Labor Day Fun and Panic

We decided to get out of the house and do something fun on Labor Day. Chad was looking through his Church History guidebooks and found that there were pioneer markers up Emigration Canyon. We planned to go up the canyon, stopping at markers along the way, have a picnic, hike a bit, and then come back down and go to Temple Square. We found historical markers for the Donner Party (they passed through the canyon on their way to eating each other in Nevada) and for the Last Encampment of the pioneers before they made their way into the Salt Lake Valley. We went to the top of Emigration Canyon, through switch backs and hair pin turns, and found a large parking lot at the top, another marker, a spectacular view, and several hiking trails heading off in different directions. We ate lunch in the car, as it was pretty breezy in the canyon and we decided we didn't want dirt blown into our sandwiches, and then headed down a trail.

View to the west from the first rise of the trail. That is Emigration Canyon and a bunch of fancy pants houses on the mountain's slope.

View to the north: I think this reservoir is called Wasatch National Forest Ponds, but that is a really weird name.

View to the east: The amazing green you see is the Mountain Dell golf course...definitely NOT naturally occurring! The ribbon of road far to the east is I-80 through Parley's Canyon. I watched the cars whiz by for a while and finally commented to Chad that this particular site would either make the pioneers marvel or gnash their teeth, considering the difficulty they had passing through the same terrain.

This was our trail of choice.

Here we are trooping up the hill. Well, Grace isn't trooping...Chad is trooping double time and Grace is enjoying the ride.

Chad and the kids are enjoying the view from the top! The trail went on, of course, but we saved that for another day.

We headed back into Salt Lake City, and after running a quick errand it was off to Temple Square!The children are contemplating eternal things...hopefully! Actually, they are probably wondering why we won't let them swim in that awesome pool!

This is where the "panic" part of our story comes in. After Chad snapped this picture, I went to help the children hop down. Merritt got down on his own, I swung Grace to the ground and then snagged Grant. I turned to where I thought Grace was, but when I'd turned a full circle I realized she was nowhere to be seen. I quickly asked Chad where she was and we scanned a wider area...still no Grace. Now we were going into panic mode. Where could she have gone? We left Merritt in charge of Grant with strict instructions NOT TO MOVE, and then took off in search of Grace. Some lady told me her mother had seen Grace heading toward South Temple Street and I took off at a dead run. When I reached the gates, again- no Grace. I felt the blood draining from my head, where could she be? I headed back toward the reflecting pool and saw Chad with Grace and two sweet sister missionaries. They had been standing at the gates when Grace came running and skipping their way. Seeing no adult nearby they stopped her and asked where her mom and dad were. "In the temple!" Grace chirped. Well, that just sounded weird, of course, so they walked her back into the main area stopping to ask people if anyone was missing a child. They pointed Chad out and we were reunited. I sat down with Grace and just hugged her and shook. Chad gave her a good talking to, we all calmed down, and then, not wanting the day to end on a sour note, continued with our tour.

"Let me in!" he says! Note the fantastically wet pants from splashing in the reflecting pool while Chad and I looked for Grace.

Hey, a normal face! Merritt has entered that lovely phase of childhood where pulling out a camera means pulling out a hideous facial expression. Once again, note that he is styling fantastically wet clothing.

I can't get over how relieved and happy I am that she's safe! I kept grabbing her up in bear hugs today to reassure myself that she's the real deal.

There they are...the little loves of my life. Can't do without a single one!

And finally, just for laughs...
Grant running with his pants falling down!

Who Doesn't Enjoy Reading In Bed?

These darling children can't POSSIBLY be related to me...wink, wink! I guess curling up with a good book is in our genes. Grace loves to get that blanket out of my closet and make a little nest for herself on my bed. I found her curled up there and she asked for some books to read. Grant decided that Grace had a good thing going on and joined the fun. They occupied themselves in this fashion for quite some time and I have high hopes that they will enjoy good literature all their lives.

Food is Fun!

I love to cook and bake and eat food. I love to read recipe books, they are like novels to me, full of suspense and surprise and mystery. I love to see pictures of yummy recipes and plot and plan the making of them. I love running into my backyard and pulling tomatoes off the vine or clipping basil from my herb garden to use in my latest concoction. Food is fun, and comfort, hospitality, family togetherness, and a big adventure. Here are some things I have made this week:

Vegetable Pasta a la Sandra!

Bruschetta courtesy of Whitney the Rookie Cookie.

Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Whipped Cream - Rookie Cookie again...she's good!


Chocolate Oreo Cake via Ingrid at the 3 B's.

This last was made in honor of Chad's birthday. I would love to write a post all about Chad and how wonderful he is, but that would embarrass him horribly so all I'll say is that I am the luckiest girl on earth to be married to him, and that's the truth! Love you Chad!

Happy Birthday!

Spaghetti Slurpers

Chad told the kids that they couldn't be good Italians unless the knew how to slurp spaghetti.

They love to practice!

Blackberry Jam

Lest there be any doubt...

not everything I put my hand to turns out as I wished. SHOCKING, I know, but TRUE. My lovely down-the-street neighbor called me one evening with an invite I couldn't pass up: to come pick blackberries off his overloaded berry bush. With my super-abundance of blackberries I decided to make jam, which I have never done before. I consulted my trusty Ball Canning Cookbook, found a recipe for reduced sugar jam (substituting half the sugar with honey), and proceeded to crush and boil and stir for all I was worth. I was a little in doubt about how to do the test to check if my jam was set, and that was my eventual downfall. Looking back on it now, I realize the sign I missed, but at the time I thought my jam was good to go. I carefully bottled and processed my work and listened to each jar seal with a pop. Hours later when I checked the cooled jam I found that it was still soft-set. Oh the horror! It tastes good but is sadly runny. I carefully placed each jar on our downstairs pantry shelves and consoled myself with the thought that when the end of the world comes, my family will survive by eating extremely soft-set blackberry jam. ;)

Who Cries Over School?

Well, I do apparently. Why, I wondered later, was second grade the tear inducing year? I finally figured it was because this time I didn't have to put on a brave face. I smiled and encouraged at the beginning of kindergarten and again at the beginning of first grade in a new school. If Merritt had looked up and seen his mother in tears, what fear and trepidation would it have inspired in his little heart? Today, though, it was all old hat. Same school, lots of the same friends, safe and sane sameness. We walked hand in hand to the second grade door, and then he let go and it was "Hi Andrew...Hi Mara...Hi John...Goodbye Mom!" I stayed with the milling herd of parents who were watching their little-big ones and snapping pictures. After Merritt's new teacher lined up her class like so many ducklings, he once again noticed me and said in surprise, "What are you still doing here Mom?" Was a healthy dose of "I can take care of myself!" underlying that question? He marched into the school talking excitedly to his new classmates and never looked back...and I finally cried.

Families Can Be Together Forever

Pictured in back: Chad, Lori, Heidi
Front: Sonny, Carol, Jeannine

Chad's grandfather, Amedio, came over on a boat from Italy that docked at Ellis Island in 1915. He and his sister were sponsored by a friend of their father's and came out to Utah to live and work. Chad remembers his grandfather as a loyal, hard-working, wise, tough old Italian and he loved him very much. Chad was very pleased, therefore, when he was asked to act as proxy for his grandfather in a temple sealing, which extends the bonds of marriage and family beyond the veil of death. Chad's cousin Lori acted in behalf of their grandmother Hazel, and sweet cousin Heidi stood in for her mother, who passed away from cancer of the brain three years ago. Amedio and Hazel's three living children were all present.

First the parents were sealed together and then the children to them. The Spirit was incredibly strong and I was so touched by the love of family. "I always want to be with my own family," and I am grateful that the Lord makes it possible for our most precious relationships to last beyond this life. Our loving Heavenly Father and his generous son, Jesus Christ, provide that opportunity to all who want it, what a beautiful act of mercy and love! Though Amedio and Hazel did not have the opportunity for a temple sealing in this life, their children sought it on their behalf in order to link their family into the eternities. That, to me, is the love of heaven felt on earth and it is a beautiful thing.

"Much of the work that goes on within temples is concerned with the family. Basic to an understanding of its meaning is recognition of the fact that even as we existed as children of God before we were born into this world, so also shall we continue to live after death; and the treasured and satisfying relationships of mortality, the most beautiful and meaningful of which are found in the family, may continue in the world to come...Through living proxies who stand in behalf of the dead, the same ordinances are available to those who have passed from mortality. In the spirit world these same individuals are then free to accept or reject those earthly ordinances performed for them, including baptism, marriage, and the sealing of family relationships. There is no compulsion in the work of the Lord, but there must be opportunity. This vicarious work constitutes an unprecedented labor of love on the part of the living in behalf of the dead."

- President Gordon B. Hinckley

"Why These Temples?" - Liahona, June 1992