tell me the exciting news! Yes, Baby thinks he's a Scout and goes on most camps.

One of the boys said the moral to this story was "Bring a gun."

Good News Minute

It's Friday! I have made it through another week again! Sometimes on Tuesday or Wednesday I just don't know if I can make it or not. At my church we have a Good News Minute at the beginning of the women's meeting every Sunday. We have a lot of older women who are always announcing Weddings, Baby Births, Mission Calls, College Graduations, Children getting off Drugs, etc. Every time I'm in there I want to raise my hand and say "I made it through Another Week!" I just know that after the chuckles I would get those looks afterwards, Why is it so hard to get through a week? A lot of these older ladies have forgotten how hard it is to raise kids and occasionally make comments as the few children we do have run through the halls; I can't really blame them, they just sat for three hours!

For this week my Good News Minute includes making two purses; a couple zipper pouches; buying plane tickets to California for my Hubby & I to go and pick up an old car we just bought from my Grandpa; surviving daycare kids and my own two children not at camp; not cooking one real meal since Hubby and First Born are camping and are the only ones who really eat my food; making it to both Baseball games for Baby; Letting Middle Child play with lots of friends; getting a second job interview at the same place; and getting a decent amount of sleep. Hope your week was good too!

Quiet

I have two out of three boys gone for several days. First Born had a leadership camp for the Boy Scouts of America and Middle Child is off to a 5th grade camp that is put on by the school district every year. It has been so nice having one child and Baby is loving every minute of it!

First Born should be having a ball. He discovered at a meeting that he knows a few of the kids at camp from school and that helped relieve his reservations about going away for a week. He will be camping and learning survival skills and learn leadership skills and again camping, his favoritist part. He adapts well to new situations and gets along with most people and I know he is having a ball!

Middle Child is at camp with friends from school and should hopefully be having fun. I'm sure he is but he always worries us parents a little. Until recently he was not so much of a social bug. He was more happy to stay home and do stuff here. Grounding for him resulted in kicking him out of the house to go and play with friends. At first he considered it serious punishment but, of course, once he got playing with his friends he was happy.

It's amazing how different all children are. First Born is outgoing while Middle Child is much more reserved and Baby is a little of both, although once comfortable in a situation he can be a little too outgoing.