Hiking to Devil's Bathtub

Yesterday we headed up to Spearfish Canyon to hike up to Devil's Bathtub. This is goal #11 for me. It was a hot day, but it was cool and shady through the canyon, and the water felt nice on our hot feet.


Crossing the stream

We followed a stream bed up a canyon. We had to cross the stream several times - Sydney was the first to soak her shoes! The girls had a fun time being the leader on the path, as there were several paths to choose from, all leading up the creek.


Through the canyon

On this part of the trail the stream is not flowing on a rocky stream bed, but is instead flowing over solid rock along the bottom of a canyon.


On a cliff

We climbed across some little cliffs - thank goodness for Hannah and Sydney who helped hand the kids down, and also gave me a boost up!


In the Devil's Bathtub

We made it to the Devil's Bathtub! A few big rocks have fallen in the past few years and the bathtub is getting filled up with more rubble, so it is not as deep as it was. But it was still impressive. We seemed to be all alone as we were hiking, so I was suprised to see several people at the bathtub, and more people passed us and headed higher up the canyon.


kissing an owie

John loved throwing rocks and sticks into the river. He did not love slipping in and getting all wet!


Me and Nathan

Nathan brought his gold panning stuff and had fun digging and swirling as he hiked up the river. But no gold today.


Han and Dad

We headed back down the river, stopping to snack of wild rasberries. What a fun day!


Heading Home

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ps - saturday's run: 5 miles
this week: 16 miles
july: 67 miles

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On our way up to Spearfish we stopped by the side of the road to watch the helicoptors flying close, dipping down to fill their buckets with water, flying away, then returning for a refill. I don't know why I didn't think to take a picture - it was really impressive when we saw that they were not filling up in a big pond but in big metal bucket. Apparently the fire is mostly contained now, and here is the most recent update:

Sat. July 29th

Size: approximately 3,000 acres

Containment: 80%

Estimated Containment: Sunday, July 30 at 6 p.m. (1800 MST)

Resources on the Fire: 366 fire personnel

Structures: Firefighters saved 500 homes in the Piedmont area. It was a hard fight with extremely dangerous firefighting conditions. Unfortunately seven homes were lost.

Today's run: 3 miles
This week: 11 miles
July: 62 miles

Last night we headed out to the base to see Cars. What a fun movie! John loved it! And we saw lots of families from our ward out for a cheap family night. 6 thumbs up from our family. Fun!


Cars

On our way out to the base we could see smoke from a fire. On our way home a couple hours later, the smoke was incredible, it had blown clear across the sky and we could smell the fire. And when we were up high on a hill we could see the glow of the fire, though I read today that we were most likely seeing the backfire that the firefighters had set to help control the burn.


Piedmont Wildfire

I found this picture at the Rapid City Journal Wildfire Blog. They are updating with more photos and info of the fire all day. Last night the fire covered 200 acres and now it is more than 2000. This not far away out on the prairie, but on the hills north-east of town. People are being evacuated and some structures have burned. There are helicopters and planes out working today.

It is supposed to be over 100 F again today. The hills around Rapid City are lush with dry grass. So if you are driving through - no flicking your cigarette butts out the window!

My Mother Said to Choose the Very Best One and You are IT

I was "Tagged" by TexasBlu and I feel so honored. But I think I will probably have to break the chain - I just have one person to tag - sorry!

It turns out that I have broken many chain letters in my life and I did not recieve $5000 in the mail, or 100 childrens books or money for new furniture, but so far have not been the target of too much bad luck!

Here are the instructions for the person that I am tagging (sorry Laurie)

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) Flip Flop Mamma
2) Utmommy
3) Txmommy
4) Texasblu
5) Rapid Life

Next select five people to tag:
(Here's where I am having trouble - I enjoy reading blogs, but I don't feel like I am buddy-buddy with anyone, so I am just going to tag my big sista.)

1) Laurie at Prairie Tide
2)


What were you doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago we had a cute little 2 year old baby girl and Nathan was in College. He was making the scary transition from the Jr. College to the CSU in Turlock. We drove a '77 Toyota Corolla and Nathan had a motorcycle to get him to school and work in rain or shine. We lived in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, and Hannah's bedroom was in the living room, kind of behind the couch.

Hannah and I spent a lot of time swimming in apartment's the pool and blowing bubbles. We also hung out at the Brinton's house several times a week. We lived in that apartment for another 8 months before we found a great house to rent.

I spent a lot of time listening to NPR and sewing. I wore glasses. I babysat for Leona occasionally, and I was the Primary Secretary and worked with some incredible women. That was the 2nd of 8 Primary Presidencies that I have worked in. That was a good time.


What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was heading back to Utah in my brand new car to pick up Hannah and Sydney after they had spent a week at my parents' house. I got to spend a week there too, before heading home - picking berries, swimming at the reservoir and touring BYU.


Five snacks you enjoy:

1) Wheat Thins
2) Fat Free Pringles with fresh salsa
3) popsicles
4) Armadillo's ice cream
5) homemade chocolate chip cookies


Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:

1) Graceland - Paul Simon
2) Jackson - Johnny Cash
3) Any Man of Mine - Shania Twain
4) Copperline - James Taylor
5) I Can't Say No - Oklahoma Musical


Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1) Buy a home
2) Travel through Europe
3) Hire a Cook/Laundress/Housekeeper
4) Go to DisneyWorld
5) Save for a rainy day


Five bad habits:

1) I can't stop running over the grass when I park my beast of a car. There is a muddy patch right on the corner of our lovely lawn - all thanks to my bad driving.
2) I forget to move the laundry along, and in the morning I find a big load smelly clothes that has to be rewashed.
3) I get on the computer when I should be fixing dinner or moving along the laundry or going on a walk.
4) I love to sleep in.
5) I make piles of papers on my desk, and on the kitchen counter, and on my hope chest.


Five things you like doing:

1) Talking on the phone with my mom and sisters
2) Reading - books and blogs
3) Baking bread
4) Going to the neighborhood park with the kids and pushing John with a big "under-dog"
5) Running


Five things you would never wear again:

1) Knit pants (I do have 2 pairs of knit capris for working out, but you know what I mean)
2) The cute black shoes with the reallllllly high heals - I am just not coordinated enough.
3) My coat and snow pants - at least for a while.
4) A cool-aid mustache
5) My "fat" jeans


Five favorite toys:

1) The wooden marble run
2) legos
3) Little People Barn
4) the dolls mom made
5) the scooter


Five favorite books:

1) Anne of Green Gables
2) Barn Dance - by Bill Martin Junior
3) Anna Karenina
4) A Year Down Yonder
5) Harry Potter


Five favorite movies you love to watch over and over:

1) Anne of Green Gables
2) The Parent Trap
3) Pride and Prejudice
4) A Room With a View
5) Toy Story


:) Your turn!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

He's almost as old as that big guy behind him!

Flight Suit Party

Nathan's squadron is hosting a Flight Suit party in August where wives/husbands can dress up in their husband's (we'll just assume from here on out that those dressing up will be the wives - I can't imagine the one husband I know wanting to wear his wife's flightsuit to a party) uniform.

A lot of the girls are talking about cutting up the flight suit to make a fun little party dress to wear. Basically going from:


I don't know who this guy is, but he looks HOTT!


to this:

Imagine this with more coverage up on top, in a dark green color with more of a shirt waist and I think its what I want. I like the bit of netting underskirt there.

Here are some more dresses I found when searching for "shirtwaist dress"

Maybe more of a shirtwaist dress


Aren't these cute?


another cute one!


So is it possible to perform this kind of magic? I don't know. I think I need mom's expert help.

The more I think about it, the more I think I should probably just go in the flightsuit and skip trying to make a dress - it could be a miserably embarrassing flop!

I do get to have my own velcro name tag - black background with my name stitched in Pink!

Today's Run - 3.5 miles
This week - 22 miles
July total - 42 miles

It is 7:30pm and we are watching "She's the Man" and trying to keep quiet so Nathan can sleep. We have been waiting for She's the Man to come out on video since Sydney saw it at the movies with Auntie Erin last summer. It is a pretty cute movie. Some kissing that would make watching it with dad a little embarrassing, and some bad words, and... Okay, maybe not a great movie, but we have enjoyed it - 3 times so far!

We had a great time at the pool today, even though I didn't want to go. This was our Activity Day Girls' activity for July, and since I have been running the Activity Day program this summer - I had to be there. We had 11 girls come, and a few of their families stayed to swim, too!

I took a nap when I got home. I did NOT stop at Taco Bell on the way home, but I may still go after I put the kids to bed. Shhhhh!

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In other news, my most favorite watch is breaking. I love this watch. Nathan gave it to me for my birthday 2 years ago and I think it may be near the end of its life. I got the battery replaced in May, and a week ago the Indiglo light stopped working, and today the little sliding latch thing that keeps the band in place broke. I put a small rubberband on it to hold the band down, but it keeps grabbing my arm hair.

I really want to go to Taco Bell. I am in need of my Bean Burrito - no onions Fix. But alas, I have to get ready to go to the pool. And I don't have time!

I love our city pools and we go nearly everyday, but I don't want to go today. I want to get a bean burrito, come back home and eat it while watching tv, followed by a nap.

I am getting up from the computer right now. Then I am changing my clothes. Then we are out of here. Ready. Set. Go!

Buttonhole Bag

Isn't it cute! I knit up this little bag in just a few days. It is knit with large needles and two strands of wool yarn. Then it is felted. This is the first time I have felted anything and I was very nervous about ruining it in the wash. But it turned into the cutest little thing!

Doesn't it look just like a little Easter Egg in the grass:


Adorable

Donna at Quiet Life makes these little bags all the time and I have been interested in making one for a while. I found the pattern for the Buttonhole Bag at Mason-Dixon Knitting.

I took my new little bag with me to the eye doctor yesterday (my eye sight is slightly worse than last year - no much but a little - waaa) and it was a nice size for holding my wallet, my contact case and a little bottle of solution, my eye glasses, and my perscription. It would hold one or two small diapers and a baggie of wipes if you have a new babe to keep you company (Laurie and Heather and Mary), or a paperback book and some sunblock and your swim pass, or a camera and a snack, or....

It was so fun to knit that I picked up a little more yarn and have started another one - I should be able to finish it at the park today.

Today's Run: 3 miles
This week: 10
July total: 26




Goal #1 Get My Teeth Cleaned = completed!

I have no new cavities!

Later today I will complete Goal #12 Go Get My Eyes Examined.

I like having this list of goals - it is very motivating. As I am typing this I am also finishing up goal #5 Knit a Buttonhole Bag. It is in the washing machine getting all felted up right now. I wish I had taken a "before" picture, but I will definately take an "after" shot. It is looking so cute!

Have a great day!

This week's cleaning focus (a al Flylady) for me is The Kitchen. So I spent 15 minutes this morning cleaning out some cupboards and found 3 boxes of All Bran. Three? No one here actually eats All Bran. Must have meant to make muffins. I put buttermilk on my shopping list - maybe this week I will actually mix up a batch of Mom's bran muffins.

I also found 4 plastic storage containers that are just the right size for holding a container of cereal. I never use these here, and my first thought was - I will put these in the Goodwill box. Then I remembered why I bought those containers.

Florida.

Big Bugs.

Humidity.

In Florida you don't just roll down the top of your cereal bag and close the box. You use a plastic storage container to keep the cereal crisp in the humidity, and out of reach of the animal life.

I forgot all about that.

I will need to keep those containers for Hawaii. Yuck.

Combined Priesthood and Relief Society Meeting

Today was a special combined Priesthood Relief Society meeting in our ward. (Usually these meetings fall on the 5 Sunday of the month, but because of a Stake meeting on the 30th, our ward decided to combine this week) As Primary President I feel a little bad that our Primary teachers don't get to go to these meetings since they are "stuck" teaching the children. This week I decided that we would combine all the kids for Sharing Time and let the teachers go to the meeting. Waaaaa.

We had all the teachers teach their lessons during the Sunday School hour, and all the kids came together for the last hour. I was very tense about this, but it worked out okay. The music leader did a great job reviewing our program songs, and it was nice to hear all the kids singing together. Then the children acted out the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. It was nice, especially because I wasn't the one teaching today!

The children did suprisingly well with just 4 adults in the room. Several families were on vacation, so we had just 45 kids in Primary, not our usual 60, and I think that helped. I felt like a yard duty lady, though, as I stood in the back and walked forward to shush any loud children. Maybe I need to get a whistle.

We also had some visitors that were unfamiliar with Primary and not very interested in being there or participating. Their parents wanted them to stay with us, but it was a little uncomfortable for them (and me.) I don't know what the best thing to do in that situation is. Take them to their parents? Make them stay even though they are making it hard for the other children to hear? Try to engage them? Let them wander the halls and splash in the drinking fountain? Invite their parents to sit with them? We will see how things go next week.

I didn't make any special arrangements for our nurseries, simply because I couldn't think of a way to keep the children in our 3 nurseries safe while their teachers attended the combined meeting. It turned out that only 1 of our usual 6 nursery teachers actually sat with his class, though, anyway.

Things got a little crazy in our nurseries. First, one man who team teaches in the downstairs class was gone as his wife had a baby last week - I was prepared for that and had arranged for a sub.

Then, both men who teach one of the upstairs classes were called into the Elder's Quorum Presidency, and were then unable to be in their class, and will need to be replaced. I knew about one of them, but the other was a suprise - I am really excited for him in his new calling, but I don't know how we will be able to replace him.

And last, the couple that teach the other upstairs nursery class had to go to the combined meeting for some reason.

This is the kind of week that makes me a little loonie - even without the added stress of that combined meeting. In the end we were able to find some good nursery helpers to fill in, and divided up the children from the one class into the other two. I guess everything was okay, not splendid, but okay.

I'm glad these meetings only happen quarterly. It all worked out - the kids were safe, we taught our lessons and sang our songs, but I didn't really have fun. I hope that the teachers enjoyed the special meeting (darn it), but I'm not sure if we will try this again next time. How does your ward do Primary during a combined RS/Priesthood meeting?

Miles today: 4
Miles this week: 16

Goal #14 is to jog along all of our city's 13 1/2 mile bike path. It is a nice little paved trail that follows Rapid Creek through the center of town. The path goes around ponds, next to playgrounds, under roads, and over the river. It also has several water fountains and restrooms nearby.

So far I have been on about 7 miles of the path. My favorite thing is seeing all the people out walking dogs and biking and jogging along the way.

Last week I set my timer to go off after 15 minutes, so that I would have a 3 mile round trip. Just as my alarm went off signaling me to head back to the car, a police car pulled up near me and parked his car in a parking area along the trail. I wondered if he would think it was odd if I just turned right around and ran away. So I kept on jogging a little further - to the next bridge, then turned around and went passed him as his police dog was out getting some exercise.

Today I started at that parking spot and went about 20 minutes further along the trail. I went around a couple of nice ponds and got a drink at two different drinking fountains. I also passed some lovely city gardens, and ran along side a train (John would have loved it!)

On my way back I noticed a police car driving slowly on the road near a part of the path. I lost sight of him as I ran under a road. I heard the crunch of a tire on the path, and looked back thinking that a bike was getting close to passing me, but it was the police man driving right behind me under the bridge. Yikes! I didn't even realize the path was big enough for a car to use! Isn't that strange? He then turned off the path and drove across the grass to the road and stopped to talk to a man that was laying on the grass. I imagine he was just checking to make sure the path was safe, etc. But it kind of freaked me out.

I enjoyed the last mile of my jog - back around a pond, another stop at a drinking fountain, and under one last road. I didn't have any more police sightings. I can't decide if it is a good thing that the police make sure that the trail is safe, or if it is a scary thing that the police need to patrol the path the keep it safe. I think I will bring Sam with me next time as I jog up near The Chapel in the Hills and the Fish Hatchery.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Wend - a - Roo


And here's a little July 6th trivia:



You Say It's Your Birthday......


It's My Birthday, too!

30 Things to Do the Summer I turn 30

Tomorrow is the big day! The big 30!

In honor of this momentous occasion I have been compiling a list of 30 things to do this summer. 30 things I want to do, or need to do, or should do, or have been thinking about doing.

Here goes - in no particular order:

1. Get my teeth cleaned
2. Try 10 new recipes
3. Send ducky towels to new neices and nephew
4. Run a 10 K race
5. Knit a button-hole bag
6. Post 30 notes on my blog
7. Climb Harney Peak (the highest peak east of the Rockies)
8. Go see Devil's Tower
9. Canoe
10. Plant petunias
11. Go see Devil's Bathtub
12. Get my eyes checked
13. Go to the concert in the park
14. Bike ride/jog all of the city trail
15. Do cooking school with Sydney
16. Identify 10 local wildflowers
17. Buy a new swim suit
18. Track my miles run
19. Go to a rodeo
20. Take Emily in for her Kindergarten immunizations
21. Pan up a little gold
22. Have a garage sale
23. Renew my temple recommend
24. Go to the Olympic National Park
25. Bike ride on the Mickelson Trail
26. Write the Primary Program
27. Take in my neglected dry cleaning
28. Keep a reading log
29. Sleep under the stars
30. Watch the sunset

If I just blog about each item, then I will have my 30 notes! On tomorrow's list of things to do: call for eye, teeth, and temple recommend appointments...

4th of July

Happy Independence Day

I love the 4th of July. Probably because it is right before my birthday, and I secretly think all the hoopla is just for ME!

The 4th of July is a big dang deal in Rapid City South Dakota, and so far we have already gone to a parade, watched 2 B-1 fly-by's and one B-52 fly-by, watched the city fireworks show from our back porch, celebrated with hundreds up at Mt Rushmore, listened to a marching band and other groups perform, and watched a huge fireworks display. And that was all before today!

Today we are recooperating from the 2.5 mile hike up to Mt. Rushmore in the driving rain, a day spent sitting on damp sheets in a field, strained neck muscles from watching the 29 minutes of fireworks above the heads of Washington and Lincoln, and the 2.5 mile hike back to the car with sleepy kids who needed to be carried all the way down. Later, when we are all rested, we are going to go to a neighborhood BBQ, eat lots of good food, and light up a few more fireworks.

What a great way to prepare for my 30th birthday!!!!

I have been working on a list of things to do this summer. It is not complete, but one item is to blog 30 times this summer. This is blog #256... stay tuned for tomorrow's blog #257 where I post the incomplete List of 30 Things To Do the Summer I Turned 30 and you can give me a few ideas!