Bear Lake

For some ridiculous reason, I cannot upload any pictures to my blog right now. It's very frustrating. I do the same thing I always do, but it just won't give me the option to "Choose File".  It's been doing this for days. If anyone knows how to make this work, I would love the help. So anyway, I cannot put any pictures on right now but I figured I could at least get some writing done. *Update:* I finally figured out how to post pictures again! There was a trouble shooting page on Blogger and I tried several of the things they suggested, to no avail. Then I tried restarting it. When the computer came back on, I noticed that there are a few different web browsers that I didn't realize we had. One of the suggestions on Blogger was to use a different browser, so I tried a different browser and it worked! I tried once again with the other browser to see if it was something else, and it still won't let up upload pictures. Apparently Explorer 9 and Blogspot.com don't get along.
Over Labor Day weekend, my sister and her family, my brother, nephew, and my little family all went up to Bear Lake in Northern Utah. I have lived in Utah for most of my life and had never been up there so I was excited to go. We stayed in a resort because I don't love camping (especially with kids), and I am so glad we did! We had wanted to go up earlier in the summer, but there weren't any rooms available for more than one night so we went over Labor Day weekend. We were thinking it wouldn't be too cold because it had been such a hot summer, but we were very wrong! It was really chilly the whole time we were there. I think the high was probably 65*, maybe 70*. We still had lots of fun and hopefully will be able to go again soon.

My brother and nephew followed us up there and this is a picture while we were at a stop light

Beautiful country up there!

We got there a little too early to check in so we went to the part of the lake that was closest to us. It was a good area for kids to play because it was really shallow. (My nephew took most of these pictures)

We were seriously about 30 feet out into the lake and it was only this shallow!

Steven had been sick earlier in the week and still wasn't feeling too hot

I swear I'm not usually on my phone this much but I was trying to figure out where my sister was and when she was going to meet us. Don't you love that Josh is wearing Sofia's hat? ;)

Sofia was happy to be there

Walking back to the car

I let the kids get out of the car while Josh checked us in. I'm sure you can guess, but she's standing next to a big bear carving

I don't remember what we were talking about but I do know that Ginelle walked in on "chlamydia"

Just hanging out playing games

Love Ginelle's face in this one ;)

 My brother, Marc, and I. We act like such goof-balls when we get together

My niece, Ashley

Marc 

We were going on a walk after dinner. Ballerina Marc? ;)

Sofia on our walk. On our walk we saw a sign that said "Air temperature: 52*, water temperature 72*". How wrong is that??

Jake at the dock we walked to

Ginelle

Josh loves to photo bomb. This is the best one we got

Beautiful sunset at the marina

Ashley

Jake thinks this should be on the cover of the Ensign. I think he was trying to keep up on his reading for his religion class

 We went to the lake again on Sunday. It was REALLY cold and we didn't really get in

The kids had fun building a sand castle

After the cold lake, we went back to the resort and swam in the indoor pool. 

The day we left, we drove up to Paris, Idaho to see these ice caves. There is ice in these caves that never melts. I was definitely expecting something cooler but it was still fun.

 Me holding up the cave ;)

 Marc and some random person

 Marc, me, Sofia

Marc and Jake went further into the cave and were using the flash on their cameras as "flash lights" and to take pictures

Another opening into the cave

Time

When I thought of what I'm grateful for in relation to "time", the first thing that came to me was how I like to spend my time. This time of year I am especially grateful that Josh's work slows down & I get to spend more time with him, and also that he gets to spend more time with our kids.

Gratitude Photo Challenge

I think it's very common in the month of November to try to remember to be thankful. Posting one thing you're thankful for every day on Facebook has become a very big trend, at least among my friends. I've also seen photo versions of this. I found this gratitude photo challenge from my friend, Jen's blog. I thought it was a cool version. It's supposed to be a 30-day challenge, and as you can see I am not starting this until November 14th, but I thought I'd make a go at it anyway. I will try to keep up with the days and then add a few of the other days in whenever I can. The jist is that you take a picture of something that you are grateful in each of these categories on the corresponding day.



I'm starting with #12: Music. I saw the post yesterday but I am especially grateful for 2 CD's that my sister-in-law gave me for my birthday over the weekend. It's a bad picture because I took it at night, in my car, with my stupid phone camera (my camera is stupid because the flash doesn't work correctly anymore). If you can't see what it says, the CD's are from the group Mumford & Son's. I love all different types of music, but this group is my current favorite. There's just something about their music that I really love.

May - June

This is going to be brief & mostly pictures. Enjoy!

Steven loves the game "Angry Birds" and was so excited to find Angry Bird fruit snacks!

Me, Ginelle, my mom. My mom came to visit for about 10 days at the end of April. This is the three of us at Women's Conference at BYU 

 At Women's Conference during the concert on Thursday night. During one of the songs they had people turn on these electric tea lights. It was soooo beautiful!

 My sister, Ginelle, has chickens! Sofia was checking them out during one visit

 Steven & Sofia both thought the chickens were awesome

 Sofia enjoying one of her first snow cones of the season

 Sofia making silly faces when she was playing in her pack-n-play

 Steven had to join the fun ;)

 Sofia swinging at the park. I think it was Memorial Day

On Memorial Day we took the kids to visit their angel cousins

 Steven & Sofia checking out the ducks at Wheeler Farm

 Checking out some of the animals

 Steven was helping me make strawberry jam

 I started out trying to have him mash them with a potato masher...that did not work too well

 ...so in the blender they went!

Steven loving the slide at the water park for the first time this summer

 They both love to swim!

 I realize now how cheesy this picture is, but it's at one of our new favorite restaurants downtown and they have the best butternut squash ravioli appetizer!

 Josh & I after dinner walking around City Creek Center

 The kids really liked to "paint" with water this summer. They also liked getting in the bowls...

 ...and water pitchers...

 Josh & I were a "ma & pa" on a mini-trek at This is the Place park with our stake this summer

 It was 95 degrees out but Sofia insisted on wearing her winter hat

My "before" picture

 My "after" shot

 My sister, Sammy, & I at her salon

Relaxing while getting pedicures

 Our awesome toes

 My favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream! They don't sell it in Utah :(

 I went down to Arizona for Sammy's college graduation (Bachelor's degree). Here is her name in the booklet!

 Sammy on the jumbo-tron!

 L-R: Mike (Sammy's brother-in-law), Irwin Sr. (Sammy's father-in-law), Sammy, & Irwin (husband)

 Sammy & I