Me and Mine: October 2008

Well 2 weeks ago the kids didn't have school on Thursday or Friday and since we had all of our YARD jobs done, Jared planned a DAY outing. Fun right?!?! He just told me to pack a picnic and we would drive up and show the kids the ICE CAVES... Sounds great, I did as I was told we loaded in the truck and off we went! We were driving up Mink Creek on the way and Jared starts to tell Hayden about how scared MOM is going to be driving up there... (WHAT I hadn't heard anything about scary roads)... and he's not even sure we can still make it up the old "German Dugway", but no worries, Grandpa Bryce used to drive up this road with his semi and Cat (now if you know Grandpa Bryce that really isn't reassuring because I've heard too may stories of the crazy places and roads he has driven on) None the less, Jared reassures Me (and now Hayden because she's getting a little nervous too) that we will just head up there and if we can't make it we will just turn around... Okay so it will be just fine...we get up to the scary road and YES I'm a LITTLE nervous (mind you this is now a 4 wheeler road that is just slightly wider than the truck with HUGE rocks that we are bouncing over). The worst part is I had to be brave and not show how freaked out I was because now Hayden was very nervous and on the verge of tears at this point telling her dad to turn around!!! Only how are you suppose to turn around when the truck barely fits going strait?? Jared said we could back down if we needed to... WHAT!!! So I had the death grip on the door handle and the "Oh my He!!" handle and a smile on my face telling Hayden it wasn't that bad while in my head I'm running through how I am going to get out of my seat belt and get my 3 kids out of their seats before the truck goes completely over the edge... AWWWWW! Jared is just laughing and telling me to enjoy the veiw and asking if I really think it will help to be holding on if something happens.. Well no, but what else can I do??? (I thought he had outgrown being this adrenaline junkie that broke his back twice, but I guess not!) Once we were off the "scary road" and safely at the top it was gorgeous and the ice cave was fun and amazing. Jared was excited to drive back down the "scary road" but Hayden and I had a vote and were strongly encouraging him that we needed to go the long way home even if it took 2 hours longer. And we did get our way simply because the truck broke and we no longer had 4 wheel drive.... another adventure in this fun filled day... Jared stopped to shift back into 2 wheel drive and the shifter simply broke off. Jared spent about 15 minutes under the truck to discover that since it had been so long since he had driven in 4 wheel drive that the "gaskets"(I think) warped and caused the metal shifter to rust and break (or something like that) anyway he's so HANDY that he crawled under the truck and manually moved the shifter into gear YEAH!!! I was glad that we didn't have to walk back the 10 miles down the mountain back to Grandma Nae's, but mind you I would have happily done that over driving back down the mountain. Looking back, maybe it wasn't as scary as I had it playing out in my mind, but it is not something I will do again in the truck... maybe on a 4 wheeler, we'll see!!! Here are some picts....
Hayden was hiding her face and "STRESSING" a little... Bryce thought it was pretty fun
The VIEW was breathtaking, I couldn't look... I just held up the camera and pointed and shot, it turned out pretty good and I can enjoy the view now!!
Driving up the German Dugway ... aka "The Scary Road"

FINALLY at the top of the WORLD... It was amazing!!! (and MAYBE worth the stress)

I was just happy to be out of the truck on FLAT ground
OH NO!!! The only time Jared was nervous. Good thing he is so "technically" skilled... I would have just started walking and it probably would have take me 2 days to get home... There was no one else up there, so we would have been totally "S O L" if he wouldn't have been able to fix it!!!
THE ICE CAVE truly was amazing. Nature is beautiful... And yes there really was snow inside even at the very end of summer!!!

Happy little family... probably one of the few "FAMILY pictures we have. I propped the camera up on some rocks and set the timer and it actually turned out pretty well!!!
What a fun day trip!!!...Thanks Jared for thinking of it!!!

Last Tuesday we got SOD and I'm as sooooo... thankful!! There is still dirt just beyond the grass, but at least SOME of it falls off as the kids run back home. Jared has done an amazing job with the yard. (But did we really expect anything less???) It has taken me a week to post about it, because I was too SORE from laying the sod that I could barely even move my fingers (ha-ha-ha). But honestly that night and next day I could barley move I felt like I waddled when I walked my legs hurt so bad, but I guess what they say is true... the pain is worth the GAIN!!! Yes count them that is 16 Pallets (holy camoli!!!)
Our Audience and kid control (thanks Grandma Nae!!)

THE FINISHED PRODUCT (these were taken a few days later, because yes it was dark out by the time we finished...

We had the trees delivered on Saturday before the grass, and I was working but Jared took some great picts I had to post...
Dad's big helpers (Hayden was in the house, probably watching Disney channel)