Girls' weekend

Back in the day, a group of girls from the Iona 4th ward went to Primary, Young Women and girls' camp together.

Me, Caryolyn, Lauralynn, Brooke and Kary at Cloverdale Elementary in 1999. Desirae was a year younger, so I guess that's why she didn't make it into this picture.

 Brooke, Desirae, Lauralynn and me at my house in 2007.

It's been a LONG time since we've been together, so Brooke suggested we amend that by attending Newsies at Tuacahn. Only three of the six of us could make it work, so Friday morning I picked up Des in Pocatello and Brooke in Provo on our way to St. George.

We watched Newsies (which was phenomenal, by the way), played games in the hotel room until midnight, then slept in the next morning (some later than others).

Brooke, Des and me in front of the Newsies poster.

The Newsies stage.

Saturday we hiked in and around Snow Canyon before heading back to Provo. We ate dinner and played Rummikub at Brooke's condo before crashing at my aunt and uncle's house in South Jordan so Des and I could make an early getaway for home on Sunday morning.

Johnson Canyon trail.

The three of us at the end of the Johnson Canyon trail.

Cute cactus.

Petrified sand dunes.

Me at the sand dunes (so I could send a picture to Seth and the girls). 

Etched graffiti at the sand dunes.

More sand dunes.

Us and sand dunes. (Can you tell we really liked the sand dunes?)

Pretty flora at the Lava Flow trail.

Headed back to Provo after hiking.

It was a quick and long trip, but the hours and hours of driving gave us a chance to catch up on everyone and thing. And Brooke and Des didn't trash the van or ask (even once!) how much farther we had to go.

Bekahism #54

After breakfast this morning.

Bekah: We had a really boring assembly yesterday. [Explains.]
Andrea: It's called a pep assembly.
Bekah: Well, it's pointless. What the point of it?
Andrea: It generates pep.
Seth: What is pep?
Andrea: Athletic fervor?
Bekah: Athletic Führer?!

Yellowstone

Although we had been to Island Park a few times for hunting, we were overdue to visit Aunt Rachel and Uncle Justin at their cabin. The girls didn't have school on the 6th, so we used that as an excuse to head north and visit Yellowstone while we were at it.

 Driving in the van.

Being goofy in the van.

Winnie and Seth at Gibbon Falls. 

 Rebekah, Winnie, Miriam and Seth headed to the Arists' Paintpots.

Analee checking out the thermal features with binoculars. 

Analee and Miriam checking out a lean-to at Norris Geyser Basin. 

Miriam, Seth, Winnie, Analee and Rebekah at Steamboat Geyser. 

Rebekah and her camera at the Mammoth Terraces. 

Bekah (way in the back), Winnie, Miriam and Seth walking past Liberty Cap at Mammoth. 

Rebekah taking pictures at Mammoth. 

Andrea and Seth at Tower Falls. 

The girls fawning over a caterpillar while Seth looks at Tower Falls. 

The funky caterpillar Seth saved from the sidewalk and moved to the dirt.

We saw bison several times, a bunch of elk (including a 7-point bull and his harem hanging out in someone's front yard in Mammoth) and tons of ravens in the park. The weather was chilly, so out jackets, coats, gloves and hats helped. We also saw two moose, deer and pronghorns in Island Park.

The next day we took it easy at Justin and Rachel's: we went on walks, played games, jumped on the tramp, visited and played with cousins. Then after we took some family pictures of them, we packed up and headed home in time to get cleaned up and ready for church the next day.

Winnie is 5

This beautiful pint-sized girl got to celebrate her birthday before she actually turned 5. Although she was born October 4, we had a school function that night. Seth had a work trip Monday and Tuesday, so Sunday after General Conference we had grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins over for dinner and cake.

The elephant ear headband Winnie made at preschool last year and Miriam adapted for the birthday girl.

These two are so sweet together. 

The Calico Critters that Grandma and Grandpa Scott gave to Winnie. 

Winnie opening a LEGO Elves set and magnetic toys from Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis. (Miriam is reacting because she wants a LEGO Elves set and doesn't have one.) Winnie also received a Zootopia hoodie from her parents, a hand-me-down Merida doll from Miriam, paints and brushes from Uncle T and Aunt McKall and (later) a stuffed moose and snowglobe from Aunt Rachel and Uncle Justin.

Trying on her hoodie for the first time. 

Watching the ears flop as she bounces in front of the mirror. 

Posing with the much cheaper version (a shoe box covered in wrapping paper and a picture taped on) of the glass slipper piñata she fell in love with at the store.

Swinging at her piñata in the shop. The weather had looked fine for an outdoor piñata smashing, but it started raining right as we began dinner. 

Launching some confetti with my help. 

Winnie wanted pink cupcakes with pink frosting and pink cupcake liners. And then she saw the candy eyeballs and decided she ought to have those too.

Reacting as everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to her. 

 With her cupcake, ice cream and slinky.

It was a fun day, to be sure, and the fun continued on her actual birthday when she got to open one more present from us, hang out with Mom while the kids were in school and go to dance (which is basically her most favorite thing in the world).

Winnie's hopping/swimming frog on her fifth birthday.

Winnie's favorite color is pink. She loves going to story time at the library and to her dance class. The morning of her birthday, she crawled into bed with me and asked if she could go to kindergarten now that she's 5. (Really, it's unfortunate she was born more than a month past the deadline because this kid is already reading books to me.) Her favorite food is dried seaweed (the pediatrician said he'd never heard that one before). She's a great little buddy to have with me during the day and while we're running errands.

Return to hunting camp

We had hoped to spend two more weekends at hunting camp after Labor Day, but the weather didn't cooperate for one of our planned trips. Instead we stayed home and did some much needed housework. However, the weather turned out well for us to go the last weekend in September.

Roscoe's face visits Winnie's face by the campfire.

Analee plays Kents. Analee and I were playing against Aunt Anne and Tav. We have the best secret signal ever.

Rebekah and her lunch on Saturday. She went out with Seth Saturday morning and called in a bull to Grandpa Dennis, but they didn't get a shot.

Tav and Analee in the fort they built by camp. A previous fort had been taken over by the younger girls, so they made this new one for themselves.

Seth and Peach in yet another fort built by the younger girls under a tree.

Miriam in the tree fort.

Winnie in the tree fort. 

 Peach, Seth and Miriam headed to the original fort. 

Miri-ism #41

Miriam left a voicemail for me while I was away from home. Google Voice transcribed it as thus:

What Miriam actually said: 

"Mom, Winnie grabbed one of those smellable crayons and she stuck one up her nose and then put it in her mouth to suck off the boogers. Okay. This is Miri. Bye bye."