Baby Finn-ster here is a little particular about whom he likes. However, the other day he latched onto Taylor and decided that he was admitted into his circle. Every time Taylor sat down on the grass, Finn was there trying to sit on his lap.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Chopping Wood
A few weeks ago my brother Jaron and his family came up for the week and we spent a few days up at our cabin. As soon as Jaron saw the pile of wood that needed to be chopped he was just as excited as can be. Apparently he loves to chop wood. That love was contagious, and somehow all of a sudden, all of the boys lined up for their chance to chop wood. Go figure.
Hammocking
I'm not sure what the fascination is, but my boys and their friends love hanging out in hammocks at the cabin. They spend hours just..... laying in them, chatting and turning themselves upside down. I'm not quite sure what the draw is, but I won't complain!
Washington DC
My friend and I decided to take our boys to Washington DC for a few days in June. We saw just about every museum imaginable, walked and walked and walked and sweated a ton. There were a few things the boys weren't too thrilled about (Air and Space was a bomb for some reason, modern art was not a hit nor the new African American museum) However, they loved the International Spy Museum and anything that had to do with guns.
The Giant Cabbage
Chase brought home a cabbage start from school sometime in May. We planted it and then dutifully watered it until ready for harvest. 17lbs! He insisted on using it for our morning smoothies. Scott agreed and dug out some of the tender pieces in the middle. The rest was given to our chickens to enjoy.
St George on Memorial Day
We took a quick weekend trip down to St. George on Memorial Day weekend. Watson was lucky enough to go on a RZR ride with us. He was not a fan. A few hikes and some swimming rounded out the weekend.
Beach Volleyball
Taylor enjoyed playing volleyball so much this past winter with his high school that he decided to join a beach volleyball team for the summer.
I laugh every time I say "beach" volleyball because we are no where near a beach. However, there is sand and swimsuits, so I guess 2 out of 3 is good enough.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Too short
Poor Watson he is going to be one hot dog this summer. Even in this mildly warm weather is is panting and looking for shade wherever we go. I took him to the groomer the other day and told them to cut him as short as possible. Unfortunately the shortest cut would involve me having to put sunblock on him. So I told them to do the next longest. I think I went too short. This is not the same dog. He looks so scrawny and rat-like.
Spring!
The snow if finally gone, spring is in full force in the mountains and our cabin is put back together after the leak.
Each time I go up, I decorate or work on something. I put this wall together a few months ago. On the top left is a small chalk board. I remembered to bring up chalk this time around so I could add a message to the wall.
I decided to let Chase write the message. I was think something welcoming for our guests. He opted for another direction. At least when you come up, you've been warned.
The boys started working on their RC car race course and have grand plans for major airsoft wars this summer.
Glasses
I knew at least one of my boys would inherit my terrible eyesight. Owen was the winner! We got him into contacts and bought him a pair of glasses just in case. He liked wearing these for about 2 hours and then said "Mom, it's like I'm looking out from a box."
I know kid. Glasses are no fun. Luckily he's got the contact thing down. They are only slightly better. Perhaps Lasik will be in his future.
Spring Break 2017
Spring Break
We had such a good time at Disneyland with our friends last year, we decided to do it again. This time Scott was able to come along.
The crowds were crazy this year, but we managed to ride all the rides we wanted.
These beignets were divine!
We also spent time at Crystal Cove playing on the beach. The weather was absolutely perfect.
We had such a good time at Disneyland with our friends last year, we decided to do it again. This time Scott was able to come along.
The crowds were crazy this year, but we managed to ride all the rides we wanted.
These beignets were divine!
A visit to Darth Vader was a must.
We also spent time at Crystal Cove playing on the beach. The weather was absolutely perfect.
A short trip down to San Diego to see one of Scott's friends and a visit to the USS Midway. I hadn't realized how long it had been since we took a tour. The boys loved it.
Really, a perfect Spring Break!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
A Lesson in Smugness
I really need to stop being smug about things. Each time I am, another lesson is sent my way. Here's the latest.
There is still a lot of snow up at Soldier Summit. When there is this much snow, roofs can develop ice damns as the snow melts. The water then drips to the edge & then re-freezes causing all sort of problems, but ultimately water ends up inside your cabin. Never a good thing.
Our builder spent an enormous amount of time/thought making sure this wouldn't happen with our cabin. When I went to our last HOA board meeting and heard talk of people's cabins past and present struggling with this, I was smug. "Nothings wrong with our cabin, I thought."
You know where this is going, right?
A few days after this meeting, we decided to head up there for a quick overnighter. We showed up around dinnertime, walked into the cabin and saw a small puddle of water on top of the pool table that was dripping from a fire sprinkler and another drip a few feet away coming out of the smoke detector. Weird.
This was especially odd because this drip was in the middle of the basement. Water coming in from an ice damn wouldn't show itself in the middle of the basement and we knew it wasn't the fire sprinkler system because it is pressurized. We also noticed that the leak stopped at night and started again the next afternoon. A sure sign that melting snow on the roof was coming inside.
I'll shorten this story a bit. Our builder came up on Monday, cut lots of holes in the ceilings and traced the leak to the back roof. The roofers didn't put an oh-so-important piece where the shed roof met the main roof. The snow was melting so fast on the roof, it was backing up, dripping into the house, spreading over the main floor until it found a hole and then dripped into the basement.
It was bad. Bad enough that our builder had to tear out a lot of the flooring to dry out all of the wet wood. Scott ended up on the roof shoveling 4' of snow off the roof so the roofers could come up and fix the problem. As he was shoveling, all the snow started to slide off at once and Scott had to grab hold of the roof and hang on for his life so he wouldn't end up on the ground with the freshly fallen snow.
We have new flooring to buy and install and a lot of sheetrock to patch and paint. Hopefully the roofers will cut us a check since it was their fault, but it still totally stinks.
So, here's the good news in all this. It wasn't an ice damn! Yea! And, we were so incredibly lucky that we went up on the day it started leaking into the house. Had we not gone up, we would have had devastation up there. And I'll try not to be smug any more.
There is still a lot of snow up at Soldier Summit. When there is this much snow, roofs can develop ice damns as the snow melts. The water then drips to the edge & then re-freezes causing all sort of problems, but ultimately water ends up inside your cabin. Never a good thing.
Our builder spent an enormous amount of time/thought making sure this wouldn't happen with our cabin. When I went to our last HOA board meeting and heard talk of people's cabins past and present struggling with this, I was smug. "Nothings wrong with our cabin, I thought."
You know where this is going, right?
A few days after this meeting, we decided to head up there for a quick overnighter. We showed up around dinnertime, walked into the cabin and saw a small puddle of water on top of the pool table that was dripping from a fire sprinkler and another drip a few feet away coming out of the smoke detector. Weird.
This was especially odd because this drip was in the middle of the basement. Water coming in from an ice damn wouldn't show itself in the middle of the basement and we knew it wasn't the fire sprinkler system because it is pressurized. We also noticed that the leak stopped at night and started again the next afternoon. A sure sign that melting snow on the roof was coming inside.
I'll shorten this story a bit. Our builder came up on Monday, cut lots of holes in the ceilings and traced the leak to the back roof. The roofers didn't put an oh-so-important piece where the shed roof met the main roof. The snow was melting so fast on the roof, it was backing up, dripping into the house, spreading over the main floor until it found a hole and then dripped into the basement.
It was bad. Bad enough that our builder had to tear out a lot of the flooring to dry out all of the wet wood. Scott ended up on the roof shoveling 4' of snow off the roof so the roofers could come up and fix the problem. As he was shoveling, all the snow started to slide off at once and Scott had to grab hold of the roof and hang on for his life so he wouldn't end up on the ground with the freshly fallen snow.
We have new flooring to buy and install and a lot of sheetrock to patch and paint. Hopefully the roofers will cut us a check since it was their fault, but it still totally stinks.So, here's the good news in all this. It wasn't an ice damn! Yea! And, we were so incredibly lucky that we went up on the day it started leaking into the house. Had we not gone up, we would have had devastation up there. And I'll try not to be smug any more.
The Story I Never Told
Last August we were at our cabin, packing up quickly and getting ready to head down the mountain to the Spanish Fork Demolition Derby. Our favorite end of summer activity. Scott was in the basement, grabbing a basket that was underneath an end table in the family room.
He tipped the table sideways to get the basket out and inadvertently jostled a bunch of tools and a can a neon green spray paint that were on the top. Luck was not with him that day as the paint can slide off the table and onto the carpet, followed very quickly by the hammer.
The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but the paint can started hissing and neon green spray paint started spraying all over. The new couches, the new carpet, the new side table and the new basket got a nice fresh coat of paint on them. Scott in a panic makes the quick decision to get the spraying paint can out of the cabin as fast as he can. He grabs the can, puts it up against his body and runs out the door, with paint spraying the walls and door knobs as he goes. As soon as he gets out of the cabin the paint can sputters and the last of the paint is released. He is covered in green paint.
What do you do to save carpet, couches, a table and a basket that is covered in wet paint at a remote cabin? We learned pretty quickly what you do - absolutely nothing. I hurried and googled ways to get paint off, but the only thing we had to work with was a small bottle of hairspray. We tried for a few minutes to get some paint out, but gave up pretty quickly and started counting our losses. We decided that the hammer must have fallen perfectly enough on top of the can to puncture it.
We were late leaving for the Derby, so the boys and I jumped in the van and headed out while Scott did a few more things to close down the cabin. He showed up a few minutes late with green paint in above every crease and cranny on his body.
Initially I thought about replacing the carpet, but once I got a quote I decided "You know what? This makes for a great story. We're leaving it." And so it remains.
He tipped the table sideways to get the basket out and inadvertently jostled a bunch of tools and a can a neon green spray paint that were on the top. Luck was not with him that day as the paint can slide off the table and onto the carpet, followed very quickly by the hammer.
The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but the paint can started hissing and neon green spray paint started spraying all over. The new couches, the new carpet, the new side table and the new basket got a nice fresh coat of paint on them. Scott in a panic makes the quick decision to get the spraying paint can out of the cabin as fast as he can. He grabs the can, puts it up against his body and runs out the door, with paint spraying the walls and door knobs as he goes. As soon as he gets out of the cabin the paint can sputters and the last of the paint is released. He is covered in green paint.
What do you do to save carpet, couches, a table and a basket that is covered in wet paint at a remote cabin? We learned pretty quickly what you do - absolutely nothing. I hurried and googled ways to get paint off, but the only thing we had to work with was a small bottle of hairspray. We tried for a few minutes to get some paint out, but gave up pretty quickly and started counting our losses. We decided that the hammer must have fallen perfectly enough on top of the can to puncture it.
We were late leaving for the Derby, so the boys and I jumped in the van and headed out while Scott did a few more things to close down the cabin. He showed up a few minutes late with green paint in above every crease and cranny on his body.
Initially I thought about replacing the carpet, but once I got a quote I decided "You know what? This makes for a great story. We're leaving it." And so it remains.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Favorite Outfit
Bennett loves these clothes and wears them as often as I wash them. You like the pegged pants?
Cabin Projects
Every time we go up to the cabin we have a project or 2 that we work on. Here are the latest
Project 1
Decorating the wall in the entry. I love the moose that I found and the twig key holders!
Project 2.
The other day I was digging around in my cedar chest and came across these miniature rugs that I had purchased in Mexico about 11 years ago. I had totally forgotten about them. I bought some shadow boxes, mounted them and hung them in the kitchen. I love them just as much now as when I bought them!
Project 3
We finally got the library ladder installed to the loft. The boys have been begging to get up there.
Plenty of Snow
The snow is still deep at Soldier Summit, but melting fast. Owen built himself a little cave all by himself. I doubt it will be there next time we go up.
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