Backpacking: One Strong Family Glue

The weekend following Eli's birthday, we carved out time to go backpacking in the Uintas. Just in the nick of time, too! If I'm remembering correctly, the following weekend there was snow.  Even though you bring much less when you backpack, getting ready to go is still a daunting task.

Our destination was Ruth Lake, having enjoyed it tremendously last year.  These next three photos are taken in direct succession from our photo roll.  Ready to go (although Annika seems a bit uncooperative).


She's off.

And, she's down.

Fortunately the rest of the hike in went more smoothly.  Brooklyn happily shouldered as much weight on her pack as I did.

Talia enjoyed her new pack as well.

Eli occasionally forgets what a great hiker he is, but he is amazing once he sets his mind to it.

Jason's pack was still heaviest, although I think he enjoyed toting a small backpacking tent instead of the giant Tent-Mahal.

We made it!  But Annie has a secret.

She has to got potty.  It took a while, but successfully hit the mark and buried her treasure.


The daylight lasted just long enough for us to set up our tents and cook dinner.

Rise and shine, sleepy head.

The mountain air definitely gets chilly, so we were grateful for a fire to warm up.

Collecting firewood.

Instant oatmeal never tasted better.

Talia's hammock is the best gift I've ever given.

After a lazy morning, we decided to get dressed and go for a hike.  We navigated our way to the Lofty Lake Loop, a trail I would love to come back and explore more.  Here's Annika overlooking Picturesque lake (I think.)

Can I just say, I LOVE this teenager.  Forget about moody or sullen, Brooklyn is delightful.

Jason's expression is one of pure bliss.

Not that the hike was easy.  Annika likes to climb on rocks, but this is an entirely different story.

Lunching at Lofty lake.

Meandering our way home.

There are so many lakes that it's difficult to keep track of which is which.  I think this little one is called Liberty Lake.  I love the contrast of Annika in a swimsuit and Talia in a winter cap.

Hayden Lake--a sure sign that we are nearly "home."  Note the intense trail of smoke behind.  We were waffling about whether or not to stay a second night, but when we saw the smoke we decided that the fire was too close by to rest easily.


Talia cooks dinner while we pack up.

Ready for the journey out.

Our goal was to make it back before the sun disappeared from the mountain.


By the time we got back to the minivan, everyone (and everything) was pretty wasted--including Talia's pants.

As we drove home through a beautiful sunset, I reflected on how rich these family backpacking memories are.  At one point in the trip, I took a selfie because I wanted to know how I look when bubbling over with joy.  (The answer was overexposed.)  Lately I've had panicky moments thinking about how little time some of our children have left at home.  My prayer is that experiences like these will cement our family together for decades to come.

Eli's Birthday Bash

Papa Kay's visit concluded with a very special purpose--Eli's birthday!  I'm sure glad he came, because we definitely needed help making lots of cupcakes.

Grandma Susie and Grandpa Charles were around for the Utah League of Cities and Towns, so I set Susie to work frosting as well.  Thank you!  Here she is taking a trampoline break.

And here we are opening presents following Eli's baseball game.  Don't you love the matching shirts?

We bolted straight from the baseball game to a joint birthday party for Eli and his classmate Isabel, held at Isabel's house.


They opted for a craft party.  Eli definitely loved Isabel's splatter-painting idea.

For Eli's craft, we made light sabers.  Good thing Brooklyn was there to help!

The sabers doubled as backyard entertainment, not that it was needed with a bounce house around.


Time for cupcakes.  Happy birthday, Isabel and Eli!

The next morning was Eli's actual ninth birthday.  He chose to spend the morning at Music and the Spoken Word with his Papa Kay.

Drawn to the light with a great desire to choose the right, you are such a joy in our lives, young man.  We love you!

Now for the moment he'd been anticipating for weeks--presents!  Papa Kay brought him the lego set of his dreams.

As you might guess, it didn't take Eli (or Talia) long to assemble the AT-AT walker.

I have to admit, it is pretty cool.

Happy birthday, Eli! 

One of a kind, we are so glad to have your inquisitive, caring spirit in our family.

Why I Love September

October has been absolutely stunning this past week in Salt Lake.  Nearly all of the trees in the Avenues are changing colors, lighting up like gold in the autumn light. This morning I went for a long run up through the tree-lined streets of the Harvard-Yale neighborhood, just so I could feel the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet.  To head home, I ran along the backside of the zoo and then caught the Bonneville Shoreline Trail where I ran past This is the Place Heritage Park, the Natural History Museum, and Red Butte Gardens.  Life is good.

As much as I love October, September holds a special place in my heart.  Fall is in the air, yet daylight lingers.  Holiday worries are far off.  Fresh produce reigns instead of hoards of candy.

We didn't manage to plant a garden this year, but the few tomato plants we grew out front produced splendidly.

Plus, the flower bed that Jason planted flourished.  I may have been skeptical when the plants first went in, but these colorful beauties brought so much joy every time I saw them.

September is a splendid month for birthdays.  Jason's friend Sammy turned eight and invited us to his baptism.  Can't find many chapels like this one on 500 East nowadays.

Isn't the stained glass marvelous?

After Sammy's baptism, we headed to Liberty Park for a birthday luncheon and celebration.  I love this picture of Sam surrounded by family and friends who care about him.  (Photo credit for all these party pictures goes to Sam's uncle.)

Eli had a fantastic time playing corn hole.

Jason and I with Sam's dad, Andres.

Here's his mom, Stacee.  I don't know what's going on, but Stacee and I both seem perplexed.

Getting set for the pinata.

Hannah's turn.

Eli takes a whack.

Considering she came directly from her half marathon, I'm impressed that Talia had enough energy to play.

Watching carefully for signs of candy.


Way to keep your eye on the prize, Sammy.  Happy birthday!

Sammy's younger sister Hannah also celebrated her birthday in September with an adorable backyard tea party.

Sure love these gals!

It's not just the young who should celebrate their special days.  Our neighbor Dave Alderman hosted a backyard bash to celebrate his mother's turning eighty eight.

We made some Brazilian brigadeiro for the special occasion.


The kids' favorite part was slipping over to the other neighbor's backyard to play.  Isn't it amazing?

Other fun and random September sights.  We spied a family of ten quail all lined up on top of our fence.

Even more unusual was this pet cockatoo that someone brought to the baseball fields.

It decided to perch right on Talia's head.

A couple photos of Eli actually playing baseball.  His team, the Tigers, is really improving.

Run hard, Eli, run hard!

More random.  A play habitat for our pet caterpillar.


Heavily laden children walking home from school.  (Talia has learned that Annika does better when bribed with chips.)


The unfortunate spot where Jason crashed his new bike.

Yup, definitely a trip hazard.  Fortunately, both bike and rider survived with only minor injuries.

Last but not least, a pirate guarding the church doors.

The pirate costume was hand-delivered via Papa Kay mail when he drove out from Omaha for a visit.

  

It was so fun and helpful to have my Dad around, especially since Jason was in Chicago for most of the time.  This picture is my favorite.

Of course, this one takes a close second.

Papa Kay hopped right into our family's busy schedule and accompanied us a bazillion places, like Talia's post-race potluck.

He even made us all gazpacho for dinner.  How I love tomato season!

Thanks for always being a net giver, Dad.  (Wink, wink.)  Keep smiling!