June 21, 2025

Watching Emperor’s New Groove last night made me laugh - at the movie and at Mason laughing at the movie. Also - I’ve been rocking the bean game. Bohnanza has been the go to game with Mason and Rachael lately. Oh, and Darren climbed Timp today just for fun. 

In the middle of my workout at the Leg, the lady next to me answered the phone with, “Hi dad.”  Well that triggered something because there I was teary on the elliptical. I miss my dad! I wanted to call him and have him answer, “Is this you?” Then I’d say, “No, this is me.”  And then we’d go back and forth about you and me and that would pretty much be our phone call. :)

(I love that my dad has his work gloves in his lap.)

June 18, 2025

Went on a Timps Falls hike. So many cascades! It was beautiful. And hot. And up. But beautiful. Again, getting misted from falls is awesome. 

Spent the evening chatting with my Relief Society sisters. Good day. 

June 17, 2025

Western Flycatcher here at the campground just scored me bird #100 on my life list. 

June 16, 2025

This,  And the smell of mint plus a marmot and a weasel.

And can we get this guy a Diet Coke sponsorship?

Have us a spot at Granite Flat. Stayed here last night and tonight. 

This morning we headed to Silver Glance. That hike gets me every time. But it’s so pretty. Spent 1/2 a day hiking and hanging at the lake. So lovely. And so hard. Darren climbed to the top of something while I relaxed and soaked in the nature. 

After our hike we hung out at camp. The birds sang all afternoon. I really like our site 35. Would definitely get again. 

KT C and S came up for the evening. I love this. Sadie found us the cutest inch worm.  For dinner we had hot dogs/brats, watermelon, chips with french onion dip (makes me think of my dad), and mallows. Then Spot It, Racko (makes me think of my mom), and Five Crowns. Snapped a quick pic and called it a good evening as the mosquitoes came out. 

June 15, 2025

Happy Father's Day to this fantastic father.

I definitely missed my dad today but I seem to miss him much more in the everyday things.

June 14, 2025

Two kids went camping last night. Mason in our backyard with friends and Sadie up the canyon with friends.  How fun is that. 

We had such an awesome day with almost all of us around. Some of my favorite things - SkyJo, croquet, pizza, Poetry for Neanderthals. 4-square and more. Like I said, awesome day. Then we topped things off by crossing off Camrie’s summer gelato eating. Mmm.  (Pinguini’s. Ha ha.)

This is what a 4am early morning hike to Lake Hardy for these two looks like in the afternoon.

June 13, 2025

A Kenz hike day.  Wahoo!  We went to Dog Lake up BCC.  As always it was great chatting and driving and chatting and hiking with her.  Lots of green and a nice lake for us to stop and sit for a minute.  (I loved the clump of flowers in the middle of the stream.)  Then it was home to grab Cam for lunch (or breakfast) at The Original Pancake House. I saw Frank and Beryl Cook there from my old Snow College softball days.  We had quite a few BBQs at their house in Moroni over the years.

June 11, 2025

After work hike was a good hike. I went past the "Timp shelf". The green, the sound of water and birds at the same time (I just love that), and then I went far enough that I found these this field of clematis flowers. I rested here and just took it all in. Those flowers make things so pretty.  And mixed among them were some forget-me-nots. Behind the flowers were some snow shelves. It was just a really cool nature spot that I had all to myself. Stopped off at Scout Falls on the way down and had that place to myself as well. Feeling waterfall spray is almost little magical. 

June 7, 2025

Successful and tiring girls camp. Testimonies, laughing, playing, thowing axes, archery, some challenge course, fantastic SOS dances, and even a little hiking. We went to Stewart Falls and had a short sunrise hike from our campsite. There was a beautiful field of yellow flowers at the top and somehow we had to wait an hour for the sunrise. I got to play California Speed with Ruth and Kamryn. So much fun! This old lady still has CS skills. We had wake up calls both mornings. Friday was an 6:15am birds wake up that Trish called our “Tracy Aviary wake up call”. :) Saturday was an 4:30am Marathon music and announcing wake up. Overall it was a fabulous with camp stuff and spiritual stuff. I very much enjoyed Girls Camp 2025.

Camp leaders middle - Trish Garrett, Marie Stosich, Claire Adams, Bethany O'Porto, and me.

June 4, 2025

Tagged along with Kenz and friends on an early morning hike. It was so pretty! I had to work hard to keep up going to Pine Hollow Peak, but it was fabulous. The light, the green, the cool mountain air - sigh. What a great way to start the day. (And by start I mean I left the house at 5:45.) 

June 2, 2025

It’s June! My favorite month of the year! AF Canyon is so beautiful green right now and I am here for it! The drive to the summit was gorgeous and then a hike to Primrose Overlook with strangers was great. Loved the clematis flowers we found. 

May 31, 2025

Had such a fun time at Froyo. Darren, me, Kenz, Cam. Hanging out with everyone is fantastic and hanging out with a few is fantastic. 

Here's a few photos from my May friends hiking.

May 30, 2025

After a morning hike I hung out with these two. 

Then I found this pic. Both from 14 years ago. 

May 28, 2025

3 moose day! The most lovely, kind of chill but still some uphill and 5 miles hike among the green with a side trail to somewhere I had never been before in AF Canyon, and we passed 3 moose. 3 moose! They were in the same spot on the way back so we saw them twice. Yipee yahoo hooray!

May 27, 2025

We have a robin in our backyard that sings loud and proud and I am here for the concert. 

Anyone else sit outside on a lovely May Day and pull up Merlin to see what other birds are around? Anyone else find old pictures of their dad and really, really miss him?

May 26, 2025

What a relaxing long weekend. Finished our Alone season, Cole and Rylie visited, read outside and finished a book, had pizza with the girls, and went on a hike. It was another lovely hike. The birds were chirping, there was new green on the trees, the mountain air was cool, and there was the smell of pine. Best of all - it was nature quiet. 

May 21, 2025

Graduation! Sadie is finished with high school. Woot woot. We celebrated the only way we know how - with some Spaghetti 

This morning I snuck away for a quick hike up American Fork Canyon before the road opens.  I try and do that hike every year - Pine Hollow to Willow to the Summit for a snack.  There were lots of birds chirping, no traffic noise, and Lorien led, getting all the spiderwebs. 

May 18, 2025

Fabulous Sunday evening having all my kids here. Played some Hearts (my favorite) and listened to them laugh together (even more my favorite). I love when we’re all together. 

This is pretty much what things look like. Not pictured - Cam and Sadie drawing at the counter. 

May 16, 2025

Went on a lovely spring hike.  I use the words lovely and hike together often.  :)  There were layers of green - bright, light, medium, dark - along the Stewart Falls tail.  There was also a bunny and a waterfall.  And somehow we timed it so we passed all the people as we were hiking out.

May 15, 2025

We have a dog.  I take her to the park, Darren takes her to the mountains, and she hangs out with the girls around the house.

May 14, 2025

Took Baylie to the park and I just had to sigh. The grass was green, there were clouds hugging the snow capped mountains, and in my head I heard Rylie say, “We live in a beautiful world.”  Then I came home and this picture from 2013 popped up.

May 11, 2025

Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us. - Sheri Dew (Pic from 2022)

May 10, 2025

Darren and I went on a hike up AF Canyon. He went one way and I went another. :). I had a good workout solo hike to the Pine Hollow valley overlook. I got a PR to the first meadow in 27:05. There were a few glacier lilies and a couple aspens greening out. Home to hang out for the rest of the day. 

I have a bit of a hard time getting out hiking after going somewhere super cool (like Canyonlands) knowing it’s not going to be super cool. But going yesterday and today reminded me that mountain air is always good. 

May 9, 2025

Lovely Friday morning. Took Baylie on a walk and then went on a little hike. We were 1 moose short of a perfect Friday May hike. At least the snakes had the right number (0).

May 5, 2025

Woke up singing Redeemer of Israel. Love that hymn. I read it and discovered 2 extra verses that are good. (5 and 6 - add to verse 1)

Chatted with Mason yesterday about “bloomin’ cactus” and we cannot remember the origin, just that he said it one time and it stuck. 

May 4, 2025

First four square of the season! Cam and Sadie made us delicious cookies and Baylie was being a goofball.

May 2, 2025

I love yellow flowers. We went to Three Falls today to see them. Then I thought back to the yellow flowers I saw in Salt Creek.