Soapstone

>>>CAMPING<<<

Last Friday Nate took the day off work and we packed up the car

for our first camping adventure with Mabel.

At the top of Parley's Canyon Nate realized he forgot his jacket 

so we stopped at Food Town in Kamas and paid $25.99! for this this gem. 

Of course I had a bunch of cheers in my head every time

I looked over at Nate wearing this.

Lunch while we unloaded the car.

She helped Daddy set up the tent:

Home Sweet Home.

We didn't have a reservation but this site was open at 

Soapstone Campground up Mirror Lake Highway.

I love that belly.

We walked on the trail from our campsite to the river. 

Can you hear the water?

We made it and the water felt so good on our feet!

My creations...Nate found my garnishes.

Hiding behind trees on the walk back:

Setting up our cool new camp stove!
It was a gift from my mom & Kraig a few years ago that we

had hoped to use much sooner than this.

I lit our mosquito candle and Mabel immediately started

singing Happy Birthday.

Happy Bootday Nana!

Eagle scout skills in action:

FIRE!

Nate was chopping some wood and Mabel started to dance to the beat

of him chopping...it was so cute and funny that we wanted to take a video of her.

Nate set up the camera, I made up some words to the beat and then at minute 

1:32 we realize our table cloth is on FIRE.

So funny, so crazy, so glad we didn't cause a forest fire.

(and all Mabel wants is more dancing.)

After the fire incident we had some comfort food to calm our nerves.

Tin Foil Dinners

 and S'mores.

We put Mabel to bed and played cards.

Then we sat by the fire and listed every state and it's capital.

Because we are nerdy like that.

(We got stumped on Iowa and Rhode Island - I wanted to go asking

people in the camp but Nate said that was crazy talk.

The first thing I did the next day when we drove out of the canyon 

and got cell service was google the answers!

Des Moines and Providence!!!!)

We went to bed around 11pm and about midnight Mabel woke up crying...it was really cold.  We brought her into bed with us but I was totally uncomfortable and Mabel was wide eyed because she hasn't slept with us since she was tiny.  Finally Nate asked her if she wanted to go back in her own bed and she said, "Yeah, own." We tried to tell her to stay under the blankets and keep her hat on so she would stay warm.  She was also in layers of pajamas but it's still pretty chilly outside of your blankets.  THEN IT HAPPENED. 

The campers who had reserved the site right next to ours finally showed up. 

AT ONE IN THE MORNING! 

With a HUGE RV they were trying to back into the space.

The RV itself sounded like a jet landing...and to add to that they were yelling 

to the driver to help him navigate. 

"STOP!" "GO FORWARD!" "DON'T HIT THAT ROCK!" 

Slamming doors, engine on and off. Jets taking off and landing.  

At about 2am Nate went over to ask them if they needed any help so this 

process could be sped up.  We needed the noise to END. 

We were all wide awake, including Mabel.  

He asked if they could please whisper since our tent was about 10 feet away.  

They were turds and the noise didn't end until 3:30am.  

We finally fell asleep annoyed and exhausted.

Check out the next day was 1pm but we started packing things 

up bright and early. We wanted to go home as soon as possible.

To make up for such a crummy night we had S'mores with our breakfast

and Mabel thought that was pretty cool. 

 

Thanks wilderness - that was a trip!

Bambara

Last night Nate surprised me with a 

dinner date to Bambara 

to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary.

Since we first moved to Salt Lake we have always wanted 

to eat here...it was worth the wait!

We both ordered appetizers (the cheese plate was divine!), 

then they brought out bread, our meals were delicious, and we

shared some creme brulee for dessert.

I had to unbutton my pants mid-way through.

The sunset was beautiful on the drive home...

It was a much needed night out alone.  

(thanks to Aunt Kristy and Uncle Dave for watching Miss Mabel!)

We talked and talked...I love talking with that guy.  

We listed our top five places we would like to travel.

We gave each other bites of our tasty food and people watched.

We tried to remember what we had done to celebrate the other 8 anniversaries...

I had to look on the blog for 2008 but we remembered the rest.

I love you Nate - Happy 9th!

Pioneer Day

Happy 24th of July!

We drove up to Kamas for the Kid's Parade at 10am.

Mabel and Daddy practicing their candy catching hands:

kamas pride

My kind of festivities....no traffic, lots of spots available,

the weather is nice and cool, it lasts 15 minutes

you get to eat some Salt Water Taffy, and you're done.

She loved the horses and talked about them (and their poop) for days.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at my grandma's house and we all 

went back into Kamas for dinner and to watch the big parade at 5pm.

Mabel was totally freaked out by the fire truck that had it's siren blaring!

A visitor that was just resting outside my grandma's front door.

We came home and put Mabel to bed and joined our neighbors for some fireworks.

I felt bad that Mabel missed the fireworks but she was exhausted 

from a fun day in Kamas.

I am kind of a firework scrooge anyway...after one or two I am done.

Ladies

and Gentlemen

Tew Family Retreat

Tew Family Retreat 

2013
Rick and Georgia's friends, the Packers, offered to let us spend the day 
at their beautiful home in Kaysville.
Lots of shade, swings, zip line, HUGE slip n slide....
we had a blast!

 
 

ALL of the grandkids:

ZIP-LINE TIME:

Me

Georgia

Myah wanted to try it!

Uncle Bryan ran down most of the path with her and let her go

alone for the last little bit. When she got to the end the first thing she said was,

"More!"

Brave girl!

I asked Mabel if she wanted to go just like Myah did and she said,

"No. Watch."

Rick

Mabel got brave and decided to give it a try!

Uncle Bryan was so good to walk/run with her most of the way.

My little zip liner!!!

slip n slide

go big or go home!

Can't wait until next time!

...the postal service...

For Mother's Day Nate got me tickets to see

The Postal Service 

playing at the Great Saltair!

I had never been to Saltair and was excited to check it out.

It was quite the place in it's day...

The sun was setting as we were driving up...

VIP balcony spots - best spontaneous decision ever!!

 Love me some Jenny Lewis:

 

I kept joking to Nate that Jimmy was playing a CamelBak....

It's actually a pretty crazy cool instrument called a Melodica.

The Postal Service put out ONE album ten years ago called Give Up.

Ben (who was married to Zooey Deschael) is also the singer for
Death Cab for Cutie, and Jenny Lewis was the singer for
Rilo Kiley and also did several solo projects.

They sounded great in concert and we sang at the top of our lungs.

Thanks for the fun date night Nate!

Visitors from Alaska!

My sister-in-law Becky and her kids (Kennison, Katie, Natalie, and Emma)

have been visiting from Alaska. This was our first time meeting our sweet niece Emma! 

She is the chubbiest, happiest, cutest thing ever. 

We are totally in love with her and it makes my heart hurt knowing 

I won't see her again until next year!  I loved making her laugh.

 Natalie and Katie have grown so much and Mabel loved 

playing pretend restaurant and dollhouse with them.  

 

Katie was practicing her bubble blowing skills and 

wanted me to take pictures of her best bubbles.

Mabel always wanted to make sure cousin Reagan was okay.

Playing Trains

 The three newest babies!

Should have brought my big camera...

need a faster shutter speed for these wiggly bodies.

Becky and the kids and Rick and Georgia came down 

to our house for a playdate:

We ate lunch and bounced outside for a little while until we

ended up just playing in the basement because it was so hot outside!