Solitude Lake

Hike: Solitude Lake
Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon

My love for Big Cottonwood Canyon grows every week. We had such a blast hiking part way around Silver Lake, then up to Solitude Lake. We figured out today that Twin Lakes comes off the same fork off Silver Lake, it's shorter, and just a little more steep. I think that and Willow Heights might be our next two hikes. But let's not get away from today. Lisa again packed a great lunch and snacks. We left lunch in the car as the hike wasn't too long and the snacks were perfect. It was supposed to hit 100 degrees in the valley, but under the shade of the trees on the hike, it was perfect! Since the hike is 1.4 miles each way, we were a little concerned about Mountain Goat (aka Sydney), but she did awesome. Here are the pictures.

Not her best shot, but you have to enjoy the "Addicted to Love" t-shirt.

Passing Silver Lake on the way up and down.

The far side of Solitude Lake.

Also on the far side. Couldn't decide which picture I liked better.

The boys enjoying the hike.

The beautiful scenery on the hike.

I found Sydney a walking stick. She was so cute with it.

Chubs (Tanner) and Nana (Natalie) enjoying snack time at the lake.

Sydney looking over the lake.

My life.

Visitors #1.

Visitor #2.

Here's what happened...

You've got to love it. The tv show Monk (on USA) is just plain hilarious. If you haven't seen it, you need to. If you have, check out this wiki on Monk. You'll find your favorite episodes recapped with great quotes. You'll even find that your vocabulary and phrases have changed to be like Monk. Just this morning over the phone, my father-in-law was saying "here's what happened...". Lisa and I have been catching up on the current season on demand. Laughter makes everything better.

Minions...I Mean Followers

I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders who reads their blog. Sure counters, maps, etc. are fun, but Blogger has come up with a really cool thing called Followers. For the blogs you follow you can add yourself using your blogger name/image, or choose to follow anonymously. The fun thing about this is you can see all the cool people that think your blog is cool, click on them to see their profile/blogs, etc. When you log into your dashboard you can see your current followers count.

Anyway...if you haven't got the hint, click the "Follow this blog" on my sidebar. It will add it to your Google Reader (VERY cool), etc. You can even follow blogs that aren't on blogspot/blogger.

Lack of experience

There's nothing more harmful to Obama's presidential run than the comments members of his own party, his selection for vice president, and himself. To take Biden as v.p. for his foreign policy and long experience, they should have had him as president, as it's not something you learn on the job, or are able to sit down with a committee or have a meeting in critical times. Economic woes, I'm all for having the brightest minds coming up with solutions over time. Watch this video:

Aahh, the summer goodness

Fruit shakes are one of my favorite things in the summer. Not to say that I don't also have them the rest of the year. But they are especially refreshing during the summer so we make them a lot. Today was a picture-worthy day because Tanner and Natalie had their very first fruit shake. And they made a pretty good attempt at the hard-top sippy cups which they have never used before. Natalie must have been a bigger fan because she drank her whole cup. Tanner wasn't sure if the treat was really worth all the effort of trying to figure out how to use his cup.

For those of you who are dying to experience this summer goodness for yourselves, simply blend a bunch of frozen strawberries with some strawberry yogurt and orange juice. Easy peasy! I've been splurging lately and using Simply Orange orange juice which really makes a big difference compared to the concentrate.

Meetinghouse locator

So you've seen the church's meetinghouse locator. You put in your address and it tells you where the closest one is. They've now stepped it up a notch. If you put in your address (or if you're on vacation, a general vicinity of where you'll be staying, it will let you choose to use either Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth (2d/3d beta) to locate all meeting houses nearby (street, satellite, hybrid views), tell you what the ward names are, and what time they're meeting. I don't know about you, but walking into an unfamiliar ward on vacation or just after moving, it's nice to say "I'm trying to attend the _____ ward, that starts at ____.", it'd make me more comfortable.

Check it out.

Dog Lake

Hike: Dog Lake
Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon
Company: none

About 2pm on Monday, Lisa informs me that our friends forgot about getting together last night and made other plans, and wondered if I wanted to go hiking. I think she knew the answer before asking. We have had a few hikes that we've wanted to do, and Sydney was thrilled that you could have twin lakes, so we went up to Brighton. However, we decided on the Dog Lake trail, as we couldn't find good directions to twin lakes. When we made it up to Dog Lake, the sun was starting to go down and we decided it best not to go the extra .3 miles to Lake Mary or the .5 after that to Lake Catherine. We unpacked dinner (Lisa made yummy pasta salad), and tried to kill all the mosquitoes around, but they were horrible. We had put on bug spray but it didn't have DEET and it was obviously not enough to keep them away. Lisa is always so prepared, it's the first time something has gone wrong. She's so amazing. Natalie and Tanner thought putting bananas in the dirt for extra protein was the best way to eat them. It was a good idea to head back after dinner as Sydney was pretty tired, after running around all day before hiking. I carried her down the last half mile, which balanced out Tanner moving around in the backpack. Here are the pictures:

The women-folk

Waterfall / river on the way up

A great shot of Brighton

The infamous Dog Lake



Proof we did have mosquito repellant

Mom...don't take pictures of me....mom...take pictures of me.

Our own Frisco Flyer (for all you Monk fans), though not in a green jumpsuit and goggles

Befores and Afters

I've been so excited to post the before and after pictures of our kitchen because it is finally done! I just finished the backsplash a few days ago. I'm realizing now that I gave the old "before" pictures of the kitchen way too many benefits (clealiness, good lighting, ect.) and I probably should have had totally trashed it in order to show a really dramatic improvement. So despite how the pictures look, just know that the old kitchen had warped cabinets, warped and spliting countertops, and cracked tile. And now it's pretty.
Before kitchen:

After Kitchen:

I was also pleased with all the things I learned during this kitchen remodel. I learned how to install a pergo laminate wood flooring, tile a backsplash, and stain and finish a banister.
Before banister:

After banister:

The old banister was a serious safety hazard. We were just waiting for the day someone leaned against it and fell to their death down the stairs. And I mostly have it to thank for the whole kitchen remodel. We had to replace the banisters, which would mean replacing the floor, and hey might as well put in new cabinets while we're at it, and of course a countertop. Thank you banister!
I painted a couple bathroom vanities this last year too, after being totally inspired by a vanity my mom painted black. I forgot to take a before picture before the countertop was resurfaced. It was pink and so would have added greatly to the before picture. Anyways, I was especially happy with this little project because it was such an inexpensive improvement. The painting and resurfacing probably cost less than $125.
Before vanity:

After vanity:

Last but not least--our little backyard. I found this picture of the old backyard on zillow.com. I can't believe I didn't take before pictures of the whole thing because it's really been a big project. But this is the garden corner which has been especially exciting to me because it's the first time I've actually grown anything that I could eat! And I know I'm a tree killer but this apple tree was enormous and making such a huge mess. I don't think anyone had ever pruned it. And look, we added a peach tree which is the superior fruit in my opinion.
Before backyard:

After backyard:

Obama on Iraq

Wow. I was reading about Obama choosing Biden as his VP, and came across this video. It's longer, but it's amazing how honesty doesn't mean much to him. Check this out:

What are your four?

Responding to Okie's blog.

Instructions:
Copy the questions and then answer with your lists of "four"...either reply in comments to this post or on your own blog and link to it in comments.

A) Four Family members: Lisa, Sydney, Tanner, Natalie
B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Coworkers, Lisa, Facebook, Nick Galieti
C) Four of my favorite places to eat: Macaroni Grill, Chubby's, Rodizio Grill, Carl's Jr.
D) Four places I would rather be right now: Kauai, Paris, hiking with the family, gazing at the universe
E) Four people I think will respond: Lisa, Mo, Wende, Jenny
F) Four TV shows I watch over and over: Star Trek, Monk, Lost, did I mention Star Trek?

Girls will be girls

Well I think I brought it on myself. I decided yesterday I was way overdue for a haircut. I just haven't gotten around to making an appointment. I have given myself haircuts many a time. So, I figured I'd just do a little trim because it was driving me crazy. Sydney saw me doing this and of course wanted a haircut too. We didn't have time to do one before getting ready for church though so I promised I would do it later. And I clearly stated "only grown-ups cut hair." I guess she considered herself a grown-up this morning and decided to cut her own hair because and she said, "it was bugging her." So I've done the best I could with it but I'm still debating on whether to take her to a professional or just wait it out and trim it again. There's still a pretty good chunk missing on her left side. I nearly cried when I had to cut 4 1/2 inches off. But I suppose I should be grateful because kids have been known to do much worse!

Natalie became my little sickling this afternoon. We were so looking forward to a family night playing tennis with the Weavers. But we had to cancel. I was also glad she let me know about her ailments when she did because I was gearing up to head to the grocery store with all the kids. That could have been awful. It's so hard watching such a small person be sick. These bibs are great though. The help keep the mess to a minimum.

Another Sydney Moment

So I had the tune to the cartoon movie Robin Hood stuck in my head this morning. Tanner always laughs when I whistle it, just like the start of the movie. This morning I was whistling it, and as soon as I was finished, Sydney said "Let's watch a movie!"

During dinner this evening, I still had the tune stuck in my head, so I told Lisa "Watch how easy it is to get Sydney to want a M-O-V-I-E" and proceeded to start whistling. As soon as I was done, Sydney said "whatever he's [me] trying to do, it isn't working."

Cecret Lake (yes...with a 'C')

Hike: Cecret Lake
Location: Little Cottonwood Canyon
Company: none

What a great day. I'm always looking forward to Saturday for the time we spend as a family hiking. A few years ago Lisa and I went up to Cecret Lake with Lisa's friends Steph and Neil. We remembered it being a lot of fun and decided we could make a mile and a half round trip. It was great to see Sydney (aka "Mountain Goat") have a ton of energy and easily make the hike. Almost to the lake, she said "I'm running out of air!", and we took a break. But otherwise, she was just awesome. Lisa made and packed us lunch, which we ate up next to the lake. It's kinda sad Sydney gets sick of us taking so many pictures, but almost always wants a personal photo shoot near the end of the trip. They're some of my favorites though. As with last trip, Tanner fell asleep in the backpack on the hike back. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

The Office

You've got to be excited for the next season of The Office. Hopefully they'll keep it clean this season.

Beijing 2008 - Link to 4x100M mens free relay video

The Olympics have been really great this year. It's been fun following Michael Phelps, but just watching the high level of competition has been awesome. Swimming, beach volleyball, it's all been great. But you have to enjoy when the French say "The Americans? We're going to smash them. That's what we came here for." for the 4x100m free relay. Down by a full second on the last leg against the most vocal of the French, beating the world record by almost four seconds...

Enjoy the awesome replay here.

Hiking Utah

Lisa and I just started a new Hiking/Backpacking (if you count backpacking the kids) blog (found here) for all our recent adventures. We’re hoping you’ll want to go hiking soon and join us. We’re looking to be up in at Brighton and Cecret Lake (yes…it’s stupidly spelled with a ‘C’), in the next two weeks. Hopefully you’re up for some fresh air and great exercise.

Let us know.

Dogwood Lake and Donut Falls

Hike: Dogwood Lake and Donut Falls
Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon
Company: none

On Sunday after church and dinner, we packed everyone up for another hike up the canyon. I can't get enough lately as there's nothing like fresh air, a little exercise, and enjoying God's creations. We were driving up towards Donut Falls and decided to try out the hike just before the Donut Falls turn off. We're pretty sure it was going up to Dogwood Lake. It was really pretty, but got pretty steep after about twenty minutes in. It had rained somewhat recently, and we were concerned Sydney wouldn't make it down if it started to rain. We turned around, then went a quarter of the way up Donut Falls and turned around as a potty break was needed. I love backpacking the kids up the canyon. Tanner fell asleep on the way back down, and Natalie does great as long as we keep moving. If we stop to look at the scenery, Natalie keeps us in check. We're looking to do Cecret Lake (yes...it's spelled with a "C") this weekend and Some Albion Bason (Brighton) hikes the following week. We've looked up some more local hikes and are excited to see what Sydney can do. She never tires...Lisa calls her our mountain goat.

Star Lake

Hike: Star Lake
Location: Uintahs
Company: Lisa's dad

We were up with Lisa's family at Trial Lake in the Uintahs on Friday. The sun came out during the afternoon which we were all very happy about because it often rains all day up there. So we took off for a little hike up to Star Lake. The trail is very difficult to find so you just sort of go and hope you're heading in the right direction until you find some trail markers. Sydney got very good at pointing out every pile of rocks for us.

Sydney did a little "fishing" once we got there.

Natalie found a rock that she thought was pretty cool.
Doesn't she look kind of like a little monk in her sweatshirt?

Tanner and Grandpa are just enjoying the scenery.

The great outdoors

Every year for as long as I can remember my family has gone camping up in the Uintah's. Here is the beautiful Trial Lake where we have most often camped. It's not the warmest place to be in the middle of August so my little family has not slept over much in these last few years. Sydney headed up on Thursday afternoon with Kim and Nick and Josh, Tanner, Natalie and I went up just for the day on Friday. I just love the smell of it up there, the fresh air and campfires. We were not up there for the whole time so if you want to see more pictures from the trip click here and here. We weren't there for Sydney's exciting fishing excursion so that's where you can find those pictures.
Natalie was obviously very excited to see Grandma. Sydney said her favorite part of the trip was roasting marshmallows which she did a lot.


While the twins were taking a very short nap I took part in a little sudoku challenge that my parent's always like doing. I was the big loser of the game I'm afraid. I think it is because I play on the computer and it tells you when you've made a mistake. The old fashioned pencil and paper way just doesn't work like that.

During our sudoku match Josh did a little photo shoot with Sydney and got some great pictures. Our camp site was right next to a field of wildflowers and made for some beautiful shots. Cute stuff huh?

Sydney even picked a boquet of flowers for me. She seemed to really like the white ones. And she included the roots with them so I could have brought them home and replanted them!
The sun came out during the afternoon which we were all very happy about because it often rains all day up there. So we took off for a little hike up to Star Lake. The trail is very difficult to find so you just sort of go and hope you're heading in the right direction until you find some trail markers. Sydney got very good at pointing out every pile of rocks for us.


Sydney did a little "fishing" once we got there.

Natalie found a rock that she thought was pretty cool. Doesn't she look kind of like a little monk in her sweatshirt?

Tanner and Grandpa are just enjoying the scenery.

Now here's something you don't see every day at the lake. Adam and Eric did a few dives while up there. I don't imagine the marine life really compared to Cozumel but hey, they looked good!