Field Trip

I've just been "trippin'" all over haven't I. These are pictures from my 1st grader's fieldtrip last week to the greenhouses and to Thanksgiving Point animal farm. They had a great time and he was so glad I could come along with him.
Planting at the Greenhouse

Buddies

Petting the Bunny

Hayless "Hayride"

The Duck pond

Piggies

Horses

The kids were put in "jail" until they sang a song to the tour guide.

Road Trip

I went down to my Aunt's and Uncle's house in Overton, NV last weekend. She is an AVID road cyclist and promised to show me the ropes a bit more on my bike. My husband finally relented and let me get away for the weekend, taking charge of the kids at home. He did a great job and I had a great time. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU hubby, Auntie and Uncle John. BTW, my aunt said we had to make this a yearly thing. Just a warning to my hubby. :-)

I rode 24 miles with my Aunt each day (Friday and Saturday). We rode from her house out to Elephant Rock in the Valley of Fire and back. I climbed some pretty long hills and some steep hills too. The last push to Elephant Rock

is a real doozie especially if your Aunt has to stop at the outhouses before heading up...you lose all momentum and it's like climbing a wall. But I did it and loved it. My Aunt is 20 years older than I am but can kick my butt on the bike any day. She does that ride plus some 4-5 times a week. She's put a lot of miles on her bike. Someday I'll be that tough. She loaded me up with a ton of her riding clothes (that she's too small for now) and has me outfitted to ride in the cold back here. Now I just have to get the rain and wind to stop.


Friday night she and I went into Vegas and shopped and ate. Then Saturday night, we went to see Gladys night and "The Saint's Unified Voices" at an LDS Stake Center (Church) in Vegas. It was inspiring to hear her conversion story and she has a WONDERFUL voice. But it was a little odd to hear an electric organ and "Gospel" Music sung in an LDS chapel. The choir was even dressed like a Southern Baptist Choir and clapped and swayed as well. But as Gladys herself said, we are a worldwide church, music in it is as diverse as the culture is now. We don't sing the same hymns, tunes, or words Jesus and the Hebrews did. But we sing our praises to Him according to our culture and spirit within. Here's a really bad audio clip of two songs just to give you an idea...I just wanted to let my hubby hear what I was talking about when I was explaining it to him...not trying to bootleg a CD or anything.

SNOW SNOW GO AWAY

I WANT FALL TO STAY. So hard to believe that about 3 weeks of Fall was all we got until we were blasted with COLD and SNOW on Saturday afternoon. It even started sticking on the ground. CRAZY! I am so so so not ready for snow.

Our LAST Camping Trip of the Year?

We went up the canyon for one "last time" this season (a slight possibility for another jaunt). We had some extra kids and a friend come up with us. Too bad the friend's hubby couldn't come and keep my hubby company. There were about 8 kids and 3 adults. A little crazy but fun. Our 9 year old was the photographer for the night...including a self portrait of him and his gum.

The weather turned chilly but held out until we packed up Saturday morning when it began to rain. Our oldest had a great time with his buddy who joined us in the
trailer for a little sleepover that night.

Happy 31st Birthday!

I turned 31 yesterday. Not an exciting age to turn by any means, but it was a good day. At breakfast my husband and the kids gave me the Nike chip and iPod adapter to use in my exercise training...especially running. I used the chip today. I calibrated it running for a half mile, and then walking for a half mile, and then I tested it out running for another half mile. Then you upload your run to Nike and it keeps your results. It'll even map your course. It's awesome.


Besides the fact that I had to fold tons and tons of laundry, I was able to take a break and go to lunch with some friends. Then I was able to go out for a great dinner with my hubby to Sundance Foundry Grill. It was delicious and wonderful. I love it up there. After dinner my husband gave me a beautiful book with a great inscription in it. I'm excited to read it. It was a great birthday!

Fall is Here, WINTER IS COMING!!!

We woke up Monday morning to snow on the mountains. You can see exactly where the cloud line was. Pretty cool!
Then we went to visit my Grandma where we met up with my sister from the north end of Salt Lake and her kids.

Fall Camping

We took the kids out on Friday night for our first Fall Campout. The weather was perfect. Cold enough to really enjoy the fire...but not so cold that we had to put on more than a long sleeved top. But thank goodness for the trailer...no getting out of the tent in the middle of the night and making that long freezing walk to the outhouse.

Dirty faced Spencer.

Game TIME!!

The next morning we kept breakfast really simple (oatmeal and cereal and hot chocolate) before setting off on a hike. As I was cleaning up breakfast though, I almost stepped right on a TARANTULA!!!! Another "Thank Goodness for trailers instead of tents" moment. I've never seen one in the wild...neither has Rhett in all his camping and hiking. I screamed of course, more at the thought of it crunching and squishing under my foot than the thought of it biting me...it was pretty cold and slow moving. After Rhett rescued it to the other side of the campground, we set off on a little hike up the mountain.