Then Snowbird

Oh, how I miss this place and long to go back again next year. There's just something about that crisp mountain air that is so therapeutic. Grandma has had a condo at Snowbird for over 30 years so the nostalgia from childhood years comes back each time I visit. She had the week over the Memorial Day holiday for many years, and sold it a few years ago, then bought the week of Labor Day just this year. The weather was so great, a much better time of year to avoid "snowfall" (which we had often over the Memorial Day stay).
We rode the tram for "free" with Grandma's dining coupons (a perk that always stirs excitement in the benefactor, right?)...So, up about 4000 feet we went. It took Eli some time to gain his composure when he saw how high up the mountain we were. He sat down on the platform where the tram parks and wrote his feelings of fear in his notebook before he could walk around and enjoy the high mountain peak (that has a good, flat, football field size or larger area at the top to look down into the valleys below).
I, being the adventurous outdoorswoman type?!, thought it would be a great adventure to hike down the mountain after our Tram ride to the top. I hadn't ever done it, and how bad would it be to hike 3 miles downhill anyway? So, Aunt Lori, Easton and I said goodbye to Grandma, Eli and Braxton (the smart ones) and started down the mountain.... little did we know. About a quarter of the way down, my knees were starting to hurt, we should have turned back at that point, but I didn't even consider that an option. I just wanted to continue down the mountain. I had my goal in mind and there was no turning back.

For years I've dealt with a knee issue whenever I "run". I get about a mile and the pain comes and then it lasts a couple of days. Going down the stairs is always the worst, you would think I would compute the distance of the hike (even if walking) with the downhill grade, and realize I might experience a negative effect. I think I was just so thrilled to take on the challenge of the beautiful mountain and to enjoy the great outdoors, that the consideration for disaster was completely distant in my mind. Three hours later and much to my discouraged spirit, we were back at the condo, and I was in pain for days. Easton, the little adventurer, didn't complain more than once during the hike, he only told me he wished he could "fly" and he would already be back at the bottom. When I asked him if he wanted to go on the hike again tomorrow, he said thoughtfully, "hmmm, naa."

The Farm

Sometimes it seems we are going to Utah for weekend visits every other month at times throughout the year. This particular summertime visit was not going to be one of those quick, jam-packed, whirlwinds, though. We decided to spend the week, and it was wonderful!

Brandon finally had a three-day weekend, with Labor Day, and a flight he needed to use, so he could spend the long weekend with us and still get back to Vegas and work for the week while the boys and I enjoyed a vacation. It was a great time to go to Manila, which is about 3 hours further from Salt Lake, to visit Grandma and Grandpa O. It has been a long time since we were able to make it up there and even longer since we were able to celebrate my favorite Labor Day festivities, the annual Boat Parade and Fireworks display.

Saturday evening was the anticipated event. We enjoyed watching the lighted boats, decorated by the clever mariners, from the top of a hill overlooking Swim Beach bay at Flaming Gorge (Thanks to Blake for knowing a great location to have the best view of both!!)... The picture of the boys with Grandpa does not accurately portray the aforementioned hilltop, but this was another of our fun adventures on the 4-wheelers... back to the parade, from "Nemo" to a "snake" to patriotic "flag flying" shaped lights doned the boats which cruise at wakeless speed around the bay for all to marvel. The spectacular fireworks display followed the parade and even Brandon was impressed by the show (he doesn't generally find as much satisfaction in a fireworks show as I do, maybe there's hope for him yet).

We got to experience Grandpa's farm as he has a newfound "horse" hobby. He bought Chance and Thunder a couple of years ago and more recently got a colt, Charlie, who he has been learning how to train. Eli liked getting the horse to run when he was riding, but once he started realized it was a little scary, especially when the stirrups weren't adjusted to his leg reach. The boys would love being on the farm more often, Brandon, on the other hand was remembering why he would have a hard time living in the country again...the poor guy is so allergic to horses, not to mention the dust and weeds that cover Dad's acreage. He could only stay outside so long for the horseback riding before his throat started to close off and his nose became totally congested.

Easton couldn't get enough of the 4-wheeler. He's one who likes speed, if you hadn't known.

We couldn't get over Braxton and how fun it was to see him in this oversized helmet! He gets embarrassed and upset when he knows people are laughing at something funny he's done, so we tried not to make it known how adorable he was.