Cabin Fever

Hotel Security

We're back! You know, leading up to this week, Tom and I have often said, "There's no such thing as a vacation with kids - they're all just trips." I think we even threw that in there a few times through the course of the week. I am, however, thrilled to report that we had a fantastic vacation!!! We returned home feeling rested and happy and so so blessed. There were so many miracles through the course of the week, both big and small, that helped us to really have a special experience. I'll give you the quick run down, spare you the blow-by-blow, and throw a few little stories in for good measure.

Last Saturday we flew up to Salt Lake to join the rest of Tom's family for the kickoff of the unofficial Bogardus Family Reunion.Tom's mom has been in the Tabernacle Choir for the last seven years - I think it's seven - and is now come to the end of what has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. In fact, in Sunday's Music and the Spoken Word program (her final performance), they sang Climb Every Mountain. That's about the point where I started to get choked up. I was glad it was time to bolt for the Conference Center when they started singing God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again.

We were able to be there for her final performance, even though no kids under eight were permitted inside the Conference Center during recording. There's something so moving about seeing someone live out their dream. It was awesome. Logan was a little disappointed that we didn't get to be inside the main concert hall but as soon as we got inside to go congratulate Gammy on a job well done, he bolted for a chair and got to hear the Tabernacle Choir sing Happy Birthday to You to someone.

We'll have to go back for the full deal sometime after he's eight.

After that we took some pictures around Temple Square and then got on the road for what would feel like one of the longest drives of my life. One of my favorites from Temple Square is this one that my sister shot of Logan. It's always so great to see her and there's never ever enough time.

I think we sort of jumped in with both feet on our first road trip with the guys. Considering the circumstances, they both did really well.

Bonneville Salt Flats
Dallin contemplating wide open spaces

What should've been an eleven hour drive stretched out into the neighborhood of sixteen as we travelled from Salt Lake City, across Nevada and into Susanville, California. From there we went up, up, up into the mountains to the totally-worth-the-drive Bogardus family cabin, perched on Silver Lake in the middle of Lassen National forrest. (So, I am giving you the blow-by-blow, aren't I? Hmm.) The cabin/Silver Lake is Tom's special place in this world and I have to say, the love affair is contageous. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
It was such a beautiful, relaxing week with family and fun and not much else. Each day we tried to do something a little extra special, whether hiking the cliff or sailing around the lake.

Logan caught his first fish and spent pretty much the entire week in a state of euphoria. The funny thing is that the fish only added to the euphoria.

It was good to watch my guys discover the outdoors and pretty reassuring to myself and Tom that it still exists as we remember it. It's just the Texas weather that's less than inspiring for outdoor activities. Don't get me wrong - there are fun and good things to do in Texas - we're just spoiled.

The view out to the lake while falling asleep

Dallin only got lost in the forest and had to be returned to us by some stranger in a pickup truck once. He'd taken off down a trail and was picked up about a half a mile away from our cabin, still running. After that, he didn't get to wear shoes for the remainder of the week - he was slower that way. That boy may be the death of me.

It really was a wonderful week, though. It's the first time I've really been to the cabin since we've been married and definitely the first time I've needed the cabin, if that makes sense. It was so renewing to have life be so simple and in such a breathtakingly beautiful setting. I'm not sure quite how to express it and Heaven knows, my brain is fried. I've been up since 4 a.m. and it's now 1:11 a.m. Today I feel grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and for quiet places and mountain lakes to enjoy and share with my family where His voice is still undiluted by the world. Everyone should have that kind of place in their life.

Saying goodbye to an old friend

Bomb squad

I'm not going to lie. I haven't loved today. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help your house survive toddler-hood, more specifically Dallin's toddler-hood? In the last week he's broken: the door on the tv armoire (split down the middle as he joyfully slammed it into the mantle), his closet door (ripped out of the track and wheel broken off as he scaled the contents of his closet), and one shelf and a drawer in the fridge (I woke this morning to a loud crash - he'd gone downstairs and had opened the fridge and was climbing it). I cannot leave him for five, nay, two minutes without him getting into something - and I have a pretty baby proof house. Yesterday, within seriously two minutes of leaving my sight, he managed to get into my closet, locate the orange oil furniture polish, and begin basting himself with it amidst all my clothing. As I type, I'm sitting in the stairwell so that when (not if) he comes out of his room, I can intercept him before he goes in and wakes up Logan. We'll do this for the next hour, probably, and he's exhausted. It's a good thing he's cute.

Budding artist

Logan's pictures make me smile. This is him and Dallin.

You're smiling now too, aren't you?

The Big 04!

I love doing birthday cakes for my kids. There's something about that *Gasp!* "That's for me?!?!" face that speaks straight to my soul. Logan had been drawing pictures for me that showed what he wanted his birthday cake to look like - which was essentially a circle with a car on it. "No, Mama. I don't want the cake to be a car, I want a circle cake with a car on it!"

Gotcha, kid.

**Warning: Not for the food coloring intolerant. **

**However, I figure birthdays come but once a year.**

I decided that since we were doing a circle cake and all, I wanted to do something that was still wow. I found the idea for a rainbow cake online, and this is how it went! (I can't figure out why this first picture is loading like this. It's landscape on my computer, landscape on the thumbnail, and portrait after uploading. Sorry for making you turn your neck!)

I discovered after mixing up all the cake batters (two white cake mixes and 32oz 7-up - that's it!) that somehow, my 9" rounds have disappeared so I had to make do with a couple of 9" squares. I'm just glad I had two! The birthday boy didn't seem to notice.

Just by way of information, in case anyone decides to give this a shot in the future, I divided the cake mix by 1.5 cups into 6 bowls. Since I was doing rainbow I started with red in one pan and then went from the opposite end in the other. Whatever your first color is in the pan, use about 2/3 of your color. I then used a 1 c measure to scoop the colors in concentric-ish circles. Swirling won't make it more psychedellic.

How many muppets had to die?!

For the racecar on top, I knew there was no way I'd be able to freehand a decent one in icing. So, I printed off a simple picture of one, laid some wax paper over it and traced it in candy melts. $0.99 condiment bottles work great for this. Start with your outline, let it harden, fill in any details, let those harden, and then do your overall color.

Awesome.

Days in the making

**I'm going to be doing 3 or 4 posts over the next day or two - so check back often!**

You know, sometimes blogging is hard (not that this is an excuse or anything.) I admire those of you who post regularly, even if it's just a couple of adorable pictures of your kids with seriously like, three sentences. You know who you are. I would like to be like this - nay - I'm going to be more like this! Okay, that's it. We're doing this more regularly. Period.

So, since May and last you heard, we had a dog and a flooded car. Fortunately, the car situation got sorted out - thank you full coverage insurance. Our neighbors who have lived in this neighborhood for 15 years assure us that this street has never, ever flooded like that (or anything remotely close to it) but whenever it rains, I still have the compulsive urge to go move my car even if it's already in the garage.

Jack, the dog, has also left us. My brother is deploying to Afghanistan in a month and Jack was able to rejoin his family as they get settled in South Carolina. It's going to be a long six months for everyone.

I've been getting more and more brave in my projects, though. I think it all started with the house, really. There's something about being able to paint a rental (and having your landlord give you free reign) that helps develop bravery. It's really been an interesting process of self discovery that I'll probably get into more in another post. (Remember how we're doing this more regurlarly now?) Don't worry - I've been writing that one in my head for about a month. It's just a matter of getting this one done first. Anyway, in the last couple of months, these:

became these.

And this (a $3 display for a Lord of the Rings sword that I found at Goodwill):

became this (a concrete way for me to feel like I've accomplished something.)

The ugly, but free headboard I got off of craigslist (see the flying/flaming pretzel?):

Became something a lot more awesome:

The formerly bleh living room:

Became something I'm pretty proud of. (I promise my kids do more than watch tv.)

It's all a work in progress, though. Alright, gotta run - but I'll post more later (Logan's birthday, Discovery Green, etc.) In the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

We've been staying busy, though.

Back on the grid

Stay tuned...