One last Hoorah!

With school in full swing, never ending soccer games, piano challenges and mountains of homework things were getting a bit hectic around here. Homework, piano, scouts, soccer, dance, reading and the normal chaos and messes of five children were beginning to weigh on me. There is such a stark difference between the carefree relaxing days of summer to the mile-a-minute, no-time-to-pee days of school it can be bit hard to take all at once. I need to kind of ease in to it. But that is not really possible. So I decided we need a break, a little vacation. Luckily so did the school. So Rick took the day off and we heeded out to Capitol Reef.

We left Thursday evening. It is about a 3 hour drive - we pulled in to our hotel about 9:15. Just in time to hit the pool before bed. We were a bit leery of the hotel - we had never stayed there before. Although when I booked it I was thinking it was the same hotel we got last year. Which was definitely a hole in the wall - although I understand their claim to fame is that they serve the world's best pickle pie. We didn't try it. I had tried to find a room in several other places but everywhere I checked was full so I decided to settle for the pickle pie motel again. I figured there would be rooms available since it is the kind of place that fills up very last. Staying at that dump of a motel would give us something to talk about so I gave them a call - they of course had vacancies. I even splurged and reserved us their best room, a room with 2 King sized beds, a fridge and a microwave. It wasn't till right before we left when I logged on to get their exact address that I realized this was not the pickle pie motel at all. Since the pictures and the prices were pretty similar I was a bit nervous we would end up in a crappy motel that didn't even serve pickle pie. But we were very pleasantly surprised.

The room was nice. Dallin even commented that this was the nicest motel we had ever stayed in. Which is definitely not true - but it was very clean and big. The pool was nice and for the most part we had it to ourselves. We all had plenty of room to sleep in the 2 huge King sized beds. (I made Rachel sleep in her pack and play so we would have extra room- it was a tight squeeze for her but it had been so long since she slept in a crib that I think she enjoyed the novelty of it) So we went swimming then came back and watched Caddyshack. I'd never seen it before. Rick loves it and has often talked about how hilarious it is. I just didn't see that -maybe I was tired but I found it a bit on the boring and stupid side.

The next day we got up and heeded into capitol reef. We stopped off at the visitors center to stamp our passport books, pick up a family back pack with fun activities to do with the kids and grab some maps. I pulled out the hiking map and started searching for a good hike. Rick said - I think we should start with the mot difficult one they have. I just stared at him pointed to the back and reminded him we had brought the kids. Some of our kids love to hike and are real good at it scampering up the mountain like mountain goats with huge smiles on their faces. Some of our kids constantly remind us how is a waste of a perfectly good day to have to spend it walking up some mountain. While the hike we settled on wasn't the longest it did have the second most vertical feet.

The hike was a little over 2 miles each way. We listened to complaining from our non hiker for about 3 miles and spent the other mile looking for him when he fell behind and got lost and then went ahead and got lost. It wasn't exactly pleasant in that regard. But other than that it was awesome. It was absolutely beautiful, the weather was a bit on the warm side but not unbearable. We talked and laughed and took turns thinking of songs and artists that start with every letter in the alphabet. We sang songs and Ryan wiggled his tooth. He wiggled and wiggled it until it came out. Right on top of the mountain it feel out into his hand. He was ecstatic. He lost his first tooth. I was surprised because it wasn't all that loose the day before. It seems so strange to see my little boy with a whole in his mouth. I am pretty used to seeing Anna and Dallin with missing teeth but not Ryan. He is too young.

Well we all made it down in relatively good shape. Dallin did get hit in the eye with a few pieces of flying rock. The kids loved to throw the rocks and see them shatter. We told them not too and Dallin found out why.

We then went to the picnic area and had lunch. We pulled out the family back pack the park ranger gave us and did some activities. There were fishing nets and microscope things in there to look at the water bugs. That and the binoculars were the kids favorites. We also checked out the trees and later that night we tried to go star gazing but they weren't too into that.

After lunch we went to the river and orchard area. We hiked a bit more and picked some apples and pears. They were delicious. The kids had a lot of fun picking them. Especially Taylor - the problem with that is that he doesn't eat fruit. So picking it jut to pick it and throw it on the ground is pretty wasteful. We warned him he better not pick it unless he either eats it or talks someone else into eating if for him. Rachel helped him out at first but got full before Taylor was tired of picking. He had to eat the last apple he picked. You would think we had asked him to pull out all his teeth himself. He threw such a fit. He ended up eating one bite but that was such a major ordeal I wasn't' sure he would even live through it.

A herd (or flock-as some of my children say) of deer joined us in the orchard. They are tame enough you can walk about 10 feet away from them before they run away. Rachel wanted to pet them but was never successful (luckily). She did get to pet the horses which was a highlight for her. We then headed back to our hotel for dinner and more swimming.

Saturday we got up and headed for Goblin Valley. This was probably our favorite part of the trip. For anyone who has not been I wouldn't miss it if you have the opportunity. It is really pretty spectacular. It is not the kind of thing you go and do all weekend, a couple hours is all you need. It is beautiful, amazing and a bit eerie when you stop to think about it. It is a valley out in the middle of the desert. There are no trees, no water and no civilization. The "goblins" are huge red rock formations that are scattered across the valley. It looks like a scene from mars or something. We ran around and climbed on the "goblins" for a while.

Taylor and Dallin immediately climbed up the biggest one they could find. I tried not to be an overprotective neurotic mom and kept my fears of them falling to myself. I gritted my teeth looked up and took a picture of them perched up on the top of a rock. It was great until they tried to get down and couldn't. Dallin finally managed it but it took some doing for Rick to climb up after Taylor and coax him down. We then played tag and hide and seek for a while. It was really fun to run around and hide throughout the different formations. We had lunch and played a bit more then headed for home. We pulled in about 8:00. Rick went and picked us up some dinner then we cleaned out the car, showered, started some laundry and fell into bed. It was a great weekend. We had a blast enjoying the miraculous beauties of Utah, enjoying the warmth of summer and laughing and playing together. It was just what I needed to get me through another month of chaos.

Pictures from Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef

Goblin Valley -Rachel and Ryan hiding in the Goblins




The kids loved to climb up the hill of sand like dirt and then run/jump down.






Taylor and Dallin climbed up pretty high





What beautiful girls - don't ya think!!! Rachel and Anna love
to pose for the camera.




Taylor got himself stuck on top of this "goblin"









Capitol Reef




The colors and layers of the rock are amazing



We got a kit from the visitors center with
all kinds of fun activities. Caught water bugs
and this black one is our attempt to take
pictures of the amazing stars we saw while
star gazing. We discovered we would need
to leave the shutter open much longer than
the kids were willing to stay - so we didn't
get any of the stars but they were amazing.



Our hike - the kids were tired, hot and thirsty - but the view
from the top was spectacular.

11 years old

Taylor is now 11, I can't believe it. He has moments he seems so old it blows me away. And then he will get upset and throw a little tantrum and I'll realize he really still is a little boy. But I guess that is how it supposed to work. This morning was Rick's half marathon. So after Rick got all showered and cleaned up we went to lunch at Chuck Arama. It is Taylor's favorite restaurant. It was fun. It is funny to watch how much some of the kids eat and what they choose. Anyway we had a good time and Taylor enjoyed it - we then went to the Bean Museum. Mom, Dad, Kevin and Tess where with us. We came home opened his presents and had some cake. For his birthday he got a compound bow. He was really excited. So we headed across the street to shoot it. He had a hard time pulling it back. I bought the one that had the lowest weight to pull back that I could find (40-80lbs). but he still had a really hard time getting up pulled back. Rick and Kevin had a good time shooting it. I tried it. I got it all pulled back and ready to let go when Rick said be really careful - if your elbow is locked it you will run the arrow right through your arm. That scared me so I just couldn't do it. Taylor had a good time shooting with the men.

September 11th

I was standing in the breakfast room of a hotel in San Diego. There was a strange subdued feeling in the room and people were huddled around the tv. I turned to watch the news report. I kept hearing, "I can't believe it". It took me a minute to fully comprehend what was going on. We were on our way home from Mark and Amber's wedding. Taylor, Dallin and I had gone with my parents we had stopped off in San Diego to visit Krisitn. Rick had flown home the night before. He had considered waiting till that morning. It's a good thing he didn't. We spent the rest of the day listening to the news on the car radio wandering around San Diego. Much of the town was shut down. The military people were flocking to the bases. Unbelief and shock settled over the city and I am sure the entire country. I called Rick he was sitting in the hall at UVU watching the news. I wished he was in San Diego. That was September 11th 8 years ago.

Yesterday Dallin came home from school rushing through the door. "Mom, Mom we watched a movie about the twin towers..."he yelled. I cut him off, "I would like to hear about it but I just can't right now." I was stressed out of my mind. I was standing in my room in my underwear trying to find some clothes to wear and making calls at the same time. I had to get dressed, find a babysitter for the little kids, something for Taylor to do, organize homework, clean out the car, start dinner and scare up some kind of after school snacks. And I had a little less than 15 minutes to do it. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off handing out orders to anyone who would listen then ordering a little louder for those who weren't listening. In the back ground I kept hearing little snippets of things Dallin was telling the rest of the kids. Planes crashing, people jumping out of windows, a man with the wing of a plane going through him, terrorists. I could tell Dallin liked the movie. I made a mental note to myself to remember to talk to him about it.

The cub scouts showed up. As the first one jumped off is bike he ran up to Dallin and said, "Do you feel kind of funny". "You mean from the movie, " Dallin said eyes getting big." Another boy arrived hopped out of his car and ran over to me, "where were you", he asked. For some reason I just knew he was asking about September 11th. Where was I, I didn't even have to think. I was in San Diego I said, remembering. For the next two hours I listened as the boys discussed the attacks. It had impacted them greatly. We went to a football game. They watched the game for a few minutes then wandered over to the bleacher railings to take turns spitting over the side. They watched the cheerleaders, they wrestled around with each other, they spit some more, they cheered like crazy when we made a touchdown, and in between it all the conversation kept coming back to the movie they had watched. "I would give all my allowance if I could shoot some terrorists" one of them said. "Lets get a plane and make if fly by itself and crash into the tourists" Dallin piped in. "Terrorists, not tourists" they all yelled back at him. "Oh yeah right" he said a little sheepishly. "Did you see all the fire" one said. "They are stilling cleaning up" another added. The movie had hit them hard. I am glad they watched it, I am glad they felt something, I am glad they reminded me.

A blog not worth reading - just me complaining about my wonderful life.

I feel like I am drowning. My life is utter chaos and I can't find enough time to go to the bathroom let alone organize my life in any way shape or form. I am serious about the bathroom thing too. I find myself not drinking anything for fear that I will wet my pants because I am too busy to go to the bathroom which mean I am pretty thirsty a the time - especially after my daily 4.77 mile run. But it is not uncommon for me to get busy and have to pee and not be able to take time out to use the bathroom. So then I have to hold it until I fear I am going to wet my pants and then I have visions of my Mom lecturing about the danger of kidney infections due to holding it too long. No wonder I have been having such sharp kidney pains. I am sure that is way too much information for you.

Anyway I am probably going over board here. My life isn't always out of control, just 90 percent of the time. This last week and particularly today has been really bad. This week I have something I am supposed to go to on Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night. I really feel it is important to go to all of them. I also have a soccer game to be to every night except Saturday. The kids all have homework they need help with. For some reason all four of my kids have been bringing home things that require my undivided attention. I have to sit with them and help them with this homework and then supervise them to make sure they do their reading and piano practice. I have been letting chores slide, which I feel guilty about, because I just can't fight with them about one more thing right now. Which makes Rick mad because he thinks they need to be doing them.

Then there is soccer. All of the kids, except Rachel, hate to go watch the soccer games. So every afternoon the kids come home from school I push and push to get them to get their homework and stuff done. Then about the time they finish up it is time to go to soccer. They cry because they haven't got to play at all. They beg to stay home. I usually let Taylor and Dallin stay home during Ryan's game which makes Ryan and Anna mad. I make everyone go to Taylors game which makes everyone including Taylor mad. I feel guilty for making my kids go somewhere they don't want to every single night of the week. But I feel guilty if I leave them home every night too. Dallin wants to play with his friends so bad. The last several nights I have told him that if he can finish up all his stuff he can stay home from soccer and play with a friend at their house. (We are not allowed to have friends over if I am not home) He has worked hard to do it and then gone and asked his friends to play. But none of them have been willing to have him over so he has to come to soccer which breaks his little heart.

Last night was Enrichment. We don't have it very often so I was really looking forward to it. Rick had planned on coming home early enough for me to go. So I signed up for classes and was really excited. Then Tuesday night something fell through at work and it got moved to Wednesday night. So he didn't get home till after Enrichement was over. I would have left my oldest 4 home if there was a nursery to leave Rachel in but my Bishop and the Prophet don't see eye to eye on the nursery thing so we don't have one. So I missed that and instead of enjoying the evening like I had planned I got to sit at a soccer game listening to Ryan cry, Dallin tease, Anna flirt with the boys and watch Rachel run away. I wasn't too thrilled.

Today was worse. I got up not feeling great (I think my kidney must be infected) I spent over an hour on hold with my mortgage company. I finally got through to learn I had to call someone else. I got through to them ok but learned that my mortgage company had gone bankrupt and my mortgage payments were not being made to my new lender because the FDIC had frozen the account my biweekly payments were going into. So I have a frozen account with the money meant to pay my mortgage and a late payment due and I have no idea where to send the money or how much to send and I have to come up with enough money for another payment. I tried to call my new mortgage company but it just rang busy. I continuously hit redial for over 10 minutes (that is a lot of redials) and finally just gave up. I then tried to email them but their "contact us" page was down. I finally found an email address for them and wrote them a letter. To which I promptly received a response stating that they have a large volume of emails and won't be able to get to mine for a while, but luckily I am a valued costumer and if I am patient they will get to me. Wonderful.

I got most of my house cleaned while on hold so that was good. I helped Ryan do his homework, read to them my required 15 minutes and took a shower. I hopped in the shower about 10 minutes before kindergarten which meant I didn't have time to do my hair, put on makeup, or even finish buttoning my shirt. But we got there on time.

I got Ryan to school and came home to make some lunch. As I was opening the fridge my friend called to see if I would go walking with her. I felt I should so I drug my starving body out on a walk. Luckily Rachel behaved well and only tried to get out of her stroller a couple of times. I let her listen to my ipod and that is usually enough to hold her attention for a little while anyway. I got home and had just enough time to spray my grass for weeds before the kids got home from school. They came in just as I was washing the poison of my hands. It was 3:30 cub scouts started at 3:45. I called to let my friend know I was bringing Rachel and Ryan over for her to watch like we had previously arranged. She said she had a change of plans and her mom was coming to get her kids. She said she could still watch mine but I didn't want her to have to babysit when her kids were gone for the afternoon. So I started calling babysitters. Struck out the first 3 calls but finally found one. Then I had to find somewhere for Taylor to hang out because the babysitter was too young to babysit him. I don't like him being home alone with girls just a year or so older than him. So he went to play at a friends. And I rushed off to cub scouts just a few minutes late. We went to the High School football game to finish up our sports requirement. Taking the cub scouts out in public isn't always the funnest thing to do. Anyway we got home a little after 6:00.

Ryan's soccer game started at 6:15. By this time I was really hungry and I think the kids were too. I sent Dallin to get Taylor and told him he and Taylor could stay home. Well Taylor wasn't at his friends they had all gone somewhere. I tried calling. I didn't really feel good about leaving without knowing where Taylor was and I don't like leaving Dallin home alone so he was crying because I was making him go to the game. Ryan was crying because he was late. Anna was crying because she wanted to play with her friend and Rachel was crying because she wanted Ryan's Gatorade. I really wanted to join in and cry too. Well on the way out I stopped at Taylor's friends house and they were just coming home from playing at the park. I let Taylor and Dallin walk home and made them promise to do their homework and piano. They said they did but I have my doubts. From the amount of ice cream sandwich wrappers in the trash I would say they spent most of the evening eating my case of fat boys.

Taylor has a homework assignment due tomorrow- it is a pop up book about Lewis and Clark. So I asked him to get his piano done (which he failed to do during Ryan's soccer game) while I helped Ryan and Dallin finish up their homework. Helping Ryan hold his pencil correctly and write his name over and over again is no picnic but when you have to do it to the sound of piano pounding it gets really trying. Well as I started to help Taylor he said, "I think you might be mad at me," Why I asked - not really wanting to know. "Well you know how you ask if I have homework everyday when I come home and I said no, Well I kind of forgot and I did have some. So he had to do some worksheets first before we could get started on his project. At that point I didn't really trust myself to speak so I just walked out.

He had got most of his pop up book done during the week but had to put it together tonight. Rick had told him he would come home at 5:30 to help him do it so I could go to my meeting tonight. Well Rick walked in the door about 10:30 so needless to say I had to miss my meeting and help Taylor finish his book. I was disappointed in myself for getting my hopes up - I should have known things wouldn't have worked out for Rick to be able to get home early.

I really really hate it when teachers assign assanine projects like pop up books. If they want the kids to learn about Lewis and Clark and make a report about them, fine, great. But why does it have to be a pop up book. I searched the Internet for how to make a pop up book. Taylor simply could not remember how his teacher had explained for them to do it. He most likely wasn't paying attention - he admitted it. Anyway so after folding about 1000 sheets of paper this way and that we finally figured it out. Then we needed to print out the pictures. The printer ran out of ink. I was really close to using some language that would warrant a good washing of the mouth. At 9:30 I really didn't want to go to the store to buy ink. I needed to get the kids to bed. Then I remembered Rick was still at work and figured it is a computer company they must have computers there. So I emailed him the pictures and ask him to print them out for me. I don't think he waned to, "Umm -do they need to be in color" he asked" trying to get out of it. Yes was all I said but I think he could tell by the tone of my voice that he better do it. So he did. He even had to download a program to be able to open the attachment I sent him but he did it. Which is a good thing I wouldn't want to know where this night would have ended if I would have been forced to pack up the kids and make a run to walmart at 10:00.

So we finally got the pop up book done, the kids in bed and the dished done and I started typing this. While I know it probably doesn't interest anyone except me I find it helps me calm down to write it all down. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I think I better go in and go to the bathroom now that I have a minute.

It's tomorrow now. I got up and got Taylor in the shower went running. I came home expecting him to be finishing up his pop up book. He needed to glue in the pictures Rick brought home last night. He was sitting on the couch resting. After a few choices words and stern looks he finished his book. I got lunches made and the kids started on their reading for the day and came in to check my email thinking all was going rather well this morning. There was an email from Taylor's teacher. She had sent a list of his missing assignments and suggested he come in early this morning to work on them. I called Taylor in and pointed to the screen. I didn't really trust myself to speak. "He read it and looked at me. "Well" my eyes said still not wanting to speak. "I know I forgot to tell you, " he said. "Mmm" I said. "I will finish today I promise" he whispered. The look in his eyes was pleading with me to show leniency. "It must all be done before I take you and your friends out, " I said and walked out to grab my keys so I could drive them to school so he could start working on his missing assignments. I don't know what to do I am completely failing as a mother. I can't keep my own life in order let alone that of my children and husband. There are at least 5 people vying for my attention all at the same time, all of the time. Then there is everything else on top of my kids. I have decided what I really need is some help. What I wouldn't give to be Mrs. Brady and have an Alice.

Some more ramblings

Every once in a while I listen to Dr. Laura. I find it amusing and encouraging. Some of her answers I feel are spot on, others are plain crazy but all in all I enjoy it. I also tend to revel in the fact that I am not as dumb as some of her callers - it makes me feel good and sometimes we all need that little confidence booster. I am also reminded of how lucky, or blessed I should say, that I am. The fact is I have a really really good life with a wonderful husband, terrific kids and a very supportive family on both sides.

Anyway today I heard a very interesting question. The caller asked if she was wrong to ask her college age son to take out his earring and let the hole grow in. Apparently he had moved across the country to start college and got his ear pierced. The mom did not approve and wanted to know if she was crossing the line by asking her adult son to remove it.

Dr. Laura's answer was very insightful. Not so much about the earring but the concept behind it. She said call up your son and very lovingly tell him that when you are prepared to be responsible for yourself and entirely support yourself you have earned the freedom to make all your own choices and live the standards and values you deem appropriate. Until that time you must live by the standards I set. The boy was to have the choice of getting a job to pay his own tuition and living expenses so that he was completely supporting himself, or to continue accepting his Mothers financial support along with her rules.

Now it may seem a bit overboard to stop helping your son pay for college because he chooses to get his ear pierced but I deeply believe in the idea that with responsibility comes freedom. If you want the freedom to do whatever it is you wish you must take the responsibility too. Taylor's karate teacher used to always say the harder you work the more choices you get. It really is true if you want the freedom to choose for yourself you must work hard enough to take care of yourself. When you take help from others you loose a bit of freedom.

I think this may be the driving force behind the problem of entitlement that I have been pondering about and wrote about a few weeks ago. All too often people want to have their cake and eat it too. It just doesn't work that way. You don't get everything the Jones have unless you do everything the Jones did to get it. It simply isn't right to expect others to take care of you and not exert a bit of their influence over you.

The little saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch is really true. Free money isn't really free you bought it with a bit of your freedom. At least that is the way it should work. I had a discussion with a friend of mine today who is very upset with the idea that someone should have the right to judge others. She thinks it is wrong for someone, anyone to judge other people circumstances and make a call on what kind of help, if any, they receive. She believes that if someone asks for help then they should be given that help with no strings attached. She argued that people may find themselves needing help for a wide variety of reasons, some may not be their fault and they should not have to subject themselves to the scrutiny of being judged before they are helped.

Everyone's situation is different there is no doubt about that. I guess I just think that as humiliating and humbling as it is to ask for help you shouldn't expect to get it without giving up a little bit of something. And that something is your privacy, self respect and some decision making rights. My friend thinks it is ridiculous that any help should come with conditions. She believes she should receive money for the asking without having someone come in and invade her privacy in order to verify the need. Once given the money she believes she should be allowed to use it in any way she wishes without having to report to anyone. I completely disagree with this. If someone is going to give you money they have every right to verify that the need is justified and then to put stipulations on the way you use their money. And they have a right to make sure those stipulations are followed. It is after all their money you are using. Beggars can not be choosers.

If you agree to accept help from others you are agreeing to live by the terms they set. That is what is so scary to me about all these government programs, bail outs and most of all the health care bill that is being discussed. While it may be nice to have the government take care of me I don't want their money at the price of my freedom.

I believe that is one reason our church leaders caution us so strongly to avoid situations where we must rely on others to support us. President Bensen said that accepting money you have not worked for is character weakening. He also cautioned that you lose your dignity and your self respect when you accept unearned welfare assistance. At least that is how is should be viewed, I am not so sure people really view it as that big of a deal anymore. Perhaps another reason we are so strongly cautioned against government welfare is because of the freedoms we do lose. I fear that we take our freedom for granted far to often, maybe because we have always had it and so have our parents and theirs before them. Maybe we don't value our freedom enough to be outraged when someone offers to buy it. Our freedom should not be up for sale. It should be guarded and protected at any price.

Ezra Taft Benson, “Ministering to Needs through the Lord’s Storehouse System,” Ensign, May 1977, 82

Antelope Island

I remember three things about High School Biology. The first is that I have an negative RH factor. I was very nervous about this when my teacher typed my blood and told me I would have to have special shots if I ever had a baby. Luckily I married someone with the exact same blood type so I skipped all that shot nonsense. The second was how to hatch a baby chicken and watch it grow. While kinda cute baby chicks are stinky and it hurts when they peck you. The third thing is that fat floats more so than muscle.

This little law of nature has proven very advantageous for me. I can win any floating contest hands down - at least as far as my family is concerned. It blows my mind that Rick can not float unless he fills his lungs with air, puffs out his chest and holds his breath and really really works at it. If he lets out even a little air he sinks - so he can only float for as long as he can hold his breath. Not me I can float like a leaf without a drop of air in my lungs. My kids all take after their Dad in the floating department, which is not so good when it comes to teaching them to swim.

Anyway the point here is that I have always been a good floater - thanks to my generous allotment of fat. Well today the rest of my family got to experience the thrill of floating while breathing normally. We went to the Great Salt Lake and floated. Anna hit the nail on the head when she said, "I like to float but I wanted to go somewhere where the water is warm and clean." She had a hard time with the filthiness of the lake. It is disgusting that is for sure and for certain. There were tiny little shrimp floating all through the water, there were swarms of fleas, and the water while pretty warm was just plain filthy. The salt made your skin itch, the fleas added to the itching and the wind made you cold. We didn't swim long, just long enough to bask in the floating experience and say we swam in the great salt lake then we were out of there. All but Dallin, he really liked the shrimp and was fascinated by how the swam around in his hands.

This was our first trip to Antelope Island. All in all it is a pretty neat place. The floating thing is pretty cool if you take out the filthy aspect of it. The wildlife was amazing. Seeing bison up close always thrills me. They are so big and... well big. They are kind of scary but also very peaceful looking. We had one walk right next to our car for a while. I think it wanted to cross in front of us but Rick kept driving along side it, it would start running and Rick would speed up, then it would slow down and so would Rick. It finally got far enough ahead to cross in front of us, then it turned around and crossed back. The Antelope were fun to see too. I think my kids have finally got Antelope and Cantaloupe figured out. We had to clarify that cantaloupe is what we eat and Antelope is the thing like a deer.

We hiked a bit too, it was really pretty and fun to see the lake from up high. We hiked the Dooly knob trail, or something like that. Ryan needed a lot of coaxing and a little carrying. Dallin needed a little bit of prodding and some grounding threats to keep him going without complaining. He once again reminded us that it is a waste of a perfectly good day when we have to spend it all outside. Taylor and Anna ran ahead scampering up the hills and climbing ever rock they saw like they were mountain goats. Rachel very happily rode on my shoulders most of the way up. Before we started hiking she told me she likes to hike but does not like to go up hills. So she walked the flats and, for the most parts, rode the hills. Unfortunately for me it was a hike to the top of a hill. She walked down with Tess though, which I enjoyed.

We came home with a billion little souvenirs. The swarms of fleas his in our stuff and now they have invaded our house. They are everywhere and I have no idea how to get rid of them. I hear they only live for 24 hours. So as long as they don't make any baby fleas in the next 24 hours we will be good. But my guess is they will.

Rick is a Runner

While I have always enjoyed running Rick has not. He has gone through phases where he will force himself to do it for awhile but he always ends up quitting because he just hasn't enjoyed it up until now. I'd like to think I am rubbing off on him because he now says he is beginning to enjoy running or at least the exhilarating feeling that comes after. He ran the Soda Springs 5k, the Pioneer Day 10k and he just finished the Labor Day 1/2 marathon. He has trained really hard for it. I have been really impressed with his dedication and commitment. He told me his goal was 2 hours 10 minutes.

So I mapped out the course and estimated how long it would take him to get to various points along the way so we could watch him. So I loaded up all the kids, pots and pans and the camera and we set off to see if we could find Rick along the route. We started about mile 3. We had to wait about 5 minutes but we saw him, he looked good, he was running strong. We banged out pots and pans and cheered and cheered. He came over and gave us a high five and kept going with a smile on his face. As I watched the runners I was really quite jealous but I know we have to take turns. Someone has got to stay home and take care of the kids. It actually would have worked out ok for both of us to run since my parents came down for the weekend, but I didn't know they were coming until it was too late to register.

We then hopped back in the car and raced around to our next cheering spot which was about mile 8. We had to really hurry to get there because we had to go way out and around the other side of town in order to avoid the race route. I know lots of people just drove around the runners but due to getting hit myself during a race I opted to stay off the race route. I figure the runners have enough to worry about, traffic shouldn't be another one.

Anyway we got to the next spot I had mapped out and stood watching for him. While we waited we clapped and cheered for all the runners who went by. The kids loved it. The banged their pots and pans and yelled "way to go, keep it up, good job". Then Rick came around the corner, several minutes earlier than I expected him. He was still looking really good. He was running near I woman who caught my eye. I had to do a double take. She only had one leg, yet she was running, and running well. I have seen people like that one TV, but never in real life. I was awed by her determination. It has got to take a lot of guts to do something like that. Well we meet Rick one more time then headed over to the finish. We lined up near the flags and cheered on the races as they were finishing. I watched the clock and figured we would have several more minutes when Rick came into view. His head was high, his chest was out and he was really pumping. He sprinted in with a smile on his face at 2 hours and 1 minute. He absolutely shattered his goal time. I was really really proud of him.

He went to cool off and stretch out while the kids and I started eating the free breakfast they had for the runners and spectators. He handed me his number just in case he got drawn for a prize. I listened but didn't expect to win anything. They gave a way a Tom Tom, then a nice bike, some Anniversary Inn gift certificates and then they called Rick's number. He got some golf balls. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed, I had to remind myself he was lucky to win anything and I shouldn't be greedy.