fishing at Scofield

Sierra 

Rick

Kelli & Cole

Sierra

Kelli & Cole

Cole and Sierra

These are just a few fun shots of our day of fishing while in Scofield a few weeks ago.

I didn't have a license, so Cole and I occupied ourselves with new camera apps and worms.

Not at the same time.

I was occupied with the camera.

Cole was occupied with the worms.

Until he got bored and started throwing handfuls of rocks of the bridge.

Fishing ended shortly after the rocks were thrown.

We did have an encounter with a nice man from the Division of wildlife something something.

He asked who was fishing and checked for licenses.

He asked who was driving the 4-wheeler (Summer) and checked her license.

He also check for helmets which we were all wearing.  Not while fishing.  Only while driving.

He also checked our registration.

Then he told us what bait to try.

And chatted with us for 30 minutes.  

What a great job that guy has.

Saturday Reunion at Scera Park

Last Saturday we had a little family get together.  

It was sandwiched between all sorts of events such as moves, graduations, marathons, vacations, and other summer fun.  

Grandma B told us a few weeks ago about the plans. 

We were signed up to run the 1/2 marathon, so we were worried about making it on time.

(well, Rick wasn't worried about making it on time...he was worried about ME being able to make it on time.)

But, we arrived before the blessing on the food!!

Cole had been counting down the days to see his cousin, Klead.

He kept asking, "is today the day of the party with my cousin?" 

 

Here are the boys in action.
It was about 98* outside.

They didn't slow down, except to each chips and drink.

Random shots of the group...

Grandma Bette

Summer

 

Kamilla was giving pedicures...

 Kamilla is giving me a pedicure/glitter toes.

You can tell because of my John Huntsman shorts and the ugly feet.

Sierra

Summer and Grandma

Cousins  Scera Park  August 21, 2011
Sierra, Cole, Kamilla, Klead

Hobble Creek 1/2

Well, I had big plans to train and get my best time ever.  But, then life happened and training took a back seat.  I thought that I would continue running after the Utah Valley 1/2 and get my best time ever.  I think I ran a grand total of 13 miles in the 2 months between Utah Valley and Hobble Creek.  The week before the race I had hoped to get in a 10 mile run just to reassure myself that I could run at least 10 and if you can run at least 10 you can finish a half marathon.  Usually.  Well, the 10 mile run never happened.  So, then I thought I should just back out.  But, I couldn't do that.  So, I got up at 3:30 am and did my best.  It was so blasted hot.  I was so glad I did it.  That canyon is so dang pretty.  I just kept looking around at the surroundings the whole time I was running.  That's why my time was slow!!  haha.  I was proud of myself for finishing that one.   And I ran the ENTIRE thing--except water break areas.  And just like last year...Rick ran at his own pace (much faster than my pace).  He finished and then walked back to meet me (at about mile 12).  And we ran the last mile together.  So much fun.
Until the next day.  When I COULD NOT WALK.  And the day after was even worse.  The only thing that didn't hurt were my calves.  Seriously.  My back, my thighs, my arms, my hips, my neck and, of course, my feet.  But not my calves.  Rick says that I have calves of steel.  I would prefer abs of steel or buns of steel.
My time was 2 hours 47 minutes.  Not great.  But, I finished and that's a win for me!!

Ode to Summer Vacation

I read this essay in the newspaper a few weeks ago.  I kind of wished that I had found it at the beginning of summer rather than the end.  However, knowing that my kids would be going backing to school this fall after a 2 1/2 year "vacation" from public school, I have tried really hard not to count the days, but to make the days count.  Last week was the culmination of our summer.  We were in Scofield.  Doing nothing.  Together.  No cell phone.  No internet.  Barely any TV (one TV set).  We hardly knew what day it was, but those day sure flew by and suddenly it was time to tidy up and come home.  It makes me a little sad to think that my kids will leave me to go to school tomorrow morning, but for now and I am relishing in the memories of our summer.

The Joys of Summer by Mitch Albom


I feel sorry for today’s kids. Summer comes, they’re finally free from school—andbang! Band camp. Science seminars. Internships. 

Instead of downtime, it’s get-up-and-go time. Chorus travel, archaeological digs, dance tours. My nephew from Michigan flew to Georgetown University for a summer medical program, replete with cadavers. He was 16.

He’s hardly alone. Some kids fill their summers with so many prep courses that they’re ready to graduate from college by the time they get there. It’s all very admirable, but here’s a question: Why so busy? 

I can make the case for doing nothing all summer. That’s right. Nothing. I know it won’t advance your kids’ career objectives or improve their SAT scores. 

But it might be good for them.

When I think of my childhood summers, I remember lying in the grass, hands behind my head, feeling the blades dig into my fingers. I studied the clouds. I joked with my friends. None of us wore watches.

Weekdays were indistinguishable from weekends. I’d wake up when my eyes opened, read comic books over bowls of -cereal, go outside with my baseball glove (just in case a game broke out), and find something to do—oil my bike, make things in the garage. Was it lazy? By today’s standards, maybe. But there was a freedom that today’s kids don’t enjoy. We sat on curbs. We daydreamed. Think about the word. “Daydream.” It means your imagination wanders while your eyes are open.

What kid has time for that today? Preteens are on travel soccer teams. They fly to faraway cities. Play tournaments. Isn’t that what pro players do?

Likewise, camps chew up the summer months, but they’re no longer just softball and swimming. There are fashion camps. Circus camps. Science camps. Achievement is emphasized.

Even kids at home find their free time under scrutiny. Some children are made to adhere to playdates as if keeping a doctor’s appointment. (By the way, the closest I ever came to a “playdate” was when my mother opened the door on summer mornings and said, “Go. Don’t come back until supper.”)

We need to lighten it up. Sometimes doing nothing is doing something. Sure, camp can be fun, and travel ball is exciting, but if we cram in activities from the last day of school to the first, we’re ignoring an important fact: The way kids work during the academic year—honestly, you’d think homework was a full-time job—a mental break may be needed. These are young minds, young bodies. Replenishing the juices by kicking back is not a bad idea. And if not in childhood, then when?

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “If we don’t enroll our kids in an activity, all they’ll do is text. Or watch TV (and text) or talk on the phone (and text).”

Well, you could prevent that. You could take away the cell phone, the iPod, the Nintendo. Then see if you can get your kid to do four things in a day:

1. Have a face-to-face conversation with a friend.

2. Read something.

3. Build something.

4. Get wet. A pool. A hose. A sprinkler. Whatever.

That’s really enough. Before you can blink, it’s the school year again, where every day is jammed with sports, AP classes, student government, and field trips.

That’s fine for September. But if September is no different from June, July, and August, then we’re doing something wrong. And our kids are missing something precious.

Alma 5:26

I realize that I already wrote about the 4th year hike, but I have more to say.
On Sunday, August 7, we attended an early Fast & Testimony Meeting in Orem where my brother blessed his 4th son, Brody Fenton Robison.
Knowing our limits (and by our limits, I mean Cole), we did not attend our own Fast and Testimony Meeting later that day.  Instead, we chose to just attend Primary (Rick was teaching Cole's class--which turned out to be a combined effort by many), Sunday School, and Young Women.
Knowing that I had to teach Young Women's and I needed to make some copies, I ended up going to the entire 3 hour block of meetings.  By myself.
I thought I would just sit on the VERY back row and read and think about the lesson I had to teach.  But, I heard Sister Christiansen get up first thing and share her testimony about a conversation that she had with her son, Shad and how she knows Heavenly Fathers loves him.  It was all over.  a few minutes later, during a quiet time, I got up and shared my testimony about a combination of things that had touched me in the previous week, part of which was the hike I had participated in to the top of Maple Mountain combined with the lesson that I was preparing to teach on A Change of Heart.
My family was not there and did not hear what I had to say, so I wanted to record it here for them to read.
I have to confess that I was not super thrilled to participate with this 4th year hike.  Summer is a 3rd year, so I didn't have a daughter attending.  I HATE moderately enjoy hiking.  I am tired of "roughing it".

BUT, remember...it is who you know.  Several weeks before the hike, the 4th year hike specialist showed up at my house and begged invited me to participate with this hiking activity.  I told her no because Rick had to work that weekend.  And Rick answered, "She'd love to hike.  Sign her up."  So I didn't have much of a choice.

me and that darn hike specialist

I'll confess.  It was fun.  I got about 20 phone calls from Sadie throughout the 2 weeks before the hike.  I helped her plan the menu and shop for the food.  I helped prepare the little "happies" for the girls after the hike.

And so we hiked.

I had been preparing my lesson for Young Women's and I had a bunch of ideas, thoughts, and quotes going though my mind as I prepared my lesson entitled, "A Change of Heart is Necessary in Becoming like God."

After hiking for about 5 hours, this is what I saw as I reached the top of the trail:

I started to cry.  Kinda of because I hurt.  Mostly because of how much I could feel Heavenly Father's love for me.  The Stake President, who was standing next to me said, "it's breath taking, isn't it?"  

I said, "yeah, but I'm not crying, my eyeballs are just sweating."

We sat there for about 20 minutes and ate, drank, and called our parents.

It seems like it would be easy to get lost in how expansive the sight below us appeared.

But, to me, all I could feel was how much Heavenly Father loves me...

to be born at this time.

to have all the blessings that I enjoy.

to be able to participate in this event.

and so much more

And all I could think the entire time was 

1.  get me down from here in less pain than it took to get up here

AND

2.  I want to be a better person.  I should be better.  It made me think of President Hinckley's suggestion that we should try a little harder to be a little better.

Boyd K. Packer summed it up nicely with this:
"I'm not ashamed to say that I want to be good.  And I've found in my life that it has been critically important to establish this intention between me and the Lord so that I knew that he knew which was I committed my agency.  I went before Him and said, "I'm not neutral, and you can do with me what you want.  If you need my vote, it's there.  I don't care what you do with me, and you don't have to take anything from me because I give it to you--all that I own, all I am--," and that makes the difference."
("to those who teach in troubled times", seminary and institute conference, summer 1970, Boyd K. Packer)


From the talk I gave in Church a few weeks ago regarding Strengthening Our Testimonies, I learned from Cecil O. Samuelson, "that while we believe fully in the mighty change of heart described in the scriptures, we must understand it often occurs gradually, rather than instantaneously or globally, and in response to specific questions, experiences, and concerns as well as by our study and prayer."

And Marvin J. Ashton said that "the measure of our heart is the measure of our total performance.  ...The "heart" of a person describes his effort to better self, others, or the conditions he confronts...The gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to change hearts and help individuals become pure, gentle, honest, kind, and loving." ("the measure of our hearts"  October 1998)


So, this event was not "global or instantaneous", I felt a change of heart.

"If ye have experience a change of heart, and if he have felt to sing the song of redeeming love...can ye feel so now?"  Alma 5:26

Happy To You

Some things never change.  Christmas 2000 in Michigan

Summer's First Birthday.  August 1998.

The day after this picture was taken we moved to Missouri.

Love you Summer. 

Geocaching at the END OF TRACK

We made a quick trip to Scofield a couple of weeks ago.

Summer had checked on the internet to see if there were any geocaches nearby.

There were TONS.

The only problem is that it didn't do any good to download the GPS coordinates to my phone because there is no cell service and therefore no GPS.

(And there is no internet service, natural gas, or indoor plumbing.  kind of.)

So, Summer wanted to ride towards Clear Creek because she thought there was a geocache.

I thought it was crazy, but I always love to ride to Clear Creek, so we headed out one evening.

The only clue that Summer could remember was "...end of the track"

Which totally sounded vague until we saw this sign.

 It was in a camouflage colored baking soda type container.

We scored some cute little trinkets and filled it with some of our own junk treasures.

Good thing for all of those coal trains that there is a sign warning them that it is the END OF TRACK.

Otherwise, they might run into that big pile of rocks.

PS.  I will be leaving for Scofield tomorrow.

For a week.

If you need to get a hold of me...

too bad.