Unplugged

Last weekend, we hiked to what is believed to be the oldest tree in the state of Utah (Jardine Juniper hike). It's basically in our backyard! It was a long 12 mile hike, so we decided to camp near the trail head so we could get an early start.

When Brian and I first got married, we were super paranoid about becoming that couple. You know, the kind that drops off the face of the planet and never does anything with anyone else but each other? We were constantly doing fun things, but never wanting to do them without a group of people to join us. We wanted to do everything with friends. It's nice to have friends and I feel like we've been blessed to have such an amazing support group. But I'm beginning to learn that it is more than okay to have fun alone together, just as a couple.

Brian and I are also pretty attached to technology at times. I hate to admit that, but we are. Our jobs often times force us to be. I'm constantly checking twitter, news websites and Facebook to see if there is any local news I need to get on top of, and Brian often is replying to customers via email. The world can get so loud and distracting at times.

We needed this weekend to truly have "us" time. No other people. No cell phone service. No internet. It was amazing to completely unplug and pay attention to what was happening around us, in the moment. On Friday night, we huddled around the fire and just talked about our relationship and our future. Then we went to bed in our little tent, the sound of churning water in the riverbed nearby put us to sleep.

Then there was the hike. I'm telling you, being in the mountains is the cure for just about any problem. We walked, talked, laughed, slipped a few times on loose rocks, ate Scooby Doo fruit snacks, and often times we just stopped in awe of the landscape that surrounded us. This world is a beautiful place. Even that twisted and gnarly old tree is beautiful. Actually, it's especially beautiful.
 

Truth Tuesday

• I am just mind-blown by this pretty area that surrounds me; this valley I call home. Sheesh, I'm blessed. We went to Bear Lake for Labor Day, even though it rained on and off all day, and Logan Canyon had me in awe with her beauty. Some of the trees are already in the beginning stages of changing colors, which makes me thrilled.

• September through December . . . it's my favorite section of the calendar. So happy September is here and I feel like it's going to bring plenty of good things with it. 

• Since I didn't work yesterday, I keep thinking today is Monday. But then I realize it's actually Tuesday. Tuesdays that feel like Mondays are one of my favorite things, because the weekend seems to come extra quickly. 

• Sometimes on long drives, I enjoy talking the lyrics to songs. Even better, whisper the lyrics to songs. It makes the most endearing love songs sound like they're coming from an obsessed stalker. 

• Should I be worried about myself since the two items at the top of my "Kelsey wants to buy shiz" list are kitty shoes and overalls? 

• Brian and I were talking about how we coped with our anger when we were younger. I used to chuck rocks at a stop sign. I think that's, like, against the law, probably.

• I finally saw Django Unchained. I was really disappointed. I think maybe I just had too high of hopes since everyone was all, "Oh gosh, best movie ever." And I know what you're thinking, "Oh, it was just too violent for you and you couldn't handle it." Nope. I'm just a girl who gets impressed by solid story lines with well-developed characters. The story line was, meh, alright. I felt no connection to the characters. On the bright side, at least I got to stare at Leo. Too bad it took a whole hour until his character was even introduced. 

• I don't own a brush. It's kind of a pain and I should maybe think about buying one. Or I could always shave my head because that would be a lot cheaper and save me tons of time.   

Logan Love: Ephraim's Grave

I've had a long-time love for bears. For our honeymoon, we went to Glacier National Park. There were bear warning signs plastered everywhere. I searched and searched for a bear in the bear-infested land and never even saw one. Bummer. I've always wondered where my odd obsession with bears stems from and I think I discovered the source.

As a little girl, my grandma would tell me stories about Old Ephraim. He was a massive grizzly bear who roamed the land as far as Soda Springs, Idaho down to Weber County in Utah (that's a lot of land for a bear). Old Ephraim is kind of a local bit of folklore. He was also known as Old Three Toes due to a deformity on one of his paws. He reeked havoc on farmers, devouring their sheep and chasing off sheepherders. Many tried to catch and kill him and it took a long time for anyone to succeed.

Frank Clark, a farmer from Malad, Idaho decided to make it his mission to catch the bear. He had trapped and killed many grizzly bears. Clark tried for a long time and failed. He found a pool where Old Ephraim went at night so he dropped a trap in the water. Each time, the following morning, the trap would carefully be lifted out and set aside. Clark was amazed with how smart the vicious bear was. Finally one night, Clark succeeded. Shrieks of terror woke him up so he left camp and soon found the bear with the trap clamped on his paw. It took seven shots and I think it about gave Clark a heart attack, but he finally killed the infamous bear. Later he said he regretted killing Old Ephraim.

Up Logan Canyon, near the site where the last grizzly bear in Utah was killed, there now stands a huge monument. The stone structure is 11 feet tall, the same height as Old Ephraim. This song is engraved on the monument:

Old Ephraim, Old Ephraim, your deeds were so wrong;

Yet we build you this marker and sing you this song;

To the king of the forest so mighty and tall;

We salute you, Old Ephraim, the king of them all.

 
I had always wanted to visit the monument, but it never happened. Finally, last weekend, I did it. I even wore my bear shirt for extra celebration. The fact that we also chased sheep down the road was another dramatic touch (since Old Ephraim's favorite snacks were little lambs). My family drove down from Idaho to join in on the fun. Huge props to my lovely mother for loading the ranger and four-wheeler on the trailer all by herself. Talk about Superwoman. I also better give a shout out to Jace and Alexis for following the ranger the entire way on the four-wheeler. They ate our dust. Quite literally as you can see from that last picture.

To get to Ephraim's Grave, go up Logan Canyon and turn at the Temple Fork turnoff. From there, follow the signs leading to Ephraim's Grave. This August, it will be the 90th anniversary of the legendary bear's death. Another interesting bit of information: Old Ephraim's skull is on display at the USU Library. It's been to the Smithsonian as well, so his noggin is kind of a big deal.

That time I almost met Robert Redford

One of the many pretty views at Sundance Resort

Okay, not really. But a girl can dream. A couple weekends ago, Brian won a weekend getaway to Sundance Resort since his Allstate agency is doing such a grand job. I was proud of him, and way stoked to get away for a couple of days to stay in the mountains. We drove through Park City on Friday night where we stopped for dinner. By the time we got to the resort, it was pretty late so we went up to our cozy cabin and decided to watch a movie. Luckily, in the lobby there was a library of Robert Redford movies (he owns Sundance Resort) so we checked out Butch Kassidy and the Sundance Kid. 

The next morning, we went to a big breakfast, courtesy of Allstate. All the other agents who won the trip were also there. We enjoyed fruit, waffles, and biscuits with gravy out on the deck of the lodge where we enjoyed this view:

Everything was so peaceful until a lady who works with Brian often approached us and said, "Did you see Robert Redford last night? He's staying at the resort this weekend. I saw him."

At that point, my heart started racing and I had to stop myself from freaking out. I love Robert Redford. Even though he's now old enough to be my grandfather, I think he's one of the loveliest men in Hollywood to ever live. Just sayin'. I immediately started interrogating her, asking where he was, what he acted like, how long he was staying, what he was wearing . . . you know, just your typical stalker questions.

Needless to say, I kept my eyes peeled for the remainder of our stay, but saw no Mr. Redford. The best I could do was the collection of DVDs from the front lobby.

But we did go on an epic hike to see a waterfall instead. That lightened my spirits quite a bit. A popular hike for the area is the hike to Stewart Falls. Except the majority of people pay to ride the ski lift most of the way up, so I'm not sure if you can really call it a hike. BWell and I are cheap wads, so we searched the forest for the unmarked trail. We wandered for quite some time, but eventually got on track and made it to the falls. It was scorching hot that afternoon too. So after being covered in dust and marching our way through the high 90 degree weather, we gladly hiked up to the higher fall and took a little dip in the pool. Talk about an instant cool down. Ice ice baby. That's how cold the water was.

I'm still thoroughly convinced I live in an area with some of the best hiking in the country (and the best part is that no one else has caught on, so I get most of the trails to myself), but I'll admit that this hike was pretty darn cool. Provo Canyon, you got me. And BYU peeps, you really ought to start bragging up this Stewart Falls hike over that whole climb to the Y. I would much rather see a waterfall at the end of my hike over getting to look at Provo City. But that's just me and I'm weird. But seriously, Stewart Falls was breathtaking..

A Birthday Getaway

Know what's not cool? Having a birthday during Finals Week. And that's been my husband's birthday for the last several years. Hallelujah that this time next year we won't be pulling all-nighters, writing papers, studying until our eyeballs fall out, and barely having time for dinner (well, hopefully). Today is BWell's birthday and we were able to fit in a birthday lunch and some cupcakes. Now we won't see each other again until probably 10 or 11 (or until morning if I am a good girl and go to bed when I'm supposed to. . . early work makes me have an early bedtime). 

I knew we wouldn't have much time to celebrate today. So about a month ago I had this rebel moment where I was like, "Screw studying. Curse finals." And I planned a weekend getaway to St. George. It was such a joy on Friday afternoon when Brian opening his box full of travel snacks, JT's new cd (gotta have road trip tunes), and a poster that read, "Good for a weekend stay in St. George". And just like that, we packed a suitcase and skipped town. So I can't say we got much studying in over the weekend. However, we did fit in plenty of hiking, pool time, and I even got my first sunburn of the year. 

We hiked Angels Landing in Zion National Park. It was seriously a delight. It was especially a delight scaling along the steep slab of rock at the top, hanging onto chains for dear life, and thinking about the several people who have slipped to their death on that same stretch of the journey. 

In all seriousness though, the hike wasn't nearly as frightening as I had imagined. There were only a few spots where Brian and I found ourselves using the chains. Plus, the entire trail besides the sketchy chain part has a PAVED path. Talk about fancy pants hiking. I had no idea how touristy this hike was though. I think we heard more foreign languages than we heard English. 

Oh, and you know how city people get real annoyed with tourists? Like let's get real, I'm sure they've wanted to kill me all the times I've paid visits and gotten lost, jaywalked, taken pictures of the "huge skyscrapers", and all that jazz. They probably roll their eyes and think, "What a tourist." Well, I discovered over the weekend that country people have that exact same feeling for city people. For instance, when we got held up on the trail because a group of people spotted a lizard. You would have thought it was a unicorn. And then there was the time one couple made us wait FOREVER coming back on the chains because the dude had to take fifty pictures of his girlfriend posing. I get it. You want a cool picture so you can show all your friends how you roughed the wild terrain with its paved pathways and all, but maybe do it at a time when there isn't a line of people behind you. Okay, end rant. I promise I don't hate city people. We actually hiked up with a guy from New York and he was totally cool. Also, while we ate our lunch at the top of the summit, a couple sitting next to us got engaged. That was exciting.

It was a quick trip, but it was a good one. Maybe we will score lower on our finals now, but hey, I got to celebrate the birthday boy. Totally worth it. 

I love you, BWell. Let's make your 25th year of life the best one yet! 

Gratitude Journal: Seasons

As I look at my outside surroundings, take in the fresh fall air, watch as vibrant yellow leaves fall from the sky, and listen as they make the perfect crunch beneath my feet, I realize I am so very thankful to live in a place where I can experience four distinct seasons. Hot summers, brisk falls, frosted winters, and green springs.

Nature is a precious thing and I take it for granted too often. I forget how blessed I am to see clear stars at night, to run mountain trails in the early summer mornings, to make snowmen and drink hot chocolate at Christmastime. Sometimes I forget how neat of a place my mountain home is. I live in a land of great diversity and I am thankful for that.

As nice as 80 degree weather and beach time every day sounds, I think I would get bored with it. I like the spontaneity of snow in April, I like that it's a challenge to drive across icy roads to my destination in December, I like that in the same day I use both the heater and air conditioner in my vehicle. I love my seasons, all four of them!

Goodbye, Summer

To welcome in the first official day of fall, Brian and I went on a Saturday hike. We drove up our beloved Logan Canyon and wandered along the Crimson Trail. The mountains were all lit up with fiery oranges, reds, and glowing yellows. It was one of those moments when I was in complete awe of the beauty surrounding me. I kept climbing up the trail and gasping out of amazement at all the incredible views (and perhaps gasping for air too).

This was our first time taking on the Crimson Trail. I have to admit, it was actually more difficult than I would have guessed. Still very doable. But I guess I thought it would be a walk in the park. It wasn't. There were some steep parts. On the way down, I actually slipped and fell on my butt twice. It was quite graceful, if I do say so myself. There were plenty of sharp drop offs too. Brian and I made a game out of it by looking over all the drop offs and deciding if a person would die from the fall or just become a vegetable. We play pretty morbid games apparently. We stopped and ate lunch on the perfect ledge of rock, one we both agreed would be a fall that would kill a person. No worries, we sat far off from the edge to eat our sandwiches and the view was killer (no pun intended).

It was a beautiful hike. The perfect first day of fall, if I do say so myself. Then we went ahead and made the perfect night out of it by going to the new movie House at the End of the Street. We are big scary movie fans. Especially in the fall and especially with Halloween approaching. I'd highly recommend this one. It has quite the perfect twist. The first half, I was sort of feeling disappointed. The last half just took me by complete surprise. I already want to go see it again, which is a big deal since I have a hard time rewatching movies.

And since I do have a hard time rewatching movies, I would love any Halloween/scary movie suggestions from you. I need to start making my movie list for October, since September is just running away from us. So, scary movie fans, what's your favorite spooky flick?

Be Still My Soul

Yesterday was a strange day. I was in a melancholy, reflective mood. I was also restless. This resulted in me entering my irrational behavior of worrying my life is over.

When this happens, I start worrying I'll suddenly wake up and be an old lady, on my death bed, all my dreams dead with me. I start worrying about every minute of my day wasted. I dwell on it. I obsess over it. I convince myself I must be a failure and I'm going to die a forgotten old hag.

And then I remember I'm only 21 years young. And when I begin thinking of the things I have accomplished during the course of those 21 years rather than dwelling on the things I have yet to do, I realize I've actually done quite a lot.

I blame a lot of how I felt yesterday on the fact that I'm a woman and it may have been my time of the month, and I also blame it on the fact that I was completely worn out after rafting in Jackson. These two things combined resulted in a very low key kind of day. And I think too many low key days make me depressed. I get kind of obsessed at times with staying busy. Ask my poor husband about it. I constantly have to be doing something. I'm constantly planning. Constantly scheming. Constantly taking on new ideas and projects. Constantly being active. Constantly wandering somewhere new. Constantly doing something. It's just the way I am. And I know it can be tiring for all those involved in my life. But if I don't keep myself busy, my mind spins and spins and I start worrying I'm wasting time. And the last thing I want to do is waste time.

So yesterday, I finally decided to pull myself out of my self-pity and do one little productive thing. So I went to the grocery store. I bought everything I would need to prepare a dinner for my pal that would make him proud to call me wife. I also bought a new shade of nail polish. Then I picked the line with my favorite grocer  lady working. She was pleasant, as always, and asked what I was doing for fun that day. I told her nothing much, but I had just gotten home from rafting in Jackson Hole. Then we talked about river rafting. And that's when I realized I'm an idiot.

How dare I pity myself for thinking I am not leading an important enough life, now, at this very moment. I just went on a trip to Jackson Hole! I'm young! I have an awesome husband! I'm going into my final year of my college degree! I'm not afraid to use lots of exclamation points!

And I have lots of dreams. But I don't have to accomplish all of those dreams today. Otherwise, what would I do with the rest of my life? Die young, I guess. But I'd prefer to die old, I think.

I need to learn to be okay with sitting still sometimes. I need to learn to be okay with keeping my mind quiet. Being still is not bad. Actually, it may be something I really need. Someone just teach me how to do it, please? I think if I can learn to be still and quiet my mind, I may actually get to my dreams much more easily than by just chasing after them like a chicken with its head cut off.

I think being in the mountains, surrounded by both the calmness and wildness of nature quiets my mind the most. On Sunday, Brian and I took a drive up to Tony's Grove. We snacked on carrots and lounged on our quilt. We were able to just rest and chat and breathe in the cool mountain air. As I closed my eyes and focused on the smell of the pines and the warmth of the sun on my cheek, I felt inspired. I didn't feel rushed to get to the next thing. Instead, my mind slowed and I was able to let thoughts come to me rather than try to think up thoughts myself. It was nice. I think I'll do it again soon. But as for the pity party, like the one I had yesterday, I don't want to do that again anytime soon.

Ironically enough, my very favorite hymn is Be Still My Soul. Perhaps it would be a nice reminder for me to just be still a moment if I kept the lyrics in my pocket or somewhere close.