And the Not-As-Exciting...

While J was in the Pacific Northwest being Mountain Man, I took the boys to New Mexico to see my parents. Here are the Monkeys and Grandma Kim. So happy to be there...


Grandma, H, and O built this awesome ranch in the family room. H didn't want me to take his picture.


We drove to Albuquerque and visited with my friend Rita and her husband Sne.


We went to Explora Children's Museum. It is the coolest place. I highly recommend that you go there the next time you are in Albuquerque. S put together this gear system, complete with elastic and handles.


O worked on this one by himself,


and H made a friend who helped him with his.


In addition to our Albuquerque trip, we went to church in Gallup, played with the coolest toy ever invented -- namely Legos -- splashed in G Kim's kiddie pool, ate our fill of yummy homemade Korean food, read lots of books, and watched "Toy Story 2," "Night at the Museum," "The Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins," and "7 Brides for 7 Brothers." I was reminded of my mom's crushes on Captain Von Trapp, Howard Keel (Adam Pontipee), and Frank (you know, Frankincense, 'cause he smelled so sweet) and my own crush on Gideon (ah, Russ Tamblyn, you cutie!)

This is summer to me:




And the partying isn't over yet. We have G & G Kim coming into town on Thursday and my wonderful friend Emilia coming on Friday. Ahh summer!

Mt. Rainier Trip Day #3

At roughly 3AM we start for the summit from camp Muir.



After an hour or so of climbing we start to see some crevasses, ice fall, and seracs.









We are about 1/2 way there from this photo:









Once on top we now have to cross the crater to get over to the highest peak 14,411 ft.



Here is a cave that vents some of the volcanic gases, it is about 76 degrees inside. On the way back we saw three people that were going down into the cave to camp the night.



On top it was very windy and freezing cold, I left my down jacket about 100 yards back with my pack, I was wishing I had it for the 10 minutes I spent on top.







After a little break and hanging out in the crater we start down the mountain and head for camp before things warm up too much.

Mt. Rainier Trip Day #2

The day started by getting our permits to climb higher than 10,000 feet at the climbing rangers office.



With our permits in hand we start the climb from the Paradise parking lot (elevation 5400 ft.) to camp Muir (elevation 10,188 ft.), a 4700' vertical climb in about 4.5 miles. This is the view of Mt. Rainier from the start of the Skyline Trail.



Along the way we saw some little critters.





As we climbed higher we could start to see some other prominent volcanoes in the area. In this picture you can see from left to right Mt. Adams (snowy), Mt. Hood (very faint), Mt. St. Helens.



A closer view of the Nisqually Glacier that we climbed near.



While we were climbing, the mountain started to make some of its own clouds.



Climbing the last section before reaching camp Muir.



Me at camp Muir.



We setup camp and prepare for our summit climb at 3AM.



Here are a few pictures from camp Muir:

Mt. Rainier Trip Day #1

After almost 15 hours of driving and four stops so that my very thirsty FJ cruiser can get a drink, I have arrived in Ashford, WA.

Passing through Oregon was a little different than I had expected. When I dropped down into Pendleton and through Hermiston the landscape turned into what I image Kansas looking like. I was expecting pine trees and green for as far as I could see; instead wheat fields and dry flat land.

Once I got into Washington I saw my first real view of Mt. Rainier:



While taking the picture above I was attacked by a ton of mosquitoes, one even tried to bite the end of my finger tip.

An hour or more later I saw one more full view just as I was coming into Ashford:



Not far from this picture I saw a sign that said elevation 1250'. This is one big chunk of rock sitting almost at sea level.

I am staying my first night in the Whittaker's Bunkhouse. It was built in 1908 in the town of National (2 miles south of Ashford) and housed single loggers and mill workers of the company town. After all the timber in the valley was cut and there were not more logs for the mill to cut the city of National faded away.

In the early 90's the bunkhouse was renovated and this is what my room looks like today:



This morning I woke up and found that I had mosquito bites on my feet. How could this be?

Yesterday, I put bug spray all over myself, however, because I was wearing shoes I didn't get any on my feet. Last night while I was sleeping they feasted on my feet because with these small beds my feet poke out and hang off the end. It didn't even cross my mind last night to put bug spray all over me; I'm not camping right? I have a motel key for the deadbolt on my room door, not a zipper holding a thin sheet of nylon.

More Barefoot

So, I ran the Freedom 5K in my Vibrams and felt awesome. The walking to the parade, standing around to watch the parade, and walking back to the van from the parade didn't feel so awesome.

I've run 4 and 5 mile runs in the Vibrams and felt pretty good. The thing is, I wake up in the morning and my ankle is stiff and my navicular is occasionally tender. Once I get running it starts to feel better. After the run, things feel pretty good. Then I shower and put on my shoes with my orthotics to pretend to listen to my podiatrist and not overdo the barefoot thing. By the end of the day my ankle is sore and my navicular is tender again. Is it the barefoot running or the orthotics? When I wear my Keens, the same thing happens. I'm really just about done with the soreness and tenderness. I think it's about time I feel completely wonderful. Just tell that to my foot...

So any conclusions? Well...
...I'm glad I had the surgery. It's really been very beneficial, for the most part.
...I think the barefoot running is helping. I can feel my left foot getting stronger.
...I'm still waiting for all the discomfort to go away and the desire to run a marathon descend upon me. (Don't hold your breath for those though!)

And, on a completely unrelated subject, I miss my hubby. He is in Washington, getting ready to climb Mt. Rainier and will come home to me in 11 days. I am counting down...

July Party Week

We began our 4th of July partying very early this year. Actually, we began on June 30th. We took the boys to the Scera Theater to see "Toy Story 3." We really liked it. Like most Pixar movies, it made me cry. We let the boys have lots of candy at the movie and pizza for dinner when we arrived home. Party mode...

On Thursday we dropped J off at work in Salt Lake and went to Wheeler Historic Farm.

When we got out of the van in the parking lot, O heard the rooster and so we had to find it. We stood by the chicken coop for a good 15 minutes before O would let us continue on. We saw pigs, goats, cows, horses, turkeys, ducks, Eeyores, sheep, and rabbits. It was hot, but a lot of fun. I spent $2.13 on a bag of duck feed and 4 candy sticks -- money well-spent.

When we picked J up from work, we drove up to Snowbird Ski Resort and took the tram to the top of the mountain. The boys had a great time playing in the snow in July...


...and scaring their mom by dancing around at the edge of the mountain.



On Friday we geared up for Saturday, which began at 6 AM with the Freedom Festival Balloon Fest...





It was too windy for the balloons to launch while we were there, but the Coca-Cola bottle balloon alone was worth it.



When we came home from the balloon fest, J took off up Dry Canyon for a hike to the top of Mt. Baldy in Lindon. I took the kids to their first ever Home Depot Kids Workshop where they made periscopes. I was partial to this particular project because I remember my brother making his own periscope when we were young. I loved that thing -- it was so cool.

When J came home I took off for Pleasant Grove to make shirts with my friend and sisters-in-law for the Freedom 5K. We had hot pink tank tops that said, "Hot Mamas" on the back and were embellished with rhinestones.

When we were done, I brought my niece home with me, much to the delight of S. Her sister and parents joined us later for a hamburger dinner and s'mores over a campfire. Here is O, who was brandishing his 3-pronged hot dog roaster and yelling, "By the power of Greyskull!"



H decided he didn't need the whole s'more and just kept sneaking chocolate pieces.


J put on a fireworks show for us which rivaled the Stadium of Fire, in my opinion.

On Sunday J's mom and step-dad joined us in church for the first time since moving into our ward. The kids could not contain their excitement!

When we got home, J's sister, her husband, and two girls came for dinner and to spend the night. We carbed up for the 5K the next day with a pasta dinner. Then we lit sparklers and marveled that none of the 5 kids running hell-bent around the yard with them got burned. Alisa's husband is an MA. He brought her an IV from work and gave her some fluids to get her nice and hydrated for her first 5K.


Our Monday began with the 5K. Here we are at the finish. It was lots of fun. We are going to do the 10K next year, for anyone that wants to join us.


We watched the parade, but missed the Utah Highway Patrol (my favorite part), the BYU Marching Band (my second favorite part), but were able to see the American Fork Marching Band (who doesn't love them?) and the tanks that shot off their guns at the end of the parade (of course my boys' favorite part).

In the afternoon we visited with J's Grandpa Squire, who kept our boys well-supplied with ice cream, sour cream & onion chips, and chocolate. Grandpa showed off his garden. I think his blackberries are on steroids.

On Tuesday we tried to get back to normal but failed. Tuesday evening J gave a presentation for our Relief Society Night Out on "Survival Kit in an Altoid Can." It was pretty impressive.

Again, on Wednesday we tried to get back to normal but failed. This time, we took a picnic lunch up to South Fork and played in the freezing cold water.



On Thursday I went to the podiatrist who merrily told me that I could call him if I need him and sent me on my way.

On Friday, the boys and I went fishing up Fairview Canyon with J's mom, step-dad, step-sister and her kids, step-brother #1 and his wife and kids, and step-brother #3. It was beautiful -- sunny, not too hot, not too crowded.

O waited patiently for a bite on his line...


...but it was S who caught the second biggest fish of the day!


Around the time the kids started to get hungry for the hot dogs Grandpa Lundgren brought, the clouds had rolled in and the day turned cold.


We ended up coming back to our house and having a party with all the fishermen. I learned how to gut a fish (this video is for my mom's benefit/amusement, so really, you don't have to watch it unless you're my mom or you really want to)...


...and this is what the boys thought of it.


On Saturday we had one last party with step-brother #1's family before they headed back to NM. Here are two of my sisters-in-law looking sassy with J's mom and our niece.


Chance, Leslee, and Cash. So cute.


As if our kids weren't worn out enough from our week of partying, we drove them up to REI in Salt Lake so J could get a few last things for his Rainier trip. Then we drove them home again, just in time for me to go to our Wasatch My Back team party. We made the decision to leave the boys home with J so they could watch "The Hobbit" (O's been walking around for the past week saying, "My precious. My precious.") and go to bed early.

It was great to spend time with family and party it up for the 4th of July. We are still trying to recover!

J leaves tomorrow for Washington and Mt. Rainier. We may continue our partying down in NM with Grandma and Grandpa Kim, but that is all news for other posts. I think this, the longest post known to man, is finally over!