Traffic Watch

In addition to instructing and flying corporate, I also fly traffic watch for a company that contracts with a major news radio station here in SLC. When people find out about this, I often see the look of, "What a cool job!" flash across their face. Although it certainly has its benefits, most pilots (myself included, initially) only do it to add flight time to their logbooks, in the eventual hope of gaining enough hours to attract the attention of a heavy iron HR rep. As with many things in life, when you get past the initial appearance of glamor, the reality present in the details shows the true nature of the job. Again, it's not all bad, but it's not always very fun. So, here's an average winter flight, with pictures from Thursday morning...

I get up at 5AM or earlier, preflight in the cold with a flashlight, start-up, run-up and call for clearance. The reporter jumps in just a few minutes before his first report and we are supposed to be rolling down the runway by 6AM. If the weather is bad, but not bad enough to cancel outright, we climb, descend, circle and dodge clouds/fog/precipitation in order to stay safe and legal. There's a certain amount of pressure from the managers at the radio station to always fly, despite them being neither pilots nor meteorologists. Hmmm.

On good weather days, we simply climb up to 9,000 feet and try not to fall asleep or freeze to death for 3 hours. We fly east of I-15 from the Bountiful Temple to the Timpanogos Temple. Air Traffic Control is always friendly and knows "Skywatch 15" well. They give us almost any routing we need, and allow us to pop in and out of their airspace almost freely.

The reporter is excellent at his job and has been doing it for years. Occasionally we break up the monotony by talking about movies, TV, or anything else that's funny. He has a great sense of humor and is a very friendly guy. Even as a pilot, spending 5+ hours a day (morning and afternoon) in the back seat of a Cessna 172 would get old fast. Yet, he does it almost every day, 5 days a week. I choose to only fly once a week.

Although at this point in my career, a few more hours in a piston single does nothing for me, I still enjoy an almost-guaranteed morning of flying once a week. No student to teach, no time crunch with execs in the back, just lazy flying. We also count on the small monthly checks to help us make ends meet. And as these pictures hopefully show, this view sure beats my windowless cubicle at the office. All in all, I suppose it's worth it, even if it's not as fun or glamorous as people might think. So, if you're listening in on Thursday morning for traffic reports, I'm the one chauffeuring your "eye in the sky" around. Best wishes for a smooth commute!

My Turn

You got your chance almost a week ago, but now it's my turn to wax sentimental. How do I put into words the past 9 years? What an amazing journey it's been; sometimes the way was smoothly paved, other times it felt as though we'd never progress past the potholes. You've taught me a lot, more so than I think you realize, by your example.

I've grown to love you more through the years, especially as I watch the dad you've become. I love that you paint our girls toenails, and play Candyland. I know it takes patience, but the memories you're building are invaluable. You're truly an amazing father.

I love how you are with me. I love that you make me laugh, even now. I love that you give me foot rubs even though you hate it. I love that you wear the turtleneck just because I like it. I love that you are so supportive of my writing, that you encourage and enable it. Sometimes I'm amazed that we have the life we do, the happiness we have, and the family we want. It's rarely been easy, but it's been so worth it.

Thank you for being the man you are. Thank you for being willing to compromise, to learn, to change, to sacrifice, to stand firm. Thank you for loving me.

Ree

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree

As of the last four or five years, it's become a tradition for the whole Rogers family to cut down our own Christmas trees. Early in November at least one member from each family wakes up well before the crack of dawn, to wait in the often bitter cold at Soldier Hollow and secure one of the precious few permits offered by the Park Service. It's become quite the event in and of itself, with my older brother Kevin hauling in his outdoor firepit to help keep us warm, and to boil water for hot chocolate.

After the said permit has been obtained, we all get together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to go find our trees. The night before we collect a variety of hats, boots, snowpants, coats, gloves, scarfs, you name it, to stay warm in the chilly mountain temperatures. This year, we couldn't go as high up the mountain as we have in the past due to the incredibly slick roads, and were forced to pull over on the side of the highway. This didn't offer the littler kids much of a place to play, and with Dany being sick anyway, she spent most of her time in the car with Grandma:Or playing with the other two tiny cousins:
Teag and I set out to find ourselves the perfect tree, and despite our change of anticipated location, discovered several good options within only a few minutes. In no time Teag was sawing the trunk of what would become the Bayly Family Christmas Tree 2009, and here I am with the lucky winner:And here's all the rest of the family with their picks:Maisie had a great time, and was sad to leave when everyone had collected their trees. But we managed to appease her by stopping for lunch at one of my favorite Kamas eateries, Dicks. I think she was pretty excited about her corndog.Teag, on the other hand, was very sad when the fries were gone:
This has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions; something that really helps me get into the Christmas spirit. I've tromped through waist high snow at 8 months pregnant, carried a tree on my shoulder for over a mile, part of that uphill, and dragged Maisie behind me in a sled over snowy ground. And I've loved every minute of it. I look forward to it every year, and can't wait for my kids to get older and more able to be involved.

9 Years!

I know I'm almost a week early, but I had to take the covert opportunity to use the scanner while you were away last night. I also don't know when I'll be able to make this post on the sly before Tuesday. So...

Happy 9th Anniversary, Ree! In some ways it feels like we've known each other for decades, and in other ways it seems like we started this adventure just yesterday. Here we are, 3 apartments, 1 house, 2 kids, countless jobs, and 9 years later. Hopefully we're both a little more wise, but not worse for wear.

Thank you for the hours of laughter, talks, and patience with me. Many people list all of the great qualities about their spouse on their blog, but I hope I continually express even a fraction of your endless gifts with you in person. I appreciate your strength, love and all-encompassing beauty. Thank you for being an amazing wife, mother, and best friend. I couldn't have asked for a better partner through life's journey. Although we were just kids when we married, I simply consider myself lucky to have found you so early. Here's to many more years of happiness...

Much Love!

-Teag

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Growing up for me, Thanksgiving wasn't much more than a precursor to Christmas. It's funny how wisdom and (hopefully) a little maturity can change your perspective on the things that matter. Over time that wisdom has helped me realize what's important about Thanksgiving, instead of seeing this holiday as simply a countdown to presents.

-I'm thankful for my family, originals and inlaws both. Their support of us in both good and bad times has taught me a lot about what it means to really 'be there' for someone.
-I'm thankful for a husband who's my best friend as well, who knows me almost better than I know myself, and who loves me despite that knowledge.
-I'm thankful for two amazing daughters who humble me on a regular basis with their unconditional shows of love, and their sweet, sweet spirits.
-I'm thankful for my cute little house. Despite all it's flaws, despite the fact that almost everything that can leak water leaks, I love it.
-I'm thankful for amazing food, and the fact that I have so many treats to tempt me.
-I'm thankful I have stories to tell, and for the pleasure I get from writing them down, creating new characters and new worlds, and discovering their fates as it comes.
-I'm thankful for golden afternoons that lend a storybook air to the outside world for a few short hours in the Fall.
-I'm thankful (mostly) for adversity, and the lessons we learn from it.
-I'm thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort that knowledge lends, especially in times such as these.
-I'm thankful that I don't know everything.
-I'm thankful for friends that stick around. People who keep in touch even after job changes, state changes, and family changes.

I'm thankful for so much more than this, but these are the ones that have been on my mind lately. I'm thankful that I have so much to be thankful for.

Free is Good Again

Due to Teag's awesome job on a project at work he was given free tickets to the Jazz vs. Suns game a few hours before game time. Pretty decent seats too; at the top of the lower bowl. I don't know about everyone else, but I would much rather watch a game in the actual stadium/arena/field, then on TV, so I was pretty excited to go. I hoped it would be a good game since this is a rarity for us, but with their 3 game losing streak, I was prepared for a let down.

The Jazz did not disappoint! That was one of the funnest and most intense sporting events I've ever been to; the crowd was pumped, the lead was small, and the fouls were frequent and sometimes brutal. Not being an avid follower of basketball, I had no idea Shaquille "Teach me to Futbol" O'Neal now played for the Suns, and all I can say for that guy is, he ought to be nicknamed "The Monolith". Despite the height of the other players, he just hulks over them. The dude doesn't even have to jump to make a basket, he just lumbers over and sort of sets it in.
But his immense size didn't stop the Jazz from shutting him down over and over again! AK blocked him twice in a row, and he finished with a measely 9 points, and one rebound. Allstar? I think not.


The Jazz had a quick lead, and things looked promising early on, but they started to get a little rattled. CJ Miles helped aid in a quick recovery, scoring an amazing 21 points in first half and 15 of those in the first 8 minutes. Carlos Boozer had a rough start, but quickly found his game, making some really impressive shots inside the paint.
And AK 47 was in fine form as well, scoring 19 points and blocking more often than I could count.
Sadly, my Jazz man-crush, Kyle Korver wasn't at his best last night. Several missed shots and a bad pass made to nobody-knows-who caused the Jazz to lose possession of the ball, earning several boos and some irate fans. But a sweet three-pointer at the end of the 4th quarter redeemed him in my book. That and the fact that I have a soft spot for guys who pull their socks up to their knees.

With the crowd cheering their heads off, and jumping up and down at every point, the Jazz kept building a momentum that allowed them to raise their lead significantly in the last quarter. The Suns just about burned every timeout they had in an effort to stop them, and were in foul trouble most the game, but to no avail. Final score: 109-97.

Though it was disappointing not to see D Will in action, that was one seriously amazing game.

Buffalo Bill and Buffalo Burgers

A few weeks ago, one of my students, Levon, suggested we head up to Cody, Wyoming in the Seminole. He wanted to check out the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum. The flight was uneventful, but the scenery along the way was truly majestic and fascinating. Here we are in cruise, looking at Grand Teton. Even at 13,500 feet, the peak is still some 300’ higher than our altitude.

We arrived in Cody behind a Skywest Regional Jet, with gusty winds knocking us around on final approach. Levon made a nice touchdown with some, uh, instructor-induced rudder assistance. The folks at the airport gave us a courtesy car and even arranged to get us into the museum for free! Great people!

Levon and his wife, Anastasia, were starving when we landed, so before hitting the museum, we stopped for lunch in an old hotel/restaurant purported to have been owned/operated by Buffalo Bill himself. Encouraged by Levon and Anastasia, I agreed to try out a buffalo burger for the first time. They claim buffalo meat is much more lean and vitamin-rich than regular beef. I thought it was a pretty tasty burger, but must admit to it not tasting much different than beef to me. Oh well, new foods and new experiences are always fun.

Unfortunately, I needed to be back in Salt Lake for some evening obligations, so with full stomachs, we quickly headed to the museum to devour as much history as we could in the remaining time we had left. The museum is huge and has entire wings devoted to Native American history, Buffalo Bill himself, firearms, and natural history. Levon was most interested in the Native American wing, so we spent the entire time in that exhibit area. I was hoping to see some of the other features, but our departure time loomed large, and we needed to leave before we knew it.

We checked out some shops along the main drag on the way back to the airport and found lots of cheap and cheesy Native American and Wild West stuff being hocked. Levon was hoping to stumble upon a nice gallery, but no such luck. Instead we found a huge stuffed bear for sale. Any takers at $5K? How about a blurry picture instead? Just to be clear, the ugly one is me, the furry one is the bear.

Back at the airport we fired up the plane and were on our way home in no time. The wind died down and we pushed for altitude to clear the peaks west of Cody once more. We dodged a few snow showers on the way back home. If you look closely, you’ll see a small shaft of sunlight peaking through the clouds. In the air, it looked pretty cool- the photo doesn’t do it much justice.

We touched down in Skypark right on time, despite battling a headwind the entire way home. I actually take trips frequently, but never have a camera with me. When we get a nice digital SLR, I’ll have to put our little digital point-and-shoot in my flight bag permanently. Thanks to Levon for remembering his camera!

Lots o' Fun on Halloween

Another Halloween come and gone. Another sugar-induced orgy of greed.

You know, I'm especially grateful these days to have little ones of my own; kids who delight in the dressing up, the adventure, and of course the candy. After seeing adults holding out bags along with their toddlers, and hearing of one teenage girl ask, "Is that it?" when given her free candy, I'm glad I can look at the sheer excitement on my kids faces and remember why I love to celebrate this holiday.

Maisie was especially excited to dress up for preschool, and wear her Tinkerbell costume for all to see. Ironically, the little boy down the street, who we carpool to preschool with, was Captain Hook.

After debating on a costume for Dany, a very helpful (and creative!) ward member, Becky Shingleton, offered to make a costume for her, and the delightful results are as follows:


Did I mention she also made Maisie's costume for one of her nieces? Thank you Becky!


We all met up at Grandma and Grandpa Rogers house, so we could check out everyone's costumes. Between the three little people, we had some pretty cute kids. Besides our little clown, you can see we had a tiny vampire, and an adorable pumpkin. The big kids dressed as a Broncos football player, a cat lady, and another vampire.

We had a lot of fun parading around the neighborhood, and collecting treats from family and friends. It was especially great hearing Dany say "Twick-a-Pete", to people we talked to.

My favorite part of the fall, however, is the gigantic pile of leaves that accumulates in our front yard, due to the six full grown trees on our property. In the past, we've collected enough leaves at one time to bury me up to my neck. I know I'm short, but that's still a lot of leaves. The day after Halloween, a bunch of the family gathered at our house to bag chocolate, and the kids had free reign of the pile:
Dany especially made use of the pile and had a great time.


After being launched into the mass repeatedly, Dany decided to take revenge on Uncle Matey by tackling him.


But shortly after, she decided to play nice, and gave him a mooch instead:

I love the fall; it truly is my favorite season, which makes it brevity very sad for me. But the fact that it's snowing outside my window helps remind me that there are a lot of good times to be had in these next few months, and I look forward to the coming holidays.

Beagle's Jungle Gym

Teag is such a great dad. It's one of the reasons I love him so much. He's never been afraid to get down on the floor and play with our kids, nephews and nieces, neighbors, stray homeless children, whatever. The fact that he's so tall only adds to their enjoyment because his lankiness creates the perfect infrastructure for "Beagle's Jungle Gym".

There is "The Swing", Dany's personal favorite:



As well as the ever-popular "Horsey":

There's also "Airplane", and a variation of that shown below, the "Leg Bounce":



It's quite amazing really, how many different ways the kids can hang off of him. And despite all the many shots to the pills, he'll keep letting them.

Because that's what dads do.

A Word About Rooster

Dany has long been called Rooster, due to the fact that for her first several days of life, she squeaked rather than cried. From then on, especially as she gets older and can communicate more readily, we've seen bits of her unique personality that are constantly cracking us up.

For example, she's an affectionate little thing. Last night at my parents house, my dad was leaving for a meeting. He came in to tell everyone goodbye, and Dany said "kweez", so he gave her a squeeze. Then she said "hug", so he gave her a hug. Next came "luv", and he gave her a love. Finally came "mooch", and he gave her a kiss. How could anyone resist a request for that much love?



She's also quite daring, and adventurous. She loves to fly, and has already flown with her dad on several adventures in her short 20 months. I think if she could talk, she'd call grandma a 'nancy pants' for being afraid to fly :) I love that the headset is bigger than her entire head. But as you can see from the pictures, she's loving every minute of it.


And a few short weeks ago, some of the Bayly's congregated at a park in Draper where the playground equipment included a very tall, very steep slide. Teag and I watched with bemused interest as Dany climbed -by herself- to the top of this slide, situated herself at the head, and pushed off, flying down with a huge grin on her face. After realizing she could handle the slide, we walked back to our picnic table and watched her go up and down the slide, the steep sides only allowing for a glimpse of flailing arms and legs.

She likes to sandwich herself into impossible and somewhat uncomfortable things as well.













But lately one of our favorite things is listening to her talk. We hear "what doin'?" a lot lately, as well as "stop it". Hands down, our favorite Dany word right now is "keppitch," especially when it's followed with "fwies? Fwies?" She's also loves to sing, and can often be heard sing the Rainbow Song, or ABC's.



It's fascinating to me how different my two girls personalities are. Especially where I have no sisters of my own, the dynamic has proved very interesting, if foreign. Now if only we could add a brother to the mix.

The Witch Hunt

This past Friday, Teag and I took the girls to do the Witch Hunt at Gardner Village. We both thought it might be a little crowded, but little did we know that due to UEA EVERYONE in the Salt Lake Valley had decided to congregate there. Us Mormons love free entertainment.

After printing off a list of witches you're supposed to find, we packed up the girls and headed out. We've taken Maisie to see the witches before, but we've never looked for specific ones. This proved a lot more difficult as we tried to maneuver our stroller around the throngs of people, hoping to distract Maisie from all the treats and toys being displayed in the front of different shops. The girls seemed to have a really good time though, and Maisie especially got the gist of hunting up the different witches on her list.

One of her favorites was the Hula-Hooping Witch:

But she also loved the witch in the rowboat, and the witch riding the flying bicycle too. She even got a hug from a Red Hat Society Witch:
Dany seemed more interested in playing with the hay than anything else. She was fascinated with both that and the plethora of pumpkins to be found everywhere you looked.
And this picture has nothing to do with the Witch Hunt whatsoever, it was just so cute I had to share it with everyone:
Other than the traffic nightmare trying to get out of the parking lot, we all had a good time, and enjoyed the cool atmosphere and decorations. I would recommend the Witch Hunt to anyone looking for a fun family activity, but I'd also recommend picking a day with a few less people in attendance.

Good/Funny/Awkward Times...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

And please... be gentle.

Would You Just Look at the Camera Please!

Maisie has a disease, I've decided. It's called, "Can't-look-at-the-camera-itis." It may not be life threatening, but it does cause a great deal of grief in it's own right. It is a recent affliction - she didn't have it when she was younger - and I have faith that one day she'll make a full recovery. What are the symptoms of this terrible disease, you ask? Prepare to see the shocking evidence of her affliction:















Oftentimes this disease can catch you by surprise, as it appears her head is pointed the right direction, but just her eyes are away from the camera.


Though our suffering is great, we pray that this will pass quickly, and that we'll once again be able to take normal pictures of our daughter.

Are any other parents experiencing the woes of "Can't-look-at-the-camera-itis? If so, do tell.

Crazy Mais

From the time she was little, Maisie has always entertained us with her exuberant personality. The family joke was that we should find a way to bottle her enthusiasm, and then we could market is as "Maisac: A natural anti-depressant." When she was little, my brother Kevin would constantly make fun of the way she ran, because she expended more energy going up and down than moving forward.

I thought that as she got older she might tone it down a bit, but we've recently had evidence to the contrary. This is Maisie singing "Can you Fee", as she calls it, from the Lion King:


No shortage of energy there. And she wasn't even hopped up on sugar.

A couple of funny "Mais-isms" to add as well. Lately her favorite movie is Madagascar, and a few days ago, Maisie asked if we could go to "The Neddicutts," (Connecticut) and "Grand Sensual Station." Hmm, what exactly goes on in Grand Sensual Station, I wonder?

*Edit: I just picked Maisie up from preschool, and was told by her teacher that she told the Joseph Smith story to a nonmember teacher there. She told her all about him breaking his leg as a boy, and about praying in the forest. So maybe she's crazy like a fox... luring people in with her charm and enthusiasm, and then dropping gospel tidbits on them when they least expect it. A born missionary.

Adventures in Babysitting: The Aftermath

Well, the kids have gone, and now that the dust has begun to settle, I've taken an inventory of the past week with them. One of the things that surprised me the most was how many more groceries we bought. Three loaves of bread, six gallons of milk, and that's just the beginning! I was amazed at how much a six year old boy could eat! As long as there were no fruits or vegetables of course ;)

The other big thing I've noticed is how much more quiet it is around here. Together, Kolby and Maisie could whip up quite the frenzy of noise and chaos, but since Saturday evening, the noise level has dropped considerably.

On the other hand, I've heard Dany say "Ave-wee" at least half a dozen times as she's wandered around the house, and Maisie said on Sunday, "I miss Kolby. We had SO much fun." As for myself, I miss Kolby's little anecdotes, "leaf power", and his energy and enthusiasm. I also miss Avery's ready willingness to cuddle, and the rare smiles we caught when we were playing.

A long and somewhat hectic week, but a lot of fun too in it's own way. I am VERY grateful, however, that I don't actually have 19 month old twins.

Adventures in Babysitting: Day 5

SUCCESS!!! We've found the secret and the secret is breadsticks. We've discovered something that Kolby not only likes, but gets excited to eat! Breadsticks, Hallelujah!

I decided to take the babies for a walk after dinner, and asked if Kolby wanted to go with me to my mom's house, or stay with Teag and Maisie. He asked, "Is Grandma Rogers the one that has the snacks (fruit snacks, also known as "treats")?" I confirmed that she did, indeed, have snacks, to which he said, "Okay, I'm coming with you."

While at my mom's house, Kolby asked if he could use the bathroom. When he was finished he came out and asked in a very authoritative voice, "Who is wasting electricity?" Apparently, someone had left the light on, and Kolby wasn't about to stand for that. The only energy conscious 6 year old I know.

A few minutes later, for no apparent reason, Kolby shared with us the fact that he wanted to be a baby doctor when he grew up. Uh... okay, that's not exactly your standard fireman or superhero, but that's a respectable enough occupation.

Paging Dr. King.

Adventures in Babysitting: Day 4

Such a different dynamic with four kids, as opposed to 2. Such craziness.

Monday, around 6, Kolby abruptly decided to go take a nap. When I woke him up about 20 minutes later for dinner, he said his head really hurt, and he went back to sleep. He slept until 8 the next morning, sans dinner, pajamas, everything.

Yesterday, in an effort to find a small bag of beads to add to a little necklace, Maisie unloaded EVERY SINGLE item from out of every basket, off every shelf, including the clothes in her wardrobe, from her room. I have never seen a mess that big in such a tiny space, unless it was the scene of some horrific natural disaster.

Dany and Avery are almost exactly the same age, their birthday's are only five days apart. Dany has always been a little follower, a slightly irritating habit that's caused me to trip over her a few times when I haven't realized she's right behind me. Apparently Avery is also a follower. I was trying to make dinner last night with two 19 month olds dogging my every step. I worried that if I didn't watch myself, I'd end up pinballing one of them into the fridge or the wall. Now I understand what my mom meant when she used the phrase, "I need to wire my butt for brake lights."

I was debating what to make for dinner last night, and I asked Kolby if he liked tacos. "Yes, but I only like meat and ketchup on my taco." Meat and ketchup, huh? How authentic. So far, these are the foods Kolby says he doesn't like: Carrots, cucumbers, eggs (unless they're drowned in ketchup), peanut butter, ramen noodles, tomatoes, cheese, granola bars, lettuce, nuts, Wheat Thins.

Things he does like: Treats, chips, jam sandwiches, ketchup.

On a lighter note, earlier today I turned away from the computer for a moment to witness Dany sitting patiently on the floor while Avery gently combed her hair with a "My Little Pony" brush. The camera wasn't downstairs, and I knew if I got up they'd follow me, so no picture to capture the moment.

Adventures in Babysitting: Day 1

So Teag and I agreed to watch his sisters kids all this week while they were away on a cruise to Alaska. We picked them up around four yesterday, on our way home from the property. It's been less than 24 hours, and yet I've got quite a few interesting gems from Kolby, Tristan's six year old son, that I thought I'd share with y'all.

Things Kolby said/did to get out of eating his dinner:

1. "I don't like (insert almost any food here)."
2. "That last bite of carrot, I almost threw up."
3. "I didn't throw the carrot on the floor, it fell." When I asked why the apple was also on the floor, he said, "It fell too."
4. "I have to go to the bathroom."
5. "I have to go to the bathroom again."

I think he started to catch on when he realized that Teag and I aren't too dumb. And that everyone else had left the table and was eating licorice while he lingered over his meal.

Jokes Kolby told me:

Kolby: What do you get if a train crosses the road?"
Me: I have no idea. What?
Kolby: A banana! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Me: Uh...

With six more days to go, I can't wait to see what new entertainments he'll provide.

The Propiddy: Final Chapter

This last weekend, the Rogers family gathered together for their final visit to the Propiddy. After a couple of long days, lots of manual labor, and a few bodily injuries, the bowery is for the most part, complete.
Now all we need is to pour some cement underneath in order to prevent the kids from pouring the dirt all over themselves, and we'll be good to go!

We had some great moments this trip, not the least of which was having Uncle Matey back with us. The kids absolutely adore him, and he jumped in immediately to help with the bowery construction as if he'd never been away from power tools :)









As usual, Dany walked around like she owned the place, getting filthy dirty, and loving every minute of it. Here she is, enjoying a delightful phone conversation in front of roaring, albeit plastic, fire.
We had a great time parading around in our borrowed cowboy hats as well. Isn't that the cutest face you've ever seen? Mine of course, not Dany's. (That's for you, Carolyn) :)

And here's Dany making time with her cousin, Spencer:Maisie had a ton of fun with her cousins this time around. Caitlyn and Gavin were able to come up for the day, Saturday, and they all made a giant cardboard sign for Grandma.
She also had a great time taking walks up the hill to the 'stinging needles', and swinging in the hammock. She's so easygoing, I rarely even see her while we're up there. I love how kids can turn anything into an adventure when they're camping. It's too bad that as adults, we lose that kind of creativity and imagination.

It was a lot of work, for all involved, but hopefully we'll be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors next year. Before we left Sunday morning, we had a little sacrament meeting underneath the finished bowery. It was amazing to sing hymns and hear testimonies in such a beautiful atmosphere, closer to God's creations. It's an experience I'll remember for awhile to come.