Weekend at East Park - Out and About in Utah

My parents celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary this weekend (convenient timing since I turned 36 years old today. It was also one of the things that tipped me off about my real age). My parents considered celebrating by going to a concert together but I insisted that it was the perfect weekend for my family to visit. It turns out that it was the perfect weekend for my sister and her family to visit also. My youngest brother decided to join us since his wife was hanging out with her mother and sisters for the weekend. Once we were all there, we missed my other brothers and their families. The weekend would have been even better if they had come too.

We all arrived Friday evening, ate pizza and stayed up ridiculously late visiting and laughing.

It wasn't my idea, but we woke up pretty early on Saturday morning. My mom woke up even earlier and was already making our traditional and favorite breakfast of apple fritters. I ate more than I should. They're just too delicious.

My mom always has some projects for us to complete and we always work before we play. So, Neal and I joined my mom, grandma and aunt picking apricots. The ripest fruit was in the top of the trees so we devised several creative methods to reach it, including standing on the truck and making Neal climb up into the branches. Neal was a great help and within a few hours we had baskets and baskets and boxes of fruit.

While we were getting sticky and hot climbing trees, my dad and the men were bailing hay in the fields. Utah Dad and my brother-in-law were excited and anxious to have a turn on the tractor. It broke down while Utah Dad was driving it. I'm really hoping it wasn't his fault.

My sister took the kids with her to the pond to catch frogs. They caught over 10 tiny little frogs and Amberly got her shoes very muddy. It's a good thing we haven't bought her new school shoes yet.

My sister has two little girls that are the same ages as Lilly and Molly. They had so much fun playing together. The older two girls were trying to "ditch" the younger two girls who followed them from place to place.

When all the work was done, we drove up "the mountain" to East Park. My youngest sister and her husband came too. My second brother had to work but his wife and three boys also joined us. The reservoir there was uncrowded and welcoming. As soon as we parked the car, Neal, Amberly and Thomas bolted from the car and ran to the water. I think they were a bit surprised at how cold the water is.

The adults insisted the water was too cold to swim. Then Utah Dad went in. Since my family is notoriously competitive, the others just had to join him. Before long my dad and brother were out in the water too. One of my sisters and my sister-in-law got in too. I went in to my waist. It really was numbing cold. (By the way, I have a cold so my voice sounds especially obnoxious on the videos. Hopefully it doesn't always sound like that.)

My sister and brother-in-law brought their kayaks so we all took turns kayaking around the lake.

I love how my brother-in-law carries around his little daughters. They are tiny and they cling to his arm like little monkeys.

Both Neal and Amberly begged to try kayaking by themselves. They've never done it before and I was a little nervous but they both did really well.

 
My brother and brother-in-law decided to try some "dare devil" moves and stand on the kayaks. They were knocking each other off and it was pretty dang funny.

Neal just had to try standing up in the kayak too. He has some pretty impressive balance.

Molly and her "matching cousin" had a great time getting wet and muddy.

Lilly and her cousins (she called them "my best friend and that boy") were inseperable. They layed out on a rock and had all kinds of princess make believe.

Amberly enjoyed trying to kayak by herself. I was pretty impressed by her ability to navigate. She thought it was funny to go out in the reeds.

  Not to be out done by his sons and grandson, my dad had to try standing on the kayak as well.

Anyone who thinks my little Amberly is just a sweet girl might be surprised to see her mischevious streak. She did her best to try to knock her grandfather off the kayak and into the water.

Thomas and his "matching cousin" had a great time climbing on the rocks, swimming and throwing rocks out into the water.

Amberly tries to bump into her grandpa again.

The mountain lake was breathtakingly beautiful. There were very few people there and we only had to share the lake with a pair of fishing ospreys. They are the coolest birds.

After we spent several hours at the lake, we returned to my parents' house and had a BBQ. Then my sister had a special surprise. She brought ten floating lanterns. The children were absolutely mesmerized as the lanterns floated into the sky (imagine a much smaller version of Tangled). It was so beautiful. Thomas shouted with great enthusiasm "They're becoming stars!"

We put the kids to bed. My brother-in-law taught us a great way of making ice cream shakes in the Kitchen Aid. And then he and my sister taught us a new fun card game.

The days are just longer and much more fun at my parents' house. I'm convinced.

**Thanks to my sister for sharing many of the pictures included in this post. You're awesome.**

Birthday Gift

We have been having non-stop fun around here. School starts next week so Utah Dad took some vacation time from work and we have been playing, playing, playing. I have lots to write about and lots of pictures to share. But I'll do that later, because today is my birthday.

I got to sleep in as late as I wanted. My kids played nicely by themselves and Utah Dad made them breakfast. Later today, we'll go get dinner somewhere. I haven't decided where yet.

But the best birthday gift this year is from my own psychotic mind.

All year I thought that I was 36 years old.

But I'm not. Well, not until today.

So, I didn't get any older--in my crazy, insane mind, any way. 

Sticky Sweet Service

It was my turn to go to Relief Society instead of Sharing Time last Sunday. I sat in the back row (I'm one of those) with my friends as the counselor went over the volunteer assignments that we needed to fulfill this week. One assignment was at the LDS Cannery in Lindon. The room was uncomfortably silent. It's the end of the summer and we're all busy. One sister volunteered and then my mouth opened and I surprised myself by volunteering to go.

I was kind of excited, actually. I've helped in the bakery before but never in the cannery. We arrived on time for our shift and joined the many volunteers to watching a quick training/safety/hygiene video. They tried to be funny. Some of us may have laughed once.

We put on our hair nets and aprons; scrubbed and washed our hands and arms (I felt like I was prepping for surgery), put on our gloves and gathered inside the plant to get our assignments. The other sister from my ward and I were standing in the midst of the group when the guy in charge called us out first. I was feeling special. The women on the previous shift taught us our tasks. Turns out, we had been given the messiest, stickiest, hardest job (according to the floor manager, but maybe he tells everyone that).

One of us was in charge of filling the cans with peaches. The other one made sure they weren't too full. The peaches came down a shoot and the cans were on a conveyor belt. It was trickier than you might think to get each can full of peaches. If we got them too full or not full enough, the manager definitely let us know.

We worked for a three hour shift filling countless cans with sticky sweet peaches. I have to admit it was a bit mind numbing. But I also couldn't help reflecting on what our true mission was today. My own contribution was minor. Nothing really. But combined with the other volunteers on all the shifts yesterday, today, tomorrow and the day after that we produced and will produce cans and cans of peaches that will go to feed the hungry all over the world. It's an amazing and impressive operation. 

Jesus said to Peter, "feed my sheep." And while we share the gospel message of Jesus Christ and feed the spirits of our fellow men, we also feed their bodies. And I love that.

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Delicious Green Beans

I just shocked myself when I wrote that title. Really.

I was a picky eater as a kid. My parents insisted that I eat everything on my plate including my vegetables. I ate them but I didn't like them. They did give me a "pass" on eating asparagus. Apparently, my gag reflex was too much for them.

Every year I continue to "try" several of the vegetables that were on my "gross list" as a kid. Most of the vegetables I hated when I was a kid, I now enjoy. I still don't like asparagus or brussell sprouts. And I hate green beans. I loathe them. Even in that casserole where the green beans are covered in cream of mushroom soup and fried onions that my sister-in-law makes every Thanksgiving. Utah Dad loves it.
Last night as we threw together a quick dinner with veggies from our garden, I suggested that we run over to the ward garden and pick some green beans. (I must brag for a second and it's OK since it's not something I  did, although we did go weed the garden one night for FHE. Our ward garden is absolutely beautiful. The folks in charge have done an incredible job.) Neal and I grabbed a bowl and drove over to the garden. The beans were just ready and waiting to be picked. We picked enough for our dinner. (There are still tons on the bushes -- go get some!)

I brought them home and Utah Dad threw them in the wok with sesame oil, a red onion and a minced garlic clove from our garden. He sauteed them until the onion was caramelized perfection. I should have taken a picture but I didn't get a chance because we devoured them.

It was the only time in my life that I have enjoyed green beans and they really were amazing. Did you hear that? Green beans were amazingly delicious.

Hiking to Lake Solitude - Out and About in Utah

We woke up on Saturday to hear Neal and Thomas fighting over a Wii game. We knew immediately that we needed to go somewhere. Fast. We got up, dressed, had smoothies for breakfast and headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

We go to Silver Lake at Brighton every summer but we hadn't been there yet this year. It's one of our favorite places. The trail and board walk around the lake are perfect for a leisurely stroll and we always see wildlife. This year we decided that we'd explore the trail that leads from Silver Lake to Lake Solitude. According to the sign it's just over a mile to the lake.

The kids were anxious to be explorers. Utah Dad and I had hiked that trail years ago but the kids had never been the entire way (Lake Solitude can also be accessed by trails from Solitude Ski Resort and the older kids have been there). Utah Dad carried Molly in the back pack but the other four kids hiked on their own.

When we started, I really didn't expect that we'd make it all the way with the smaller kids. They were awesome. I was especially impressed by Lilly. She hiked the entire way without whining. She fell twice on her face but she just got back up and kept on going.

The trail to Lake Solitude has some rocky, steep parts but it's worth the trip. The wildflowers are amazing right now. Breathtaking views.

When we got to Lake Solitude we were warned by other hikers that there was a mother moose and her calf in the willows along the trail. We decided to be safe with our little family and took a higher route.

We were rewarded with views of wildlife too. Once back to Silver Lake, we stopped along the trail to watch an osprey dive for fish in the lake. While we were watching the bird, Amberly pointed out a moose cow walking non-chalantly through the grasses between the lake and the parking lot.

On the really hot days in the valley, there's not much better than driving high into the mountains and finding the cooler temperatures. The best part of the day was that the kids didn't fight with each other and were so exhausted that evening that they went to bed early without complaining.

If you don't feel like taking a longer hike, you can ride the ski lift at Solitude and take a shorter trail to the lake. Solitude also boasts a challenging and fun 18-hole frisbee golf course on the mountainside.

**The pictures were taken with my new Sony Bloggie Duo camera. It was great because it fit nicely in my pocket.**

The Nashville Tribute Band Concert

I really tried hard to convince Utah Dad to join me at The Nashville Tribute Band concert. I even promised that we'd go out for steaks before the concert. I was ultimately unsuccessful (even though I quoted the recent article in the Deseret News that talks about how there are more declarations of faith and family in country music). Oh well.

So, I invited my good friend Kerri to join me at the concert. We arrived plenty early and found our seats. This was the first event I have attended at the Sandy Amphitheater and I was very impressed by the venue.

Opening for The Nashville Tribute Band was a young and up and coming new group of siblings called Dyer Highway. We were impressed by their talent even though they are just teenagers.

I haven't known about The Nashville Tribute Band for long. I just recently received a copy of their latest album The Work : A Nashville Tribute to the Missionaries. I've enjoyed the songs on the CD, but I'll tell you what, they put on a great show. I have become a true fan (much to the chagrin of Utah Dad who cringes the second he hears twang. I've been forcing him to listen to the music ever since the concert. Some day I'll get him to embrace the Kentucky blood flowing in his veins).

The Nashville Tribute Band is a group of LDS artists and song writers working successfully in Nashville who started a band to produce music for their faith. The Work is the third album, following the very popular albums Joseph : A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet and Trek : A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers.

Kerri and I had a great time at the concert. Even as we huddled under blankets during the down pour and thunder storm. The nice thing about Utah summer storms is that they pass quickly. The concert continued in spite of the fact that the audience was drenched. The rain did nothing to soak the enthusiasm of the audience.

Debuting songs from their new album and filling in with beloved crowd favorites, The Nashville Tribute Band entertained the crowd. Special guests joined them to make the concert even more memorable. Hearing Michael McLean play a medley of songs from his Celebrating the Light album and seeing The Jets made Kerri and I reminisce about our younger years. And if you don't happen to know who The Jets are it probably means you are much younger than I am. Billy Dean (who is not LDS, I don't want to start any of "those rumors", but a good friend of the members of The Nashville Tribute Band) joined the party after his own concert in town and delighted the audience with several numbers.

Kerri and I had a fabulous time. The entire concert was entertaining and even inspiring. I'm pretty sure I wiped away tears and not just raindrops when two little sisters sang the emotionally moving song about the pioneers: "Somewhere There's a Mountain". I imagine that Kerri, who will send her son on a mission next year, was affected  by the powerful tribute to LDS missionaries who serve all over the world to share a message of Jesus Christ.

The following pictures from the concert were taken by Russ Dixon.

I am going to have to go out buy the other two albums or download the songs because I fell in love with several songs. The Nashville Tribute Band has just started their tour. They're headed to Idaho and Oregon but will be back in Utah for shows in September. Check out their website for dates.

I received free tickets to the concert in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received.

Ellis Island - Book Review

It was the title of the book that initially caught my attention. Ellis Island and the stories of the immigrants that came through it's doors hoping for a better life has always intrigued me. Each one of the millions of immigrants has his or her own story and author Kate Kerrigan tells the tale of just one Irish girl and her motivation for leaving her home country to come to the United States of America.

Ellis Island a novel by Kate Kerrigan is the story of Ellie Hogan, a smart and determined young woman who sets of to America after her beloved husband is injured as a soldier in the Irish Republican Army. Since John is unable to walk and in need of an expensive surgery, Ellie emigrates to America to work as a maid for a rich socialite. She sends nearly every penny home to her family in Ireland.

Devoted to her family, Ellie also becomes enamored with her new life and comforts in New York City. She further educates herself, finds a new job and is on the verge of living the American Dream. To complicate matters, a wealthy young man falls for Ellie and offers her every luxury she could ever imagine. Where does Ellie belong? In her new comfortable life in America or in Ireland with the ones she loves?

Ellie is a likable yet very real character. She is smart and not easily swindled. She stands up for herself yet walks the line of propriety standard for the period. She has personal integrity and yet she is also human and vulnerable to temptation. Kate Kerrigan has created a very empathetic and believable character. I found myself moved by Ellie's plight and rooting for her throughout the novel.

The plot is well paced and structured. Kerrigan's descriptions of the both rural Ireland and New York City in the 1920's paint a detailed picture of the period. She equally well describes the poverty and the glamour while staying true to Ellie's character and the story.

Well written, Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan is one to add to your to-read list if you enjoy period dramas and character-driven novels.

I requested and received a copy of Ellis Island from the publishers in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been received.

Singing Along