Red Pine

Owen, Daniel, Peter and Katharine joined me for a fall hike this evening, yay I love fall!!!

My brother Neil was texting the family today about going on a fall drive up Guardsman. We each shared some photos from previous years and that woke me up to the reality that time was limited for peak fall colors at the high altitudes. I didn't realize until texting him today that my Red Pine hike last year was in September. For some reason I thought I had until October/General Conference this weekend (prob from the memory of this fall drive in 2018)... don't we still have atleast another week?? ...nope - it's go time NOW! That was all I needed to get myself up into the mountains today. The girls had work and young women's so I told ODPK of my plan and that WE ARE GOING, this one is not optional so get your shoes on. I knew I'd be slower with kids, but we went with enough time for a Katharine paced hike and we made it to the canyon view spot that I wanted to get to. Staring up at 5:30 -

The sun was setting at 7:10 tonight, so I hoped we'd get up to the spot by 6:30 and then head back before it got dark. We stopped to take a pic by the first bright yellow tree we saw, that looked really yellow with the sun shining coming through behind it.

Mount Superior on the other side of the canyon -

Hiking up and up and up.

These four cute kids did great tonight, they were real troopers. After passing the Gloria Falls path, we started to really get into the yellow aspen part of the trail -  

I felt like singing the hills are alive!!! 

It was so pretty!!! Short video of autumn's glory here.

And after an hour of hiking we were at the canyon view spot. Owen took this picture. 

Then I took a picture of them. Great job you awesome kids! 

We had a little snack of cashews at the top, then started back down. Katharine did so good hiking up, I said I'd give her a ride for some of the hike down. 

Owen carried K a little bit too. He and Daniel helped carry the backpacks too, they were good helpers. I thought this view was amazing on our hike down, with the sun still shining on the mountain peak behind the kids, and this orange and yellow aspen between us. 

When we passed the Gloria Falls trail, I asked the kids for a vote if we should hurry and go see the waterfall. Daniel was a hard no, I was carrying Katharine so she didn't get to vote, and Owen and Peter were both willing, so we went over. Daniel refused to be in the pic, but he tried to carry on and was there with us, just spent. 

Ok we can go back now. It was dark by the time we got to the car. 

They did great - 3.91 miles and a total time of 2 hours 5 min. Pretty good and again it was so beautiful. I was grateful they came on a hike with me. I love autumn and I loved spending time walking and talking with my cute kids tonight. 

Music & Toy Room

Today I moved the desk in the music room and have been busy rearranging things. The music room is  now going to be a music and toy room for our princess Katharine. 

The desk in here was already in the music room, my current task was to move it from the center of the room, where I had moved it to in Jan 2025, and now it is up against the walls again. I started the process Monday by moving all the music instruments and books etc stuff out and into the front room. Corey had spent Sunday evening cleaning the front room from all the Little People toys (Corey did that while we were on our fall drive). So a clean space means that gets to be the dump space while we try to make another space a clean space. It's like one step forward then three steps back...

The music room desk is a crazy heavy desk. I have to get under it and do a leg press against the underneath side of the desk and try to shimmy it inch by inch across the room. 

Corey was here and helped me get it against the wall, and also helped get the hutch thing on top of the desk. I felt bad to keep interrupting him, so one last task was to get the carpet under the desk. This is another carpet from my sister that matches the carpet in the side room. I had asked Katharine to help me first, and I had it in position so all she had to do was slide the carpet edge under the desk as I lifted it with a leg press, and then I'd check it and have her push the carpet bubble flat, but instead she slid the fold of the carpet under. I couldn't see what she was doing, but I said "Did you get it under?" and she said "You need to lift it higher..." as I was like I can't lift it higher!! that's when I decided I needed Corey's help, not a toddler's. She's cute though. So Corey helped me with that and now the carpet is centered in the room properly. I moved the books out from the white ikea shelves (I have too many books) and I don't know where I'm going to put all of them, I should probably donate some, but we are using the shelf for her toys for a while. Side room is still clean since Saturday. Daniel reading today. 

We all like clean and simplified spaces. I wish we could all do better and keeping them clean. I'm fighting for the side room though. After scriptures each night, I push the couch cushions back in, fix the pillows and blankets, and I'm also fighting to keep it swept and mopped. As for all the excess I have, I remember reading once that you can't organize clutter, you just have to get rid of it. I need to get in a simplify and purge mood. I did get a book "Simplify" from the library recently. I'll try to read that to help me get rid of stuff I don't use. I took a ride to the ruins this evening. I was going to go tomorrow morning while Katharine is at a playdate, but I decided to go tonight so that I can catch up on computer work tomorrow instead. The autumn colors in the canyon are at their peak right now!

Tonight at scriptures Corey told Sophi that she's going to Korea with him next month. He told me last night that he booked them tickets after he saw a killer deal on airfare. His friend Peter/Byunchul has been asking him to come, so it seemed like the stars aligned. 

She's excited, and in return she agreed to go along with all his silly fatherly rules without question for the next 4 years until she graduates. Then she can do her own thing. 

P-Day Call & Roses

It's Abi's p-day. She Abi shared some fun stories on her call to us today. She's two months in (in two more days) and still smiling.

She called when I was on a drive with Sophi, taking her to fill out some paper work for her new job - she got a job as a sweeper at the local elementary, a job a neighbor friend also has. So that's fun, M-F after school for a few hours, weekends off, so that's a pretty good gig for a 15 year old. For FHE we had a few chocolate raspberry yogurt treats that I made after watching a youtube reel that I can't find now. I made them in ice cube trays, which worked ok. There was precipitation in the forecast for today and tomorrow, so I cut the big beautiful three headed rose from yesterday (and two others) and brought them inside so they wouldn't risk being beat up or destroyed by any hard rain. 

I've been enjoying them all day.

Taking them into the bathroom for a photo shoot - to catch their reflection and make it look like I have even more roses! DO YOU SEE THESE!!!?!?!?!

Oh my goodness. Even without the reflection boosting their number, I have to say that these are the BIGGEST prettiest poofy-est loveliest roses I have ever seen. Wow wow wow and sigh, each time I've walked past them today I press my nose into their soft petals and breath them in, so gorgeous. I've been thinking about Isaiah 35:1- what does it mean to blossom like a rose??

• The Setting: The chapter paints a picture of a dry, empty desert that suddenly becomes glad, joyful, and full of colorful life. My bush was dead and dry and empty looking sticks only a few months ago (last pic), now it's so full and vibrant and colorful! I love the sunset colors of the peace rose...

• The Symbolism: Blooming like a rose shows that God can bring beauty and new life into the hardest, most empty places. 

That is a beautiful symbol! Corey shared with our class yesterday that we can take Isaiah's teachings and make them ours - like how Brigham Young took that same verse and made it about the Salt Lake Desert. I'm going to try and find some verses in Isaiah that I can take and make my own - make them about my life. 

Kyhv Peak

I took the kids on a fall drive this evening. I wanted to go all day, but didn't get the troops rallied in time to beat the sunset, so we cut it a little short and didn't do the Alpine loop and just went up Squaw Peak. 

I shared this pic with the college kids, and I got a few comments - Hyrum: "Why does it look like there's barely any kids home when there's 7?" Ethan: "Yea fr, that's it? And how is Sophi second in command??" Haha. Yeah, Sophi was the first baby born at this house, when this current chapter of our life started. Now it's 15 years later and she's not only second in command, but Lily is a senior and leaving next summer, so in less than a year, Sophi will be in charge of the kids! That's nuts. "Where'd all the time go?"  

I'm not sure we'll make it around the Alpine Loop or Guardsman this year, but we did something tonight so we'll call that a win. We left too late to do Alpine Loop. Maybe we could do it for FHE tomorrow? Hmm, but the kids prob don't want to go on another drive with me. Hmm, this was 9 Oct 2022 (THAT was a gorgeous year!) ... maybe there's still time? It was such a hot dry summer though, I think most of the colors are past their peak. But maybe we can try to drive around during General Conference this next weekend. So it was a nice drive. One more pic as the sun was setting over Timp. Can barely see Peter...

Not as brilliant as other years, but that's ok, we'll take whatever autumn we're able to get. We've been up here before, 12 Oct 2017 and 10 Oct 2019. Oh I need to correct myself - back then it was named Squaw Peak, but I learned tonight that it was renamed in September 2022 to Kyhv, the Ute word for "mountain". Ok I had to look this up too, cause it sounds like Kyiv Ukraine... Kyve the Ute word is pronounced as "kaiv" (rhyming with dive or hive), or phonetically as keye-v. Good to know. The drive was nice. Fall is slipping away too quickly though, sigh. When we got back, Corey had just cleaned the house the whole time. The Little People in the front room are all cleaned up now. I need to make a play room area for Katharine... I shall work on that this week. 

I do like that fall comes with a few fall roses, and check out these beauties!

These are huge roses like I usually have gotten over the years on this shrub, not like the beginner buds from this summer as the bush recovered from Wesley's pruning job. 

I'm very happy with these! I've been taking time to smell the roses every day. They are lovely. 

Big Mountain

The forecast says it's going to rain Monday and Tuesday next week, so I really wanted to get up in the mountains today. Corey needed to get in a ride too, since he spent his morning at soccer games. I spent mine helping my sister move. There were some logistics we had to work out first - Natalie had a b-day party at 6. Hyrum agreed to take her there (out by Churchill) and then he'd go to Wayne's and stay there for the next few days. Ok great. Sophi agreed to stay home while we did our ride. She had a b-day party at 8. That works, we'll be back by then. Katharine wanted to go to Uptown Jungle, but I told her that Sloane was coming over to play, and so she was ok with that. Then Corey and I left. I was game for the ruins, Park City, or Corner Canyon. Corey veto's PC cause he didn't want to drive that far. He was game for Snowbird. So we went there, and unfortunately it is Oktoberfest, which means we had to park far away. Not that big of a deal, cause we were able to just ride our bikes down, BUT I think it did cause enough of a delay that we didn't get to the top like I was hoping. But it was beautiful. 

Maybe us not getting to the top was because I kept stopping to take pictures. 

IT WAS SO PRETTY! Not the most amazing pretty (kinda muted colors again this year) but still pretty, and with the sun shining through the trees it was lovely.

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous

Thanks for the ride sweetie! 13.61 miles in 2 hours 47 min, 2 hour climb, 47 min ride back down.

Not bad for two 50 year olds. 

It got dark quickly.

Pretty pretty. Maybe there will still be a chance to go to the top, but that was a lot of work... I wonder if I have it in me to go again this year even if we do get a chance. We were so close! We got the same distance as last time, 13.60 miles, actually we got 13.61 today, but that's cause we rode from up on the road down to the parking lot cause parking was all full with Oktoberfest, boo. Oh well. I bet we'll have another chance, though Saturday soccer games makes it tricky. First and last time that we got to the top was 2024. I love the view from up there on top of the world. 

SO, it was a busy day and I am glad we were able to fit that in eventhough we didn't have as long as I would have liked. Corey took the boys to their games this morning, and he took Katharine with him as well, she was happy to play with Scarlett. I took HLSNP to help my sister move at 10am. There were a lot of men from the neighborhood there, so that was good. They did most of the heavy lifting but we tried to contribute where we could. Peter sweeping, he's a sweetheart. 

He likes to sweep too. 

Sophi learned that she has a natural talent for playing the accordion and she wants an accordion now. I shall keep my eyes out! Anything to help this girl practice something music wise, she and Natalie haven't done much the past year. The girls and Peter got a few gifts after cleaning - some lego flowers that were not going to make the move. 

Natalie got a new car! I mean desk!

Congratulations.

Jersh was also not taking two carpets, and I thought we could use them in the basement, so my brother Neil helped bring those to our house with the desk. Even though people in my family have allergies (Corey, Sophi, Daniel, Peter...) and these carpets have been living in an area with three dogs and two cats, I decided I'm not scared of that. Natalie helped me and we vacuumed them a lot, and mopped the side room, and Natalie vacuumed under the couch cushions and stuff too, and they are nice big area rugs, which I've been wishing for for a while. The side room has been heavy with the black shag carpet in there, which wasn't large enough with the big couches and ottoman, I haven't liked it for a while... We moved the ottoman downstairs, the carpet is larger and lighter colored, and it looks really nice now! 

So that was a blessing, thanks Jersh. Hyrum went up with Neil and helped unload at her new house in Bountiful. Natalie and I stayed and cleaned, took time to smell the roses...

Here is my three headed rose from the front yard peace rose bush - I love them! We worked hard today, so I was glad to reward myself with the ride tonight. Tomorrow is fast Sunday, started my fast around 3. We left at 4 with a few logistics that the kids helped us out with - Hyrum stayed to watch kids and then he took Natalie out to a b-day party at 6, then went to stay at Wayne's again. It's been nice having him here! Lily had work, Sophi stayed and watched kids, Katharine had been asking to go to Uptown Jungle, but I told her that Sloane was coming over, and we babysat her, she's Peter's age, so Kat was ok with that. They played sliding a toddler mattress down the stairs. 

Mel and Christian were here when we got back. They are going to Florida on Monday, fun! Corey visited with them and I went to pick up Natalie at 10. It's late, tiredness has just hit me. Goodnight. 

No School

Katharine has been sleeping with Peter lately. They are a cute little pair. 

Daniel and Peter didn't have school today because of parent teacher conferences, so Katharine was glad to have her basement buddy here to play with her. They played legos downstairs and little people in the front room. I let them take it over a few days ago and they are still happy reigning over their little kingdom. Hyrum was home, and I was thinking I'd try to sneak away for a hike... I asked Hyrum if I could take his car, he said yes, but then I ended up not being in a spot to get away until after the girls got home, so then I just took the van. With Hyrum home to keep a professional eye on things, I felt ok about being gone longer than usual and I was gone exploring in the canyon for 3+ hours. I brought along my clippers with plans to cut my way through some trees and make a more clear trail on the south side. I made good progress and I felt a little bit like a weirdo but it was fun. Once I was was finished clearing things, I headed to my final destination below the ruins waterfall. I got our my little toddler blanket from my back pack, sprayed myself with a little bit of bug spray, and then layed down by the creek and listened to the water. Kind of a nap, just long enough for me to zone out and then come to again. I also made myself a chair, which was fun. I sat there and read the scriptures. I guess it's more of a stool, I guess. When I decided I'd fooled around long enough, I started to walk down the main trail, but then remembered I hadn't gotten water, so I went back to the creek and then I got distracted for 15+ more minutes throwing rocks to make another pile for me to possibly cross on. I didn't finish, but made progress. 

I did 3 miles in 3 hours, so not a lot of distance, but a lot of fun. If I do a 12 hour walk, I'd totally do it up here and just have fun for 12 hours. O'Brady did say it doesn't matter if you do 1 mile or 20, the thing is to be alone and with your thoughts, and I can do that, esp up in our canyon. I love the canyon, it's bliss and color and I love it. 

Enjoying my autumn walk back to the car. 

I got home the same time as Corey. Then we got dressed and went out for date night. Hyrum got a movie on for the kids and went out for some Little Ceasar's pizzas. Corey and I went to eat at the new Aubergine in Sugarhouse. Corey said there was a bit too much greenery there. It was nice, just definitely a girl place. His testosterone took a hit, kinda as if he'd gone shopping at the mall (Mars & Venus) haha.