Happy Halloween!..... Boo!!

Happy Halloween everyone! ... After a very late night at Roger & Arlene's party, I managed a lie-in til 9am which was soooo nice! We had such a great time last night, thanks guys!

Alfredo went dirt-bike riding with the guys today so I took Owen to the Iron Mission State Museum in town. What a neat little museum our town has. It documents the history of our County / town over the last 150 years since we were settled officially. There are so many old carriages, all kinds of farm equipment, displays detailing the railway that used to pass through town and so many other really cool interactive things for kids; Owen had so much fun. Outside is a huge area full of more farm equipment and old tractors. There are also a couple of old homestead cabins, a school house and a replica of a smelter that Owen just loved. His favourite thing by far was a Wells Fargo (mail/pay-load) carriage that he couldn't get enough of. This was the only one that kids could go inside and he went in and out so many times I was afraid he'd wear the door off!

5pm was Trunk or Treat at the church.. and time for a change of costume to something a little warmer... Lilo 'n' Stitch! Owen at this point was very sugared up, tired from a very late night last night and had quite honestly had enough of halloween at this point! We took him anyways and he had fun for about the first 15 minutes (in which time he accumulated probably 2 months worth of candy!!) and then decided that he'd got enough candy and wanted to go home, much to Alfredo's and my disappointment since we were enjoying visiting with friends/neighbors. Reluctant to stay home so early on Halloween, we met with friends Scott & Carrie and took Owen to the Haunted Hay Ride which was fun. Owen was a suprisingly good sport and enjoyed himself. A quick trip for hamburgers afterwards concluded our Halloween fun. We've all had a blast this Halloween but I am very pleased that it is all over and done with and we can get back to normalcy for a few weeks. We put the clocks back an hour tonight so I have an extra hour to hopefully rest up from all the fun the last 2 days have bought!! Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Friday Fun

So I guess we got in the spirit early for Halloween this year and have already had a wonderful day full of Halloween fun and the big day isn't even here yet! .. I kind of like Halloween on a Saturday because it seems the whole weekend is dedicated to fun! Me and my gorgeous gal pals at work got dressed up like we normally do.. Mickelle was a giraffe (her outfit was the work appropriate version in this pic!!) and Becky was 'Frenchie' from Grease the movie.. don't we look fab!! We had treats in the office and just had a fun day... I'm so thankful to have the most awesome boss! After work, I got home to find that Mat & Lu's wedding DVD had arrived so i spent the next couple hours or so watching that.... wow.... what a fab day they had and what an amazing job Lu had done on the DVD, it was so professional and just wonderful. Thank you SOOOO much Lu for sending that to us... watching that really made my day.. thank you!! Early evening took us back into town for the car dealers trick or treat fun/activities. The 4 car dealers and Lin's Market get together to do lots of fun activities for the kids and there's tonnes of candy! Owen had such a fun time. He was so excited to finally wear his outfit; not quite sure what he is but i thought it looked rather Power-Ranger-esque! lol. Last stop on the Halloween circuit for Friday was a party at the Olcott's house which was fun. Lots of laughs, good company and an all-round good time was had by all.

First Snow of the Season... 28 October 2009

Okay, so the first snow actually fell yesterday on the 27th, but today gets a special mention because we woke to a blanket of white this morning. It's so cold today.. a high of 31f... brrrrrr... the kind of cold that bites at your fingers, it makes you want to cry. I guess winter is officially here! Alfredo took Owen out to play in the snow this morning so thought you'd like to see a picture! I guess I need to dig out my gloves and snow/ice scraper for tomorrow since the sky is thick and heavy with white so i don't think it's over just yet!.. We're living in a beautiful winter wonderland.

Funday Sunday....

Sorry about the lame post title, lol.. I couldn't think of a better way to describe our fun day! I took Owen to run around the Discovery Park after lunch on Sunday and then we went to the movies to see 'Astro Boy' the new cartoon movie that's out; it was a cute kids movie and he really enjoyed himself. We got home late-afternoon to an invite from our good friends, the Heirtzler's, to go hiking out at Three Peaks. The weather was getting really chilly at that point, but we all soon warmed up on the hike, bundled up in winter clothes. The scenery out at Three Peaks is so gorgeous. We followed a hiking trail probably a mile or so up a fairly steep hill to this amazing rocky outcrop that provided a 360 panoramic view which these pictures sure don't do justice. It was really cold and windy at the top so we didn't stay long. On our way back down, we veered off on another trail that meandered through some hoodoo-like insane rock formations that the kids were all climbing over and exploring - it was a lot of fun. We found our way back to the cars just at dark and headed back to the Heirtzler's place for fresh out the oven cookies and peach cobbler, and to play a board game which was so much fun. Owen had so much fun on the hike, he was a real trooper and despite the steepness and difficulty of the climb, he never complained once, he had so much fun with the Heirtzler kids and I am so blessed to have awesome friends/neighbors to share fun days like this with.

Heritage Livestock Parade.. Pumpkin Festival.. SUU Homecoming Parade

I can't believe how perfect the weather was again today - it is such a treat for this time of year! Another gorgeous Fall day with bright, very warm sunshine and clear blue skies. There were 3 events happening in town today, all over the course of the morning / early afternoon and I wanted to go to them all which we fortunately were able to do.
We started off by watching the Heritage Livestock Parade down Main Street. Our little town is awesome! - where else would they close down the Main Street in town to have a tractor and sheep camp parade and then turn 100+ sheep loose to run down the street? - it was so much fun! The sheep were a little more under control than last year where they were all running round, totally out of control, but it was a lot of fun. This year they had more 'herders' to keep them on course, but it was still lots of fun to see.
Next we went on to the Pumpkin Festival in the gorgeous grounds of the SUU University. For a $5 entrance fee, Owen got to choose a pumpkin from the corral and paint it, decorate a halloween cookie, make a kite, play pumpkin bowling and dive into the leaf corral - he had so much fun. The place where they hold all the activities is a gorgeous big grassy area with lots of huge trees that were all shedding their leaves. It was so pretty, and Owen had such a fun time doing all the activities.
The block behind where the Pumpkin Festival was being held was on the parade route for the SUU Homecoming Parade which was awesome! We lost count of how many floats were in the parade, they had a couple of marching bands from the University and local high school, dance and cheerleading troops and lots of other fun acts in the parade. Owen got so much candy, we didn't have enough pockets to carry it all! He proceeded to eat rather a lot of pieces, and combined with the very sugary sweet cookie he'd eaten at the Pumpkin place, he is now bouncing off the walls with hyperactivity and sugar-induced tantrums.... oh well, it was all in the name of a very fun morning!

Hidden Haven - Parowan Canyon

Hidden Haven is everything the name suggests... we hiked this in early Spring 2009 shortly after the snow had melted and we were impressed with its beauty then... but now, with all the colors of Fall and leaves falling everywhere like confetti, the trail was stunning. A beautiful, well marked trail winds through a 'wildlife / vegetation study' area then leads up a granite waterfall to an even more beautiful waterfall.. the last 100ft or so of the hike isn't very child-friendly so we only went as far as Owen was safely able - he was a real trooper though and hiked a good 3 miles today - he really enjoyed himself. The weather couldn't have been any more perfect with clear blue skies and bright, warm sunshine. At the end of the trail, we stopped by the water to let owen have a short rest and splash his hands in the water and climb among the small boulders and trees.

2000 Flushes, Iron County

Today was the most gorgeous Fall day... 77f, bright sunshine in clear blue skies... an adventure was most definately beckoning! We left the truck at Three Peaks rec. area a few miles West of town and headed further West on the dirt-bikes. A series of dirt roads and off-road tracks meandered through to the edge of the Three Peaks area where we crossed a County Road and continued on dirt tracks to 2000 Flushes. What was once a coal mine has long since been abandoned and flooded with water; the mine was used in the early 1900's. Legend has it that miner's hit a water vein, engulfing the mine in water and taking with it, huge machinery and several workers.. the area certainly has an eerie feel to it - the size is immense and it's really very remote out there. Owen thought the sounds from the echo of his voice were very cool - he was yelling out all kinds of words and couldn't quite figure out where the echo was coming from - it was fun to watch him. The water color is the most intense shade of blue / green, rather like toilet cleaner I guess, which is how the area got its name.. 2000 Flushes. We hung out by the water's edge for a half hour or so in the warm sunshine before heading back a different route to the truck. We rode alongside a rail-track for a while - Owen is loving trains right now, so that was very exciting for him. There were some old rail-cars that we lifted him up onto and he had a great time running round. We made it back to the truck a little sunburned and saddle-sore (well, I was!) and thankful for this perfect weather that made such a day out possible.

Mammoth Cave, Utah

So our Sunday adventure took us up the mountain to the amazing Mammoth Cave. A natural geologic wonder, the caves were created from thousands of years old molten lava that I guess had natural air-pockets in and formed these amazing caves that are safe to walk through. With only 1 flash-light between the 3 of us, it really wasn't enough light to see where you were walking so I opted out after the first couple minutes in pitch darkness.... a pitch black, quarter mile trek below the ground in thousands of years old lava caves that are home to 7 species of bats is something that i'm not afraid to admit that I'm a chicken to do, lol.... Alfredo & Owen however were more than game to stumble round

the rocks in the dark and Owen had a blast. The exit to the caves is really small and Alfredo had to make like a contortionist to squeeze through the small opening at the end. Both had a great time and said I would have loved it had i gone down... next time I'm ging to find the biggest, brightest flash-light available and overcome my fear of those scary bats and do it!... for now, I just enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains and the warm sun on my face while I waited for them to 'surface'. We had a picnic and then drove the loop-road back home via the ski-resort, so it made for a really nice Sunday trip.

Skyfest 2009, Cedar City, Utah

Getting up at 6am on a chilly Saturday is not my idea of a good time.... but for Skyfest, I am happy to make an exception... we had a super time. Everyone gathered at the launch field on the edge of town at just after 7am to watch the hot-air balloon owners get the balloons unpacked and spread out on the ground ready to inflate. Of course I've seen hot-air balloons in the air before but I never knew or realized just how insanely huge they are when you are stood just feet away from them being inflated. Owen was in his element as these huge balloons rose from the ground all around him, their bright colors and designs so vibrant and alive in the early morning sun (which we were very thankful to see as it took some of the chill out of the air!). Being a small town, of course we saw lots of friends and neighbors and that was nice to visit with them while we enjoyed the spectacular sight as the 20 or so balloons one by one lifted off the ground and floated away over the valley... what an amazingly beautiful sight. I hope you like the pics.

My little boy is mobile!.....

It's the end of an era.... our little boy is growing up.... the training wheels are off and he's pedaling down the road with me running after him trying to keep up! With thanks to Alfredo's friend, Juan Andreas (gracias sangwiches!!!) for the advice, we removed the training wheels (and pedals) and within about 3 weeks, Owen had learned to ride a bicycle properly. He is so excited about it... and so are we; it's an exciting new milestone in his life. Alfredo has been watching the Vuelta a Espana a lot lately (it's like the Tour De France) and when Owen learned to ride his bike, he said 'look mommy, I can ride my bike like the men in Daddy's tv show'.... we thought that was really cute. Check out the attached video I took this afternoon.... yes, sorry, you're going to have to turn your head on its side to watch the movie... sorry!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to you Daddy... I love you... y feliz cumpleanos abuelito... besos xoxo

Las Vegas

An appointment with the Immigration folks provided the perfect opportunity for an overnight stay in Sin City!! I worked half a day on Thursday and we were in Las Vegas by 3pm. Our hotel was an amazing last minute deal and we were very happy with it. We headed for The Strip where we walked for what seemed like miles while Owen was in awe with all the sights/sounds and his latest obsession.... escalators and elevators, which believe it or not, we don't have at home in our little town, so they were a very new experience to Owen and he couldn't get enough of them! We went to see the Lions at the MGM, walked the Miracle Mile mall and saw the fountains at the Bellagio... and all the other things in between!! Friday morning I had my immigration appointment which went really smoothly and very fast which was great and left more time to enjoy the hot sun and the hotel pool which we did until lunch-time. We then drove back up the Strip to the Outlet Malls where we shopped and got some amazing bargains in the Gap sale before making our way North and home. I love Las Vegas... the sounds, the lights, the people-watching.... just everything about that city is insane, scary and awesome all at once... the amount of money there is like nothing I could ever imagine.... even though i love it, 24 hours there is plenty enough for me and i'm always really happy to start the drive North and cross over into Utah state and see the red rock mountains... then I know i'm home in my friendly, safe and quiet little town..... Thanks Vegas for a fun 24 hours!!..... Viva Las Vegas....