deep conversations

Cody, TayTay and I hiked from Aspen Grove to Stewart Falls the other day. I was impressed that Cody made it without too much prodding, maybe it was all the talking he did that kept his mind off the hike. Here is what we talked about non-stop except for a few one minute "talking breaks" I implemented. Each of these topics what discussed IN DEPTH.

-Gravity, and how it helps us not fall off the earth
-How rocks are made
-Where waterfalls come from
-Why waterfalls don't turn off
-Whether the orange bird that lost a feather looks cool or pretty
-What if we see an orange bird but it's not the bird that lost the feather
-What sound trees make when they fall
-What sound bushes make when they fall
-Why squirrels are not scary
-Why stumps sometimes looks like bears from far away
-Why it's not snowing because mom said it would snow when the leaves changed colors
-Why someone spray painted a picture of a ladder on a watershed instead of putting up a real ladder
-Why leaves smell when they are dying
-What makes trees die
-Why we can't drive to the top of a mountain
-Why it's windy when you stick your head out of the sun roof, but not windy when the car stops
-Why when you hike down a hill it makes you run
-Why does mom like to make kids hike?
-Do I like bees and why?
-Why doesn't TayTay have to walk? Not fair!

Afterwards we got a cookie at Sundance. I was exhausted - but I don't think it was from the hiking. I love you Cody!

taylor 5 months

14 lbs.

vivint + powell = powell done right

The week Justin got home from his extension in Ohio, his region hosted the annual Lake Powell trip. We had a dillema though. Wives were invited, kids weren't. But after being away from Just for over a month and he not seeing his baby girl for that long - we decided TayTay was more of an appendage of me than a "kid" and so she went and we got forgiveness later. We had the entire roof of the houseboat to ourselves and she slept better than at home, sleeping through the dj's music blasting till all hours, fireworks, and general mayhem. There were 5 houseboats, 3 chefs, volleyball, a blob (aka a launching pad for ppl who don't value their lives), numerous boats (including ours), and just a lot of crazy people. Thanks Mealeys, that was a much needed break after the long summer!

hike to the G

We are continuing our goal of hiking to all the vowels and consonants in Utah. On Labor Day we bagged the "G" in Pleasant Grove. My kids talk about the Y and G all the time and are so proud that they have hiked to them. Ellie was very surprised that it was made out of metal and not paint. The hike was way steeper than I had imagined. At the end I had to hold both their hands and run up, otherwise we'd fall back down. But going down Ellie didn't fall once! And that is a huge improvement folks. Taytay came out the worse with a scratch on her leg from a tree. Ooops.