7.16.2012

Oh, the wood needs to be dry to start a fire?

You know that old mantra, "Utah: The best snow on Earth"...? 
well to that, I would add, "and in the summer, those mountains can show a pretty dayung good time as well!"
Seriously though.
Every time I go into the mountains, whether it be a hike, or a camping trip, or a Sunday drive through the trees, I wonder to myself  
WHY do I not spend more of my time here???
The mountains are bliss. Pure bliss.
So once the idea of a spur-of-the-moment camping trip up at Bear Lake found itself in my complicated brain, I knew there was no turning back. 
The decision was made.
And convincing the husband wasn't all that hard either... 
Have you met Jake? Ha.

Next thing we knew, we were here.

  
That's how spontaneity happens. 
You're thinking it, and next thing you know, you're there.
I love it.

We started off our trip with a walk around Tony Grove Lake. 
Beautiful! 




The rest of the night was somewhat of a funny joke.
We found the campsite and all that, 
(Don't mind the fact that our sleeping bags live at our parents' house at this moment in time)


 which was pretty uneventful, but then it came time to make a fire.


Oh, that fire.

Here, let me draw a picture for you...

Man + wife plan out details of camping trip.
Man + wife buy wet firewood.
The end.

Literally though. 
That was the end.
As in, the fire WOULD. NOT. START.

And I'm almost positive I heard the expert with the blazing flames in the campsite next to us, grumbling to his wife something about "the idiocy of that young couple... what are they doing?!" 
Okay, maybe it was the wind. 
But if he hadn't already been thinking it, 
there's no doubt that those thoughts crossed his mind 
after the girl with a necklace, curly hair and sandals 
(remember how we were camping?) 
walked over and timidly asked,
"Ummm... sir? Do you have any kindling we can ummm.. borrow?"
He informed me that it was my lucky day, because he was just about to throw away the last of the paper he had brought. (He was so prepared, he had packed EXTRA! You know you can always trust the ones with the 1960 campers...)

Ahh yeahhh.

Well after burning right through that, without as much as a spark of a good flame, (thanks anyway, dude!) we turned to nature. That was also a funny joke, as it had rained the night before (hence the wet firewood). But we were not giving up! 
I blindly (Jake had our one and only flashlight) made my way through the trees, feeling around for sticks that were even the slightest bit dry. 
A little while later, 
we joined up to show each other what we'd found.

You can imagine the scene of our efforts if I tell you that this event was followed by an, "umm... maybe we could look in the car to see what we can find in there...?"

Unfortunately, the old cardboard box, the easter basket ready to go to the D.I., the Wendy's bag and the handful of shopping and to-do lists didn't quite cut it, either.

At this point, I'm positive the man next-door was watching us, because he came over and offered yet another thing he'd thought to pack. 
"That fire still won't start for you, huh? (That's a nice way of putting it.) Well here... I've got this extra candle you can have...good luck." 

A candle. We really must have looked dumb.

Eventually a few flames started, and we really gave it a good effort to enjoy our so-called "fire," but something about the fact that I sat shivering, with thick clouds of billowy smoke blowing in my face made this experience less than enjoyable. 
  Hmm.

In my opinion, taking ridiculous, 
but oh-so-necessary cheesy tent pictures is way more fun. 





So is spending a day at the beach.
Which is exactly what we did to top off this less-than-24-hour adventure.


 
Please tell me you will all come spend a day at Bear Lake,
and call us when you're here!

We'll let you bring the firewood... :)



7.08.2012

"Since you've been gone!" -Kelly

Dear readers, (though you may be few and far between...)
COME BAAAACK!
I know I have been unfaithful to you, but...
my reasoning is fair.
You see, I have made it a goal to be less involved in the cyber world.
Among a lengthy list of justifications behind  this idea, 
the one that is first and foremost, stems from the fact that lately I have felt like I've only given a partial effort 
to anything and everything I've been doing.
I mean really... it is July 8 and I have only read 1 and 1/2 books, made 1 and 1/2 crafts, and baked 1 and 1/2 dozen cookies... 
(it would have been two, 
but I ate six cookies worth of dough before it was baked....)
I have t-minus let's-not-count-how-many days, to finish my half-read book, consume at least two others on my line-up, finish the half-completed wreath that has now been nestled nicely next to my couch for an indecent amount of time, and finally start that "repaint the dresser" project that I've had on my list of to-dos since the first day it began housing my wardrobe.

When it comes down to it, I really just need more time in my day.
But... since that is one wish I know that my birthday wishing
 will never be able to induce,
I've had to come up with something else.
Hence the goal.

Here's what I've been up to since I've been gone... 
(Mind you, I do work, too. Don't be fooled by all the pics!)

We ran the dirty dash (again)... and won! 
Well, okay, our costumes won. 
But still, first place in any category? I'll take it! 


The very next week we ran the 
Bear Lake half-marathon.
Crazy?
Ummm. Yes.



One hour after running, 
we got in the car to drive to the sunny state of California.
Even crazier?
YES!
(Why do we do this to ourselves?!)

Really though,
we were only a little bit tired...


Especially when two days after the big race, we ran 4-miles
 for the annual Heaton family 5K (or in this case, not-so-5K).
Oh, did I say we?
I meant, Jake.
I walked.
 And feel completely okay with this fact!









Of course we hit up Mama's while we were in San Francisco.
And you should, too, the next time you're there,
or you'll regret it til the day you die!





After California,
Our Scottish friend, Trisha, came to visit!



 We love you, Trish!

And if that isn't enough of a picture overload for you,
I wanted to add another picture.
Because I couldn't resist sharing this  
thai peanut noodle dish I made the other night.
Absolute win.



Ohhhh yeahhhh