SURVIVOR:Gooseberry

Pronounced GOOZ-burry with a Sevier County accent, Gooseberry is a beautiful campground in the Fishlake National Forest. It's an overnight field trip, adventure-camp, a rite of passage for every 3rd grader in the area. If you didn't grow up here you might think it strange to take a class of 8 year old kids, keep them overnight in the mountains, and scare the pants off them with a fireside telling of the legend of "Annie Bangs," the crazy lady who haunts the campground... It's weird really, but it's what we do. I went up as a parent helper and except for miserable sleeping conditions it was a pretty great time.
After a bus ride up to the campground, we all had lunch, and went on a nature treasure hunt. We found animal tracks, animal homes, and explored the stream.

Later the whole grade was divided up into groups and sent in rotation to different wilderness classes. I loved this part! This is education at it's best. Somehow, instead of 15 or 20 like the others, my group ended up with only 3 kids! Lucky us. I lovingly called them my Navy Seals, my Elite Special Forces, the Gifted and Talented, the Cream of the Crop.
FORESTRY: We learned to identify all the trees in the area from aspens to firs to spruces. Then the kids got to measure diameters and heights of the trees using some awesome tools. We had another class at the stream where we learned about water pollution and what makes a healthy or unhealthy stream.
The policemen and dispatch presented to the kids and Smokey the Bear came. This is Brynn's class.
Boondoggle and other crafts.
2 other moms convinced me it was WAY better to sleep in a tent than in the stuffy cabins. That might have been true if it wasn't FREEZING cold, and if our air mattresses didn't deflate in the middle of the night. Oh well, we're tough. We took this picture because we set up the tent ourselves, no instructions, no men. We're women and we're awesome like that.
"Once upon a time there was a little family that lived up here in the woods...TRAGICALLY the family didn't survive the winter...but where was little Annie?...they searched and searched but she was NEVER FOUND... BUT THEN campers started noticing things would go missing...especially RED things...ESPECIALLY right here in this campground.... THERE SHE IS!!!

And if the kids weren't already about to pee their pants, there appears a freakish lady in a red flowing dress, with crazy white hair, running through the trees. She darts back and forth as the kids point and scream. Then she gets closer and actually GRABS kids and takes them with her....where they are never heard from again. Okay not that last part but she does grab and release. One kid yelled, "I PEED MY PANTS!"

After all that it's--Time for bed! Sweet dreams everyone!! Especially you kids who don't have parents up here with you!!! Hope you're not wearing RED pajamas!!!!!
More classes the next day. FIRE and ATV safety.
The kids learned about prehistoric life and then tried their hand at atlatl throwing. We learned about ecology, habitats. In the wildlife class we learned to identify different animal tracks and how to use your 5 senses to appreciate the beauties of the forest.

Our special ops team found Annie Bangs hideout.

Brynn with her 2 neighborhood friends. We had a great time and we're glad we all survived the infamous 3rd grade field-trip to Gooseberry.

Sweet Home California

I really should be from here. My parents USED to live here, back when they were first married with just 1 or 2 kids. They had met at BYU and moved out there to start my dad's career. He had a really good job with Shell Oil Company. They had a house. My mom would walk a few blocks and spend the day with the kids on the beach. What's not to love? That's how my mom felt but darn it, my dad started to miss his Utah roots. They left it all and came back to Utah (my mom kicking and screaming.)

Ah well, we can't change the past but we can certainly visit as often as possible. Growing up we probably took roadtrips at least once/year. I remember every time, sitting on the beach and crying because I didn't want to leave. Why do I love it so? Again, what's not to love! Water, sand, and sun, and that warm happy feeling that you're home.

So this trip, #321 or so, was fabulous, fabulous. We thought instead of taking two days to drive the whole coast to our favorite beach, we could just fly there directly and spend the time there! That is how our SF coast trip turned into a last-minute Laguna Beach trip. (It's fun to be spontaneous like that when it's just you, your mom, and sister and you're flying stand-by.)

We did all our favorite things like eating creme brulee and watching the amazing sunsets, shopping at Bardot's, early morning walks on the beach and swimming. I never mean to get soaked that early in the morning, it just always happens.

And we added some new things like Balboa Island and Corona Del Mar.

We met some wonderful people. One of which we found out was my mom's cousin!!! Wouldn't it be sweet to have a big ole' family beach Thanksgiving:)

My only low was checking out real estate and finding out that I can't LIVE there.

Unless... (I've been thinking)

• I or Brandon invent something even more amazing than those Snugglie blankets you watch TV with.?
• I or Brandon write a best-seller (that would have to be Brandon.)
• I supplement our income by becoming a world famous brain surgeon
• I or Brandon join the Coast Guard.
• We put in an early request for a mission?!
• Or California could just fall into the ocean and we'd be the new coastline...

Ha Ha. But yay! I'm feeling gladness from having a wonderful time and being back with my husband and kids again!

Happy Birthday to Me!

A special delivery arrived yesterday. No way has anyone ever been more excited for grass than me! The kids? Maybe. At least they showed it more with their tumbling and skipping. I am dreaming of all the benefits that come with bedding down the dirt: picnics! clean floors! volleyball! slip-n-slides! races! no back-breaking weeding! What it boils down to is LESS WORK and MORE FUN! Mowing it even counts as fun, if you add a pina colada. Lucky for us this kind of grass is a special slow-growing, lower maintenance variety.

It required some heavy labor putting it in but our kind neighbors helped-- a few sweaty, dirty hours later and Presto! Instant yard just in time for my birthday. (amazing how 4 years can count as instant.)

I thought that staring out the window and soaking in the green sight would be a perfectly lovely way to spend the day. Maybe I'd bring a book out so I could glance up and into the green after every few pages and enjoy the surprise again and again.

It's been a good day of well-wishes and birthday messages, and if that AND green wasn't enough I also got presents! Brandon gave me a GPS sports watch that tracks mileage, pace, and heart rate for walking/running/biking. What a great gift! I'll be able to run longer and faster than ever with my new awesome gadget! Brynn is going to mop the floor for me today. Cannon gave me a birthday hug. Adrie agreed to go to school willingly and un-whiningly (which she did!) and Kate gave me a coupon for a 30-minute foot massage! Perfect pampering after that brute labor yesterday.

My cup runneth o'er. I came across this scripture the other day which seemed to sum it all up.

...and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.

(Helaman 3;25)

The local radio station called to tell me I won a birthday cake! Astonished beyond measure.

Life is good. Brandon and I are going to Boston in a month which I am SUPER duper excited about. Travel IS my drug of choice. So just when I thought life couldn't get any better my sister called--

"I've got 3 days off and a buddy pass for you. Where do you want to go?"

FOR REALS?!!!!!!! Add beach to the travel and I'm on a serious high!

Our plan is to fly to San Francisco then drive down the coast, stopping at all the best beaches along the way then fly home out of L.A. or San Diego, wherever we end up. PCH 1 here we come!

All Good Things Come to an End....

I don't really believe that title, but we were having a REALLY GOOD summer and now it's over!

Today I sent my three girls to school--all of them--all day.

This photo captures all the feelings of the first day, no?

So, it's just me and little Bud at home now. He was pretty weirded out from being abandoned by his little mothers. We filled the day by cleaning his room, going to the library, reading all the books we brought home, and painting with watercolors on giant poster paper. It was only 1 pm and as if on cue, some neighborhood friends showed up to play. It's a great life, I know.

So just to wrap up the summer, here are a few of the other things that have happened.

Kate's team won with 7 goals on their first soccer game. Kate scored 3 of them! She looks so much bigger this season out there on the soccer field. I don't usually yell so much at games but it was so exciting! Coach Dad was pretty proud too.

Dad ran a 5K. He hates running but he makes it look easy. He can just not run ever-- and then show up at a race and take 5th or 6th?? It just reaffirms to people like me (who run faithful as death every other day) that life is not fair.

While we're on the subject, my running partner is out of commission (pregnant.) So, I had to find some new running friends and lucky me-- I found the perfect ones (literally, they're about as close to perfect as you can get)--President Monson, Dieter F. Uchtdorf --the whole gang! They do all the talking and I just listen but that's okay because they have a LOT of gems to share.

It actually makes me excited to get up in the morning and get out there because I can't wait to hear what they have to say! I even find myself running a little longer just so I can finish a talk. Yes, thank goodness for iPods, arm bands, and LDS General Conference downloads.

That spiritual boost had proved perfect timing, because little did I know how much PUTTING in YARD WOULD BE SUCH A TRIAL AND TRIBULATION!! Trying to install a sprinker system has certainly not brought out the best in me.

It takes:

• patience (uncheck)
• diligence (uncheck)
• brawn ( uncheck)
• brains-- esp. the kind that can look at crude diagrams and figure out what they mean (uncheck)
• high frustration tolerance (double uncheck)

We tried phase one of sprinkler system for date night and it didn't go well at all!

Thankfully, "NeighborMan"came to the rescue. What I lack in the above character traits was hopefully made up for in GRATITUDE to have someone who knew what they were doing help us out. He had all the above qualities plus a passion for "installing sprinkling systems" (too weird to even make up) PLUS a boundless supply of energy which kept him working and working with Brandon...until midnight. He didn't stop with the sprinklers, he also filled in the trenches and set the timers. My job was the sprinkler heads:) Our whole yard was finished in record time--it's SOD-READY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't be more excited and grateful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will be the best birthday ever when the truckload of fresh sod arrives...so come and party barefoot in our backyard!

On the Road Again

A chance to see cousins always makes for a great weekend getaway. We were excited to meet up with our NJ cousins on their trek out West.

Our first annual marshmallow shooter party. Too bad I couldn't aim for nothin' 'cause it sure looked fun to pop some uncles in the head with those fluffy little pellets. Cannon's tummy was more stocked with ammo. than his gun.

Next on the docket was the parade, and boy it was a HOT one.

A garbage can provided the only scrap of shade around. My favorite float was the one handing out ice cold bottled water.

We don't usually get to join cousins for their birthday parties so it was great to be able to join Anika for hers. It's no wonder she wanted to go skating for her special day--she is really good

and fast on those skates.

Brynn was looking glassy-eyed by the end of the party. She was spiking a temperature of 103 so it was time to pack up and make a quick exit.

I think it's time we stayed home for awhile so the sick one can rest and the rest can work-- on this...

YeeHaw! You Better See it to Believe it.

It was time, this week, to get on down to the County Fair! I think it's the most exciting event in the county and it's the only time I really want to wear a cowboy hat and ride the daylights out of a horse. (Actually I always want to ride a horse, so just the cowboy hat part.)
We were entertained by a hypnotist, some guys doing some pretty awesome bike stunts on half pipe's, and some hands on farm-activities. We walked around to see all the exhibits and the blue ribbon livestock.Kate won a blue ribbon for her chocolate chip cookies. They really are the best darn cookies you've ever had and I ain't lyin.
Then it was Rodeo time.
When we first moved out here we went to (my) first rodeo. To say it was a culture shock would be an understatement. Maybe I lived a sheltered city life but we certainly never did anything like this. Yeehaw! You better see it to believe it.



I don't know what I was so shocked about?! Now that I have kids of my own of course I'm going to let them get their chance at chasing a wild (domesticated) animal in an arena for a chance at some cash. Brynn's the only one of our girls that wanted to sign up for this year's "Little Cowboy Rodeo" She got down and dirty and got herself ribbon off that cow, worth $1.00.

Brynn also really wanted to try Muttin' Bustin' this year. That there is how you hold on to sheep for dear life. Even though I warned her it was not as easy as it looked (I pretended to know) she was sure she had what it took. Her confidence payed off because she was able to hang on there until the announcer told her it was time to get off. And wouldn't you know she placed in the top 6 of her age group. ( She also came home smellin' like... mutton.)
Well, that's it for this year's county fair folks!

Snowbird in the Summer

My sisters and I gathered from our various locales to join my mom in celebrating her birthday!!!

We loaded up a selection of fruit tarts, cream puffs, tiramisu for the best birthday cake ever from our favorite bakery and headed for our favorite mountain getaway, Snowbird.

Nowhere in UT do the mountains feel bigger than in Little Cottonwood Canyon, with it's staggeringly tall pine covered mountains and giant slabs of granite. Huge drifts of snow remain even in the middle of summer. There are waterfalls cascading down those sheer cliffs and meadows full of wildflowers. You can feel the temperature drop as you drive up the canyon. It was nice to get away from the city heat and escape to the mountain coolness.

Brandon was on-call so he stayed at home with the older two and I took the younger 2with me for the weekend. My sister stayed overnight at Snowbird and we all met her up there to celebrate.

It being a Sunday, we went to to worship at the local LDS branch. We gathered in the main lodge with about 50 other tourists, had a song, prayer, the Sacrament then a 10 minute gospel doctrine lesson and a 10 minute testimony meeting. Bing Bang Boom, all that worshipping pared down to one-hour?! Loved that and I'm gonna be suggesting it to my bishop :)

After church we had brunch in my sister's hotel room and then went exploring. We booked a tram ride which took us all the way up to, what felt like, the top of the world. There was still snow!! Hence, the snowball fight title and you can be sure we had one heck of a fight. We basked in the glory of the view from all sides then hiked down a bit. Adrie and cousin Courtney opted to sled down the snowy short-cut where we made it to a tunnel in the mountains, whichled us to the chairlift, which we took to get us down the rest of the mountain. It was a thrill to ride down the mountain and take in the breeze and breathe in that smell that I remember from childhood--the smell of Snowbird-- wildflowers warmed in the sun with a hint of pine. We spotted 2 moose way down below us which was very exciting even from far away.

Back on land, we got lunch and explored some more. I took Adrie and Bud on a "bear hunt" through the forest to a river and a pond. It was time to wrap up the day when we realized we were very sunburnt!

I think my mom had a great birthday. I sure did! We returned to her home to find dozens of birthday messages on the answering machine, a few little gifties tucked inside the screen door, and a few visitors after that bringing treats. My mom loves her neighbors and they love her. I guess that's what happens when you live in the same neighborhood for 50 years. She really gets to know them and keeps up her tradition of inviting any new family over for Sunday dinner.

Nana feeding the ducks and geese at Sugarhouse Park.We stayed one extra day so we could see cousins from Virginia and we're glad we did!!