Hiking the Timp

Saturday we hiked to Timp Cave with Tim's family. . No, it wasn't the whole peak this time. I am hoping next year. I guess last years experience was more traumatic than I want to admit.
The hike was great as it always is. It is one of my favorites. I like that it is paved, has beautiful scenery and a fun cave tour to split up the hike. I learned some fun things on this hike
1. Even though in all my working out this spring and summer I have not lost very much weight, I seem to be in really good shape. I felt great the whole hike. My breathing and heart rate remained slower than I would expect and returned to normal with each quick break.
2. The hiking boots I bought recently are broken in. When I hiked "The Y" a month ago they hurt my feet since it was my first actual hike in them. It is nice to have a good comfortable pair of hiking boots. Another good reason to hike Timp Peak next year now that I have broken my boots in.
3. Even though Lincoln can be annoyingly persistant at times as a kid, he is the only kid who did not whine or wimper the entire hike. His persistance pays off in some things. I noticed this in our hikes last year too. Lincoln is a tough kid.
4. In school Lincoln's teachers are going to love him or be REALLY annoyed by all his questions. He kept the ranger who gave us the cave tour on his toes with question after question, after question. He is a curious kid. I kept bouncing back and forth between embarresment about my kid asking too many questions and being proud that he was so interested in everything. 5. Every Saturday (while the cave is open) at the visitors center they have "Junior Ranger" classes. We happened to be waiting for our turn to hike right during that time so we got to listen to the show. Today they had a Wildlife Animal Rescuer who would be the one to get a rattle snake from your backyard if you were to find one. From this little presentation I learned that 80% of adult rattle snake bites are dry. All baby rattle snake bites are poisonous but as they get older they can distinguish and learn to save the venom for their prey which they appearently do not consider humans to be. I never knew that. I thought if you get bitten by a snake you are poisoned. You should always assume you have been poisoned though. Keep your bitten limb immobile and as calmly as possible go to the hospital. Do NOT run!

There you go...something you read in my blog may actually save your life. . . oh and venom extraction kits are useless too by the way.

My Retreat

Well, actually it was Tim's retreat (Last Thursday and Friday) but because I was invited as his spouse, it turned out to be just as much if not more so a retreat for me than him. The timing was perfect since his parents were here from out of town for the month so I knew my kids were happy and safe and sound with their grandparents. Thanks Tim and BK!

Time for me to brag a little about my husband for a second. At UVU they have this special forum where they take the up and coming leaders of the school staff and take them under their wing. Train them and get to know them better. You have to apply and they pick 13 of those who apply. Tim was accepted so I am really happy for him. I keep teasing him that according to UVU he is "a straight shooter with upper management written all over him " (Office Space)

The retreat was at "Daniels Summit" up by Heber. A beautiful resort in the middle of nature. Tim's meeting started at 1:00pm and went 'til about 3:30pm. I was able to check in to the room when I got there so I spent the time reading, watching TV and eating my favorite treats (Oreos and Cheetos) Now I ask you. Who really had the retreat? The person in the meetings or the person sitting on their butt licking cheetos off her fingers?

We had free time for 3 hours and were encouraged to enjoy some of the nice stuff to do around like horseback riding, getting a massage, or going on a hike. We visited the general store watched a little TV, and took a nap. Later at the dinner when everyone was comparing what they did a I felt a little sheepish but I wonder how many of those people had small children at home and could really appreciate the worth of these activities as well as we could.

There was a chuck wagon buffet that was delicious then Tim and I went swimming in their pool and jacuzzi that was open 24 hours a day. We were alone for most of the time.. I guess everyone else was pooped from their massages and horseback riding.

The next day I had to check out at 11am and Tim had meetings til 3:15pm. I took a short hike on a path through some meadows but felt unfortunatly vulnerable all alone in the woods. One of the few things that makes me curse being a woman in this world.

I read a lot in a cozy chair in the lounge and ate at a resturaunt for lunch. The food was nasty but that was ok. It still felt fun. I have never eaten at a sit down and order restaurant alone in my entire life so it was pretty cool.

It was nice to have all that alone time but as much as I would like to say I came home a mother with more patience and tolerance for my kids. . .I am afraid it didn't accomplish miracles. It did however it kind of make me realize that kids do make life more interesting and fun. Strangely enough I would have felt less afraid walking in the woods with them too. Lincoln's every present voice would have warned away bears too.

Corner of my mind

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory (or more) that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing (but you don't have to) and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Happy Birthday Joseph!

Today my little boy (oldest child) becomes a two-digit. He turned 10 years old today. He seems so grown up. I am so proud of who he has grown up to be. He is a very thoughtful, intelligent and responsible kid. He loves Weird Al, The Old "Pink Panther" Series (with Peter Sellers), Mystery Science Theater 3000 Brian Regan, Simpsons, science and history. We love his sense of humor. He is really good at doing magic tricks, playing with Yoyos, school and playing with his little sister. We can always count on him to make sure Lincoln and Sam are following us in the store and gets way freaked out if they don't. Joe is a great listener and empathiser. If something bad happens to someone he lets them know he cares . . like when I made a cobbler to bring to a friends birthday party and dropped it in the drive way as we are getting in the car. . he sayed "Mom, I am sorry that happened to you". I kind of got a hint of this empathy one time when I was having a bad day about a week after Elisabeth was born. Joe was 2 years old. I was way overwhelmed and trying to put him down for a nap. I started crying in frustration when he didn't seem to want to. When he saw that I was crying something seemed to register in his understanding and he looked sad for me. He then climbed in his bed and went to sleep. Joseph I am sooo proud you are my kid.

Misty Water Colored Memories

I have been having a blast the last few days. Tim's dad went in 50/50 on a slide scanner. My Mom took slides of some of the funnest trips of my childhood, multiple trips to Italy, Lake Chiemsee (Germany) and one to England. I havn't seen these slides since I was a teenager. Some I have never seen at all.

Those of you who don't know me well might say. . . How did she manage to do all that international traveling? My family lived in Germany from 1980 to 1990 so we had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling around Europe. Seeing all these pictures makes me so grateful for parents who took advantage of all these opportunities and exposed me to all this beautiful art and culture.

It is fun to see pictures of myself before my unfortunate perm phase that lasted about 8 years. I looked more like I do now when I was 11 then I did when I was 16. Happily my clothes and reading tastes have improved just a little, but my hair is about the same.

True Confessions.

Today I brought shame upon myself, upon my spouse, and our children, and our children's children down until the 7th generation. I went to a pool and did not ride the waterslide. T0 most this looks like a summer wonderland of fun. To me it looks like something from "Dante's Inferno"

Over the years I have developed an aversion to waterslides. You see, I am not much for speed when I am not in control of how fast I am going,(unless it is a car or plane or something similar) , or the sensation of falling (I don't like roller coasters or even ferris wheels for this reason) , or drowning and I can't swim. So you can imagine how delightful waterslides are for me. To be totally honest the whole experience is truly terrifying. Everytime I try it, it does nothing to avert my fears and insecurities. I feel a little bit less scared of that slide, and might go on it again but only if I am begged to, and I wouldn't say I really enjoy it the second or third time. I am just a little less scared of it.

Every year when Tim's family comes for their summer vacation we end up going to one of the pools or water parks in the area and I get talked into going on a water slide. I do it to humor Tim and there is one that is tolerable, but I slow myself down the whole way and give my arms a rugburn to slow down enough at the end to be able to slowly get off the slide and into the water.

Today was the first of those parks and even though all 4 of our kids LOVED the slides and rode them multiple times with Tim and his dad and brother-in-law. I told Tim. "I wont go on waterslides with you, but I produce children who will." I refrained. I felt bad but I just couldn't talk myself into it and neither could anyone else. I know I am a wuss. I am not proud of the fact. Am I so bad for not wanting to? Even the ones I can tolerate, I don't enjoy. Maybe I should start a waterslide haters annonymous. Thank you for letting me get that off of my chest. I feel a little lighter for the confession. The first step of the repentance process.

Grociery Cart Surprises

Last week when we went to Wal-Mart, Sam did his new trick of sticking stuff in the bottom of our cart when we aren't looking. This day his needs included
1. Glycerine suppositories
2. Towels

It was nice of him to think ahead like that.

Holidays according to Jim Gaffigan

Happy 4th of July all! Enjoy the burger, brat AND steak on the same day. "It's what the founding fathers would want!"

A New Kind of Motivational Poster

My husband showed me this and I thought it was hilarious.

My mind and other misplaced items.

Have you ever made one of those mistakes where the result isn't so horrible. . . it's just the fact that you just realized how clueless you can be? Now THAT is a tragedy!
I felt so proud of myself signing up our Webelos for day camp way back in April. I felt less proud when I realized later that day that I scheduled it for the last day of my kids swim lessons. . . or maybe it was the other way around. . . anyway. . . I feel EVEN less proud today when I realized I signed our Webelos up for Cub day camp instead of Webelos day camp. AAARGHH! I know probably not a big deal.The primary president said "They are different?" so easy mistake to make I realize. It looks like there are still openings for that day for Webelos day camp and the Cub camp looks more fun anyway if we can't do the other. The kids get to make swords at the Cub one and not the Webelo one. That is reason enough alone to just boycott the the Webelo day camp anyway.
The tragedy is that I KNEW they were different! I went to Webelos day camp with Tim once. I know they are seperate entities. WHY WHY WHY? What turned off in my brain that day? The tragedy here is that I can turn off my brain so easily or even worse, it can turn itself off. When I called Tim I was obviously seconds from bursting into tears and he said "First of all DON"T PANIC!" Scout camp isn't what I am panicing about.
I think the same thing happens when we lose stuff. It isn't that we HAVE to have the item we are looking for. It is just that we KNOW we put it in a GREAT place. We remember feeling so organized when we put it there. We aren't looking for the item so much as for our minds!