Ruby and Mom go backpacking!

Oh this girl. Love her.  We had a great time wandering into the woods together.  Lots of selfies here too.  But, Ruby was actually more into making a video journal of our experiences.  I will have to upload some of them.  

Wall Lake, here we come!

Easy half mile hike in, even with a decently full backpack for Ruby.  No complaints.  Lots of stories and plans for future birthday parties were discussed. :)

Love the static hair in the tent. 

Selfies!

Our dinner spot.  Not bad. :)

Oh man, the fire.  It had poured a few days before so all the wood was wet and it was quite windy out.  So, we did get enough of one started to roast marshmellows, but that was about it.  Oh well, Ruby didn't mind, as long as she got her smores.  She was more excited to get in the tent as soon as dessert was over.  Mom remembered to bring a book this time, so we did a bunch of warm and snuggly reading and then fell asleep early. Ahhh...

Breakfast on the frosty bridge...our nearest spot of sun on this cool morning.

This was a blast to take each of the out.  We will do it again next year.  Maybe we will all head out as a family and do solos.  We'll see.

 Randoms here-

Chip and I celebrated 15 years of marriage this September.  We were pretty casual about the whole thing year.  Lots going on with races and house projects and work, etc.  Anyway, Chip gave me these little cuties and says, "Let's grow old together."  I said, "Okay."  I love this plan.  

Owen and I wandering around the neighborhood while Ruby is at music class.

We started a new clean up plan around this house.  This was Ruby's first shot at cleaning up the floor around the lego table.  She rocked it.  This whole clean up thing has been awesome.  

Mindy made these amazing signs for Ruby and Owen with antique letters she found roadside on a bike ride a while back.  These came out SO cool.  We are so fortunate to be the recipient of her creativity and thoughtfulness.  love her.  :)

School is going great!  First Fall Fun Fest for this family.  Smiles all around!

Amazing Feats

This was a fall of amazing feats for my people.  Gus won the gold medal equivalent in his weight class at the olympic equivalent for jujitsu, Tina participated in her 35th triathalon, and here, Mindy was doing the Point to Point Mt bike race in PC.  Chip will run 100 miles next weekend too.  Damn.  I am ultra moming I think.  Is that a thing?  It is now.  Gold for me too, people.  Just for showing up.

Our community rules.  All our friends came out to support Mindy too.  This is a beautiful little stop off at the community gardens while waiting for Mindy to come through the next spot.  These same awesome people and lots more too all followed Chip during his race, texted me throughout the day and sent lots of love and support.  Truly the best part of living here is our people.

Owen's artistic photography of us at the finish. 

Pictures out of order here.  We were up early, rode the lift and saw Mindy at Deer Valley.  

Chip has been LOVING our new grill.  It is really refreshing to use a grill that works so well!  Check this grilled dessert out!  Nice work, babe.

Papa and I get up at 4am to drive Chip to the start of the Wasatch 100.  Chip has been sick for the past few days.  Like, really sick.  He said to me the day before that he "needs to consider not going to the start".  Well, maybe he considered it, but he did go and here we are!

And they are off!!

There are not many places to see dad go through on the course.  I picked the kids up early from school and we headed up to the Big Mt aid station....and missed him.  Whoops.  But, good news is he was running strong and feeling well enough to beat us up there.  So, kids and adults not running went for a hike and were thwarted by a geocache.  

Then, after dinner, Nana, Stephan and I went up to Brighton to meet Chip come through there.  Not missing this one!  We were early but ready.  :)  Here he dropped off his first pacer, Emily, and picked up his second, Andy.

The finish!!  Moving, amazing, inspiring.  Wow.  He had an ankle issue again and was in pain when he finished but was done and grateful to have finished nonetheless.