Eagles, Industries, and Skiing

January always seems like a slower month after the party month of December.  Although, it doesn't stop us from living it up.  After we got back from Hawaii we needed another adventure.  Danny and Haley live by part of the Great Salt Lake and are lucky to have eagles make their winter home in a nearby tree.  We decided we like eagles, so we should get together.  Fortunately, they liked the idea as well.  We headed up to their house for the weekend of the 17th and were able to see four or five different eagles.  Mike and Danny felt like exploring the territory, probably because of their Carhartt's and hiking boots, so we packed up Danny's new backpack he was trying out and headed out to a section of the Great Salt Lake. It was frozen over so obviously we had to run and slide across the ice on our feet, bellies, and knees.  We also wrote our names in the snow and walked around the surrounding area, which happened to be supplied with ample amounts of cattails.  On this day, I learned how fun cattails can actually be.  We, primarily Danny and Mike, spent lots of time throwing cattails at one another and watching them explode.  By the end we were covered in cattail seeds.  They remind me of exploding hot dogs, how could that not be fun?

The next weekend we were hoping to go skiing.  However, it was not a good time for skiing.  The snow was incredibly low and the weather was not looking like it would cooperate.  We decided we would wake up in the morning and see what the weather was looking like.  As it turns out, it was going to be really windy and was even supposed to rain which didn't sound too appealing, especially since we would only be able to go five times during the season.  We later found out it turned into 15 inches of snow, which wasn't very comforting. So instead of skiing we were now faced with a free Saturday.  We stopped by Mike's parents and decided we should check out some of the famous industries in our area, Ikea and Cabella's.  It would be my first time at both shops.  Both are brilliantly designed, although, I must admit, Cabella's isn't my cup of tea.  It is made for the hunters of the world and as I have never been hunting you can see the dilemma.  Nevertheless, it was worth seeing.  They have an aquarium with lots of big fishes and mannequins which seemed so inviting. Can you blame me?  We also went to Ikea as well.  Another brilliant design.  They know how to lock you in their store and keep you shopping.  Thus, it is not so convenient if you want to do a quick in and out. However, if you have the time you can find practically everything and anything you need to decorate your home.  After wearing ourselves out shopping, we were hungry and joined Ryan, McKenzie, Dusty, and Michelle for lunch at the Red Iguana, one of Ryan's favorite places too eat.  It was wet and cold outside so the employees were kind enough to bring out some hot cocoa, which may have even been a better surprise than the actual food.  Although, it wasn't too shabby we will never quite understand his love of the place.  McKenzie, his wife, doesn't quite get it either.

The next few weeks we were ready to go skiing, again.  Although, this time we were ready to brave anything as the snow was still very low.  The first weekend we hit the slopes their was a base of 68 inches.  Mike said it usually will have an average base of 41 feet!  The first weekend we were trying to get back into the ski mode.  I hadn't been out for a full day of skiing in a really long time.  Mike is a really good skier though and was very patient with me.  He can fly down those hills, figuratively speaking.  It didn't take him long to get back in the swing of things.  By midday we had worked up an appetite and took a lunch break in the lodge.  It was a good thing for me because we had gotten ski boots that were just a little bit small.  They were so tight they cut off the circulation of blood to my feet.  By the end of the day, my feet had had enough and pulling the boots off was incredibly painful, if we had been ice climbing we would have referred to it as the "screamy barfies".  Despite the boots, it was still a fun day on the slopes.  However, you better believe that Mike would make sure I had the proper gear for the next time.

Within the next week, we returned to Sport's Authority.  Unfortunately, the main staff was unwilling to work with us.  In fact, the guy helping us told us that some other boots were much better quality even though they had plastic buckles instead of metal buckles.  Some imagination he had.  Luckily, Mike's friend Katy worked at Sport's Authority and was much more helpful.  She did us a favor and was able to call around and get us connected with a pair one size bigger.  Bigger boots made the next go around was much more pleasant, even though the snow was even lower at 62 or 63 inches.  Mike and I went off boxes and even got some air.  It was my first time trying the boxes and I must say it was quite exhilarating. For Mike, it was like a walk in the park-though as always he still had a good time.  We hit the slopes again and again.  One time as I was waiting in line, I leaned a little too far against the railing, which was not secure, and in slow motion toppled onto the ground.  Here I am supposed to be an athlete and I fell while standing in a line, pretty embarrassing yet hilarious. Don't worry this wouldn't be my last attempt at the slopes we still had more skiing in store.

Paradise in January!

My parents Christmas gift this year was none other than a trip to Hawaii!  My dad had done some law work for a former neighbor, Mike Thompson, who just so happens to have a condo on Poipu Beach in Kauai.  Fortunately for us, he gave us a sweet deal so it made it all possible. We slept over at Mike's parents house the night before and Mark volunteered to take us to the airport bright and early.  Rumor has it he had to get us out of bed, which is debatable, but either way we were boarding the plane on New Years Eve day for the beautiful island of Kauai for a week in paradise.  We arrived late that night and were able to watch fireworks from our restaurant as it had no windows and was open to the nice ocean air.  Our waitress happened to have gone to school with Bethany Hamilton.  I don't think she was a big fan of all the attention Bethany Hamilton got because she said she should have known sharks were there because it was mating season.  To Bethany's defense a shark attack hadn't happened there in a really long time or even ever.  My dad being the wise crack he is, asked if she knew Carrie Underwood because of the movie Soul Surfer.

After dinner and fireworks, we found our new home for the week.  It was a nice big condo with three different bedrooms, a loft, a kitchen, and a living room.  We would be making most of our meals at the condo, after doing a Costco run, in order to save a little cash.  The condo had several different beaches within walking distance.  We spent lots of times in the waves- boogey boarding, body surfing, snorkeling, and even swimming with some big turtles right in the small beach by our condo.  At the other beach, just a five minute walk you could spot whales early in the morning just off the shore.  It was amazing to see so much wildlife in Kauai.  When speaking of wildlife in Kauai, you can't forget the chickens.  Chickens were everywhere.  One entrepreneurial spirit was wise enough to capitalize on the fact that chickens were all around the island.  He created a simple black t-shirt with an orange chicken on the back and the inscription underneath stating, "Stoopid Chikin."  It sounds simple, but he is racking in the cash at $28 bucks a shirt.

Two different beach experiences provided a scare in different ways.  One was caused by stupidity and the other was caused by fear of sharks.  Let's start with the stupidity.  We got away from Poipu beach and went to Shipwreck Beach on the other side of the island.  It had massive waves and was really pretty.  Mac and I were having a great time going out further and further in the surf.  Mike warned us to stay close so we don't get caught in the surf.  We were unwise and were having too much fun to listen to any cautionary advice.  As you can already tell where this story is going, we did exactly what we were warned not to do and got caught in the surf.  We were swimming and swimming but not getting anywhere.  Lucky for us, some surfers, which Mac happened to think were highly attractive, were out there who were a little more experienced.  They told us how to get  out of the surf safely by swimming at an angle.  Mike had told us so and we learned our lesson.  The second scare was with Michelle in the water.  She is not a fan of snorkeling around fishes.  It doesn't help either that she is terrified of sharks.  So after much convincing, Levi was finally able to get her to go snorkeling with him.  They were out in the water when an alarm starts to sound.  Panic arises in Michelle as she believes there is a shark in the water and she begins calling for Mike to help her- even though Levi was right by her side.  She claims Mike was taller and already at shore, we just think it is hilarious she wanted Mike to help out when Levi was right there.  As it turns out, they do a routine alarm once a month to make sure it is working.  It was just an unfortunate event that it happened to be as she was snorkeling.

One of our first days there we hiked the Napali Coast.  It was really cool.  My dad wimped out after about half a mile and said he was going to head back.  My mom volunteered to go with him as well while the rest of us got to see the cool stuff.  We hiked down to the beach area and Mike discovered a cave with one open end towards the beach and the other to the ocean.  To enter the cave, you had to climb in when the tide was low.  It was slightly dangerous because if a huge wave hit, we would be trapped inside this cave.  Luckily,  we didn't have to experience that misfortune and could just enjoy the cave.  Also on the hike was a cool waterfall where we were able to snap a few pictures.  The parents missed the best part of the hike, too bad for them!

Tennis was also a popular activity for the Swenson Clan.  They had some tennis courts right by our condo, however, you had to pay per hour.  The lady running the place also asked Michelle if she was 18 or older.  With those two strikes against them, we went elsewhere to find courts.  We were able to find two public courts, aka free tennis courts.  It also came with a homeless man that would sleep on the benches in the tennis dug out. The family, except maybe Mike, loved getting out and playing tennis together.  Mike couldn't understand why we would want to play tennis when there were beaches around.  Knowing Mike's love of the water, I can see his point.  However, we also liked mixing it up with doubles games, five misses, and ping pong style tennis where you take one hit and then pass the racket to your teammate behind you.  I played tennis in my Vans and still was able to come out victorious.  However, on the day we played a little 21 in basketball it was a different story.

Mike's favorite activity, which compensated for all of the tennis, was when we went surfing.   His surf book that we bought on our anniversary payed off royally.  He was surfing like a champ.  Mac and I were struggling a bit more but were at least able to get up.  Trying to catch a wave was exhausting.  Paddling out there took some energy, failed attempts to catch a wave took lots of energy, and then actual surfing or riding the wave in took little energy but was the most exciting part, not surprisingly.  I was getting a little frustrated because I was not excelling and kept failing time and time again.  I kept eating it in rocks and even have a scar on my left knee to prove it.  Mac and I can say we caught our own wave, but Mike did awesome and was finally able to fulfill all of his childhood dreams.

We also did the touristy things as well.  We drove around the island, tried some local taco stands, viewed the Spouting Horn, a blowhole, and went to the Grand Canyon of Kauai.  We drove the island and did the Grand Canyon on the last day so we didn't have to get dirty for the airplane.  It was pretty to see the Grand Canyon and fun to see the island.  We had a fabulous trip and grew to love Hawaii even more.  We spoke to a lifeguard on one of the beaches. She was heading up to Utah to go to Snow Basin and hit the slopes.  I guess everybody's Paradise is different, but Hawaii definitely isn't a bad choice!
  

A Month Worth Celebrating

December started out right with a Murder Mystery Dinner.  Mike and I had previously done one in our old ward in Logan.  It was fun (especially since I won the best dressed contest) however, we didn't necessarily have the right group. We didn't want to make that mistake again so this time we had the right group together, consisting of ourselves, the Skokos', the Hansen's, the Munn's, and one other couple.  It was the Aix La Chappelle clan.  Stephen Skokos, party extraordinaire, was taking charge.

 He borrowed the story/crime scene from a fellow co-worker and assigned us to our roles.  The crime took place in the 70's in a disco scene, I

played the part of a songstress and Mike was a disco star.  Don't worry his part was more manly than it sounds- and he was known to woo the ladies.  We were assigned our parts beforehand so we could come looking the part.  Luckily Mike's parents had actual clothes and accessories from the era.  I borrowed Debbie's graduation dress which she also used for her engagement pictures in the 70's!  Unfortunately,  I was a little thicker than Debbie was back then and couldn't zip up the back.  Thankfully, I had a sweet leather vest to cover my open back. Mike was able to locate a suave baby blue jacket and some retro plaid pants- not to mention a blonde Afro.  With a little eye liner, Mike had some pretty sweet facial hair and we were ready to go do the dinner party.

Everybody arrived at the Skokos residence looking fabulous and ready to play their part. Stephen played the role of host and struggled to keep an Asian accent, even though he tried so hard.  The other couple had made up parts that Stephen kindly wrote in so they could join the party- nevertheless, they didn't get to into it.  It could have been personalities or the fact that they knew they didn't really contribute much to the scene since they were, as mentioned, made up parts.  It is also debatable whether Stephen's part was made up as well since his martial arts character didn't make much sense but made it all the better..  However, everybody had a great time as we traveled back to the disco era of the 70's and put on our best acting.  The Murder Mystery dinner was a smashing success and a great kick off to the month of December.

The following weekend we did the Hill family Christmas progressive dinner.  We were assigned the role of the main dish- due to location- and the fact that I make an amazing pizza!  Although, the latter fact was a surprise to everyone in attendance.  We started off up north in Ogden area and worked our way to South Jordan.  The stops are quick as to keep stomach's satisfied and to make sure we get to see everybody's Christmas decorations.  As you can imagine, it was pretty tough for everybody to see our decorations in our one bedroom apartment.  But don't worry, we managed to wow everybody with our Christmas tree decorated in our wedding decor and our two stockings hanging from our entertainment center.  Weekend two, another success.

Due to our anniversary's proximity to the Christmas holiday, we celebrated early.  Mike and I decided we would take turns planning our anniversary celebrations.  Yup, you guessed it, Mike was up to plan the first year.  We were going to head back to Heber/Park City as was only fitting since we did part of our honeymoon in Park City as well.  However, he kept the details secretive per my request.  We met at the Wal-Mart just off of the Junction so Mike could get some goodies.  Since he was working up there, Sam was able to drop him off and I picked him up.  We went to eat at the Loco Lizard in memoir to our honeymoon as well.  After dinner, we drove up to Heber and stayed at the Still Water Lodge by Jordanelle.  We arrived after the traditional check in time, so we were left to check ourselves in.  We called a number that was listed and they had a safe with our room key in it.  We could have had the choice of several different rooms of others who had not quite checked in as well.  But don't worry we were honest and took our own room.  Things got a little steamy as we enjoyed the hot tub and some hot cocoa.  Later, I fell asleep as Mike watched as he recalls, "a fascinating documentary on the Foo Fighters."  

The next day we got up in the morning and went to see the ski jumpers at the Olympic park.  It was fun to see them spinning, flipping, and flying through the sky.  They are really talented.  We then decided to head back into Heber as Mike had a surprise there that night.  We considered going ice skating, however, thought it was expensive for how long we would last with just the two of us.  So we drove up to the Homestead because Mike had never seen it. We walked inside the crater and Mike thought it was awesome and vowed that we should go back to go swimming one day.  Then on Main Street we saw a bookstore that I wanted to go check out.  We searched through the store and found two books of interest- one was Go Ask Alice and the other was a surfing book.  Go Ask Alice was a true story about a girl who struggled with a drug addiction.  The book was a series of journal entries.  Later, Mike and I read it together- except it got so dark that I couldn't finish it and had to have Mike paraphrase it for me.  The other book was a much lighter read- it was a surfing book from the 80's.  It told you everything you needed to know about surfing.  Mike was excited to get it because he has always wanted to surf and we were going to go to Hawaii in less than a month.  You could say it was meant to be.  So we splurged the $3 and bought our books.

We had a few more hours until it was time for the big surprise so we decided to grab a bite to eat at The Angry Bull.  It is a hamburger place on the historic Main Street in Heber.  We grabbed our burgers and got ready for the big surprise....Thoroughly Modern Millie!  Yup, Mike knew I loved plays so we saw a play in the little town hall.  Millie was a small town girl looking to find her way in New York City.  She got caught up in as Wikipedia puts it a "flapper lifestyle".  Trouble arises though as she checks into a hotel owned by a Chinese lady, who was hilarious I might add, who is a leader of a white slavery ring in China.  It was fun to see and Mike was kind enough to bear it.  First anniversary=Awesome!

The only down side to the month was Steven's Henager.  Right in the midst of all the holiday cheer my supervisor decided to tell me I was on a personal improvement plan (PIP), aka probation.  I wasn't getting enough students started and so basically if I didn't up my students the next month, I was toast.  So basically I decided it was time to really start looking for another job. However, it would have to wait until the holidays were over.  So lets get back to the fun stuff.

The next weekend was Christmas!  I let Mike open one of his Christmas gifts early as we were heading up Little Cottonwood Canyon to do some back country sledding with Jon.  You nailed it, it was a sled.  Mike was pumped.  So we headed up the mountain, Mike and I in our snow shoes, while Jon was in some basketball kicks.  We trudged up the Mountain and learned more about Jon and his mission.  He witnessed some pretty disturbing things on his mission.  It's surprising how much missionaries can handle.  After hiking up the mountain for about an hour or so, we decided it was time to come down.  We quickly realized the snow situation was lower than we even thought and we would basically have to walk down the whole mountain again.  We were able to find a few fun spots to sled down- and luck would have it that Mike ran over a rock and busted his brand new sled. Sad day.  As always, it was another adventure.

A few days later, Christmas had arrived!  Mike and I were able to celebrate our first real Christmas together at our little apartment.  We made French Toast and had a gift opening celebration.  We got lots of fun things from ski poles, to ski goggles, hats, shoes, bike pump and gloves, clothes, a watch, work out videos (including but not limited to Mama and Baby Yoga) and we can't forget the assortment bag of tootsie rolls for Mike- his favorite candy.  We enjoyed being able to spend Christmas together just the two of us in our apartment.  Our Christmas wasn't over yet though, for in a week, my parents would be taking the family to Hawaii for our Christmas present.  Like I said, it was a month worth celebrating.

Crash and Burn!

At this point, I had been working at Steven's Henager College Online Division for a few months.  Let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea.  They did do some fun activities to promote a positive culture in the company.  Holiday parties were always pretty exciting, like dressing up in team themes for Halloween, or they would do in house competitions between the teams where winner would be rewarded with a movie on a Friday afternoon or something of the sort.  However, on the flip side it was not a fun atmosphere for me to be in.  People were quick to be let go, you were stuck on a dial-er all day long, and I didn't feel right selling an expensive education to people who quite frankly couldn't afford it or weren't even looking to go to school.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for education- just not the way it was done here.  Needless to say, I had started to look for opportunities elsewhere.  However, it was not going very well.  I was over educated and under experienced.  It was starting to get to me as companies kept declining over and over again.  Mike sought to lift my spirits so he lined up a play date with Danny and Haley.  We went out to 5 Guys and then saw The Help.  Yup, it helped brighten my "crash and burn" session.  Later in the month, John and Julie would also give us a night getaway in their hotel in Park City.  It was nice, we just chilled and watched The Fugitive.   Life wasn't so bad after all.

Over Thanksgiving break, Mike would experience a crash and burn of a more literal sort.  We were heading down to St. George for the weekend and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to use our brand new bikes.  We decided to take the family on a beginning mountain biking trail known as Bear Claw Poppy.  Now keep in mind that my family was not experienced mountain biking and their bikes were very basic, i.e. no shocks, disc brakes, etc.  So we took the whole family on this trail, even though they may have cursed us for some of the drop offs on their non-experienced bikes everybody really enjoyed it.  Mac pulled up to the finish, I came right behind, and then we hear a major crash.  We turn and Mike had eaten it on his bike.  He was not used to brakes working so well and had wanted to attempt one final jump before the end, consequently he hit the brakes too hard and flew over the handlebars.  Mike quickly got up and tried to walk it off.  His arm and hand were cut up pretty bad.  His hand had flesh hanging off and just dangling there.  I tried to console him but I was getting faint.  My stomach couldn't handle it and I thought I was going to pass out.  I told him I was sorry as I tried to hold it together.  My parents showed up and offered to go get the cars, seeing we had to run shuttle.  So for 15 minutes we were hanging out at the bottom of the trail as my parents grabbed the cars.  After about 10 minutes, Mike came over and apologized to me.  He said he thought he would have to go to the hospital and he didn't have insurance.  He had just noticed that he had a golf ball size hole in his hip as well.  It was crazy how little it bled, probably why he didn't notice it for a while.  He took some pictures and sent it out to his siblings.  Julie would make fun of him as that is the trail she had learned how to mountain bike on.  The most experienced in the group was the only one who would sustain battle scars that day.  

My parents finally got back with the cars and my mom had to drive to the hospital because I thought I was going to pass out.  We arrived at the ER and they let us know that he was going to need stitches.   They took him back to the room and I went into the hall because I wasn't feeling so well.  The nurses said I looked really pale and offered me some orange juice.  I then asked Mike if he would like some juice as well.  Here we are at the hospital for him to get stitches and the nurses give me juice first because I am pale- how pathetic am I?!  No worries though, Mike was just fine.  He was told to take it easy for the next few days.  You can imagine how bummed Mike was when we actually had a long weekend in St. George to do lots of outdoor activities and he is told to take it easy.  So he spent the rest of the weekend watching me play tennis with some ladies from Salt Lake City. Luckily, he still got a Thanksgiving feast that weekend at the Casablanca buffet in Mesquite.   

Bikes, Hikes, and Halloween Treats!

The time had come to reward Mike for getting his job at Zane Benefits.  Mike had been wanting a bike for several years, however, the cost for a good bike is a little steep. After he got his job, I promised him that we could get a bike as a reward for getting into a career job.  We decided we would get mountain bikes as they are a little more versatile than a road bike.   We started looking on KSL and talking to people to learn more about Bikes.  Mike began spending a lot of time with my uncle Mike discussing bikes at family parties.  One day there it was, a deal too good to pass up, or so I was told.  It was a 2008 Specialized Stump Jumper, army green nonetheless, for less than $1,000 dollars. With a little tune up, it would be a great bike.  Mike had found his match.  It was time to splurge.  Now we just needed to find me a bike, which would come later in the month.

In the meantime, we decided to continue partying.  We went on a fast food date, which consists of picking up one item at each fast food restaurant until you have a full meal, I officially became a Hill as would be verified on my driver's license and social security card, and we partied in St. George.  My dad had heard about a dirt road from St. George to a remote spot in the Grand Canyon known as Toroweap.  It is about 90 miles from St. George and about 55 miles, 148 by road, from the North Rim Headquarters.  It is the only spot in the National Park where you can see the Colorado River directly below.  Saturday morning we took a day trip on the Arizona Strip to the Toroweap area of the Grand Canyon.  Even though it is not too many miles, a good portion of the road is dirt thus making slower travel. Thankfully we had the good old Xterra to take the beating. About 60 miles in, we stopped by a historical site, Mt. Trumbull Schoolhouse.  It was recently renovated and the doors to the school house stay open year round.  Even though it is not very big it also served as the town's dance hall and meeting center.  It is a symbol of the lifestyle, culture, and learning of a little town.  Well, after spending about 10 minutes, we decided it was time to pursue our real destination, Bar 10 Ranch.


The Bar 10 Ranch is a few miles away from the lookout point.  They offer accommodations ranging from sleeping under the stars, to sleeping in a covered wagon, to bunk beds inside the lodge itself.  They also have several different snakes, lizards, and spiders, in cages outside for your entertainment.  Although, they do various tours, we had come to ride ATV's down to the lookout point.  As we were waiting to do our tour, we played a few games of pool upstairs.  The time had arrived and the tour guides called us in to debrief us on safety tips, gather names, and other tour guide things.  When it came to my turn to give my name, I could barely get it out Mac had me laughing so hard.  Unfortunately, I may have embarrassed the family some, but it was really funny.  


After the debriefing, it was time for the real party.  It was a lot of fun cruising on the ATV's.  We went so fast and knowing us we pushed limits.  I believe my top speed was 40 miles per hour and others were even faster.  The lookout was really spectacular.  There was a trail descending into the Canyon for those who wanted to go down.  Of course we did it, though some would say it was very tiring.  We saw a group running the river.   Mike was able to educate us while longing to be floating down the rapids as well.  The tour guides also allowed for a little down time where we could re-hydrate and relax.  One of our tour guides was an interesting character.  The group got talking about jobs and we said how there just weren't tons of jobs in St. George.  He thought differently.  In fact, he was able to  supplement his touring income by gathering and selling rocks.  We told Mike this is how he could supplement his living while he built up his own tour company.  Needless to say, Mike was not too convinced.  Once we were refueled, educated, and been down into the canyon, it was time to return to the ranch.  We flew back and by the time we reached the lodge we were covered in dust.  We were a mess but it was totally worth it.  After cleaning up a bit, we ended our tour with a lovely home cooked meal.  It was delightful.  

We kept the outdoors coming as we also traveled down to the Swells with Uncle Marcel, Danny, John, and John Goates.  Yup, I was about to embark on another guy's trip.  There were only six of us going so we decided to all cram into Uncle Marcel's smaller SUV.  It was a little bit crowded to say the least.  On the ride home I even tried sitting in the back with all of the gear, Uncle Marcel found me and quickly outlawed that idea.  As we were driving through the Spanish Fork canyon, on our way to the swells, we were the second car to come up on an accident.  The one car had attempted a U turn and had crashed into another vehicle.  The boys helped the elderly lady out of her car and gave her a blanket.  We waited for the cops to come and then we continued our journey.

Luckily we made it safely to our destination.  We set up camp and went to bed for the night, for in the morning we had an adventure to embark on.  The next morning Uncle Marcel woke us up bright and early to go on a really long hike, about 9-10 hours, through a slot canyon.  At about the turn around point, we stopped to eat some food.  The fellas decided it was the perfect set up for a rope swing.  You guessed it, we built a rope swing.  It was great fun.  But the fun was not over.  We went a little further before turning around and found some small water pots.  John Goates feet slipped out as he was running around the muddy edge and into the water he fell.  So he decided to take a swim.  At one point, Danny had a "brilliant" idea.  He would whip Mike with reed and then Mike could whip him back.  Yes, both Johns joined in as well and the men had their battle scars.  Soon food overcame us and we all set our heads down and walked back as quickly as we could.  The swells had lost its thrill as Wendy's  overpowered the mind.  We couldn't get their fast enough.


At some point in October, we had also found a bike for me.  It was in awesome condition and was also the Specialized brand.  The only down side is the owner was a lesbian and her partner was selling us the bike. She definitely didn't care to hide their lifestyle, making it slightly awkward as Mike is testing out the bike and we are hanging back in the driveway.  But the bike was ours.  Now that we both had bikes, it was time to do an official mountain bike ride.  Around Halloween, Uncle Mike volunteered to take us on our first ride up Snowbasin resort.  When we got there we thought we would be just fine as their was an older gentleman and his teenage boy.  Plus I had been doing some stationary bike.  Boy were we wrong.  It was about 16 miles and it kicked our butts, we were way behind the pack and struggled to finish.  Nevertheless, we persevered and conquered, if you can even call it that.  Afterwards, we went over to Danny and Haley's for a Halloween party and Mike was so wiped out he had to go upstairs and take a twenty minute power nap, before they woke him up for a doughnut eating contest.  But don't worry they forgave us, figuring we were a priest and a nun.  Later that night, we went to a local park and saw several scary scenes.  Jon and Julie's family had one of their own.  Who knew Julie could be so scary or that Mike would attend a U of U football game?  I sure didn't, but they both happened.

Testing the waters of Parenthood

Later September, we would get our first opportunity to attempt parenthood for an entire weekend.  Yup, that’s right Ben and Becky trusted us with their two little ones, Addy and Mia.  Ben and Becky were heading out of the country to scout out Mongolia for Ben’s new job.  They left us the handbook for the week and told us this would determine how quickly we would have kids of our own.  Becky told us to base our decision on Addy’s behavior and not Mia’s.   What Becky didn’t know is what an angel little Mia would be the entire weekend. 

With the background information covered, and goodbyes said, we were now left in charge.  However, I must say we did surprisingly well.  We did all the things normal parents do- have them take naps, make meals, clean up, and get stressed when they aren’t 100% obedient.  Ok, let’s be real- I stressed out as Mike was laid back as always.  But we also did fun things as well like jumping on the tramp, watching cartoons, and even going to Addy’s soccer game.  Coming from my sports background, I was highly looking forward to the soccer game.  Becky had forewarned us that Addy was a little bit scared of the ball and to encourage her to touch the ball in the game.  We had a mission to accomplish.  We cheered so loud every time she touched the ball and gave our best words of encouragement, even Mia chipped in with encouraging cheers from the sidelines.  At the end of the game, Addy had touched the ball several times and we couldn’t have been any prouder.  Our favorite part was how most kids didn’t follow the soccer ball- instead they followed the other kids.  It was highly entertaining.  After the game Addy was kind enough to share her after game treat, probably the best part of soccer for most kids, with Mia.  Later that night, we lined up a play date with Dave and Amanda and their kids.  We went to the great Bomb Diggity’s, a cheeseburger joint, in South Jordan.   

On our final day, Sunday, we did the normal church thing.  A lady thought that I was the blood relative of Becky and not Mike.  I guess you could say I was starting to look like a Hill.  After church our work was practically done.  That night we would take them to Grandma Hill’s house and retire from our temporary parenthood adventure.  It was crazy how fast the weekend went between naps, fun, and everything else.  We realized why people say time goes by quicker as you grow up.  Later we would be rewarded with a screaming deal on a TV, not to mention all the free food which came with it.  However, the most important lesson we learned that weekend is parenthood isn’t so bad after all.

Back packing, Subaru Outback, and other outdoor adventures…

September could maybe be considered our most “tree-hugging” month thus far as the title may imply. Labor Day Weekend, Mike and I left for our first overnight backpacking trip after work on Friday. It is only about a three mile hike, but it’s a pretty good workout, and it is definitely worth the views. Mike had done it several years ago but it had been a while and he was excited to get me out back packing. By the time we arrived, it was dark outside and we were ready to hit the sack. We set up camp and went to bed for the night. In the morning, we warmed up with some hot cocoa and reaped the benefits of our efforts the previous night. It was so pretty! We explored around the three different lakes. Lake Blanche is the biggest and the most famous of the three. However, they were all really pretty. It was fun to spend time together with just the two of us in the great outdoors. I am a fan of the short back packing trips. After exploring around for a while, we returned to the city for a family party. I know you are thinking our life is always a party. To that I would say, yes, you are correct!

On Labor Day, after getting excused from work for the day, we walked around the different lots looking for cars, eating free hot dogs, popcorn, and drinking free soda. But that was about all the success we had that day. We spent the next week looking heavily for cars, particularly on KSL. As both of us were getting settled in our jobs, we quickly realized it was time to replace Mike’s Eclipse. With Mike driving through Parley’s every day we wanted to get an all wheel drive vehicle for safety purposes. We thought a Subaru was the best route to go. They are a good car, last a long time, and they retain their value. During our search we met with several people, one whose name was Dean was particularly interesting. He told us how he was very particular who bought his car. In a way, he was interviewing us to buy his car. Yup, he was in no hurry to sell it. He was an older guy but he had some neat experiences throughout his life. He had worked with some Olympic skiers which he said were like his own sons; apparently he was a really good skier. His car was nice, but unfortunately, he was asking way too much for it.

But we didn’t need to wait for too long. In Roy, on KSL, we found a white Subaru Outback which was in our price range with pretty low miles. We also were already going to be in the area anyways as we were spending the night at Danny and Haley’s house. Saturday morning we checked it out and walked away with it that day. We felt bad because she was super attached to her car, they owed more than what they were selling it for, and they had only had it for a year and put very few miles on it. In their opinion, Orem was a road trip. They had to sell it because they were going to have a baby. She made a comment, however, about how it was her first baby. It was a little awkward. Then as she handed us the keys to drive away she had a tear in her eye. But what could we do? They needed to sell it and we wanted to buy it. On the drive home, the tank proved its usefulness, as it went through the heavy rains without faltering one bit. Yet we would still earn the reputation of tree-hugging, democratic, lesbian hippies. Oh well, it was our nice new little truck and we love it!

Throughout the rest of September, we continued our outdoor adventures. We went on several little Sunday strolls in the backcountry. We even attempted to climb Mount Olympus. Unfortunately, we ran into a few mishaps. I was getting a big blister on my heel from poor choice in footwear and Mike had eaten something that was not settling well in his little belly. The poor guy had to take several pit stops it was kind of a “crappy” situation if you know what I mean. No need to worry, we will conquer it one day. Because we have heard that if we keep practicing we will be able to climb a mountain! Next time we will be better prepared.

Although, this experience did not sway us from the outdoors one bit. In fact, we were ready to get out there and climb another mountain. On the 22^nd of September, we backpacked up to Red Pine Lake with B-rad and Mary. If you think we are intense, you should meet them. They had just returned from a bike ride clear across the country. They sold almost everything they owned and hopped on their bikes for several months. It is definitely not for everybody, but you have to respect their dedication. They had some pretty crazy tan lines and it sounds like a lot of really cool experiences. We got to hear about their trip over some frozen yogurt. It was my first time meeting these two, though Mike had spoken highly of them on several occasions. He loved to tell me how B-rad had tattooed the game of Operation on his chest. Yes, I asked to see it. On the hike up, it was fun to get to know them even better. I got to hear about his re-entrance into the church and how they met. We got to the top and made a hearty meal of chicken and rice. The next morning, we had another good meal of pancakes. People hiking up in the morning were pretty jealous. The distance they could smell it from was getting larger and larger as well with each new hiker. After a rewarding breakfast, we explored around for a while, climbing on rocks, taking pictures, and walking around the lake. We were really becoming one with nature.