Snow Canyon March 2010

Evie in front of our house for the weekend. Our third day was lovely, and we were thrilled that the stormy day didn't deter the kids. They wanted back on those bikes!Dashing to the hot tub--which we did every night before bed.

Evie enjoying life on an old 1937 fire truck.

Our first ride took us to the entrance of Snow Canyon. Eli was daddy's boy all weekend!

The calm right before the storm hit. Everyone's smiling here, but not for long!

This weekend we packed up the bikes for a trip to St. George to bike and explore Snow Canyon. We had two beatiful days of riding, and one in which we learned just exactly why they call it Snow Canyon. After riding in on a gravel trail for about 4 miles, it began to sprinkle. We huddled up next to a building, waiting for the shower to pass. Only it didn't pass...it turned into hail, then wind and hail, and then wind and snow. The only option was to bike in it the four miles back to the car. With frozen hands and snow beating our faces, we began the journey. Soon Evie began to cry hysterically, and we had to stop to warm up our hands and calm her down. The storm would not let up though, so we got back on the bikes. This pattern continued until we came to an 0uthouse, where we took shelter and listened to severely howling winds blow by us. On our last stretch, we helped keep the kids' wits about them by singing "Row Row Row Your Boat," until finally we reached the warm car.

Getting back to our vacation home and jumping in a warm bath was never quite so appreciated by the kids as it was this Saturday. And that stormy day has permanently etched our trip into our hearts and minds. Frankly, I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Just too cute not to post

Just an Update

I am just not a camera-toting mom. When a special moment is happening, the last thing I want to do is leave that moment to go get the camera or even place the darn device between myself and the beautiful moment. So I have few pictures to share of the last six months, which included Christmas, the kids' fourth birthday, our first family bike ride of the season, many fun walks and outings, a trip to San Diego, and a few other events. I'll try to do a better job of capturing at least a few more of our moments on film from now on. For now it will be a written update.

I began my first teaching assignment for the PCI in January. I plan and facilitate our weekly teleconference classes and grade the students' work that they send by mail. I enjoy it and it is work I can do from anywhere. I still have my clients too, and have found parent coaching to be incredibly rewarding. I still feel like a full time SAHM, but it feels good to have a little career going as well.

The kids are great. They enjoy their preschool and have made some good friends. In their class there are two girls named Ella. It just happens that Evie really likes one of the Ellas and Eli is drawn to the other. So when the kids talk about them, they refer to them as Evie's Ella and Eli's Ella. We wonder at times if Eli's Ella is his soul mate, because they are really quite taken with one another. One day as I came in to pick the kids up from preschool, a mom stopped me and said, "Eli and Ella have a little romance going on. On the field trip they held hands all day." As I approached the group I saw that Eli was tying Ella's shoes for her. Coincidentally, Eli's Ella happened to be traveling to San Diego the same time we were, so we met up at Sea World. When the kids saw each other, they ran into each other's arms. I rarely have seen 4-year olds make such a close connection. One of the most pleasing things about all this has been how maturely Evie and Eli have navigated the "sharing of friends." Eli makes sure not to leave Evie out, and Evie has shown very little possessiveness or jealousy.

As for Evie, I see her really blossoming right now. She has always been her own person, and I love to watch how she states her truth to kids at school, firmly yet kindly. Her confidence is really beautiful, especially because it is blended with a deep sense of right and wrong, and empathy towards others. She hates to see someone not treated nicely. She loves art and will color or draw whenever she finds the time, and her appreciation for aesthetics has brought a new interest in putting her outfits together. I have never been one to spend a lot of money on clothes or buy extremely "girly" clothes. I have always felt that dresses hindered play so I've bought her pants and shirts. But she recently said she really wanted a skirt, and I got her a couple more "pretty" things, and she was thrilled to have them.

Pat is playing in a band once a week and practicing guitar when he can. He also headed up a bi-weekly gathering that we named COGG: Community of Growth and Gratitude. We meet with friends every other Sunday for a member presentation, discussion, and dinner. He has also been extra supportive and helpful taking care of the kids and getting me some "me time" when I need to catch up on work or just take a break. Recently, he had his first ski trip since the kids were born with Kent, Eli's Ella's dad, while Cherise and I took the kids to see a live performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

All in all, we are doing well and feeling more at home in Salt Lake City. Life is so good to us, and we try to always remember that through the daily ups and downs.