Our Wintry Weekend Getaway for My 30th Birthday

Our Wintry Weekend Getaway for My 30th Birthday

2.03.2015

...also known as, the time we got lost in the dark cross country skiing.

^^Bron and I couldn't help reminiscing about how he proposed to me on my 22nd birthday, eight years ago!^^

Bron helped me kick off my big 3-0 birthday in the best way possible: a snowy weekend getaway exploring Jackson Hole, Wyoming!  And what a weekend it was, high adventure and luxurious relaxation all rolled into one.  I'm kind of dying to go back!  These special days spent as just the two of us are so good for our marriage.  We get to talk and cuddle and explore on our own timetable.  And without all the normal distractions of everyday life, it becomes easier to see just how incredibly well Bron treats me. There is something very comforting in knowing that this partner I've chosen for eternity takes great care of me, knows me inside and out.  I won the jackpot with this man.  And I am the luckiest girl alive.  Not to mention spoiled rotten.

But enough sappy sentiments... let's talk about how we celebrated my birthday!  We dropped the boys off early Saturday morning with my sister-in-law Amber (I heard the boys had a blast playing with their cousins) and headed straight to Grand Targhee for a full day of skiing.  Dense fog covered the valley, but up on the mountain it was nothing but blue skies and sunshine!  A gorgeous day to turn 30 years old.  We skiied until my legs began screaming their resentment and then headed to our overnight destination in Jackson, WY.

We checked into a nine bedroom rustic hotel-style bed and breakfast inn known as Inn on the Creek.  I totally recommend the place!  The best parts were the ten course breakfast in the morning and the jacuzzi hot tub in our room!  We warmed up and cleaned up before heading out to find a big birthday dinner.  Full disclosure: I ate my entire meal of baby back ribs, beans, and corn, and was STILL famished!  So I ordered the salad bar too.  Skiing is a calorie killer! 

^^Walking around the town of Jackson, Wyoming.^^

The majority of Sunday was spent on the Elk Reserve.  We took a horse-drawn sleigh ride straight into a herd of about 1800 elk.  (Brought back a few memories from our dating days!)  What a magnificent sight it was to see so many wild big-game animals so close!  We can't wait to bring the boys back one day.

^^I can only imagine what it must have been like to have lived in the old west under the majestic Teton mountain range.^^

^^Our studly horses and sleigh.  I learned a lot about elk on our tour!^^

Then we headed up the road to Teton National Park to conquer some cross country skiing.  I was a bit disappointed the majestic Tetons were covered in clouds, but it felt quite romantic as it started to snow instead.  I'll take that!  We picked the trail that led to Taggart Lake and started our adventure. Little did we know, our trip would wind up being a near-miss disaster.

Admittedly, Bron and I are very novice cross country skiers.  I was not above taking my skis off and hiking a ways up and down some particularly steep terrain!  But we made it to Taggart Lake without so much as a hiccup.  However, it was getting late and the sun was about to set behind the mountains.  The map the park gave us said our trail was a three mile loop, so we continued onward.  The trail gradually became steeper and more narrow until it finally disappeared all together--save for several sets of footprints in the snow obviously leftover from other bewildered hikers.

Bron and I were a bit confused.  We never saw any trail markers along the way.  Our biggest mistake was not turning around right then and there.  By the time I suggested it, the sky was becoming ominously dark and I was starting to freak out.  There we were, with very little gear in the middle of a wilderness and three feet of snow.  My imagination started running wild with thoughts of spending an entire night out there lost and freezing cold, though something deep inside told me we were going to be just fine.  Bron had a good idea where the truck was and I felt the same way, so we pressed on--up over one hill and down another and up again and down again.  Fortunately, though it was cloud covered, there was a nearly full moon that lit up the sky.  We saw power poles!  We saw blinking road lights!  And finally, we saw the truck!  Whew!  I totally earned that delicious chocolate truffle waiting for me.

Pictures from before we got lost...
                          

^^Frozen Taggart Lake!^^

^^Bron chillin' on the "beach"^^

Our Jackson Hole trip will go down in memory as one of our best adventures together.  It was sooo cold, but absolutely beautiful.  I think the build-up to 30 is much worse than actually being 30 years old because 30 is looking fabulous so far!

Thank you friends and family for all the kind birthday wishes!  Feeling remembered helped make my day even better.

Read more »

5 Reasons Why 30 Is Way Better Than 20

5 Reasons Why 30 Is Way Better Than 20

1.30.2015

Tomorrow I turn 30 years old.  30!  You guys, I'm flipping out.  I mean, I remember my parents being this age.  I remember when 30 was old.  And here it is!  Commencing into a new decade has made me a bit nostalgic, remembering all that has happened in the last ten years.  It's been an eventful decade to put it lightly!  I know my thirties will just be an extension of the last three years: living in the same house, raising kids, taking pictures, etc.  Nothing will really change, so why is this so HARD?!  Eeep!

 Image via Clipart

So in an effort to convince myself otherwise, I'm writing a list of the reasons why my 30's will still rock and might even be a wee bit ton better than my 20's.  And I think you'll agree. 

1.  We're not students anymore!  Let's face it, though I could devour an entire dessert pizza in one sitting and not see its effects on my thighs, school was stressful and expensive.  I was dirt poor in college.  (I remember my bank account zeroing out and selling my plasma for money at the end of one semester.  Then I found a real job.  Ha!)  And Bron and I were dirt poor through his Master's degree in New York.  We lived on less than $20K a year with no government assistance.  AND we had a baby.  Those years will forever be influential in my life, but I would never really want to repeat them.  Instead, we are now reaping the rewards of all that hard school work.  Bron has a career that actually makes money now!  His job provides a beautiful home to live in, pays all our bills, puts delicious food on the table, and the best part?  We can afford HOBBIES!  We now have the time and money to mountain bike, to go out on regular dates, and to buy me that new lens I've been dreaming about--to name just a few.  What a luxury!  Life is so much comfier now.  Having a real job rocks.

2.  A happy and slightly weathered marriage.  No more awkward dates that feel like eons, but in reality last just three hours.  No more wondering what he thinks of me, if he's being completely honest with me, if he's "the one" etc.  I am waaay beyond that!  I now go to sleep in the warm embrace of my best friend.  We often talk into the wee hours of the night.  Bron is my best friend and my life's witness.  But the difference about marriage from our early twenties compared to our thirties is that our marriage is weathered a bit.  Nearly eight years later, our relationship has survived plenty of ups and downs and I think we're tighter because of it.  We've also had sufficient time to "train" one another to our likes and expectations.  It's a happy and fulfilling relationship we've got going on.

3.  My children actually like me!  Right now Jed and Levi truly do NEED me to help them with many of their daily living necessities and tasks, but they also WANT me there too.  They think I'm pretty cool and that I cannot do any wrong.  I am their best friend.  They want me present to chase them around at the park, push them on the swings, and race them down the slides.  They want me to read and sing and snuggle at bedtime.  It's a demanding but magical season of life.  Ten years from now, the boys will probably turn into a pair of snotty all-knowing teenagers that will be a bit embarrassed to be seen with me in public.  So I'm going to soak in the unconditional love of these early years for all they're worth!    

4.  We're established.  We bought a home and are putting our roots down.  There are perks to travel and adventure (and we plan on doing some of that for sure!), but there is a sense of comfort and security that come with developing life-long friendships and creating a love and loyalty to our hometown.  There is plenty to explore and experience right here too!

5.  Honestly, I'm still young, but with a little life experience under my belt.  Though they may fit a bit differently now, I still wear some of the same size clothing I did in college.  (That's called pregnancy and birth experience.)  I still have my health and energy.  I can run and ski and hike and mountain bike ride.  And sure, I may have a few fine lines beginning to form around my eyes, but I call it character.  A little life experience has helped me gain a tad more grace in exchange for judgement and what it means to act selflessly.  The world is still at my feet; anything is possible.  It's just that the parts that bring me the most happiness are already locked in: my family--Bron, Jed, and Levi.

So as exciting and life-altering as my 20's were, I think I'm okay leaving them behind.  Because life is just as good, if not better now, than it's ever been.  Bring it on, 30!         

Read more »

His VS Her Weekend

His VS Her Weekend

1.26.2015

HIS:

Bron spent a three day weekend snowmobiling with ten other guys in West Yellowstone.  He called it "working" with a giant grin on his face.  One of the perks of Bron's job is that he gets the opportunity to wine and dine the dairymen from time to time.  Apparently, they ate a lot of steak and had a blast.  The only casualties of the trip were one windshield and the tree seen above.

HERS:

I stayed home to hold down the fort with two seemingly extra whiny and hard of hearing little boys.  It was the third week in a row that my dear husband had been out of town (I NEED that man!) and I was starting to run ragged.  Fortunately, when my neighbor Tiana offered to babysit Jed and Levi in exchange for babysitting her little kiddos, I jumped on the opportunity to run errands alone in town and sit down at Chili's for a flavorful lunch with time enough to relax and read my favorite magazine.  Yes folks, that photo above is what bliss looks like.

Then Saturday morning I may have texted Bron with an expletive or two telling him I was hanging by a thread!  He suggested an afternoon at Jump Time followed by a visit to the college museum and a Redbox movie.  And that's exactly what we did... after some extra early 11:00AM naps because I just couldn't stand the whiiiiining any longer.  But the afternoon out turned out to be exactly what everyone needed.  (Sorry, no pictures!  Sometimes it's just better that way.)  The boys and I had a blast at Jump Time, a warehouse full of blow-up slides and trampolines.  We had sooo much fun racing down the slides, jumping, and pegging each other with the soft dodge balls.  And this mama still has it!  Round off back layout?  No problem.  Just don't ask me to do two in a row.  Haha  I love those happy memory-making moments with my boys!  They mean so much to me.  After the museum and some dinner, we snuggled up to watch Sherman and Mr. Peabody until Bron walked through the door.  Yay!

OURS:

Sunday morning we were lucky enough to hear Elder Ballard speak at Stake Conference at church.  Those Apostles sure know how to deliver a good speech!  Afterwards, we just chilled and played some "soccer" in the backyard because it felt like spring out there. 

Perfect ending to an overall pretty great weekend!

^^The kid has some skillz!  Proud Mama.^^

^^Goofy Dad!^^

Read more »

Monthly Photography Challenge: Street Photography

Monthly Photography Challenge: Street Photography

1.20.2015

Technically, street photography, "features the human condition within public places," but I'm taking my own twist on the subject this month and featuring a lifestyle session I shot instead.  Family is the human condition nearest and dearest to my own heart right now as a mother.  I love how a lifestyle session documents those feelings and precious moments of bringing home a new baby in some small way. 

Perhaps I'll take another stab at this theme come April because living in rural Idaho, street photography to me involves tractors and farmers and cows. But it's January and none of that is to be had till spring. So in the mean time, hop on over to see what these other talented ladies have conjured up!  (P.S. We added another photographer, Elizabeth!)

Alea

Elizabeth

Lauren  

Miriam

Rachel

Read more »

What the Potty Training Experts DON'T Tell You

What the Potty Training Experts DON'T Tell You

1.18.2015

There are countless books and articles out there all claiming to know the "secret" to potty training your toddler in three days flat--or at least that's what it feels like!  And while their methods may be tried and true and have even worked for me and my two little boys, the authors somehow manage to leave out one teensy weensy detail: potty training can last weeks, months, and sometimes even YEARS.  Yes, by day three my children understand that they need to hold their pee long enough to make it to the toilet, but that's honestly about it.  And I think that's the story for the good majority of all children! 

You see, potty training is half about training the parent.  (Unless you happen to get super lucky with some awesome kid like we did with Jed.)  We, as parents, learn to take our toddlers to the potty about fifteen times a day.  We know that approximately a half hour after lunch, we'd better be in the vicinity of a toilet or else we can expect a pair of wet pants.  It's actually kind of hard, but not impossible.  We're responsible adults, after all.  How difficult can remembering to take a child to the bathroom between cleaning up the spilled milk, answering that text, and attending to your other child's demands really be?!  (Hahaha!)

But what about the other half of potty training?  Well, the other half of the success of potty training depends on your toddler.  That sweet funny toddler that is just as STUBBORN  as you are.  Except he has the upper hand because he is also IRRATIONAL.  There is no reasoning with him.  The only thing worse than a terrible two year old is a teenage girl.  True story.   The fact of the matter is, the decision to be potty trained is entirely up to him.  Suddenly, one day, your toddler will decide that being potty trained is totally cool and he'll be dry 100% of the time.  Until the next day, when your child is over it and has three accidents in a row.

Like the other day, when Levi and I had a conversation establishing what would happen if he pooped in his underwear.  I'd just read him a couple of stories as he sat on the toilet and pretended to strain when I asked him to poop.  I bargained that if he made it to the toilet, then he'd get candy and his favorite thing: a trip to Target to pick out a toy from the dollar corner!  I let Levi choose his consequence.  Well, guess what happened an hour later?  Levi pooped in his underwear.  Naturally, I had to carry out said consequence.  And guess what happened five hours after that?  Levi pooped again.  Except this time he took off his underwear.  He pooped on the carpet and promptly stepped in it like a cow pie... all while Jed was in the room watching the Lego Movie and singing, "Everything is awesome!"

Awesome indeed.

So if you're a parent struggling to potty train your child, you're not alone.  And please don't give yourself wrinkles by worrying about it; there's probably nothing more you can do than you're already doing.  And that's the hard plain truth.

Trek on, my fellow potty training warriors!

*Jed's Potty Training Synopsis HERE      

Read more »

Bunk Beds for the Boys

Bunk Beds for the Boys

1.15.2015

 ^^Props to Grandma Nelson who made the warm jean quilts for their beds!  Yes, my children have a t.v. in their room (aka my sanity) but no worries, I take the remote away from time to time too.^^ 

 ^^Toys galore and a children's library.  That's Tiga, Jed's crochet rhino.  Also, an alarm clock that glows green at 7:30 each morning.  The boys aren't allowed out of bed until then.  Brilliant sleep saver!^^

We bought bunk beds!  (Off of Craigslist with a toy box and dresser included from some neighbors we happened to know.  Small world when you live in a small town.)  Now our two busy little boys sleep like two peas in a pod in the same room.  So far, it's actually been a wonderful transition.  They absolutely love it.  I can hear them in there all day long... playing with toys, climbing up and down the ladder (it's like a jungle gym to them), and just chatting away.  Jed looks after his little brother; sometimes he even reminds him to use the potty.  It's so funny and heartwarming to over hear, knowing that they're strengthening that brotherly bond and beginning to make memories that will last their lifetimes.

My little sister and I used to share a room and a set of bunk beds for years.  When we talk bunk beds we immediately burst into laughter because the first memory that comes to both our minds is how I used to hang my foot over the edge and then she'd LICK it!  From toe to heel.  Sooo gross, but it TICKLED!  So we repeated it over and over again.  We made forts in the bottom bunk.  We tucked all our treasures into the cubbies that were our headboards.  We talked and cried and fought and hugged-- all in that little room of ours.

And that's simply my hope for these two brothers.

When I tuck Levi into bed at night he'll sometimes tell me, "It not cozy."  So I flip the pillow over and ask him if that helped.  "My bed is cozy!" he grins as he snuggles down deep under his covers and holds Wolfie close.  Dang, I want to climb in too!  But instead, I tell them "Good night!  I love you!  Sweet dreams," as I blow them kisses and gently shut the door.  The little smacks and "Love you's" I hear in return melt me into a puddle.  Aw, this is a good change.  

P.S.  If you're wondering what will happen to our other bedroom, it has been turned into a toy room/guest room.  No, no baby on the way.  (I know some of you were hoping!)  Maybe someday we'll get that third child I so pray and hope for, but for the foreseeable future, we're a happy family of four.     

Read more »