On day 2 of our trip, we Googled recommended stops and then just explored. First was Belly of the Dragon, a long tunnel through the mountain. Then we searched for a spot with dinosaur footprints and found ourselves on a plateau overlooking the lush desert landscape. With the cloud coverage providing a much more relaxing environment than the day before, I think some of the boys actually fell asleep laying on the rock. 

 This year for Dallin’s birthday, we invited several of our family and friends to join us at a park for some food, some sports, and a pie eating contest. Dallin’s pilot stepdad, mom and baby sister flew in from Arizona on their little plane just for the occasion.  The actual day of his birthday we went out to breakfast at Blackbear Diner and then I didn’t even see him the rest of the day because he headed to a Rust meetup to learn how to program some games with other coders. So we made sure the Saturday party was a worthy celebration! 

Dallin didn’t ask for much because he already got himself some of the big things on his wishlist, and the short list he gave included included Hostess cupcakes, a treat he never buys for himself. So now he has a year supply after being given some by multiple people!

 Rachel got married! This August the group of us Highland High School friends honored Rachel finding true love.  As her bridesmaids, we first celebrated the bride with a bachelorette party up in Salt Lake City. We stayed at an AirBnB where we watched a movie and played games after eating dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  Her wedding was a few days later. We all took pictures outside the temple, enjoyed a luncheon, and then had the ring ceremony. After that partied it up for a few hours of music, dancing, and all the wedding shenanigans. 

This week I was headed to watch Dallin’s volleyball game when the brakes started acting up. They clicked loudly every time I released them. I immediately pulled over and texted the guys to ask if they knew  what was up. Mug met up with me and listened, guessing either the brake pads were worn or a bolt was loose. I didn’t drive the car till I took it into his shop a few days later, but of course the sound had stopped. Mug did some investigating and discovered a very dead mouse lodged in the area of the brake pad.  He had to scrape off the carcass, noting that it was so worn through from my drive here that that’s why the sound had stopped. Gross. 

Having a friend with a Jeep means we get to explore parts of Utah that are otherwise very difficult to reach. It’s often just me and the boys, now that I’ve befriended my husband’s friends. If we’re not hiking obscure trails, then we’re staying out late on a Saturday night hanging out, and that’s when the other girls tag along.