Play Dates and Co-Op

We are big believers of play dates and the co-op babysitting system I’m in. I can’t really imagine life without it all! I do babysit at least one time a week but because of it, I also have tons of time without my kids! We were also able to go on a trip without the kids because my friend was able to watch my kids! In turn, I watched her kids while she and her husband went to Hawaii. Yesterday, I had 11:30-4:30 without my kids because we swapped kids with friends. Now today, they’re playing at my house. They’re playing, the TV stays off the entire day, and the kids learn how to play with other kids and go to other people than just me! Because of the co-op, I can teach a class in the middle of the work week without paying a babysitter or run to Target sans kids. If you don’t have a co-op in your neighborhood, you should start one! I can send you the details! This sounds like a weird sponsored post for babysitting co-ops, but clearly it’s not. I just am super passionate about it!

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Snow Days

We didn’t actually have much snow or even really cold weather until the very end of Winter, when everyone was hoping Spring would come along. But we did have a few big snow storms which the kids enjoyed. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but in our back yard, when we opened our fence the snow had gotten crazy high! We keep our garbage in the back, so to get it to the front yard through the snow was an interesting task.

 

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Horsetail Falls

I got one last hike in this fall one afternoon with my friend Robyn. It was more difficult than I had expected but so worth the climb! The falls were so pretty! I can’t wait to hike it next summer again. Thanks for joining me, Robyn!

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Hiking Timp

Holy cow. It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged. I have so many posts I need to catch up on! I use this blog solely as my journal now, so feel free to move right along.

In September, my friend Holly and I talked about potentially hiking Timp. We found another friend to join us so we’d be safe and quickly planned it. We were going to go later in the week but then moved it forward because of weather issues. Thank goodness we did it when we did because it snowed up there the next day!

We left around 12:30 am. Thankfully I took a little nap before we left, I think it really helped me that day. We started around 1:15 am or so and were the only ones up there that night so far except for two other girls. We all had head lamps and I brought a bright flashlight. Packing for the hike was so funny because I packed sunglasses, a tank top, but also a winter hat, gloves, and my puffer coat. We were expecting cold weather up at the top but then hot weather on our hike down in the morning.

We got to the saddle about an hour and a half before sunrise so we chilled up at the top for a bit, had a little snack, then climbed to the top making it to the summit just a few minutes before sunrise. It was one of the most epic experiences of my life seeing the sunrise from nearly 12k feet on the top of a mountain. It was difficult… it’s 7 miles! Plus, dealing with the altitude and scaling the top in the dark was scary, but once I was up there, it was all worth it!

On the way down, we met a man who does the hike several times a week, sometimes twice in one day. He’s in his 70s and pretty much a rockstar. We also saw some women who ran the whole thing. So, I no longer think I’m in shape anymore compared to those ladies haha!

Doing it at night was really neat because the whole hike back was almost like a different hike since we could finally see everything. The views were absolutely beautiful, the weather was PERFECT, and the company was even better. We laughed SO much and told so many stories. It was a great hike, and if it didn’t take so long, I’d do it every couple of weeks! Thanks, Holly for leading us!

 

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2017 Eclipse

Okay, the eclipse was awesome. That was just a great day. The excitement in the air was almost tangible. We went to the eclipse viewing party at Ashton Gardens which was a beautiful setting to experience something so incredible. Surrounded by friends and sharing the event with my kids made it even better.

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Splash Pads

We didn’t go to as many splash pads this year because the pool is just so close and easy. So, by the end of August, we went to a few to make up for it. We are really lucky to have so many neat splash-pads closely!

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Demolition Derby

My brother and his wife were up in Utah in August, so we joined them one evening in Nephi at the demolition derby. We got a babysitter for Finn that night, which was so nice! I know he would have loved seeing the cars and trucks, but it was so much easier to sit in the stands for that long of an event without a toddler. This was our second year going, and we’ve decided it will be an annual tradition because it’s such a blast! Thanks, Sam and Ashley for taking us!

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Push through the nap.

Occasionally we have days where the weather is just too perfect or we have something really fun planned smack dab in the middle of Finn’s nap time so we decide to skip it and just push through! 95% of the time it’s worth it. We don’t do it often, but on the days we do, we make memories. One Monday TJ was out of town and I took the kids to a new park and walking trail. Then I had promised to take Eva to pick out a new toy for completing her positivity/no fuss chart which led us to the mall play place. And then instead of heading home and having Finn take a late nap, I just kept driving west instead of getting on i-15 N and took the kids to the lake. The bugs were horrendous but it was sooooo gorgeous down there!

When I first had Eva and became a mom, I was incredibly strict with routines/schedules. That first summer TJ was gone and so I really stuck to it because it was the only way I had some sanity in my life. And as much as I believe structure and routines are SO good and extremely necessary for kids, I also a huge believer in getting out of your comfort zones, occasionally throwing out those routines, and just living in the moment when the moment calls! So find that balance! You won’t regret it!

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Gardner Village’s Fairyland

Gardner Village currently has fairies throughout the area, hidden in trees and in shop windows. We had playgroup up there one afternoon and it was a hit!

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