Now, THIS is My Kind of Camping

About five years ago, there was a motor home that Matt's work repossessed and he got permission to "try it out" and he brought it home.
(I blogged about it back HERE)
The kids were ecstatic!!!

 {Li'l 7 yr. old Haylee}

And it was perfect timing because our ward campout was already scheduled for THAT weekend!

The kids played in it, and packed their stuff in it, in anticipation to go.

WELL, it turns out that the credit union's president's definition of "trying it out" ONLY MEANT to drive it home - and DID NOT mean we could actually take it anywhere for real camping (our definition of "trying it out.") 
OH.
So, Matt drove it back to work and the kids did not take this "misunderstanding" well.  We tented it that weekend.....And they have always wished for "what could've been" five years ago.
In fact, these old photos have been coming up on our computer's screen saver lately, and the kids are all like, "Ahhhhhhh!" whenever they see them.


Fast forward to the present day:  My good friend's mom bought a camping trailer with the hopes that her kids would USE IT - but they're not.  So, after two summers of non-use, she opened it up to a broader circle of contacts; her kids' friends - which is where we come in!  She let us use it - and her truck to pull it with - AND she WAS GRATEFUL it was getting USED!  ;)
(SOOO generous!)
So, our kids previous unfulfillment can now be filled!  :)  Better late, than never!

The weekend outing was a SUCCESS because MY kind of camping now includes:

1.  THIS....

{After a few recent years of Girls' Camp, I think a camper trailer is the only way I want to camp now!  If I have my choice!}

2.  Weather that is 'just right' - not too hot, not too cold

(And the turning leaves add a nice touch, too!)

 3. Nice big rocks that provide a place to sit down.

 4. Something to keep the kids busy, so they aren't creating [dangerous or annoying] "fun."

 Brookelle really took the hunting-for-a-leaf-at-least-as-big-as-your-palm to heart!!  ;)

5. Being close enough to a town that has famous shakes. 

 {Dairy Keen in Heber City}

6. Having full hook-ups/electricity so that the T.V./VCR worked

How much can we CHEAT at camping?!? ;)

7. Also, thanks to the full hook-ups, being able to cook everything in a "kitchen" and have all the food in a refrigerator - plus wash dishes in a sink!

8. A BED to sleep on.

9. Real cover/protection for when it rains. 

10. But, I won't ax "The Great Outdoors" altogether - the camp fire part, with the s'mores, 

and the fire's relaxing, hypnotizing affect, along with the great talks/stories 

that happen as we sit around it, is still a favorite of ours!

Thanks so much to the Williams' & Badham's!

For Some Must Push and Some Must Pull

.....as we go marching up the hill. 

{Name that song}

Listen HERE for a hint.

On Saturday, we noticed we actually had a day with hardly anything on the calendar AND we've been having warmer than usual temps, so Kyle had suggested we hike to Flag Rock.

Sure!  Why not?!?

Except when we tried to drive to the starting point, the road was still closed for the winter.

So, we improvised and found another of Farmington's many trails:  the Davis Creek Trail.

It is in the mountains, so it would be quite an ACCENT!  Lots of UPHILL.  So, Matt & I wondered if our younger children would be able to make it....???  I just said, I could take them back to the car when they'd had enough and wait there for the others to finish.

{Ryan was absent, off doing his High School thing with friends, attending the State Bball tourney in SLC}

Well, it turns out, we shouldn't have even worried about them!  The children went up the trail like gazelles!

WE ARE THE ONES to worry about!

 We are the ones who were begging for rests and telling them to wait for us.  And holding each other up. 

(And when I say "we" - it's really like 70% me, 30% Matt!)  :)

My calves were ON FIRE!!!  The angle the hill was forcing my feet into were killing them.  I guess that's why we're suppose to stretch before beginning any physical activity?!?
The thought, How far I've digressed, went through my mind about 43 times.

I never wanted to be one of those moms who don't ever participate in activities (sports, boating, races, swimming, games) with the family - who just sit on the sidelines and watch - so I was making myself do it!

But, my calves!  Ouch!  My knee!  Oh!  My hips!  Ugh!

At one point, Haylee took my hand and pulled me along.  Matt tried pushing me from behind, but then decided if he went in front and I hooked onto his belt loops, he could kind of "drag" me.  ;)  But, his not-quite-a-year-post-surgery-knee was not handling it the best, either.

 (I was kind of disgusted with myself.)

We saw a sign post indicating that we still had 2/3 of the way to go to reach "Pretty Valley" and I thought, Where's the chair lift when you need it?!?

I got to a point where I could see this view of dear ol' Farmington, 

and I pronounced, This is "Pretty Valley" enough for me!

And I turned around and went back down the mountain and waited for the rest of the brood in the car.

(The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!)

I had already hiked for an hour, and they went another hour (they made much better time without me) - luckily I was prepared with a book!

I heard later that Matt kept trying to get our children to stop and go back [using me as his excuse] "because mom is waiting."  

To which they [correctly] countered back, "Mom is fine!  She has a book!"

They found an awesome rock - and had to get on top of it, of course!

Apparently, scaling the mountain was not enough effort for 5 yr. old Brookelle, so she thought she should weigh herself down a bit more by collecting rocks along the way and putting them in her front pockets!  What?!?

That was nothing!  

Easy Peasy!

(Way to show me up!)

When can we come back?!?

 (Whoa Nelly! Not so fast.)

Matt & I were both rubbing our knees on the car ride back, then zonked out on our bed when we got home.

Checkers, Anyone?

Or maybe a game of chess? - you take your pick.

Either way, we've got the yard-sized game board for it IN our lawn!

We moved into our new house exactly one year ago today and we finally put in our sod last Saturday.
(Yep.  This is the same yard that was suppose to be done by Summer, so our kids would have somewhere to play all Summer......but WHATEVER!)

But, by today, it looks like THIS!  "They" say it's normal...?!?

{Let's hope so!}

Phone Fast

The first evening we arrived at Aspen Grove (our family vacation this summer) we had a few children asking for electronics.

"Dad, can I play on your phone?"

"I want to use your iPad."

I was disgusted.  After all, we were on vacation at an "all-inclusive" Family Camp with a TON of things to do, and all they could think of was electronics?  In fact, they seemed a bit lost in the cabin that 1st night, since there was no T.V. and we said NO to their gadget requests.  (Apparently they didn't bring toys or books or artwork to do, either.  And, what?  The don't know how to TALK to anyone else who was there?!?).......well, here's an idea: why don't you GO TO BED and actually sleep when it's after 9 or 10 at night?!?

I was kind of shocked, too.  It was an eye opener to me that it had become so routine for them to use/play with the electronics daily that 1) they were MAD when they couldn't (there was MUCH complaining/crying/whining when we said NO) - it was like the end of the world for them and 2) they acted like there was NOTHING TO DO instead, like no alternative to those [sometimes dumb] machines!!  Has it been so long since the time when they DIDN'T rely on that for entertainment?  AND it was my girls -- what do little children "need" with those things?!?  It made me sad.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, this week was a time to be with our family - away from all that distracts us!

AND, SECONDLY, no way do I want anyone to miss out on God's BEAUTY that surrounded us!

I ended up turning off my cell phone, (it was VERY spotty reception anyway) left it in the cabin, and didn't even carry it with me all week.......it was SO nice!

Called to Serve

My neice opened her Mission call tonight.
We all went up to their house to witness this EXCITING event.
There was my family of 7 and about 100 other people there, too.  Really, maybe half that many.  Or a third.  I really don't know how many, but there were enough to make quite a ruckous with our cheering and clapping when she read aloud her mission she has been called to serve in.

MADRID, SPAIN

And the shouts continued when she read from her call that she will report directly to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in SPAIN - not the traditional one in Provo, Utah that everyone else in the family has gone to.

And the noise [of gladness & congratulations] burst out again when she read that she will start her mission on June 12, 2013.

I am thrilled for her!

With the new announcement from the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, at last October's General Conference that the new age for women to serve a full-time mission was changed to age 19 instead of 21,  she immediately was eligible since she was already 19 yrs. old!  There is now a SURGE of women submitting their missionary applications -- and I think IT. IS. WONDERFUL.  Sister Missionaries are SO effective and amazing.  They were THE BEST in my mission, but, unfortunately, we were in the minority......but things are changing now with the lower age!  Amongst some of my neice's other "fans" there to watch, there were three other girls who had their mission calls, too!!  It's so great.

Being there tonight, I couldn't help but recall receiving my OWN mission call.

Although, my experience 21 1/2 years ago was very, very different from hers today, it still brought back the EMOTION associated with it..  Tears filled my eyes as I listened to her read her call, just the same as they have the other few times I have been privileged to be a bystander when future missionaries have opened their calls.....BECAUSE I KNOW what it's like to open a Mission Call.  I have been there!  The tears were there when I opened my OWN call, too.  It is SO important and SO profound.  It is SO BIG - a call to serve from The Prophet.

After being a part of her "Mission Call Opening Party" with the masses, Matt asked me if it made me wish I would've done it like THAT.

No.

That may surprise some because I am very much a "social creature" by nature and a "People Person" who loves friends and being around others.  USUALLY.  But, opening my mission call was NOT a USUAL experience.
There is not a wrong way and a right way to do it.  The way I did it was just PERFECT FOR ME!

I chose to open my Mission Call all by myself, in private, out in nature, next to a river in the beautiful surroundings of Logan Canyon in Northern Utah back in the summer of 1991.

I wanted to have my own true, REAL initial reaction to the call - without having to "put on a show" for an audience.

So, when I learned of my call, FUKUOKA, JAPAN, there was no fanfare.  No deafening crowds whooping and hollering.  No eyes on me - at least not of the human kind.  But I felt very, very close to my Heavenly Father & Jesus at that moment - I KNEW They were with me.

(Signed by Ezra Taft Benson, the Prophet in 1991)

Even though I am "Geographically Deficient" and I didn't even know WHERE Japan was....North?  South?  East?  West of here?  Even though I had indicated on my application that I was NOT interested in learning a foreign language....  And even though I [might have] exclaimed, "Holy Cha!" when I read it, I immediately prayed - right then and there on that big boulder I was sitting on out in the open air.  I was surrounded with just the sound of the trickling water, the fluttering of leaves in the trees up above and the occasional chirping of a bird.  And as I did so, I felt The Spirit confirming to me that I was "up to the challenge!"

For DAYS afterwards, it still seemed like an "Out of body experience" to think about ME serving a mission in Japan.  I still can't believe that I did it sometimes, now!   But, that day will always be a tender memory for me.

I did go to my parents home the next day where the rest of my "groupies" had gathered and I "opened" my Mission Call (however I already knew where I was going) in front of them.  Then they were all made privy to the BIG NEWS for the first time -- and they shared in my joy and excitement, too.  So, I got BOTH - a private and a public opening - I've always been one to prolong the CELEBRATION as much as possible!  ;)  haha.

GO Sister Missionaries! 

(This plaque hung in the glass case at our church building the whole time I was gone.)

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

 And No.  I'm NOT talking about the "Jelly of the Month Club" (from Christmas Vacation).  :)

About 10 days ago, Matt & I finished our "Year of Dates".   I gave this to Matt as a gift for Christmas 2011.  I tried to think of all the things that we have always talked about doing, "We should do THAT sometime!" BUT never have.  Our "date bucket list" so to speak.

He was nice and told me it was "The Best present EVER!" (In his opinion, even better than the iPad HE gave to ME last year!) There were 12 pre-planned, [mostly] pre-paid dates in the basket, one for each month of the year. Shortly after Christmas, we sat down with our new 2012 calendar and decided all the dates and WROTE IT IN PEN (that makes if official, ya know! :) We really looked forward to it all year. Here's what we did.....

JANUARY

Utah State University Basketball Game.

We went back to our Alma Mater dressed in our Aggie fan duds for a basketball game and went to some of our old stompin' grounds: dinner at The Factory Pizzeria & ice cream at Charlie's.  (We're so sentimental.)  We were a bit disappointed that our names we had carved into one of the tables [Matt + Suz w/ a heart around it] all those years ago wasn't even detectable anymore - too many more carvings on top of it, I guess.  :(

FEBRUARY

A horse 'n' carriage ride around downtown Salt Lake City.  

It just so happened that the city was celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the SLC 2002 Olympics that night (with Mitt Romney present) so fireworks started going off while we were on our ride.....COOL!  Except, the downside to that was that it scared the horse and our driver had to turn it around and take a detour.  (but we scored a coupon for a future ride due to the unusual circumstances!)  We dined at P.F. Changs afterwards.

MARCH

A Spa Date Night

Massages, pedicures, hot wax treatments, and spa treats.

APRIL

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Session

We had never been to this temple before.  It's a cute, small one.  Then I got to experience Lamb's Grill - somewhere Matt has gone with work a lot and had talked about, saying he'd have to take me sometime, but it hadn't happened yet.  (He says it's better for breakfast than lunch.)

MAY

Brian Regan concert at Tuacahn

What an enjoyable time.  We laughed so hard!   The opening act was great, too.

JUNE

Picnic in the Park

We went to Sugarhouse Park in SLC and had Subway on a blanket and played cards -- until the breeze blew them away.  This was really relaxing and was kind of in honor of our college days when we hung out at the park quite a bit...to escape homework, roommates, or to just soak in the sun & fresh air.

JULY

Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City

We had tickets to "The Merry Wives of Windsor".  We had to concentrate SO HARD to understand/translate the lines they were saying.  How many years has it been since we studied Shakespeare in school?!?  We were kinda rusty on those language skills.  ;) haha.

AUGUST

I had a date planned to go to Snowbird and ride the tram, then go hiking around.......BUT on the day we had it on the calendar was the day we were moving OUT of our old house, so we postponed it to the next weekend.....BUT on that day, we were moving IN to our new house, so we rescheduled it to the next week...BUT on that day, we were still unpacking....you get the picture.  Snowbird never happened, but the last week of August we.....

Took a trip to San Diego instead - just the 2 of us!  

That counts as a substitute August date, right?  We got to finally relax after several weeks of WORK!  We (among other things) rode in a cycle rickshaw, took in a Padres game, lots of good restaurants, and attended a "60's Party."  (can you see the "SF {heart's} MB" I wrote on the VW bug?)    :)

SEPTEMBER

Cooking School

I was the "chef's assistant" during the demo portion of the class.  The class was "Mainland Chinese" themed.  We made Spring Rolls, Egg Drop Soup, Lemongrass Chicken, and Ham-Fried Rice with Bok Choy.  It also happened to be my birthday that day, so afterwards, the chef let me keep the apron (as a gift) and then took us downstairs to the bakery and let us each pick out any dessert we wanted!  woo hoo!

OCTOBER

We went to the Draper Temple and did sealings.....

then to dinner at Kobe Restaurant.  Doesn't the sight of this Udon bowl make you feel like saying,  

"FEE-FI-FO-FUM!"?  :)  

If you ever go there, Remember this:  SUNSHINE ROLL.  yum.

NOVEMBER

A "Slumber Party" at The Eliza Court Inn....sans children, of course.

DECEMBER

Holiday POPS Concert with Paul Cardall 

Hosted by KUTV ch. 2 Newsanchors, Mark Koelbel & Shauna Lake & directed by meteorologist, Sterling Poulsen (who knew?  a man of many talents).  We wished we could've heard from Paul Cardall even more - Matt really likes his music.

And now the "Year of Dates" is over.  (boo hoo)  Don't ya think Matt should reciprocate the idea for me in 2013, now?  Christmas is in a week, I guess we'll find out then......  :)