Sundance Hike

On Saturday Chris went out with the Cobra club driving all day. It was such a nice day, I thought I'd take Soph and go on a little hike to enjoy the fall colors. We drove up to Sundance near a small neighborhood of cabins where I used to live for about a year when I was 9. From there I knew it was a short little hike that Sophie could do to Stewart Falls.

Starting our hike

Crossing the bridge, Sophie got a little scared when it started sinking as she walked on it

We're hiking all the way to the falls

Just after the start of our hike Sophie needed a snack, we took a little break in the meadow and Soph enjoyed her cheese and crackers.

We made it to the falls! Sophie did so good, she hiked the whole way.

She enjoyed playing in the water with her "Fishing pole"



We hung around at the top for a while then hiked back down. She walked most of the way then I had to carry her the last 1/4 mile.

Halloween Fun

This past week I've been trying to keep Soph entertained with some Halloween activities. They had these little kits for .99 cents at the craft store, Sophie had fun glueing them together.

And we made Halloween cookies

Snow

How is it we go from 95 degrees in St George and a few days later go to 30 degrees and 5 inches of snow at home? It's depressing. Sophie loved it though, when she woke up and saw the snow she had to go out and play in it, even before breakfast...

Here she is still in her pj's checking out the first snow of the season.

She wanted to ride her bike and when it got stuck in the snow promptly got her shovel out and dug out her wheels. She must remember winters past of our cars getting stuck in the driveway.

After school it was time for round 2 out in the snow
We built a snow man.

Driving home from Sophies school, we noticed our neighbor down the street slid off his driveway. There are some steep driveways up here. They had to use a crane to get it down.

Round 3 of going out to play in the snow


Sophie loved eating the snow too. Yuck!

Round 4 of wanting to go out in the snow. This time I made Chris go out with her. I need summer back!

Today for church I blow dried Sophie's hair and let her wear it down for the first time. She looks so grown up. The snow is almost melted too!

St George Marathon

This year I ran my 11th St. George Marathon. It was hot again this year but not as bad as last year. I was on pace to finish under 4 hours until mile 22 when the heat started getting to me and I had to slow down. Still I finished in 4 hours 9 minutes. I also ran into one of my old co workers at mile 18. It was great to run with her for a few miles and catch up. Dad, Sheryl, Chris & Sophie all came to the finish line to cheer me on.

Enjoying a post race popsicle


Chris took a little video at the finish line.

Crossing the finish line.

Here is a picture of Kristin and I, we used to work events together, it was fun to see her again and have a running buddy for a few miles

Ice Cream

Sophie and I made homemade chocolate gelato last night. She summed it up perfect... mmm delicious!

Last of summer

Soph learned to ride her bike this summer, she loves it. Everyday she wants to go out and ride around the driveway sometimes many times a day. Sometimes we go up the street a bit into the culdasac and ride around there too. She's getting really good at riding her bike.

We like to hang out with the neighbors cat too. He comes over all the time.

Our cat Harry is enjoying the last days of summer too.

Trauma in the basement

Or so Chris calls it... the basement has been his shop & man cave the past 8 years and we are going to have it finished. Over the years Chris had collected lots of wood, metal & more wood. He kept small pieces thinking he would need it for some future project, he kept lots of wood. I found stacks of sticks all the same height, there were stacks of wood hidden in all the nooks and crannies of the walls.

I hauled away 3 truckloads of wood & metal to the dump. One load weighed 900 pounds! Seriously there was a lot of scrap wood. It was hard on him to get rid of it all. I tried to make it easier on him by having me haul it away to the dump so he wouldn't have to do it. So 3 times Soph and I made the trip out to the dump. I felt a bit out of place there with all the men folk emptying their trucks of construction debris and household junk and little ol me with my pink gloves unloading my truck.

There are 2 large rooms in the basement one will be split into 2 bedrooms and one will be made into a family room. Then there will be an extra bathroom as well. I'm excited to have some extra space for Sophie to play in. I plan on putting all her toys down there so her bedroom isn't so crowded with toys. The 2 bedrooms will become Chris' shop until he finishes the remaining house projects then we will put it all away in storage in a year or 2.

Bathroom

Family Room
Back 2 bedrooms with what remains of the shop equipment.

The workers are starting today. I'll try to post pictures of the progress, hopefully they will be done in a few weeks.