Fishing at Strawberry

Just a few years ago TJ's dad (Poppy, around these parts) started catching kokanee salmon while fishing at Strawberry Reservoir.  He tells us "it's a disease" - he has become fairly focused on catching all the kokanee he can.  Last year he put a decent chunk of money into outfitting his boat so that he can catch even more kokanee (and now I feel like every time I eat one of those delectable fillets of fish I'm eating the most expensive fish of my life).  Poppy loves fishing and we really love Poppy, so we asked if he'd take us up to Strawberry to join him in the chase.  We went up on July 5.

Nanny and Poppy - saints that they are - took the boat up on the fourth of July and slept overnight at the lodge so they'd be ready for us as soon as we made it up July 5.  In spite of our intentions to leave at 5:00 we pulled out of the driveway at 6:00 and arrived to the lake right near 7:30.  As we drove slowly through the parking lot, trying to remember where to go, we heard Reed exclaim, "Nanny!"  He was, in fact, the only one of us that saw Nana standing in the parking lot as we passed her.  That boy has some great eyes!

We spent a gorgeous morning out on the water, trying to figure out the perfect trolling speed (1.5 mph), the best depth for the lines (they seemed to be biting between 20-30 feet, though the fish finder never saw them at those ranges), the right lures and scents and spots on the lake.  We had a great time and even pulled in a few kokanee (well, I never did  - I refused to pick up the rod when there is a valuable fish on the line as I nearly always lose them).  Reed got to pull in three cutthroat (we don't trust him with kokanee either ;) and seemed excited about that, but bawled when we had him go back for a picture and the fish flipped right next to him - that was unforgivable behavior from the fish.

Each time we drive up to Strawberry I am blow away by the beauty.  And it's so close to home.  God is an incredible artist.

So grateful for this family of mine and for Nana and Papa who spoil us all rotten.

Winter Walking

We've made a conscientious effort to make walking a regular part of our family culture.  When TJ and I were engaged I would frequently invite him to go walk with me - there's a fabulous park with a walking path halfway between our parents' houses - and I think he turned me down every time.  :)  After we got married he started joining me on my walks and, after a while, came to love them: it's so relaxing and rejuvenating to be out in nature.  It's a great way to have conversations.  It just feels good to move your body and it's a nice way to spend time without being tied to devices.

So we've made it a high priority to make sure Reed is comfortable being in his stroller for long walks (60-90 minutes) since he was born.  After we returned from the hospital (he was born via c-section) we started putting him in his stroller at 6 days old and walking down the street, just a few houses at a time, as I built up strength and stamina.  We've walked hundreds of miles now as a family and even taken Reed with us on many runs.

But sometime in the past few months we got out of the habit of walking.  It was probably a combination of issues: TJ being in the bishopric, starting teaching school, the days getting shorter, morning sickness then sciatic pain, then frigid temperatures.  I realized I was missing walking a couple months ago and tried to resume, but it was super cold and Reed would pull his mittens and blanket off again and again, then sob because he was so cold.

Finally we've found the appropriate cold-weather outfit for him to wear: snow pants (that I can't get over - I love how chubby his legs look and how he waddles when he wears them), fur-lined boots that he has asks to wear all the time, a warm coat with a hood he can't pull off, and mittens so long they stay tucked into his coat. 

Today marks the third consecutive day we've bundled up and headed outside for our walk.  He's been so happy to go!  I love that he doesn't cry when we put on his mittens and he walks right to the garage door when it's time to go. 

A favorite trait of the mittens?  We haven't figured out how to work together to get his thumbs in the right spot, so his hands always appear to be turned wonky ways, since they're just in fists at the end of the glove.

While we're walking he calls out when he sees a truck or a bus (especially exciting).  He makes bird sounds anytime he spots a bird and he frequently sings to himself.  It's so nice to get out, soaking up what little sunshine there is, and we're both happier when we get home.  Hooray for walking!

Happy Halloween!

We could not decide on a costume for Reed.  For one, we think every costume would be the cutest ever on him.  :)  And second, what we really wanted to dress him as was Tarzan, as he clearly has the bod for that, but it's hard to find a loin cloth for a 6 month old. 

So, we let my little sister on her mission choose from some options we were considering and she chose a tiger.  It was a great choice. 

And to think this is only a fraction of the pictures we took...

Santa Party - Part 1

Growing up, on a Saturday at the beginning of December we always went to Grandma Savage's house for her Tree Trim party.  Dinner was set out in the kitchen and we would eat in the front room or the back room.  I remember there were always deviled eggs and "little hot dogs," cheeseball and jello.  We couldn't all fit in one room so we would just spread throughout the house: sitting by the fireplace in the back room, or near her singing Christmas cowboy by her front portrait window.

After dinner we went to the backroom and decorated her Christmas tree.  It was always so overwhelmed with decorations that you could hardly see the tree.  Some of the older cousins would hold out the bulbs while the younger kids would put them on the tree.  At the end (at least in recent years), Aunt Rose would cover the whole thing in metallic streamers until it looked like it was fairly dripping with love.

In Grandma's back room on the wall there was a leather belt with jingle bells on it that someone would ring when Santa came to give us presents.  What a magical sound those clanging bells made for us!

Grandma Savage passed away two years ago: I still miss her.  My mom has worked her tail off to keep the Santa party going each year, which I so appreciate.  She puts so much work and thought and planning into that thing, coming up with a theme each year and planning everything around it.  This year the theme was "White Christmas."  TJ was too sick to go (I missed him a whole lot) but I was so glad to be there.  I went over early to help decorate (with our big family we have moved to a local church).

My mom's poses crack me up:

She was pretty set on an all-white Christmas tree that she could dress like a snowman:

Lots of snowflakes for all the walls, a craft table (see that cute snowman the kids could make), and a poem about our family.  I'm telling you, this is quite a production.

 Next up, the party itself.  :)  I took so many pictures (and Matt took my camera and doubled the count) it will take me a bit to get through them all!

2016 Grateful Tree

This year I skipped Halloween decorations entirely.  While neighbors and friends were pulling out skeletons and witches, I was putting up my Thanksgiving decorations (which are probably my favorite decorations I own).  On a Sunday in October Mylee and Graysen were here and we got to work on our Grateful Tree: I've wanted to do one in the past and this year we made it happen.  The kids helped me draw branches on a roll of brown paper and then while I spent a whole lot of time cutting that sucker out the kids got busy cutting loads of leaves.  One unforeseen benefit of young cutters is that we got some really awesome leaf shapes that I would never have thought of.

As soon as that tree was taped on the door the kids were writing things they were thankful for and taping them up.  

Check out this concentration:

Over the next couple months Mylee and Graysen would add to the tree whenever they came over.  T and I added a bunch of our own and as we had others over they, too, would add what they were grateful for.  I loved it.  

I took the tree down on Sunday and had to take a few pictures before I deconstructed it.  I think next year we'll try to cover more of those branches.  :)  

I loved Brock and Cooper's contributions: they are more than a little obsessed with their favorite colors.

"Legos" from Graysen - one of my favorites of all:

I just love his "full of effort" handwriting.  This one is "Rachel and TJ," just a bit scrambled:

Check out this leaf shape:

I can't remember what gift prompted this one from T:

I grinned when I saw this from one of TJ's deacons (we had his family for dinner):

Graysen had me spelling out these words for him to write.  He got a little tight on space so I had him put "our" on the top row, which makes me love this leaf even more.  I couldn't throw these last two away: they are taped securely in my journal.

What a great way to be greeted each morning from October - January.  I love the great feelings that gratitude brings.