25<-08:00>05/14

Garden Helper

7:30 am by Janelle. Filed under: News

My little helper in the garden…he’s really good at “picking” things :) Ha ha ha…..

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21<-08:00>05/14

Just Rannin’ Around

1:24 pm by Janelle. Filed under: News

When I first moved to Utah, in 2002, I decided to take up running mainly because I had heard about the dreaded “freshman 15” and was determined to not let it happen to me so I thought I’d  pick running as my thing. I never thought I would still be doing it years later but I am and I love it! I always call it my “Prozac” because when I do it regularly life just seems more bearable and depression has a harder time of creeping up on me! I think that is why I have kept with it all these years. That isn’t the reason I was writing this…so anyway…in 2004 I decided to sign up for my first race, a 10K! I’d never run that far before (6.2 miles)! So I got up early on a Saturday in May and drove up Provo canyon and finished my first race! When I say race, I don’t mean I was really trying to win…I always just run to finish and have a good time…not necessarily to “race!” I’m not that fast :)

Sometime within the last few months I found my race shirt from that race up Provo canyon and was so proud that I had entered that race and then I thought about all the other times I had spent running or training for other runs and then I realized that this year would be 10 years since I ran my first organized run! I looked at a race calendar online and found another 10k that was the same weekend as the one 10 years ago so I thought (me being super cheesy sometimes) I would do a run on my 10 year race-iversary. haha. I know. I’m a weirdo.

My sister and I signed up for one in Folsom and I am SO glad we did! This was more of a trail run…which I didn’t think would be all that much different but it definitely had more hills (lots of hills!!), low trees, rocks, etc. to worry about; but it also had amazing views, wild flowers, and was just a beautiful run…way better than running on streets in my opinion!! Another thing I thought was awesome was that we ran most of the race on Folsom Prison grounds!! That’s someplace you don’t go very often…or ever! We weren’t waving at the inmates or anything…we weren’t that close…but it was on the outskirts of the prison property which is on a side of the river that I’ve never been on, so that was pretty neat. Kelsey and I wanted to stop every few feet, it seemed like, and take a picture..and we sort of did haha. I know if I didn’t know us I would probably think we were pretty annoying…but luckily the trails weren’t crowded so we weren’t by a ton of people when we were taking pictures…I think it helped the time go by though. Always looking at the pretty surroundings and stopping to remember it. That’s how I thought of it anyway :)

Okay, I’ve blabbed enough.  The point is, almost every time I run, I thank God that I have two legs that run, two eyes that see, a heart that can pump blood through my body, lungs that breathe in air…and the list could go on and on! I find our bodies to be such miracles! I feel so blessed to be able to have a body and that it can still run after 30 years of life and over 10 years of running!

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Crossing onto prison grounds!!!

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04<-08:00>05/14

Out and About

8:50 am by Janelle. Filed under: News

Spring is such a short season here, but it is SO pretty! I’ve been trying to soak in all the green-ness and flowers while they are still around…this will all be brown and dusty soon!

On Facebook I saw a photographer in the area had gone to a place called Beaks Bight and it was FULL of wild flowers! Then I saw that it was at Folsom Lake, which is just a few minutes away from our house…so I was dying to go! I’ve lived here my whole life and gone to that entrance to the lake, but never to the end of the road. It was gorgeous!!! I want to go back (mostly because we didn’t go to the most flowery side of the lake…we took a different trail and I just want to sit and enjoy the flowers…I’m kind of weird maybe?) No one wanted to stop and take pictures, they wanted to get to the water (of course) but I forced them :) It was just too pretty, I couldn’t NOT take pictures!

Then, this weekend my mom and I decided to try another trail that is fairly close by. We went to Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn. Someone recommended the Poppy Trail, which leads down to a creek and a waterfall, so we took a map and followed the trail. This place was gorgeous too! After going about 100 yards Dallin wanted to be carried. Oh dear. I didn’t bring the backpack for him and I tried making him be tough for awhile…but finally gave in and picked him up. Then I noticed we were on switchbacks going down…which meant the way back would all be up. I kept wondering how Ada would do…and then wondering how it was going to be carrying Dallin all the way down…then all the way up. Every time Ada would complain we’d look around for something to tell her to get to…most of the time it was horse poop, “Let’s race to the poop!”  Finally we reached the creek and noticed there was a photography class going on and the whole creek area was filled with tripods and photo students! Bummer. We squeezed around them and sat down in a poison oak infested area, trying to dodge and discern between berry bushes and poison Oak. Somehow (and I don’t know how) no one got any rashes! I know for a fact that Dallin threw a fit and rolled onto a couple poison oak bushes..so I feel blessed that we are all rash free!

After the kids got bored we headed back up the trail. Luckily we saw lots of dogs and horses so that kept the kids excited. My mom and I were trying to find the shortest way possible back to the car and at one point we saw a little trail that went straight up the mountain…so when no one was looking (since there were signs that said keep on the trail…oops!) we huffed it, with kids in tow, straight up the hill! Needless to say, we got a good cardio work out that day :) Even with kids who didn’t cooperate the whole time, we had fun and it was so beautiful! I love being in beautiful places with people I love.

When we got back to the trail map we looked at our trail again and it was labeled as “difficult.” Well, next time maybe we will look at the level of difficulty before we head into a hike with little kiddos!  :)

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02<-08:00>05/14

More Easter!!

12:56 pm by Janelle. Filed under: News

I Know, I know…more Easter?! Yes. I’ll make this quick.

We had a little brunch with one of my sets of grandparents on Saturday and then did an Easter egg hunt. On Easter morning we did another hunt, this time with no candy, just things related to the Savior and the events of the atonement and resurrection so we could remember why we have reason to celebrate, and then ended with another hunt at my other set of grandparent’s house…so if you are wondering why we have so many pictures of Easter egg hunts…that is why :) Normally we don’t have this many, but I guess we just got lucky this year!

Aunt Wyatte!! YAY!

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This picture below is a total Dallin face; he is such an animated kid! He was quoting Frozen, Kristoff saying to Sven “What’s the magic word? Pleeeeeease?”

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Peacocks!!

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Dallin was looking for other things:

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HAPPY EASTER!