Epic

It did happen. I can't deny it. I had a birthday in July.  Birthdays tend to be really great or an event you'd prefer not to remember. This year, it was really great. Scott, being the sweet husband that he is, asked what I would like this year. Aside from a flagstone patio, new laundry room, new bathroom downstairs, hardwood floors upstairs, new desk/craft area, built in for the family room, there isn't much else on my list. So I told him I just wanted a night out--just the two of us. That is exactly what I got. It made me reminisce of our pre marriage life. Scott found a great restaurant I'd never heard of and we spent the evening talking and snuggling at dinner and a movie.  We had great crabcakes and steak at Epic, Casual Dining. Everything was really yummy and I love when Scott surprises me with a new place to eat. Chandler was super sweet when he gave me a beautiful bouquet and card. Watson was a good sport for Grandma and went to bed without much fuss. It was a great way to spend my birthday.

Did You See the Donut?

Neither did we. I would have liked to help Chandler hike all the way to the hole and the cave at Donut Falls. However, it is a little tricky when you are carrying this:

We had some uninterrupted, extra time together so we decided to go where Chandler hadn't been before.

I'm always confused about which canyon it's in so we meandered up Little Cottonwood until we hit Snowbird and then made our way to Big Cottonwood. I know, I know. You'd think someone like me, who has lived in Utah the majority of her life, would be able to keep the two canyons straight. ANYWAY, it was good time to chat with Chandler, one on one, while Watson snoozed in the backseat.  We ate lunch at the beginning of the trail and lolly-gagged our way to the bottom of the water fall.  Chandler practiced his rock climbing skills along the way.

Lots of people had the same idea so it was fun to see how other people were climbing through the water and making their way up or down the falls. I love when I have time with Chandler when he or I don't feel pressure to "hurry up" to get to the next task or thing. It is so rare. We get to have real conversations, it doesn't happen often enough. On our little hike he said to me, "Don't you think kids are growing up too fast?" I said, "Yes, I really do. I want you to be a kid for as long as possible. That's one reason I'm not ready for you to have a cell phone yet." He went on to explain he doesn't want one either, until he's 14. (Can I get that in writing?) and he wants to just be a kid. These little moments with him make me feel really grateful to be his mom, even if I'm just his step mom. He is still mine, and I count myself lucky.
As we found our way back to the car we came across a very sociable chipmunk. It nibbled on a pretzel while watching us and then climbed a rock to have a conversation, with us. It sure made a lot of noise!
Chandler took a great action shot of it.

Our "little" hike turned into an afternoon event but it was totally worth the time.

BIG Plan.

Summer has definitely moved along much faster than I anticipated, or wanted, or realized. I did have some BIG plans for our summer. Some have occurred, many have not, and I guess that is ok.  Since the 4th of July landed on a Sunday this year we thought we would celebrate it for the whole weekend, and the following Monday. We kicked it off with a bang with a parade and breakfast Saturday morning and at home fireworks Saturday night. Chandler is getting so brave to light things and he can't seem to get enough of it. It must be totally a boy thing. We joined Challey's neighborhood for the parade and breakfast. So fun to see how the kids decorated their bikes, scooters, strollers, and in Spencer's case, mini-motorbike.

Watson did enjoy the fireworks but was content enough to sit on my lap until they were over. He doesn't spend much time in one place for long so it was a pleasant surprise.  All in all, it was a great way to start off the celebration of America and all its blessings.
Sunday brought a surprise for our family. We got a call from Scott's uncle that Scott's mom was in the hospital in Grand Junction. We packed up the car pretty quick and headed there for a visit.  She is doing well now and we were lucky to have some time to visit.

Although my tribute to this land of freedom is late I still want to express my gratitude. This really is a blessed and sacred land. A place to worship God freely and enjoy His blessings as He sees fit. I'm grateful to be an American and I am doing my best to help my children appreciate this privilege also.

God Bless America!

Dad's Day

Father's Day. A day to honor fathers everywhere. A day to stop for a few minutes and really be grateful to the man who sacrifices for the good of his wife and children.  A time to reflect on lessons learned, love given, and a future together.
We honored Scott quietly--sort of. I missed the boat on breakfast...it's a hard thing to do with a 10 year old kid who loves to stay up and then sleep late in the summer. And a 10 month old boy who loves to get up before the sun but will nap with you on the couch until much later in the morn.  Father's Day this year began with rushing around at 8:30 am to make it to 9:00 am church. The father of the house was more than gracious in helping out and quietly nudging us along; we made it almost on time but as a happy family. I like to think I made up for the lack of special breakfast faux pau(?) by making a scrumptious dinner and an even yummier dessert.  My dad, sister and her husband joined us for dinner. My other sister and her family, my mom, and all my nieces came for dessert and r/c thrills and spills.  It seemed everyone had a good time and it made me just feel grateful to have such a fun family.  I'm sure I don't tell Scott enough what a great dad he is.  But, he is. I love to watch him play with Chandler, work together to figure things out. He is the best daddy to Watson and is so patient with his wanting to walk, rake, play in the dirt and throw rocks. I'm grateful he honors the priesthood and has a desire to become a better man every day. Even though life gets hard, and things are bumpy along the way, I know he has eternal perspective and tries really hard to honor it. I love him. Chandler loves him. Watson loves. Thank you for being our great dad. :)