Don’t worry, just be happy!!!

April 6, 2012 By

I’m frequently asked about my happy outlook on life. Though a lot of what we encounter is really tough (like our 2011), I’m a firm believer in the following principles:

1) Gratitude

Some of the least grateful people I know are also the unhappiest. This is true of both my single and married friends. I was 30 when I married Jamie, which is an Old Maid in Mormon Years. I didn’t care. Though I wasn’t making a ton of money, I was passionate about what I was doing. I had a full life, fantastic career, traveled extensively and dated a lot. Carpe diem!

On the other hand, I had dear friends who were thoroughly depressed their plans to marry and have kids had not worked out at that point. But they didn’t do anything about it and instead chose to mope around and not put themselves in situations where they were developing their passions and therefore themselves.

There’s nothing attractive about someone who’s not doing anything with their life. And guess what:


Lesson learned: Don’t feel sorry for yourself.

2) Action

Take that gratitude and run with it.

I’m a firm believer we are all given talents that are unique to us. Something I am ardent about instilling in my kids: do not wait for life to happen to you. I want them to be confident in their skills, able to accept defeat and actively live their lives without ever saying, “I’ll be happy when….”

Learn to be happy NOW and:

3) Resist envy and comparing yourself to others.

I’m giving a talk in church next weekend and I came across this awesome quote from Elder Jeffrey Holland at last weekend’s General Conference:

There are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessings or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt — and certainly not to feel envious — when good fortune comes to another. We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed.

4). Which leads me to…religion. I’ve always been very forthcoming about my religious affiliation and I laugh in the face of most of the self-help gurus because so many “life coaches” don’t have a clue. The best way to connect with yourself is through God in a deep, meaningful way. Whether or not they know it, people need to believe in something. If you don’t have answers, actively seek them out. This one is too important to procrastinate. P.S. Go here for an inspiring 1-minute Easter video about Christ’s final hours.

4) Repeat after me: I am amazing. A friend who has struggled with debilitating depression told me part of her therapy has been to completely change the way she thinks. When a negative, self-loathing thought comes to her mind (i.e. “You’re so stupid for not being able to do that”), she is to stop and completely change her mind pattern.

I’m so proud of her progress in realizing her true potential and how valuable she really is.

My parting thought is this HILARIOUS video that I swear could be my offspring.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg]

And don’t you ever forget it.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Humor, LDS

Gorgoza Park’s Rain, Tubing and Miniature Snowmobiles, Oh My!

April 5, 2012 By

One of the highlights of our visits to Park City is Gorgoza Park’s flood-lit, lift-serviced tubing hill. Though prices aren’t cheap (a two-hour adult ticket is $22), I guarantee it is among the most fun thrill-seeking families can ever have.

Our visit did not start well. Prior to departure, Bode’s ski jacket was MIA and I feared we’d left it at ski school. When Jamie uncovered it hiding in the back bedroom, we were then faced with a new obstacle: it started raining. At a ski resort. You know, where is is supposed to snow.

We comforted ourselves by saying that mean it was likely snowing at the higher elevations (which it didn’t) and went on our merry way.

We were soaked to the core but had our most fun adventure ever. Usually the chutes are icy (read: suicidally fast) but allegedly the rain slowed them down considerably.


I didn’t notice–I was still thoroughly freaked out.

The kids were ecstatic to also try out Gorgoza Park’s miniature snowmobiles for the first time. The oval course is designed for kiddos ages 5-12 and it’s a mere $10 for 10 laps.

Is it just me or do they look hardcore?


Though they ended up tearing around that course at top speeds (which, thanks to the “governor” device the resort installed, they only went a maximum of 10 mph), it was pretty darn hilarious when they started out. I knew there would be hiccups. Though we live in a neighborhood where every other kid has a motorized four-wheeler, we’ve purposely kept our toys human-powered.

Which meant my kiddos looked pretty darn inept the first few laps.

I’d post the video but I shot it sideways.

(Insert apple doesn’t fall far from the tree comment).

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Family travel, Humor, Utah

How you know your husband really *gets* you

April 5, 2012 By

I repinned this stellar pin on Pinterest and told The Husband:

“I’d dress like this every day if I could.”


After a long pause, he finally said:

“I’ll get you some goggles.”

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Humor, Jamie

Grandma Johnson: The High-Flying Adventurer

April 4, 2012 By

If there’s one thing Park City Mountain Resort does well, it’s their off-mountain activities. You don’t need to be a skier to have a blast at Gorgoza Park (their tubing and snowmobiling hill) and PCMR’s base area.

We’re longtime fans of the alpine coaster and we were excited about a new addition this year: the Golden Eagle Zip Line.

Well, all of us except for Hadley who has had a pretty severe aversion to zip lines after doing the KEEN Adventure Race in Vail last summer.

We started out on the alpine coaster. Last year, I blogged about my frustration about being caught behind a slowpoke. Jamie was the one who unleashed on the perpetrator.

This year, it was my turn to go after a woman who not only slowed down but completely stopped every few feet on the tracks (which is not allowed). It took her 20 minutes to get down a run that should have taken a minute, completely shutting down the entire alpine coaster and leaving us stranded at the top. Her actions were not only frustrating but extremely dangerous as Jamie and Bode could have rammed into her going 30 mph.

Lesson learned: you don’t want to mess with us as it pertains to the alpine coaster.

Do you know someone else you don’t want to mess with? Jamie’s mom. She teamed up with Hadley to careen down the alpine slide full-throttle without braking even once.
She probably lived in fear Jamie and I would go off on her if she did otherwise.

But then she and Hadley took the first run on the Flying Eagle Zip Line. As far as zip lines go, this one is pretty tame (as opposed to the world’s steepest I did last summer). However, it’s a perfect introduction for kids and is more like a really fast chairlift with some thrills along the way.

I don’t know too many grandmas who would willingly do something like this but it’s a memory Hadley will always cherish.
The boys had a swell time, too.
Tip: cover your ears like Bode did because the noise at the end is almost deafening.

Or maybe it was just the sound of three Johnson girls screaming with glee.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Family travel, Humor, travel, Utah

Spring Skiing Park City Mountain Resort

April 3, 2012 By

Spring skiing is a gamble. When we were at Park City Mountain Resort two years ago for Spring Break, we had the best conditions ever–over 30 inches of fresh powder with a 110-inch base.

For the non-skiers of the world, this is the equivalent of giving Jamie a free pass to spend the entire day in his pumpkin patch.

The 2011-2012 season has been a completely different story. Many ski resorts have had their worst snow conditions in 30 years and PCMR was no exception. Though the mountain is still covered in snow (though patchy in places), the surrounding areas are completely devoid of it.

It’s surreal to be on a ski vacation without a lot of white stuff.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this. Though the snow wasn’t the greatest, we still had one of our favorite vacations ever. It also afforded us to the opportunity to have some adventures off the slopes. On Wednesday, Jamie and I played hookey after we dropped the kids off in ski school and hiked to the Park City Hill Summit where a bold “PC” is scribbled across it.

Allegedly. We overshot it completely so never actually saw the symbol.

Our first day skiing at PCMR confirmed what I have long suspected: I absolutely suck at skiing icy conditions. (This is a generous observation).

But then a funny thing happened: it rained. I thought this was be the worst thing that could happen but I was wrong. The moisture actually softened up the snow so our final couple of days were soft, slushy and FUN. I fell in love with spring skiing for the first time.

Though don’t get me wrong: I’d take 30 inches of fresh pow ANYDAY over slush.

Next year?

Tomorrow: Stay tuned for why Jamie’s mom is a pretty darn cool high-flying, adventurous Grandma!!!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Family travel, Humor, skiing, Utah

And the first shall be last

April 2, 2012 By

For my column in The Denver Post today, I wrote about our failed Easter egg hunt last year.

Or rather, my parenting fail.

I submitted my article to my editor a few weeks ago and then the media erupted last week with the Easter egg hunt that was canceled in Colorado Springs because of aggressive parents. People everywhere were lashing out against “helicopter parents” (those who hover over and push their kids too much).

My article had “backlash” waiting to happen. I fretted over it a few days before emailing my editor whilst on vacation last week with a revised piece that hopefully would subdue my critics.

So far, no hate mail.

But it’s still early in the day.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: holidays, Humor Tagged With: ,
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