The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of ATV's

Last weekend we went camping in Manti Canyon. It is one of our favorite places to go because it is so beautiful. We had a fantastic trip. Here are some of the highlights.

We were able to stay in our favorite campsite which has a little path leading from our campsite to this lake. You can't get to the lake from any other campsites and I guess a lot of locals park at that campsite when it ISN'T IN USE and walk down to the lake to fish, rather than parking on the other side of the lake like everyone else. One night a guy and his wife pulled up into our campsite and asked if they could walk through to get to the lake. Well, what were we gonna say? It took them about 15 minutes to get their gear ready and then as they were passing right through the middle of our camp they said, "Hey, my brother will be joining us in a little while!" It was after 10 PM when they came back through and spent another 15 minutes loading up to go home. AWKWARD! Here is my sweet Addycakes:

Steve wanted me to include a picture of our first nights dinner because it was so yummy. We had pulled pork sandwiches and asparagus. We have never had asparagus camping before but we had some at the house and I stuck it in some foil, added butter, salt and pepper and cooked it over the coals. It was by far the best asparagus we have ever had and my family gobbled it all up. We might be cooking it that way from now on.

I had to take a picture of Steve, Emily and Zac all sitting by the campfire reading their books.

We spent a couple days riding ATV's. The weather was absolutely perfect. The sun was warm and the wind was cool. Fantastic riding weather.

Taking a break

We rode all the way up above the tree line and the landscape changed from woodsy to big beautiful fields of wildflowers. Then all of the sudden we came around a corner and BAM! The most beautiful lake I have ever seen. The water was absolutely gorgeous, crystal clear blue. This place was so beautiful I just kept taking it in over and over again. I didn't want to leave this place. We did pose for a picture by the "Great Western Trail" sign.

The kids climbed down to play on a huge chunk of snow by the lake

The whole time we were riding through this section, I had this strong urge to throw off my helmet, stand up on my ATV, throw my arms into the air and belt out, "THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!" I didn't do the first three things, but as Addy, my little riding buddy can tell you, I did do the last thing.

After our ride that day the girls and I went exploring
Steve and Addy

Steve teaching Aubrey to skip rocks

It rained a little our second and third day so we had to eat dinner in the camper.

We were in such a hurry to pack up and get outta town that I only packed necessities. No games. What are you supposed to do in a camper while you are waiting out a rainstorm when you have no games? Addy found some clothes pins and made up her own game of snappy fingers. I'm still not clear on all the rules or the object of this game.

On our second day of riding we passed this beautiful Aspen grove. Addy said it looked like the place where Joseph Smith went to pray.

There were cows everywhere along the trails. The first time we saw some, Addy and I stopped and a little calf came over to Addy. Every time after that when we saw a calf she would say, "Look! There is another 4 year old cow about to turn 5! She wants to be my friend!"

The first time we crossed a stream, Zac got a really bad steam burn on his leg so whenever we crossed one after that, he always crossed like this:

My cute kids!

The End.

Monday Morning Musings - Women's Work

Life around here has been coo coo ca choo CRAZY. It's the end of summer, squeeze everything you meant to do all summer long into the last two weeks rush. Personally, I don't think we're gonna get it all in. We are on the final countdown. One week from today all our lives will be forever changed. Well, at least for the next nine months until we start the summer all over again. I really don't know where the time has gone. We have been busy all summer long, but still, I don't think I have done half of the things I had planned on doing.

One thing I haven't done much of is blog posting. I am so behind, I don't even know where to start. So since it's Monday, I figured why not start with Monday Morning Musings? Here it goes.

We went camping over the weekend. I had the pleasure of driving one truck with the trailer and ATV's attached and Steve drove his truck with the camper attached. The girls rode with Steve (I'm so glad he had the opportunity to bond with his girls that way) and Zac rode with me. Poor Zac. I annoyed the you know what outta him. I am not a good long distance driver. Put me behind a wheel for more than 30 minutes and I have this deep and sudden urge to doze off. So I have to do certain things to keep myself awake. Like singing at the top of my lungs. Out of all my children, my singing annoys Z the most. So you can guess how much fun that drive was. For both of us. He kept changing the radio station to songs I don't know. How am I supposed to sing along to songs I don't know? At one point he looked at me and said, "I wish I could just turn you off like a radio." For rudeness!

When we pulled into camp on Friday, the last song on the radio was the Taylor Swift song that goes, "You're the reason for the teardrops on my guitar". So the whole time we were setting up camp I kept singing that song and it was annoying everyone. Later that night, we were sitting around the campfire and Zac did something that made me so proud. He might look just like his daddy, but he definitely inherited my song writing abilities. I started singing that part of the song again and he busted out with his own version. "You're the reason for the deer droppings in my yard." That's my boy!

Last Thursday, I went with a group of ladies from my neighborhood to see the movie The Help. Most of us had read the book and loved it and were just waiting for the movie to come out. After it was over I came home and I was talking to my kids and I was talkin' in mah southeren ackcent. It was annoying my kids (it seems like everything I do annoys my kids, now doesn't it?) Zac looked at me and said, "STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!!!" And I said, "I ahm frum Teck-sas. I ahm allowhed ta tawlk lihke thawt if ah wont tuh!" And then he said, "What did they talk like that in The Help?" Dang it! How did he figure me out!?!

Last week was Zac's week to do the dishes. One day when I told him to go and do the dishes, he said, "Give me another job to do. I'm not going to do the dishes. That's women's work!" I should have smacked him, but all I could do was laugh because he sounded just like my dad when he said that.

Hey Soul Sister

So I've been sickly for over a week but yesterday I was pretty much on my death bed. Well, OK, thankfully it wasn't THAT bad. It was pretty bad though. I'm still feeling bad today, but nothing compares to yesterday. (♫ Nothing compares. Nothing compares. To you. I went to the doctor and guess what he told me, guess what he told me? He said girl you better try to have fun no matter whatchoo do. But he's a fool. ♫) And I digress.

Anyhoo...

I have found that with my sick voice, I am one mean soul singing machine. Hello! So I've been taking great delight and pleasure in my new soulful sound. I've been doing my own rendition of "Let It Be" over and over again. It's pretty awesome. Now that I remembered the song I just sang above, that I haven't heard in years, I'm singing it. Shoot. I'm givin' Sinead a run for her money, honey.

I reminded myself of Phoebe when she had her sick voice and she was delighting in her singing. Not because I sound like her. Psssht. I'm way better. But I'm just as pleased with my sickness as she was.


I also remind myself of this:


If you are reading this in Facebook, click here to see the video.

Flashback Friday - Falling x 3

Flashback: July 2007

Provo River Falls

It is one of our family's favorite places. We love hiking through the water and playing in the waterfalls. Unfortunately we only get there about every 2 years. And always in the month of July for some reason. In 2007 we went there with Steve's sister Heather and her family when they were here visiting us. Above: Sierra, Steve, Emily, Austin, Zac

Tyler, Steve, Allyson, Zac.

Oh look. I'm skinny and I'm blonde. What a difference 4 years makes.
(Blogger, I'm about to take you and your editing issues and your incessant desire to put spaces everywhere and I'm gonna do something real bad to you! Because I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!)

Sierra, Aubrey, Steve

Baby Addy and Steve H.

Flashback: July 2009
Aubrey, Emily, Addy, Allyson, Zac and Steve

In 2009 Steve's brother Mike and his family were here visiting us and we took a little trip to the falls. Below: Mike, Asher, Spencer, Sheila and Reagan

Steve and Mike basking in their brotherly love

Goofy Aubrey

(I just had to backspace 300 times to get rid of all the spaces! For reals! At least it let me get rid of the spaces that time.)

Flashforward: July 2011

Addy, Steve, Zac, Aubrey, Emily and Allyson

We were going to go when my whole family was in town visiting but we just ran out of time. Monday (July 25th) was a sort of Holiday around these here parts. July 24th is Pioneer Day. The day when the first Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Since we live in Utah and since the holiday fell on the Sabbath, we celebrated the holiday starting on Saturday and continuing straight through to Monday. Steve was able to have the day off from work and the falls were just callin' our names.

Emily decided to submerge herself in the FREEZING water.

This is Aubrey saying, "It's Freezing and I was in it all the way up to here!"

Zac after going down a natural waterslide. Oh Z! I miss you.

He is at Youth Conference right now!

Aubrey

Emily, Steve, Aubrey, Addy and Zac

That evening we found a place to cook dinner over the fire before we headed home.

Side note: The mosquitoes were horrible! HORRIBLE I say! I thought they were bad around our house. HA! We had repellent with deet and we still got eaten alive. You should see Addy's back! On the way down the canyon as we passed the nudist ranch we laughed at the sign that said, "Closed Due To Mosquitoes".

It's A Party In The USA - Day 5

Wednesday, July 6, 2011
On Wednesday, we went loaded up the ATV's, the coolers, and the kids and headed for the mountains. We found a camp site to use for the day. We took turns riding the wheelers and just hangin' around camp. It was such a fun and relaxing day.

Zac and Bart playing horse shoes

Aubrey and Owen playing Horse Shoes

Matt and Addy digging in the dirt
While part of the group was riding, Farrah, Kristy and I took the kids for a nature walk





Farrah and Bart

Farrah was a nice aunt and took all the kids for a ride
Teresa and Sam

Bart, Sam and Teresa
The aftermath of that mud puddle

Sisters ride. I have been threatening Lauren for years that I was going to take her for a ride on my ATV. I finally followed through with my threat. Farrah and Kristy and Lauren and I went for a fun ride together. Lauren was only scared a little.

Lauren and I after our ride. When I saw that mud puddle Sam and Teresa went through I was going to be nice and go around it. But then I thought about how long it had been since I had gone through a nice mud puddle so I told Lauren to hold on and I floored it and went right through the middle of the puddle.

That night we built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and made s'mores.

When we were sitting around the camp fire, we were singing songs. Mostly camp songs. I started singing and doing the actions to the Indian Princess song (if you went to girls camp in the Dallas East Stake, you know what I'm talkin' bout). Kristy asked how I still know all the motions to the song. And I was like, "HELLO! I taught every Indian Princess those way awesome moves for 5 years in a row!" After that display was over they wanted me to do another dance. I asked what kind they wanted and they said something about shaking it up a little. So what do you think of when someone says that? Me? I think of Ferris Bueller on a parade float. So I started singing that song. Then I was like, "OH! I haven't seen that movie in so long!" And everyone else was the same way. And then Teresa was like, I have never seen that movie, and then we were like - WHAT THE HAY?!

So we decided that when we got home that night we would watch it. It was dark when we left and on the way home there was construction or something on the highway so we were stuck in horrific traffic at 11:00 at night. Sam and Teresa and Zac and Lauren were in my van with me and we were able to exit and go the back roads home. On the way to take Lauren to her house we did a Chinese fire drill seeing that I was being all nostalgic with the Indian Princess dance and Ferris Bueller. It was so late when we got home but we were determined to watch the movie. We stayed up until 2:00am. I should say SAM and TERESA and ALLYSON stayed up that late. Everyone else pooped out and went to bed.


These are some things I realized from watching that movie. It had some many firsts in it. First time someone in a movie spoke to the camera. First flash mob. First movie to continue after the credits. First time Charlie Sheen talked on camera about drugs. Also I realized that I quote that movie all the time. So many good lines:

What country do you think this is?

So that's how it is in their family.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

My best friends sisters boyfriend...

Anyone...anyone...anyone...

Ferris Bueller, you're my hero!

SPEAKA ANY ENGLISH?!?

Niiiine times.

Voodoo economics.

I could keep going, but I won't. Need to catch up? Click below:

It's A Party In The USA - Day 1

It's A Party In The USA - Day 1 Do Over

It's A Party In The USA - Day 2

It's A Party In The USA - Day 3

It's A Party In The USA - Day 4

Monday Morning Musings - Conversations

Kristy: Do you know there are people in your yard taking family pictures?
Allyson: What? (looking out kitchen window) (running through the house) OH MY GOSH! I GOTTA GET MY CAMERA SO I CAN DO A BLOG POST!!!
Steve and the kids: What?
Allyson: (while running for camera) PEOPLE! YARD! PICTURES! CAMERA! BLOG POST!
Steve and the kids: What?
Allyson: GO LOOK OUT THE KITCHEN WINDOW!!! I GOTTA DO A BLOG POST!!!

Addy: You know that one time when we were supposed to wear our clothes inside out to preschool and I didn't? And the time we were supposed to bring a stuffed animal and I didn't?
Allyson: Yes. I remember. I'm sorry we forgot.
Addy: You ruined those days for me!


Zac: What's for dinner?
Allyson: (singing) You wanna know what's for dinner? Oh boy, I'll tell you what's for dinner.
Zac: Life is NOT a musical!


Allyson: (yelling out the back door) GIRLS! IT'S TIME TO COME INSIDE AND TAKE A BATH!
Emily: Mom. I don't take baths. I take showers. Don't ever yell "Bath" outside when there are people around.
Allyson: OK. (getting my book that I write stuff down in)
Emily: And DON'T put this on your blog or I will tell _______'s mom about the ________thing on your blog.


Emily: Aubrey, we haven't watched your patriotic school performance yet. Maybe mom's just not watching it because she forgot. Or probably because she just doesn't want to.


Addy: (in her best Dora imitation) Spooky Forest, Haunted House, Ry-an Sea-crest


Zac: (while playing Xbox live) (singing the Willow Smith song into his headphone/mouthpiece thing) I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth.
Allyson: What. the. heck?
Zac: I'm trying to distract the enemy.
Allyson: Well, your scarin' the poop outta me.


Radio and Allyson: (singing) Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your booty. Shake your boo-tay!
Emily: (cracking up laughing) That's a real song! I thought you were just making it up when you sing it!


Addy: (with sharpie marker in hand) MOM! I'm signing this Kleenex box and now it looks ridiculous!


Allyson: (watching a show with the kids about a mom who is trying to get her family to perform a song and dance with her) (all excited) Hey kids, at least your mom's not as bad as her!
Zac: She's playing a character on TV. So that makes you even worse!


Addy: Mom, can I have this dollar?
Allyson: No.
Addy: Well, I'm gonna go get something I can sell you for a dollar! Then you HAVE to give it to me!


Zac: You are such a nerd.
Allyson: And proud of it!
Zac: I have no room to call anyone a nerd...
Allyson: Ain't that the truth?
Zac: You're my mom! You're supposed to be supportive of me!
Allyson: Oh, right...


Allyson: I better not hear anyone ever use that word in our house ever again!
Addy: But mom, when we see Satan, are we supposed to call HIM a butthead?


Addy: Mom, all our chickens are modest now! You know how before Fluffy was the only modest one because of all her feathers on her face? Well, now they are all modest!
Allyson: ?


Allyson: (checking on sleeping kids before going to bed)
Zac: (talking in sleep) I'm just pulling this weed.
Allyson: What?
Zac: There is just one more weed I need to pull.
Allyson: What are you talking about?
Zac: I'm gonna pull this last weed and then I will come in.


Zac: (looking at the block of knives on the kitchen counter) If there was a Zombie infestation, do you know which knife I would use?
Allyson: (looking at him like he is insane)
Zac: (ignoring my insane stare) I would use this one because........(I can't remember what he said and he won't tell me now)
Allyson: You are the strangest child I have.