Cecret Lake

At the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon is the Albion Basin.  It is a beautiful area that keeps patches of snow year round and provides several hikes and even rock climbing for those so inclined (not me.)

 You often can't even get into the Basin until late spring (unless you're skiing.)  

A short hike up the mountain,

 there is a lovely glacial lake - Cecret Lake.  In late spring and summer there are gorgeous fields of wildflowers covering the mountainside.  Everyone should go on this hike during that time of year.

I have been on this hike quite a few times, but never in the fall. Our family decided to take advantage of a warmish autumn evening and hiked to the lake.  (Thankfully, we went when we did, as it snowed two days later and we probably wouldn't be able to hike in now!)  I wasn't disappointed. 

 Fall has it's own beautiful flowers and berries.

Of course, the leaves, are not to be missed.  

The quaking aspens were absolutely glowing golden as the evening sun streamed through them, and I remembered that when we moved to Pennsylvania, I had missed them - not many quakies there!  And the smell of fall is heavenly no matter where you live. 

Being in nature always lifts my spirits, and this peaceful evening was no exception. I'm so blessed to have an inspiring, beautiful world to live in, seasons to pass through, and family to enjoy it all with.

Goodness from our Garden

A peek at what is out our back door... 

Ginormous pumpkins!

The. best. raspberries. ever.

So we inherited a great garden when we moved into our house.  The two stars of the show have been the above items.  If I can't find Jacob, I go to the raspberry patch where he is often sitting on the ground with handfuls of raspberries and a red-with-juice mouth.  The pumpkins may take a Herculean effort to remove from the garden to the front porch.  But, boy, will they be worth it . . . I hope!

Back on the Grid

It has been a while.  Far too long, really.  But we're back online,  in our own (new to us) house, and getting settled.  The kids are in school, Darin is at work, and I am figuring out life in our new location.  There has been some, ahem, anxiety on my part throughout this whole process, and unfortunately, it continues.  During a (very helpful) conversation with my sister-in-law, Jill, yesterday, I was reminded that places hold a very dear place in my heart just as people do.   As much as I miss my friends, I can still thankfully call, email, or text them.  However, I am not able to visit the places I miss - and I do miss so many.  So I will be holding their memories close as I look for new places to love.   

So, in honor of that conversation, I took a quick trip today to a new place.  A place that I'm sure will bring me a lot of peace and satisfaction here, just as it did in PA.  Drum roll . . .  I went to our new library!  Hee, hee.  I know, I am a total nerd.  I've mentioned it before, but I love libraries.  I don't know what it is, but there is something very soothing about the quiet, and the books, and the people.  Jacob and I arrived just in time (previously unbeknownst to us) for a puppet show, which he thoroughly enjoyed.  We even ran into another mom and her kids from our ward there, and then spent another half an hour browsing books.  What a serendipitous  (I had to use that word just to completely seal the deal on my nerdiness) occasion!  A new place to love, new friends, a puppet show, and a bag full of books checked out.  All in all, a wonderfully soothing morning for my anxious spirit. 

More interesting tales and pictures to come as we find new people and places to love.

Packin' it In and Feelin' the Love

Well, folks.  This is it.  The week we leave our home, friends, adopted family, and beloved places for our new home, new friends, true family, and new places.  There will be tears shed.  Torrential tears.  But really, that's been happening almost every day for a few months now. 

In addition to packing our stuff, we've also been packing in experiences with our favorite people.  We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors. They threw a going away party for us last week at which they told us that in throwing a party they were in no way condoning our leaving!  We had  a great time eating, talking, laughing, and playing together.  We will miss them.  Greatly.

The next night, some dear friends in the ward hosted an open house for us (and three! other families that are moving from our ward this week).  Another wonderful night was shared with our adopted family.  Yesterday, I received a treasured book full of notes written and pictures taken that night.  I'm not sure how much I heard in Sacrament Meeting as I was busy wiping my eyes and my nose as I looked through the book.  Saying good bye after church was another eye-wiping, nose-blowing, air-gulping event for me.  I love these people.  So much. 

I am overwhelmed by the amount of help and love we've been given in preparing for this move.  I think I've been in denial, even while packing and making preparations to leave, that this was really going to happen.  Reality is here.  My dad flies in tonight, and he will start driving with me tomorrow.  Away from home.  Toward our new home.  I'm excited.  I'm terrified.  I'm laughing.  I'm crying. . . I'm going to go say another prayer. 

Lessons from Elephants

Several years ago I remember hearing or watching a program about an experiement conducted with several herds of elephants.  (If I wasn't so lazy, I would search it out and cite it for you, but, alas, I am lazy, so you'll just have to take my word for it .  . . or look it up yourself!)  Anyway, all adult male elephants were removed from the herd for a period of time to see if the behavior of the remaining elphants changed.  The researchers were particularly interested in obvserving what would happen with the young elephants.  Well, they quickly found that the young elephants (particularly the adolescent males) began to show signs of aggression and violence towards other members of the herd.  The researchers were surprised at how rapidlly this change took place and soon reintroduced the adult males into the herd.  The young elephants' behavior returned to normal - generally peaceful and communal.  Very interesting, no?

Could this scenario apply to herds of the human variety?  Well, our little herd has lost its adult male for (not quite) two weeks now to a new job, and boy are the young 'uns showing signs of it - especially my boys!  Just like the elephants, aggression and violence are up, peace and community are down.   If anyone has ever doubted the powerful positive influence of a dad or father figure, doubt no longer.  Luckily, the head of the herd will return this weekend for a few days and hopefully be able to restore a little tranquility before leaving again. 

We miss you, Darin!  We are looking forward to our herd being together again for good!

Transplanting

A couple of weeks ago I was planting flowers in my yard.  I came across a rogue Black-eyed Susie that had cropped up in the front of the flower bed rather than in the back of the bed where all the others had been planted a few years ago.  I dug it up and transplanted it back where all it's "family members" lived - at the back of the bed.  It had been a happy little plant at the front of the bed, and once transplanted, it promptly wilted.  This is fairly common behavior for a transplanted plant - it takes a little while to adjust to it's new location. But with continued care I know that Black-eyed Susie will perk up and be full of blooms once late summer or early fall roll around. 

About this time 12 years ago, Darin and I flew into the Philadelphia International Airport and took our first drive up I-476.  Darin had been offered a job in Philadelphia and before accepting, we decided to check out the area.  We both felt such a sense of peace and we knew the Lord wanted us to move across the country and start a new phase in our life.  We planned to live in PA for 2-3 years and then move back to Utah  - closer to family. Leaving family behind in Utah was tough, but the peace and assurance we felt from the Lord helped ease the transition greatly. We gained a whole new family in our ward family, as well as a wealth of experiences that I truly believe we could not have been blessed with anywhere else.

In spite of our 2-3 year plan, my dad gave me some great advice right before we moved:  "Put down roots as if you were going to stay there forever."  Well, Dad, I did just that.  And here we are 12 years later and feeling like we could stay here forever.  I have put down roots deep.  Really deep.  I love living in this little patch of the Earth.  But I'm being uprooted.  And transplanted.  Back to Utah.  Darin and I have prayed about this move and have once again received peace and assurance from the Lord that this is what we are to do.  That truly is a tremendous blessing, but it doesn't mean that being uprooted doesn't hurt.  As grateful as I am to be going back to my family, it hurts to leave my other "family" behind.  It hurts to leave this absolutely beautiful location where so many friendships and memories have been made and lessons have been learned. 

I feel like that Black-eyed Susie.  What is wrong with where I am currently growing?  I quite like it here!  I am happy here!  But the Gardener has another location for me now.  The move hasn't occurred yet, but I fully anticipate wilting a bit once I have been set down in my new surroundings.  I don't say that to be negative - just realistic.  I know that it will be hard for me.  And yet, with the Gardener's continued care, I know that I will bounce back.  And perk up.  And put down my roots.  And bloom once again.

 

Maybe even by late summer or early fall.

Umm. Who are those boys' parents?

While sitting in the exam room at the pediatrician's office, Jacob and I were looking at a magazine together while Megan had her check up.  Out of nowhere I heard what sounded like "What the he**?"  uttered from Jacob's mouth.  My eyes widened and my head jerked up.  Jake was completely absorbed in the picture he was looking at, and in an attempt not to draw more attention to ourselves, I whispered, "What did you say?"  Jacob didn't pay much attention to me, but quietly and absent-mindedly replied, "What the hiya, hmmm, hee."  I looked up at the doctor and at Megan and asked, "Did he just say what I thought he said?"  They both laughingly confirmed it.  I stammered, "Where did he hear that?"  (I'm sure the doctor thought, "Duh, probably from you!")  But, really, I don't say that.  (Out loud anyway.  I would be lying if I said I didn't think it from time to time.)  Really.  Hilarious.  But awkward.  Very awkward.

The same day, Sarah and her cute friend, Stephanie (who happens to be African American) came home from school together and started working on homework.  Because I was stuck at the already mentioned, very awkward doctor's appointment, Sarah got Matthew off the bus when he came home from school.  He walked in the front door, unloaded his stuff, and then suddenly jumped back and said to Stephanie, who was sitting on a dark brown recliner, "Whoa!  You scared me.  You're camouflaged on that chair!"  Again.  Hilarious.  But awkward.  Very awkward.