Christmas Traditions [somewhat] Unique to our Family

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday. 

Today is my grandma's birthday. It's been eleven years since she returned home to our Heavenly Father and I still think of her almost daily... especially at Christmas time. So, this weeks edition of Friday Five is dedicated to my Grandma. And, fittingly so, 3 out of the 5 things on this list are traditions that my family celebrates because of her. 


Our fun (and perhaps unique) Christmas Traditions:

1. Hallmark Ornaments - When I was a small child my grandparents started this fun tradition. Each Christmas they would give us an ornament to add to the tree. And we're not just talking any old ornament, but one hand picked from Hallmark's annual collection. They did this for all of their grandchildren. And when my children, their great-grandchildren, were born, they included them too. I'll bet grandma bought close to 40 Hallmark ornaments that last Christmas she was with us.  - Since her passing, my parents have picked up the tradition with their kids and grandkids. Each ornament has a story and a memory. And, after all these years we have quite the collection!

2. New Years stockings - On New Year's Eve, after the celebrating has commenced, we empty any remaining Christmas candy from our stockings and re-hang them on the mantel so Santa's wife, known as Mrs. Claus or Dina, can come refill them with more "sensible" treats like fruit and nuts. She also leaves some of the more "needed" items that Santa tends to look over in favor of toys and fun stuff. For example, she might leave socks, or books, or, umm... headphones that Santa forgot to leave with the iPods. ;-)

I've been told this is a tradition brought by my ancestors from Germany. I can't really verify its origin however (at least through a quick google search). I have found variations of it throughout the world (ie: Lady Long Fingers, Santa Croupee, and Le Petit Bonhomme Javier), but none exactly the same as ours.

3. Pinata - My earliest memories include gathering around a candy-filled pinata in my grandparents basement at our family Christmas party. I remember my aunts tying a dish towel over my eyes and spinning me around. As I got older, that pinata sure got a lot wigglier. More than once I sent chunks of ceiling falling to the floor. I'm pretty sure I'm the reason they finally slapped an age limit on all the candy-whacking fun! All of my children have had the opportunity to participate in this fun tradition. This year will be the last year my youngest will get to swing that bat. :(

4. Gag gifts!- My husband's grandma was a hoot! And, though she is gone, her legacy lives on in this fantastic, much anticipated tradition. Every year on Christmas Eve, we gather as a family to laugh, and tease, and share stories of each other's adventures - uh, er, mishaps? My mother and father in law present each of us adult children with gifts beautifully wrapped in newspaper and masking tape. (If you're really lucky, you end up with the comic page! Whoo, hoo!) Then, each of us children present our own children with their gifts. The catch? This is not for the faint of heart. You've got to have a good sense of humor, a vivid imagination, and a birth certificate that vouches that you are at least 12 years old. Why? Because this is not child's play! Each gift is carefully considered and comes with its own unique story. For example, the first year my son got his driver's license, he ripped the mirror off the side of my car. For part of his gag gift that year he received the broken mirror. (It has now been re-wired and functions as a lamp in his room.) My niece and my daughter received matching pairs of granny-panties one year. Why? Because we were tired of seeing their cracks when they bent over. I think my all-time favorite was when another one of my nieces got a hand knit "nut cozy" and a set of nuts... (yeah, that was the year it was so cold her "nuts froze off!" Lol!) Other gifts we've given/received: Rogaine hair-growth treatment for men, a lug-able-loo (aka, a port-a-pottie), anti-snoring strips, a stud-finder, etc.

5. Taffy-pull  - This is the big tradition I wish we'd had when I was a kid but am every so happy to have married into it. Each Christmas season my mother and father-in-law host a family candy making day. While the young kids frost sugar cookies, the older kids and women make a mess of the kitchen making all kinds of candy. From year to year our candy selections vary with one exception: old fashioned taffy. This is the men's & older children's game! If you've never pulled taffy you should give it a try at least once... and by once, I mean, you probably should watch someone do it at least once. That sugary concoction boils up to about hand-melting temperature and then what do they do? They butter up their hands and pass it back and forth to stretch it. Sounds pretty uneventful, right? Wrong. You've never experienced funny till you've watched grown, adult, tough-men slather their hands with butter, ooh and ah and grunt and grimace, then grunt in satisfaction as they pass the glob on to the next victim so they can give their hands a break, lather up with another round of butter, and do it all over again. Family Tradition Fabulousness at its BEST!



What are your traditions? I hope you have at least a few. And if you don't? Well, its never to late to start some.

Favorite [Nontraditional] Christmas Songs

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday. 

In honor of my FAVORITE holiday, for the month of December all my Friday Five posts will have a little something to do with Christmas. Today I think I will tackle the ever popular topic of... (dun, da, da, dun!)... Favorite Nontraditional Christmas Songs! 

In no particular order  - and with no particular logic, here are a few of the songs that put a festive swing in my step and a smile on my face. (You can listen to them by clicking on the song title.) 

1. Christmas Cookies  by George Strait. -  Mmm. Cookies! And smiles. A little twangy, I know, but I just can't listen to this without grinning: 

"Those sprinkly things just make things worse 

cause it makes 'em taste better than they did at first 

and it just makes 'em impossible to resist." 

.... and my fav line: 

"Now there's a benefit to all of this, 

that you might have overlooked or missed, 

so now let me tell you the best part of it all. 

Everytime she sticks another batch in the oven, 

there's fifteen minutes for some kissin' and some huggin'!" 

2. Mary Did You Know by Donny Osmond.  - I know a lot of artist have recorded this song. This is my favorite version, however, I kind of like this one by Cee Lo Green too. 

3. Thank God for Kids by the Oakridge Boys. - Pure nostalgia. I grew up with this song. I particularly remember hearing it on the car radio as my dad would drive us to check out the lights on "Christmas Street" each year. Every time I hear it, it takes me back to the fabulousness of my childhood Christmases.    

4. Stille Nacht (Silent Night) by the Dresdner Kreuzkor -My mother's family has passed many old German traditions down for generations. Being proud of my heritage, I purchased a CD by the Dresdner Kreuzkor many, many moons ago. Though my children don't understand most of the lyrics (yeah, I failed to teach my children a lick of the German language. Still kicking myself, but that's off subject...), we play this CD several times throughout the Christmas season. When my daughter was about 8, while decorating the Christmas tree, she threw the tree-skirt over her shoulders like a shawl, clasped her hands opera-style in front of her, and pretended to serenade us from atop the coffee table. Can't listen to this CD without reliving that priceless moment!

5. All I Want for Christmas is You  by Michael Buble - What can I say? I'm a romantic. Who doesn't love this song? And by Buble? Come on!

Fall - the best things about my [least] favorite season

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday. 

I'm going to be blunt and honest: I HATE FALL! Sorry to yell about it, but even when you give it a pretty name like Autumn, this season of death and I just don't get along. I'm a summer girl - sunshine, long days, and warm nights. However, I am going to take a possitive approach to this, my least favorite season, and rather than dwell on the things I don't like about it, today I am going to dig deep and share five things that I DO like. 

Ready? Okay. Here goes: 

1. The fall colors in my garden. - There aren't many things I love more than a full, blossoming flower garden. And, as the majority of my garden colors start to fade, I am grateful for the foresight and planning that went into planting fall-bloomers as well. It almost makes the death of everything else in my yard bearable .. almost. 

2. Driving with the sunroof open.  - I have one requirement when purchasing a car... okay, that's a lie, I'm a pretty particular consumer, but there is one thing I will not compromise on: my sunroof! Now, in all fairness, if I could accommodate my family in a Jeep, the sunroof would become a mute point because, hallelujah, the whole roof comes off (and that's better than just a roof-window any day!) But, for the sake of our current family needs, the sunroof option is the only way to go. And when the fall sun shines, opening up the roof to a beautiful blue sky and fresh, crisp air will put an instant smile on this girls face. :-)  

3. The daily excitement of seeing my children's creativity and/or ingenuity. - Not that they aren't creative or ingenious during other parts of the year, but during fall (October in particular) I get the daily experience of seeing those minds at work. We have a cute set of blocks that sit so unassumingly on our mantel. By design, they are supposed to spell out the word "SPOOKY." By my children's design, however, we are granted the opportunity for new word (and often a little chuckle) every single morning.

4.Backyard Bonfires - aka: Roasting Marshmallows- Because we live in a neighborhood that has, in recent years, had its fair share of wild fire scares and evacuations, we've chosen, for the sake of keeping our neighbors' anxiety in check, not to burn fires in the hot, dry summer months. As soon as things cool down a bit, however, the bonfires are on! Now, short of being a family of pyromaniacs (which we may or not be...), I am one of the few adult women who actually LOVE roasted marshmallows. S'mores? Eh. Go ahead and keep your graham crackers and chocolate. All I need is the sugary goodness of a golden, warm marshmallow and the hypnotic company of dancing flames. 

5. Hot Apple Cider - One of the few indulgences I discovered when I went sugar free, was the delight of a nice hot mug of unsweetened cider. Like most of my food choices, I don't like it too spicy. Just a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. So simple, yet so satisfying. 

Photo courtesy landolakes.com

Reasons to pick up a book

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday. 

Books are a plentiful peace of our household fiber. Though I prefer a good, hold-the-pages in your hand, smell the paper, feel the weight of it, kind of book, most of the books I've read lately exist in a digital format on my Kindle Paperwhite. My husband's books are mostly audio ones on his iPod. 

Regardless of the format of your book, there is always a reason to have one around. Here are five of my favorites: 

1. Escape - Whether your life is boring, stressful, or just plain normal, it never hurts to just step away for a chapter or two. Reading can take an ordinary day and make it extraordinary. It can sweep you away on exciting adventures, hold you to the edge of your seat, and even take you away from your troubles.   

2. Adventure - I've never jetted in a high speed boat down the St. Lawrence River south of Quebec while tracking Russian operatives. I've never swam the English Channel or ridden a bike through Paris. I've never climbed an air-conditioning shaft, parachuted off a CIA plane, or high-jacked a train while attempting to ditch a trail of foreign ops. But I've read about it... and therefore, in my mind at least, had the adventures of a lifetime!  

3. Friendship - I like people. You know, the real, breathing kind of people. But, the next best thing is fake people... no, not the kind of phony's that leave you wanting to strangle their existence, but the kind of made-up ones that exist within the pages of a book. Whether its fiction or non-fiction that catches your fancy, there is usually a friend to be found sandwiched between the covers. Granted, that new friend's life is probably way more exciting than yours is, but it's probably more messed up to. 

4. Travel -  Not only can a good book fill a gray day with sunshine, it can also transplant you from a hot summer morning to a cold winter night in Russia! Or Switzerland, New York, Mexico, California, or even some made up place in some made up universe. The destinations are limitless!  Disclaimer: I've never met a book with an actual teleportation system, but if I did, it'd probably be way out of my budget anyway. Fortunately, however, imagination is free. 

5. Learning - Not just about people and places and things, though that's nice. But also (okay, now this is going to sound like the geeky literary type that I am) about words, literary dynamics, sentence structure, rhythm, and a whole plethora of other stuff that helps me be a better writer. 

Pickers, Voices, Losers, Hoarders, and Reno? Just a few of my favorite things.

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday.

In case the cooler nights and changing vegetation wasn't clue enough, the new line up on TV is a pretty sure sign that Fall is upon us. Now, I'm not a lover of Fall nor am I a huge follower of TV programming, but there are a few shows that I enjoy. So, in honor of the changing leaves, today's Friday Five is a list of the top 5 shows I like to watch. (And, unlike most of my other Friday lists, this one is in order of my favorites!): 

5. This is a toss up between Property Brothers and Income Property, both of which air on HGTV and are about designing, renovating, and ultimately creating diamonds out of rough real estate. I dream of someday doing a little real estate dabbling of my own, but in the mean time, I'll just have to settle for watching these three men do it... And, as a little bonus, the hosts aren't too bad to look at either.

4. Hoarders - Now I'll admit this A&E show isn't for everyone. The premise is this: find hoarders and try to get them the help that they need to make their homes a healthy environment. We are not talking pack-rats here. These are full-blown, barely a path to crawl through, garbage on the floor, mold and mice and who-knows-whats, kind of homes. Gross? Yes. Fascinating? You have no idea. Part of my OCD is a need - and actually a love - for organizing. I'd love to crawl into one of those homes and clean it up. Crazy, I know.

3. Biggest Loser - To me, this is more than a show about weight loss. It's all about the power of the human spirit. We've watched it as a family for years. From healthy living to mentally conquering your setbacks, there are so many lessons to learn from it.

2. The Voice - If you haven't heard of the Voice, perhaps you've been living under a rock. What I like most about this show (besides the play between Blake Shelton and Adam Levine) is that unlike most singing/talent competitions, there are "coaches" rather than "judges." It's not about tearing people down but about lifting them up. I love how they have something positive to offer even the most struggling of performers.

1. American Pickers - Oh yeah! Pickin' through junk to find treasures. What can I say, I'm a junkie for junk, or as the trained eye calls it: vintage. One of my favorite episodes was when they stumbled upon an old cowboy with a collection of authentic Navajo stuff. They "picked" (purchased) an old, authentic, hand woven Navajo rug exactly like one I inherited from my husbands grandma! I thought it was a treasure before, but now I know what a gem it is and look forward to keeping it in the family for future generations.

Books I read this summer

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday.  


After a busy summer, I'm ready (I think?) to get back into the swing of things... And, what better way than to share with you FIVE BOOKS I READ THIS SUMMER? 



On your marks, get set, go...


1. I, Spy by Jordan McCollum - Fast paced. Fun! Perfect escape read. 

Click on picture to read my full blog post about I, Spy

2. Fight For Me by Misty Moncur - Book #2 in the Stripling Warrior series. An awesome fictional story about a Lamanite girl who wants to be a part of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors. 

Book #1 (a must read before book #2!) click on cover art to read my review

Book #2!!! Fight For You

3. The Book of Mormon  - All 500 plus pages in 50 days! Whew! What an experience. Completely new and fascinating (though I've read it many times before) to read it so quickly. And, yep, you guessed it: for 50 days my family had to listen to me talk about what I was learning and experiencing. YOU'VE NOT TRULY EXPERIENCED THE BOM UNTIL YOU'VE READ IT LIKE A NOVEL. Start today! Do It! Yes, DO IT! 

4. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - I've been waiting to read this for quite some time, so when it hit my daughter's high school summer reading list, I stole (I mean "borrowed") it from her. Mitch Albom never disappoints. 

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Also on my daughter's summer reading list. Though I read this when I was in high school, I thought I'd give it another go-around to see what maturity - or at least age - has done to my perspective. Honestly, I think I liked it better when I was younger. The whole time I read, especially knowing that my daughter would be reading it after me, I wished I could take a sharpie to all the bad language and black it out. Tell me, friends, WHY IS THIS A CLASSIC? The language is harsh and honestly unnecessary. The story, I believe, is nothing revolutionary either. I don't know, maybe it's just the mom in my talking, but this is one "required" read I'd like to get rid of. 

Little Time - Big Memories

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday. 

From Memorial Day to Labor Day there are 98 days.. That's less than 2400 hours, in case you are wondering. Sounds like a lot of time when you think of it that way, but really, summer comes and goes so quickly. For our family, the summer of 2013 was a busy one... one full of travel, hanging out with family, and building precious memories that will hopefully last forever. 

Because we had a bit of a pre-mission bucket list for our son, our summer was extra adventurous. And, when I say we were running like crazy, I'm not kidding. We were greatly blessed to have spent about 1/3 of our summer traveling... 33 days away from home to be exact (not including the girls' time at YW camp or my husband's business travels).  Thanks to everyone who helped make our summer a memorable one - both while we were at home and while we traveled! 

Here's to a summer of fun! MY FIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 2013:  


1. Fillmore, Utah - Okay, so disclaimer: I already blogged about this adventure. Surprisingly enough, this is one of our favorite places to run away for some R&R. To read about what we do in this little Utah town, check out my earlier post: Exotic - or not - Adventures.

Fields south-west of Fillmore, Utah

2. So Cal... - Ahhh, sunny southern California. Home of beaches galore, sunshine, smiles, relaxation... and traffic (over 7 million drivers in LA county alone), amusement park lines, overpriced concessions... and, did I say relaxation?

There's something about So Cal that drives our family there frequently. Maybe we're just suckers for spending boat loads of money on entertainment... okay, not penny-pinching, budget-loving me, per say, but someone! Our little vaca to So Cal this year included hot dogs, ice cream, and cheering fans at an Angel's home game. Star searching in Hollywood, fitting our hands in the prints at the historic Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and people watching while eating a giant pizza above Hollywood Blvd. A walk and pictures at the LA Temple grounds and a whole lot of chuckling at the missionaries who had to jimmy their way into a car for a lady who'd locked her keys in it. Sun bathing, picnicking, and body-boarding at the Seal Beach, Moonlight Beach, and Corona Del Mar. Not mention multiple days of crowds, and lines, and heat at Disney Land, Sea World, and Universal Studios.  For more about our SoCal trip, check out the picts on my Exotic - or not - Adventures post.... teaser: there may be something in there about an unexpected guest at the beach!

LA Temple 

3. Fish Lake - This is the one annual tradition we NEVER miss out on! This marked my 19th consecutive summer campout at Fish Lake (and, all things considered, this makes me a relative "newbie" since the tradition has been in place for over 60 years!)

Beautiful quiet mountains, crisp morning air, and fish-tales as big as a pontoon boat! Any time I get to spend out in mountains is a good time, especially when it gives me a quiet moment to read a book. As far as fishing is concerned, I leave that to the rest of the family. When I was about 10 my dad told me that whatever I caught I had to clean - that marked the last time I put a pole in the water. It's all good, though, cause the bow of the boat is a great place to read a good book, take a nap, snap some photos, and read some more.

Fish Lake

First year "Boo" had to clean his own fish...
maybe next year he'll decide to read a book instead :-)

4. St. George - Utah's Dixie. The true Utah desert with temps well above the century mark all summer long. I don't get to visit sunny St. George as much as I use to, but every time I do, I wonder why we don't live there! We've got abundant family down in this beautiful, red-rocked corner of the state, so it's not like we'd be alone if we did decide to make a move... hmmm... something to think about.

Though not our first trip there this year, our summer trip to St. George was for the occasion of my cousin's wedding. No wedding crashing, but we did crash at my bro and sis in laws house. And, what a blessing to be pampered by my sister-in-law. She is an amazing hostess, and her missionary mom stories are fantastic to boot!

Reflection off the porch window at the
Jacob Hamblin home, Santa Clara, Ut

5. And, the final horah?.... Moab - Again, sunny and hot. Do you sense a theme here? Yep, I'm a sucker for sunshine! Though I've been to Moab before, this was my first time riding the trails. It's amazing how much you miss from the highway. Gemni Bridges, Chicken Corners, Baby Lions Back, and Fins and Things... you guessed it, we conquered them all! And, though my children will try to tell you differently, I was brave! A few whimpers, a gasp or two, but not a single tear - even when we went VERTICAL.

Moab, Utah

 

Let's get vertical... 

Five things to do with all that Zucchini

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday.  - And, let's be honest, my diligence has been greatly slacking on the summer blogging front. Don't worry, I'm not going to throw out any excuses. Take it for what it's worth, I'm just busy creating a summer full of memories! ;) 

That said, since my blogging has been less than abundant, I'm devoting my Friday Five this week to something that is ever abundant: ZUCCHINI.  

Summer is zucchini season. Whether you grow your own garden or not, chances are you've got a zucchini or two sitting on your counter begging to be used. Fear not, ye who are zucchini riddled, for I too am not traditionally a fan of this popular little squash; however, over the years I've found ways to not just tolerate it, but to actually ENJOY it... and thus, here are my five fav things to do with zucchini: 

1. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies  - A close sister to the ever delicious pumpkin cookie, this is my very favorite thing to make when I've got a zuc or two laying around. Years ago I modified my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe to accommodate for all of my not-getting-eaten zucchinis. Eat these cookies fresh, or freeze them for later = delicious!! (Get the Recipe Here)

2. Zucchini Roll - Also derived from a pumpkin recipe that I modified. What can I say, I'm a dessert fanatic and when you add cream cheese = heaven!! (Also freezable!) 

3. Grilled Zucchini - So, this is probably the only way I enjoy zuc as a traditional veggie. Slice into spears, marinate in italian dressing, then grill. Easy and tasty. 

4. Spaghetti Sauce - I'm sure I'm not the only mom to try the hide-veggies-in-everything trick. When my kids were little I tried to pack them full of veggies every chance I got. They never even noticed when I loaded their spaghetti sauce up with shredded zucchini (and carrots too), but they did notice when I stopped doing it. Though they all enjoy veggies in their un-hidden form now, we still love to pack our spaghetti sauce with them. 

5. "Mystery" Pie -  Like apple pie but with zucchini instead of apples. Sounds strange, but if you keep it a mystery, no one will know that they are eating zuc instead of apples. - Deceptive, you say?... yep, that's how I roll! 

Exotic - or not - Adventures

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday.  Because I have been slacking on my blogging endeavors for a few weeks, I've decided today's list will be a little peak into FIVE EXOTIC - or not so exotic - ADVENTURES I've had in the last five weeks. 



1. Fillmore, Utah -  Yes, you read that right. I said Fillmore, center of the Beehive state, middle of almost nowhere, Utah. Perhaps you've driven the I-15 corridor and zoomed by the Fillmore exits (yes, there are 2 of them!) without blinking an eye. I'm going to admit, I'm guilty of doing just that. And, though I have a rich ancestral connection to this little town, up until a few years ago I had no idea of the treasures and adventures that can be found there. The canyons to the east are covered with beautiful scenery, four-wheeling trails, and even some ancient hieroglyphics. In the desert to the west, we discovered the Tabernacle Hill Lava Tubes. (okay, in fairness, "we" didn't discover them, but thanks to someone else's exploratory adventures we got to experience them.)  The lava tubes were like nothing I've ever seen before. Thousands of years ago a volcano erupted and left behind miles and miles of lava fields, craters, and tubes (ie: caves). They are said to be over 10,000 years old and formed while Lake Bonneville was receding.

Looking down into the opening of a lava tube (cave).  Tabernacle Hill, Meadow , Utah. 

My grandma lived in Fillmore in her youth, yet she had never heard of the the Lava Tubes. Likewise, we met an older lady while we were hiking around who, like my grandma, had grown  up in Fillmore and had only learned of the tubes in the last couple of years. According to her, they stretch all the way from the St. George  area and continue much further north of Fillmore (spanning 100 to maybe even 200 miles).

Inside a lava tube. Tabernacle Hill, Meadow, Utah.

Just to the south of the lava tubes, in the middle of a wide open field, are some natural warm springs, also known as the "Hot Pots." We stopped in the quaint little town of Meadow to ask for directions. Here's what we got, "Go through town and when you see the big tree take a right. Go down the dirt road, over the freeway, and when the road ends you are there."...

Meadow, Utah... Who'd have ever thought there'd be natural hot springs in the middle of this field? 

So, we did just that: found "the big tree" (although we doubted that we would be able to differentiate it from the other big trees that line the road!), and followed the dirt road til it ended. 

This is the largest of the Hot Pots.  Meadow, Utah warm springs. 

And then, along with a few locals and a drifter or two, we swam in the Hot Pots. There are a number of springs, each corralled by a wooden fence. The easiest to access is the warmest and smallest one (a local told us it was 103 degrees F). The funnest to swim in, however, is the bigger, slightly less hot (though still quite warm) one.    

2. The Emergency Room - Little did I know that our little rendezvous to the Hot Pots would land me in the ER. It's a family joke that I'm going to meet my demise as the result of a random head injury, but who'd have ever guessed that it might actually be from a stubbed toe... Yes, a stubbed toe! I'm not exactly known for my grace and, as I climbed out of the small hot pot, I stubbed my toe on its rocky, moss covered edge. Guess what? That awesome mineral water that people love to soak in because they believe it is loaded with good vitamins and minerals for their skin... well, it's also loaded with all kinds of nasty bacteria. At first we thought my toe was broken. It swelled up like a balloon and hurt like nobody's business!! I hobbled around on it for a week - even did a 7 mile temple walk to prep for our upcoming Pioneer Trek - and on day 8, I finally conceded to let my hubby take me in to have it looked at.

An x-ray was in order and when it came back negative the doctor sighed with relief. Not that a broken toe is a big deal on its own, but, based on a visual analysis of the wound, he was worried about infection getting into the bone. He took a culture and immediately started me on what would become my first round of antibiotics. The next morning I got a frantic call that they were changing my antibiotics. And, the morning after that, they had me on a nice cocktail of various antibiotics. I had not one, but two different strains of STAPH growing in my toe! Oh, and strep too!  - Three nasty infections, one little, very sore toe. Yeah, me!! Thanks to modern medicine, it appears that I will be able to keep my toe. Good thing, too, cause I kinda like it.


3. Angels Stadium - We took the whole fam to a Los Angeles Angels game at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California. It was the first Major League Baseball game I've ever experienced in person. Angels vs. NY Yankees.

Yankees had it 6-0 until the bottom of the ninth when it looked like the Angels might just pull off a miracle. They fought hard and closed the game with a 6-5 loss. But, it was still a good time! They had events for the kids (painting, photobooths, sandbottles, games, prizes, etc..), and in the great maturity of my children (whom are mostly teens) I would venture to guess that the highlight for them came everytime Albert Pujols came up to bat. It took me a couple at-bats to realize what their giggles were all about, but, lo and behold, when I tuned into the announcer, I caught on pretty quick... I'd like to say I was too mature to contribute a chuckle or two, but it'd be a lie. With a name like Pujols (pronounced Poo-hole), who can resist? 

4. Themepark Overload - We spent 10 days in Southern California. Five of those days were spent doing the hurry up and wait shuffle at Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Sea World. It's been about 17 years since I was last at Universal. They've made a few changes and added a few rides, but honestly the shows are my favorite part. We hit Disney every couple of years and for me it never gets old. I've been more times than I can count and every time I discover a little something new. Sea World isn't as exciting to me now as it was when I was a kid. My ten year old, however, loved it. Sharks, dolphins, whales... yah, he absorbed every second!

5. Sand, surf, and sunshine - I often dream of owning a beach house. I don't often consider it a reality, however, so I've never really put much thought into what specific beach such a home would need to be on... until now! While waiting for the Disney train one evening, a kind Hawaiian native who found herself transplanted to San Diego, shared with me her favorite beaches. The next day, we drove to the San Diego area to check one out. I fell in love! Moon Light beach is a cute, quiet community. When I grow up, I'm going to own a vacation home there.

We also did some swimming/sun bathing at Seal Beach and Corona Del Mar.

Did I mention we had a little visitor??? - Nothing to get your heart pounding like a giant fin swimming right towards you....

Or three! Who says you have to go to Sea World to swim with the dolphins? We got them for the price of parking.

So, that's it. Five of my most recent adventures. I hope you enjoyed reading about them, but even more so, I hope you have many adventures of your own.