St. George

Twice a year, I really have a hankerin' to visit the south, early spring, and late fall. And thank goodness for my sister and brother-in-law who just happen to own a second house down there, and we can frequent it just about any time we want. It was gorgeous down there this weekend. I hung out by the pool all day and got my first sunburn for the season. We did some bike riding, swimming, and played at the park.

Here's a picture of my perfectly photogenic niece-Julia. She is the sweetest thing in the whole world. I am so blessed that my sister allows me to get a glimpse of what it might be like to raise a girl. She is always so bright and happy, and her sweetness just rubs off on you.
Clayton and Carson playing on the jungle gym at the park. I hope these pics are making you all a bit jealous who decided to hang around the cold weather up north!

Red Cliffs Recreation Area

It took a bit of a drive and a little adventurous spirit, but we eventually discovered one of my favorite places I've ever been. Back when I was 16, I discovered this great place just north of St. George, but I could never remember how to get to it. I'm so glad that Steve was patient with me today and didn't give up on the search. It was well worth the small detour through the very primitive town of Leeds to find this place. The kids had a great time, climbing up the ravines and jumping up and all over the red rocks. What a day! It was a great way to end a perfect weekend!

Clayton learns to ride a bike at 4

We're so proud of Clayton. We had a few beautiful spring days here in Utah, and decided to take a family bike ride. Then we realized it would be very difficult for Clayton to keep up if he had his training wheels on. When we first initially tried, he was a bit scared because we were right along the Provo River trail, he thought for sure that he'd end up in the Provo River. Well, the next day he got the confidence that he needed, and took off. Here's a sample from our latest trip down to Chanin and Steve's place in St. George.

Draper Temple Open House We were lucky enough to see the Draper Temple this last week before the Temple gets dedicated next week. It is absolutely gorgeous and the kids enjoyed every minute of it, (although the highlight was definitely the cookies after the tour). It was extremely crowded, but despite the crowds no one could deny the unforgettable spirit that resides there. I feel, and I think I can speak for the rest of my family, very priviledged to be a member of this great church. It was a wonderful experience, and if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, I highly recommend it.

Carson's 1st Skiing Trip
February 28, 2009
The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately, and you can tell that spring is ready to sprout. So being the fair weather skier that I am I've been dying to get out skiing. Chris and I planned to go this Saturday, but he had a soccer game so I decided to take Carson. I must selfishly admit that I was scared to take try to teach my son how to ski. I'm so glad I did. After about 5 short runs on the bunny hill-which is free for a reason, and soon discovering how much the bunny hill sucks, Carson was ready for the slopes. He was such a great sport and caught on very fast.

Here's a short video to highlight his first official day at skiing. We had such a great time that I plan on buying our entire family season passes next year and we will all ski together. I love skiing, and although I'm not very good at it, nothing makes me smile more than skiing down the beautiful mountain slopes. I'm so excited to do this with my entire family.