Family reunion-ing in Estes Park

April 4, 2016 by

For Valentine’s Day weekend, the entire Johnson clan got together for a grand vacation.   YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park generously offered us one of their 8-bedroom reunion cabins for the three day weekend and we had a blast hanging out together while exploring the area.  Estes Park is bordered by three sides of Rocky Mountain National Park, which makes YMCA of the Rockies the perfect family vacation with  affordable cabins, lodge rooms, meals and family activities.

Read my official trip report at Mile High Mamas with details on our amazing cabin that was larger than many hotels! (Ignore my shaky camerawork).

My family has been to this location several times in the summer but never in winter so I was excited to try out snowshoeing and fat tire biking. It didn’t happen. There was very little snow and the bane to my existence: wind. I went for daily treks around the property but that was it. The weather even kept me from doing one of the most gorgeous hikes in Colorado that is located on property: a  quick (but steep) trek up Bible Point, a 1.5-mile round-trip hike with stunning views.

Fortunately, the weather can rage and you can still find plenty of fun; the great thing about YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park is there is something for everyone. We spent Friday afternoon touring Estes Parks’ multiple candy shops (I’ve declared this town the Taffy Capital of Colorado), playing brain-bender games at Frames, Games & Things Unnamed and watching a fascinating demonstration on how to blow glass at Mountain Blown Glass.

Once back at YMCA of the Rockies, we spent hours in the craft center. We headed over to the Longhouse Building where we roller-skated and played pickleball.

We tried our hand at volleyball. Basketball. Shuffleboard.

We became animal detectives and learned about their tracks. We did a craft to create our spirit animals.

Animal Detectives

On Sunday, we planned to drive to nearby Rocky Mountain National Park but it started snowing and blowing so we watched movies in our cabin, played games and completed a 1,000-piece puzzle. The other grown-ups did, that is. Though I made several attempts, I did not contribute even one puzzle piece.

Puzzle from hell

We had meaningful family time as well. Jamie’s dad did a presentation on our family tree and genealogy.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day with a fondue dinner and decorated cookies.

And the twins and I (who were born on my birthday) were thrown a cute little surprise party. 

Please excuse my birthday hat; the only way to fit it on my gargantuan cranium is to wear it like a unicorn horn.

We had the perfect, low-key and fun family reunion. The funny thing is my very first family reunion with the Johnsons was at YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center about 10 years ago. It has taken us this long to do it again. Here’s for hoping we’ll do it again. Much sooner.

Filed Under: Family travel

Midway’s heaven on earth

April 1, 2016 by

In case you missed our announcement: my family is moving to Midway, Utah this summer! For the story and reasons behind the move, go here.

I’ve been slammed with questions and emails that I tried to answer in my previous blog post but will expound upon them a bit now and plan to write a more official article with my travel tips after our move. We can’t wait for our many adventures in our new home!

About Midway

Nicknamed “Little Switzerland,” Midway is located in the Heber Valley and is literally heaven on earth. Our Swiss-themed hamlet is nestled at the base of Wasatch Mountain State Park and has outstanding year-round outdoor recreation including golf, fly fishing, boating and watersports, plus skiing and other winter sports with Deer Valley and Park City Resort only 15 minutes from our doorstep. Summer and winter temperatures (thankfully) average 5 degrees cooler than Denver and snowfall is abundant, which makes me a very happy Canuck. The Midway Ice Castles are a popular tourist attraction during the winter months.

Midway is practically surrounded by water. Jordanelle Reservoir is popular for boating, the Provo River is less than a mile from our house and is a fisherman and tuber’s dream and we have a gorgeous view of Deer Creek Reservoir from our home. I foresee this family taking up many watersports in our future!

So long as I don’t have to get my face wet. File that under “Some Things That Will Never Change.”

I’ve always dreamed of living in the mountains but never aspired to live in the middle of nowhere. Midway is the best of both worlds. Our tiny town of 4,000 is 15 minutes from Park City and 40 minutes to Salt Lake City where Jamie’s family lives. I can have my cake and eat it, too.

A few fun facts about Midway from the Heber Valley Chamber.

  • Despite its growing population, the Heber Valley boasts a 25:1 ratio of fish to people.
  • A series of warm-water hotpots are sprinkled throughout Midway City. Our family went swimming in The Homestead Resort’s famous crater over spring break.
  • Soldier Hollow, the 2002 Olympic venue for X-Country Skiing, was one of the most visited sites of the 2002 games. We had a blast on their lift-serviced tubing hill last week!
  • The number of golf holes within a five mile radius is one of the greatest in the Western United States.
  • The Heber Valley Rail Road, once a major transporter of sheep, now carries 75,000 visitors per year.
  • Red Rocks are prominent on the East end of the valley while soaring mountains are located to the West.
  • More than 1,000 miles of snowmobile trails wind throughout the area (the equivalent of riding to Denver, twice).

Stay tuned next week where I’ll give updates on our new home and all the [not so] fun things that go into pulling this move together.

Filed Under: Utah

Our big announcement: We’re Utah-bound!

March 31, 2016 by

As much as I love to travel, I adore our home base and never thought we’d live anywhere other than Colorado so it is tremendously bittersweet to announce we’re moving to Midway, Utah.  I adore Colorado and we have zero reasons to leave…our businesses are burgeoning, we have an amazing ward, friends and neighborhood. But this glorious place is where we’ve moving so I keep reminding myself not to be too depressed.

Midway, Utah

How It Happened

In December, I had just returned from a trip to the temple where many of us accompanied a new member in our ward for the first time. I was bursting with feelings of love and appreciation for my many friends who surrounded her. Later that afternoon, I was at my computer when I had the distinct impression: “Search for real estate in Soldier Hollow.”

I’m not one to house shop (apart from occasionally looking up dream properties in Hawaii) so this thought surprised me. To be honest, I didn’t even know exactly where Soldier Hollow was–just that is was in the Heber Valley and site of the cross-country events for the 2002 Olympic Games. My search for Soldier Hollow revealed that it is in Midway, a charming alpine resort town just 15 miles from Park City. I fell in love with a gorgeous home within our price range and that’s when the wheels started turning.

Jamie wants a bit more land, I want to live in the mountains. Denver’s housing market has exploded with a huge influx of people moving in (we’re the second fastest-growing state in the U.S.) and a shortage of housing. This is good news if you’re trying to sell a home but is not so great if you’re buying here. We’ll never be able to afford the prices in Colorado’s mountains so could this be our opportunity to stop dreaming and start living the dream?

Jamie didn’t take me seriously at first and I didn’t blame him. Almost on a daily basis, I’m concocting a new scheme, a new adventure so it’s tough to decipher what’s inspiration and what’s just me? We resolved to at least investigate so when we were in Utah for Christmas visiting Jamie’s family, we spent an afternoon with a realtor in Midway. There wasn’t much for sale  so we looked at two new areas. Now, I should say that my one prerequisite was that I did not want to build a new home. We went through that laborious process with our current house and while we love it now and are so happy the yard is finally growing in, it was a ton of work and expense to put in your own yard and basement.

For the first place we visited, the properties were less than 1/3 acre. Many of the lots in the second development were too small…until we walked up to a 0.5-acre plot that backed to farmlands with a view of Mount Timpanogos and Deer Creek Reservoir. Cue the singing angels. Something clicked when we walked on that property. Jamie didn’t look at me like I was crazy (for once) and we started to wonder if maybe we could do this.

Our backyard

There was a premium $55,000 price tag on that corner lot because of the size and views. It was one of the final and most coveted lots to be sold because the builder had been hanging onto it for his own son who was on a mission. But then he got “Dear Johned” (dumped) by his girlfriend and we arrived at the exact window of opportunity.

We did a tour of the ranch-style model home (we’re thinking like old people and only want one level + a basement) and asked if we could build the smallest house on the biggest lot (we could!) We had originally intended to visit the neighboring town Heber to look at some properties but we nixed that plan; we knew it was charming Midway or Bust!

When we arrived home, we crunched some numbers. The rest is history but was the source of soooooo much stress in January because we had to come up with earnest money and we had a cash call for another investment at the exact same time. After prayer and a lot of sleepless nights, we cashed in some mutual funds, refinanced our house and moved forward. We still don’t know how it will work out financially because we won’t put our house on the market for a few weeks but we have faith this is supposed to happen.

Why I can’t believe I’m really leaving.

The people. Jamie’s brother and sister are here. Our ward is truly the most cohesive and loving I’ve ever experienced. And our friends. Don’t get me started about our friends and neighborhood because we have the very best there are. We do everything together–spend holidays, travel, and play, play, play. Our kids have  known each other since birth and they were supposed to grow up together, date and get married. I love these people.

The landscape. Since moving here to marry Jamie 13 years ago, I’ve crammed adventure in every spare moment. From climbing 14ers to hiking in my backyard to Country Road Cafe, all of it has left an imprint on my soul. Colorado is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Our jobs. Jamie and I both work from home so we can live anywhere but so much of what I do is based here. And we’ve been truly blessed with opportunities to preview everything under the sun–from museums to exhibits to attractions to travel. This is a huge sacrifice. So, what are my plans for Mile High Mamas? Last year was our most successful yet and I plan to keep building it. I have a whole team of Colorado bloggers who will be more than happy for me to pass on the many review opportunities. Eventually as I secure stable work opportunities in Utah, I’ll sell Mile High Mamas. But that time is not now and it makes me sad to think of turning over something I’ve built from the ground up. And we’ll miss all those glorious freebies.

The Light Rail. We have lived in a construction zone for three years as Denver’s Light Rail line is near completion. It literally is a 2-minute walk from our house and would have been so ideal for accessing downtown, the Denver Airport and beyond.

Our home. I truly love our house. We had been married for only six months and were newly pregnant when we signed the contract. Bursting with joy about the life ahead of us, we went to IHOP and a woman at a nearby table overheard our excitement and asked why.  When we went to pay the bill, we learned this generous woman had paid it for us, wishing us much happiness in our new life.  And it has been.  On the first day when we walked into this house, I thought, “I will never be unhappy here.” And despite layoffs, health crisis and everything else life throws at you, we never have been. This is where we became a family.

What I Won’t Miss

As I mentioned, Colorado is growing exponentially.  Whenever we return from a mountain getaway and descend into Denver, my soul deflates as we battle traffic, crowds and pollution. And it will only get worse. The legalization of marijuana doesn’t help my spirits as we raise our kids in a world with dispensaries at every turn, a whole tourism industry based on getting stoned and the prevalence of marijuana edibles.

My heart aches to think about our many mountain adventures that I’ll desperately miss but getting there is not half the fun.  I-70 is a $billion$ nightmare. Every time we planned a trip, we had to do it around the traffic because we knew that we’d get stuck for hours coming and going.

The Transition

How will it be to move to Midway, population 4,000, when we’re coming from a city of 2 million? A shock, I’m sure. But one thing I love is that our gorgeous Swiss-themed mountain hamlet is just 15 miles from Park City and 30 minutes from Salt Lake City.  Jamie’s parents and sister are nearby, we are surrounded by mountains, are just 15 minutes to the ski areas and it truly is heaven on earth.

I just wish we could bring all our Colorado loves along with us on our new adventure.

Stay tuned tomorrow as I talk about our new home.

Filed Under: Utah

Easter: In Pictures

March 29, 2016 by

I’ll admit that we didn’t get into the Easter spirit as much as usual for the primary reasons that 1) Easter comes waaaaay too early when it’s in March and 2) We spent several days in Utah for Spring Break prior to the big day.

We tried to make up for it on Easter morning with our traditional Easter egg hunt.

And a ladder to up the degree of difficulty.

Another tradition is for the kids to wear new Easter outfits to church. 

Check-out this cute Easter flashback from years past:

Since I’m always behind the camera, Hadley took a picture of the happy couple, which would have been swell had we not been photobombed.

After church there was family time, we watched the Easter story, read scriptures and had a delicious Easter dinner with Uncle Chris and Aunt Lisa.

I originally typed Uncle Christ. Freudian slip? Maybe he’s not as far away as we think.

“For Paul the light of Easter is no lantern swinging over a narrow, empty grave, but a light capable of dispelling the thick darkness covering the nations. Paul never tries to explain the resurrection of Jesus. He knows that to explain the ways of God in the light of human experience is like trying to explain the sun in terms of a candle. It’s the sun that makes sense of the candle. Likewise we don’t prove the resurrection; the resurrection proves us. The Easter faith doesn’t ask us to believe without proof, but to trust without reservation. Don’t think your way into a new life, but live your life into an entirely new way of thinking.”
-William Sloane Coffin, The Riverside Years.

 

 

Filed Under: holidays

Guide to How to Embarrass Your Children

March 28, 2016 by

In the kids’ younger years, they had no frame of reference regarding just how uproarious and embarrassing I really am. Now at ages 9 and 11, those days are over. I suppose I could be The Good Mom and dial it back a little but since I like to have fun, why not have a bit of enjoyment at my children’s expense?

When I purged my entire house in January, I stuffed everything in garbage bags but have recently been on an obsessive quest for boxes for my blow-out garage sale next month.  There are three options:

1) Buy new. The challenge: I’m too cheap and who wants to waste money on an inanimate object made of cardboard?

2) Stalk Craigslist. We buy quite a few things off Craigslist but I try to avoid it whenever possible. Sure, there are plenty of free boxes posted but they’re rarely in my area and who wants to risk being stuffed in your newly acquired box by a serial killer?

3) Pillage the neighborhood. Trust me, pirates never had this much fun.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because it’s our garage day; recycling is every two weeks and equal unto Disneyland!

Now, lest you think I’m rummaging through my neighbors’ garbage, that’s only partially true.  CLICK TO KEEP READING

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor

Limitless

March 25, 2016 by

My friend Stacey sent me a link to a TEDxCanmore talk of Linh Huynh’s remarkable account of how her harrowing journey to Canada as part of the Boat People of Vietnam helped craft a life of daring and wonder. In November 2014, she became the 1st Canadian woman to complete the Four Deserts, a series of 250 km self-supported, 7 day races through the hottest, driest and windiest deserts on earth, and by doing so in one calendar year became the 8th woman in history to complete it as a Grand Slam.

“One of the things that plays through my mind when I’m going through something hard like this is to enjoy the moment because one day you will feel nostalgic for this moment. And for whatever pain you’re going through…we love the past, our minds live there, we glorify it. But I knew that one day I would be nostalgic for this moment and that idea pushes me along.”

What made this presentation “Rethinking Limits” so remarkable? She’s not an ultra athlete, hates running and in fact, finished last in her races. But her determination is downright inspiring. Her humble presentation is hilarious and poignant. It almost makes me want to set such a lofty goal.

But I think I’ll just go eat cookies instead.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

My failed attempt at campaign manager

March 24, 2016 by

At the beginning of the school year, my fourth grader Bode announced he was running for Student Council and hoped to be one of two kids elected to represent his class.

I was pleased with his aspirations. He’s an affable, friendly bloke and has always been a born leader. His preschool teacher frequently commented what an obedient kid he was and how he was always motivating others to make good choices, a trait he still has.

My daughter, on the other hand, takes after me with a more Joseph Stalin-dictator approach. During her toddler years at library storytime, she’d be singing and dancing, would stop in her tracks when she saw kids doing the actions incorrectly and forcibly correct them. Because they were obviously too stupid to figure it out for themselves.

At my kids’ elementary school, only grades 4-6 are eligible for Student Council. I’d never been involved in student government until my junior year at BYU when I ran for–and shockingly won–the position of Executive Director of Public Relations. My belated political aspirations may-or-may not have been about making a difference and had more to do with the cute guy who announced the position opening in our communications class.

Since Bode still can’t stomach kissing on TV, I was pretty sure he was running for all the right reasons and wasn’t in it impress any hotties. I turned to my friend Lisa, mother of 5, for some advice.

Me: “How long should his speech be?”

Her: “Just a few minutes. Have him talk about things he can actually do, like being inclusive and not promising two hour recess.”

Me: “Can he bring bribery campaign treats?”

Her: “Within reason.”

Note to self: Scratch the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed party.

He: “Does he do any other campaigning like posters?”

Her: “You’re way overthinking this.”

I ignored her slight and took on my new role as campaign manager with all the zealousness of Reece Witherspoon in the satire dramedy Election. That night at dinner, I casually brainstormed campaign slogans. “How about Bode, Bode, he’s not ‘grody.'”

Husband: “You’re setting him up to a lifetime of being bullied. Kids  have yet to figure out ‘grody’ is the only thing that rhymes with his name.”

“How about ‘Bode, he’s your guy. If you don’t vote him, he will cry.'”

Husband: “You’re fired.”

I wasn’t sure if he really meant it or if he was referencing Donald Trump’s second GOP debate where he was a political punching bag.

Undaunted, I went out of town for a few days but promised Bode I’d help him fine-tune his speech later. Upon my return, I met him at the bus stop.

“Guess what, Mom. I won the election?”

[Insert my panic attack; I had missed it?]

“What do you mean you won? You weren’t supposed to give your speech until Monday!”

“I know. There were eight of us who said we wanted to run but I was only one of two who turned in my paperwork on time.”

Co-Class President by default? We’ll take it.

And so begins a promising political career.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

To Mothers of Daughters

March 23, 2016 by

Mothers of daughters: this is a must-read and captures the depth of the joys and sorrows of mothering our gorgeous girls. Grab the tissues!

“She will do amazing things while you are worrying away the time. She will grow milk teeth and then grown-up ones. She will love the things that you hate and hate the things that you love, and you will drive each other mad–all before she learns to drive.

You will do amazing things, too. You will learn to need less: less sleep, less care, less time. You will give more. You will not say things that you would almost always have said, just to keep the peace. What hard strength there is, in the measurement of unsaid words. You will be in a hurry, to get to the better times, when the times are worn and exhausting. Then you will hold your breath and wish it would all just stop spinning, when you realize how quickly 5 years old became 10 and then 10 years old became 15.

You will cut your own teeth, sharply, on the mothering of this first child. You will do the worst job, this first time. But it will be the purest experience, the one that lives forever in your gut. The one that makes you homesick, always, for the time when she did not know anything but you and it was all so very new and unfiltered.

It will be wonderful and terrible, heartbreaking and tumultuous. You will hate it sometimes and you will love it. You will stand nearby and watch her figure out the balance of things, with the eye of someone so simultaneously invested and so incredibly powerless. It will hurt you more than she can know.

Do not tell her how much it hurts.

One day you will be counting her fingers and her toes, and the next you will see her looking off into some foggy distance and she will be smiling.

And that will be the first time that you realize that she is counting the days until she leaves you, for her first adventure, all alone.”

-Nicole Jankoski, The First Last Time

Filed Under: Foodie

Why we’re totally nailing this parenting thing

March 22, 2016 by

Parenting is tough. And it would be even rougher if Jamie and I were not on the same page most of the time.

Bode is obsessed with those little announcing bouncy balls and is constantly lodging them off our walls. That would be just swell if we didn’t find them everywhere around the house.

The other day, I had enough as I nearly tripped on yet another one.

Me: “I swear, if I step on one more of these little bouncy balls, it’s going straight in the trash.”

Bode: “Dad *just* said the exact same thing.”

Great Minds Threaten Alike.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

The Classics

March 16, 2016 by

We’ve had quite an awesome week, which kicked off when we were invited to our friends the Phillips’ house for a Pi(e) Party on Monday night. There were waaaay more than 3.14159 pies and we had a blast socializing with friends. I didn’t take any pictures, mostly because we were too busy eating pie.

Hadley is moderately obsessed with the Divergent series since her class started reading it a couple of months ago. We watched the first two movies last week and when we were invited to a pre-screening of “Allegiant” (the third movie), Jamie and I thought it would be fun to keep it a secret. I hinted that is was the new movie “Miracles in Heaven,” which I also want to see so she suspected nothing, even when we sat down in our seats and a screenshot of “Allegiant” was on the screen.

Bode figured it out right away. When we did a pre-screening of “Cinderella,” they’d had a similar ad for the movie. “Keep it a secret,” I whispered. I wanted to see her face when she figured it out.

It took her a while. Even after the movie started, she thought it was a trailer but her reaction was the absolute best when she realized what was happening.

Even more memorable was when we were driving to the theater. It was rush hour drive-time on the radio so there was a lot of talk but very little music. The kids begged us for some tunes so Jamie played a soundtrack he’d recently downloaded: The Carpenters.

“Ohhhhh no, make it stop!!!” They whined.

“We are here to educate you on one of the most famous singers in the world–Karen Carpenter,” and we joined Karen’s melodic voice as we crooned “We’ve only just begun.”

Bode had enough and queried with disdain. “What, is this from like the 1990s!?!?”

That one hurt just a little.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor
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