My other blog

Really, I can't begin to say or explain why (especially since I am so great at updating this blog) but I started a separate blog. I wanted to keep this one about me and my family. The other one is about things I think about, questions I have, and other random ramblings.

I had originally planned (about 2 months ago when I first put the blog together) to open with different posts. There are about 3 in the works. Over the past week or 2, I have had the feeling to write and share a particular post. It's taken me actually 3 days of fighting with that feeling between knowing what I need to do and actually doing it because of fear and anxiety.

My hope is that it will spur conversations, questions, and open up dialogue. I welcome people to share their true thoughts. Some posts will be more serious while others hopefully a little more fun.

The blog can be found at blahblahmythoughtsblog.blogspot.com.

Tough Mudder Tahoe

We finally took a trip without the kids. Well, the past 2 trips without kids have both been for Tough Mudders. It was a good time anyway. Jake signed up for a Tough Mudder at Lake Tahoe. Not my preferred way to see Tahoe but you take what life gives you huh. We had a great time driving and staying with Jake's brother, his wife and her family. I love when other families make you feel like family. 

We arrived Friday night and enjoyed a wonderful dinner on the lake shore. The view was beautiful, the food good, and the company so awesome.  

The next morning we got up and ready to head to the Tough Mudder. The place Kristine's family booked was right next to the course so after enjoying breakfast and taking pictures, we walked to the beginning of the Tough Mudder maze.

I call it a maze because we had to stand in line for quite some time (that wound around the shops at Tahoe's ski resort) to check in. At which point we then rode a ski lift up to the starting line. If that doesn't tell you what the course would be like maybe fact of 2700 ft in elevation change over the entire route will. This was the busiest Mudder we have been to. It was part of there "Global Mudder: weekend.

Tons of people waited to start the race. This group just jumped in. I didn't get as many pics this time because I was using other people cameras and stuff but they all start to look the same after a while.

Devil's Beard

What the back of your shirt looks like after running through mud.

The finishers.

Since it was a big weekend, there were lots of extra booths and sponsors. Bic was giving haircuts. I actually think they wanted people to either go mohawk or shaved head for something they sponsored but they gave Jake a regular haircut.

You really trust someone cutting hair in a BIC tent?

We rode the gondola down and walked back to the condo. Cleaned up and got food. Tahoe is very pretty and very similar to Park City. The next morning we woke up and jumped in the car for a long drive home. Because of this trip, I really want to go back to Tahoe sometime to do things I enjoy doing; exploring, water skiing, hiking, adventuring. Maybe one day.

Thanks to Kristine's family for allowing us to tag along. We had such a great time. And thank you for mailing me my shoes after we forgot to pack them with the dirty clothes.

August Fun

We like to play. We spent quite a bit of time down in Salt Lake because my brother Jeff returned home from his mission. (Sorry Jeff, I didn't get any pictures on my phone or camera.) We went down to see him at the airport. Then that week we went down to the Aquarium. (The pics are a little funny shaped because they were taken with a phone.)

We crossed a bridge.

And rode a whale.

 Hugged a penguin. Well Sammi anyway. Ellie wouldn't.

Sammi really enjoyed the penguins.

Although Ellie did want to touch a star fish.

I think Sammi hugged every stuffed animal in the gift shop.

Oh, he's so cute. 

 The aquarium is pretty cool. There were so many things to see. Of course some favorites were the otters, penguins, sharks, and rays.  It is hard to pick favorites when me and my kids love seeing animals. We really liked it. One of the workers said that in the future, they plan on bringing more birds into the tropical forest area to continue with breeding programs. Its just a little too busy and the birds aren't quite used to all the extra people yet.

After we drove to Grandpa's work to get cookies and ice cream. Outside, Ellie and Sammi had to climb on the pillars. Ellie successfully made it to the top.

The next day, an old neighbor was having a birthday party for her daughter right by my parents house. She invited us over to play for a bit. They splashed and played until their lips were blue and they were shaking (cold hose water). 

Of course, at night once the kids were down to sleep, we made Jeff stay up way late and watch movies he missed seeing while he was gone.

We spent a lot of time traveling down to Salt Lake in August and although there aren't pictures of most of it, here's the list of reason's we made the drive: Jeff coming home, his homecoming, dropping the kids off while we went to Tahoe (for a Tough Mudder), bridal shower for my sister Stef, farewell for Jake's nephew, and probably more I can't remember now. It may have been busy but it was fun. We love family.

Neighborhood Bear Lake

For quite a few years now, my parents neighborhood has been getting together and planning a trip to Bear Lake. It is always a blast. We love going when we can make it. Since we live a little closer, we just made it a day trip this year. 

The girls loved playing in the water and building sand castles. Sammi liked being Godzilla even more. It took several tries to build more than 3 towers without Sammi stomping on them and knocking them over. It upset Ellie, but they finally were able to get some put up. 

While the girls stayed at the beach, played with Grandma, and went for a boat ride, another group of us went to Bloomington Lake. This is one of Jake's favorite little places. Now I finally have a video of me going off the rope swing (normally this doesn't happen when you are the photographer.)

Thanks to the neighborhood for letting us come hang out at the lake. It is so nice to have neighbors that close.

Aggie Ice Cream Tour

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! We went up to the Aggie Creamery to learn about how they make the famous Aggie Ice Cream. Did you know it takes 4 days to make a batch of ice cream? That's one of the reasons homemade isn't as creamy. The time and the cold.

Waiting in the classroom

Just so everyone can hear, they meet in a classroom first and talk about making ice cream and then show a video about it. Aggie ice cream uses milk they get from local dairy farms, generally those also associated with the school.

Are we ready yet?

Sammi did not like going into the sub-zero freezer where the ice cream is stored. Negative temps were just a little too much for her to handle. She wanted back out before everyone came in. Ellie wanted to see how long she could stay in there. Luckily she has daddy for that.

At the end of the tour, you can either pick a small cup serving of ice cream or a single scoop cone. Ice cream is ice cream to Sammi so she just wanted one without the wait. She had cookies and cream. I had cookie dough (super solid as they had to grab it from the sub zero freezer). Jake had True Aggie Night, which is my new favorite flavor (raspberries and cream ice cream with dark chocolate covered raspberries mixed in). Ellie had orange sherbet.

We love ice cream. Yum.

So good, it surprised Ellie.

Cheese, I mean ice cream face.

After we drove up the canyon a bit (since we figured no one was super hungry for dinner yet). There is a fun little hike around second dam, I think that's where we stopped. There were people fishing and swimming. We just walked around the pond.

Such a fun day. We live in a great place.

Bluebird Chocolates

My mom, Annie, and the kids came up to visit a while back so we tried to have lots of fun for the day. We started with a trip to Bluebird Chocolates to go on a tour of the candy shop. We saw how they made caramel popcorn and found out that the Bluebird Restaurant is no longer part of the same company as the chocolates (and don't carry them in the restaurant candy store) even though they started from the same family. They use almost all of the original machinery and equipment as from the beginning. 

We love popcorn.

They still hand dip all of the chocolates they sell. Of course during the fall and winter holiday months they make and sell the most chocolates. Here's a video of one of the workers hand dipping the chocolate. 

Of course, we then had to buy some. They were so good that later that week, I took Jake back so we could buy a few more. 

After we had spoiled lunch, we came home and ate anyway. Then headed off to the splash park down the street. It always takes Sammi a bit to warm up to the idea of playing in the cold water but she, along with all the other kids, played and splashed a lot. 

Even though it was a short trip, we were glad they came up to hang out with us. It's so fun to have family close enough to occasionally stop by. 

4th of July

We tried to have as much fun as possible for the 4th of July. Luck for us, Cache Valley is a great place to do that. July 3rd, one of the departments put on a huge concert and fireworks show at Romney Stadium. We didn't go to it but we did go with some friends to a park high on the benches and watched the show from afar. The kids loved it. (Side note: glow sticks do lose their potency over time. Ours were less than spectacular but the kids still loved them.)

On the 4th, the city of Hyrum hosts the parade, which oddly doesn't start until noon. We showed up just in time to find our same neighbors, sit with them towards the front of the parade and make out like kids at Halloween when it came to candy and snacks; a cheese stick, hand fulls of otter pops, tootsie rolls, taffy, water bottles, a few frisbees, coupons, and dumdums. 

Loving everything but the camera.

Later that night, our awesome neighbors (who also don't have family in town) came over for dinner and some fireworks. I know it looks bright-ish outside and that's because it was. Having our kids up until almost 11 the night before, we decided to light some of the fireworks at dusk.

Although our show was small, quite a few of our neighbors went all out. We saw about 4 different sets of fireworks within a few blocks of us going for close to 30 min or longer. Neither girl acted particularly scared of the fireworks this year.

God Bless America!