Danger--Beware!

Not all of our adventures go smoothly, but that's life. Keep going to read more about our perilous hike, Andrew's tranquil brother's hike, and the Discovery Gateway Museum. 

Scout Falls Hike--Saturday, September 2, 2023

It felt like we were doomed. We scheduled and attempted to go on this hike 3+ times before it actually happened. Andrew's injured foot put the hike off and some other factors. It feels like a big accomplishment that we completed the hike! What an experience it was. 

Along the trail, there are beautiful wildflowers and several people came walking down the mountain with homemade bouquets.

Hiking Stats:

Total time: 2 hrs. 47 mins.

Distance: We think 3.7 miles based on our phones. I walked 8,756 steps.

Distance to car: 1.03 miles

Learn from our mistakes. Here are 2 critical lessons we learned:

1) You need a timed parking pass to park in the parking lot on weekends and holidays. This is a fairly recent change. Andrew and I both browsed several blogs and websites and did not see this beforehand. We were aware of the $6 fee you pay to enter the canyon, but you additionally need a timed parking pass which you can get online. I believe you do NOT need a pass on weekdays. 

Since we did not have one things were complicated. The drive to this hike wasn't quick (about 45 minutes each way) and I was grateful we thought of a solution. Andrew generously volunteered to drop us off at the trailhead and go park the car about a mile away. We didn't have to wait long for him to run back from the car. Our friends met us at the trailhead but opted to leave. They also didn't have a pass and the weather was iffy (they didn't have jackets).

2) Near the end of the trail, avoid the steep climb and turn RIGHT at the fork. I had read about a steep part. There are 2 paths to take. Some hikers stopped us and told us to go left. I was hesitant because that looked like the way that the bloggers said to avoid. We should NOT have gone left. I'm not sure why the hikers told us to go that way especially with young kids. That last stretch of the hike was the most intense hiking I've done. It was like we were rock climbing minus the gear. It was extremely abrupt and I wondered if it would put me into labor.

                        Your hike guide's blog said this about the treacherous ending: "A false trail goes to the left and will come out below the Falls. This is not an approved trail and will require the hiker to climb on loose rocks, which can be quite dangerous." 

I'll say. It felt very dangerous. Not shown in the picture above is my crabbiness. I was not thrilled we went this way and was also not pleased Andrew was taking a picture of this moment. Any of us could have fallen to our deaths at any minute. Later when I wasn't at risk for stumbling down a cliff, I was grateful Andrew took the pic.

                        Utah's Adventure Family said this about the climb: "There are two ways to approach the falls, which are about 100 yards off the main trail. One is short, steep, and dangerous, and the other is longer, but much safer. The steeper route leaves the main trail at a hairpin switchback. A large log blocks the turnoff, and you'll have to step over it. This was at a distance of 1.1 miles from the trailhead. After you pass the log, the trail goes about 50 yards and turns right and straight up. This isn't a good way to take little ones, and part of the danger is someone rolling a rock down on top of you. We climbed this way because we didn't know better, but coming down would be worse. After a precipitous climb of 75 more yards, you'll come out at the base of Scout Falls." 

Some people at the top saw us approaching and couldn't fathom that we hiked that way. It was pretty unbelievable. My thighs and lower back were screaming at me the next morning. The hikers at the falls seemed very concerned we would attempt to go down the same way we came up and 2 escorted us to the right path down, just to ensure our safety.

Me: "I am so impressed you climbed up that steep part."

James: "Mom, we know! You've said that like 100x."

Isabelle: "Please scoot aside for the gentle "girl" (instead of gentleman). This made me giggle.

This was a long hike and I think I was the only complainer (thanks to being utterly terrified). In fact, it might go down as James' favorite hike. He absolutely LOVED the "rock Climbing" steep part and we had to keep telling him to slow down. He begged for us to go down the same way we came up. Hard pass. You can't get much better than spending time together outside exercising and exploring breathtaking scenery and luck was on our side-- it didn't rain and we survived the treacherous climb.

ABH--"All Brothers Hike"-- Wednesday, September 13-September 16, 2023

This year ABH looked different. It wasn't hiking. Instead, it was biking in Stanley, Idaho. The first day alone, they mountain biked a hilly 22 mile route which sounds gruesome. They ended up finishing very late at night so it was pitch dark. Andrew said he was using the flashlight on his phone so they could see. Dreamy vacation. I was cozied up on my memory foam mattress topper binging the newest season of "Virgin River." This year, all 7 of the boys made it to ABH.

Discovery Gateway Museum in SLC-- Friday, September 22, 2023

We put our PBS kids adventure passes to use once again, The kids got free admission. Our adventure passes were only valid for a few months, but we made sure to use them. Admission is typically $12.50 per child and $13.50 per adult. We are such cheapskates that we went while Andrew was working, so we didn't have to pay for 2 adult tickets. You do have to pay for parking in the parking garage as well, which was only $4. I even managed to escape the garage unscathed without rolling backwards at the steep exit. Phew.

James didn't have school due to a teacher work day, so it seemed like the perfect time to go. My kids have only been to this museum once before over a year ago and they were giddy to be back. We stayed for 2 hours and they easily could have stayed longer. There is plenty to do. The horse, helicopter, dress-ups, water table, grocery store, and car shop were some of the favorites. Although in the car, the kids said it was hard to narrow down what the best areas of the museum are. We had a lovely time and it wasn't too crowded. 

The one unfortunate thing about the trip was that the construction play area (which was James' favorite last time) was closed for renovations. Oh well. That just means we will have to go back. Utah is such a small world. Even in downtown Salt Lake, I ran into familiar faces from my home ward. We definitely recommend this museum!

And just like that, it's almost baby month... We have a couple of final adventures I'm hoping we can squeeze in.

School is in Session

And just like that, all the anticipation is over. School has begun! We continued our tradition of going out for a treat and getting Father's blessings. 

We had a giftcard and coupon, so we only had to pay $0.98 which made the ice cream taste even sweeter.

I have a child old enough to be in all-day school. I'm ancient. James started first grade. He is going to the same elementary school I went to. 

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

James is doing the Chinese immersion program and he likes it so far. In fact, we had a babysitter over who knows Chinese and James couldn't hold himself back. He kept speaking to Sophia in Chinese and asking her questions. It was adorable. Because James is doing the Chinese program, it means he has 2 teachers throughout the day. He spends the mornings in English and the afternoons in Chinese. His Chinese teacher only communicates with the class in Chinese-- no English allowed. It's fun to see James' excitement as he shares new words and phrases he has learned.

James has been stoked for school to begin, especially so he could model his new clothes. In case you didn't notice,  Pokémon has become an obsession around here. James recently bought Pokémon cards from the mom store and we've had to set limits for how much we will talk about said cards. James chose a Pokémon shirt and backpack. He also picked out a Mandalorian (Star Wars) shirt and black sweats. His shoes of choice were black lace-up shoes and teaching him how to tie his shoes is a slow-moving process. Since when did he become so grown up?

I was curious to hear how the first day went. It's a big change to go from half day kindergarten, which wasn't even 3 hours, to going all day. The instant James saw me, he exclaimed: "Mom, next time don't pack me such a big lunch. I couldn't eat it all." James had the best day. The pit or "low point" of his day was having to leave school. He said he wishes he could have stayed for 7 more hours. He was so giddy about school. I loved hearing random tidbits. He explained that they have chores to do at school and his job was to be the lunch choice counter. 

Surprisingly, James has wanted to buy a lunch every day since the first day. Hearing him tell me what he has for lunch cracks me up because he doesn't always know and his descriptions are cute-- "it was a giant chicken nugget (chicken patty)" or, "I tried Hawaiian pizza" or "I think the french toast had cinnamon on it!" I discovered James was skipping getting a drink at lunch because he thought it cost more money. I suppose he has noticed my frugal ways, but don't fret, crisis averted. He gets a drink now too. James shared that a classmate told him one of the lunch ladies actually has red eyes which led to a great conversation. 6 year olds are so gullible. 

I try to make school a positive and special thing. I made James' favorite for dinner on his first day. We had stroganoff and ginger cookies. After school on the second day,  James spent the afternoon drawing a picture for a cute girl and slyly writing our phone number, so they can have a playdate. Rosie, you're popular around here! James also worked hard on writing a note to a new friend he made in class to ensure that Joshua has our phone number. It was very sweet. I wasn't sure if James' zest for school would wear off, but it hasn't yet. (Fingers crossed.) I hear all about recess--James can pump super high on the swings now!, PE--his class has been getting 4 points for their good behavior everyday except 1, etc.  James has mentioned that he gets tired of sitting for so long each day. We sometimes bike/scooter to school which helps break up all the sitting and makes my thighs burn (thanks to the bike trailer and Izzy). James has ample energy and he's putting it to use playing soccer again this fall. 

Part of James' homework is reading. He is reading more and more challenging books and it's wonderful.  I checked in with James' teachers to see how things are going. I was delighted to hear that both his teachers think that "James is really smart and sweet. He has been able to focus. He is very helpful and that they really enjoy having him in class." Parent Teacher Conferences are around the corner, so I'll hear more then. Here's to a good year!

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Isabelle threw herself a giant pity party because she had to wait until September to start Pre-K. She was pretty disappointed to say the least. Now she finally gets to go. Her preschool from last year closed, but we found a closer and cheaper option in a basement. Izzy went to a few summer camps at Mrs. B's house and likes her. I can't believe the deal I'm getting. I pay $90 a month for Pre-K. Isabelle goes to preschool 3 afternoons a week (Tues, Wed, Thurs) for 2 hours a day. 

Isabelle picked out a Barbie shirt and sparkly pants while we were back to school shopping. She chose an Encanto backpack and sandals too. She ended up wearing a special dress I bought her though. I bought baby girl and Izzy matching dresses and can't wait to see my daughters wearing them together. I let Izzy wear her dress the first day, but she has to wait to wear it again until the baby comes. She wore her Barbie outfit on day 2.

Isabelle's class only has 9 children (including her). Isabelle is additionally doing the Waterford Upstart reading program (like her brother did) on the computer. She is thrilled she gets to do computer time and wants to do more than the set amount each day. She had to take a pre-assessment and she knew more than I thought. She could identify 25 letters! (Possibly all 26. Hard to know if the missed one was due to being unfamiliar with using a computer mouse). Izzy also had a written assessment for Pre-K and I was pleased to see she can recognize many numbers. My girl is going places.

For dinner on her first day of school, Izzy chose pizza and cheesy bread. A girl after my own heart. For dessert, we had root beer floats, a first for our kids. They were fans. Although, Izzy is convinced she doesn't like whipped cream and passed on that, which none of us understand. We also rented a movie the kids haven't seen (Across the Spiderverse) to make the day special. The target audience was not 4 year old girls, but I think Izzy still liked it even with the scary part.

It was a big week for Isabelle. Not only did she start preschool, but she started ballet too.  She came out of ballet with a sparkly crown and a purple scrunchie. Waiting until next week for dance class might be the hardest thing Izzy is going through right now. It was a happy surprise that one of Isabelle's preschool classmates from last year randomly happens to be in her dance class. Isabelle and Kennedy walked hand in hand into class. A family friend highly recommended this dance studio and her daughter Lydia is in the class too. When Isabelle and I went to buy her dance clothes at the studio, Izzy told me it was the best day of her life.

(Her new pink ballet shoes are backordered)

Watching these kiddos learn and grown is one of my favorite things. Bring on another school year!

HAGS

Remember when yearbook signing day was the best? And when many wrote the abbreviation--HAGS-- also known as "Have a good summer!" We have definitely "Had a Good Summer." It's our last summer as a family of 4 and that has hit me hard as fall is rapidly approaching. I'm worried about transitioning from 2 to 3 kids. I certainly made the most of our time together and hope that our family fun continues after a brief hiatus. Read on to hear more about 3 adventures that happened this month: a museum, a baseball game, and a race.

The race scenery was beautiful!

• Natural Museum at the University of Utah--Saturday, August 5

This museum has excellent ratings and reviews and has been high on my list. The biggest holdup for me has been the price. Adult admission is $22.95 per person and children ages 3+ cost $17.95 each. Getting our family into this museum would cost over $82 (with taxes). Don't worry, my DNA did not change. I did not splurge and fork out that kind of dough. Instead, we used the free admission passes we got by completing our summer reading at the library.

Our free passes were only valid for 2 days, but we made going a priority. We happened to be watching Daisy that weekend, so she accompanied us. (She isn't 3 yet and was free.) The museum has 5 floors and is packed full of all sorts of animals-- mostly dinosaurs. Something unique I noticed throughout is that there are buttons that you can push to get a whiff of forest, flowers, and underbrush scents. The kids enjoyed this and thought some smells were stinky. There were some huge and amazing dinosaurs, minerals, butterflies, fossils, etc. There was a seismometer that the kids could jump on and see earthquake lines. They were intrigued.

We went to a live animal show with a gecko and snake. The youngsters did not have any interest in waiting in line to touch the snake afterword. They got that from their mama. James and Izzy sat through the 30 minute fact-filled presentation easily. Both kids even raised their hands to answer/ask questions. Andrew surprised the presenter when he knew the answer to this question: "Does anyone know what van-der-waals forces are?" Alex, the presenter said nobody in the audience has ever known the answer. Feel free to ask Andrew about this subject matter. It will lead to a riveting conversation. I married a genius.

We stayed at the museum for 2 and a half hours and wore the kids out. I would say we got our moneys worth, but we didn't have to pay a dime, so boom. What an awesome deal and museum! We even managed to complete the scavenger hunt that the library passed out which had multiple questions to answer on each floor.

• Bees Baseball Game--Friday, August 19

At the South Jordan parade earlier this summer, we got vouchers for free tickets to a Bees Baseball game. After our fun baseball experience in Cape Cod, we wanted more. Tickets for the bees game cost $17 a piece, and we didn't have to pay a cent! We saved $68! The game was in Salt Lake City, but a new Bees stadium is being built in South Jordan, which means we could become regulars. We figured out that the last time we went to watch a Bees game was almost exactly 4 years ago to the day. Andrew had a work party in 2019 at the stadium and we brought teeny tiny Izzy who was only a few weeks old (James was home with a babysitter).

August 17, 2019

August 19, 2023

Unfortunately, the game we picked wasn't high quality. The bees (or apparently the Stingers now?) failed to show up. The final score was 6-1. That didn't stop us from having a delightful evening though. McCall and I got to chat for hours, as did Trevor and Andrew. There were free train rides in the stadium for children which were great. Some candy helped the kids make it through, but honestly they were well behaved. One of the hitters, broke part of the bat and James thought that was pretty neat. The atmosphere at sporting events is unique and lively. The weather was perfect. It rained briefly on our drive to the game which helped keep the temperature cool. Even after a late night out, a child burst in our door the following morning at 7am on the dot.

• ICCH-- Friday, August 25

Andrew signed up to do the ICCH (International Canyoneering Championship) race again. This was his third time. He also did this race in 2019 and 2017. The race takes place near Goblin Valley in Southern Utah in the Ding and Dang slot canyons. The athletes do 2 loops of the course. If the runners don't finish the first lap in under a certain time (1 hour 15 minutes this year), they have to run the second lap in their undies. The race totals around 13 miles. There are different heats and you run with a partner. Andrew and his brother Logan were partners. Another brother, Birch also did the race as well as our nephews George, Cooper, and Tyler. 

I approve of the new ICCH t-shirts. Look at that color! 

Full disclosure here-- Andrew had to run lap 2 in his undies. He only needed to trim 4 minutes off his time. I guess they changed the time requirement for lap 1 and made it even more intense than previous years. Andrew enjoyed the course and is already talking about doing the race again in two years. (It's not an annual race and is headed by a relative of Birch's.) Andrew dealt with some leg cramping, but was happy that he was still able to go adventuring after doing such a grueling course. The boys hiked/rappelled Cassidy Arch and went to Lower Calf Creek Falls. 

We kept busy back at home and went to Blackridge Reservoir in Herriman one afternoon which is one of our favorite summer finds. Although, I have since learned there has been leech problem... Yikes.

I could hardly believe it when Andrew got cell service again and told me that his ETA for home was midnight. Last time, he rolled in at 3am. Andrew has been dedicated to training for this race and I'm proud of him. His foot has been a struggle and has taken a beating with so much running. In fact, earlier this month, Andrew went to Urgent Care thinking he might have a stress fracture. Thankfully, he did not. The doctor was surprised to spot a BB gun pellet in Andrew's foot x-ray. This has been there since childhood, but doesn't bother him. Andrew's foot held up just fine during the race which was a huge relief and a big worry of mine.

I am relishing in the mundane life routines-- school, teaching piano, and being home for now. As much fun as we had this summer, it was intense and exhausting at times. Cheers to cooler temperatures and... a baby!

Ditto Reunion

When the idea of staying in a Lakehouse was suggested for the Ditto reunion, we were in. Driving 12 hours to camp brings out all sorts of crankiness in me. Driving 12 hours to have a place to pee, somewhere to cook, and something soft to sleep on makes a world of difference. This year, we went to a new city- Priest River which is along the Pend Orielle river in Northern Idaho. We checked into the Lakehouse on Wednesday afternoon, and checked out Saturday afternoon. We drove to Spokane Tuesday and came home Sunday (well, technically Monday since we pulled in at 12:20am).

There were 44 people at the reunion and we were missing several! Nathan who is serving a mission in Madrid, Grannie who is serving in Chicago, Tyler and Hailee who just got married, Alysee and Dallin, and Tavia and Calvin (who stayed home for a football camp). We were in charge of making one of the lunches for everyone and Andrew grilled hot dogs from Costco. We got some of the huge 1/4 pound dogs too. We served pineapple, chips, and Oreos with the hot dogs. It is challenging to gauge how much food to get. 7 of the biggest pineapples I could find seemed like the right amount.  We were also in charge of a breakfast with another couple. We slept in the bunkbed room. We got to share the downstairs bathroom with some teenage and tween boys who left their mark. But hey, I'll take it. Anything but camping.

 Here are some snippets that I want to remember:

• An emergency stop on the side of the freeway near Dillon, Idaho so Izzy could pee on the side of the road. She could not wait the 15 minutes to the next gas station.
• Andrew handling incessant talking from our 6 year old. "James, you don't have to say everything that comes to your mind out loud. Sometimes you can just think about things without telling us." This made me belly laugh. Andrew handled our chatty child well! This advice was given after James spoke about cloud shapes, how small the mountain was we were driving by, that he could run up it in 1 second, as well as how good of a sledding hill it would make and can we drive back to it during the winter... etc.
• Staying at Logan and Julia's house. The 4 wheeler was thrilling as were the endless nerf guns. The kids started playing a chasing game with their cousins and would scream "ding-dong" and sprint throughout the house. Even 18 year old George joined in on the fun. Julia gave us adults some "ding-dong" therapy-- aka Reeses which we certainly needed.

• Our kids going tubing! We spent so much time outdoors basking in the sun by the river. It couldn't have been prettier.

Saydee and Isabelle

• James jumping off the tower on the dock! What a brave boy. This was extra scary/significant since Lincoln had taken a hard fall from there.

• Endless games. I loved getting my Hand and Foot fix in. It helped that Andrew and I dominated. Before I get too cocky, luck had a lot to do with it. We also finally had the chance to open "Cross Net" which is a crowd pleaser. The background was stunning.

• Izzy getting sick. She threw up twice and took a 3 hour nap. We think it was due to dehydration. 

• Our kids ate up all the attention and had handfuls of playmates. They played on the outdoor playground and dug in the sand. We hardly saw them. Izzy has many admirers and hung out with the big girls. She spent a good chunk of time in the hot tub. She also relished in the audience and had everyone captivated by dancing to Frozen and singing the books in the New Testament.

James and Rhett

Claire, Avery, Lucy, Malia, Olivia, Chloe, and Izzy

Lincoln and James

• Andrew got to water-ski lots, especially since there were 2 boats. His body took a beating and I guess he has some bruises from the pull of the rope. He also rocked surfing! I decided I didn't want to risk starting pre-term labor and steered clear of any potential wipe-outs. 

• 2 of our nephews gave their homecoming talks on Sunday. Welcome home Addison and Jacob! Both of them will be moving to Provo shortly. Their talks happened to be at the same time. We went to Jacob's talk since it was on our way home. We were able to listen to Addison's recorded talk too.  The people in CA and Argentina were lucky to have these missionaries.

Jacob

• Andrew and James kayaking!

• I read 2 books on the trip. It should have been more. I struggled to get into a book at the lake. I finished "This Time It's Real" (cheesy, cute, predictable, fun, and bingeworthy) and listened to "Three Keys" (Front Desk #2--quick YA about illegal immigrants) on the drive. 

We are home and boy does it feel good. I have made more cookies, rolls, and carbs than I should admit. It has been a hectic summer. Our kids will talk about our family reunion for the foreseeable future. Both children have already had dreams about going to the Lakehouse again. In James' dream, he wore his new back-to-school sweater into the lake. Oops. These are the moments.