Random Weekend Happenings

It's been cold. Not the coldest it's ever been, but it's been a long three weeks without getting above freezing. Some mornings are gorgeous, with frost coating everything, and I've tried to take photos a couple times. Last year I think I wore my puffy pink jacket that goes down to some ridiculous temperature rating only once or twice. This year, it's the coat I wear all the time, and I'm so glad I have it. 

This weekend the cold temperatures nearly froze our water pipes, even though our house is heated with hot-water pipes that run under the house and through the radiators. I absentmindedly turned off our pencil stream of water one afternoon at 3 pm. Half an hour later, I remembered to turn it back on. Nothing came out of the faucet. Do you know what it feels like when you turn on the faucet and nothing comes out? It's certainly not a good feeling. And I might have muttered something under my breath that wasn't fit for young ears. Fortunately, the water eventually started running again. We had one other little forgetful episode, but that was also happily resolved. Whew. I'm so ready for warmer weather, and today we finally got above freezing for a couple hours. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see mud.

The weekend was full of fun activities, including a birthday party for Andie Mae. The kids had fun playing, and we came up with some good balloon games. The best part was the little girls giggling. Oh my goodness, the cuteness factor went off the chart!

We went to a couple other events, which I hopefully will blog about soon. It seems that some days just don't hold enough hours! I haven't slept well the past couple nights, I think because of cold medicine I've been taking, and then the hours creep by.  Hopefully my internal clock will get settled soon.

 We had some good laughs this weekend. I had to run and get the camera when Desert Boy came out dressed like this. I think he's the Train Conductor Superhero. Sensing no danger, he didn't stay long, so I didn't have much chance to question him.

In an effort to find some warmer weather (and some exercise!), we headed up the mountain, where it's been consistently ten degrees warmer. Sure enough, we found melting snow and even little sprouts around the new mud puddles! Desert Girl made sure she pointed out every patch of mud to me. And every little pellet of rabbit scat. And every rabbit track. Ava showed me all sorts of juniper berries. They all were very happy for the snack breaks, which occurred at every bench. We took advantage of the breaks to look at the birds: a western scrub-jay, Clark's nutcrackers, common ravens. Then I heard a familiar sound and taught the kids to "pish" for mountain chickadees. We were successful, luring one closer to our location by our alluring sound. I think they enjoyed being outside, except for the snow in the boots and cold feet.

Well, now it's time to dive into the week. How was your weekend?

Economic Geography for Kids (and Adults)

Recently while I was surfing the Internet, I came across a blog that talked about a teacher who had all her kids stand in a row. Then each student looked at the tag of the shirt of the kid next in line to see where it had come from, and then they had a discussion about global economy. The blogger suggested taking food labels and putting them on a map so that kids could do a version of this. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the blog, and even though I've searched for it, I can't find it.

I remembered the idea, though, as I love maps, and I'd like my kids to have some idea that a much bigger world exists beyond our little valley. So we started putting food stickers on our globe. Apples came from the USA, avacados from Mexico, cantaloupe from Guatemala, and bananas from Ecuador. We discussed what climate each of those foods need and how they might be transported to our house. We keep checking our food for stickers, because now it's a game to see what other countries we might be getting our food from.

It's easy, fun, and maybe educational (but don't tell that to the kids!)

Free Skiing! at Eagle Point

It might be cold in the valleys, but up in the mountains of the Great Basin, it's almost balmy. If you consider about 30 degrees balmy! Anyway, Eagle Point Ski Resort near Beaver, Utah had free skiing this week, and a bunch of us went to take advantage of it.

Eagle Point Ski Resort began three years ago, after eight years of dormancy. In the 1970s and 80s, the area was originally developed as two separate ski resorts, Elk Meadows and Mount Holly. These eventually merged and ran until 2002, when the owners had financial troubles. See more history here.

It's base elevation is 9,100 feet and it has 1,500 feet of elevation change and 600 skiable acres. It's tucked into the scenic Tushar Mountains, 18 miles (by road) up Beaver Canyon. Because it's Utah's 14th ski resort and far from big population areas (3.5 hours from both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City), they are having some awesome deals to attract people. These include residents of Great Britain ski for free. Residents of California ski for free. Residents of Nevada ski free January 16, February 13, and March 13. And everyone skis free on Thursdays in January and February.

The free skiing is definitely working, as the seven of us had never been there before, and many of the people we met skiing hadn't either. All the condos at the ski resort were booked, and employees said the season was going well.

So when we rented skis (for quite a reasonable price) and started down the slopes, we kept looking around, wondering where everyone was. We had the slopes virtually to ourselves! The snow was great, the temperature comfortable, and hardly any wind. To top it all off, it was a fun group (we were having so much fun that we forgot to take a group photo).

Here I am with my friend Jenny. She hadn't been skiing in ten years, but did great!

We skiied and skiied till our muscles were sore. It was awesome. We'll definitely be going back-there are still several more slopes to try. To find out more, check out the Eagle Point website. And maybe I'll see you on the slopes!

Earth Balls

What can I say, I never know what I'm going to write about. And you, dear reader, are sweet to come and visit to read the ramblings of the day. You never know how your life may be warped changed by the few minutes you spend here.

I say this as a preamble before diving into my topic for the day: Earth Balls. What? you may be asking. Perhaps she's really gone over the edge this time.

I must admit that too much cold, too much inside time, and rambunctious kids has us looking for extra activities. When the Bookmobile came last week, I happened upon a book about Geology Crafts. I couldn't resist. And the first craft we decided to try was:

 Earth Balls!

The basic idea was to make an edible earth with layers to better be able to understand what makes up the earth.

 Peanut butter was a main ingredient. Like how Desert Boy flings it? It was mixed with a little oats, cocoa (because we were out of powered milk), and honey to make the mantle.

 The next step was to make a hole in the mantle.

 Then it was time to add the magma (raspberry jam) and the core (a chocolate chip).

 Next it was time to put two halves together to assemble the earth. A couple of them had some very active volcano zones. (How do you like those fingers?)

Not to worry, the active volcano zones along with the rest of the mantle were covered up with the crust (graham cracker crumbs).

Don't those look like beautiful earths?


Next came the fun part: cut one in half to see all the layers.

Some turned out better than others as far as visual appeal. But overall, they turned out to be tasty treats. I'm not sure if Desert Boy learned much, but he did appreciate the snack and some fun time with Dad.

Free Ebooks

I've recently discovered a fun blog: eReaderGirl. She finds free eBooks for you. Then you can download them (checking the price is still $0, as some prices change the same day--and some of the books have a regular price of over $25) and enjoy. Today I'm enjoying a book of 50 raw desserts (which includes pies and cupcakes, to my great surprise) and how to run faster. I downloaded a kids' book, too.

I don't actually have a Kindle (or Nook), but I have an app so I can read the books on my computer. I didn't think I would like reading on a computer, but I've been pleasantly surprised. I don't want to give up real books by any means, but this is a fun way to get a little more reading in (often while I'm pedaling on the exercise bike, which makes me feel doubly good).

Have you read any good books lately? I'm looking for some recommendations.

An Afternoon Swimming--and Jumping

We headed to the West Millard Pool today to escape some of the winter cold. It turned out to be a snowy drive with roads full of drifting snow, but once we got into the warm and humid environment at the pool, it was all worth it. We went with friends, which made it even more fun.

The water slide was soon a favorite attraction. Here's Charlie making a grand entrance into the water.

Ava had fun paddling all over.

Here goes Evan!

I was hanging out with Desert Girl, and next thing I know, Desert Boy was up on the high dive, aka the high "jumping board." I wasn't too sure how this was going to turn out.

I remember being so scared going up on the high dive when I was a little girl on the summer swim team. I tiptoed to the edge and looked down and the water seemed so far away. Eventually I gathered up my nerve and jumped off--and survived.

Desert Boy didn't feel any of my fear. He just went to the end of the board and jumped.

Yikes!

Then I was wondering if he would be composed enough to swim to the wall. He's not a great swimmer, and after all, he's just 5. But he made it. Not only that...

...he did it again and again.

All the kids did so well in the water. It's hard to believe they live in the desert and only visit a pool a few times a year.

Desert Boy found some diving rings and had fun going after them, as did the other kids.

One of the things that surprised us was how few other people were at the pool. For us, it was a wonderful excuse to escape the house on a frigid day when we would be stuck inside due to the cold. Maybe the locals have other ways to deal with getting cabin fever!

Desert Girl mastered propelling herself where she wanted in her floatie. She also loved jumping in from the side of the pool. She wanted to go off the jumping boards, but I told her no way.

It was great fun, plus some really nice exercise. I think all the kids will sleep well tonight! (And maybe the parents, too!)

Yummy Homemade Granola!

I've found my new favorite granola recipe, and it is so delicious! Plus, since it's homemade you know everything that's going into it (yep, I am reducing my processed food intake as per my New Year's resolutions!). Even better, you can tweak it as you like.

Want to try it?

Here's the recipe:
Adapted from 100DaysofRealFood.com

BEST GRANOLA
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat (or parchment paper) on a large cookie sheet.

Combine:
3.5 cups oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup pecans (or walnuts or cashews)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds (or substitute your favorite)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a small saucepan, heat:
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
When the butter melts, add:
2 tsp vanilla extract.

Pour the hot liquids onto the dry. Stir together, then spread on the prepared sheet.
Bake for 65-70 minutes. Cool, break apart, and eat within 2 weeks.
Yum! It's a flexible recipe, so try adding your favorite nuts, seeds, and dry fruits (after cooking) to make it perfect for you.

Even Desert Boy recommends this granola, and he is not much into granola.

New Wheels

We've got some new wheels at our house.

They even have racing stripes. In fact, they're yellow flames. Very cool looking.

Better yet, these new wheels are energy efficient.

Are you ready to take a peek?

Here are those new wheels! This is Desert Boy's new solar-powered car. If you're wondering if the frame really is cardboard, the answer is yes. It can make it tricky for assembly.

We needed some sun and a relatively flat, snow-free, and smooth place to give the car a try. So we headed to the post office parking lot. It was still cold enough that we bundled Desert Girl up in her snow pants, but after all the extremely cold temperatures lately, it felt sort of warm.

The kids gave the car a good workout. It turned out it would only run when it had gravity helping a little. The cracks in the concrete were often too big an obstacle. That just made it more fun, as the kids got to interact with the car more, "helping" it along.

Desert Girl even got to try. (Don't you love her owl hat? My sister-in-law made it and I've gotten so many comments about it. Desert Girl doesn't want to go out of the house without it.)

It might be awhile before solar cars become practical, but for now, they are fun and a good excuse to get out of the house!

BYU's Museum of Paleontology

 We had to go to Provo recently to do some errands, and we thought that we'd try to find something fun for the kids to do. We decided to go visit the BYU Museum of Paleontology, which is open Monday through Friday from 9-5.

 Desert Boy was delighted as soon as we stepped in the door. We could see dinosaur skeletons everywhere!

 I was impressed with the Icthyosaur fossil, which is the state fossil for Nevada.

 I had never seen fossilized dinosaur eggs before, so that was really cool.

 The Dimetrodon looked really neat.

 The kids could identify this fossil as a pterodactyl, stars of the PBS show Dinosaur Train.

 The scutes on this dinosaur were impressive.

 I couldn't resist getting the kids to pose for a photo with the T-rex skull. Yummy!

 The Allosaurus, the state fossil of Utah, towered over the exhibit hall.

The museum isn't huge, but there was hardly anyone in it, so we got to take our time and enjoy it. We even went through the museum twice to make sure we hadn't missed anything. (Ha! We go through museums at a rapid speed, so I was able to read a few more signs on the second trip through. We'll still need a few more trips to see it all.)

 Although the trilobite display might not have been as dramatic, I was fascinated by all the localities where the trilobites, corals, and other smaller invertebrate fossils had been found. Some were virtually in our backyard (as long as you consider our backyard has about a 100-mile radius).

 The museum is free, but does accept donations--if you're willing to stick your hand into the skull!

This was a really great museum experience for all of us. I am looking forward to going back some day soon.

And if you're interested in paleontology, don't forget to put National Fossil Day, October 13, 2013 on your calendar!

2013 New Year's Resolutions

I usually don't make New Year's Resolutions, as I don't think I'll be able to stick to them anyway. This year I do have some, along with ways to actually stick to them. I'll share mine--will you share yours in the comments?

1. Play more music.
Details: Rock and roll all night long. Nah, not really. Specifically, I want to play a musical instrument for an hour a week. That breaks down to 10 minutes 6 days a week.

Why: Several years ago I started playing piano, but I got frustrated after a couple years by my lack of progress. I have to remind myself that when I started learning trumpet in sixth grade, we had 45-minute band class every day, plus we had to practice at least 30 minutes every day at home. I did that practice for years and turned into a quite decent trumpet player. I can sight read music easily, which makes me forget that it took me many years to get to that point.

Goal: To be able to play through the piano kids' song book and actually make the songs sound like they are supposed to. And to do a trumpet solo at some event this year.

Bonus: My kids love music, so when I play they often sing along or dance. It's fun for everyone. (Although I still recall my mother telling me that I sounded like a wounded buffalo when I tried to learn French horn.)

2. Exercise regularly.
Details: Exercise at least 20 minutes a day. This is an easy resolution for me when the weather is good. I love getting outside and having some quiet time during a run. With the cold winter months it can be so much challenging, but I've found a new weapon to add to my arsenal of workout tapes: You Tube. I can't believe how many different workouts are on You Tube, and they are already helping me keep exercising.

Why: It feels good.

Goal: Enjoy movement. Do a few races.

Bonus: I may learn to dance better if I keep doing the Zumba workouts!

3. Organize my house.
Details: Housework almost always falls to the bottom of my priority list. I'd rather spend time with my kids, exercise, blog, cook, or do about anything than housework.

Why: I hate looking for something I can't find, knowing that I'm wasting time.

Goal: Start becoming a minimalist. Donate things that I'm not using, recycle paper I no longer need, make spaces in my house more useable. I've already started, thanks to my friend Jenny. Here's a photo of our new entryway organizer. We've had it for a couple weeks and it is working great!

Bonus: Maybe the kids will learn to be more organized and won't have to go through a mid-life organizing crisis like me.

4. Eat healthier.
Details: We already eat healthy, with balanced meals and lots of fruits and vegetables. But we could do better. One way is to cut out more processed foods. I've learned a lot in the last few days from 100daysofrealfood.com. The concept isn't radical--we can still eat meat (good thing since we live on a cattle ranch!), fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more. The main thing is that we know what we're eating and don't consume junk food. The funniest thing to me about all this is that we're really getting back to the roots of how the pioneers lived--making food from scratch. Even though we're so technologically advanced, the best food is still the simplest food.

Why: Eating healthier will give us more energy and make us feel better.

Goal: Eat very little artificially processed food (good bye store-bought cookies). I have thought about trying to participate in  the 7 Day Real Food Challenge, but since I won't be able to get to a grocery store before it starts, I think I better wait a little. But I did find delicious looking meal plans at https://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood (if you Like the page you can see the meal plans up at the top).

Bonus: Maybe my clothes will fit better?

5. Give more.
Details: I haven't entirely fleshed out this resolution, but I do know that I want to give more this year. I've been finding stories of inspiring people who have done so much with their lives. I've also found some really neat ways to give that I'll be highlighting in future posts.

Why: Giving really does feel great.

Goal: Give. One way I've found recently that is a win-win for everyone is We Give Books. I read books to the kids (with difficulty accessing a library, I sure appreciate this resource!), and they give books to kids in need. I'll be looking for more goals, so if you have ideas, let me know!

Bonus: Maybe the kids will learn something from this!


Well, I have plenty of other things I need to do this 2013 (read more, write more, be more patient), but I think I'll stick to five main goals. Don't want to get too over ambitious!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful New Year!

A Quick Review of 2012

It seems like I'm rushing from one thing to another these days, and it's hard to find the time to reflect on what's happened. The end of 2012 is almost here, and the end of the year is a traditional time to do that review. But instead of taking the time to do my own review, here's Facebook's review of the year for me. (If you have a Facebook account, go to your page and you should have the option to review yours.) Oh my,  I know, this says something (or quite a few things) about me!

Here goes anyway:

February: Wild Goose Chase (coming up on February 23 this next year!)

May: My book is out! Words cannot express how I feel.

(See my book website to learn more!)

June: High School Reunion. Such fun reminiscing! Love y'all!

June: Snake Valley Festival

August: Desert Boy starts kindergarten. Wow, a whole other chapter is opening in our lives. His favorite subject? Recess.

August: Another monsoon in a wet late summer. It didn't quite make up for no precipitation in June, but at least it helped.

September: Snake Valley Days BBQ (and the watermelon-eating contest)

September: Wheel-a-thon Fundraiser for the local schools (and a good way to get a little exercise)

September: Ely Half-Marathon--I finished, woohoo!

September: Camping trip with marvelous fall colors

September: Some funky weather

October: Desert Girl enjoying preschool

December:
The other day we had a heavy package at the door. Desert Boy told me, "I'll get it, Mom." I had my hands full but thought it was too heavy for him, so told him to wait a few minutes. He disappeared into the house, came back, and next thing I knew, had wrestled the heavy package into the house. "How did you do that?" I asked him in surprise. He answered, "I went and lifted some weights (dumbbells) in the living room to get stronger, and then I could get the package in the house."

I think I might have to try out his exercise program!

I didn't post everything that happened in my life to Facebook, so important things are missing, but it's fun to remember these moments--many I had forgotten. Every year I print out a book of my blog for the year (I like blog2print.com). That's one of the main reasons I keep up a blog, along with keeping family and friends up-to-date with what we're doing.

We hope you have had a good 2012 and that 2013 will be even better. I'm already thinking about New Year's resolutions. I usually don't do those, but this next year I do have some changes I'd like to make in my life. I'll post them soon so you can help keep me accountable!

Cheers!