Musical chairs champions! Not this year.

In the snowbird oktoberfest tent, there is always a rousing game of musical chairs.  Carolyn has won the round two different years. 

Both girls tried their luck this year.  Carolyn lost her chance to win when  there were 5 kids left.  Lizzie was still in it with only three kids, the other two being 8 year old boys.  Everyone was rooting for her to outsmart those boys.  But, true to lizzie's cautious and skeptical personality, she got really nervous when the announcer asked these last three kids to run in a big circle around the chairs, touching each side of the stage. She did not understand what she was supposed to do, and it was at that moment that she also realized that there were only two chairs, but three kids left.  She quickly exited the game and could not be talked into rejoining the competition.  She hates to be put on the spot or in a situation where she does not know exactly what to expect.

The weekend brought some crazy fall weather and scenery.  Notice the yellow aspens among the evergreens, all covered with about 10 inches of snow.  Beautiful. 

Award winning?

Carolyn has to do an art project for school.  She chose to learn about photography. 

The theme was "what's the story?"  Her photo is called "winter is coming: the story of the honey bee in utah."  She took it on my phone. No editing, other than  a little cropping before printing.

Her description said:  "in the fall, the honey bees are so busy collecting the last nectar from the remaining flowers.  I used to be afraid of all the bees swarming these plants by my driveway, but now I realize they do not care at all about stinging me.  They just want the nectar so they can make honey." 

She was so proud of this photo, and said that we may need to print off a second copy and send it to national geographic. 

How fun it is to see our kids learn sonething new, and accomplish something they are so proud of!

Zoo fun

We have been  having so much fun running around at the zoo this morning.... I looked around to find them in the playground, and they were napping in the shade!

Now, if I took them home and suggested quiet time, it would never happen!  Perhaps I just let them rest here, while I enjoy a moment of peace and incredible weather.

50th birthday celebration - part 2

What a night!  We celebrated Steve's 50th birthday with friends at salt lake culinary institute. 

Upon arrival, drinks started flowing.  We were soon put into teams and given our ingredient (avocado, peach, corn, apple, tomato).  With our ingredient, we had 30 minutes to make our entry for the crustini competition.  One team made a bourbon peach entry called "two boys in the wood".  One team made a classic summer taste with their tomatoes entry.  We had the "burkini crostini" made with apples and blue cheese.  The "guac this way" entry had spice and guacamole. And, the winner of the competition was the "geno-sazi" with corn, black beans, a cool ricotta spread, and plenty of spice.

After the competition, Amy  (our chef instructor) tried to teach us knife skills and good cooking techniques.  She lead us through the preparation of a beautiful lobster stuffed tenderloin.  We sauteed some asparagus. she made a chive beurre blanc sauce, as well as a delicious salad with citrus and hazelnuts.  She flambe'ed crepes suzette for dessert, while we enjoyed dinner with friends. It was a delicious meal.

We are thankful for our friends, and feel honored to have had such a fun night.  Happy birthday, steve.  While these first 50 years have been grand, I am pretty sure the best is yet to come!

After the official cooking class, the after-party came back to our house.  Karoeke never sounded so good.

Photo album from the night: 

https://goo.gl/photos/zefQ2dxAU24oLAET6

50th birthday celebration - part 1

The girls wanted to do something special for steve.... they came up with a scavenger hunt that took him all around our house and yard and through the neighborhood.  They wrote the clues and hid gifts of his favorite things at each stop (coffee, whiskey, chocolate, artwork made by them, and a bunch of new clothes).  I do not know who was more excited as they trekked around the path -- the girls or Steve!

Yellowstone

We spent labor day weekend camping in yellowstone. 

It was cold overnight, with the first snow on the ground one morning.  Thank god for warm sleeping bags.  With our new cots and the crisp temperatures, I do not think I have ever slept so well (at least after I stopped thinking about the bears lurking in the woods and actually fell asleep). 

One of the nights, the girls wanted to play cards in the tent.  Lots of laughs, and tons of fun sister and family time.

Scenery, history, geology, and the abundant wildlife were spectacular. Without even having to hike into remote areas, we saw a black bear, bison, elk, pronghorn, big horn sheep ..... we did lots of driving around this massive park, but also got to do several short hikes to see geysers, hot springs, water falls, and some pretty incredible beauty.

One night, we made plans to eat at the old faithful inn.  "Old faithful" was late, but we did get to see the famous geyser erupt.  And, the lodge was perhaps as spectacular as the beauty outside.  We are always amazed and appreciative of the National parks, and how nice the original cabins and lodges are.  Impressive.

The next night, we planned to eat at a cook out.  Carolyn had wanted to go on a horseback ride, while lizzie wanted to ride on the wagon.  Unfortunately, some lightning in the area cancelled the trail ride, so all four of us ended up on the wagon. (Carolyn's disappointment was intense, but she handled it ok).  We rode out a few miles into pleasant Valley, enjoyed a cowboy steak dinner with cornbread and beans, listened to some music, and admired the beautiful horses they have.

The girls became Junior Rangers.  They had to attend a Ranger education session, as well as complete activities in a book.  They were then sworn in by one of the rangers.

Lizzie's learning about the park included the following statement:  
"a volcano destroyed everything, and now it smells like a big fart!"

All in all, it was a great trip.  Lots of fun and laughter.  We are thankful for these times, in our busy lives, where we can just focus on what's in front of us and who we are with. I also loved to see how much the girls enjoyed being with each other.  I do hope they are always good friends.

On being a mom....

Some days we are so busy running from one place to the next that I do not always stop and remember what an awesome responsibility and opportunity I have as a mom.  I am thankful, especially when these girls surprise me with breakfast in bed or when a four year old (who is normally fiercely independent) asks if I will hold her because she is not feeling well.  In moments like these, I have to stop everything and just hold these incredible little beings.  I savor how much they have grown and learned as humans already, how many adventures they have in store for them in the future, and just remind myself how blessed I am to be a mom to Carolyn and Elizabeth.

I know I stumble a lot as a parent, but in the end, I pray that we are raising two people who appreciate the people and the world around them, and who can confidently manage whatever challenge is presented to them.

Kid's Adventure Race

Carolyn's friend, Keira, asked her to do the Kid's Adventure Race.  The two had to compete as a team, doing a series of obstacles that took them from the very top of the mountain all the way to the bottom.  They were given a map at the start of the course, and then had to navigate down the mountain while completing tasks such as mountain biking, running, wading through mud pits, traversing ravines, launching rocket balloons, climbing spider webs, and ending with a huge slip and slide.  It was tough work, and they were tired.  The best part of the race was seeing the two girls encourage and help one another.    I was so impressed with what these girls accomplished that day - as friends and as budding athletes.




If this race comes to a city near you, I recommend it.    http://www.kidsadventuregames.com/

Soccer

Not sure if it is her sport of choice, but Carolyn tried soccer earlier this spring.