More Fun in the Sun!

Today found us playing some more up American Fork Canyon! It's amazing how close we live to such a gorgeous canyon. We were going to do the Silver Lake hike but none of the books we read about it in mentioned that the dirt road to get there is pretty rocky and bumpy. After a few good scrapes, we turned around and found another hike. I love the top picture because you can see Tommy's dandelion that he held the whole time! Tommy loved riding in his "piggyback" and daddy sure got a workout hauling him AND our lunch and other gear in the pack as well. It felt great! We love being in nature and listening to the noises, the running water, all the birds, and especially the occasional car passing by on the Alpine Loop highway (okay, not so much the cars). Jonas slept most of the time in his snuggli with Alice. If anyone has a 4WD or slightly higher clearance vehicle (Jeep or something) and would like to do a beautiful hike to a high Alpine Lake, let us know and we'd love to bum a ride with you! The hike is Silver Lake in American Fork Canyon (google it for pictures) and is only a 2 to 3 hour hike, but gorgeous! We love going up the Canyon and have an annual pass, so if anyone wants to go for free, just let us know and we can tag along and get you in!

Our Own Front Yard!

So in an effort to bolster our long term savings, we are trying to train our children so that when they want to go somewhere and do something they will ask us to go to a park or up the canyon instead of going to Lagoon or some other expensive amusement that forces you to draw into your financial reserves just to buy a cotton candy and a churro. So far this month I've taken the boys up the canyon 4 times, usually while Alice is working although she came with us one of the times. We live only 5 miles from the entrance to American Fork Canyon, which is a national forest and home to a National Monument (Timp cave). It is absolutely gorgeous and we are so glad it is so close to us! We buy a national parks pass every year and so we get into the canyon for free. There are tons of picnic areas and even 4 campgrounds, but Tommy loves just parking at random areas and getting out to play in the water. He found a big rock he loves to throw into some shallow slow moving water. He asks every day to go play with his big rock in the canyon and, sure enough, it's in the same spot we left it each time we return. I don't imagine it will be disappearing any time soon! I'm so glad Tommy loves going up there and I hope Jonas does too. Hopefully it will breed within them a love and appreciation for the truly great outdoors (it's not just a cliched saying, it really is true, the outdoors are GREAT). The high alpine views are gorgeous, and especially with the rain--it really has brought a vibrant glow to the trees. I personally love thunderstorms and rain, I think it is a welcome variation to the monotonous doldrums of sunny and hot. Rain adds a refreshing beauty to the landscape, not to mention it smells great! If anyone is every in the area and wants to head up the canyon, just let us know! We're always ready to go!

Watermelon with hair!

So Tommy's new favorite toy is...a watermelon! He cried when we cut one up for our picnic the other day, so we went and bought him one of those little watermelons for him to play with. On the way home from the store, Alice heard in the back seat Tommy saying something he says to her a lot, "Your hair is so pretty...hair so pretty." She turned around and saw Tommy with a pink comb running it down the sides of the watermelon like he was combing its hair! He kept saying " So pretty, your hair is so pretty." He must have seen the light and dark contrast in the green stripes that are exaggerated on those smaller watermelons, and then thought it was hair. He loves his new toy! Or should I say sister?

Welcome to the New America!

In recognition of the momentous event that took place yesterday, February 17, 2009, with the signing into law of the completely bipartisan (did I say that? I meant grossly partisan) Government Stimulus, oh, pardon me, the Economic Stimulus Package, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to simply say--welcome to the New America! FDR had his New Deal, now Obama has his New America. An America where capitalism is reigned in, not set free; an America where the people are rewarded based on need and not merit, an America where the desire to succeed must now be tempered with a recognition that the greater you succeed, the more intimate will become your financial relationship with the government. Make more, keep less--get used to it. Our own Vice-President has proudly proclaimed that it is our patriotic duty to pay taxes. Be a patriot, give the government your money! Help them save irresponsible business while indirectly punishing the responbile ones! Our government is now bigger, badder, and bolder than ever before. The latest word is, this is just the beginning. More steps may be necessary...but what's another 400 billion next month when we spent twice that this month? Axelrod, Geitner, and others are certainly speaking that way as of late. I believe what we need now is what Reagan sought to achieve--and accomplished--in the early 80's: "What we're trying to do is alter the economic situation (one much worse than today's) by changing one simple two-letter word, economic control by government to economic control on government." A last thought from the man who embodies the America that I believe in, what I can now only hold onto in spirit, idealism, and hope due to its death in political reality: "We always must ask: Is government working to liberate and empower the individual? Is it creating incentives for people to produce, save, invest, and profit from legitimate risks and honest toil? Is it encouraging all of us to reach for the stars? Or does it seek to compel, command, and coerce people into submission and dependence? Ask these questions, because no matter where you look today, you will see that development depends on economic freedom." -- Ronald Reagan, October 15, 1981.

"They have kind of a layaway plan for your lives which never changes. It's called, 'Americans make, government takes.'" - Remarks at the National Conference of the National Federation of Independent Business, June 22, 1983.

Visit Jeff's NEW Blog!

In an effort to keep this blog focused more on family and fun, I have created a separate blog for political discussions (something many of us are fond of doing quite often). I invite everyone to check it out and post your ideas and thoughts on politics. Why are they important? Do they really matter? Are "We the people" really the driving force behind the government, or has it become "We the government?" How have political ideologies evolved, and how harmonized are new ones with the original ideas of the founders? Lots of good stuff to discuss!

Check it out at:
http://www.jeffspoliticalcorner.blogspot.com

Why my boys make life hard....(in a good way!)

Do you think Tommy likes dessert? What can I say, Alice and I are teaching him the most important things first (that at mealtime, the best thing usually comes last). Kids learn best by example, right? Maybe we should consider cutting back on the sweets! Anyways, Tommy and Jonas are precious boys. While it's hard not working at a job (I've been looking for full-time employment for 3 months, I'm only working 10 hours a week now), it is a privilege and joy beyond joy to have so much time with them. They actually make it hard to find a job because I just get so caught up in doing things with them and taking care of them. At the same time, it fuels my motivation to always be trying to improve my resume (isn't there only so many ways to spin your skills and experience? I've discovered them all). I want to get working full-time to provide better for them. I can't necessarily say that they deserve more, because what they are receiving in terms of time, love, and attention from both of us is astounding, but they deserve more in terms of a father who is a full-time provider and building financial security as opposed to someone who just manages to make it by each month. It will be hard to not have as much time with my boys every day as I do now. While going to work full-time will feel good in terms of providing, in 20 years I will look back with greater fondness for the time spent at home, not in the office. I guess there's a fine balance to be struck here, and while I'm certainly way out of balance right now in terms of my professional life, for the time being it's not such a bad balance because at least the side being favored is family and not profession!

Question Answered...

I'm a Jeopardy nut, and as such I often think in the form of a question. So when I saw this picture, the first thought that immediately popped into my head was, of course, a question: "What are two of my absolutely, positively most favorite things in the whole world?"