October 2012

I'm sure you're all amazed that I'm actually updating something on the blog! It's only taken me 6 months to do so. :) Hopefully I'll get enough up to date that I can keep on top of things again. Here are some pictures of last October.

Natalie, our neighbor, invited Lydia and I to go to Hogle Zoo with her and her 3 little kids. It was a bit chilly and not all of the animals were outside, but we enjoyed being there and seeing many of the animals. Lydia especially loved watching the elephants and seeing the monkeys. We had fun exploring and also enjoyed lunch together. After lunch we packed up and came back home for naps.

Watching the elephants, a grizzly bear swimming, climbing in an eagles' nest with friends, and watching the monkeys!

October also brought lots of leaves, pumpkins, and of course... Halloween!

Lydia enjoying the beautiful fall flowers and showing off a few of our pumpkins we grew in the garden this year.

 Helping rake and play in the leaves.

Family fun! Carving our first Jack-O-Lantern together. Lydia thought it was fun to play in the seed and pulp.

Our little kitty cat. Lydia was old enough this year to really enjoy trick or treating at Neal's work. She was a little leary of going up and meeting so many new people at first, but once she discovered that they all had a bowl of candy, she ran up to everyone!

Family Pictures

Before Bradley (Neal's brother) headed out on his mission, we all got together for some current family pictures. Neal's cousin, Grant- and wife Kate, came and took some pictures for us. We drove up to the Bountiful Temple and took advantage of the beautiful grounds there. Here are a few. :)

Lydia 1 year stats and catch up

This post is way over due! Hopefully I can get it finished today or it will be another couple of weeks before I get around to it again. :) I can't believe how much Lydia has changed and grown in the past year. It's still so crazy that we have a 1 year old! Neal and I really love the stage she is currently in, she is so fun, so full of life and personality, and is learning things like crazy! She is a great walker and basically runs everywhere she goes. She loves daddy and runs into our room each morning, shouting, "da-da" da-da"! We try to go outside each day when he comes home from work, and she gets so excited when she sees him coming! 

 She is still a good eater, although she doesn't love her vegetables quite as much as she used to :(.  Her vocabulary is coming along as well. She makes noises for sheep (baa), dogs (a woof), cats (mee, mee) elephant (dooo), monkey (ooo eeee). She also says, ma-ma, da-da, ba-ba (bottle and a defalt word for lots of other things),  duh (for uncle Dallin), o oh( uh oh), and pretty (although for some reason, she always whispers this one). She blows kisses and say muh while she is doing so. It is very cute! She also loves to give kisses on the cheek. She loves her bottle, her blanket, playing with her stuffed animals (especially her kitty), reading books, exploring, and going outside. She giggles and laughs all day and we couldn't have asked for a happier or better baby! We love our Lydia so much!!

She loves playing in the cupboards and exploring in the kitchen. She has found the cereal a couple of times and dumped it on the floor before I knew what she was doing. :) 

Lydia LOVES fresh fruit. She was so happy to discover the peach trees in the back yard and would have loved to stay there all day. She thought it was the greatest to go out in the backyard, pick a peach, and eat the whole thing! If Neal or I tried to take the peach from her to cut up or take the skin off, she would get really mad at us! That was her peach and nobody could take it from her.

Our happy baby playing outside!

We also took Lydia to the doctor for her 12 month checkup. Let's just say it was not the best one we have been to. :(  She is growing and healthy. Here are her stats.

Weight: 20 lbs 13.5 oz (45%)

Length: 30.3 in (80%)

Head: 18 in (55%)

Lydia doesn't like the doctor (I don't know why not, because she is very nice) and was very clingy every time she came into the room. She liked the nurse a lot... until it was time for shots and then she screamed and screamed. While she was still crying from her shots, she hit her head on the metal examining table and got a huge goose egg! Poor baby! I felt so bad for her. She has also never had any side affects from shots before (at least that I have noticed) and this time they made her sick for a few days. We were so glad to have our happy baby back when she was finally feeling better! Good thing all doctor visits are not like that!

Our little cougar fan. We dressed Lydia up for the big Utah vs BYU game. I'm really not into sports that much, but Neal enjoys it and is definitely a big BYU fan. We had fun watching the game at Brent and Annie's place with the family, even though they lost. 

Havasupai

Over Labor day weekend, Neal and I were able to get away to Havasupai. For those of you who don't know where or what that is (I didn't), it is an Indian reservation in the Grand Canyon with some beautiful waterfalls and other great sights. Thursday morning we finished packing everything, loaded up the car, dropped Lydia off with Neal's parents, and headed out. We stopped in St. George to do some shopping at the outlets malls, and headed on to Henderson, NV around 6 pm. After settling into our hotel room, we ventured out into the city for dinner. Stephanie had given us a Chili's gift card for Neal's birthday, so we turned on the GPS. There were 2 options- both about 10 minutes away, but in different directions. We picked the one that was slightly closer and started driving. We turned a street too early and ended up in a big parking lot where there was a Macaroni Grill. Since our gift card was good there too, we thought we would just eat there instead. I had been to that restaurant before so after walking in and getting seated, we looked at the menu. Long story short- we didn't like the menu options or the prices so after a little debate between us, we decided to leave. I was kind of embarrassed, but the waiter hadn't even come yet and we'll never see any of those people again. As we pulled back out into the traffic, there was a guy waving and yelling at us from his truck. At the stoplight, his truck was right next to us and we were a little bit freaked out about it until we finally understood his excitement. He could see that Neal had on a BYU t-shirt and he was apparently also a fan. After a few more minutes of driving we got to our destination as listed on our GPS. Unfortunately for us, there was a building that appeared to have been a Chili's at one time, but was now vacant. There was an Olive Garden down the street (we also had a gift card there), but after stopping there, we found that it was way too crowded and really busy. It was around 7:45pm before we finally found an open Chili's and were able to get some dinner-what an adventure!

The next morning we got up around 6:30 (we were still about a 5 hour drive away) and headed downstairs to get some breakfast before leaving. I was getting my food when Neal came over and told me that the other couple in the lobby were speaking German. I wandered over and sure enough, they were .She is from Germany and her husband is from here (but spoke like a native).  It was really fun to chat for a while and use some German.

By the time we got to Hualapai Hilltop (the parking area at the start of the trailhead), it was almost noon and getting quite hot outside. The trail to the village is about 8 miles long (the first 1 1/2 miles some fairly steep switchbacks) and we weren't looking forward the the long, hot hike while carrying all of our supplies, food, and camping gear for the next few days. Neal really wanted to ride a horse down and send our packs on the mules, but it was really expensive and we didn't want to spend so much money. While chatting with another hiker (he had also just gotten there and he and his girlfriend were headed down), he told us that we could send our bags down in the helicopter for $20 each bag. We knew that we could fly down in the helicopter (also for a lot of money) but we hadn't known we could just send our bags down. That was so nice to know! We grabbed a small backpack, filled it with water and a few snacks, and took our two heavy hiking packs to the landing pad. Because there is no building, the workers can only take cash, so I ran back to see what we had. We were $1.50 short but they took it and our bags and flew off. With most of our heavy load gone, we happily set off down the trail.

The trailhead and parts of the switchbacks.

The trail was very hot, dry, and dusty so we were very glad to have lots of water with us. Although we were hiking in the heat of the day, we did get a few clouds for cover every so often and sometimes even a slight breeze. A few hours later we finally reached the small village where we had to pay some fees and pick up our bags. It was another 2 miles to the campground but it felt much longer than that! We were so grateful that we hadn't had to carry our big packs the first 8 miles- they were so heavy and it was really hot outside! By the time we finally reached the campground we were quite tired and so glad to finally put down our packs and set up camp.

Our campsite. There was a spring nearby where we could get fresh water, and a few composting toilets, but that was about it. There are no campfires allowed, so we brought a small camp stove to cook a few things on, but ate mostly food that didn't need cooking.

 Our campsite had a little stream running through it so Neal decided it would be fun to have a boat race. We both found some pieces of wood to use and set off to get them water ready. After a bit of carving and adding some masts, the fun was about to begin. Woody (Neal's boat- top in the pic) vs The Croc (my boat- bottom pic)! Ready, set, go! Off went both the boats- mine went sailing on down the stream whereas Neal's went sailing... right in the grass. He called a rematch and wanted to start on different sides. We started again, with the same results. Mine was just superior. :) We tried 3 different times and mine won each time. Then Neal decided it was his boat, so he made a new one out of some tree bark. That lost to the Croc as well, so he made yet another one- this time out of a paper plate. Finally, his boat was doing really well and was staying ahead of mine, that is, until the very last where mine pulled ahead, and won, again! Neal decided he'd had enough of getting beaten so we headed back out to do some more exploring. I couldn't believe how beautiful the water was in its clear blue green color. The waterfalls were pretty amazing and it was crazy to think that we were still in the middle of the Grand Canyon. What a change of scenery. :) There are 5 main waterfalls to see, but I only have pictures of 3 of them.

Mooney Falls

Mooney Falls is the tallest at 190'. To get down the the base you basically need to climb down the canyon wall which winds down through 2 small tunnels. When you hit about 70' above the canyon floor, there are some crude steps that have been carved into the rock, as well as some heavy chairs and spikes to hold them into place. Finishing up, there is a ladder the last 10' or so before you finally reach the bottom. I wasn't super comfortable with climbing down, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds and the view from the bottom was definitely worth it.

The descent. 

The view from the second tunnel in the descent.

Finally made it to the bottom! This picture really doesn't do justice, but it was quite  majestic.

Because there were more people climbing down (there is only one way in and out) we decided to do some exploring and follow the water a bit further downstream. We were so glad we did because we found some more beautiful places and small waterfalls. It was also nice that there weren't other people there so we could really enjoy nature as is. 

Just downstream from Mooney falls. If you look closely in the background, you can see part of the falls.

Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls was probably our favorite. It is definitely the most breathtaking and beautiful and had a number of beautiful pools for swimming. We spent a lot of time here enjoying the water.

The view from the trail as you hike in.

These pools (as well as the one right by the falls) were so nice for swimming in. The water wasn't too cold and was really refreshing as it was very hot outside.

Neal enjoyed sliding down/jumping off into the pool below. I even joined him once or twice although I preferred just to swim.

Lower Navajo Falls

We also really enjoyed the lower Navajo Falls. This waterfall is about 40' and has a small pool beneath. It was also nice for swimming and because the waterfall was smaller, we were able to climb up behind the water. We enjoyed being behind the waterfall and being able to look out through the sheets of water.

The view from the trail.

Neal enjoying being behind the waterfall.

Before we knew it, a few days had passed and it was time to pack up and come back home. Because we didn't have any more cash and because it was Sunday, we carried our packs the whole way instead of putting them back on the helicopter. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be because we left early morning before it got too hot and there was quite a bit of cloud cover. What a tender mercy. It was around 11:30 by the time we made it back to the hilltop. Boy, were we glad to see our car again and be able to take off our heavy packs. We were anxious to get back to Lydia so we got in the car and drove straight back to Bountiful (arriving a little after 9 pm). It was a great trip and so nice for Neal and I to get away for a while and enjoy nature and more of God's beautiful creations, but it was also great to get back home to Lydia. 

Lydia's 1st Birthday

Happy birthday Lydia!! I can't believe that she is already 1! Where did the time go? She is so much fun and we love having her as part of our family. She LOVES bananas and "na-na" was one of her first words (at least one of the first words that she actually knew what it meant), so I decided to make her a banana cake and put a monkey/bananas on top. The fondant monkey wasn't the greatest but hey, for my first try wasn't half bad. :)  Because her real birthday was on Sunday, we had her little party on Saturday. The festivities included a yummy bar-b-que, cake and ice cream, and presents.

I had lots of fun making Lydia's monkey cake.

 Lydia really wanted the candle on her cake but wasn't quite sure what to do with the actual cake. After finally getting a few bites, she decided that there was too much going on and she would rather get down and play.

She got so spoiled by everyone! Of course she liked the wrapping paper, bags, and boxes more than her clothes. She also got some new shoes, a doll, a musical walker, a stuffed monkey (with a bunch of real bananas), and a new car seat.

She loves her new walker and dances to the music. 

Great Grandma and Grandpa Pratt also sent her a birthday card with $5 inside. She liked the red bird on the card, but LOVED the money. She carried that $5 bill around with her all day. What a happy girl!

24th of July

Each year, in celebration of pioneer days, the city of Bountiful has "Handcart Days." This includes a fun weekend with a parade, park activities (games, food, rides, entertainment), and fireworks. 

The parade! I couldn't believe how crowded it was! Kevin loved having Lydia around. When he saw something in the parade that he wanted, he took Lydia to the front and usually got it (including rolls from the Lion House, otter pops, frisbees, etc.) This year they also did a special entry with the "Sons of Helaman" Here is an excerpt from the handcart days website about it:  "This year’s parade will include an entry that will happen only one time and in only one parade.  Complementing this year’s theme, They Did Not Doubt, young men from all over the area will come together dressed as warriors.  They will be led by President Cory Hanks, president of the Bountiful South Stake, who will be dressed as Helaman.Young men from all over the valley will be involved in the march.  It will be inspiring to see.  They will all be costumed and will each have a wooden staff-like spear. The staffs will each have a nail in the bottom.  Every fourth step, the young men will strike the staff on the pavement which will make a thunderous sound unlike any heard before in a parade.  They will all be wearing wrist bands that proclaim the message, “They Did Not Doubt!”

Neal was asked to help organize the boys in our stake. I think he enjoyed it (most of the time) and the end result was quite impressive. I'm not sure they got the 2,000 boys they wanted, but there were a LOT of warriors marching. It was a great experience for all those involved and it was eye opening to me to help visualize a little better what it might have really been like for the stripling warriors. 

Neal is actually in this picture, but since everyone is really small, he's hard to see. :)

Enjoying lunch at the park. We had: pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, and creamies for dessert. 

Hanging out and enjoying the activities at the park.

A week in Rexburg

After a few days home to unpack and recuperate from Bear Lake, Lydia and I packed up again and headed up to Rexburg. My sister, Melissa, and her three girls were visiting from Hawaii, so we wanted to go visit with them. Jen (another sister) and her baby were also staying in Rexburg (her husband is currently in Jordan), so we had the three of us and our girls together for most of a week. Rhonda (and most of her family) and Spencer (and all of his family) came up for the weekend as well. Before Rhonda arrived, there were 11 little girls in the house (13 after she came, and only 3 boys!) The granddaughters in the family greatly outnumber the grandsons. :) It was so fun to be with family and enjoy each other! We enjoyed visiting, watching the kids, playing outside, going to the splash park, and riding the carousel.  Going through the pictures on my camera, I realized I just had lots of pictures of the 3 babies (trying again and again to get a good one with them all looking and smiling) and not of anything or anyone else. They did play together (or at least keep each other entertained) better then Christmas (last time they were all together). I wish we all lived closer so we could get together more often!

Take 1. Kaitlin and Lydia took off as soon as we put them down. They were off to explore grandma's yard. Poor Sadie was left sitting all by herself. When they did come back to look at the pretty flowers, Sadie was not a fan of being patted on the head by the others. :) 

The first one here we at least caught them all looking at the camera before Lydia decided to take off again.

My parents took us all to the Teton Flood Museum one of the day we were there. It is not a huge exibit, but is pretty interesting to see and learn more about. Unfortunately Lydia was not the least bit interested in any of that, but luckily they also had a toy/activity room for the kids. This fun activity table was a big hit, they were fascinated by all the different things to do.

Cute cousins hanging out at the park!

Lydia's first carousel ride. She liked it for the first 5 minutes or so, but wanted to get off before the ride ended.

We had so much fun visiting with family but definitely missed Neal, as he stayed home to work. A few days after arriving in Rexburg, he sent me this beautiful bouquet of flowers and a sweet note! I loved it, it was a nice surprise from my wonderful husband.

We loved picking all of Grandma's fresh produce. Lydia saw the rhubarb and really wanted to have some, so I let her have a stalk. I didn't think she would like it, but she loved chewing on it!

Before we knew it, a week had almost passed and it was time to pack up and head back home. We had a great time and were a bit sad to leave, but so excited to go home and see Neal!

Bear Lake

July was a fun and busy month. To start things off, we went to Bear Lake for a few days with Neal's family( on his Dad's side). We all stayed in a big cabin and it was so much fun to all be together! We went boating (complete with tubing and water skiing) one day, rented jet skis another day, played tennis, went biking, played some mini golf,  had a cake decorating contest(thanks Camille!), and of course played lots of games and visited! I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few.

Family! This is most everyone who came.

Just the Steve Johnson family.

The Beach!

Lydia surprisingly loved the water even though it was freezing!

Lydia happy and still enjoying the water!

Hanging out with grandma and ready for some lunch.

Playing games at the beach! 

Camille (our cousin) recently took a cake decorating class and thought it would  be fun to decorate cakes. Since we were there over the 4th of July, we did patriotic cakes. We ended up in two teams: Michelle, Stephanie, and I, and Camille, Annie, and  Kim .The cakes were already made- we just need to decorate. It turned into a fun evening with each group trying to outdo the other one. Our cake was smaller and falling apart, so it was interesting to try to keep it together and get the frosting to stay on and look decent. :) We finished our cake way earlier than the other group so we started to look around for something to make our presentation better. We found a pretty blue cup that worked great as a cake stand and then ran outside to pick some flowers and leaves to put around the base. When the other team finally finished their cake and saw what we had done, they found a taller cup and a prettier plate to use for their cake stand. At the last minute Robert (Kim's husband) ran out to the car and came back with some crazy headbands to put around the cake. It is hard to see them well in the picture, but they looked like a bunch of colorful Chinese finger traps together- and they had flashing lights to top it off. Who has those in their cars? In the end, Dallin chose their cake- because he liked the flashing lights. It really was a fun filled evening and we all had lots of laughs.

 

Playing games after breakfast.

Quite a few of us brought up our bikes and we enjoyed a nice, scenic ride through the town. Neal's parents rented this cool surrey bike and took Lydia with them. After a while they traded with us and let us take a turn. It was pretty fun!