Future Olympians

We met up in Park City last weekend. In the Olympic spirit, we went to the Utah Olympic Park--where they had the ski jump, bobsled, etc. during 2002 games--on Saturday. Caleb and Annika loved it. Here's some pics and videos of the future Olympians at work:

Free Outing to the Canyons

Last Weekend we met up in Park City and on Saturday went to the Canyons Resort so Caleb could watch the skiers and snowboarders go down the hill. Canyons has a "Cabriolet", which is essentially an open air gondola, running from the parking lot to the bottom of the ski area and is free to ride on. They also have another little gondola that is free to ride connecting some fancy hotel with the rest of the bottom of the ski resort.

The kids loved riding on the free lifts--although it took us until we were leavingto figure out the name of the Cabriolet. We also sat out on a deck up at the lodge eating or sack lunches and watching skiers and snowboarders come down the hill--which Caleb loved. Clear blue sky and not too cold. All in all, a very fun, very free outing.

Here's a couple videos:

So every night now Caleb wants me to tell him stories. When I'm done he'll say, "one more," and I always give in. The he says, "last one" and I tell him I already did the last one and he says, "that was 'one more' I want the 'last one.'" Too funny. Now he's also taken to wanting to know what's going on after he goes to bed. He stands in his crib and calls out, "What's going on?" "I want to see what's going on out there!" He is so funny. He's also asking people what they want for Christmas. My dad said he wanted a remote control car and Caleb doesn't know exactly what it is but he keeps talking about it and pretending to have one, but from how he pretends I think he thinks it's more like a garage door opener or something. I think we'll watch something on you tube with remote control cars or something.

I got his hair cut and told the guy I wanted it shorter so it would be a good length around Christmas when we take all the pictures. Only then I realized that I really only wanted the hair around the ears and neck short and those get cut short anyway. But it was too late. The clippers had already done their damage. He now has a butch. I really don't like it and it will probably take a couple months before the hair on the top of his head is long enough to not look buzzed. Oh, well. I don't have a camera anyway.

Speaking of camera's if I had a working one there was the cutest picture the other day (actually I see them all the time...). I gave Annika her first toothbrush and she loved it. She and Caleb were sitting on the bed together in their pajamas brushing their teeth. It was so cute.

Annika has learned to wave and to vigorously shake her head back and forth. She thinks it's hilarious. She is so funny. She loves to laugh and make others laugh. I was wearing a hat the other day and she kept putting her head up while I was holding her then swinging her face in towards my face under the brim of the hat. She thought it was such a clever game. It was so cute.

Good Recipe

Spiral pasta with roasted pumpkin and plum tomatoes

6 cups peeled and cubed sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (this took the longest--we just used a pumpkin out of the garden)
2 med yellow onions thinly sliced
2 1/2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
4 plum tomatoes (we just used what we had--I think it was cherry at the time)
1/3 c fresh sage or 1 T dried sage
12 oz whole grain spiral pasta
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 450 F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
On rimmed baking sheet, toss the pumpkin with the onions and 1 1/2 T oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the pumpkin in an even layer and roast until the vegetables are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with remaining T of oil. Add the roasted vetables and toss gently to combine.
Season with addtitional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve sprinkled with cheese.

This was way good. My mom clipped it out of the Salt Lake Tribune and one of the times Andy came down we made it for dinner.

Grandad's pictures of 2009

Since I don't have a working camera I finally got some of Dad's on my computer and thought I should post them.

Funny Things Caleb Said Today

A fly was buzzing around and my mom made some comment about how it was annoying. Caleb said, "I'm going to kill it. And he says, 'No don't kill me.'" Where did he come up with that one? Grandad probably. Grandad has taught Caleb about how you don't kill spiders but you take them outside and they say thank you. He has learned to kill bugs from me however, and his first impulse is to kill them and secondly to not kill them. :)

It took my a long time to put Caleb to sleep tonight. My mom is sick--both kids are sick too--and Annika woke up and so it dragged putting Caleb to bed. Luckily he had a really long nap so was in a really good mood--just didn't want to go to sleep. I left him in his room around 9 or so (maybe a little before I can't remember) and then about ten minutes later he comes out and says, "I had a good sleep." We walked back in and I sang him another song and Orlee the cat came and jumped up on his bed. Now they're curled up asleep together. Luckily he wasn't super tired. When he's super tired it's really hard because he's so whiney and cries like crazy and won't go to sleep unless I lay there with him till he falls asleep.

This morning my dad was cleaning out the little box and Caleb asked if he could watch. However, when he put his hand in the kitty litter (clean kitty litter fortunately) my dad told him that he wasn't supposed to touch kitty litter. I piped in that cleaning the kitty litter was Grandad's job. Later tonight my dad cleaned out the bathtub before Caleb took a bath. Caleb said that it was Grandad's job.

Caleb just woke up. Now he's asking the cat named Dawson if he wants to come on his bed with him. Perhaps I should go try to help my tired (although he doens't know it) and sick (although he is getting better) son get to sleep.

Good night

Family Trip to Capitol Reef

Last Saturday when Andy came down for the weekend we all went to Capitol Reef for the day. It was incredible weather! High seventies, gorgeous skies, pretty leaves, scenery! We all had a lot of fun.





Andy and I even got to hike me carrying Annika and Andy carrying Caleb. We kept them in the backpacks there and back (it was only 2 miles or so, but steep) until about the last quarter mile where we let Caleb out to play.


Of course he plopped down right where he was and started to dig in the dirt. We had to stay there for a long time.

Finally I went ahead to find a place by the water. I ran back and told him about it and he took off running. I wish I'd gotten a video of him running! It's so cute! He threw sticks, dirt and leaves into the water and also got too close and fell in. Luckily Andy was right there and caught him and I ran back to the car for the change of clothes we'd packed. However, his shoes still stink and I think I'm going to have to buy new ones. Darn. Annika also ate as much dirt and as many leaves as she could get her hands on...

These are pictures Caleb took. Not bad for just shy of 2 1/2. :)



We also went and looked at the old pioneer house and the horses. On the way home we stopped at Mom's Cafe in Salina which has been visited by, surprisingly, a few famous people. The food was good but heavy--old fashioned meat and potatoes kind of place. Caleb and Annika got baths that night. :)

Popcorn packaging

Evie and Daniel came down and brought Caleb after a weekend in Park City. We all forgot about the car seat so Evie had to mail it. The day we got the package was a very long day for my mom and she was very tired and didn't feel good. I thought Caleb would love playing in the popcorn. He did. Only just as my tired mother knew, it made a huge mess and took about half an hour to clean up. Caleb had a blast. My mom was relieved when it was all cleaned up and kids were in bed. :) The problem with the popcorn stuff is that it breaks then gets really staticy and sticks to everything...

Pictures from the last month

Here are some pictures that were on my camera. I'm not sure when I took them--but they're cute. :) And of course, they are not always so nice and happy... :)


Here are some videos as well. Really most of the time Caleb has his pants on... :)

Hiking the S

We did this a few weeks ago but my computer wasn't taking pictures from the camera (thus the lack of picture posts...), but I tried again and it worked. Anyway, every year the science department at Snow hikes to the S (a bunch of white washed rocks in the shape of an S on the hillside) and invites students to join them so faculty and students can meet and mingle in a setting outside the classroom. Then they BBQ hamburgers and chat. We were late because we had classes till 4:30 and it just took us a while to get off so most people were down and back by the time we got there. However we did hike up to the top and if it weren't for the threatening lightening Caleb would've walked the whole way himself! As it was, I got a little impatient and carried him the last two bends or so. Still, it was quite the hike for a little guy who's not even two and a half yet! I was so proud of him!! He is such a good little hiker and he loves it! He loved to be out in the mountains, he loved to be hiking and he liked all the attention from the people coming down.

Hiking to the topSitting on the white washed rocks of the S.


View of Ephraim while sitting on the S.