Thursday, May 28, 2009

Caiden's Summer

I'm not sure, but I think he might be having some fun this summer.
IMG_3308
I'm going to do my best to help out, but I'm not sure what the picture is, is he cuddling with his girlfriend on the couch? :) He would die if I asked him that.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Eaters of the Rocks, Drinkers of the Rain

Our first camping trip with Bailey didn't go as well as we'd hoped it would so this one seemed to have the same anticipation build up as that. I don't think we've ever gone 6 weeks between trips in the spring time. And as excited as I was, I was struggling with anxiety about everything, going somewhere new on a holiday weekend, getting any sleep, and being able to get some decent exercise and exploration in. So oddly, Tyler and I decided to change our plans in the hopes that at least a familiar place would relieve some of the pressure for things to go well on this trip. Though I would have loved to try a new place, I knew I would need to be flexible about hikes falling through and thought that might be a shame if it was something I'd never done before. Lucky for us, Tyler had some friends going to the San Rafael Swell this weekend that we'd been meaning to go camping with for a while We coordinated to meet them Thursday morning for a hike and take it from there.

After a long car ride, Bailey was eager to wiggle her little cinnabuns around so I put her down in the sand to play. I figured she was going to get dirty anyway, let it happen and clean her up afterward rather than fight it all day. Not surprisingly she began immediately popping rocks into her mouth. I condone this only because I watch her very closely and because she is so damn set to do it anyway.

We hiked Crack Canyon which for some reason I didn't remember being so awesome? Perhaps when I was there before we didn't hike as far back or my memory of it was drowned out by the memory of a camp chair falling in the fire with the car keys in the pocket and a dust storm in the middle of the night and getting lost when I came out of the canyon and also getting my car stuck on a huge shrub the night we arrived. Yes, that all happened on the same trip, August 2004.

So anyway, Crack was awesome and so were Tyler's friends.

And most incredibly--Bailey slept through the entire night that night! That was her first time in her life to do that, including any night at home. We borrowed Tyler's brother's tent (much larger and taller than ours) to try setting up Bailey's portable crib in it and it worked. I couldn't believe she slept so well. She even took a great nap in the pack-n-play the next day too, and she looked really snug in there. 05.22.09 San Rafael Swell Campsite

Friday all of us hiked out to Wild Horse Window, or as we later learned is actually named Skylight Arch. I love the canyons, but this reminded me of how much I just hiking right on the rock. I mean, we usually pick a campsite that has rock to climb on right around us anyway, but this was just really nice and here and there would be a different colored wild flower for me to show Bailey and let her learn about it (mostly with her mouth) as we hiked to the next one.
05.22.09 Skylight Arch
05.22.09 Skylight Arch

Tyler and I and the kids took a quick drive to Hanksville to get some ice and because none of us had ever been there. There was a cool old church and it was good to know how close it was and what was there.

Then Bailey did not do that well that night (last night) and the rain never once let up either. A friend of mine met us at the campsite late and unfortunately had to set up in the rain and basically wait it out til morning. But this morning it was still raining and there didn't seem to be any sign of it letting up. We had all been up a lot in the night and up early with Bailey so like the schmuck friend that I am, I bailed and we decided to drive back home today.

We did first pay a visit to Goblin Valley despite the potential mud baths we could get there with it being so wet and rainy. It was cool to see all the streams formed in the park with the little bit of moisture.

Once we knew we were headed home later, I wanted to get Bailey as much outside time as possible before getting in the car. I also really hoped that I could play in the rain long enough and get my clothes wet enough to warrant Tyler stripping me down and wrapping me in a blanket for the ride home, but alas, he wouldn't have any of that in front of the children. So we headed back home in our dirty clothes and I will be folding them just as soon as I'm done here.

A few other favorite pictures from the trip:

05.22.09 San Rafael Swell campsite

05.23.09 Goblin Valley

05.23.09 Goblin Valley

Watch Tyler's blog as well as our family outdoor adventure blog for more detailed accounts of these hikes. Also, tons of pictures on our Flickr site in the San Rafael section.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Four

Today is mine and Tyler's four year anniversary. He started out the morning in Grand Junction, Colorado and is in Telluride tonight visiting some of the properties he is over. He sent me some beautiful flowers. My neighbor got them for me because I didn't hear them while I was putting Bailey down. When I came out he told me he had my flowers and then I made him show me the little gopher he had caught in his yard. I have to admit the gopher was absolutely adorable albeit pesky.

I think I've talked more than I should have here about my marriage, and probably because it was such a huge adjustment for me and because I'm an idealist about things. I'm happy to be celebrating my fourth year with Tyler. He is the world to me. I can't imagine not being married to him and I would marry him again any day!

I love you babe!

Peekaboo 2

Yes I know I already posted a video of her playing peekaboo, but this is just too irresistable!



She was 9 months old on Tuesday. She weights 17 pounds and 1 ounce now (in the 20th percentile), and measures 27.5 inches long (the 50th percentile for height). I'm so impressed with what a happy baby she is, how smiley she is to everyone and how playful and full of life and energy she is, even if diapering her is like wrestling a crocodile!

Saturday, May 02, 2009

My Breakup with 24 Hour Fitness

Yesterday I broke up with 24 Hour Fitness.

It was hard to do, and took a lot of deliberation, but it needed to be done. However since notifying them of this breakup I've been informed that it must be prolonged until July 24th, so I guess I"ll have plenty of awkward moments to look forward to in the coming months as I continue to use the gym with them knowing full well my intentions to leave.

I've been with 24 Hour Fitness longer than with any other gym, but since having Bailey have cut my visits to 3-4 times per week (instead of 6-7). I now work out at home a couple of days a week, something I never thought I'd be able to do, but it's hard to get to the gym with a baby and fit it in before work, and thanks to Exercise TV and April for the great downloads, I have some home workouts that I really love and that really kick my butt!

Instead my family will be signing up for a membership at the nearby Oquirrh Park Fitness / recreation center. It's right by the Olympic oval and just as close as my gym was to the house (I think about 2 miles?). Anyway, we can all have a membership there for less than my gym membership was costing me personally. Not that we will all make it there often to work out, it will still be me primarily using the benefits, but this way, we can use their pool for free anytime all we want. They have a really sweet set of pools that make it all worth it when you have kids--a lap pool, a diving pool, an indoor pool w/ mini lazy river and waterslide and swim lanes, and a great kids play area and pool outdoors too. I'm not joking, the kids play area and pool is really incredible for a local rec center, tons of little fountain thingys and squirt guns and giant buckets that dump water, super shallow areas and so on.

So I'll look forward to using these benefits when we actually sign up there come July.

In the meantime, I'll still be sweating it out with my ex-gym.