Life lately according to my iPhone...

I have been frightfully neglectful of the blog lately. And my goal is to get caught up very quickly here. So... here are the past few weeks via my iPhone and Instagram... 

Happenings around BYU (one-of-those-kind-of-days candy bag and lowering the flag)...

Adi's antics (her newest love "Jeff-er-y" thank you Toys R Us recruiters and playing during church)

Daddy-daughter evenings (and hiding in the pine tree...) 

More of Adi's antics ("scare me guys!")

Sunday Afternoon Walks

In March, Ryan and I went off sweets. We were successful. We did it again in July with only minor setbacks and realized that it's not so much no sweets as sweets in moderation.

So, we're doing sweets once a week. And for the most part, we're been doing really well. We've had to work around specific events and birthdays, but I feel like I've got a handle around my sweet tooth and that we're setting a better example for Adi.

Still, one of the ways we've been able to keep our sanity is to make delicious chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies for friends and neighbors on Sundays and go on long afternoon walks to deliver them. We did that today and had fun surprising people with delicious treats! Here's what Adi thought about it!

Giving away cookies? Oh my!

Binx and BYU

It would be no surprise if Binx were encouraged to attend BYU for her undergraduate degree. Kenz comes from a long line of BYU alumni and professors, and to say she loves BYU would be an understatement. After class last Friday, I picked up the Binx and we walked around campus while we were waiting for Kenz to get off work.

We started at Botany Pond to feed the ducks because really, who doesn't enjoy feeding ducks your moldy bread? We're not big bread eaters at our house and so at one point I think I had stored the remnants of over 4 loaves in the fridge for the sole purpose of feeding ducks.

And who knew that there were turtles in Botany Pond? If you did, kudos. I had never seen them in there before. (Maybe they used to be ninja turtles -- my 7-year-old self can only hope.)

Perhaps the most exciting and disturbing part of our experience was this ugly catfish. I had visions of Dementors as this thing skimmed the surface of the pond.

After seeing the nasty fish, Binx ran up and down some stairs for a while, and then we took a stroll along the stream that cuts across the hill to south campus. Binx mostly wanted to chill in the "wawa".

Honestly, I couldn't blame the girl.

After following the stream to its source, we walked across campus enjoying views of the SWKT and ESC with a backdrop of blue skies and picturesque mountains.

After that walk, I have to admit that I would encourage Binx to pursue a BYU education. My academic experiences here have been exceptional and the atmosphere is lively and dynamic. My experiences at other universities have also been great, but for me there is just something special about BYU.

Sundance

Ebb and flow my friends. Ebb and flow.

You know you're life is hectic and busy when (among other things):

1.) You're house looks like this...

2.) You're fridge reminds you of this...

3.) Your "To Blog" list is six or seven topics long and occupies the back of your mind. 

So... here's to getting caught up. 

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On the Fourth, we introduced Adi to the Jeep. I have such incredible childhood memories in that thing, and love, love, love everything about it from the smell of the car to vinyl seats and even the bumpiness of the ride. 

Adi does too. 

After discovering Adi's love for the Jeep earlier in the day, my dad drove Ryan, Adi, and I up to one of our favorite places, Sundance, to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery. And to get a yummy holiday treat!

She sure was a character in her car seat...

And made all sorts of faces! 

When we made it to the resort, Adi was thrilled to be able to run around. 

She had fun and took an interest in the ski lift. (Don't worry, we didn't take her on it. I was too afraid that she would try and jump out!) 

She also loved the water...

 

And snapping pictures with grandpa and mom and dad.

Gotta love Sundance and the Jeep! 

Fathers in My Life - Part 2

The first time I saw my father-in-law, I had pulled up to the house in Farmington when he was talking to the neighbor across the street, he smiled. I recognized him from pictures, and was embarrassed that I was so early.

Looking back almost four years I have been amazed at the neat relationship I have been able to develop with him. And, while many sons- and daughters-in-laws have horror stories about their in-laws, I can honestly say that I have the greatest in-laws ever.

Brad has been such an example to me. Besides being a hard-working and talented accountant, he is dedicated to his family, to his faith, and to his overall beliefs. He is extremely thoughtful and unabashedly generous. I have learned to be a better person, to stretch the boundaries of my comfort zone, and to appreciate nature in ways I would never have been able to do without his love and support.

One of my favorite memories with Brad was at our wedding luncheon. When he stood up to toast, he told the story of my first experience at the cabin--it was January, prime snowmobiling time. He asked if I'd ever ridden one, and I answered no... but I've been on a jet ski and a four-wheeler. So, off we went. When I failed to communicate was the fact that while I had ridden those machines, I had never driven those machines. I was scared. to. death. But, I prayed and offered a prayer something along the lines of "I will follow all instructions given me and do my best to prepare, but if I die, I know that it is thy will." After we got back from the ride, I conveyed these thoughts to Brad and he was horrified that I had been so scared and felt bad that he hadn't given me more than a 10-second intro to riding a snowmobile.

When he told this story at the luncheon he said that he had been impressed with the amount of faith I had shown, more like fear and resignation, but it's all semantics, right?

I have come to love Brad like my own dad, I feel so lucky. I mean who else can ask their father-in-law to add huge complex numbers in their head and get an immediate response? And who else can say that they've bonded with their father-in-law over Judge Judy?

 I can. I have.

Here's to Brad, the best father-in-law a girl could ask for.

Fathers in My Life - Part 1

Remember what I said about June 17, 2007? It should have been Father's Day... it was Father's Days.

That day, as I spoke to the congregation during Sacrament meeting, all I could convey was one memory--not even mine.

To give you some context, when my dad was three years old, his father died in a farming accident. His mother was left with seven children (my dad and six half-siblings). My grandmother remarried a few years later, adding seven more to the mix. I can only imagine that being from a blended family was difficult, especially living in poor farming conditions.

When I spoke that Sunday I retold a story from when my dad was about twelve years old. He was on a scouting trip with a bunch of other boys and a scout master who had helped pay his way to scout camp. They were on a bus headed home when they stopped at a gas station. While they were at the gas station, a bunch of the boys found some five-cent combs and stuffed their pockets with them. All the boys, except my dad. He could have easily rationalized his abject situation, but he chose to withstand peer pressure, live his standards, and be honest.

When the gas station attendee realized what had happened (before the bus had left), he approached the scout master and shamefully each boy had to apologize and pay the debt for stealing. All the boys, except my dad.

It may have been insignificant to some, but each time I think of this story, I can imagine the pride that that scout master felt for that one young man, who although poor, stood for what was right--especially after he had sacrificed for him to get there.

My dad is one of the most wonderful men I know. He is kind, diligent, hard-working, and has a wonderful sense of humor. He is a talented businessman and is the most generous person I know. He loves his family, and his face lights up when he sees my little girl. The true meaning of joy.

My dad has taught me to be the best I can be, to never give up, to value and seek after education, to be generous, to live the Gospel, and to value my family. However, the most important lesson I've learned from my dad is "Taste is nothing, presentation is everything."

For Father's Day this year, Ryan and I gave my dad tickets (one for him, one for me) to the Utah Valley Parade of Homes. When I was a kid I hated going to the home show or painting a various room. Now some of my favorite memories with my dad have been centered around home shows, decorating, design, and renovations. We've especially loved watching House Hunter's International, Sarah's House, or Candice Olson together and I love seeing the DVR folder saved just for me.

Here's to the greatest dad I could have ever asked for!

Love you Dad!

Bubbles!

It was 4am on February 16, 2010. I was an exhausted, paranoid, and emotional new mom, and Adrielle was four days old.

I was sleeping on the couch with my new baby, in a half sleep, bothered by the light from the street-lamp. I remember waking up at her slightest movement or sound, but at that moment I looked at my swaddled baby and realized that as sleep deprived as I was, I loved that baby. '

Tonight Ryan and I gave Adi a bath, and I'll admit, she was pretty dang cute.

Day 9: Someone You Love

And, for the record, whenever Adi is smiling in a certain direction, I would put my money on a guess that she's smiling at Ryan.

I Owe My Soul to the Company Store

In June of 1997, I spent a week at Clear Creek, a summer camp sponsored by Alpine School District, located near a small mining town. I loved it. As part of our camp we hiked, sang camp songs, and performed skits, but we also learned about Scofield, some of it's history and what it meant to work for "the company". Little did I know that I would later come to love that small mining town, Scofield, Utah.

Fast forward to January 2008 when my boyfriend invited me to his parents' cabin, just miles away from Clear Creek on the Scofiled Resevoir.

Lucky for me, I married that boyfriend.

And, lucky for us. We just spent the weekend here:

(Brad and Jennifer's Cabin at Aspen Cove)

With a drive up that looked like this:

And lake views that looked like this:

(The Scofield Resevoir, at its highest in at least ten years)

And breakfast that looked like this:

(Thanks to Ryan and Kyle for delicious "Cabin Breakfast")

The best part about the trip? We got to enjoy the company of our friends Sara and Kyle and their two adorable boys.

They're the greatest, and we have loved getting to know them. We were thrilled that they wanted to come with us and thrilled that they even wanted to adventure to Scofield!

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Scofield, Utah according to Wikipedia is a town in Carbon County, Utah with a population of 28 at the 2000 census.

But, this wasn't always the case. In the late 1800's, Scofield was a booming mining town with a population over 600. However, on May 1, 1900, a huge explosion rocked the mine and devastated the town.

I remembered that we had learned about the disaster at Clear Creek, but my memories were vague. (In fact, all I could really remember was the phrase "I owe my soul to the company store" from a song we listened to the entrance to the mine. It wasn't until recently that I discovered the whole song and who "the company" was--think October Sky.)

Anyway, when we were planning for the trip, Sara and Kyle had mentioned the disaster, so when we made it to the cabin, we decided to take an adventure to Scofield for a closer look.

We stopped at the cemetery

Come to find out there were over 125 men buried in this cemetery who were killed in the accident. These wooden headstones are scattered everywhere and mark the graves of those killed in the 1900 disaster (with a more recent headstone to help identify the names on the illegible, rotting wood)

They had erected a memorial to the fallen, with this sculpture depicting the feeling of the accident.

It was tragic.

And the 5th worst mining accident in American history.

Over 200 men were killed, leaving 107 widows and more than 250 orphans.

The tomb of the unknown is dedicated to the men they couldn't identify and bury accordingly

Most of the men killed in the accident had only the wooden headstone, but a few had more elaborate memorials. This was one--crumbling after 110 years, but beautiful all the same.

Adi took at interest in the cemetery and wandered to see the various flowers and flags

I love this little girl!

Another thing this area is known for are the "Potguts" (aka rockchucks or the yellow-bellied marmot) and we got to see quite a few of them running around the grass and poking their heads out of their little holes. Even Adi liked them! (Here's a snap shot of Sara and Isaac checking one out.)

And one of a potgut and Isaac running to see it.

After checking out the cemetery, we visited the school house and tried to find the mine, but were unsuccessful... we'll just have to save that for another adventure.

When we got back to the cabin, we decided to roast marshmallows and Starburst candies because it had been too late the previous night.

Yummy Starbursts! (If you haven't tried this, you must. It takes technique, but if you do it right, it's caramelized with a slight sugar crunch on the outside and gooey and yummy on the inside.

Adi didn't seem to mind...

In fact, she loved it!

And so. did. I.

Overall it was a fun, relaxing trip--quick--but such a treat. Thanks to Sara, Kyle, Isaac, and Liam for a fun weekend!