Donut Falls

We went to Donut Falls on Saturday. It is a popular hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is called Donut falls because the river gushes through a donut shaped rock and then down the mountain.

We thought that it seemed most appropriate to start off with "donuts" on our way to Donut Falls...

I have great eaters...but they are VERY messy!

The entire fam went, along with my Dad.

Our day started off a bit rocky...we forgot the baby bjorn for Bella...and I had to carry her the entire time. It ended up being fine and didn't cause any problems. Although, it would have been much easier with the pack.

Joshua also decided...and we went along with it...that he wanted to walk instead of being carried. Big mistake. He tripped and cut his hand. Thankfully he is a tough kid and he didn't cry much. His legs are too small to keep up at our pace. Next time he will not get a choice!

The hike was absolutely beautiful.

It was very picturesque and smelled like evergreens and wild flowers.

The hike wasn't the most family friendly hike. It was rated as moderate. It is a pretty easy walk down a dirt path. When you get to the bottom of the waterfall you have to cross the river and then climb the rock slide to get to the top where the water goes through the "donut'. Crossing the river isn't any easy task because there isn't a bridge. There is only two tiny trees that serve as a makeshift bridge. We had rain that morning which only made it even more slippery. After you cross the bridge you have to scale the mountain/falls to get to the top. You can't tell in the picture, but the river is very deep in parts. I stayed on the other side of the river (trying to stay dry during the torrential down pour) while my Dad (carrying Josh), Caleb and August went across. Once to the other side my Dad determined that scaling the Mtn./rock slide with Josh wasn't such a great idea. Caleb and August attempted to climb it, but the water was too deep and too fast. Caleb had water up to his waist while he was trying to climb the huge boulders. They ended up turning around and backing down the rocks. Not an easy task...

But, the day was wonderful and the view from the bottom was far worth it even if we didn't get to actually SEE the water falling through the donut!

Happy Birthday Joshua!

Joshua turned 2 this last Sunday!! We can't believe it has been two whole years. He stills seems so much like my baby! But, he is growing so fast.

When Joshua was born he was 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long. He was a BIG baby and has continued to be a big kid since. At his 2 year old check up he weighed 29 lbs and was 35 inches long.

He has a very quirky personality that makes him a very lovable kid. There is just something about him that makes everyone laugh. Maybe it is the Tennessee in him...

He loves being a big kid and doing big kid things. He loves trains, planes and just about anything boyish. He also loves to color and paint. His new love is our trampoline. He LOVES it! He is very coordinated and can keep his own with Caleb and his friends and cousins. He is also very daring...which makes us nervous and thankful that we have a trampoline net because he doesn't think twice to take a huge double feet jump off of the trampoline, spin and catch himself on the bars and land on the ground...HEART ATTACK! In this picture he is having his first sleep over with his brother and cousin. They were pretending to be asleep.

Here he is with his new neighborhood friends.

Here are some things that you frequently hear Josh say:

"Stay on target, stay on target"...referencing Star Wars!

"Sorry mama, sorry"..."Thank you daddy, thank you"...he is very polite and easy to discipline...although the tantrums are JUST beginning.

"Careful daddy"...always is cautioning us against any danger.

"Do it myself!"...very independent.

"Cuddle with you"...still loves to cuddle.. Although, he has turned into a Daddy's boy.

"Caleb do dat!"...for anything bad...whether he did it or not or was even in the same room.

"Stinky fish"...referencing uncle Carson's Smiths in Lehi/Highland and it's stinky fish area

Things about Joshua:

When asked his name he says, "Joshie"...I think that he really thinks his name is Joshie. Sometimes he does say, "Josh-ew-a".

Not shy at all...unless he just woke up from a nap.

Loves to play with kids. He makes friends very easily...but he is getting more possessive of some of his toys. He usually shares very well, but watch out if you even touch his little tyke car. Not pretty.

Excellent sleeper for naps and at night.

We love this little boy and wish him many more birthdays to come!

Small Town Utah

We are loving our new house! We are still living in the same city...for those of you that know where I DID live...just off of the Mtn. (email me for more private/exact info!) I never thought that I would want to live in Utah County until I found this house. It has been used as a model home for the past year. So, it is new...but not new if that makes sense. It is a two-story with the master bedroom upstairs with 3 other bedrooms and a family room/loft area also. The kids finally have their own rooms again! Hooray! I am not one to think that kids NEED their own room...I think that sharing is great. However, when kids are still in the napping stage it makes life difficult.

Main floor has living room, great room (kitchen/dining/family room) and a 5th bedroom that we are using as a play room. I love the layout most of all. It is already landscaped, front and back with a fence on 3 of the 4 sides. The yard is big, but not too big.

The neighborhood was the selling point. Tons and tons of kids. Our primary has 200 kids. This may be a common number to most, but we coming from TN with only 23 kids in the entire primary this seems incredible. Just on our street alone we have 5 4-year-olds Caleb's age an, 4 2-year-olds Josh's age and 2 other newborn baby girls that will be Bella's age. These kids are only from 3-4 families! They have been sooo welcoming and are always outside playing.

We couldn't be more excited to finally feel settled and have a place of our own. I will post pics when I get some taken. Unpacking and moving with the kids has been a challenge to say the least. Caleb has been pretty good and a helper, but Joshua is moving into the terrible two's and will soon get an entire post dedicated just to his antics over the course of this move. He is unbelievably mischievous...but adorable at the same time. Bella has just been needy...as most newborns are. She turned 2 months yesterday and I can't even believe how dang cute and lovable she is getting! She LOVES to be held. But not just like a baby. She wants to face out and see the world. She doesn't want you to sit down. She likes to be moving. She gives big smiles after eating and in the morning that just melt your heart. I am just so thankful to have a beautiful, healthy baby girl!

Hanging out with Joshie in the AM while Mom gets ready.

Say Cheese!

New Home!!!

Hooray!!! After what seems like forever (okay...it was only 1 year) of looking for a new house we finally took the plunge and bought one!

I will post more details as time permits, but I have found that moving with a new baby, soon-to-be 2 year-old and a 4-year-old isn't a good idea.

Changes are a comin...

...will be out of blogging world for a little bit...will check back...when things are settled down a bit.

Blessing Day

Isabella was blessed yeterday. It was great to have almost all of our family there. Isabella cried the entire blessing until she was back with me. But, the blessing was beautiful and we love our special baby girl. I look forward to helping her learn and grow. I hope she always remembers that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father and that he loves her very much.

Thank heaven for little girls...

I haven't ever had a baby that had the days and nights mixed up. However, when Bella came home she was awake long periods during the night and slept ALL day. This made recovering a little bit harder. I just don't have much patience at 2 AM. This lasted a few weeks and then gradually got better. But now, she has rewarded us by sleeping through the night...from 10 pm...to 6 am...three nights in a row. I don't even know what to think. My kids have always been good sleepers, but they never slept all night until they were 5 months old. I am going to cross my fingers and keep praying that this continues!

Bella and Livy...with one more girl cousin is due in October!


Minnie mouse!

Dresses are such fun!

Oldie but Goodie

This weeks hike was the Grotto Falls up Payson Canyon (I am bound and determined to lose the last 12 lbs of my 41 lbs of pregnancy weight...thus all of the hiking). I think it is the first hike that most parents in that area take their kids on. It is short, relatively easy and you end up at a beautiful waterfall that cascades into a lagoon. I have done this at least a few dozen times growing up. My Dad took us here quite often and we hiked it a lot in High School.
However, we upped the adventure by hiking in the rain. It had just started when we set out, but we didn't want to sit in the car until it was over. So, we decided that since it was warm that we would keep going anyway. The rain drops were HUGE. We joked that we felt like we were on "honey I shrunk the kids" when the sprinklers start and the water drops are as big as a person. It didn't just rain, it poured. It didn't hinder us at all. I LOVE summer rains and it is obvious that my kids do also. They never complained and loved getting messy. Once you reach the waterfall there are caves that you can stand in and observe the waterfall. It offered us a little protection.

My dad, Mike, came along for the excitement.

They hike is easy, but you have to walk across a lot of tree bridges that cross the river about 10 times.

It isn't a big waterfall, but fun.

The rain was pouring! Bella didn't mind a bit. She was safe and warm under the blanket.

Wet and messy!

Battle Creek Falls

Since moving back to Utah, we have set a goal to enjoy what it has to offer. There are tons of outdoor activities that we are commited to taking advantage of. So, today we hiked up to Battle Creek Falls. It is dual-ribbon waterfall on the east side of Pleasant Grove, up a small canyon. It was a perfect afternoon hike.

Back to the very beginning...

It seemed very appropriate that for our first "summer" activity we went hiking up Rock Canyon on Saturday. It brought back TONS of memories for August and I. It was one of the places that August use to take me while we were dating. He was really into rock climbing and introduced me to it. It was surreal to be back there after such a long time. It is even more crazy to think of what has transpired over the last 11 years since we were there.

Here is a short list of things that have been a part of those 11 years that I thought of while we were hiking:

1. We have lived in 11 different places in 11 years. A few houses hold great memories...other's not so much. I will never forget living in San Jose, CA in the "rat" house. For $155o/month (two bedroom duplex) we were treated with rats in our floor boards, ceilings and driveway. A lucky few rats actually made it into the house, onto my kitchen table and then were able to carry off 2...yes 2...bags FULL of Hershey's kisses. I will never forget August and our friend John donning hard hats with a light on top and then heading into the attic in search of a "smell" like they were off on a caving adventure. It was hilarious, and a time I will NEVER forget.

2. We have made 2 cross country moves. California to Tennessee and then Tennessee to Utah. I will never say never, but hope that there are no more in our immediate future.

3. WE HAVE THREE KIDS!!! Can this be true? I could talk for hours about this topic...makes me sooo happy!

4. Completed our Education. It was a major goal of our to finish school. I finished my BS and August went further and got his MBA. Glad we did it...glad it is done.

5. Testimony growth...huge improvements...always room for more!

6. Our bro's and sis's (both sides) have grown into fabulous people...that we actually like.

7. Still love August...even more then I did back then.

Well, enough sappines. It has been a great ride and we can't wait for more.

Rock Canyon is above Provo Temple. Very beautiful.

Bella slept the entire time.

Caleb thought it was the greatest hike in the world. He is the funnest person to take places. He enjoys it down to every detail.

Tough boy...with a sparkle hat that he made in preschool.

Family Pic...Caleb continued to drink the entire water pack...and had to pee 5 times an hour.

Josh was carried all of the way up, and then he walked/ran all of the way down. He loved it and tried to copy Caleb at every turn.