Lodgepole Family Camp

I don't recall having so many sick people at one of our family camp outs before. There was a stomach bug going around the week before our family vacation that came camping with us this year. Todd's mom got it the worse but several people suffered stomach discomforts and other digestive issues.

Between that, a sister-in-law with a severe Celiac allergy, my Menieres and a brother-in-law with a pinched disc, I felt luck was not on our side this year - at least with regards to our health - but we didn't let that stop us from enjoying ourselves.

The truth is the kids don't really care if we leave camp. They were happy playing card games, riding their bikes full speed downhill, making forts, trying to catch chipmunks - AKA monkeys, as my two year old calls them - blowing bubbles, or simply exploring the 'forest'. In fact, they whenever I asked Emilia to go on a walk or do something that didn't include her cousins she turned me down.

On Wednesday the day time temperatures dropped to the mid 50's with a morning low in the low 40's. It was grey and raining most of the day, perfect for a nap!

After an uncomfortably cold first night, we bundled up the kids with two layers of pajamans and added a few extra blankets to everyone's sleeping bags and we were all toasty warm the rest of the trip. I have been reading the book "The Adventures of Emily Windsnsp" to the kids at night time. It worked out perfectly. After they crawled into their sleeping bag, I would read them one chapter of the book. They were so exhausted from playing that they fell asleep by the end of each chapter, and we got to finish the story on the last day of camp.

On Thursday a group of us hiked the Foreman Hollow Nature trail. It is described as an intermediate 4.0 mile trail with amazing views of Daniels Canyon and Strawberry Reservoir. It was more like a 6 mile trail, not very well maintained with overgrown vegetation, decaying bridges and a steep ascent. When we reached the top we were overwhelmed by a horrible stench. A bloated, decaying dead cow laid about 30 feet from the trail. That kept us moving really fast! I really enjoy hiking but by the time we reached camp I felt like a zombie, my body kept taking steps but my mind was numb and tired.

One more camping trip for the year and we're done! Can't believe Summer is almost over.

Lodgepole Family Camp - Strawberry Reservoir

On our last full day at camp we decided to visit Strawberry Reservoir, which is approximately a 15 minute drive from where we were staying. We were looking for the shore trail we could walk with the kids. We ask the gift shop attendant at the marina about one but she didn't know of one. Instead we decided to walk down the dock to one of the boat piers and let the kids skip rocks. They were probably more happy doing so than they would have been hiking.

Strawberry Reservoir is a fishing lake. On our way back from the gift shop the kids got to see some fisherman gut their fish before storing them in their cooler. Once on the shore Emilia took off with her two older girl cousins to explore. The three of them have been quite inseparable this trip. It's so nice when they all get along so well.

Stella had fun handing me rock to throw in the water and tossing a few hand fulls herself. From the boat dock the kids spied some crawfish in the water. Carson's two older cousins decided to catch them with some tall grass. One of the crawfish was not very smart. They were able to catch the same one three times!

Lodgepole Family Camp - Heber Valley Railroad

We returned to Heber Valley a second time this summer for our annual family camp with Todd's side of the family. This time we stayed at the Logpole Campground near Strawberry Reservoir.  On Tuesday we rode the historic Heber Valley Railroad for a round trip ride across the the shores of Deer Creek Reservoir and along the Provo River to Vivian Park.

Carson who absolutely loves trains has been waiting for a month, since our last visit to Heber, for this ride.

During the three hour train ride we were entertained by a  talented lady who performed several Western and Blues songs on her guitar. At the beginning of the ride the train was robbed by Black Jack Raven and the Soldier Hollow Gang. They came into our train car, made us all raise our hands, cracked a few jokes about the passengers and left. We didn't get to see the entire act because our car was the last one on the train and we were too far away from the train platform where they were staging the robbery.  I will know better if we decide to do it again.

The kids got a bit bored during the ride. The train travels at approximately 15-20 MPH. Not very fast at all. The interior of the train cars is very old and not well kept. There is no AC or heat, some of the windows don't open and parts of the train are held together with Duct Tape. To be honest I was expecting something a bit nicer for the price they charge for each ticket. I was randomly selected to fill out a customer survey. I shared with them my thoughts. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has mentioned it.

Our our way back we were the first car behind the engine. Every time the conductor blew the whistle when approaching a railroad crossing we had to cover our ears. It was so loud it startled some of the younger kids riding with us. A toddler boy traveling with his family started to cry each time it would go off.

In the end, what matter the most to me was Carson's experience. He enjoyed looking out the window from inside the train and sitting next to his cousin Graham.

Loveland Family Reunion at Sportsman Park

 Each year, Todd's maternal aunt and uncles go camping together with their kids and grandkids. This year the family reunion was held at Sportsman Park in Arberdeen, Idaho.

While on our trip the kids enjoyed swimming in the nearby reservoir, hiking the trail around the lake and playing in the playground next to our camp site.

On one of our hikes, Todd's dad pointed out an owl sleeping on a nearby tree along the trail. The next evening we spotted the same owl on a tree at camp.

One of the activities at camp was a family history challenge. The kids had to complete eight activities that required them to learn something about their ancestors in order to win a prize.

Emilia was old enough to complete it and in the process learned more about her grandma an their shared ancestors.


 On one of the days we took a trip to the fish hatchery in American Falls. We had visited one a couple of years ago, but the kids still really enjoyed it. Their favorite part was of course, feeding the fish in the nearby pond.


I asked Carson what was his favorite thing to do during the whole trip. He answered, "Playing in the playground with the other kids before leaving camp." At this age it doesn't matter so much what we do or where we go as long as there are other kids with whom to play.

Battle Creek Falls, Pleasant Grove UT

We've been hiking quite a bit with the kids this Summer. I think we are making up for the years we lived in Texas, where there just wasn't anywhere to hike.

Two weeks ago we hiked Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove, UT. The 1.5 mile roundtrip hike was perfect for our kids. Not too steep, not too long. Stella had to be carried for part of it. We just didn't want to keep her pace.

 



Carson is quite the hiker. He was ahead of us for most of the walk, exploring and commenting on what he observed. Emilia was on the hunt for the perfect rock to add to her rock collection. Stella enjoyed picking up rocks and dropping them.



 The hike is popular with those who enjoy rappelling. They hike above the waterfall and rappel down to the bottom. We cross a few carrying their gear up as we were headed down. The hike was rather crowded on a Saturday morning, primarily families with little kids and their pets. But enjoyable nonetheless.

Heber Valley 4th of July

Traditionally, we celebrate Independence Day with family but this year we decided to do something different and headed out to Heber City for a quick get away.

 

We borrowed Todd's parents RV and spent a few days at the Rocky Mountain RV resort. This newly built facility was great. The kids enjoyed watching a movie in the park, swimming in the pool and playing in the playground.

 

Emilia and Carson have been in swimming lessons all summer. Carson is still afraid of jumping off the diving board, but is less afraid of getting his face wet in the water. Emilia has become a little fish. Her fear of the water has completely gone away. Now, we can't keep her away from the water.

 

 

One of the mornings we took the kids bowling.  Stella scored two strikes without even trying. Emilia, who tried her hardest never got one. It's funny how things happen that way.

On the 4th of July we hiked the Provo River Waterfalls. It's not much of a hike, the waterfalls can be seen from the parking lot, but they are amazing nonetheless.

The kids really enjoyed the easy hike and playing in the water. We even got to see some really large monarch butterflies on the trail.

That evening we attended the Midway City fireworks. The city shoots them from Memorial Hill, a small hill near a park downtown.  After the first few minutes of the show, Todd asked me if I've noticed the fire on the hill. Sure enough, the fireworks had started a brush fire on one side of the hill.

It was hard to watch the fireworks. I don't know anything about fire so I was unsure as to how fast it would spread and reach the park at the bottom of the hill where we were.

Time seemed to pass really slowly between the time I noticed the fire and when I heard the fire truck's sirens headed that direction. They must have had it under control rather quickly because there was no mention of anything in the local news the next morning.

Once a year, a local collector of cowboy and Native American artifacts opens up his personal museum to the public. This man has a two-story cabin chuck full of original items.  Next to his cabin is Memorial Hill.  We decided to drive up to the monument up top and check out the damage from the fire. It was quite a scary drive for me. The road is barely wide enough for two vehicles to travel on it and there is no rail on one side. Every time we would come across a car traveling the opposite direction I would just close my eyes until we were past it.

The trip was so much fun! I am glad we decided to get away for a few days to spend time as a family.

Belles Canyon Hike

I read about a hike in Sandy, UT, not far from our house in the paper. Todd and I decided to check out Belles Canyon Hike on one of our date nights.

The first part of the hike is rather easy and ends at a small reservoir with several benches for hikers to sit and enjoy the view.  From there the trail get a lot harder and it's not very well marked. Luckily for us, there were a lot of people on the trail that evening who could direct us.

In the end, the view of the waterfall in front of us, and of the valley behind us was simply amazing.

I love hiking. I learn so much about myself and others while hiking, not only in conversation but by observing how they tackle difficult parts of the trail, whether they find enjoyment in the hike, or how focus are they on the destination.

I was inspired by a war veteran and his young son who we crossed on our way up. He had hiked the entire trail on crutches. With his left leg missing from the knee down, he navigated the rocky path with help from his son. The son could have been anxious to get moving, yet the two were happy and friendly in offering us directions and encouragement. What an example!

South Jordan Parade

Each year the city of South Jordan hosts their annual Summer celebration in June instead of on Independence day. I think it's great! The mornings are warm, not uncomfortably hot the way they are in July.

This year I took the kids to watch the parade that runs near our home. Unlike other parades I've attended recently, the floats were actually giving candy and prizes. The kids got to shake hands with Spider Man and saw our neighbors, Al and LaRae Naylor, ride as honorary Grand Marshall for the city.

That weekend, we rode our bikes to the second annual South Jordan River Stake Carnival. My silly monkeys had a fun time playing carnival games and sampling the free food and drinks at the booths.

Herriman Farm Field Days

 

Who knew I have a little cowboy in the making? Carson was quite handy with the lasso on his fieldtrip to Butterfield Farm in Herriman.  The kids were taught about sheep shearing, growing a garden and raising farm animals. They saw piglets, miniature horses, lama, lambs and sheep and chickens.

 

Carson's favorite part, however, was the miniature fire truck on display. The kids got to ride in it and pretend to drive it. He was so excited when a fireman gave him a sticker badge. Best gift ever!

 

Crochet: Baby Flower Sandals Pattern

I finally finished these adorable baby girl sandals. I used Whistle and Ivy's pattern for Bitty Bow Baby Sandals but chose to add a flower embellishment to the top instead of the bow.

They are for sale on my Etsy shop or you can make them by following the pattern provided.

Here is the pattern for the flower and leaf, if you choose to add those to the top instead:

Leaf:
I used Caron Simply Soft Acrylic Yarn  and a 4mm hook
1. Ch 10.  dc into 3rd chain from hook, htr into next ch, tr into next ch, htr into next ch, dc into next ch, hdc into next ch, sc into last 2 ch.  (You should have run out of chain here)
2. Make picot by ch3, slst into 3rd ch from hook.
3. Now working along the opposite side of the leaf, sc into first 2ch, hdc into next 2ch, dc into next ch, htr into next ch, dc into the next ch, sc into last ch.
4. Fasten off and leave a nice long tail to sew your leaf onto whatever you are embellishing.

 Flower:
Make magic ring (photo tutorial)
1. 15 sc in magic ring, pull tight, slip st in first sc
2. Chain 4, *skip 1 sc, dc in next sc, ch 1, repeat from * 6 more times. Join with slip st in 3rd chain of first ch 4. Tie off color.
3. Join new color to first chain loop with a slip stitch, work sc, dc, trc, dc, sc in each ch 1 loop, making eight petals, slip stitch in first sc.

Check out my other Free patterns at http://blog.humphriez.com/p/crochet.html

Enjoy!

 

 

Labor Day Dounut Falls Hike

On Monday we took the kids on a hike to Donut Falls. It is a popular trail for families with little children so it was really busy.

The kids were champs! Especially Stella who walked part of it on her own. She loves rocks so her eyes grew wide as we began the unpaved portion of the hike. I could just see the thoughts going through her mind "This is great! Which one should I chose? Let's see how many I can hold in one hand." That slowed us down a bit, but we convinced her to pick one and carry it with her and she was content.

On the way up we decided to take the lower trailer nearer the river. We pretty much had it all to ourselves. The scenery was spectacular. It reminded me of hiking in the north part of Washington State. Just really green and lush vegetation everywhere.

The trail got crowded when we merged with the other path right before the falls. We decided to travel the higher, more popular trail on the way back. In my opinion it wasn't as beautiful as the first.

P.S.: Emilia told me today that she doesn't like her toothless smile. She plans to make a closed lip grin for pictures until her front teeth grow in. Already her self esteem is wavering and she's only six years old! Where is this coming from?

I've reassured her that all of her friends at school are going through the natural process of losing their baby teeth for their permanent teeth. So, if you see her, would you please compliment her for her beautiful smile? Thanks!!

 

What a fun summer we had camping with the family. We spent part of a week near Ririe, Idaho (about an hour away from Jackson Hole, WY)  and an entire week in Payson Lakes, Utah.

 

The first was a family reunion for Todd's mom side of the family. There were a lot of kids the same age as mine. They would wake up every morning and play all day long. It was wonderful. Emilia became more comfortable riding her bike without training wheels.



We visited Payson Lakes with Todd's parents, siblings and their respective families. We had some memorable experiences while there.  One of the afternoons we decided to take the kids to the lake and take turns on the canoe.

In the span of an hour the weather at the lake went from sunny, to overcasted, to a Texas-style downpour and hail. We were all huddled under the canopies we had set out holding them down by the poles so they wouldn't fly out.

On Friday, Todd, two of his siblings and I decided  to go on an eight mile bike ride. We read the descriptions of nearby trails and decided on one with 'rolling hills' and beautiful views popular among bikers for its ease.

It was all but easy to ride and the hills were steep not rolling. The path was more like a dried out stream bed full of boulders and rocks to navigate around while either straining to climb or trying to stay balanced while descending. At times it was easier to go off-roading rather than try to stay on the path.

At one point we had to cross a muddy creek at the bottom of a steep 6+ ft descent and immediate ascent. I kept wondering if we were on the right path. After two hours and no sign of our destination we decided to stop and discuss our options.

Out of nowhere another cyclist climbing up the opposite direction stopped to greet us. He told us we still had at least another 40 minutes of riding and that our destination wasn't very impressive.

We ruled out finishing the ride based on the cyclist information. Our other two options were to travel back the way we had come or to chart our own path perpendicular to the trail to reach the road that traveled about a mile away from were we stood.

Since our trip so far hadn't been easy we decided to opt for the second alternative. We had to carry our bikes as we walked across weeds that were at times as tall as I am. All the while, I was praying that we wouldn't come across a snake.  Every few minutes Todd would look at the GPS on his phone and determine our position, scan towards the direction we needed to travel and chose a path for the rest of us to follow. I told him that he looked like Lehi consulting his Liahona.

In the end, we came out of the woods at a lookout point where we had stopped the day prior. It was a great relief to me know where we were. The rest of the ride was AWESOME! We coasted downhill at speeds of up to 30 MPH until reaching our campsite.

It was quite an adventure! I enjoyed all of it. Even the most challenging parts. What a great way to end our vacation.

Southern California Vacation

In May we took the kids to Southern California to visit Sea World, LEGOLAND and local San Diego attractions. We broke up the drive by stopping in Las Vegas. Sin City has really gotten worse than I remembered it.  Even the hotel pool was not appropriate for the kids to play in. That was a disappointment. Next time we'll stay as far away from the strip as possible.

Aside from that, the trip was a lot of fun! We got to see our wonderful TX neighbor Liz who has since moved to Southern California to be closer to her kids and grandkids. The weather was great, there were very few people at the parks. In fact, we got to ride our favorite roller-coasters back to back without having to wait in line.

On our drive through the canyon between St. George and Las Vegas we had to pull over to let Carson go to the bathroom. I saw Todd take him to a nearby bush partially hidden from the road. He helped Carson pull down his pants and almost immediately afterwards Todd made a huge leap backwards with Carson in his arms. There was a big rattle snake hidden below the bush were Carson was about to pee.

He didn't see the snake but heard the rattle. A police pulled over a few minutes later to make sure we were doing all right. When we told him about our experience he wasn't surprised. I guess there are a lot of snakes in that area.

On Sunday we visited the new Mormon Battalion exhibit in Old Town San Diego. It is a very neat place to take the kids. They learned about some of the first settlers in the area (the members of the Mormon Battalion who chose to remain in California), the searched for gold and dressed up as one of the soldiers who made the trek.

 

We also visited the San Diego temple. The grounds were beautiful.

 



Sea World was very entertaining for the kids. We brought our own ponchos and got to sit in the Splash zone (first few rows) for the dolphin show and the whale show. It was worth it! It is amazing to see a huge killer whale propel its whole body outside the water.  We were instructed to make a tail with our hand by joining our thumbs side to side and fan our hands back and forth. That is the signal the animals recognize for splashing.

As you can see by the picture below the animals don't hold back. There a few people in front of us who decided it to brave it without any protection. They got drenched.

We spend two days at LEGOLAND. We went through the entire park on the first day and went back for our favorite rides on the second day. The rides are really geared towards kids 4+ years old. They base their rides primarily on height not age.  Carson is a tall three year old so he was able to do a lot of them with adult supervision. We just had to keep trading off holding Stella.

Stella was the star of the trip. Any time foreign Asian tourist saw her, they had to photograph her. It happens even now everywhere we go. She didn't mind the attention one bit.

Emilia was fearless on the roller coaster rides. She did them all at least twice. She was grinning from ear to ear after each time.

One of the days we visited Balboa park. I loved the architecture of the buildings. It reminded me of being in Europe.  The San Diego Model Rail Road Museum is housed at the park. I think Carson liked it as much if not more than the amusement parks we went to.

We spent half a day just watching miniature trains run through scaled replicas of actual California tracks.  These trains are maintained by hobbyists who vie for the coveted spot of club member of the San Diego Model Rail Road Museum.

We joked with one of the volunteer staff about adding graffiti to one of the train cars to make it more realistic. He told us that a member had done just that to one of his trains on display and that he had been expelled from the club for violating some museum code. They really take their job seriously.

One of the rooms has a train with a camera mounted on the front to show what at train operator sees as he/she travel inside the train. The kids had a fun time making faces as the train approached and then running to see themselves on the TV screen around the corner.

My favorite part of the trip was walking along the seashore. We walked along Coronado Island and Cabrillo national park. I don't so much care to sit in the sand and hang out, or even to get in the water, but I absolutely love to walk along the beach.
There are so many things to observe: the uniqueness of the people, the local nature and architecture.
In La Jolla we got to see sea lions up close. They are such beautiful creatures.  In Coronado Island we spent a long time observing some military exercises off the coast. A helicopter would hover really low above the sea, drop several soldiers in the water and then lift up. The soldiers would then take turns climbing up a latter coming down from the helicopter. Once they were all up they would go through the same exercise again, and  again and again.

These are just a few of the things we did during out trip. The best part was that we got to do it together as a family.

Latest Crochet Projects

A couple of friends of mine had babies in May. I decided to make a baby hat for their baby boys. For the sock monkey hat I followed a pattern. The monster hat was a mix of cute ideas I had seen on-line.

Ear Warmer Headbands

Last winter I came across some really cute ear warmer headbands and I just had to get Emilia and me one.  The headbands we purchased were knit and I crochet so I looked around the Internet until I found a pattern I liked and I got to work.

I rarely follow a pattern, rather I use it as a starting point to determine size and number of stitches and then I improvise, therefore each piece is unique. So it is with the two headbands I made (teal and gray). My first attempt turned out great, the second one was even better.

These are gifts for some friends of ours. I hope they make some girls pretty happy.

OBX vacation

This summer our family spent two weeks in the Outer Banks in North Carolina or OBX as the locals call them. This trip was with my side of the family.We shared a large vacation home with my parents, my brother and his wife.

It was a great opportunity to teach the kids about history. We got to visit the Wright Brothers Museum in Kitty Hawk. This is where the first airplane took flight for a whole 12 seconds!

Emilia also got to see a portrait of Amelia Earhart. Someone who she has heard a lot about because their name sound so alike. The kid also got to see Santa on vacation again this year. He must really like the ocean since that's usually where we ran into him.

 

The house was pet friendly so we got to take Arthur with us on our trip. During one of our dog walks we came across an Eastern Box Turtle and we decided it to bring it into the house for the kids to see it. There is so much wild life where we were staying. We saw deer, bunnies, turtles and even a fox.

While there we had to try some of the local seafood. We went to an all you can eat seafood buffet.  I'm not a seafood connoisseur so I enjoyed trying all kids of different foods I don't normally get to eat at home. Some of those crustaceans were a pain to crack! I couldn't eat anything that still had a face attached to the body.

 We didn't spend as much time on the beach as I would have hoped. It rained most days and the waves were too big and strong for the kids to enjoy. Towards the end of our trip we discovered a long shallow beach on the bay side of OBX that the kids liked. The sand wasn't the best but the water was warm and it wasn't more than two feet deep. When we got there we met two girls about Emilia's age that she befriended. They too were from Dallas. What a small world!

We took the kids on a pirate ship adventure. They got to dress as pirates, get their faces painted, look for treasure, shoot water cannons, sink an enemy boat and do the limbo dance.  Emilia really enjoyed the experience. Carson was a little to young for it. He really didn't trust the pirate on our ship.

Emilia's favorite thing was to shoot the enemy with water cannons. She also was given a special key that unlocked the treasure chest they discovered while out at sea. She really enjoyed being able to see the treasure before everyone else.

Emilia and I decided to get matching mermaid face painting before boarding the ship. 

One morning while at the beach both Todd and I received Tornado warnings on our cell phones.Since we had experienced a tornado just a few months earlier in Arlington, we called some friends at home to see how the weather was holding up. They told us it was clear and sunny.

Shortly thereafter it started to rain so we decided to head back home. When we got to the parking lot I looked at the sky and saw a funnel cloud. Emilia freaked out, since she knew exactly what that meant. We jumped in the car and drove home immediately.

We checked the news and saw reports and photos of waterspouts, the technical term for tornadoes over water. The actually don't suck up water, the water seen at the base is condensation.

We also traveled to Cape Hatteras Light House. The original light house was built in 1804 and relocated to its current place in 2000 due to erosion of the land around it. We had to climb 248 steps (the equivalent of climbing a 12 story building) to reach the top. The views were awesome!

Todd and the gang went deep sea fishing while I stayed with the kids. They had to be up by 4:30 am, not really my definition of vacation. They all caught a fish but none met the minimum weight criteria so nobody got to take any home. 

My most enjoyable excursion was our visit to the Roanoke Island Festival Park. We went on a rainy day, so there weren't may people around, so we got the whole place to ourselves. We watched a movie about the history of the Roanoke people and then visited hands on exhibits about what the area looked when the first settlers arrived.

The kids got to work with wood, watch a blacksmith make nails and other items needed by soldiers and sailors to establish a settlement in the area. We boarded a 16th century merchant ship and explored a traditional American Indian village.

The best part was the interactive children museum. The kids got to dress up, steer and sail a boat, spot pirates, etc. It was really a blast!

The aquarium was a fun place to visit also. They were brave and petted the starfish.

The houses in OBX are all at least three stories high.  The houses are built on pier and beam foundations. They usually have a bathroom and laundry room on that floor. The second floor of our house had four bedrooms and the third floor is where the living room and kitchen were. 

The owner must be an artist or know someone that is because there were murals through out the entire house. I laughed when I saw the bird poop painted on the bathroom wall. How appropriate!

Overall the vacation was fun although for different reasons than what I had originally thought. I was hoping to spend a lot of time on the beach and instead spent most of my time learning about the local culture.