Swimming Lessons

Like every place, UT has its pros and cons. Lately, I've been reminded of a couple of them. One thing I LOVE about living here is how kid-friendly it is. Swimming lessons are walking distance from our house and cost a whopping $35! Something that is a con for me is the culture. The mindset that everyone here has the same views just because many people are members of the church bothers me. 

I was hesitant to sign James up for swimming lessons with Covid-19 going on. After lots of thought, Andrew and I decided to move forward with it, especially since it's outdoors. I'm so glad we did! We haven't had much to do these days and we avoid most public places. James did lessons with 2 of his friends, Harrison Hendricks and Philip Alling. Sometimes I wonder if that was a good idea. James can get hyper and this was the case in swimming as well. The teachers had to give James lots of reminders, but he wasn't out of control. As his teacher put it: "He has a lot of great energy." I was pleased by how comfortable James was in the water. The first day, he was scared, but after that he had no problems.

Swim lessons can be kind of exhausting and are definitely a commitment. They're every weekday, 30 minutes a day, for 9 days. It was quite hot already when lessons started at 10:55am. Add a mask, and I was a hot mess. James liked swimming and I decided to sign him up for another session because what else is there to do? The second time, I signed James up without friends. I wanted to see what his behavior was like. I don't think it made much of a difference. I did overhear the teacher telling another kid, "hold James' hand, so he doesn't run away." Yes, that's my child. Energetic and full of life. For round 2, I  signed him up for the earliest time to avoid the heat. I liked 9:45am much better! 

James ended up having the same teacher, Rachel, both sessions. He wasn't as into the other teachers. (There were 2 teachers per class.) The last day of each session is dubbed, "slide day" and includes a dum-dum lollipop and certificate of achievement. After session 1, James was brave and went down the slide without fear. More recently on slide day, he continued to say he didn't want to go when one of his teachers asked. I couldn't figure it out. As soon as Rachel offered to take James down the slide, he went, no problem. I was impressed by all the teachers at the PG Pool. I actually want to leave a review or call because we had a fantastic experience. 

The infamous, Rachel

Slide day

Some highlights:

• We enjoyed walking to swimming lessons several of the days. James would tell me which route he wanted to take each day. 
• Running into Diane Wangeman. She was the primary pianist in our old ward while I was the chorister. I adore her! She's in her mid sixties and brought her grandkids to the pool for lessons. Catching up with her made me happy.
• A few times, I was able to distract/bribe Isabelle with treats. In turn, I was able to read my book in peace while she was stuffing her face with fruit snacks. In case you're wondering, she was buckled securely in her stroller.

Some lowlights:

• James had to go potty twice during swimming lessons. I should be proud of him for letting the teacher know that he needed to us the bathroom, and I am. But man, what a hassle to bring Isabelle into a disgusting public bathroom, all while wrangling James' soaking wet swim trunks off.

We are going camping near a lake soon and I think James' water experience will be helpful. I'm already looking forward to more swimming lessons next summer. Oh, and sorry Isabelle, I guess what they say about 2nd children is true... I didn't do the mom and baby class with you. Maybe next year!

Isabelle's Fiesta

I can't believe my baby is 1! It was nice to have an excuse to celebrate and something to plan and do. 

Menu:
-Drinks: Jarritos
-Taco Bar

• Hard taco shells
• Soft mini street taco shells
• Ground beef
• Toppings: cilantro, rice, beans, green onions, olives, salsa, limes, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes , sour cream, avocado

-Fruit Kabobs
-Corn Dip and chips
-Homemade taquitos with cilantro lime dressing
-Dessert: Churro cupcakes and smore's cookies

Games:
-Fiesta BINGO. Papa won, but doesn't drink soda, so the second place winner was Jeff. Simon was thrilled Jeff gave him the Sodalicious giftcard.
-Kahoot: Who knows Isabelle best? Nana won! Her weekly babysitting paid off. She was giddy about the Crumbl giftcard.

Decorations:

• Cactus plates
• Fiesta tablecloth
• Uno cactus sign
• Sombrero hats for the 4 kids
• Uno cake topper

Presents:
Isabelle was spoiled rotten! She got a stuffed animal dog and goes around saying, "doggy" all the time. She also got a baby doll, an adorable outfit, some feminist books, a Rody, a xylophone,  and her practical parents bought her floaties for our upcoming camping lake trip. My kids have been entertained with all the new toys around.

Party Attendees:
We limited who we invited to keep the group smaller and we had the party outdoors. (Thank goodness there was shade.) We only invited my immediate family. We didn't invite either of my grandparents. Jeff, Lindsey, Simon, Esther, Nana, Papa, Jessica, Chris, Joel, and Alexa helped us celebrate. 

Highlight:
Chris started an impromptu baseball game with Simon. The other kids joined as well as some adults and they ended up playing for quite awhile. It made me realize our setup isn't so bad because a baseball game is possible in our "yard."

Reality:
Isabelle wasn't her usual happy self during the party. This week she has been getting a molar. She was kind of grumpy, but the cupcake helped turn her mood around. Also, after she opened her presents, she had plenty of distractions. James ran inside during the party and threw-up. He gets himself so riled up. This happened recently at another event as well. Totally fine, just overexcited/stimulated and running wild. He ate dessert a few minutes later with no problem. Another sad reality is that I didn't get a group pic. Oh well.

Meet Isabelle:
Friendly. Waves to everyone non-stop! Also says, "hi" repeatedly in an adorable voice. One of her other most-frequented words is "uh-oh." Demanding. She wants a bite of anything and everything Mom or Dad are eating. Indecisive when it comes to food. Sometimes she LOVES grapes/cheese/strawberries, etc, and other days she spits them out and refuses to eat them. I gave up hope on her loving hot dogs like James does (they're quick, easy, and cheap), but she tried one again recently and liked it this time. Popcorn lover. I shouldn't admit that we let her eat any. If you try to get her out of her high chair before she's done eating, she shoves you. Drama queen. When she's mad, everyone knows. She turns blue. Big fan of Nana and often cries when Nana leaves. Early riser. Mama's girl. She gets sad when I leave the room. She has started to warm up more to people now, but quarantine made her very used to us. Dancer. She loves music and seems to actually have some natural moves in her blood. (Must have inherited those from Andrew). She especially loves the song: "Who Let the Dogs Out." 

The fiesta was a success! I couldn't have done it without lots of help. We all slept soundly that night and we even had leftovers to eat for dinner the next day.

Our Hiking Hobby Continues

I'm proud to say that we have kept up our hiking! There are so many fantastic places to hike near us! Sometimes we have to drive a bit, but it has always been well worth it. Oftentimes, I lose cell service while we're hiking and I don't mind it one bit!

Bicentennial Park Loop-- Provo, UT
Distance: 1 mile
Saturday, June 27

A Saturday morning well spent. Simon, Esther, and James started by playing on the deserted playground. We had the trail to ourselves and walked it twice. (I don't think it was a mile.) It was green and luscious. Simon liked reading all the signs throughout the trail. The kids also enjoyed seeing bugs and nature in action. They found a big spider in a web. Doughnuts were a part of this hike. The Frisbee Golf course was especially intriguing for the kids.

Cousins

Buffalo Peak-- Near Provo, UT
Distance: 0.9 miles
Friday, July 3

This was quite the drive! The last few miles of road weren't paved, but our van made it up through the rocks just fine. My parents as well as Lindsey, Simon, and Esther joined us which was a treat. Wow, what a breathtaking hike. I can only imagine how stunning it would be in the springtime with all the wildflowers. It was still gorgeous though. The last bit was really steep and a bit scary with little kids, but I would do it again. It was safe and had spectacular views. Nana and Papa brought doughnuts which is always a highlight. The drive back down the mountain was much faster.

Canyon Nature Trail-- American Fork, UT
Distance: 0.6 miles
Wednesday, July 8

Unexpectedly, all but 1 of my piano students cancelled their lessons. We decided to make the most of it. While I taught my 1 lesson, Andrew and the kids picked up dinner, and then we headed up the mountain. Our map told us we arrived far too early, so we unpacked the car, stroller and picnic dinner included, only to find that we had a few more miles to go. When we finally arrived in the correct location, the scenery was exceptional. We started by eating on one of the shaded picnic tables. JCW's put us all in a good mood. James enjoyed the bridges at the beginning and end of the hike. He was also fascinated by the signs that explained different plants, etc. He was convinced that this was where "Word Girl'" (World Girl is a tv show) lives which was adorable. He kept looking for her.

Grotto Falls-- Payson/Santaquin, UT
Distance: 0.6 miles
Saturday, July 11

I had never been in this area before. Wow, it was gorgeous! This hike was shaded. In fact, we were all quite cold, especially in the beginning since it was about 7:45am. Once James was no longer shivering, he had the time of his life. He loved crossing the water balancing on logs and the ending did not disappoint. Our shoes did get wet and in James' case, soaked.

Ensign Peak-- Salt Lake City, UT
Distance: 0.8 miles
Saturday, July 18

My parents joined us for this hike. They had hiked it before and I had as well. Andrew was the newbie. The sun really beats down on you throughout this hike. We even went at 8am. Going mid-day would be brutal. It's pretty bleak until you reach the top and then you have incredible views. James especially enjoyed the side-view of the airport. He even got to see a few planes take off! Einstein's Bagels topped the hike off well.

Lower Bells Canyon Reservoir-- Sandy, UT
Distance: 1.5 miles 
Tuesday, July 21

This hike is rated moderate and I can see why. I did it years ago and didn't remember much. James was miserable for the first while. He fell asleep on our way there and had a hard time waking up. The steep stairs right off the bat didn't help. We also went in the afternoon and is was scorching hot with little shade. The lake at the end was serene and peaceful though. There were tons of ducks that came up close to the kids which they enjoyed. James also had a blast throwing rocks into the water. The hike down was quick with way fewer tears! James collected sticks along the way down and was drawing with them in the dusty dirt. When we reached the steep, rocky stairs again, we made a game out of it and James earned the nickname, "Jumping James." Suddenly, the worst part of the hike became the best because Daddy swung James over the steps.

We are looking into investing in a hiking backpack. The carrier we've been lugging Isabelle in isn't the most supportive or comfortable. Is this hobby turning into routine?

Kid-Friendly Hikes in Utah

Lately, I've been racking my brain to come up with family activities that 1) keep us away from others 2) don't break the bank 3) burn a 3 year old's endless energy. Hiking has been the answer. We typically hike early in the morning and a lot of the time, we have the entire trail to ourselves.

Here are some of the hikes we've done over the last month or so (we aim for 1 hike a week):

1) Battle Creek Falls- Pleasant Grove, UT
Distance: 1.5 miles roundtrip
Monday, May 18

Oldie, but goodie. We've done this hike a few times. This time, James walked all by himself. The end is steep near the falls, but James did it!

2) Jungle Trail- Draper, UT
Distance: The trail is only about 0.1 miles, but you have to go 0.4 miles to get to the trail
Monday, May 25

It took us over 45 minutes to find the actual hike which was a bit frustrating. Once we did, James was in heaven exploring the little huts.

3) Dripping Rock- Spanish Fork, UT
Distance: 0.7 miles roundtrip (The paved trail continues further)
Thursday, June 4

This felt pretty far away from us which made me wonder if it was worth the drive. The surrounding mountains were beautiful. The water was quite nippy around 9:00am, so if we were to go again, I'd recommend going when it's hotter outside, so the water isn't so frigid. On our way home, we stopped by Krispy Kreme and got free doughnuts which was a highlight.

4) Suspension Bridge- Draper, UT
Distance: 2.3 miles roundtrip
Thursday, June 11

This was by far my favorite hike we've done this year. I think James and Andrew would agree. It was beautiful and James enjoyed running on the bridge, even though it kind of rocked back and forth. This hike was definitely more popular than the others we'd done. We went fairly early and still saw a fair amount of people. By the time we finished, it seemed to be getting even more crowded. Nana and Papa joined us on this hike which made it extra special. When we got back in the car to the leave, James said: "Why did we have to leave the hike? That was so fun!"

5) Rocky Mouth Falls- Sandy, UT

Distance: 0.8 roundtrip

Thursday, June 18

We had done this hike years ago before we had kids. It was cool to be back! The trail started with stairs which were steep for James and ended with rocks that were slippery. It was helpful to have my parents along! There was much more water than last time we went which meant that we had to walk in some water near the end. Isabelle and James were fascinated with the waterfall and went really close to it. It was an extremely chilly morning and Isabelle's hands were freezing. Cheez-its and fruit-snacks were great distractions for the kids. There were breathtaking views and on the way back, we took a mini detour on the Bonneville Trail and found the cutest bridge.

With Andrew starting a new job Monday, our 8:00am hikes won't work anymore. We will have to get creative with when we go and I hope we keep it up. I love the adventures we've had as a family outdoors. Hiking has turned into one of the biggest highlights of my week.

Spontaneous

We made a last-minute decision at about 2:15 on Wednesday, May 27. We decided to go to Washington to visit Andrew's family and see his mom since she's returned from serving her mission. Our decision was prompted by a couple of things: 1) Our BIL was having a bday party that weekend 2) Andrew was given a verbal offer from a company. 

We thought it would be fun to stop in Rexburg along the way to see how things have changed since we've left. Also, breaking up the 12 hour drive sounded awesome. We booked a hotel in Rexburg, and I left to teach at The Piano Place. Andrew frantically packed while I was gone and we left Thursday morning. 

Upon arriving in Rexburg, we picked up a Little Caesar's pizza. In Andrew's words: "The Rexburg Little Casear's is the best Little Caesar's. They've really figured out how to make the pizza the best." We ate the pizza in a park and then quickly checked into our hotel. (James had to pee and Andrew needed internet for his 3rd interview with a company.) James had a massive meltdown when the hotel receptionist told us that the pool was closed. We were all pretty bummed and I felt dumb for not checking on the pool before booking. 

The kids enjoyed exploring our spacious hotel room and James asked if it was our new house. The kitchenette sparked his imagination and he unwrapped plastic cups and used the microwave to "cook" us food. Both kids were quite upset by the bathing arrangements and it took Isabelle a couple weeks to like bath-time again. (The shower scared her.)

I decided to take the kids to get an oil change while Andrew had his virtual interview. What are the chances that Rexburg lost power during the interview? Andrew scrambled after losing his connection during his interview and quickly set up a hot spot to call the manager back. Guess what else the power-outage meant? I couldn't get my oil change. After the interview, Andrew took the kids to get frosty's and I napped. 

Someone loved her Frosty

In the afternoon, we went on a walk on campus. James especially liked walking through the gardens. It was weird to be back on campus and it was deserted. We were both a little surprised by how little change there was. Yes, some of the dorms were torn down to make a parking lot, and there was a ton of high-density new housing, but it still was recognizable. Cafe Rio is now in Rexburg which would have been a game-changer for me.

The Hinckley Building. I spent most of my time there.

Same spot we took our graduation pic, but 5 years later

After our walk, we went to get an oil change again. (Due to the spontaneity of our trip, one was due.) The workers let us stay in our car during the oil change! What! This is one of the best things that has happened due to Covid-19. I hope I can stay in my car during oil changes with my kids strapped in their carseats from now on. We were looking forward to getting takeout from our favorite restaurant, "The Hickory." Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we remembered and the prices were higher. We ended the night watching a movie. James enjoyed having his very own queen-sized bed. (Note: I think we were the only people staying in our hotel which was cool. We never saw any other guests.)

Friday morning, we left bright and early to drive the rest of the way to Spokane. We arrived at Brent and Deena's at 12:30. Friday night we had a BBQ in their backyard. It was fun to see Tavia, Blayre and Ryan, and their kids who also joined us. Brent and Deena have lots of land and after we ate, we played frisbee golf. (Not my jam if you know what I mean, but still fun.) Andrew's great at it though! Grannie joined us later in the evening.

Saturday was Ryan's birthday party. We spent some time earlier in the day at Blayre and Ryan's house and then Logan and Julia's. Logan and Julia also have a frisbee golf course on their spacious property and Andrew had the time of his life. James loved having endless cousins to play with and a backyard to run around in! He especially LOVED the riding lawn mower and ATV. The birthday party was a hit with lots of yummy food and tons of family. There was a volleyball tournament and the rain waited to start until we'd had a few hours of sunshine.

Izzy and cousin Rhett

Izzy with cousin Lucy

Izzy and cousin Alysee

Sunday, Blayre and Ryan blessed baby Saydee. They weren't originally going to bless her this weekend, but with so much family in town, they decided to. It was neat to be there for the blessing and to have home church and a big lunch with Andrew's family. All of Andrew's siblings were together! Birch and Sara came from Yakima and Tavia and a few of her kids drove from Boise. We played games the rest of the afternoon. That evening, Debbie was asked to lead a virtual fireside about her mission, so we watched that.

Andrew with his siblings and mom

Matching hair with Blayre.  I wish Malia lived with me, so she could do my hair daily

Monday we had dentist appointments with Andrew's brother. It was extra nice that Logan was able to get us in because we don't currently have dental insurance. We left immediately after our appointments with plans to drive through the night. Don't worry, we did stop at Jack and the Box on our way out of town. (Andrew's fav and there isn't one in UT.) The kids slept almost the entire time which was a relief. It was interesting to travel during a pandemic (lots of bathrooms and fast food restaurant lobbies were closed). We have been very cautious since returning and have kept our distance.

James is already missing "Uncle Deena" and everyone else. A couple of days after we returned, I was telling James our plans for the day. He interrupted me and said, "Mom, let's go get gas and drive back to Jacob and Malia's house." We did a lot of driving for a short period of time, but I think it was worth it. I'm just trying not to think too much about that drive because we'll be doing it again in August for a reunion.