Move over Sundance, the Dinosaur Train is in Herriman!

I got a very unusual phone call from the Director of the Utah Museum of Natural History. She was calling to see where I was because Dr. Scott the Paleontologist was at Butterfield Canyon Elementary school putting on an assembly in fifteen minutes.

Somehow she had my phone number as the South Valley Journal Contact. First, I quit working for them in like September. Secondly, when I did work for them I only covered South Jordan City government issues, not education.

I gave them my former boss’s phone number and told them I no longer worked for the paper. After I hung-up, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see and get my kids photo with one of their favorite celebrities, Dr. Scott the Paleontologist.

So even though I had just gotten out of the shower and I was dripping wet, I threw some clothes on me, and my kids who were still in pajamas. I looked up the address for the school (in six year living here, I have never even seen Butterfield Canyon Elementary) and rushed out the door. No time to waste doing anyone’s hair or doing my make-up. When opportunity knocks, you just open the door right?!

We drove right to the school and found a million cars everywhere. We parked a block away and I made my kids run with me into the school. Alyssa, who has been sick, was just starting to feel better today and did not appreciate me pushing her beyond her physical limits. I ended up carrying her the last half block to the school.

We walked right into the school assembly without any trouble. I wasn’t sure we’d be welcome or invited. I know schools are weird about who can be there. We walked right into the front of the assembly to be exact and sat on the front row. They gymnasium was packed with kids and parents standing around the edges.

Dr. Scott was up front talking to the school kids and putting on a presentation about Dinosaurs which the kids absolutely ate up. Alyssa who was formerly mad at me, was now elated at seeing her favorite TV personality. At the end of his 30 minute presentation. The kids met this special guest.
Buddy the Dinosaur!

Nothing could have been more exciting to the kids, including my kids! He walked right passed us in the front (since we were sitting in the front). Very exciting!
The school kids got to file out of the gym past Dr. Scott and Buddy. A quick little meet-and-greet. I was looking to see if there were any reporters there from the South Valley Journal. I didn’t see any, so I gave myself the job of covering this for the paper.

After ¾ of the kids had left the room, Buddy had to leave (presumably because he was roasting inside that costume) before my kids had their picture with him!

You know I could not allow this to happen, so I told the person in charge that I was with the SVJ and I needed Buddy for a photo with these two cute girls (mine) since schools are weird about letting school kids be photographed (what?…Its true, they are).

So we got they brought him back out for me so I could get my photo. This is what I got.
Even though most the kids were gone, he got swarmed by everyone who was left.
Overwhelmed, Buddy quickly left again, but the museum people promised me they’d bring him back out after the kids had gone.

Then they introduced me to Dr. Scott.
He told me some fascinating things about Utah and its awesome relationship to Dinosaurs. We also got some pics with him. You know I had to. I can’t help it.

I also got to talk to program people for KUED and Museum people. All in all it was very fascinating. My kids had almost as much fun as I did.


Certainly a memorable moment for me, I mean them.

Just say NO to being a Mom-bot

Jan 26, 2011
At this very moment I am holding Sunny on my lap. I love my kids and I love being a mom, so don’t take anything I write here to mean that I don’t cherish my role as a mother. It’s just that mothering and doing anything else productive is so difficult. It seems like it has to be one or the other.

After Alyssa was born my whole life was rearranged to accommodate the demanding schedule of a newborn. I slowly grew accustom to this new way of living but I stopped doing the things I enjoyed because they were no longer convenient or they were much harder to accomplish. They just became, “Not worth it.”

Ever so gradually all the little things that made my life enjoyable slowly disintegrated until all that was left was a pre-programed Mom-bot. I fed us, I changed her clothes and mine, I washed her and me, I watched TV, I made dinner, I slept, I went to the store, and I did it all again the next day. Although I grew to really love my baby, it was not enough for a deeply fulfilling, happy and fun life. The life I used to know.

For the very first time in my life (except for being utterly homesick as a missionary) I was generally sad. Blue. Depressed.

I couldn’t figure it out. I wasn’t postpartum (anymore). I made it through that. This was something else. I couldn’t understand why after all my dreams had come true (awesome husband, sweet baby, cute house) that I had anything to be sad about.

I can’t really remember how long this recession in my life lasted, maybe a year and a half, somewhere in that neighborhood. When I got to the point that I couldn’t take it anymore, I had a MAJOR mental meltdown one night. I’m talking about puddles on the floor so large we had to get a shop-vac in here to clean it up.

I cried to my new husband for hours because I had never felt this way in my life I was so sad and I didn’t know how to fix it. I didn’t realize what was wrong.

Steve is so wise. Do any of you NOT know this. He really should be a counselor. In a former life he must have been one. He is gifted, I’ll just say that.

While he was in college he sought help from a counselor to help him cope with some problems he faced. This was life changing for him. He, to this day, uses those coping techniques to deliver him from his life-stresses and anxieties.

Anyway…after listening to me lose my mind that night, he helped me realize what was broken. He helped me realize that in the transition from being a single full time employee/full time student to a married unemployed mother of one sweet baby that I had lost my sense of self and quit doing the things that made me, me. I had quit doing the things I enjoyed.

It was true. I wasn’t doing anything that I did before. I had almost zero interaction from adults during the day, ever. Before I had people praising me for my work and contributions right and left. I was also a student and took great satisfaction in completing my degree (against all odds).

After the baby, I quit singing while I drove my car. I don’t know why. It seemed foolish to me post baby. I quit listening to Dr. Laura’s radio program regularly. Not a priority anymore. I never exercised. No time, too cold, no motivation. I ate way too much food. It was my only entertainment (besides TV).

I could list more things that I was doing wrong that made me miserable, but I don’t want to rehash all the embarrassing detail more than necessary. The point is…Steve helped me see where I was going wrong and helped me address simple solutions to counter my problems.

I will share the most useful solutions in hopes that it could be helpful to anyone who wants to be more happier.

First he encouraged me to sing in the car again, even if it felt silly with a baby in the back seat. It did feel silly at first, but then it all came back to me. I was surprised how much just doing this again made my life more enjoyable. I looked forward to the music in the car.

Second, he told me to get out of my Mom-bot zone on a regular basis and do something to contribute to society. My plan to do this included getting a volunteer gig at a hospital or the like. I remembered as a missionary serving meals somewhere or volunteering in the hospital made me crazy happy afterward. I actually ended up responding to an ad in the South Valley Journal (also Steve’s idea)asking for writers, instead. I have done this ever since (until recently).

Third, he shared with me a list his college counselor gave him. It was a list of pleasant events. His prescription (if you can call it that) was to have a pleasant event each and every day. Something just for him, something he could look forward to doing and or having every day.

I will share a similar list (I found by googling Pleasant Events List) with you. This list is 200 + ideas. (see at bottom)or by clicking this link But pay attention to the way you feel as you read this list. Wouldn’t doing stuff like this everyday make you feel better too? Some of it is not even that hard to do. Sure some are trickier to pull off, but keep in mind, some things ARE worth the hassle.

Anyway… after this talk we had, I started doing more pleasant things. Things I looked forward to and enjoyed. It really helped. It didn’t solve all my problems, but it did make me happier. It did make me feel more like myself most the time. It did take me to a place where I could be and feel like a productive member of society. It led me eventually to where I am today. So if you see me around town and I am sporting Sparkle Boots bought from Justice for Girls...now you know why I wear them...I just really like them. They make me happy when they sparkle. Very pleasant.

I guess a lot more people read my blog than I realize. I always assume my readers are basically my parents and a few neighbors. Every so often I get a glimmer that there may be more of you stalking my blog than I realize. (Consider yourself a stalker if you read 80 percent of my posts and never leave a comment (except you Aunt Tammy, I know you’re there). It’s cool. I don’t mind having a bunch of stalkers. It makes me feel desired.)

Anyway…for all my blog readers, know that I started this blog out of a pleasant event. I am living and recording my pleasant events on this blog. If it seems crazy that we go to all these places and do all these things. Don’t think that it just happens. No, we make it happen. Having pleasant events is a big priority for us and when they happen, we want to remember them, which is why I write about them. It’s like saving for a rainy day. Some days when I feel really sorry for myself, I look back at my blog and say…yes, I remember that time I saw the Delicate Arch with my own eyes. Remember when I slid down the fire pole at the fire station. I’ve done a triathlon. I guess my life ISN’T a total waste after all.

So…in essence, I am giving anyone reading this blog the same encouragement my husband gave me and the save advice his counselor in college gave him…Do more things you like doing.

This is just me now talking to all the momma’s. Be a good mother. Love your kids. Be good, sweet and adorable to your husbands. Accomplish all this by not being a Mom-bot. Do things for yourself every day. Have pleasant events you look forward to each and every day. Cherish your life. Live it. Do stuff you enjoy, even if it feels hard or silly or not worth it. You could even blog about it afterward. I’d love to read about it. I may even leave you a comment.

I promise it will make you happier.

Special thanks to my cousin Amber whose latest blog post brought all this back to my attention today.

Pleasant Events list (choose one each day)
1. Soaking in the bathtub
2. Planning my career
3. Getting out of (paying on) debt
4. Collecting things (coins, shells, etc.)
5. Going on vacation
6. Thinking how it will be when I finish school
7. Recycling old items
8. Going on a date
9. Relaxing
10. Going to a movie in the middle of the week
11. Jogging, walking
12. Thinking I have done a full day's work
13. Listening to music
14. Recalling past parties
15. Buying household gadgets
16. Lying in the sun
17. Planning a career change
18. Laughing
19. Thinking about my past trips
20. Listening to others
21. Reading magazines or newspapers
22. Hobbies (stamp collecting, model building, etc.)
23. Spending an evening with good friends
24. Planning a day's activities
25. Meeting new people
26. Remembering beautiful scenery
27. Saving money
28. Gambling
29. Going home from work
30. Eating
31. Practicing karate, judo, yoga
32. Thinking about retirement
33. Repairing things around the house
34. Working on my car (bicycle)
35. Remembering the words and deeds of loving people
36. Wearing sexy clothes
37. Having quiet evenings
38. Taking care of my plants
39. Buying, selling stock
40. Going swimming
41. Doodling
42. Exercising
43. Collecting old things
44. Going to a party
45. Thinking about buying things
46. Playing golf
47. Playing soccer
48. Flying kites
49. Having discussions with friends
50. Having family get-togethers
51. Riding a motorbike
52. Sex (if you're married of course)
53. Running a track
54. Going camping
55. Singing around the house
56. Arranging flowers
57. Practicing religion (going to church, group praying, etc.)
58. Losing weight
59. Going to the beach
60. Thinking I'm an OK person
61. A day with nothing to do
62. Having class reunions
63. Going skating
64. Going sail boating
65. Traveling abroad or in the United States
66. Painting
67. Doing something spontaneously
68. Doing needlepoint, crewel, etc.
69. Sleeping
70. Driving
71. Entertaining
72. Going to clubs(garden, Parents without Partners. Or dance clubs, why not)
73. Thinking about getting married
74. Going hunting
75. Singing with groups
76. Flirting
77. Playing musical instruments
78. Doing arts and crafts
79. Making a gift for someone
80. Buying records
81. Watching boxing, wrestling
82. Planning parties
83. Cooking
84. Going hiking
85. Writing books (poems, articles)
86. Sewing
87. Buying clothes
88. Going out to dinner
89. Working
90. Discussing books
91. Sightseeing
92. Gardening
93. Going to the beauty parlor
94. Early morning coffee and newspaper
95. Playing tennis
96. Kissing
97. Watching my children (play)
98. Thinking I have a lot more going for me than most people
99. Going to plays and concerts
100. Daydreaming
101. Planning to go to school
102. Thinking about sex
103. Going for a drive
104. Listening to a stereo
105. Refinishing furniture
106. Watching TV
107. Making lists of tasks
108. Going bike riding
109. Walks in the woods (or at the waterfront)
110. Buying gifts
111. Traveling to national parks
112. Completing a task
113. Collecting shells
114. Going to a spectator sport (auto racing, horse racing)
115. Eating gooey, fattening foods
116. Teaching
117. Photography
118. Going fishing
119. Thinking about pleasant events
120. Staying on a diet
121. Playing with animals
122. Flying a plane
123. Reading fiction
124. Acting
125. Being alone
126. Writing diary entries or letters
127. Cleaning
128. Reading nonfiction
129. Taking children places
130. Dancing
131. Going on a picnic
132. Thinking "I did that pretty well" after doing something
133. Meditating
134. Playing volleyball
135. Having lunch with a friend
136. Going to the mountains
137. Thinking about having a family
138. Thoughts about happy moments in my childhood
139. Splurging
140. Playing cards
141. Solving riddles mentally
142. Having a political discussion
143. Playing softball
144. Seeing and/or showing photos or slides
145. Playing guitar
146. Knitting
147. Doing crossword puzzles
148. Shooting pool
149. Dressing up and looking nice
150. Reflecting on how I've improved
151. Buying things for myself (perfume, golf balls, etc.)
152. Talking on the phone
153. Going to museums
154. Thinking religious thoughts
155. Lighting candles
156. Listening to the radio
157. Getting a massage
158. Saying "I love you"
159. Thinking about my good qualities
160. Buying books
161. Taking a sauna or a steam bath
162. Going skiing
163. White-water canoeing
164. Going bowling
165. Doing woodworking
166. Fantasizing about the future
167. Taking ballet, tap dancing
168. Debating
169. Sitting in a sidewalk café
170. Having an aquarium
171. Going to the Temple or a Church
172. Going horseback riding
173. Thinking about becoming active in the community
174. Doing something new
175. Making jigsaw puzzles
176. Thinking I'm a person who can cope
177. Wearing Sparkle Boots

Sokol Sundance Selebrity Search, 2011 Edition

This year’s Sundance scene was hotter than ever. Actually it was freezing as always. After our first year, we learned how to dress or how NOT to dress for this event. So here I am zipping up my super stylish black snow pants.
I may not be the most fashionable at Sundance, but I promise I am the warmest lady there.

We have been doing this for four years now. I know, it seems like just last year we showed up the as the clueless couple who knew nothing about siting celebrities. Now we are practically seasoned professionals.
We know how to dress, where to be and what time to get there.

I just loving doing this every year and I can’t really put my finger on why I love it so much. Everyone knows that after serving my mission in frigid upstate New York I would do almost anything to avoid prolonged exposure to coldness.

I don’t know, it’s so exciting to see famous people. I don’t really even care who they are. I think it’s more about conquering the nerves of asking someone famous for a picture. Having formerly been quite shy, I count it as a personal victory when I am able to do something scary (or stupid).

Anyway…We arrived around 2:30p.m. a bit earlier than we have arrived in the past. We parked at the High School this year. There was plenty of parking there. The high school is also the Eccles Center, the biggest film venue at Sundance. We were hoping to see Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel later that day here. But first, we met Emmy nominated cinematographer Bob Seaman (OK, not technically a celebrity—but at least we wouldn’t be totally skunked this trip). Although he was holding a movie camera that looked to be worth more than our lives, he consented (he actually offered without our asking) to take our picture and tell us about his award winning career.
Doesn’t this look like an award winning photo? Bob Seaman sure thought so.

We then took a Shuttle Bus over to Main Street. We have never had great luck here, but have always arrived here after dark when it’s hard to see anything at all. Anyway, we took the world’s slowest bus and ended up ditching half way there because we thought we could walk faster. We ended up beating the bus by about 45 seconds, but at least we weren’t cooped up that whole time.

This year, we started at the “bottom” of Main Street by the ski lift.
I’ve never noticed this lift before and I thought it was super cool, so I took Steve’s picture by it.

The air in and around Park City during the festival although cold is absolutely electrifying.
There was a really great gospel choir singing and filling the street with gospel music.

We decided to go into this Art Gallery turned music venue where the sign said Paul Reiser as in “not so much” Paul Reiser would be performing. We attempted to get into this venue for the last two years first to see The Fray and the next year to see Lady Antebellum, but never with any success. There is always a massive line and they can only allow as many people in as is allowed by fire code. This year the line was very small and we got right in.

When we first arrived a band called Manchester Orchestra was playing. They were actually very good. Like very, very good. They were almost as good as they were attractive.
Aren’t these some of the most attractive clean-cut men you have ever seen. You know musicians, always doing their best to look fresh and clean during a performance.

Then came Paul Reiser and Julia Fordham. So he played the piano and she sang.
It was a very New York performance. Very Jazz. White Jazz anyway. Not bad, but not as entertaining as the first act we saw.


It was fun to see Paul Reiser. I used to just love him while I was in High School and he was in Mad about You sitcom. He was very funny in between numbers, but daylight was wasting outside so we cut out after the third song.

Leaving turned out to be the right move because just after we headed up Main Street we saw a small group of really tall black people. The guy in the middle looked very familiar and famous. Like his face was worth a million dollars. SO without hesitation we turned around and followed them even though we weren’t EXACTLY sure who it was yet.

As the group moved down the street, everyone pulled out their cameras and snapped pictures of him passing. Then Steve came up with his name. Danny Glover. Most famous for roles in Lethal Weapon, Color Purple and about 120 other movies, hardly a more famous actor in Hollywood.

I really wanted my picture with as many Celebrities as possible, so we walked down the street with them until he noticed me.
I asked for a pic and he said it was too icy and he couldn’t be distracted. So I apologized for bothering him and walked with him for another few steps when he stopped and said “Okay, just make it fast!”
He posed with me, Steve shot the photo and he was off again. BooYah, Danny Glover!

We continued up the street for about 5 minutes when we saw some commotion on the other side. Without hesitation we crossed over and tried to figure out who the famous person was. We heard the name Mike Rapaport, which meant nothing to us. (For people who love to get pics with Celebs, we sure are clueless as to who they are) Someone pointed out who the famous person was and I ran up to ask for a pic. As you can see here, he was delighted to have his pic with me.

Turns out, he was having car problems and was not real happy to be on the street taking photo’s with ladies in pink hats.

After it was all over we googled him on Steve’s phone to figure out why he was famous. Turns out he play’s Liz Lemon’s jerk boyfriend Dennis on 30 Rock. “Hey Dummy!” He’s been in a zillion other things too, but that’s what we knew him from (or didn’t know him as the case may be).

So feeling good about that we walked a little further up the street where we had another sighting. This time it was Chimayo, one of the restaurants we used to go to in California when we were dating. It closed in California and we never knew that there was one here in Park City.

So we took a pic in front of the sign so we don’t forget it’s here. Note to self: Good place to go for an anniversary or something.

On our way back up the street we spotted a really interesting group who appeared to be there playing music although in the several hours we were on the street we never actually heard them play. I am beginning to wonder if they were just standing there holding instruments, including the accordion.
I thought it odd that a young person would know how to play such a thing. I was probably right. He probably didn’t know how to play it. He was just holding it for looks. They did have a case full of money in front of them though. It was probably their money.

We kept moving with eyes wide open up the street. When we got to the top, we found the Egyptian Theater. The original Sundance Theater from the 1970’s. They still do some panel discussions and such there.

Worth a photo. You bet.

We turned around and walked back down looking for more of the same. As we made our way down most of the hill, we spotted our friend Skippy (all the single ladies…yes, he is available).
He is our Sundance Master. He taught us everything we know about how to work this festival three years ago and now we are facebook friends.
He himself was featured in a documentary for his work spotting and getting photo’s with every famous person around. We don’t really know him all that well, mainly just from the stuff he posts on facebook. It seems like he is focusing more on up-and-coming celebrities now.

Anyway, it was a delight to see him again. We hung out with him and heard all his exciting stories. While we were talking to him, a group of really pretty ladies walked past and one of them said…”Hey Maria, there’s your boyfriend!” It was Maria Menounos from TODAY and Access Hollywood. Skippy then told us that he had proposed to Maria with a ring pop earlier in the day. I guess she said “no” but they were still friends. I see her on TV all the time. You know, because I loves the hard news stories she covers. So I started to run after her, but by the time I caught up with where I thought she was, she had vanished. So crazy.

I was so bummed. I really wanted a pic with her. I thought about it for a minute and put on my gumshoes and solved the mystery of Maria Menounos and realized that she had ducked into a nearby tent.

We looked through the plastic windows and you could sort of make out her silhouette. We hung out there for 10 minutes or so to see if she would come out. She did, and we were there.

I told her that me and my little girls watch her all the time. She seemed genuinely excited about that. She seemed like she wanted to talk, but I couldn’t come up with anything else to say, so we parted ways. We followed her from a distance to see if she was going anywhere else interesting, but we got distracted and lost her.

We got distracted by this man.
Does he look familiar to any of you? He did to both of us, but we weren’t exactly certain who he was. We didn’t let that deter us from asking for a photo. We figured Skippy could tell us who he was.

When we got back to Skippy he told us it was former Brittish Boy Band star Alex Boye. You might know him as the “brother” in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Pretty cool eh? I didn’t think he was Usher, but I thought it was someone more along those lines. So, this one is for you mom. Me and Alex Boye.

It started to get dark and we decided to get moving towards home. As we were walking up the street and toward the bus stop, we saw a major crowd looking inside a window. There were famous people in there. We could tell, it’s just that our handicap of being so short kept us from seeing who it was. We then heard who it was…BonJovi. Oh wait…not Bonjovi. Who? Paul Giamatti. Kinda sounds like Bonjovi.

We didn’t know him at all, but we snapped the pic anyway.

Also inside that room was Holly from The Office.

As in Michael Scott’s girlfriend Holly, yep, that’s her.

Also inside was Rose from Two and a half Men.
I’ve never seen that show or her, but I took their word for it.

This guy was also being interviewed in there. He looks kinda familiar but no one could place him.
Anyone reading this know who that is? Please tell me if you do.

We stood in the window for 10 minutes or so, eventually made our way to the front so we could actually see what was going on. I helped an old lady who was also taking pics figure out how to turn the flash off her camera. If you’re going to do this really need to know how to use basic functions on your camera.

After that we set off for the bus stop for reals. Until…We saw…

Ross the Intern, from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was crossing the street. We turned around and I stopped him for a picture.
He was SUPER nice. He even complimented my hat. It is very cute. My sister-in-law Jacquelyn made it for me for Chirstmas two years ago. It was a big hit last year at Sundance and again this year.

Okay, now for real we were done. No more. Bus time. We found our way to the transit station and found a bus we hoped would move a little faster than the one we used on the way here. It was a success. The bus moved very well and the driver was very friendly. Actually, all the bus drivers were friendly and helpful. I don’t know how they have such nice and courteous drivers, but they do.

It is our tradition that after a long day schlepping the streets of Sundance for Celebrity sightings we treat ourselves to dinner at a nice restaurant. This time was no different.

So here we are (post shedding our warm layers) at our “nice” restaurant. Arby’s.

It may not be the fanciest place in town, but you can’t beat a French dip sandwich especially when they are on sale 2 for $5. It was delicious and it really hit the spot.

If you haven’t taken advantage of the Arby’s 2 for $5 deal, you should. They are delicious.

Then back to home where we left our two biggest Celebrities with a baby sitter. We were gone just about 7 hours total and I did start to really miss them and they us.

After all the searching we did today, we found two of the world’s prettiest girls right here at home.

We are a happy family.

The Herriman Backcountry

We took our first snowshoeing adventure of the season today. Instead of going someplace exotic like Mill Creek Canyon, we decided to stay closer to home. Last summer we took one Sunday afternoon walk up the Yellow Fork Canyon trail. It’s located at the top of Rose Canyon only about 10 minutes from our house.

We packed our car with all our warm things and headed out. Once we arrived, we suited up in our warms and then went to strap on the ole snowshoes. Oops, somehow only one set made it in the van. So instead of snowshoeing we went for a hike in the snow. For the most part it was fine. There were several places where snowshoes would have made a whole lot of sense.

It’s probably not the most scenic trail, especially in the summer, but in the winter it was quite lovely. The air was clean and the snow was plentiful. It was a nice warm day.
We saw lots of trickling water gathering into streams. We even heard some birds singing. We promised the kids they’d see some wild life, which didn’t actually deliver. I consider that both a good and bad thing. Wild animals make me very, very nervous even deer and especially SKUNKS. The kids were a little disappointed, but I wasn’t.


We pulled the kids in some sleds we recently bought. They were good sports and really excited about being on the mountain.
It was the first time we had used the sleds and we were very happy about how well they functioned in this capacity.

We found what appeared to be a natural hot springs. The snow got really soft and I fell through the snow with one leg almost up to my hip. (Snowshoes would have helped here).
All the snow was melting around that area and there was a big green marsh patch surrounded by three feet of snow all around it.

We pulled our sleds up the trail for an hour and five minutes before the kids started complaining.
We fed them some donuts and crackers hoping to get more time out of them, but it was clear that our adventure was pretty much over.

It was so lovely and fun while it lasted. The kids enjoyed the sleds. They also got up and walked for a while. Poor Sunny had a hard time staying on her feet. It’s hard when your legs are only 10 inches long, doesn’t take much snow to knock you off your feet.

It felt really good to be out in nature. We’ve been hold up in our house all winter long listening to the radio station in Maui trying to pretend winter wasn’t happening and trying to avoid all contact with snow. It’s cold you know. We finally decided to embrace what we have, which is winter and not Hawaii, and we’re glad we did. We had a nice time in the snow. It was refreshing and not depressing.
I should mention that at this very moment Steve’s parents are in Hawaii vacationing. In fact they are probably eating fresh pineapple and swimming with Sea Turtles right now. But…we have Yellow Fork Canyon going on, so they got nothing on us.


We had a good experience and we’ll probably do it again soon. We even sent this lovely photo into KSL.
Doesn’t it just scream January? We thought so.

Another Sunny Funny

Sunny likes to climb in bed with me every morning that she wakes up before I do (which thanks to the sleepy head nature of my kids is not super often). She usually notifies me that she is there by sliding her hand into mine. It's adorable, I can't deny that. I love to wake up holding a tiny two-year-old hand.

I actually really enjoy her climbing into my bed with me because she is so happy about it and is very snuggly, cute and very sweet. A far cry from how she acts later in the day when I can't wait to put her to bed.

She climbed in with me this morning and started talking about my engagement and wedding pictures on the walls in my bedroom. Our conversation went like this...

Sunny: Mom, is that you?
Me: Yes.
Sunny: Is that Dad?
Me: Yes.
Sunny: Is that the Temple?
Me: Yes.
Sunny: Mom are you the Princess of the Temple?
Me: Yes!
Sunny: I know a song about the Temple! Singing...I love to see the Temple, I'm going there some day.....see mom, like that!

Such a cute sweet little girl. Growing up too fast. I know i'll really miss my little girls when they are all grown up. I'm trying to make the most of the best moments we have until then.