Happy Holidays

Holidays started off with a bang.  We headed up to Park City (Promontory) for Thanksgiving staying at Terri's parents' cabin...I am not sure if "cabin" is sufficient to describe this house.  It is more like a mansion with heated floors, theater room, and hot tub.  I also had a great time at the gym, steam room and using all of the lotions, aftershaves, and soaps at the spa.  

We had a great time with Terri's kids, grandma and grandpa and uncle Mike.  Here are some pictures from the first weeks of the holidays.  

Keeping warm at Park City.  

Mom joins the party.  

Dinner with cousins at Macaroni Grill. 

Christmas dance recital for daughter.  

Lights up.

Mr. and Mrs. Clause at the ward party.  

Ruby with some separation anxiety.

Yard Clean Up

We have a lot of leaves in our yard...I mean A LOT.  I have spent a good part of the past four Saturdays raking leaves and disposing of them in various ways.  The kids enjoyed the giant piles of leaves and helped me get the leaves together to put in the garden and the trash can.  Here are the kids making work fun.

Great faces mean great fun.  Isn't that a huge pile of leaves?

Holidays..ready or not here we come!

Made it to mid November intact.  Now we really have to get things planned or we will be consumed by the Holiday grind.  I have mixed feelings about staying in Utah this year for the Holidays because it seems to be less relaxing.  I need a day off here or there to get my sea legs back under me and when we go to California for Christmas, I have found that I do have a few days of R & R.  In Utah I feel like the guy from Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom--yeah, you know the guy-- fighting with Indie on the rock crushing machine. He gets his clothes caught in the machine and slowly and painfully is turned into paste.  Well, I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts--at least that is what they tell me...

(Norman Rockwell idealism)

I know, this is a special time of life--one I will wish I could return to again and again and you know, all those people who say that--they are right--but that is a little like telling the guy at mile 20 of a marathon to enjoy it because he may not pass this way again. In the exhaustion, haze and attempt to put one foot in front of the other no one wants to hear how they should be leaping around for joy.  I wish that I had the energy to constantly celebrate the days of my life, but after the house is cleaned up, kids are in bed and dishes are done all I want is to sleep.  I do occasionally get the opportunity to leap around for joy, but this usually coincides with the kids visiting their grandparents while the parents sneak out for a few minutes to recharge.

Anyway, have a happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas--and remember to enjoy it--you may not pass this way again.

Idaho and Yellowstone National Park

I am kind of a city boy.  I can get into the country when it suits me, but generally I would rather be roaming around a large to moderate sized city than sleeping in a tent.  This is sort of funny because of all the nights I spent camping before or after doing some rock climbing or hiking.  Again, I can and do camp, but it is not my first vacation choice.  I think I get this from both of my parents who where not big campers.

Well, we were invited by my brother up a cabin in Idaho for a last ditch effort at keeping summer around.  As it turned out this trip was my kind of thing if I was going to venture out into the wild.  The cabin had all the comforts of home and was large enough that all the Utah brothers and sisters could stay there.

We fished and went to Jackson Hole to see the Bar J Wranglers; wandered around Jackson remembering our days making our way to the top of the Grand Teton.  The kids asked what Teton meant and we ignored them and pointed out a dead deer or something on the side of the road to distract them.  Too soon we will have this discussion.

We went to Yellowstone and saw a few of the attractions including Old Faithful and then took a hike to Mystic Falls, which was nice.  Good end to a summer that was packed to begin with.  This was one summer not to forget.

Holly, Gabe, Joaquin.  Henry's Fork.

John and Greta.

Marisa cooling off.  

Enjoying the view. 

Jackson Hole.  We ready for the Wranglers?

Antlers.

Happy...to be out of the car.  

Nana putting in some work.  

Lunch.  

Bryce watching and waiting for a kid to take a header on the "teeter totter." 

Emerald Pool..very cool.  

Looks so nice.  Just know that you will die if you get in.  

Mystic Springs Waterfall.  

Good friends...hope this does not end.  

Makeup artists.

Part Tres

Last but not least, we made a couple of beach runs the last couple of days.  The water was a mite chilly, but it was a blast building sand castles, digging holes, boogie boarding and playing football.  After spending about 40 minutes in the water boogie boarding with Dan, I was freezing, but the weather was great and I warmed up fast.

We also went to Ruby's diner on the main drag for milk shakes.  I had a burger the day we left for Las Vegas and I have to say this is one of the best hamburgers that I ever had.  Really, it was like melt in your mouth good.  I am sure it is not good for you, but it is a must if you are anywhere near a Ruby's.

Saturday when everyone left and was driving back home, we made one more stop at the beach.  We were staying over in Las Vegas, so we were not in any big hurry to get on the road.  It turned out to be a great idea.  We spent a few hours just playing around and then hopped in the car and started for home.

What a great vacation.  This summer was absolutely packed full of things--trek, scout camp at Flaming Gorge, Lake Tahoe, Southern California, and Yellowstone.  The Yellowstone entry will come later.  It was an amazing summer--I am sad to see it end, but we have next summer to look forward to with whatever adventures it has in store for us.