And the Answer Is...

This picture was taken when Olaf was a lot younger, probably about the age Calvin would be now. He had so much fun on this hike. He still remembers it fondly. He happens to be the young boy on the far right, standing next to the leader on the end with the big goofy glasses. I just love how the hiking apparel and accessories have changed so much over the past 25 years. Everything is so high tech now with fancy wicking fabric, expensive shoes, and all kinds of water bottles to choose from. These kids are carrying gallon milk jugs filled with water! I think we should make Olaf take his kids hiking with the same accessories these kids are using. Hope you enjoyed the flash to the past.

I Want to Thank You For Putting Me Back in My Snail Shell

Yesterday Baby went on a field trip. Olaf went with because he's that kind of awesomest Dad. They went on a two mile hike on a bike trail in the mountains. Try keeping four 3rd-grade classes on the right side of the yellow line, I can't get my two children, much less 100 kids.

This morning as Baby was getting his jacket on so he could ride his bike to school and withstand the gale force canyon winds without getting frostbite he remembered he had picked up some stuff on the hike.


He unloaded some empty snail shells. We don't live by the beach so the next best thing to collect in the shell world is snail shells. They are quite common here in Utah. Olaf remembers his Grandma cursing them and pouring salt on them when they got in her garden. But for our boys they are fun toys. After work I came home to this funny bump on my "Kitchen Island" corner.


Apparently not all the shells were vacant.


Some were still housing inhabitants. No one's foreclosed on their homes just yet.


Now I'm afraid to walk anywhere else. Baby informed me this morning as he emptied his pockets that snails in their shells can go half an inch a second and if they've shed their homes they are twice as fast.


Who knows where else they've managed to hide in my humble abode. Hopefully they don't evict me.

Man Day

A couple months ago Middle Child and I went to Denver to visit Sister Quilter and a Cousin. We had a really good time and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Baby was a little sad about being left behind. But he decided to make the best of the whole situation. He planned a "Man Day" for him and Olaf. I don't think he'll ever mind getting left behind again after the success of this day!

Baby decided they need to take a hike. He made sure he had some water in order to stay properly hydrated.

He made sure they had their trusty compass so they wouldn't get lost and have to eat their friends. (or each other since they had no friends with them)


Baby decided they needed to hike to the large pipe in the background. I'm not sure where he got this idea, but he decided on Man Day that was what needed to be done.


The pipe was quite a ways above level ground.

They had to climb pretty high.

I don't think they even brought ropes.

But as you can see they finally made it to the top. Olaf said if they had fallen it might have been the end.

Baby brought a flashlight so the pipe could be explored. But I don't think he brought markers so he couldn't announce his presence to the world like so many others.

The day was finished by some shooting of guns.

And finally they hit the local burger joint, I'm not sure which one because we have several awesome local places. (anyone who fancies In-n-Out as a good burger joint has obviously never tasted a Glade's SuperCheese or Barry's Fries or a Little Acorn Grilled Cheese.)

PS. I forgot to mention that he didn't shower while I was away. Another part of Man Day.

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.

Destination Moab

One of our favorite places to visit is Moab, Utah. No, we don't mountain bike nor do we rock climb. We don't even go jeeping! I know that is a sin, when in Rome and all. In my defense I did get a ride on the Lion's Back once. We do have an in with the police there and can go speeding down Main St! hee hee Hubby's bro is a cop in town and when First Born needed stitches (stitches are about 2/3 the price in a small town compared to a larger town) he got to go in a police car with the bright lights and sirens slicing through the night. Talk about loving to get hurt! We love going to Moab because it is such a cute town. It is beautiful with all the green in town and the contrasting red rocks and cliffs all around. And Main St. is so cute with all the little shops and old buildings. We love to go to Arches National Park and see all the Arches, hence the name. It is also a stopping off place to several Native American sites such as Hovenweep and Mesa Verde.

Last time we went on the Negro Bill Canyon hike pictured here. It was the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. It was a hike I would actually do again. I like hiking but I am no adventurous outdoorsman and usually once I have completed a hike I consider it DONE and can chalk it up. Then I'm onto the next hike and I rarely look back. But this one was so much fun. It was shady and cool with a stream down the middle. After we had been going for quite a while my Sis-in-Law asked someone how much farther. They said half hour and then looked at her flip flops and made some snotty remark about "Well, those are the wrong shoes." Super Hiker had on tennis shoes and probably had to pick her way through the river, actually stream, we kept criss crossing, our favoritist part of the hike. It was cool and clear and so delicious to walk through in the pre-summer heat of the day. We, in our tevas, were able to walk through the stream and not worry about wet feet since sandaled feet dry immediately.

Another half hour passed and we asked someone else how much farther and they also told us half hour. We laughed and I remarked since they also had kids they were probably traveling at our speed, not the speed of the super hiker with real shoes that kept her feet dry and hot. When we finally reached the end it was such a little trickle that turned into a stream that we were amazed! The kids got to play for an hour in the pond and mud and couldn't be happier. On our way back I laughed at how we started late and hiked in as all the morning hikers were leaving and on our way out encountered all the evening hikers on their way in!

Of course Boomer the Basset Hound went with us. He was so cute with his long muddy ears. He was glad to get back to eat and sleep in the shade.