Feliz Cumpleanos...

Happy Birthday Mom!

Girl's Camp 2008

What an adventure! All of our girls had the opportunity to go on the overnight backpacking hike as part of their fourth year camp certification. It was my first time backpacking and I really enjoyed it! There is something very satisfying about setting up camp with only the items you can carry on your back. (Plus I have a greater understanding of what a pack mule must feel like.) We hiked to a lovely picturesque meadow and set up camp right next to a little stream. It was beautiful! I was a tinch paranoid about bears but after our food was safe up in a tree I felt a lot better and my face stopped twitching.

After the overnight trip we hiked out of the canyon and drove to our church property where we would spend the rest of the week. We had to set up camp all over again and by the end of the day I was ready to throw some cucumber slices over my eyes and call it quits. Camping is hard work! I was so grateful that the girls had such good attitudes and were so happy and helpful. We had zero drama this year and it was awesome!

The biffy (bathroom in the forest for you) was a hike away so we did a lot of pop, lock, and squat it-- and boy was I happy to come home to a flushing toilet. I give my overall camping experience a 9.5---I had to subtract .5 points when our deluxe queen size air mattress snagged on a tree stump and popped so we were forced to trade off using a inflatable pool raft to sleep on. Good times.

Flashback Friday

Freshman Cheerleaders

Heidi, Brooke, Haley, Aimee, Jess, Annie

I know, I know, Flashback Friday has been off to a rough start. I have been frolicking in the wilderness for the past week!

Bon Voyage!

Off to the mountains with a bunch of teenagers! Be back in a week---if I survive. : )

Sugarhouse Park

Sugarhouse Park will always have a special place in our hearts. We used to meet there in high school because it was halfway from both of our houses. Then we lived right across the street from the park for our first two years married. Not only do the mountains provide a breathtaking backdrop but Sugarhouse Park has the best ice blocking hill ever!

I just picked up one of these ingenious little sporks to take with me on our overnight backpacking hike this Tuesday. It is a spoon, fork, and knife all in one! Mine is bright orange and the back of the package reads: "The Spork is perfect for your backpack, boat, picnic basket, lunchbox, purse, or briefcase." Fabulous I say!
($2.99 at Kirkhams Outdoor Store)

Flashback Friday

Jess, Haley, Laura, Elisha @ a Think Tank Concert

As most of you know I love to take pictures. Because of this habit I have hundreds, upon thousands, upon--I dare say--millions! of photos old and new. I have decided to bring some of the oldies out of the closet and into the blogging world to be featured each Friday. Hence, Flashback Friday has been born! (I got crazy busy yesterday so pretend today is Friday : )

Farmer's Market

The downtown farmer's market started Saturday and will run each Saturday from 8:00am-1:00pm until October. Exciting!

KUER had a pretty good segment on Radio West the other day regarding independent farmers in Utah. They had several local farmers on the show and also the owner of Liberty Heights Fresh, a great little produce stop right up the road from my house. The owner, Steven Rosenberg, made a valid comment...

"Many people don't think about the consequences of their economic transactions. People will follow low prices all the way off a cliff."

True dat! I know, I know, you may have to fork over several extra dollars for some of the fruits and veges at the farmer's market but you will get the satisfaction of knowing they are fresh, tasty, and most likely organic. Sometimes I overwhelm myself thinking about buying only organic, local, made in USA, biodegradable, phosphate free, green, clean, etc......and before you know it my head has popped off!! (OCD contributes to that) So if you ever begin to feel like nothing you do makes a difference so why not buy everything at Super Wal-Mart, take the advice I often tell myself: Start small--little changes here and there are great!

Several of the guests on the show were talking about how we have forgotton what fresh food tastes like, and we also don't even know how to cook it. I found a link to a great idea called the Slow Food Movement. Here is a quote from their site,

"Living the slow life with food as the focus is as rewarding as it is easy, and it can be done daily by each one of us. Ultimately, it is about pleasure and taste, knowledge and choice. Once we begin to take an interest in the enjoyment of food, and in finding out where our food comes from, we can begin to see the effects of these choices. When we shorten the distance—both literal and figurative—that our food travels to get to us, we are participating in the Slow Food movement. Slow Food is about coming together as a food community—connecting producers and co-producers, coming together on the farm, in the market, and at the table—to create and enjoy food that is good, clean and fair.

Slow Food is also simply about taking the time to slow down and to enjoy life with family and friends. Every day can be enriched by doing something slow - making pasta from scratch one night, seductively squeezing your own orange juice from the fresh fruit, lingering over a glass of wine and a slice of cheese - even deciding to eat lunch sitting down instead of standing up. For example, here in the Slow Food USA office, we take a moment to eat lunch together every day."

Cool huh?

Below are some tasty little radishes from our garden.

Jessica Times Two

One of my roommates from BYU-Idaho was in town yesterday and it was so fun to be able to hang out with her for a little while. Jessica is hilarious! From putting tin foil all over our living room (that we had to hitchhike to Honks to get), to running around the block in spandex with fake microphones I knew it was love at first sight! Here is a then and now....love you Jess!

My Wild Teenager

Fritz is definitely our wild child. Here he is chillin' on the roof of the neighbor's shed. Male teenage cat children and male teenage human children are a lot alike. For example- they like to climb things, they come home late, they eat a lot, they sleep a lot, they like to sniff females, etc.......but there is one word that mother of the human teen just can't enjoy: NEUTERED!

Box O' Cats

Last night when we went outside both of the boys were in their outside "bed." They may be brothers from another mother but they sure do love each other!

Cottonwood Treatment Center

I start my new job tomorrow bright and early at 6:30 am. I am nervous and excited! Click here for details about the center.

Cooking with Paula Deen...almost

Tuesday night for our Young Women's activity we had a cooking night at my house. The girls got all the ingredients needed for their favorite recipe and then they showed us how to make it. They all made tasty dishes and they were so pleasant to be around! Last year when we did this I burned my arm getting something out of the oven, and then 10 mintues later stubbed my toe so bad that it was gushing blood. Thankfully this time around there were no injuries.

Left to right: Militza, Ashley, Megan, Tara

Keepin' It Real

Last night our friends from church, the Ramos', invited us to a Real Salt Lake Soccer game. Nate has been wanting to go for a really long time so he was super excited. It was a beautiful night and I realized I have grown quite fond of the Utah mountains. I'm half city girl half woodsy bumpkin!

The Ramos family are hard-core soccer fans complete with head to toe Real apparel, soccer blankets, a hilarious horn (go Ricardo!) and two of their boys had their heads painted like soccer balls! We had a great time---especially when I noticed that there were dippin' dots for sale. I love ice cream of the future!

Julia's Baby Blessing

Today we went to Julia Miller's baby blessing. Travis did an awesome job, Ashley made delicious food, Julia was like a perfect cabbage patch doll, and it was so fun to see a bunch of old friends from high school. I was having so much fun that I forgot to take any pictures (totally unlike me!) but here is a picture from Ashley's blog of darling Julia!!


Just for the record: Only two people asked us when we were having kids.

Catnap

Sometimes Nate and I daydream about having a cat's life.

I'm totally enchanted...

So I resisted watching this movie for a long time because I'm a fairly picky about my movies--I thought it was hilarious! We bought it and watched it again with Nate's family this weekend.

For Lindsey: "It's good."

P.S. You'll have this song stuck in your head all day.

Tew Timing

Friday night we headed up to Park City to spend the weekend at the Silverado Lodge with Nate's family. I would like to thank Rick for helping me win the Scrabble game--it was pretty amazing!

Eating at El Chubasco's--get the fajitas and a glass of horchata.

Slumber Party!

Sister Act

Mother-Son Bonding Time

I would like a lifetime supply of "Apple Pie" apples (caramel, white chocolate, cinnamon) from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Mum's in Town

My mom came out to Utah for the week to take Kelsey to EFY in Provo so we got to hang out for a few days. Thursday night we went to the temple with my grandparents and then stopped by Spoon Me after. It was quite tasty as usual and Grandpa looked super hip while licking his biodegradable spoon.