Suprise Visit

Well, on Friday Jordan left to go camping with scouts leaving all the girls at home, even Daisy Mae. So, after an idea came to me, I decided to drive 2 hours to Logan and spend a night with my family. I convinced Anna to come with me, put Sarah in the car and the dog, and off we went.

However, we didn't tell my mom or dad we were coming. I was hoping they didn't decide to go to Bear Lake, since that would extend our travel by almost another hour. So when I called my mom, just for a casual conversation, I called the home phone to make sure she was there. To my relief, she was.

So, when we arrived we all decided it'd be best to ring the doorbell and give Nana the surprise of her life. Well, that's what happened. Anna, Sarah, Daisy and I stood with wide smiles as she opened the door. We practically gave her a heart attack she was so surprised!!

Well, we arrived late, so we ate a quick dinner, got Sarah ready for bed, and then watched a movie. The next day we woke up around 8am, ate some Belgian waffles dad made, and then Anna, Sarah, Daisy and I all decided to go hiking while my dad got ready for the day. My mom had to work, but my dad was home for the day so we decided to spend it with him.

We went hiking up Green Canyon, which is only about a mile away from my old home. We had a blast! We hiked up to the old cave, which there wasn't anything much to see, but Anna just wanted to hike up to it. We then walked the road for a little while all while Daisy was scoping out the area like a professional hunting dog (I trained her well :o) ).

When we came back, dad was ready for the day. We decided then to go to the Farmers Market, then Gossner Cheese, and then to the very small Logan Zoo. The Farmers Market was really small, but the veggies aren't in full swing yet. A lot of people were selling herbs and lettuce. but they don't last too well when cut and then laid out in the hot sun. Come another 3 weeks the Market will be huge!

At Gossners I got some of their famous squeaky cheese and then some of their delicious rootbeer milk. I got a case so when we had to leave somewhere quick or were going on a picnic we could grab one for Sarah and head out the door. She loves them and I do too.

After that, we went to the Zoo. Sarah loves, repeat, loves the zoo. She likes looking at all the animals, especially monkeys and ducks. Those are her all time favorite animals. We also saw pelicans. There were two of them who were sitting right next to the fence. Sarah walked right up to it and stared in marvel at these beautiful birds. I had to snap a picture. Isn't she so cute watching the birds?!

Mom decided to take off work early, since no one was coming into the office, and met up with us at the zoo for lunch. We had yummy sandwiches from Old Gristmill and enjoyed a great picnic in the park. Sarah especially loved that Nana was with her once again, and mommy wasn't leaving her anytime soon.

After that adventure at the zoo, despite the beautiful weather, we had to head home. Jordan was due home with the scouts and we didn't want to spend an entire day away from daddy even though it was him who left us poor girls alone. All in all, it was a great, weather wondrous weekend. We had a blast at Nana's and are so glad we were able to come unannounced with such a happy reception. Thanks again Nana and Bompa for letting us come and share our weekend with you!

Cottonwood

Well, our journey began last Saturday, June 13th. Jordan got off of work early, so we left the house around 2:30pm. Let me tell you, it rained the entire way to Bear Lake! I've never seen anything like it before. What normally would take us an hour and half to drive to took us over 2 hours! Evanston was a happy sight to see when we finally made it there!!! I drove Liz's car, since it was getting fixed in SLC and she needed it back, and Jordan drove the truck with the 4-wheeler and boat.


Once we made it to Bear Lake, the weather had simmered down. But, it was terribly cold. Sarah didn't take her nap in the car since the rain was pelting loud, and Jordan had gone to work at 4am, so they both dozed off to sleep at 8pm and I was left awake alone. But, soon I joined them and retired for the night.


The next day, Sunday, was beautiful at the lake. It was chilly, but despite the cold, it was sunny and bright. What a wonderful thing to see!!! We just had to take a walk on the beach together!


Sarah enjoyed getting outside and not being stuck in her car seat (but that didn't last too long since we headed out to Cottonwood in the afternoon).


Jordan also taught Sarah how to toss rocks. I'm still not sure it was the best of his ideas, but Sarah had fun saying, "One, two, one!" She doesn't quite understand there is another number after two and it is three. All well, it's so cute!!

Liz, Mike, Abby, and Aiden met us at the cabin around 11am. They hurried and repacked everything into the Saab from their truck while I gave the kids a Sunday School lesson. After which, we all left for Cottonwood!!!

The drive was nice, although Sarah once again didn't sleep, and soon we were at our beloved Cottonwood in Star Valley, WY. I love it there! Everything is so peaceful and serene. It is a break from reality and the stresses of life. The only thing we have to worry about is when to start cooking the next meal. Ahh, the relaxation and bliss.


When we arrived, it was raining. We unpacked all of our things, took our place in the loft upstairs, and prepared to make dinner for everyone. Justin and Lindsey didn't come till Monday, so we only had Becca & Adam, Liz, Mike, Abby, & Aiden, Mom & Dad, and my little family. Jordan decided he wanted steaks, asparagus, new potatoes, and salad, so that's what I made. He helped of course, since he is an amazing hubby who does help me a lot.



We went to bed with it raining outside and hoped the next day would bring some sun since family pictures where in sight. We woke up and weren't too surprised to see it was still raining. Jordan and I loaded the boat up with our fishing gear and off we went fishing in the rain. Abby decided she wanted to come along, so naturally she came. She's a cute 5 year old, huh! I was holding Sarah and wasn't able to get a good picture of us both together.



Fishing this year stunk despite the spring runoff. I tried to catch the largest fish, but Mike won me out. I did, however, catch a fish. Just not a keeper. Most weren't. In fact we only kept 2 fish out of the three days of fishing we did and we had 5 fishermen out in the boat. All well. There is also July when I go back!!



Later that day Justin and Lindsey arrived. No one saw them coming, so they had to run to the cabin in the pouring rain! (Sorry guys!!!) We then waited for a break in the rain so we could all run outside and get some family pictures. Here is the product of our rushing out.

From left to right, bottom row: Lindsey, me, Sarah Marie, Abby, Liz, Aiden, and Becca
From left to right, top row: Justin, Jordan, Dad, Mom, Mike, and Adam

There's the gang minus Jon whose on his mission in Cebu, Philippines. We thought about building a snowman and putting a tie on him so he could be Jon, but we didn't have enough time to build one between spurts of down pours.

Liz also took some pictures of all of us couples. Isn't she nice?! Thanks Liz!

To the left is a great picture of Adam and Becca. Aren't they a cute couple?! Becca and Adam will both be fine psychologists one day and they will also have some really adorable kids. Auntie Roo is so good with all the kidos!

To the right is a picture of Justin and Lindsey. After 3 years of marriage they are still two love birds. I think they'll always be that way and that can't be bad. Justin and Lindsey reside in Queen Creek, AZ.

To the left is a picture of Liz and her family. Abby, Mike, Aiden, and Liz. Abby is 5 going on 20, Aiden is 1 and dribbles everywhere! and Mike is Mike and teases everyone like crazy. Did I mention he cheats at games?! Well, he does. Even at Chutes and Ladders!! Well, Mike is a teaser of all teasers and we like that part of his personality. Aiden is going to be a lot like Mike and we can't wait till Liz gets phone calls from the school saying Aiden was 'acting out in class again'. He is one class clown!!

To the right is a picture of my family. Sarah is getting older and older so quickly! She's saying new words every day! Her favorite right now is this phrase: jibber-jabber, jibber-jabber, k. When she says 'k' it is so content and firm as if she is resolute. It is so adorable!! Nana also told me that she loves listening to Sarah talk, even in baby jibberish, because her voice sounds so musical. Perhaps I do have a little maestro on my hands. No complaints here.

The next day was great. We had a long period of sun while the next storm blew in. So, off we went on our 4-wheeler and explored nature around us. Legislation just passed a law that would make all off road vehicle trails off limits next year. So, we decided to take full advantage this year and go off road. Sarah had fun and found some mountain primrose flowers.

Sarah enjoyed the ride, although it was a little chilly. You can see the snow on the ground in the picture of me and Sarah on the 4-wheeler. It was cold!!!

After our little 4-wheeling adventure I put Sarah down for her nap. The rest of the family wanted to go hiking, so I left Sarah with Jordan and went hiking to Dead Lake (actually called Slide Lake). On the trail we saw where 2 avalanches had come down during the winter. It was a sight to see! Nature is pretty forceful. The only thing that survived was the young trees that were too little to snap, but bent instead. All the other trees where up rooted or had snapped off. Becca has those pictures on her camera, so those will have to come at a later time.


After the hike, we came back and made a fire for our cook out. This year Becca was in charge of the hot-dog roast. She made a very yummy fruit salad. She also brought Sarah's favorite chips...Cheetos.




We decided, since the sun was finally out, that the fishing might change. So, we all loaded into Grandpa Thorne's fishin' boat and in our lines went. With 5 lines in the water, we were sure to catch something. Well....it turned out Mike was the only one who caught something and it happened to be the first keeper. A nice cutthroat.

Some butterflies were also out, so Liz, Becca, Abby, and Sarah went butterfly catching. They caught a little skipper and then put it in the viewing cage until it calmed down. Once it had, they let it climb around for a little bit. It decided to land right on Sarah's head! She didn't even realize it was there, but we did!!


The next day it rained again. But, we were grateful for the sun we did have the day before since it was supposed to rain our entire trip. So, we stayed inside and played games. When the sun did come out, we all bundled up and went back out to enjoy a few minutes of sun.


Sarah, the entire trip, loved to put my hat on. She didn't want hers, just mine. So, one day when I was getting her ready for her shower, she put my hat on and went parading around the cabin in nothing but her diaper and hat on. Cute, huh!!

We also saw a lot of deer this trip. We saw a few doe that were still pregnant, but we also saw some fawns who couldn't be more than a few days old. They were so cute!! We saw a lot of bunnies as well. I was beginning to wonder where the predators were, but then I remembered how early in the season we were. With all of the bunnies something is bound to have a feast.


Jordan, Justin, and Mike also saw Mr. Beaver who flapped his tail at them a couple of times while they were fishing on the lake. he's been pretty busy as well. There is a large beaver dam that has been built up on one of the river deltas.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip at our beloved Cottonwood.

Family Pictures

Well, here are the family pictures we took on Mother's Day this year. Thanks to my sis Liz for such wonderful pictures!

Off to Cottonwood We Prepare...

Well, now that we're back from Alaska, Jordan, Sarah, and I are planning our family trip to our cabin in Star Valley, Wyoming. Yep, that's where I based my book out of (An Unforeseen Life). I love the area and wish I could spend all my time there fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. I know, I sound like some country girl, don't I? Well, I did grow up in Logan in the 80's and back then, it was country land.

I got Sarah a butterfly net so we are all set to catch some butterflies this year. I have to find a viewing cage though. I don't like killing anything unless there is a great purpose behind it. Since Sarah is way too young for 4-H right now, she's looking at them and not collecting them.

Sarah is doing well. She's grown a foot this last couple of weeks, or so I think. She's so tall and too tall for her own good. She can sit on adult chairs and be at a good level to eat at. She really doesn't need a booster seat, but I like to put her in it because then she's eye level with me. Wow, she's one tall babe!

Since summer is here, I am already planning Sarah's b-day party. I know, I know, it's not till Aug. 14th, but still there is always time to plan. It's going to be a Luau this year. So, pull out those grass skirts and coconut bras ladies, men gather your togas, we're going to learn how to hula dance!!! Yep, that's right. I've assigned Anna and Karina to be the teachers. (We'll see...)

The weather has been very springish and I love it. I like the smell of rain. I like to walk when it's raining too (as long as it's not a downpour). My veggie garden likes the rain as well. It's in full growing season right now and soon I'll be able to harvest. Yum!!

Well, we leave Saturday for Bear Lake (we're spending a night there before we head up to Cottonwood) and then Sunday we're off to our beloved Heaven on Earth. Sarah is going to have so many happy memories there! I have too many to count and I'm still looking forward to more and more every year.

Alaska

Well, here is an account of Jordan and my trip to Alaska. Sarah, just so everyone knows, stayed with her Nana in Logan and had the time of her life with her Bompa and Nana and cousin Abby. She still is jibber-jabbering about them. Thanks Nana and Bompa!!

Our tip started May 23rd when we flew out to Seattle, WA. We got in a little before 11am and we spent the rest of the day being tourists through the city. We rented a car, which was the most brilliant color of blue (I’ve officially decided we’re getting a blue car next time).

We went to Pike’s Market in Seattle and let me tell you, it was a bustling place! It was so crowded, but there was also an arts festival on Mercer Street, which is only a few blocks away. So, we made our way through everyone and saw some pretty neat things. Here are some pictures.

The first picture is of Pike’s Market. It is really busy, as you can tell. Everyone was selling these bouquets of flowers for $15!!! That is unheard of here in UT, but I guess their nurseries are more readily available to them and they don’t have to worry about the cost of shipping as well. We saw a lot of fish markets!! I wish I could’ve caught a King Salmon like these!

This is a pepper stack. It takes about 6 months to dry, which you hang the stack in your kitchen, and then you have dried peppers you can crush and use anytime in your cooking. I loved the bright colors…aren’t they beautiful?!

We ate at the same restaurant that they filmed ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ in with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. This year they are celebrating 100 years in business. I had the fish and chips, couldn’t resist considering its all fresh!!

Of course we had to see the Space Needle. It’s pretty neat, huh.

On Sunday before we deported we stopped by and saw the Seattle Temple. I was surprised when we got there and discovered the temple grounds are closed on Sunday. I guess having them open nearly all the time is a privilege in Utah. But, I snapped this picture from the highway since that is the only front angle I could get without climbing over the temple fence and trespassing. I’m not sure the Lord would’ve liked that.

We left for our cruise about 1pm and then began cruising at 4pm on Sunday May 24th. Here are some first cruise pictures of us leaving our port in Seattle.

The next day we cruised all day, which I didn’t mind, but Jordan gets sea-sick. So he took some medicine and it made him really tired (go figure). So, he spent Monday taking a really long, extra long, did I mention long(?) nap. Here is some footage of a tour of our steward-room. It was pretty nice and I was surprised at how large it was.

That evening was formal night. So, I got all dressed up in red and Jordan and I headed down to dinner. It was a lovely dinner and I enjoyed some halibut (some of the best I've ever had!). Jordan went for the steak. Anyway, here we are all dressed up together.

The next day we woke up and were in Ketichan, AK. Jordan and I decided that we’d forgo getting a patio cabin for our room and instead spend our money on excursions. So, every port we went to, we did something special to that area. In Ketichan we got our own little boat, Jordan was the Skipper, and we followed a guide into the channel and ended at a secluded beach in the perma-rainforest.It was so neat!! They completely loaded us up in gear! I had wool socks, rubber boots, a bib, rain jacket, wool hat, protective glasses, and wool gloves. Needless to say, we looked like yellow marshmallows. But, we were warm and dry.

On our little trip, we saw a pod of Orca (killer whales) with their young. We were so close to them! I wanted to swim with them, naturally, but I couldn’t. You know common sense eventually rains over me and I didn’t want to become fish food. So, I decided to film it and take pictures instead.

We got to hike around the rainforest for a bit too. It was really neat! In Ketichan it is a local joke that they measure the amount of rainfall in feet, not inches. They receive about 12-14ft of rain a year! Wow, that is something, now isn’t it?!

Creek Street is a famous street in Ketichan that was built completely on wooden stilts. Since then, the street has been maintained and the buildings refurbished. But, the same olde time ambience still exists and the buildings still creak a little when you walk around. Ketichan was a old gold boom town and was a large part of the rush in 1898. Supplies were brought in, miners came, and so did the sports women (that was a nice term for a Madame). Ketichan had some pretty neat “wild-west” stories, except it was more “wild-north”.

After our fun excursion we had to get back on the boat and cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord. Of course we couldn’t dock and get off the cruise ship there, but we saw some of the most beautiful country cruising through this Fjord. Ice chunks were scattered in the water, their brilliant glacier blue was awe inspiring. 9/10ths of icebergs are underwater. Our cruise ship had to stop a little earlier than planned to anchor down because of ice, but that is okay. We stopped in a beautiful area! It was raining, and very cold, but that is okay. I’m from UT and can handle temps from -20.

After stopping and anchoring down in Tracy Arm Fjord, we cruised on to Juneau, AK. Juneau got its name from Joe Juneau, who after buying everyone a round of beer before the city name elections, has swayed everyone to name the city after him. Perhaps when everyone sobered up they thought otherwise, but their votes were casted and the city was now named after a gold prospector, Joe Juneau.

In Juneau we went whale watching. It was really neat and exciting. We saw a total of 17 Humpback whales, some with their young. I got some good footage, but the pictures kind of are bad. My camera isn’t the best, so use your imagination. The water spewing into the air is the 3 gallons of water they hold in their spout. When they exhale, a large spray of water that reaches between 12-20ft in the air, is what guides you to the whales.

After we watched the whales, we went to Mendenhall Glacier. It was really neat! We hiked up to a large waterfall that was close to the glacier, since we couldn’t hike on the glacier (crevasses are a pretty serious danger). We learned the glacier recedes about 250ft a year and only moves 1-2ft a year as well. The ice from the glacier is so brilliantly blue that my camera wasn’t able to capture the pure grandeur of these natural wonders. I’d love to spend another lifetime studying glaciers and the wildlife surrounding them.

Our time in Juneau slipped away from us and we were soon back on the cruise ship and headed towards Skagway, AK. Skagway is a city that was created during the gold rush in 1898. It was the last city before the wild frontier and the great Klondike pass. Here is a little more info from their website: A place exists in Alaska where the past lives on, where the cries of "gold in the Yukon" still echo from steep canyon walls, where the sounds of barroom pianos and boomtown crowds ring out in the night. A place where the romance and excitement of yesteryear linger around every street corner, every bend in the trail. That place is Skagway!

The population of Skagway is about 1,000 residence. It nearly doubles in the summer seasons when tourism picks up, but then staggers when the harsh Alaskan winters come. Skagway was an old boom town which at one time had 52 saloons in a 4 mile radius. Ketichan was much the same and was known to be the gold rush towns that thrived for 2-4 years before all the hungry gold rush miners left when the gold was gone.

Right before we arrived, we learned the railroad was damaged due to a landslide and it would take 2 months for the locals to fix it. So, everyone was scurrying to find another excursion to go on. Jordan and I already had fishing scheduled, so we lucked out. I wanted to go on the train ride afterwards, but I suppose it was never meant to be. At least the locals got an extra boom of shoppers this go around. This is a picture of me standing next to a 'snow-blower'. I'd hate to get in this machines way!!

In Skagway, Jordan and I went King Salmon fishing. Of course we were about 3 weeks too early for fishing, so we put our lines in the water for show and watched the eagles. The locals named one of the eagles Fred and his mate’s name is Wilma. They’d watch you fish and wait for you to hook one, then they’d graciously steal your fish off your line and enjoy a free meal on you. Hey, in the Caribbean it’s sharks and in Alaska its eagles. Either way, you’re sharing your fish with something else.

Our Skipper fed Fred some bait, which was frozen herring, and we got to see an eagle in the wild up and close. Here’s some pictures and footage of Fred.

Skagway is also the location of where the natives find all the ancient wooly-mammoth ivory tusks. There are only 2 months out of the year that the ground is thawed out enough that they’re able to dig without breaking their shovels for ivory. It was really neat seeing all the jewelry and ivory tusks in the stores. But, let me warn you, ivory isn’t cheap, but it makes some of the most beautiful jewelry!

After Skagway, we cruised another day at sea headed back towards Seattle. Jordan didn’t get too sea-sick, but he took more medicine and slept some more. I enjoyed some quiet down time and read while I could and enjoyed the cruise ship alone. But, when Jordan awoke from his nap, we saw the sun! We looked out our window and saw the most beautiful country ever!

So, I grabbed the camera and off we went to the upper deck where we could get some pictures. The water was so smooth that I was able to take pictures and get a reflection of the mountains in the water! It was simply stunning and breathtaking! I could hardly believe that some people never even went outside to view this breathtaking country. Here are some of my pictures.

The next day we arrived in Victoria, B.C., Canada. We had to go to the Butchart Gardens. In fact, I told Jordan it was a must! So off we went. When we got off the bus, the smell of flora immersed you. It’s hard to describe the sweet, fresh smells of all the flowers in bloom, but know it was heavenly. The history if the garden is very intriguing and I invite everyone to search it out. Here is a little history of who the garden began: As Mr. Butchart exhausted the limestone in the quarry near their house, his enterprising wife, Jennie, conceived an unprecedented plan for refurbishing the bleak pit. From farmland nearby she requisitioned tons of top soil, had it brought to Tod Inlet by horse and cart, and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Little by little, under Jennie Butchart's supervision, the abandoned quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden.

After we spent a few hours in Victoria, we were cruising back to Seattle. The next morning we ate breakfast and then waited for our departure time. We flew home in the afternoon and touched down in SLC around 4pm. It was nice to come home, especially since I missed my little girl immensely. Even though I had the time of my life and saw some wonderful, spectacular things, I was glad to see the mountains of home once again. I recommend Alaska to everyone!