It was Scott's birthday yesterday and it was a wonderful day. Hunter was so excited to be able to share the whole day with his dad while the other two and I stayed home at the cabin and did some birthday preparations.
Poppa Joe flew in yesterday and Hunter and Scott headed north to Salt Lake City to pick him up. While they were gone, Katie, Ben and I baked a cake which Katie decorated (and Ben helped eat the frosting), cleaned the cabin and made several birthday decorations which included a giant 'Happy Birthday Dad' sign and numerous paper doll people that we strung along the mantle. The shadows of their paper legs were just dancing on the ceiling tonight while the fire roared. I think the paper dolls are here to stay.
All the kids painted their very best picture for Scott and I framed them. Katie painted an outdoor scene with a fox, several birds eating bird seed, a lovely sky and a bright shining sun. Ben painted three giant red flowers, a blue streaked sun and clouds. And Hunter painted the BEST buffalo you could imagine! Horns and all! Katie traced Hunter's hands and feet, cut them out and glued them together making a butterfly, another gift for dad. And Katie spent the better part of the day (and I felt like I did too) latch hooking a rug. It has two bunnies in a flower garden and she had the best intentions of finishing before he arrived back at the cabin with Poppa Joe. But we still have a lot of work to do on it.
Poppa Joe arrived safely and we enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner together and "trick" candles on the cake afterwards. Such great memories.
We lost 4 calves since the last time we blogged. So we talked about what life on a farm is like and what can happen. The kids stood by while Scott and the other Farmer Scott hauled the two dead calves over and loaded them into the truck. That needed to be done right away to defer any coyotes or cats coming around.
There was no real reason and we are perplexed as to the "why". However, today was good and all babies are well. Katie DID get her wish to give a calf a bottle. There was one that was not nursing from her mom so well so we had to supplement a little. Actually, that little calf sounds a lot like Katie did. Hunter helped too. It was new for both of them, but they each did great.
We snowmobiled up past the ranch. Scott and Poppa Joe went up to check a pond which gave the kids and I a chance to do some exploring. Katie spotted some coyote tracks and crawled along side of them for what seemed like a 1/4 mile. She called me over and we all began to follow. Along side those tracks appeared some rabbit tracks. And we soon approached the area where the rabbit tracks were no more. It was weird though because there was not a bone left, no blood, nothing but fur. Katie was saddened and said, "Poor bunny." and my response was "Everything needs to eat." She walked off down the road as though she was contemplating this.
I looked one last time down at the fur scattered around and there, in an imprint in the snow, was the rabbit tail! I reached down to grab it and stood up to find Katie standing beside me asking what I found. When I told her, that "circle of life" sadness was gone and she looked up at me with excitement in her eyes and asked if she could have the tail for her treasure box. It made me smile to think of her treasure box in ten years, completely forgotten about, shoved over her bed in the dark abyss of who knows what. And there within that treasure box will be these memories of her times here. That rabbit tail will help her recall this day and I wonder what she will say about it when she's much older. And I hope that those things that she (and her brothers) recall as their real treasures will be the experiences they have here. Right now, it looks like a rabbit tail, but in twenty years, it will look like a deep love and appreciation for what surrounds them, the excitement there along with wonder and to always believe in the 'magic' of the world.
We continued onward on the snow mobiles and there, right along the side of the road, were more coyote tracks, sometimes more than one! Then there would appear more rabbit tracks and then the tracks would disappear and a little ways on down the road just the coyote tracks would reappear. Katie was like a tracker! She was riding on the back of the snowmobile with Poppa Joe and she just kept pointing out tracks with the walking stick she acquired.
Scott and Hunter went back over to call coyotes while the rest of us stayed back at the cabin to cozy in by the fire. Poppa Joe fell fast asleep on the couch while Ben, Katie and I snuggled and read stories. Katie and I needle felted a little red pony for our puppet play we are planning for our show.
After Scott got back with Hunter, my dad and I went snow shoeing. We saw a ton of tracks...a bull elk, coyote, something that looked like a bobcat cat and some mystery tracks that I named "the one legged coyote." My dad said to me that he would not want to be in such a beautiful place with anyone but me and that made my heart sing.
I put Hunter to bed tonight and he drew pictures while I read to him. The picture he drew was of his dad, three coyotes, the sky, a happy sunshine......and a rifle. So, the day had an impact!
Scott and my dad are hanging out by the fire, talking, drinking scotch. Scott just ate a little something chocolatey and said, "Scotch and chocolate ~ there is nothing better." Just telling stories & laughing.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A snowy day!
Friday was another beautiful day. We all woke up and just hung out, the kids playing one of their on-going imaginary games while Scott and I enjoyed a cup of instant coffee (it grows on you). The kids all wanted to snowmobile and I just wanted a break from that, so Scott chauffeured them around, each taking their turn and waiting while he circled around the big field out front blazing the trail. I decided to have a nice quiet morning to myself and set out snow shoeing, something I had been looking forward to for quite some time.
There is something to be said about "Nature" and how breathtaking it can be, beautiful and peaceful in its own unique way but also a bit scary. There is something about being out here that makes us so removed from everything else, but that is also a scary thing as well. For example, trying to walk through the snow without snow shoes on, you could just snap your leg right in half because the snow is so deep that you take one step and float over the top but the next step you cave in up to your upper thigh! You could just snap your leg and just be in the middle of nowhere, well, not nowhere, but not a quick to the ER.
Now, snow shoeing alone and just enjoying the quiet, was what I had in mind and those kind of thoughts were really not part of my thinking (having anything bad happen). Yet. The kids and Scott would periodically show up from behind all waving, yes, all four of them can fit on Big Blue. And then they would zoom off leaving me to huff and puff my way over the ridge, down into the wash, over a ravine, and then back up the ridge to return to the open field and head back up towards the cabin. I thought for sure I would see some deer, but did not. What I did see were some mystery tracks and I just could not tell exactly what they were because the snow was so deep. Like a total idiot, I followed them. After a bit, I started thinking to myself, what if those tracks are mountain lion tracks and here I come sweating my ass off, huffing and puffing behaving like some naive city girl. So, I began to steer clear and head AWAY from the tracks.
Heading back up the side of the ridge posed to be rather challenging, it could have been that by now I was convinced I was being stalked by a mountain lion or that I just could not find the small little road to take me back up the easy way. So, this ended up to be quite the workout as I pretty much headed straight up doing my best to traverse across, step over the exposed sage brush and not lose my balance and go rolling down the hill and land deep down in the snow for no one to see me. So, I was thinking about how stupid it is to venture out on your own out here (and normally I am much smarter about this, but was just so excited about exploring.)
OK, so I walking towards the direction I know the cabin is in and am ever so grateful to see the snow mobile tracks from when the crew was tracking me. So I am just going to aim to follow those back. And suddenly, there before me, going across the track of the snow mobile are what I believe to be cat tracks!!! Let me just say, I really got a great workout that morning! I was snow shoeing like you would not believe and whistling, singing, waving my poles around ( you know you are suppose to make yourself look as big as you can if ever you come upon a cat in the wild) because, of course, I am convinced I am totally being followed. Anyway, I obviously made it back home safely and all is well.
As I came up over the hill, I could see Scott and Hunter pulling Katie and Ben around on the hood. Scott had strapped it to the back of the sled and he and Hunter just drove slowly around and around while the snow piled onto their face shields. Of course, they were wearing helmets. I was sure happy to see them and laughed at the sight of them all!
We did head back down later that day and discovered that they were coyote tracks instead. Ironically, that morning Scott was calling them with his fancy little coyote caller, which I have to say, Hunter can imitate perfectly. So, he must have called one in because the tracks were fresh. So now, I just plan to snow shoe around the "yard" ~ at least where my imagination will not get the best of me.
I am proud to say...(drum roll, please)...that I went up to 38 mph on the snowmobile! I will most likely say this more than once on this trip, but Scott was right, you do get used to it. He did pull up along side me yesterday as we were headed to the farm and "request" that we aim to go about 20-25. I looked at him apprehensively but agreed. So, began the need for speed!
Anyway, yesterday was a wonderfully fun farm day. We spent some time at the shop with the new kitties and then headed over to the farm to see all the new cattle babies. Buckwheat, the dog, is doing well and was ever so happy to see us. I was impressed that the last time Scott was out here in December, he built the dog a little hay doghouse, which he loves. See, I always knew Scotty was a softy at heart. I even chuckled to myself when he unlocked the shed door when he realized the cats were still out and the temperature was going to drop.
We stayed at the farm for quite awhile. We walked up the side of the fencing to see all the babies, the kids and I even got pretty close to one. I was just about to reach my hand out to it and let it suck on my finger when the mom let out a low bellow and I decided that was not such a good idea. There was one little guy just laying out there in the pasture and not moving. I thought to myself that here comes a teachable moment about life on the farm, one which I was not really wanting to have. I had this image of Scott scooping it up and carrying it over all limp and having to answer a whole lotta questions about that. But when Scott walked out into the pasture and no mom came over, I did think this was bad news. But then Scott squatted down and started giving the little guy, well, girl, a scratch on the forehead and we all knew things were ok. He said she was just totally sound asleep! I kept waiting to rescue Scott if he was going to get charged!
We headed back home thinking the snow might start as was forecast but we traveled back to the cabin and all was well.
This morning (Saturday) we were up and out the door by 745am because there was such a snow storm coming that we thought it best we head to town and get any last minute supplies so we would be prepared to be snowed in. It really was coming down and the trees were all just covered in this heavy blanket of snow. The snow flakes were enormous and snow was already accumulating by 8am. We got back to the cabin, completely drenched, at about noon. Going to town is never a quick trip. We had lunch and Scott was back to giving rides again.
Later, Scott and Katie went over to the farm to help the other Scott (the man who runs the farm) with the cattle. They went around and counted calves, a total of 11 now! We even had our first bull today. So, Katie was pretty excited about getting the chance to round up the cattle into the corral for the night. There is one new mommy not taking too well to it and her little one is not taking milk yet, so Katie might even get her wish to give the baby a bottle.
The boys and I did some sledding, built a snow jump for the sled and gathered things for the snowman we made yesterday. Hunter will just go down and up and down and up and down and up until he is just exhausted. He looked up at me after he had flung himself into the deep snow and said he wished he was wearing just a tank top because he was so hot. "Mom, feel my head," he said. Each day, he pretends he has snowmobiling class, his green sled is his snow mobile. He even was at "tree school" today while we were searching under each evergreen for the pine cone eyes for the snowman. He, of course, can just walk right over the snow and stay afloat. I, on the other hand, have to crawl or I just take about 2 steps and am stuck. Actually several times the kids have lost a boot in the deep snow because it literally was just stuck down there. So, we do a lot of digging! We probably got 8-10 inches of snow and more is coming tomorrow. It's funny, all the while we were in town, it was raining.
Katie and I just began "By the Shores of Silver Lake" the 4Th book from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. There was one section that really resonated with me.
"There was something else here that was not anywhere else. It was an enormous stillness that made you feel still. And when you were still, you could feel great stillness coming closer."
That is what we find here...stillness. And it continues to amaze me what comes forth from that stillness - either just within myself, what I see coming through our children, a deeper connection to Scott, a growing love of all things. It seems we are all our best selves here. And I cannot really place my finger on exactly why. I find myself amazed at the quiet and the only sounds today were of each other, but also of the sounds of nature as the heavy snow could no longer hang on to the branch of the trees, or the dripping of the melting snow over the red rock canyon, or the way the clouds move through the valley, the way the snow blows so silently off the tip of the Mount Nebo just blowing until invisible. And within all that wonder, I see my family and know we are just where we should be, in every way.
There is something to be said about "Nature" and how breathtaking it can be, beautiful and peaceful in its own unique way but also a bit scary. There is something about being out here that makes us so removed from everything else, but that is also a scary thing as well. For example, trying to walk through the snow without snow shoes on, you could just snap your leg right in half because the snow is so deep that you take one step and float over the top but the next step you cave in up to your upper thigh! You could just snap your leg and just be in the middle of nowhere, well, not nowhere, but not a quick to the ER.
Now, snow shoeing alone and just enjoying the quiet, was what I had in mind and those kind of thoughts were really not part of my thinking (having anything bad happen). Yet. The kids and Scott would periodically show up from behind all waving, yes, all four of them can fit on Big Blue. And then they would zoom off leaving me to huff and puff my way over the ridge, down into the wash, over a ravine, and then back up the ridge to return to the open field and head back up towards the cabin. I thought for sure I would see some deer, but did not. What I did see were some mystery tracks and I just could not tell exactly what they were because the snow was so deep. Like a total idiot, I followed them. After a bit, I started thinking to myself, what if those tracks are mountain lion tracks and here I come sweating my ass off, huffing and puffing behaving like some naive city girl. So, I began to steer clear and head AWAY from the tracks.
Heading back up the side of the ridge posed to be rather challenging, it could have been that by now I was convinced I was being stalked by a mountain lion or that I just could not find the small little road to take me back up the easy way. So, this ended up to be quite the workout as I pretty much headed straight up doing my best to traverse across, step over the exposed sage brush and not lose my balance and go rolling down the hill and land deep down in the snow for no one to see me. So, I was thinking about how stupid it is to venture out on your own out here (and normally I am much smarter about this, but was just so excited about exploring.)
OK, so I walking towards the direction I know the cabin is in and am ever so grateful to see the snow mobile tracks from when the crew was tracking me. So I am just going to aim to follow those back. And suddenly, there before me, going across the track of the snow mobile are what I believe to be cat tracks!!! Let me just say, I really got a great workout that morning! I was snow shoeing like you would not believe and whistling, singing, waving my poles around ( you know you are suppose to make yourself look as big as you can if ever you come upon a cat in the wild) because, of course, I am convinced I am totally being followed. Anyway, I obviously made it back home safely and all is well.
As I came up over the hill, I could see Scott and Hunter pulling Katie and Ben around on the hood. Scott had strapped it to the back of the sled and he and Hunter just drove slowly around and around while the snow piled onto their face shields. Of course, they were wearing helmets. I was sure happy to see them and laughed at the sight of them all!
We did head back down later that day and discovered that they were coyote tracks instead. Ironically, that morning Scott was calling them with his fancy little coyote caller, which I have to say, Hunter can imitate perfectly. So, he must have called one in because the tracks were fresh. So now, I just plan to snow shoe around the "yard" ~ at least where my imagination will not get the best of me.
I am proud to say...(drum roll, please)...that I went up to 38 mph on the snowmobile! I will most likely say this more than once on this trip, but Scott was right, you do get used to it. He did pull up along side me yesterday as we were headed to the farm and "request" that we aim to go about 20-25. I looked at him apprehensively but agreed. So, began the need for speed!
Anyway, yesterday was a wonderfully fun farm day. We spent some time at the shop with the new kitties and then headed over to the farm to see all the new cattle babies. Buckwheat, the dog, is doing well and was ever so happy to see us. I was impressed that the last time Scott was out here in December, he built the dog a little hay doghouse, which he loves. See, I always knew Scotty was a softy at heart. I even chuckled to myself when he unlocked the shed door when he realized the cats were still out and the temperature was going to drop.
We stayed at the farm for quite awhile. We walked up the side of the fencing to see all the babies, the kids and I even got pretty close to one. I was just about to reach my hand out to it and let it suck on my finger when the mom let out a low bellow and I decided that was not such a good idea. There was one little guy just laying out there in the pasture and not moving. I thought to myself that here comes a teachable moment about life on the farm, one which I was not really wanting to have. I had this image of Scott scooping it up and carrying it over all limp and having to answer a whole lotta questions about that. But when Scott walked out into the pasture and no mom came over, I did think this was bad news. But then Scott squatted down and started giving the little guy, well, girl, a scratch on the forehead and we all knew things were ok. He said she was just totally sound asleep! I kept waiting to rescue Scott if he was going to get charged!
We headed back home thinking the snow might start as was forecast but we traveled back to the cabin and all was well.
This morning (Saturday) we were up and out the door by 745am because there was such a snow storm coming that we thought it best we head to town and get any last minute supplies so we would be prepared to be snowed in. It really was coming down and the trees were all just covered in this heavy blanket of snow. The snow flakes were enormous and snow was already accumulating by 8am. We got back to the cabin, completely drenched, at about noon. Going to town is never a quick trip. We had lunch and Scott was back to giving rides again.
Later, Scott and Katie went over to the farm to help the other Scott (the man who runs the farm) with the cattle. They went around and counted calves, a total of 11 now! We even had our first bull today. So, Katie was pretty excited about getting the chance to round up the cattle into the corral for the night. There is one new mommy not taking too well to it and her little one is not taking milk yet, so Katie might even get her wish to give the baby a bottle.
The boys and I did some sledding, built a snow jump for the sled and gathered things for the snowman we made yesterday. Hunter will just go down and up and down and up and down and up until he is just exhausted. He looked up at me after he had flung himself into the deep snow and said he wished he was wearing just a tank top because he was so hot. "Mom, feel my head," he said. Each day, he pretends he has snowmobiling class, his green sled is his snow mobile. He even was at "tree school" today while we were searching under each evergreen for the pine cone eyes for the snowman. He, of course, can just walk right over the snow and stay afloat. I, on the other hand, have to crawl or I just take about 2 steps and am stuck. Actually several times the kids have lost a boot in the deep snow because it literally was just stuck down there. So, we do a lot of digging! We probably got 8-10 inches of snow and more is coming tomorrow. It's funny, all the while we were in town, it was raining.
Katie and I just began "By the Shores of Silver Lake" the 4Th book from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. There was one section that really resonated with me.
"There was something else here that was not anywhere else. It was an enormous stillness that made you feel still. And when you were still, you could feel great stillness coming closer."
That is what we find here...stillness. And it continues to amaze me what comes forth from that stillness - either just within myself, what I see coming through our children, a deeper connection to Scott, a growing love of all things. It seems we are all our best selves here. And I cannot really place my finger on exactly why. I find myself amazed at the quiet and the only sounds today were of each other, but also of the sounds of nature as the heavy snow could no longer hang on to the branch of the trees, or the dripping of the melting snow over the red rock canyon, or the way the clouds move through the valley, the way the snow blows so silently off the tip of the Mount Nebo just blowing until invisible. And within all that wonder, I see my family and know we are just where we should be, in every way.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Back in Utah - Winter 2011
After we left this past summer, Utah just lives in us. Our time here together, what we did, how we did it, the adventures we had - just all of it, is present within us while we are back in Wisconsin. Coming back to here is a driving force where we justify doing without, working long hours, and planning ahead to be able to come again. Our school has a little winter break in mid February and we thought that would be a wonderful time to come back to this home away from home.
The kids were amazing on the trip out. Truly, Scott and I just kept looking over at one another wondering when the bottom would fall out, but it never did. So, we were grateful our kids were so well behaved. They even earned themselves two compliments which earned them a special treat later that day. It was no wonder that Scott and I were probably the most exhausted when we arrived.
It is a long day of travel to get here. But once you arrive, the fun really begins. We have to take a snowmobile up to the cabin, so the question has always been, "How do we get all this luggage up there on the snowmobile?" That is where the old hood comes into play. So, once we arrived at the shop, and for those of you who were curious, Scary Cat came out to greet us with her two feline friends, Cookie & Grease, we started to load up the hood and strap things down.
I must admit, I am a really great packer. All the kids clothes, outer gear, my clothes and snow pants all packed into the same suitcase...am I amazing or what? I must have saved us $50 of luggage fees (which Katie and I intend on using to treat ourselves to a pedicure while we are here).
Then, after that is all set, we adventure out into the field and start heading to the cabin. I followed Scott, who was pulling the hood, while he road with Hunter in front of him and Katie rode behind him, facing backwards, to watch for the suitcase, carry on's or whatever to fall off the back. Benny road with me.
Such Beauty! Just everywhere...all around. The tip of Mount Nebo was hidden behind the clouds but the blue sky and warm sun shone down on us, welcoming us back, embracing us like an old friend. The mountains surrounding were filled with snow, each tree gently dusted with this white magic. The kids faces were aglow and just filled with excitement. It is great to be back!
I watched Katie for most of the trip up, mostly making she she did not fall while she was watching to see that none of the bags fell! She smiled ear to ear the entire way, throwing in a thumb's up every once in awhile. As I watched her spirit just come to life, I wondered to myself how does one help introduce the beauty of the world to their children so that they will actually see it and it will matter and make a difference. Do you tell them? Point it out with comments? Or do you just see and feel the beauty yourself and then they see that in you? I certainly do not know the answer to that, but know that what we see within our kids when we immerse them in nature is like a spark that ignites when we arrive here being surrounded by these magic & mysterious mountains.
We were lucky because this time we arrived before dark and before the snow (unlike last year when we had to blaze the trail in the dark and the snow!) Katie gathered wood and started a fire (with a little help from dad) while the rest of us unpacked and explored.
The little tote of toys we left from the summer was like a long lost treasure! They pulled out all the items in the tote and just dove in! It was great to see the kids just enjoying such simple toys, toys were they really had to use their imaginations to make them fun.
So, I did not want to admit this yet, it seems too soon, but I really... honestly... in all sincerity... DO NOT care for snowmobiling. Really, at all. I am so white knuckled, especially trying to control this machine with a child either holding onto me or sitting in front, that I cannot remotely take in the scenery because I am concentrating so hard on not falling over or going over a cliff. I just want to clear up any misconception anyone might have about me. I like to go about 11, maybe if I am really feeling brave, I might, just maybe, go 15. I cannot tell you how many times Scott will drive off and disappear and have to wait for me coming around the bend. He comments about how he does not know what happened to me - that I used to be so fearless.
So, with that being said, I have dumped over twice already and have only been on it three times. Those odds are not too good. The first time, I was with the boys. Ben was in the front and Hunter behind me. The snow out here is deceiving. Just by looking at it, you might think it's a foot or two, but if you actually go stand in it, it is up to your waist and that is not even the bottom. Do not even get me started talking about what an actual snow drift out here looks like!
So, the snow outside the trail (oh, did I mention yet that~there is no trail, just us, we are the trail makers)but the snow outside the trail is evil and just wants to suck you down into it. The machine just keeps going in that wrong direction despite your best efforts, which I always feel that mine are awfully puny in comparison to the weight of that sled!
So, we just got sucked in and fell over. We were all fine, the boys did not even panic. I was not really panicked either but just overwhelmed by the situation. For me, riding a snowmobile is like just waiting to tip over, you just never know when that will happen. Scott assured me that it will take a day or two to get used to it, it is like anything he said. He is so good for me! I know he is right, but it was not too much farther up the trail when we fell over again.
This time, the sled was completely on its side, I mean, completely and my foot was trapped underneath. I am laying there asking the boys if they can move, Scott is running back down the trail (remember, the one we are blazing) to come and rescue us and I am thinking, "It's really pretty here, I am glad we stopped." So, with some heaving and pushing and pulling, we got the snowmobile unstuck. Really, in record time. So, that was enough fun for me for one day. Could we just go to the grocery store now?
So we did. But not before Scott got stuck with Katie and Hunter. Hunter did not want to ride with me anymore. That kid! He woke up this morning at 5am and the first thing he asked was if him and Scott could go over a jump!
And last but not least, Scott took a pretty bad (but rather funny) fall off his sled this afternoon. He's pretty sore. And I can imagine because he heard a crunch after he flipped over the front of the sled. He thought he broke his shoulder yet could not feel any pain. He thought that maybe the adrenaline had kicked, so he just laid there a bit.
Maybe tomorrow we will just snowshoe.
Tomorrow we are headed over to see the cattle. There was another baby born last night and we are eager to see them all. As of this afternoon, there were 6 so far. There actually were 7, but one did not make it. They thought maybe a coyote got it. That adds more excitement for Scott because he wants to shot one. Katie already has bids on it because she wants to make a hat!
It was an early bedtime for the kids. But as we were sitting having dinner together, the moon rose up over the hills (which are more like mountains in comparison to WI). It will not be full until tomorrow night, but we all did stop what we were doing, walked to the window and just gazed at its beauty. There is nothing like the sound of a child saying, "WOW...that is amazing" to make you realize just how beautiful the world around really is and how grateful we are to be a part of that.
The kids were amazing on the trip out. Truly, Scott and I just kept looking over at one another wondering when the bottom would fall out, but it never did. So, we were grateful our kids were so well behaved. They even earned themselves two compliments which earned them a special treat later that day. It was no wonder that Scott and I were probably the most exhausted when we arrived.
It is a long day of travel to get here. But once you arrive, the fun really begins. We have to take a snowmobile up to the cabin, so the question has always been, "How do we get all this luggage up there on the snowmobile?" That is where the old hood comes into play. So, once we arrived at the shop, and for those of you who were curious, Scary Cat came out to greet us with her two feline friends, Cookie & Grease, we started to load up the hood and strap things down.
I must admit, I am a really great packer. All the kids clothes, outer gear, my clothes and snow pants all packed into the same suitcase...am I amazing or what? I must have saved us $50 of luggage fees (which Katie and I intend on using to treat ourselves to a pedicure while we are here).
Then, after that is all set, we adventure out into the field and start heading to the cabin. I followed Scott, who was pulling the hood, while he road with Hunter in front of him and Katie rode behind him, facing backwards, to watch for the suitcase, carry on's or whatever to fall off the back. Benny road with me.
Such Beauty! Just everywhere...all around. The tip of Mount Nebo was hidden behind the clouds but the blue sky and warm sun shone down on us, welcoming us back, embracing us like an old friend. The mountains surrounding were filled with snow, each tree gently dusted with this white magic. The kids faces were aglow and just filled with excitement. It is great to be back!
I watched Katie for most of the trip up, mostly making she she did not fall while she was watching to see that none of the bags fell! She smiled ear to ear the entire way, throwing in a thumb's up every once in awhile. As I watched her spirit just come to life, I wondered to myself how does one help introduce the beauty of the world to their children so that they will actually see it and it will matter and make a difference. Do you tell them? Point it out with comments? Or do you just see and feel the beauty yourself and then they see that in you? I certainly do not know the answer to that, but know that what we see within our kids when we immerse them in nature is like a spark that ignites when we arrive here being surrounded by these magic & mysterious mountains.
We were lucky because this time we arrived before dark and before the snow (unlike last year when we had to blaze the trail in the dark and the snow!) Katie gathered wood and started a fire (with a little help from dad) while the rest of us unpacked and explored.
The little tote of toys we left from the summer was like a long lost treasure! They pulled out all the items in the tote and just dove in! It was great to see the kids just enjoying such simple toys, toys were they really had to use their imaginations to make them fun.
So, I did not want to admit this yet, it seems too soon, but I really... honestly... in all sincerity... DO NOT care for snowmobiling. Really, at all. I am so white knuckled, especially trying to control this machine with a child either holding onto me or sitting in front, that I cannot remotely take in the scenery because I am concentrating so hard on not falling over or going over a cliff. I just want to clear up any misconception anyone might have about me. I like to go about 11, maybe if I am really feeling brave, I might, just maybe, go 15. I cannot tell you how many times Scott will drive off and disappear and have to wait for me coming around the bend. He comments about how he does not know what happened to me - that I used to be so fearless.
So, with that being said, I have dumped over twice already and have only been on it three times. Those odds are not too good. The first time, I was with the boys. Ben was in the front and Hunter behind me. The snow out here is deceiving. Just by looking at it, you might think it's a foot or two, but if you actually go stand in it, it is up to your waist and that is not even the bottom. Do not even get me started talking about what an actual snow drift out here looks like!
So, the snow outside the trail (oh, did I mention yet that~there is no trail, just us, we are the trail makers)but the snow outside the trail is evil and just wants to suck you down into it. The machine just keeps going in that wrong direction despite your best efforts, which I always feel that mine are awfully puny in comparison to the weight of that sled!
So, we just got sucked in and fell over. We were all fine, the boys did not even panic. I was not really panicked either but just overwhelmed by the situation. For me, riding a snowmobile is like just waiting to tip over, you just never know when that will happen. Scott assured me that it will take a day or two to get used to it, it is like anything he said. He is so good for me! I know he is right, but it was not too much farther up the trail when we fell over again.
This time, the sled was completely on its side, I mean, completely and my foot was trapped underneath. I am laying there asking the boys if they can move, Scott is running back down the trail (remember, the one we are blazing) to come and rescue us and I am thinking, "It's really pretty here, I am glad we stopped." So, with some heaving and pushing and pulling, we got the snowmobile unstuck. Really, in record time. So, that was enough fun for me for one day. Could we just go to the grocery store now?
So we did. But not before Scott got stuck with Katie and Hunter. Hunter did not want to ride with me anymore. That kid! He woke up this morning at 5am and the first thing he asked was if him and Scott could go over a jump!
And last but not least, Scott took a pretty bad (but rather funny) fall off his sled this afternoon. He's pretty sore. And I can imagine because he heard a crunch after he flipped over the front of the sled. He thought he broke his shoulder yet could not feel any pain. He thought that maybe the adrenaline had kicked, so he just laid there a bit.
Maybe tomorrow we will just snowshoe.
Tomorrow we are headed over to see the cattle. There was another baby born last night and we are eager to see them all. As of this afternoon, there were 6 so far. There actually were 7, but one did not make it. They thought maybe a coyote got it. That adds more excitement for Scott because he wants to shot one. Katie already has bids on it because she wants to make a hat!
It was an early bedtime for the kids. But as we were sitting having dinner together, the moon rose up over the hills (which are more like mountains in comparison to WI). It will not be full until tomorrow night, but we all did stop what we were doing, walked to the window and just gazed at its beauty. There is nothing like the sound of a child saying, "WOW...that is amazing" to make you realize just how beautiful the world around really is and how grateful we are to be a part of that.
Back in Utah - Winter 2011
After we left this past summer, Utah just lives in us. Our time here together, what we did, how we did it, the adventures we had - just all of it, is present within us while we are back in Wisconsin. Coming back to here is a driving force where we justify doing without, working long hours, and planning ahead to be able to come again. Our school has a little winter break in mid February and we thought that would be a wonderful time to come back to this home away from home.
The kids were amazing on the trip out. Truly, Scott and I just kept looking over at one another wondering when the bottom would fall out, but it never did. So, we were grateful our kids were so well behaved. They even earned themselves two compliments which earned them a special treat later that day. It was no wonder that Scott and I were probably the most exhausted when we arrived.
It is a long day of travel to get here. But once you arrive, the fun really begins. We have to take a snowmobile up to the cabin, so the question has always been, "How do we get all this luggage up there on the snowmobile?" That is where the old hood comes into play. So, once we arrived at the shop, and for those of you who were curious, Scary Cat came out to greet us with her two feline friends, Cookie & Grease, we started to load up the hood and strap things down.
I must admit, I am a really great packer. All the kids clothes, outer gear, my clothes and snow pants all packed into the same suitcase...am I amazing or what? I must have saved us $50 of luggage fees (which Katie and I intend on using to treat ourselves to a pedicure while we are here).
Then, after that is all set, we adventure out into the field and start heading to the cabin. I followed Scott, who was pulling the hood, while he road with Hunter in front of him and Katie rode behind him, facing backwards, to watch for the suitcase, carry on's or whatever to fall off the back. Benny road with me.
Such Beauty! Just everywhere...all around. The tip of Mount Nebo was hidden behind the clouds but the blue sky and warm sun shone down on us, welcoming us back, embracing us like an old friend. The mountains surrounding were filled with snow, each tree gently dusted with this white magic. The kids faces were aglow and just filled with excitement. It is great to be back!
I watched Katie for most of the trip up, mostly making she she did not fall while she was watching to see that none of the bags fell! She smiled ear to ear the entire way, throwing in a thumb's up every once in awhile. As I watched her spirit just come to life, I wondered to myself how does one help introduce the beauty of the world to their children so that they will actually see it and it will matter and make a difference. Do you tell them? Point it out with comments? Or do you just see and feel the beauty yourself and then they see that in you? I certainly do not know the answer to that, but know that what we see within our kids when we immerse them in nature is like a spark that ignites when we arrive here being surrounded by these magic & mysterious mountains.
We were lucky because this time we arrived before dark and before the snow (unlike last year when we had to blaze the trail in the dark and the snow!) Katie gathered wood and started a fire (with a little help from dad) while the rest of us unpacked and explored.
The little tote of toys we left from the summer was like a long lost treasure! They pulled out all the items in the tote and just dove in! It was great to see the kids just enjoying such simple toys, toys were they really had to use their imaginations to make them fun.
So, I did not want to admit this yet, it seems too soon, but I really... honestly... in all sincerity... DO NOT care for snowmobiling. Really, at all. I am so white knuckled, especially trying to control this machine with a child either holding onto me or sitting in front, that I cannot remotely take in the scenery because I am concentrating so hard on not falling over or going over a cliff. I just want to clear up any misconception anyone might have about me. I like to go about 11, maybe if I am really feeling brave, I might, just maybe, go 15. I cannot tell you how many times Scott will drive off and disappear and have to wait for me coming around the bend. He comments about how he does not know what happened to me - that I used to be so fearless.
So, with that being said, I have dumped over twice already and have only been on it three times. Those odds are not too good. The first time, I was with the boys. Ben was in the front and Hunter behind me. The snow out here is deceiving. Just by looking at it, you might think it's a foot or two, but if you actually go stand in it, it is up to your waist and that is not even the bottom. Do not even get me started talking about what an actual snow drift out here looks like!
So, the snow outside the trail (oh, did I mention yet that~there is no trail, just us, we are the trail makers)but the snow outside the trail is evil and just wants to suck you down into it. The machine just keeps going in that wrong direction despite your best efforts, which I always feel that mine are awfully puny in comparison to the weight of that sled!
So, we just got sucked in and fell over. We were all fine, the boys did not even panic. I was not really panicked either but just overwhelmed by the situation. For me, riding a snowmobile is like just waiting to tip over, you just never know when that will happen. Scott assured me that it will take a day or two to get used to it, it is like anything he said. He is so good for me! I know he is right, but it was not too much farther up the trail when we fell over again.
This time, the sled was completely on its side, I mean, completely and my foot was trapped underneath. I am laying there asking the boys if they can move, Scott is running back down the trail (remember, the one we are blazing) to come and rescue us and I am thinking, "It's really pretty here, I am glad we stopped." So, with some heaving and pushing and pulling, we got the snowmobile unstuck. Really, in record time. So, that was enough fun for me for one day. Could we just go to the grocery store now?
So we did. But not before Scott got stuck with Katie and Hunter. Hunter did not want to ride with me anymore. That kid! He woke up this morning at 5am and the first thing he asked was if him and Scott could go over a jump!
And last but not least, Scott took a pretty bad (but rather funny) fall off his sled this afternoon. He's pretty sore. And I can imagine because he heard a crunch after he flipped over the front of the sled. He thought he broke his shoulder yet could not feel any pain. He thought that maybe the adrenaline had kicked, so he just laid there a bit.
Maybe tomorrow we will just snowshoe.
Tomorrow we are headed over to see the cattle. There was another baby born last night and we are eager to see them all. As of this afternoon, there were 6 so far. There actually were 7, but one did not make it. They thought maybe a coyote got it. That adds more excitement for Scott because he wants to shot one. Katie already has bids on it because she wants to make a hat!
It was an early bedtime for the kids. But as we were sitting having dinner together, the moon rose up over the hills (which are more like mountains in comparison to WI). It will not be full until tomorrow night, but we all did stop what we were doing, walked to the window and just gazed at its beauty. There is nothing like the sound of a child saying, "WOW...that is amazing" to make you realize just how beautiful the world around really is and how grateful we are to be a part of that.
The kids were amazing on the trip out. Truly, Scott and I just kept looking over at one another wondering when the bottom would fall out, but it never did. So, we were grateful our kids were so well behaved. They even earned themselves two compliments which earned them a special treat later that day. It was no wonder that Scott and I were probably the most exhausted when we arrived.
It is a long day of travel to get here. But once you arrive, the fun really begins. We have to take a snowmobile up to the cabin, so the question has always been, "How do we get all this luggage up there on the snowmobile?" That is where the old hood comes into play. So, once we arrived at the shop, and for those of you who were curious, Scary Cat came out to greet us with her two feline friends, Cookie & Grease, we started to load up the hood and strap things down.
I must admit, I am a really great packer. All the kids clothes, outer gear, my clothes and snow pants all packed into the same suitcase...am I amazing or what? I must have saved us $50 of luggage fees (which Katie and I intend on using to treat ourselves to a pedicure while we are here).
Then, after that is all set, we adventure out into the field and start heading to the cabin. I followed Scott, who was pulling the hood, while he road with Hunter in front of him and Katie rode behind him, facing backwards, to watch for the suitcase, carry on's or whatever to fall off the back. Benny road with me.
Such Beauty! Just everywhere...all around. The tip of Mount Nebo was hidden behind the clouds but the blue sky and warm sun shone down on us, welcoming us back, embracing us like an old friend. The mountains surrounding were filled with snow, each tree gently dusted with this white magic. The kids faces were aglow and just filled with excitement. It is great to be back!
I watched Katie for most of the trip up, mostly making she she did not fall while she was watching to see that none of the bags fell! She smiled ear to ear the entire way, throwing in a thumb's up every once in awhile. As I watched her spirit just come to life, I wondered to myself how does one help introduce the beauty of the world to their children so that they will actually see it and it will matter and make a difference. Do you tell them? Point it out with comments? Or do you just see and feel the beauty yourself and then they see that in you? I certainly do not know the answer to that, but know that what we see within our kids when we immerse them in nature is like a spark that ignites when we arrive here being surrounded by these magic & mysterious mountains.
We were lucky because this time we arrived before dark and before the snow (unlike last year when we had to blaze the trail in the dark and the snow!) Katie gathered wood and started a fire (with a little help from dad) while the rest of us unpacked and explored.
The little tote of toys we left from the summer was like a long lost treasure! They pulled out all the items in the tote and just dove in! It was great to see the kids just enjoying such simple toys, toys were they really had to use their imaginations to make them fun.
So, I did not want to admit this yet, it seems too soon, but I really... honestly... in all sincerity... DO NOT care for snowmobiling. Really, at all. I am so white knuckled, especially trying to control this machine with a child either holding onto me or sitting in front, that I cannot remotely take in the scenery because I am concentrating so hard on not falling over or going over a cliff. I just want to clear up any misconception anyone might have about me. I like to go about 11, maybe if I am really feeling brave, I might, just maybe, go 15. I cannot tell you how many times Scott will drive off and disappear and have to wait for me coming around the bend. He comments about how he does not know what happened to me - that I used to be so fearless.
So, with that being said, I have dumped over twice already and have only been on it three times. Those odds are not too good. The first time, I was with the boys. Ben was in the front and Hunter behind me. The snow out here is deceiving. Just by looking at it, you might think it's a foot or two, but if you actually go stand in it, it is up to your waist and that is not even the bottom. Do not even get me started talking about what an actual snow drift out here looks like!
So, the snow outside the trail (oh, did I mention yet that~there is no trail, just us, we are the trail makers)but the snow outside the trail is evil and just wants to suck you down into it. The machine just keeps going in that wrong direction despite your best efforts, which I always feel that mine are awfully puny in comparison to the weight of that sled!
So, we just got sucked in and fell over. We were all fine, the boys did not even panic. I was not really panicked either but just overwhelmed by the situation. For me, riding a snowmobile is like just waiting to tip over, you just never know when that will happen. Scott assured me that it will take a day or two to get used to it, it is like anything he said. He is so good for me! I know he is right, but it was not too much farther up the trail when we fell over again.
This time, the sled was completely on its side, I mean, completely and my foot was trapped underneath. I am laying there asking the boys if they can move, Scott is running back down the trail (remember, the one we are blazing) to come and rescue us and I am thinking, "It's really pretty here, I am glad we stopped." So, with some heaving and pushing and pulling, we got the snowmobile unstuck. Really, in record time. So, that was enough fun for me for one day. Could we just go to the grocery store now?
So we did. But not before Scott got stuck with Katie and Hunter. Hunter did not want to ride with me anymore. That kid! He woke up this morning at 5am and the first thing he asked was if him and Scott could go over a jump!
And last but not least, Scott took a pretty bad (but rather funny) fall off his sled this afternoon. He's pretty sore. And I can imagine because he heard a crunch after he flipped over the front of the sled. He thought he broke his shoulder yet could not feel any pain. He thought that maybe the adrenaline had kicked, so he just laid there a bit.
Maybe tomorrow we will just snowshoe.
Tomorrow we are headed over to see the cattle. There was another baby born last night and we are eager to see them all. As of this afternoon, there were 6 so far. There actually were 7, but one did not make it. They thought maybe a coyote got it. That adds more excitement for Scott because he wants to shot one. Katie already has bids on it because she wants to make a hat!
It was an early bedtime for the kids. But as we were sitting having dinner together, the moon rose up over the hills (which are more like mountains in comparison to WI). It will not be full until tomorrow night, but we all did stop what we were doing, walked to the window and just gazed at its beauty. There is nothing like the sound of a child saying, "WOW...that is amazing" to make you realize just how beautiful the world around really is and how grateful we are to be a part of that.
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