Mandatory Family Fun

Byron's turn for lunch out with Mom. This is not mandatory, it is a very much anticipated event. I am amazed how much my boys can eat! Miriam gets her share of mom lunches as well.

Family Hogle Zoo Trip.

It's been so long since we have been there (except for Byron- he went last Saturday with his scout troop).

We basked in the glorious afternoon sun while the boys ran around the playground and Miriam tagged along.  Best part of the day. Fall afternoon sun is the best....next to winter afternoon sun.

Quick over night trip to Price.

We gathered cousins aunts and uncles for a hike to Gordon Creek Falls. Not mandatory but so glad they came with us...especially since I don't think I could have found it without Erik.
It was a beautiful afternoon! 

If you look closely you can see cute Hazel was there getting all wet in the waterfall.

There was no way that little girl was staying dry.

Then we stopped by to see Great Grandpa Young in the rest home where he is recovering from a fall.
He is not loving communal living....I had secretly hoped he would fall in love with having people around, and meals provided. No Dice. He wants to go home.

We fit in some playdates, a late night, and that about did it for the long weekend.

Now I seriously need to get Halloween costumes ready!! 

The Facts of Life

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...."

Soren can sing that theme song even though he has never seen the TV show....we have been singing it lately in response to life...with all it's surprises.

The boys caught a tarantula walking up the street.  It's been such a bright spot in Byron's life.  He and Soren have spent so much time watching, feeding, holding, and habitat building for it. Byron even convinced his teacher with a "9 reasons why" list to be allowed to bring it to school. I can't believe I am allowing this arachnid inside my home, but oh my goodness, when your child lights up with excitement and curiosity how can you say no?

My green eyed boys.

Darin had a week long business trip to Minnesota.  We celebrated his return by going to see the Shanghai University Performers at Kingsbury Hall.

A chilly autumn hike with friends.  We hit it just right to see the beautiful colors of fall!

I was so excited when Darin spotted some of his published research in an engineering magazine!

That is MY D. Ray listed above.

One Day at a Time

 Life is hard.
It's so hard, and so painful, and pretty exhausting....but then a a few moments later it can be wonderful or peaceful or fun. I am learning to ride the waves and try not to worry about what is beginning or what is ending. Still learning.  And sometimes when riding the wave is too much, I just take the old Young Family coping strategy and I just turn off my brain and do the next thing that needs to be done.  As I write this Soren is coughing his little chest out, I may not be sleeping much tonight....This may be the sick kiddo/no sleep wave but it will end.

Now that school is back on I work every day, some full, some half, except for Mondays...my day off.  Guess who LOVES Mondays now?! I send off my troops to face the world with a smile. I soooo treasure having the house and my brain to myself till 3:25.

We are getting up earlier than ever this year. Miriam gets up about 5:30 every day. A few days a month she needs to for ballroom, but the other days she just gets going that early.  I wish she would sleep in, but what can you do? This means however that I get up at 5:30 as well. Miriam practices, eats, gets ready and then gets a ride to school with Darin (#bestthingever)

Then we have 1 1/2 hours for the boys to eat, get Bugsy fed/cleaned, do their practicing and get off on their bikes or scooters by 8:20. Thats my time to get ready as well. Every single morning is a rush for me to get off in time.  But we all get where we need to be on time....somehow.

A few morning photos....

2 Monday fall hikes since school started.  Joanne and I found another car further up on the car hike! 

Then the swing hike the next Monday but Stacie, Becky and I were fast, furious and talking a mile a minute on that one, no photo.

I decided I need to give the boys a little more attention so I have instituted "random Monday lunch dates".  Soren was the first and he was so over the moon excited! And after seeing this photo I have decided I really need new sunglasses. 

Labor Day

My birthday flowers are blooming!

I love seeing them along the highway or popping up in abandoned parking lots. Makes my family taxi services much more fun.

(these I found on a morning hike up in the hills)

We were in Scofield for Labor Day. We were suppose to gather wood, but Jared had already brought the logs to the cabin and had most of the chopping and stacking finished before we arrived. So we chopped and stacked the rest. Darin, Miriam and I helped my mom wash the cabin windows. Then we roasted our dinner.

Darin, Julia and I took the kids canoeing.

Then we went back for more projects, 4-wheeling, and going to see a dead badger. My mom made a delicious dutch oven BBQ rib dinner to end the day with.
We left that evening, the boys were so sad...Soren cried for awhile about "all the things that just happened that ended".   I don't think we will be traveling much during this season in our lives. It's a stressful time of life, and leaving home, as fun as it is, is too heavy a burden at the moment.
 I am so glad the kids got on the lake this year.  Wyler especially loved it, it was fun to make a cousin memory.

I went on a solo jaunt up in the hills Monday morning. It was so therapeutic.  It's too hot for September and muggy/smokey but the hills are still gorgeous.

I am trying to get up there at least once during the week.  I know all about how important self care is, it just takes so much effort and planning to fit in being kind to yourself! 

My Birthday

A few years ago my birthday was pretty lame.  We were moving, school was starting (that is a constant) and there was just not time, money or energy to celebrate that year.  So I declared that the next year I wanted to go on a zip line and ride a gondola for my birthday. Well, that very next birthday we were in Zion Ponderosa visiting Craig and Lisa and low and behold they had $5 nighttime zip line rides. This year the gondola (well tram....basically the same thing) happened! The lesson here is that you just have to be patient with the universe when you want something. 

When bought the Utah Pass last Christmas I printed out a tentative schedule of when we would go to the museums and attractions. I didn't even know the Snowbird tram ride was included but I put that in August right on my birthday! 

The tram was delightful! 

The views were amazing. 

August snow

Summer wildflowers

A longer hike than we anticipated. 2 miles longer, this is a photo of Darin showing Soren how far we had come. That cute boy started struggling at the end but then Darin came through with the motivation.

We hiked through the mountain tunnel and rode the ski lift back down to the main lodge.

We had a fun Mexican dinner at El Chanate. Octoberfest was going on so we could have grabbed food anywhere but I wanted to sit and be waited on for my birthday. It was fun to see the alpine horns and listen to the music.  I for sure want to go back sometime. 

So....41.  It feels a whole lot like 40 which feels like 23.  I don't look 23 but thats how I feel in my head.