Our First Strawberry!!

I have never grown a garden and my green thumb seems to be brown which is why I don't grow things but I bought some veggies and fruit this year and thought I would give it a try. Now granted, the strawberry plant came with tiny green strawberries but I didn't kill it and we had our first red strawberry! I was so excited I had the kids come help me pick it. I brought it inside and compared it with a strawberry from the store... ours is the tiny one. Everyone wanted a taste so I cut it into 5 pieces. It was yummy, just a little short lived... :0)

The second one we had growing was beginning to turn red a few weeks later but before I was able to pick it some other critter had a go at it. Wasn't a good day for me or the strawberry...I wish I had gotten my hands on that critter.

And thus far, those were the only two. I think I'm doing something wrong :0)

A Little Thing

Sometimes I lack to write or even remember the little things that I love so I thought I would take a moment here and share one tiny thing that I get a kick out of..... tents. Not the big ones but the tiny little ones that are the display model! I so want to take them home and put my little doggy in them! I can't pass one up and not play with the zippers and make sure everything is there that a big one would have. Then I think of all the fun accessories it could have, the tiny sleeping bags, tiny flashlights, tiny backpacks, tiny stove, tiny toilet paper, lol...and then of course the tiny mountain lion or bear attacking it.... (those thoughts just can't stay out of my head can they..?) Forget dollhouses, I want to get my kids tiny camping gear for Roughin' It Barbie and Rugged Ken!!

Mother's Day Joys

This morning was wonderful! I got to sleep in and then woke to the kids adorable excited faces. They all stood by the side of my bed and then yelled "Happy Mothers Day". Then they all wanted me to open their present first. We started with Ayla and she got me a water bottle for my bike. Then Carter gave me a survival book and Lilly gave me a camping pillow! How did they know?? (Jeff is such a good man! He guides them well to things I would like. He told me that they circled REI three times before gifts were decided on!) Then Jeff gave me his gift which was some bike necessities so if I get into trouble biking, Jeff can use "my" stuff to fix my bike! LOL!! A few minutes later I got breakfast in bed which consisted of an omelet, toast, and juice. Way nice! After church I took a nap and while doing so Jeff made me my favorite cowboy meal: BBQ chicken, corn, baked beans, scalloped potato's, and biscuits! Yumm! All I had to do was wake up and it was on the table ready to go... At that point I told him that if he wanted a yummy meal I would take him out to dinner for Fathers Day... Don't get me wrong, I am willing to make it, but I think secretly Jeff would prefer if someone else did....(maybe it's not such a secret)...

I love being a mom even though there are the days when I wonder a little bit how this all started and what have I gotten myself into.. But they are so fun to watch grow, to witness their silliness, to hear the darnedest things they say, and to be right by their side when they innocently decide to embarrass you... I love to hear them laugh, I love to see their smiles and I cherish the moments when they did something they are proud of and you can see it in their eyes... Oh, how I love my sweet babes!!



To all you mothers.. You are amazing and I hope you got some fun special treatment today!!

Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the Rain, Too Fun!

(May 2, 2009)

Another fun bike ride! This time the group consisted of Kris, Dave, Corrine, John, Steve, and me. We headed to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail up by Hogle Zoo. It was about 9:30 in the morning and pouring rain! By the time our bikes were out of the cars and ready to go we were already soaked through. People were opting to just go and have breakfast instead but I was in it for the ride so I was hoping everyone would keep their willing spirits.

Here are some pics I took right when we got there. I couldn't take the camera on the ride because of the rain but I so wish I could have. This picture totally says it all for Steve. I had to convince him to go...lol!

Everyone probably wondering if we should think of a plan B.

Dave liked the idea and was probably the most enthusiastic about it aside from me! Go Dave!

Corrine was such a trooper. This was her first time mountain biking and it had to be in the rain...

We didn't really know where we were going, as the trail took a few different turns and none of us were familiar with this route. A few wrong turns here and there but that just gave us more exercise so I guess it's okay.

Kris took a spill soon after we started when his bike slipped in the mud. He wasn't too happy as it got him all muddy and gummed up his bike a bit. His peddle also took a little slice of his knee so when he got himself together again we noticed his socks turning a shade of red.. All is well because he was so numb from freezing that he didn't feel much pain. Time to ride on!

A bit later when we got separated I took a little spill and tumbled with my bike down a bit of a hill. It wasn't bad, I was just trying to turn when the turn came but the mud wouldn't let me so I just slipped to the side. My leg somehow got twisted in my bike so I got a few dings from that but you would never know it because you couldn't see anything through the mud.

From many tough hill climbs through slick mud that was working against us, to rain pouring and people freezing to the bone and scratches and bruises, we had a really fun time. We didn't really get to the destination we were headed for but I think that's because we really didn't know where that was...lol. It's all about being with friends doing crazy things anyway, not about where you end up.

By the time we got back to the car we were all covered in mud. Our bikes were caked with it and I was hoping for a torrential down pour of rain to wash them off before I had to put them back into the van... I tried squirting mine off with a water bottle but there just wasn't enough to go around for the three bikes that were to fit in the back of the car. I had a mat for the van and some towels and a change of shoes and clothes.

Everyone was freezing but had smiles on their faces! I then suggested we go to breakfast now...but for some reason I don't think any place would let us in.. ;0)

When we got back home we did the ritual of cleaning off the bikes, clothes, shoes, and other gear out on the lawn. You know someone had a great day when you find their recreation gear nicely used and sprawled out in the yard! Ahh, good times!

Little Cottonwood Trail and a Splendid Good Time

Jeff, Kris, and I went on a bike ride up Little Cottonwood Canyon today. They were able to get off work early, and with my brother watching the kids, we were able to have a really nice time.

It started off a little rocky when Kris has to go back to take care of some work stuff that came up but he met up with us later so it was all good.

While Jeff and I were by ourselves I couldn't resist the creek. It was so beautiful! Maybe I'm not the best mountain bike buddy because I love to stop and look/play around. Thankfully Jeff doesn't mind. I think he enjoys it too so we just soaked in nature and took fun pictures.

Now I realize we have no pictures of the actual ride but it's much harder to take the camera out and snap one as you're trying not to crash at high speeds jumping over rocks. Maybe some really skilled camera man but not me or the present company.

Kris met up with us a little later and we dropped ourselves off higher up the canyon for a quick, good ride down because we had limited time left. And it was awesome!! It was raining and muddy and rocky and slick! YAY!! I really don't know how I made it down in one piece... All I really did was hang on for dear life and hope the bike stayed together underneath me...

Jeff was the only one with a small wreck in which he hit his hip on a rock when the bike went askew. Other than that, we had a safe, crazy ride! We even saw big horn sheep on the side of the mountain and then a deer ran right past us in the parking lot.

And if you were wondering, I didn't get eaten by a mountain lion!! (always good news)