Fall Time Adventures in the City of Rocks

Fall Time Adventures in the City of Rocks

10.06.2015

^^Our Saturday evening view of Castle Rocks State Park just adjacent to the City of Rocks^^

The City of Rocks has become our playground!  We have spent every Saturday over the last month rock climbing the giant granite slabs there out in the desert.   Rock climbing is an addicting sport!  I know we'll never amount to anything competitive, but the challenge and adrenaline rush are what keep us going back.  That, and the chance to completely unplug from the world.  There is absolutely no cell service in the desert.  Instead, the kids run around, climb, explore, and play imaginative games while we adults get a chance to talk and laugh and challenge ourselves on the rocks.  It's kind of dreamy when I write it all out.  

Bron and I feel so lucky to have some of the best of friends whom are willing to teach us the ropes--literally.  Thanks Horsleys!  Without them, we wouldn't be out there.  I am so happy for the opportunity I have to develop new talents and interests in my adulthood because honestly, it never occurred to me until recently that it is totally possible/plausible.  Plus, I love that these weekend adventures and sports are becoming commonplace for my children.  Jed and Levi look forward to them with great enthusiasm!  I can totally see the four of us loading up the truck one day with bikes and climbing gear and who knows what else to disappear for a few days.  Yup, that's my idea of a perfect weekend: wholesome recreational activities for the whole family and a lifetime of good memories.  Glad we're already getting a head start.

So without further ado, a gob of photos from the past month...

This giant granite mountain boulder is known as Bread Loaf.  We climbed it two weekends in a row and conquered three different routes.  The challenge was a bit humbling.  And I can't believe how incredibly HIGH we got up there!  Whoa.  But I suppose that is what is so liberating about using ropes and harnesses; I get to do something I normally wouldn't do with minimal risk to myself.  See that tiny smear of blue?  That's our friend Aaron.

^^Bron and I taking on the 5.9 route^^

^^Mini man chalking up his hands in preparation to climb!  Levi insisted.  It was so cute.^^

^^Our friend Shelly.  Also, Levi learning what it feels like to leeeaan back to repel.  "It's like flying!"  Haha.^^

Jed has a love/hate relationship with rock climbing.  It's a funny cycle.  Jed begins by getting super excited to climb.  At about eight feet high he freaks out.  We lower him to the ground safely, he calms down, but then he's ready to climb again!  Silly kid.

^^Levi and Easton showing off their 'hulk smash' muscles.^^

^^What do YOU look like after you eat an entire bag of M&M's?  This kid is sooo messy, but he makes me laugh.^^

^^Bron's first lead climb.  I'm so proud of him.  Don't let that rock fool you.  It looks like 'child's play' but we were smearing with our hands and feet all the way up!^^

^^Bron conquered!  Also, how incredible is that backdrop for play?^^

^^Bright orange and lime green moss?  I was blown away by how uniquely pretty the desert was!^^

^^ Insert theme from Mission Impossible!  Hahaha.^^

^^Aaron and Amy.  Amy is one tenacious gal.  It's so fun to watch her climb!^^

We went camping over the weekend.  Camping sure is a lot of work for a crappy night's sleep (it was freeeezing cold!) but the countless stars, roasted marshmallows, and fresh air adventures will no doubt keep me coming back.  Plus, the little boys enjoyed it a hundred times more than I did.  The looks on their happy little faces made it all worth it.

^^Bacon for breakfast.  Mmmm!  Pull my arm, I'll go camping again.^^

^^The kids ate a lesser meal of sugary cereal for breakfast.  They thought they were luckiest ducks!^^

^^Addy.  She's like my favorite little girl.  She lets me cuddle and spoil her.^^

I took the kids exploring around the campsite.  We spied a young buck and avoided stepping on some cacti.  Then Levi collected an armful of these sticky golden pine cones.  He insisted that we make them into bird feeders--you know, just as all the birds are flying south for the winter.  But who am I to disappoint a curly haired three year old?

Hope to see you again soon, City of Rocks!

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Pierre's Hole Practice Loop OR 30 Miles of Self-Inflicted Torture

Pierre's Hole Practice Loop OR 30 Miles of Self-Inflicted Torture

7.21.2015

At the top of the world! // Wildflowers!  The hills are alive, with the sound of music. // Looking awkward as ever on a bike. // Our motley bike riding crew on Saturday.

Bron has this hobby that he's gotten really into.  It's called mountain biking.  He's about obsessed with it as I am about photography.  However, over the last year or so, he's pulled me into it as well.  Warning: once the bug bites, it bites HARD!  Admittedly, I love mountain biking too!  It's become a hobby that Bron and I can enjoy together.  It's a great excuse to be outside, get some exercise, and become somewhat of a pair of adrenaline junkies all at the same time.

Last year, Bron raced 50km (approximately 31 miles) around Grand Targhee for a race called Pierre's Hole.  So naturally, Bron is doing the 100km race this year and I am doing the 50km.  (Say what?!?  We're crazy!  I already know.)

Saturday we clambered into a suburban with three other friends at 5:00AM in the morning to travel to the majestic Tetons for a practice ride of the race.  It was overcast and cool and an absolutely perfect day to ride.  And I am proud to declare that I OWNED that first climb!  The guys had me all psyched out about it.  Turns out, our local ride Wednesday night was much more intense.  Whew!  And then the downhill from the top was a total kick in the pants.  Even with the switchbacks, it was a blast!  Plus, did I mention the fields and fields of wildflowers?  Gorgeous!  Eye candy for the soul. 

But that's about where the fun ended for me.  At about mile 20 my tank was empty.  I spent approximately the last ten miles of our ride toggling between falling asleep in the saddle and silently coming up with words to describe my self-inflicted misery.  When we finally made it back to the parking lot, the guys congratulated me on finishing, but all I could do was nod and say I felt like crying.  And I did!  Bron pulled me into a big hug and let the tears come.

Ooh, I have never felt so raw and absolutely drained in my entire life.  But I am glad I did it.  I DID IT!  I am happy my coaches Bron and Nick cheered me on.  Race day won't feel quite so intimidating.  I have come such a long ways.  Just after my miscarriage three months ago, a silly little 8 mile ride wiped me out for three days!  Now I'm keeping up with the big boys.  It really is something of which I'm very proud.  I've earned my right to be on that mountain.  It feels good to overcome and conquer.

We'll be back in one month, Pierre's Hole!


P.S.  Below is a mountain biking parody that hits what it's like to be a mountain biker right on the nose.  We all laughed out loud on the mountain Saturday when I said, "Hey, look at that tree!"  It's so, so, sadly true.              

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Spring Showers and A Little Update

Spring Showers and A Little Update

5.06.2015

At this moment I want to express a giant heartfelt 'thank you'.  I have felt an overwhelming abundance of love these last couple of weeks.  I am actually quite surprised by the number of hugs, phone calls, texts, emails, and gifts that keep arriving at my door from the sweetest and most caring of friends and family.  It is truly humbling and it all means the world to me--to know that I am thought of and prayed for.  (Seriously, you guys have brought tears to my eyes!)  I have prayed for comfort and it has come through many earthly angels.  I hope that one day I will be able to return the favor in someone's time of need with the same amount of grace and love that has been showered upon me.  With all my heart, thank you.  Thank you, thank you.    

For those who have asked, it's true, I've had some hard moments.  Talking about my miscarriage can still make me cry.  And seeing pregnant women still makes me a little sad.  (But it's not all doom and gloom!  We've played in the sunshine and the little boys keep me laughing.)  The hard moments are partly physically hormonal--am I going crazy?!--and the other part is emotional.  Poor Bron has put up with more tears this month than he has in our entire marriage combined!  The good man just loves me and keeps on reminding me that it's okay; I need to cut myself some slack.  It doesn't really matter that the boys watched three hours of tv or that the toilets haven't been scrubbed in a month... because I'm just not quite myself right now.  But I wish I was!

I'm ready to put this all behind me, to make it a memory.  I've hit the ground running this week, quite literally.  I've begun exercising again and tackling all of life's responsibilities with renewed gusto--though I can feel my energy waning fast.  Unfortunately, my instincts tell me that it's not completely over yet.  My body is still recovering and my emotional wound is still healing.  Something will inevitably come up to rip that fresh scab off and make it begin bleeding anew.  Time.  More time.  A miscarriage is a bigger deal physically and emotionally than I ever imagined it could be.  It takes time to heal.  It's hard not to let fear and doubt creep in, but I'm keeping my chin up and holding on to hope with everything I've got!  Everything will be okay.  I'm doing okay.               

^^Eye candy.  It rained a little while back.  So I played with my camera and a borrowed lens.  It blows me away how captivating something as simple as tiny raindrops can be.  I could just stare at these pictures.  I think I totally need my very own macro lens now.^^

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Skiing with the Nelsons (My Very First Video!)

Skiing with the Nelsons (My Very First Video!)

1.05.2014

Pestilence has cursed this house.  We began the New Year as sickies and it looks like we'll continue feeling gross for another little while.  I'm tired of feeling tired.  But I think Levi takes the cake on sickness.  He was diagnosed with a double ear infection!  Poor baby.  I was surprised.  Levi seems to wear a perpetual grin no matter the situation.  He's as tough as nails, that kid.  It made me grateful I decided to take him in to see the doctor on a Friday night--you know, just in case.  So on top of a little medicine, we've been singing praises to the humidifier, Vicks vapor rub, and hot steamy showers.

 

Speaking of hot steamy showers, Levi decided he was ready to hop out of one before I had finished dressing for the day.  I quickly dried him off and set to brushing out my hair as fast as I could because if I didn't, I knew I'd get distracted and my hair would be a dried rat's nest by lunch time.  After all, three minutes wasn't an unseemly amount of time to let my one year old run around naked, was it? 

 

It was. 

 

I had just finished brushing my hair when Levi walked into the bathroom with poop smeared all over his fingers exclaiming, "Yucky!  Yucky!"  I sighed--it was my fault, after all--and then couldn't help laughing.  Levi was genuinely confused and concerned about this "yucky" stuff!  He had no idea where it came from or how it happened, really.  He was worried and perplexed!  Silly boy.  I was suddenly thankful he thought it was yucky and not something fun to play with!  Five minutes later, crisis cleaned up and averted.  Whew.

 

All this sickness coupled with a stressful week at work for Bron, and well... 2014, I think we started off on the wrong foot.  Hopefully this will all be short-lived.  If there is anything I can do to turn this around, 2014, please let me know.  I want to be friends.

 

So let's rewind time to that lively week we spent with family just after Christmas.  Bron, his brothers, and I all went skiing at Kelly's Canyon one day and took the GoPro with us on its maiden voyage.  And then I stayed up last night putting this video together.  It was so much easier than I had anticipated, though I don't think I will ever proclaim myself as a videographer.  It's just for fun.  So try not to laugh at our outdated gear or our skiing skills.  It was just a blast of a day out on the slopes.   

 

Music is "Hey Brother" by Avicii

 



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5 Quick Takes

5 Quick Takes

11.11.2013

1. When Bron arrived home Friday evening and asked what was for dinner, I simply told him, "Amy's leftovers".  He gave me a puzzled look and laughed because he knew I was serious!  My neighbor Amy called me on the phone that morning and asked if I'd like her dinner leftovers from the night before.  She and her family were leaving for the weekend and she didn't know if they would last.  Um... delicious free food?  Okay!  I graciously agreed to take them off her hands. 

So I zipped up my jacket and called over my shoulder to Bron that I'd be back in ten minutes.  Indeed, ten minutes later I waltzed back through the door with a container full of food, stuck it in the oven to warm, set the table, and voila!  Dinner was served.  It was easier and better than take-out.  I think we should totally set-up a neighborhood leftovers exchange or something.  It would be brilliant.

2. That same friend Amy invited me to go "grocery shopping" with her late Friday evening.  In other words, it was a spontaneous last minute girls' night out.  It felt so liberating!  We turned up the music and headed to the food court at Costco first.  Then we oohed and ahhed over the mountains of toys there like a pair of five year old kids.  Christmas is coming and it is going to be sooo hard not to spoil our children.  After closing down Costco, we wandered aimlessly through Target until they kicked us out too.  Then, and only then, did we head to the grocery store where we spent a grand total of fifteen minutes (because really, what's there to gawk at in the grocery store?) before finally heading home.  It was so much fun! 

3. I had a proud mama moment Saturday morning when Levi joined us in folding his arms for prayer.  Those little folded hands are so darn cute!

4. If I am doing one and only one thing right as a mother, it is reading the scriptures to my boys at the breakfast table.  It may be just a few verses at a time, but I am impressed with how much Jed is absorbing and comprehending.  Reading about Jesus from the book of Matthew has spurred on conversations I never thought I'd share with a three year old.  Sure, he thinks Peter wears green and can fly (Peter Pan), but he's also asked about "the signs of the times" and the priesthood.  It is so neat for me to explain these things to him and watch him light up with understanding and excitement!  Little children are so eager to learn and reading the scriptures (almost) every morning gives me an opportunity to teach.  I am so grateful for this blessing and responsibility of motherhood.  It is unlike anything I have ever done and my heart is full.

5. I had three photography gigues this weekend: two families and one newborn.  I couldn't wait to see what the second family had in store for me Sunday afternoon and I haven't quit laughing since.  Have you ever seen those awkward family photos on the web?  Well, this was a re-enactment in an effort to win a family contest.  I hope they win!  Hint: Those girls are not girls at all.  These pictures are blackmail material at its finest.  I'm not done holding my sides and rolling on the floor.

{Happy Monday!}

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Hello November

Hello November

11.03.2013

^^Sun Valley = Idaho Eye Candy^^

Bron and I kicked off the weekend right with a date night to dinner and the temple.  Then first thing Saturday morning we loaded the kids in the car to go spend the day thrifting ski gear from the Rich in the quaint and beautiful town of Sun Valley.  The red brick buildings coupled with mountains dusted in snow is candy for the eyes.  And yes, we scored!  We are now the proud owners of a new to us pair of powder skis, warm hardly worn boots for me, two sets of poles, goggles, and a vintage sweater all for a whopping $123.  It was a lot of fun.  Everywhere I turned, folks were commenting on how darling Levi was in his little monster hat or how handsome both my boys are.  It was a pleasant change from the norm that made me feel good. 

We ate a lunch of fresh made-to-order sandwiches and corn dogs from the grocery deli before heading up further into the mountains.  Bron wanted to show me Galena, a point near the top of the mountain and the mouth of the Wood River.  The view was stunning.  And the snow hanging from the bows of every pine made me a little giddy for Christmas.  These magical weeks between Halloween and Christmas are always some of my favorite each year.

The only negative thing I have to report about the weekend is that we have all caught nasty colds.  Levi felt so puny Saturday night.  (Read: For about ten minutes there we were both soaked in vomit.)  But it's always nice to snuggle him skin to skin in a hot steamy shower.  One year old is still so little.

We hope your weekend was just as good!

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My Spudman Triathlon Stud

My Spudman Triathlon Stud

7.28.2013

And now, a post all about Bron!

Spoiler: Since Bron is proudly holding his "medal" you obviously know he didn't wind up on the bottom of the river.  Instead, I am proud to announce that Bron finished his very first triathlon with flying colors!  

Now let me tell you all about it... 

Saturday Bron participated raced his guts out in the Spudman Triathlon.  He and a couple of friends signed up for the race together.  Nothing quite like a little peer pressure, ya?  They swam 1 mile, biked 25 miles, and ran 6 miles.  It was Bron's very first triathlon ever.  I think he had so many nervous butterflies that he didn't sleep a wink the night before, but he rocked it anyway coming in at 2 hours and 55 minutes.  Words can't describe how proud I am of my man.

^^Modeling his goofy swim cap before the race began^^

 ^^There's my man!!!  Go get 'em!^^

I was so glad I left our little boys at home with a babysitter.  It was nice to be there to support him 100%.

 ^^Look at all those little goldfish go!^^

^^Just to give you a better idea of what the Snake River is like.^^  

It was the first year in the history of the race that it rained, but I think the racers welcomed the cloudy skies. 

 Next up: a little cycling followed by a nice long run.  Bron said that transition was pretty tough!  

Legs like jelly.  I can only imagine

^^And here he is!  Tired and running full speed towards the finish line.^^  

The Spudmen

Bron, Lorren, Dan, and Aaron

These guys are studs.  They're a little sore and stiff, but they had fun!  I hope they do it again next year.

I love you and am so proud of you, Bron!  

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