March 28, 2025

Mountain air in the morning up AF Canyon and laughing in the evening at Wise Guys with Jenna Kim Jones. Mountain air and laughing are some of my very favorite things so it was a good Friday. 

March 27, 2025

 Have a mentioned I like living by the park? And that I like warm weather?

March 26, 2025

With the Biblers in town we had a zoo trip.  The zoo was less appealing than the last time we went but we loved the baby gorilla.  So cute!  We also enjoyed the young snow leopards, tiger, and red panda.  Mostly enjoyed walking and chatting with everyone in the beautiful weather.

Did you know that Cam's favorite animal is a polar bear? And that Annelise and I are birthday besties?

March 24, 2025

Hearing birds singing in the morning makes me so happy. 

March 23, 2025

I love my little life. Other things I’m thankful for this week in addition to Ephraim, Snow College, having a sleepover with my grinds, having their friendship for 33 years, all our softballs memories, watching softball with them and remember that we were pretty good, laughing and laughing as we added more memories, and playing softball at Snow “in the early 90’s”:

Darren. Having Cam and Sade around.  Sadie’s art displayed. Seeing Ry and Cole for a minute. Alma 7. Sunday dinners in South Jordan. Seeing the Biblers. 

Here we are yesterday on the field we played on at Snow.  

The picture below is from when we won the conference championship in the spring of 1993 on the same field.  (With a shaving cream celebration.)  These two pictures are at the same place just 32 years apart. (I'm the third from the left on the bottom row.)

March 22, 2025

We had such a great time in Ephraim! At the game they announced that there was Snow College alumni from the early 90's watching the game. We stood up and waved to the extremely limited applause. Good thing we’re confident in our old softball expertise. They had to add “early” to the 90's? Ha ha. 

Besides watching games we also drove up the canyon to find our camping spot from long ago, ate at Roy’s pizza, stayed in a cute grandma house Airbnb with an orphan room with 4 single beds, played a game where my friends know me better than I know myself, went to Walmart for ice cream and cookies, watched a movie, ate a yummy breakfast (that took forever) at Routes 89 Grill, teased Tara about forgetting the cookies, and went for a morning Ephraim walk. 

This was such a wonderful two days with these guys. Not very many people know this part of my life and it was awesome to remember it with those who were there. It feels like another life and yet I have so many memories from this time of life and met my lifelong friends. So very thankful for these friends. And so very happy we have stayed connected and see each other so we can keep making more memories. 

March 21, 2025

Where did I go this weekend? I took a trip down memory lane. :)

I’m in Ephraim with Mary, Tara, and Patty. Already we’re having the best time. Our mini reunion turned even mini-er as the others canceled. At first I was mad, then frustrated, and now who cares because they’re the ones missing out. Bo is joining us tomorrow. We have so many good times with just the 4 of us so I’m sure the others would have felt left out. Ha ha. Love, love watching some softball with these friends. Paige (Bo’s daughter) hit a lead off home run for us. We laughed and reminisced all day. Mary was making me laugh extra hard today. 

March 19, 2025

We went and saw Sadie’s entry in the Alpine school district art show. I love her art. 

March 18, 2025

A snowstorm today brought plenty of snow.  I'm more tolerant when the snow is in the mountains.  I enjoyed the white scene up Granite Flat last Friday but am not enjoying the white scene out my front window.

March 14, 2025

When the drive up the canyon has the snow covered trees, you know the hike is going to be good. It was a winter wonderland hiking up to and around Granite Flat. It’s such a great place to be on a bluebird day. It was beautiful! I loved breaking trail through the new powder. There was just enough to make it awesome but not so much you were sinking through too far. And I just love when all the trees are flocked.

March 13, 2025

Needed this reminder, “Striving to be the salt of the earth includes so much more than an endless scrolling of reels on a six-inch screen.” - Elder José A. Teixeira of the Presidency of the Seventy

Tonight after joining Darren for a work dinner thing in South Jordan, we stopped by Clayton and Sandee’s. Always nice to chat with them when it’s just us. 

March 11, 2025

Took Baylie on a quick walk before my before work hike. The clouds had just a bit of pink and I love it when the morning clouds are like that. I also love when my winter hiking trail goes past quakies.

March 10, 2025

Picked up the girls from the airport.  They're home safe and sound.  I love listening to them chat about their adventures.  (Apparently it was windy.)

March 6, 2025

Sadie is 18. What?!? Sure love that girl. We celebrated with dinner last Saturday, some presents last night, she took the week off work, and now she’s celebrating with her sister in New York City. 

March 5, 2025

Tomorrow I will have all adult children. Crazy. Good thing Baylie came and sat by me while watching my movie so I could cope.

March 2, 2025

“Whether descriptively designated as Creator, Only Begotten Son, Prince of Peace, Advocate, Mediator, Son of God, Savior, Messiah, Author and Finisher of Salvation, King of Kings—I witness that Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven whereby one can be saved!” Elder Neal A Maxwell 

March 1, 2025

What a fabulous 24 hours! Darren and decided to do a Richfield/Bryce visit. We left Friday at 5:00 and got back Saturday at 5:00. I loved it all. We took Mason and Rachael to Black Bear Diner. It was nice catching up with those two. After dinner was some Dr Mario which I always love playing. 

Saturday was Bryce baby!

Hiking in hoodoos with views and views, including the tunnel tree I love. More awesome with an ideal dairy sandwich, highway 89, and small towns. 

As we climbed back up to the rim we met some people seeing Bryce for the first time. I thought how lucky they are to be seeing those views for the first time. You can’t see things for the first time more than once. But then I thought how I’m even luckier to have seen those views many, many times. 

We got home to Lehi (I was driving so I drove highway and small towns not just freeway even though Lee at the Eagle Stop in Panguitch told me it’s faster to go more I-15) and then we headed to The Old Spaghetti Factory to begin Sadie birthweek celebrations. (Me, D, Sadie, Cam, Kenz, and Tanner) It was delicious of course and somehow Sadie ate an entire plate of fettuccine Alfredo. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her eat an entire plate of anything. 

February 28, 2025

Some photos with a bonus picture of Darren and Sadie many, many years ago.  Obviously Sadie lets us take more pictures of her than Cam does.  :)

February 27, 2025

Happy birthday to Baylie. It still surprises me that we have a dog that lives with us even though she is now 7 years old. She likes:

Morning belly rubs, when Sadie pets her ears, eating leftover pizza or sausage off the top of the oven, when Penny comes over, when Penny leaves, playing frisbee at the park, her “guys”, and sleeping on the hiking room bed. 

February 21, 2025

I needed this snowshoe through some Granite Flat snow covered trees. 

February 20, 2025

It’s just been a heavy week or so and today started out the same with things going wrong at work. And then came the love. My favorite patron - 84 year old Jack - came in and chatted with me, I received a thankful friend text from Deb, and then I came home to a new pair of shoes Darren had ordered for me. 

February 19, 2025

Today I just really want to go talk to my dad. He’d be sitting in his chair and we could just chat the evening away. Making him laugh was one of my favorite things. And of course he always made me laugh. When my dad’s health wasn’t great and his eye sight was getting worse my mom mentioned that no one could cheer up my dad like I could. I loved that compliment. I should have went down to cheer him up more often. (Pic January 2020)

February 16, 2025

This week wasn’t as lovely as last week and yet it still was good. Life is good. Also frustrating and hard, but good. Things in our country are so overwhelming and wrong right now yet God is good. And we got a Sunday selfie.

February 9, 2025

What a lovely week.

Spent this morning before church in an old picture rabbit hole (spending time with my Snow friends usually does that to me). Found this gem from 2007. (Kenz, me, Sadie, Camrie)

February 8, 2025

How awesome is it that we still get together at the cabin? 30 plus years of friendship is pretty cool. They’re awesome friends and we had another fabulous 24 hours together laughing and chatting. And while we were doing this the snow was falling. Sigh. It was beautiful when we went on our required Patty walk. This year Mary made us omelets for breakfast and somehow I stayed up the latest.

February 5, 2025

Got a little nature this morning. We pulled up to Tibble Fork and there was a bald eagle soaring around. Awesome! We also took the time to sit and listen to the creek and watch the pine trees sway in the breeze. 

February 3, 2025

This afternoon I got to do something I love - sitting on the grass at the park with Baylie and just relax. 

This morning Sadie got to drive off into a beautiful sunrise. 

February 2, 2025

Groundhog Day and thinking of my dad just go together.

Tonight we watched Elder and Sister Uchtdorf's devotional to young adults.  It reminded me of going to Institute at Snow College.  A few of us softball players graduated from institute thanks to a fabulous teacher that really made a difference - Brother Van Orman.  He probably had no idea what a positive influence he was for a few softball players.  (me, Jen, and Patty).  I couldn't find a picture of that but here's what things looked like the same time for our college graduation.

Cath Cook, Brandy Bohanon, Mary Ellen Messick, Jen Rindlisbacher, Angee Christensen, Patty Schouten, Micheal Ann Spencer, Tara Houtz

Before the devotional tonight, Darren and Penny were making us laugh.

January 31, 2025

Dear January. I’m afraid I was too hard on you. I apologize for being so negative. You were just what you should be and gave me a chance to slow down. I mean I saw the top two arches probably in the world in your first few days. I also went on 5 other hikes, included one of my favorite winter hikes on your last day. You also allowed me to read 10 books. Then again all that doesn't seem that much since you were 49 days long.

January 30, 2025

Out to JCWs with Kelly and Tami. What great friendships that were solidified when we served in primary together so many years ago. I like that about the church organization. You make friends with people because you serve somewhere together and that friendship doesn’t end when the calling does. I still can't believe these two (with the help of Kacee Bartholomew) pretty much did Kenzie's reception.  The waffle bar was so delicious! (October 2015)

January 28, 2025

Just another evening of the girls chatting and FaceTiming with Ry with some singing.  Tonight the music came from Phineas and Ferb and “Get Out” by Casey Abrams (classic sing along song).

January 26, 2025

Doctrine and Covenants 128:23 Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!

January 25, 2025

Made me smile that Cam and Sadie went sledding at the pit today. Although the pit is now the park. And Cam is Arsenal’s biggest fan as shown by her jacket. Ha ha. FYI - they discovered that boogie boards do not double as sleds.  Thankful that Jessie had a sled big enough for all of them.

January 24, 2025

The sunrise! Beautiful pink clouds everywhere over white mountains and then orange/yellow light shining though the break in the mountains. Sigh. I couldn’t believe I was the only one taking a picture. (And the picture isn't even close to how beautiful it was - definitely more pink than this shows.)

The things of the earth were created for our happiness. - Dallin H Oaks

January 22, 2025

How I love the Pine Hollow second meadow. The aspens reminded me of my mom and dad. I didn’t call them on the phone enough but I would have called them today to tell them about the quakies. 

January 21, 2025

Lots of just being right now. Darren and Sadie are sick and it is freezing so Baylie is a bit neglected. She looks at you like she doesn’t understand why you wouldn’t take her to the park even though it’s 15 degrees. 

January 19, 2025

A successful Sunday School lesson thanks to some help from above. I'm always thankful when my week teaching goes OK and is done for a month.

Watched Get Smart tonight with Darren. We both laughed even though we’ve seen it multiple times. Funny movie. Also funny - how we call the one bedroom “the orphan room”. 

January 18, 2025

Costco birthday cake doesn’t last long around here - even when it’s not actually someone’s birthday but we still want cake. Also - the girls crack me up (KRCS were together today). They were telling me all about their IKEA visit and finding a bathroom to “drop a meatball”.  

January 17, 2025

Kelly’s birthday calls for a snowshoe. Or a snow hike since we just used spikes. I took her to Tibble meadow (yes I had just been there 2 days ago) for some beautiful winter. When the sun came out we would stop and bask in the little more warmth. It was lovely. And I always love me a snow path through the quakies. We told Kelly we had to call to reserve some birthday bighorn sheep and have them ready as we drove up the canyon.

January 15, 2025

Almost every time before a winter hike I second guess if I really want to go. And then I go and am reminded that I really like fresh outside air in the winter. We had fun on our short winter hike above Tibble with awesome sledding conditions. (Awesome sledding conditions = not fast or icy and what an old lady would enjoy.)

January 14, 2025

I just really love Darren.  (Photo from September 2021)

January 13, 2025

Cam loves her lemonade. She made some freshly squeezed from BD lemons.   

January 12, 2025

Draper girls Beaver Dam getaway for 3 nights in Beaver Dam. Jenn wasn’t able to make it and it wasn’t super warm but it was a success with good feelings and good times. There was fresh air, grapefruit (I love Clayton's grapefruit), free froyo from Bridger, lots of Jackbox games, and even a hike (at least for Brooke and me). Good times getting caught up with everyone.

January 8, 2025

I love when there is a pink morning sky. I don’t love when there is an old man on my favorite elliptical machine. 

Went to the temple today. Distinctly felt my mom and dad in the celestial room. Put a big smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I’m still smiling as I think about them. Such a good, happy feeling. 

January 5, 2025

Never forget how Camrie holds her tacos. Fisted ball holding taco. :)

January 4, 2024

We hit Arches before heading home. We hiked to Delicate Arch with very few people which was fantastic.  Between Druid and Delicate, we hit two amazing and iconic arches back to back. Now that’s a great way to start a year. (Thanks to Darren for snapping this photo.)

January 3, 2025

I absolutely loved today!

Our Canyonlands - Needles hike was amazing!  (And almost 12 miles,) We hiked to Druid and then over to Chesler Park and back to the car.  

So much awesome - the needles, the snow capped mountains in the distance, the huge arch, the crow calls in the canyon, the Chesler Park section, views and views and views, looking down on Elephant Canyon from Druid and Chesler Park, the Juniper Titmouse that we watched for a few minutes.  Oh, and don't forget the guy from Texas taking our picture at Druid - "Go back there, I'm not done yet."  :)

Then we topped the day off with Canyon Co Pizza (and salad).  Delicious.  Like I said, I absolutely loved today!