Camping season

The weather is warming up and it's camping season again! I never knew I'd fall in love with camping quite the way I have. Perhaps, I should've seen it coming. . . an affection for the crisp mountain air runs in my blood. My dad is definitely a camping man. However, the Texas heat doesn't really lend itself to an enjoyable camping experience, so we didn't go much at all while I was growing up. Things have changed. JD's a pro at this camping business and makes it a point to go regularly with our little fam. We've camped in the snow, camped with friends, camped with family, camped with just the stuff off our backs, camped in our living room, and camped with a baby. Basically, I feel like I've done it all ;)  

We'll be camping again this weekend with JD's family. It's a fun tradition and I love spending time with them around the camp site. In anticipation of the upcoming trip, I uploaded a few scrapbook layouts from some of last year's camping adventures.

Traditions

Thanksgiving was hard this year. I'm usually not very bothered about being away from my family on Turkey Day because I know Christmas is right around the corner and I'll get to be with them then. Also, spending time with JD helps ease the pain of being separated from my loved ones in Texas. But, this year JD worked all day and Lindsey was in Utah with me so I think some of her longing for home rubbed off on me. On the night before Thanksgiving, Lindsey, JD, and I watched For Love of the Game (one of my Dad's favorites) on Netflix. The movie is a tear-jerker for sure, but Lindsey and I didn't really lose it until the credits started rolling and we remembered how much we missed Dad. We just lay on the floor and cried. (Confession: I had to Google the proper present/past tense of lay/lie. It's confusing and I'm pretty sure I misuse those words a lot. Embarrassing!)  Needless to say, I'm so grateful we have modern technology to keep connected!

Despite missing my family of origin, I find a lot of joy in the multi-step process of creating my own little family.  One way JD and I are doing that is by integrating his family traditions with mine. Right now, I'm reading a book about being intentional with how you spend your time with your family. I've been thinking a lot about how I can apply some of the author's ideas in my life. One thing I want my children to know is how much JD and I cherish our families. I want them to love both families equally and know how much we honor and respect them. Whenever we decorate our Christmas tree, I am intentionally going to take the opportunity to talk about our families.

Taylorsville Dayzz

JD and I have been playing a "game" recently where we've tried to tell the other person every thing we know about them (we mostly do this when we are riding in the car and are bored of the radio. . .) Obviously, we know each other pretty well, but it's kind of fun and surprising to hear what the other person comes up with. Some things are basics: you wear this size shoe, this size shirt, this size hat.  You like this food, but hate that one. Other things are more deep: this was a spiritual experience you had as a teenager, this was something you wish you could do again, this was a time you were hurt by a friend. 

I like telling JD what I know about him and listening to him add on about the different stories of his life.   One iconic event of his youth that I had yet to experience was the magic of Taylorsville Dayzz (if you're wondering about the "zz" at the end of days, as I was. . . they apparently did that to match up with the Utah Ja"zz"). JD grew up in Taylorsville, where they put on a killer firework show every year. Last weekend, JD planned a BBQ with some of his high school friends and we met up to go to the big show. 

Zion National Park

A few weekends ago JD, Tenley, and I roadtripped down to Saint George, Utah for a little vacay. It was totally last minute and spontaneous, but definitely a much needed break. While we were in the area, we spent a few days hiking in Zion National Park. Talk about some gorgeous views! It's hard to really capture in words or pictures the awe-inspiring, breathtaking majesty of those mountains. Tenley loved being outside and looking around at all there was to see. We loved being with her to experience her first taste of the mountains (With JD as her Pops, I'm sure there will be many more mountain memories in her future!) On the first day, we hiked up the Lower Emerald Pool Trail and our reward at the end was a pretty little waterfall. So lovely! But aside from the natural landscapes we enjoyed, we also got to look at this cute baby in her precious hiking hat. . . which, admittedly, may have been my favorite part ;)

Generations.

Over the weekend, my grandma EG and Aunt Wendy flew in from Texas to meet Tenley and spoil me. They bought us presents, snuggled my babe, helped me run errands and babysat for us while JD and I went on our first date sans baby. I was so grateful they made the trip and felt super loved during their stay. Before my mom left, we took some pictures of the four generations. Tenley wasn't being super agreeable that day and is screaming in most of them. . . major bummer. But! One decent picture is all you need, right?! 

I love these ladies. I am grateful for their examples, their love, and their commitment to motherhood. I feel an overwhelming sense of duty as I move forward as a mother. . . to continue building on their legacy of faith, kindness, and cheerfulness. I want to be happy like they are. I want to teach my children to think of others, to serve willingly, and to uplift those around them. Essentially, I just want to be like them. 

Sweet Tenley girl, I promise to do my best!

Berry Picking.

Picking berries is one of my favorite summertime traditions. My momma used to pick a date and invite cousins or family friends to join us for a berry adventure. She'd pack us all in the car and we'd drive an hour (or two) to big fruit farms where we'd pick baskets of blueberries and sweat our bums off in the hot Texas sun. It was always such a temptation for me to eat those yummy blue balls right off the plant. . . but, it was definitely worth the wait to be able to eat handfuls of delicious blueberries out of my fridge and freezer all year long. I loved going because 1) I love making family memories and 2) I just really love blueberries.

(Also, as a side note: I thought it was "my destiny" to marry the first boy I ever french kissed because he loved eating frozen blueberries as much as I did. . .ha, that was really silly.)

I've told JD all about my family memories and he made up his mind he was going to take me to pick berries too. He researched berry farms in Utah and we found one nearby in Payson. As part of our anniversary weekend, he took me berry picking to keep up the tradition. He's really cute.

Blackberries and raspberries were the berries in season, so that's what we got. We ended up with a milk jug full of blackberries and another about three quarters full of raspberries. The best part was only spending 12 dollars for the whole load! 

JD likes raspberries best.

But, I'm all about the blackberries.

Luckily, we're pretty good at sharing so we get the best of both worlds. And can I just say? There's nothing like fresh berries on homemade waffles with a little whipped cream. If you ask me, it's something like heaven.