I got this idea from my friend Rachel over at Apron Girls. I am so excited to see if it changes dinner around here! I think it's going to make shopping for food and deciding what to make so much easier! If you click on the picture, you can see it bigger. If you want instructions, go check out the apron girls blog!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Dinner Dilemma is Solved!
I got this idea from my friend Rachel over at Apron Girls. I am so excited to see if it changes dinner around here! I think it's going to make shopping for food and deciding what to make so much easier! If you click on the picture, you can see it bigger. If you want instructions, go check out the apron girls blog!
Vanessa's Bags
My friend, Vanessa is selling these darling bags in her etsy store today! Go check them out... not only is she amazingly super talented, but she does this to make a little extra money for her family while her husband is deployed. (I think all the sewing keeps her sane, too!)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Camping at East Park
Sorry about all of our "vacation" posts, but I thought if I posted enough beautiful fun places, someone might come visit us! We went camping this past weekend at a place called East Park. We LOVED it! It was a great camping spot, only $8, and as beautiful as you can imagine! There's a reservoir there that is just gorgeous.
Cooper found this rock and called it his "chair". He sat in it for quite awhile, and generously told the rest of us we could sit on his chair whenever we wanted to.
This is what amazes me so much about this place we live in. It's red rock desert in one place, and ten minutes later you're in the forest.
Cooper found a great "picture" spot.
Then Aubrey had to try it. She had a harder time getting back down, though!
Tyler is learning all about trees here. Brandon taught us that Pines have needles in Pairs or Packages, Firs have Flat needles, and Spruce are Square. The neat thing was that all three of those kinds of trees were right next to each other.
We had to get our feet wet, and boy did it feel good! That water definitely had bite.
Poor Cooper was sick on Friday night. He didn't even want any treats, and he didn't want to play any games. He just slept while the rest of us played Yahtzee until midnight. Luckily he felt all better the next morning.
Eating bagels at the campground... we went really easy with the food... hotdogs for dinner, bagels and boiled eggs for breakfast. We even skipped the s'mores, since it started raining like crazy when we were going to make them.
Here's our campsite. It smelled so good! I can't wait to go back.
This is Aubrey and Brandon looking out onto that nice cool water. I went for a 3 mile run that morning, and Brandon dared me to jump into the water right after. I was seriously tempted, but after feeling it with my feet, I was glad I didn't attempt it. Refreshing would be an understatement!
Cooper found this rock and called it his "chair". He sat in it for quite awhile, and generously told the rest of us we could sit on his chair whenever we wanted to.
This is what amazes me so much about this place we live in. It's red rock desert in one place, and ten minutes later you're in the forest.
Cooper found a great "picture" spot.
Then Aubrey had to try it. She had a harder time getting back down, though!
Tyler is learning all about trees here. Brandon taught us that Pines have needles in Pairs or Packages, Firs have Flat needles, and Spruce are Square. The neat thing was that all three of those kinds of trees were right next to each other.
We had to get our feet wet, and boy did it feel good! That water definitely had bite.
Poor Cooper was sick on Friday night. He didn't even want any treats, and he didn't want to play any games. He just slept while the rest of us played Yahtzee until midnight. Luckily he felt all better the next morning.
Eating bagels at the campground... we went really easy with the food... hotdogs for dinner, bagels and boiled eggs for breakfast. We even skipped the s'mores, since it started raining like crazy when we were going to make them.
Here's our campsite. It smelled so good! I can't wait to go back.
This is Aubrey and Brandon looking out onto that nice cool water. I went for a 3 mile run that morning, and Brandon dared me to jump into the water right after. I was seriously tempted, but after feeling it with my feet, I was glad I didn't attempt it. Refreshing would be an understatement! I think this was one of my favorite campsites ever! We'd love to go again anytime, if someone gets the urge to go camping with us!
Brandon's Work
Brandon took the camera the other day when he was working, and these are a few of the pictures he came back with. He drives hours and hours every day on long, dusty, bumpy, dirt roads. The scenery is pretty neat, though!
One of the oil rigs he goes to.
He said these petroglyphs were right off the side of the road. He didn't even have to pull off.
One of the oil rigs he goes to.
He said these petroglyphs were right off the side of the road. He didn't even have to pull off.Dear Summer...
You are flying by too fast. Could you please slow down just for a little bit, and let us relax?Memory Lane
I uploaded pictures from a memory card that I haven't used in a long time... and found these gems from over a year ago!
My cutie Cooper.
Here he is graduating from Kindergarten. Now he's going into 2nd grade! Where does the time go?
Cooper's 6th birthday. Aren't my kids the cutest?
This picture demonstrates what a cool mom I am. Yes, Cooper has a faux-hawk. He begged me for a mohawk forever, and loved wearing it this way. I figured, what the heck? He's cute. This boy has a style all his own. He has this Hawaiianish button-up shirt that he loves to wear just about every day I'll let him. The thing that makes it really special, is that he wears it trailer-trash style... unbuttoned with his chest exposed. He also hates to wear belts all of a sudden, and he's too skinny to hold his pants up... so yes, he's got the underwear hanging out the top of his pants. Help me! I've got a teenager on my hands!
My cutie Cooper. 
Here he is graduating from Kindergarten. Now he's going into 2nd grade! Where does the time go?
Cooper's 6th birthday. Aren't my kids the cutest? 
This picture demonstrates what a cool mom I am. Yes, Cooper has a faux-hawk. He begged me for a mohawk forever, and loved wearing it this way. I figured, what the heck? He's cute. This boy has a style all his own. He has this Hawaiianish button-up shirt that he loves to wear just about every day I'll let him. The thing that makes it really special, is that he wears it trailer-trash style... unbuttoned with his chest exposed. He also hates to wear belts all of a sudden, and he's too skinny to hold his pants up... so yes, he's got the underwear hanging out the top of his pants. Help me! I've got a teenager on my hands!Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dinosaur National Monument
Last Saturday we went on a mini vacation to Dinosaur National Park. We had a great time, but it was HOT! Here's the picture to prove it:
Yes, that says 100 degrees. The ranger told us that it was about 115 degrees out in the rocks on hikes. Sorry there are so many pictures! I just couldn't leave any of these out! This might turn out to be our "big" summer family vacation anyway, so I better make it look like it, right?
Here are my three boys, starting on one of our micro-hikes. We didn't do anything longer than a hop skip and a jump, since it was so ridiculously hot. We're going to go back and do some of the longer hikes earlier in the morning.
We got to see some neat petroglyphs! This one was one of my favorites. I think the guy is waving hello.
It's amazing that these have lasted for hundreds of years! It was sad to see a few of them ruined by people who thought they were funny... carving their initials and such.
Another micro hike in 115 degree heat. Isn't it beautiful, though?
This is by Split Mountain... I love this place! We got to see it in the winter, too. I was very envious of these rafters. I wouldn't have minded getting a little bit wet at that point.
I love how the boys' heads in this picture are perfectly angled with the wall. I also love how Cooper and Brandon are mirror images... almost.
This was probably my favorite part of the trip. There's a cabin way up in the park... totally secluded from anything else. A woman named Josie lived there without running water or anything mostly by herself. After enjoying the cool shade and soaking in the beautiful surroundings, I could really understand why she stayed. I could live there.
There's a hike here that we need to take later... this leads out to where Josie kept her hogs, in a natural canyon pen.
Here's chicken in the Cooper Coop. Or wait... maybe Cooper in the chicken coop.
Josie's cabin.
This picture is a sad/funny story. Cooper saw a little lizard and wanted to catch it... and he did. Unfortunately he didn't catch the entire lizard, just the tail. So he's holding up this tail, which is still wiggling (gross) and yelling "I pulled its tail off!" Brandon and I are trying to shush him, because everyone was looking at us. Really, we weren't trying to rip lizards apart! We hope the poor little lizard grows his tail back.
Me next to the pond. Josie made these ponds so she could keep the water from her natural springs... otherwise they would flow into the main river and become someone else's water because of water rights laws.
This spot was so peaceful!
Inside Josie's cabin. I enjoyed playing around with taking pictures in the warm lighting.
The kids thought we could all live in the cabin. Teeny cabin... dirt floor... no running water.... SURE! Why not?
If you click on the above picture, it will make it big and you can read the scoop on Josie's cabin.
Cooper can't leave sticks and water without playing with them first. This little stream ran along the front of the cabin.
Cooper showing the little doorways. My head barely cleared the top of this door.
Out in the back field.
Cute boy by woodpile. That's the official name of this picture. I might get it framed. ;)
This is the green river camping spot that we're going to come back to in a few weeks. There, I said it. Now we have to go back.
Okay, now this is where we REALLY could live. It's the Daniels-Chew Ranch right smack in the middle of Dinosaur National Monument.
This view was amazing! We loved the contrast of colors all over Dinosaur, and the different types of rocks and mountains.
Our three Junior Rangers, being officially sworn in. Cooper kept saying the ranger pledge over and over again on the way home. They got neat patches and a badge. They had to work hard all day to fill out the booklets, and learn all about their surroundings so they could become Junior Rangers. Tyler has decided that he wants to be a Park Ranger, or a Forest Ranger when he grows up.
Tyler and Cooper, playing with the ant traps in a little cave. They were fascinated by how you barely touched the hole and it would fill with sand.
All in all, it was a great day! We bought a year pass, so we can go back often. (It was the same price as going 2 times, so we decided that we would go at least one more time, so it was worth it.) How cool is it that we live so close to this place where people come from all over the world to see?
Yes, that says 100 degrees. The ranger told us that it was about 115 degrees out in the rocks on hikes. Sorry there are so many pictures! I just couldn't leave any of these out! This might turn out to be our "big" summer family vacation anyway, so I better make it look like it, right?
Here are my three boys, starting on one of our micro-hikes. We didn't do anything longer than a hop skip and a jump, since it was so ridiculously hot. We're going to go back and do some of the longer hikes earlier in the morning.
We got to see some neat petroglyphs! This one was one of my favorites. I think the guy is waving hello.
It's amazing that these have lasted for hundreds of years! It was sad to see a few of them ruined by people who thought they were funny... carving their initials and such.
Another micro hike in 115 degree heat. Isn't it beautiful, though?
This is by Split Mountain... I love this place! We got to see it in the winter, too. I was very envious of these rafters. I wouldn't have minded getting a little bit wet at that point.
I love how the boys' heads in this picture are perfectly angled with the wall. I also love how Cooper and Brandon are mirror images... almost.
This was probably my favorite part of the trip. There's a cabin way up in the park... totally secluded from anything else. A woman named Josie lived there without running water or anything mostly by herself. After enjoying the cool shade and soaking in the beautiful surroundings, I could really understand why she stayed. I could live there.
There's a hike here that we need to take later... this leads out to where Josie kept her hogs, in a natural canyon pen.
Here's chicken in the Cooper Coop. Or wait... maybe Cooper in the chicken coop.
Josie's cabin.
This picture is a sad/funny story. Cooper saw a little lizard and wanted to catch it... and he did. Unfortunately he didn't catch the entire lizard, just the tail. So he's holding up this tail, which is still wiggling (gross) and yelling "I pulled its tail off!" Brandon and I are trying to shush him, because everyone was looking at us. Really, we weren't trying to rip lizards apart! We hope the poor little lizard grows his tail back.
Me next to the pond. Josie made these ponds so she could keep the water from her natural springs... otherwise they would flow into the main river and become someone else's water because of water rights laws.
This spot was so peaceful!
Inside Josie's cabin. I enjoyed playing around with taking pictures in the warm lighting.
The kids thought we could all live in the cabin. Teeny cabin... dirt floor... no running water.... SURE! Why not?
If you click on the above picture, it will make it big and you can read the scoop on Josie's cabin.
Cooper can't leave sticks and water without playing with them first. This little stream ran along the front of the cabin.
Cooper showing the little doorways. My head barely cleared the top of this door.
Out in the back field.
Cute boy by woodpile. That's the official name of this picture. I might get it framed. ;)
This is the green river camping spot that we're going to come back to in a few weeks. There, I said it. Now we have to go back.
Okay, now this is where we REALLY could live. It's the Daniels-Chew Ranch right smack in the middle of Dinosaur National Monument.
This view was amazing! We loved the contrast of colors all over Dinosaur, and the different types of rocks and mountains.
Our three Junior Rangers, being officially sworn in. Cooper kept saying the ranger pledge over and over again on the way home. They got neat patches and a badge. They had to work hard all day to fill out the booklets, and learn all about their surroundings so they could become Junior Rangers. Tyler has decided that he wants to be a Park Ranger, or a Forest Ranger when he grows up.
Tyler and Cooper, playing with the ant traps in a little cave. They were fascinated by how you barely touched the hole and it would fill with sand.
All in all, it was a great day! We bought a year pass, so we can go back often. (It was the same price as going 2 times, so we decided that we would go at least one more time, so it was worth it.) How cool is it that we live so close to this place where people come from all over the world to see?
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