Cows and Sunshine

Last weekend we went to the Utah State Fair with the Jennings. It was definitely a cultural experience. I've seen plenty of cows and sheep from a distance, but never up this close before. They had all kinds of animals, produce, tractors, crafts, booths, and food.  One of our favorites was the amateur photography competition that we are thinking about entering in next year. I could have spent 2 hours looking at all of those pictures. It was a fun day.

Scott recently got a new slack line, but not just any slack line, a Gibbon slack line. We tried it out yesterday and we found the perfect spot just outside our apartment. Scott is getting pretty good even with his bum ankle. I can get up by myself, but there hasn't been much progress past that point. It felt good to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. 

Us next to the lovely cows.

Bubbles! Megan was lucky enough to get a bubble gun. It sang a lovely song too.

Sheep. We don't know why they wear that blanket thing.

Photo Opp!

His dream. ha.

Slack lining it up!

The one and only. I just like that it's purple.

I haven't quite perfected the technique.

Reading in the shade. 

Row Along

I've been slacking on the blogging lately because I've been teaching 3rd grade! Its been 15 days of ups and down, but overall I really do like my job. I love the comments from the little 8-year-olds like, "Do you know how fun this is!?" and "I think I just beat the all time record, Mrs. Jennings!"  I've learned a lot about myself as a person and how I interact with my students.  I'm still learning everyday and I don't think there will be a day that I don't learn something new about teaching or little kids. I definitely don't hate Sunday nights and I don't mind not taking classes either. I'm really grateful to have a wonderful team and staff that help me out on a daily basis. I feel proud to be a teacher at such a great school.

Some of our recent adventures outside of school include going to a concert in Salt Lake City, Iron and Wine. It was good for people watching and the music was pretty good too.  The coolest thing they had there was valet parking for bikes. So unbelievably awesome! I was tempted to go home and come back just to return on a bike. Scott loved the concert as well and it was a good adventure. 

I went on a grand rowing experience with my school before school started. We had a team building activity as a staff and had private rowing lessons.  I learned that the Great Salt Lake does not smell good. I am pretty good at rowing. I do not like the nasty bugs that hover over every surface in and around the Salt Lake. I would train on a rowing team if given an opportunity.  It takes A LOT of teamwork to actually move in a straight line. Rowing boats cost more than my life insurance is worth. It was definitely a fun team experience. 

We've been cooking more together because we are actually home at the same time when its time for dinner. Scott found a good technique of using the lid as a shield, which at the time was very hilarious. We have been using our sourdough start almost every week.  Our favorite is sourdough bread, although we almost set the house on fire with the bread maker the other day. details. details. Our jam supply is depleting, to say the least. Sourdough makes the world a happier place, plus it costs about nothing, which is good for my current lack of salary. 

Happy September!

Iron and Wine Concert in SLC

Iron and Wine

Rowing on the Great Salt Lake

How to Protect Yourself from Spurting Oil

Homemade Sourdough Bread

Adventures

This summer has been filled with a million adventures. It's been great fun in between the school stress and business. About a month ago we went to Lake Powell for a family reunion and it was perfect. It was so fun to be with the crazy family and make more memories. We will never forget Brookie and her talent show cartwheel or Indian Day.  I love family reunions.

We also hiked Mount Timpanogos a couple weeks ago.  Scott and I made it into a backpack trip and stayed overnight about 1.5 miles from the top at Emerald Lake. It was so fun to sleep in the mountains and to finally climb to the top! Last year we tried, but there was too much snow to make it to the top safely so we only made it about a third of the way up. It's been a hot summer so we were able to make it to the top just fine. Only one glacier had to be crossed, which we both gracefully landed on our butts during the trek. It was so crazy to see the entire Utah Valley from the top of the 2nd highest peak in Utah. The wildflowers were GORGEOUS and I know understand that those beautiful mountain paintings are actually based off of real life stuff. Coming back down was tough as the 98 degree heat got the best of me and my legs were giving out, but we made it and after a GIANT slurpee, I was content again. My ankle even survived. Props for Scott and I finishing our 2nd backpacking trip together. We plan on backpacking Lone Peak with Jennifer and Chris in a few weeks.

My cousin, Keaton, left on his mission last Wednesday and it was fun to spend time with him and Aunt Dayna before he left.  He will be serving in the San Diego Spanish Speaking Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more information on missions click here.

Utah is great because there is always something going on somewhere on the weekends.  Saturday morning with went rock climbing with our newlywed buddies, Tyler and Ashley.  I red-pointed for my first time, which means I lead climbed (took the rope up as I went) the entire route without falling. It was a great accomplishment. I think I went up on Scott's cool factor a little bit, even if I am already his wife.

Alpine Days was last weekend and its always fun to look at all the booths and eat yummy snow cones. Along with Alpine Days there is a rodeo we went to, which was so fun even if it did start to rain on us and we hid underneath the bleachers with all the little kids. A rodeo is always great for people watching too. However, the coolest thing about Alpine Days was the Tour of Utah pro cycling race that went through Alpine. We saw it go through the round-about in Alpine and then hopped on Scott's dad's motorcycle and caught them (which was actually pretty hard, which they go 35 mph on flat ground) 2 more times in Alpine and then in Draper. It was definitely on the list of something never seen before. Those guys are CRAZY! It was really cool! After catching them for the third time, we had to stop by Cabella's because I had never been there before. It was the best people watching yet of the whole weekend.  Inside the store, its practically a museum with stuffed animals everywhere you look. Very fun.

More adventures to come I'm sure. My classroom is coming along. School starts in 7 days!!

Indian Day!

Our campsite

It was an intense hike. 

At the top!!

Wildflowers

Sitting on the top of a waterfall. Nbd.

Keaton the missionary!

Hiding from the Rain

A Little Cowboy

Bull Riding at the Alpine Rodeo

Me :)

Tyler rockin' it

Bouldering

We don't know how to say no to a snow cone.  

The Tour of Utah Pro Bike Race

Cabella's

July

Lately we've been able to take a break from our crazy work schedules and do some fun things.  We went to our friends, Tyler and Ashley's wedding.  They are so happy and we are so happy for the them! Hopefully we can fit in a camping trip with them before the summer is over.  It was fun to go to the ceremony and reflect on our own wedding day.  I kept feeling the nervous/excited jitters for them and me just reminiscing on my magical day. We were even adopted into the family picture!

Last Saturday we went on a hammock hike up Rock Canyon and set up our hammocks in some trees. I definitely got sore, but it was relaxing once we got everything set up. We found a spot nestled in some pine trees up from the trail.  If I was homeless I would live there.  I've been reading "Peter and the Starcatchers," a Peter Pan-like story that's a popular children's book right now.  I hope to read it to my 3rd graders in the fall. I would recommend it because it's not your average children's fantasy book.  A lot of creative juices went towards it. There's nothing like a Saturday reading a book in a hammock at the top of a mountain!

We have also been doing a lot of slack lining lately because its something that we both can do (sort of) and it doesn't take a whole lot of planning or work to set up. Basically you hook up a piece of rock climbing webbing between two trees and walk on it. Scott can walk back and forth on it and sometimes turn around, while I'm still working on the standing part. It's been fun though.

Draper, UT LDS Temple

All matchy matchy!

Our view

Slack lining

Mid-fall

Concentration sometimes looks creepy. Sorry.