Truth Tuesday (except not really)

Last night I totally let Tuesday get away from me and didn't do a Truth Tuesday post. You see, I got so distracted putting my funny little badges on my new boy scouts shirt. Brian and I are now serving as the 11 year old boy scout leaders. I have a feeling it's going to be a hoot. Brian is an Eagle Scout and he has some pretty fond memories of his scouting days. I, on the other hand, don't know much about scouting. I do only have one brother after all. But I'm anxious to learn and I love doing outdoor things, so I'm guessing it should be a good time. I really think this calling is a good fit for us. We are both so excited to start planning hiking trips and teaching these boys how to grow into rugged mountain men. I think tonight we might teach the boys about some of the native plants that grow around these parts. Now for a couple truths. . .

• I tried Nutella for the first time last weekend and I am now in love. I've been avoiding that jar of goodness for so long because I just knew I would become obsessed. And I was right. I have big plans to make Nutella cookies this afternoon. Perhaps I'll blog about it if they end up tasting yummy. 

• Sunday night was beyond perfect weather so BWell and I slept outside. We blew up our air mattress at last minute, grabbed our sleeping bags and hunkered down on our patio. I think Luna was confused, but she ended up enjoying the fact that the humans were sleeping outside in her abode. The stars were gorgeous and it was so warm for most of the night that I just slept on top of my sleeping bag. Being married is so fun. My husband is a hoot. 

• As I type this, I am actually sitting on my patio, wearing a bathing suit, tanning. I feel so vain. 

• Our patio is the best thing ever though. I basically live out there. Like this morning. Brian and I ate breakfast out there. Toast and a bowl of strawberries. Sun shining on my face with every bite. Mmmmm, wonderful! 

• Remember that show that Bill Cosby hosted, Kids Say the Darndest Things? Well, my nine year old sister, Chloe, could totally own that show. Don't believe me? Read this story on my mom's blog and be prepared to laugh uncontrollably. 

• I really want to buy a canoe and get all Pocahontas-like. But Brian is skeptical. We have fishing licenses though. And I feel it would be double the fun to fish from a canoe rather than just stand on shore. 

• The journey of growing my hair out continues (ever so slowly). I'm working on baby steps here so my first step is to go for a bob. Maybe similar to the bottom picture shown here. Yeah?

Well, I'd say it's time to stop this nonsense. I'm getting all icky and sweaty feeling. I'm not very good at laying out. I get bored easily. But those Nutella cookies are sounding better and better every second! 

Summerfest

Every June during Father's Day weekend, a wonderful thing happens in the center of Logan that makes my heart sing and cartwheel and smile. It's called Summerfest and I love it (if all that heart singing and cartwheeling and smiling didn't already tip that off). Tons of art vendors set up their canopies on the tabernacle grounds to sell their work. And people like me wander there in hopes that we might find something beautiful to purchase that falls in our cheap skate price range.

My mom and siblings came down last Friday so we could all go together. It was a ball to say the least. When we first arrived, we wandered through all the food canopies to find something for lunch. Fair food, people. It's high in calories and delicious to the taste. We decided on pulled pork and dutch oven potatoes.
Good decision.

We sat on the grass to eat our lunch and listened to the bluesy music of the local bands playing nearby. Bluegrass music is a must for these types of events. I'm not even a bluegrass fan, not really. But at Summerfest I am.

Then of course there are the treats: ice cream, cotton candy, smoothies, sno cones, candied apples, funnel cakes.
You get me?
Every year when Summerfest rolls around, I indulge in a chocolate covered frozen banana. They are divine. Someday when I get to heaven, I might just eat them all day long. Because I can do that in heaven, right? This year I also had my banana sprinkled with bits of toffee.
Good decision number two.
We hunted down a coconut for my brother. He was very adamant about having one. They filled it with some type of smoothie concoction. He let me have a taste. T'was very refreshing.

We also had a man draw our faces, which I was extremely excited about if I do say so myself. I always wondered what I would look like as a caricature. But I will say that it was a titch awkward to stare at the artist with the same smile on my face and no movement. No wonder people in really old pictures that artists had to paint never smiled. That would have been miserable. I understand now. But we gave the caricature portrait to my dad for Father's Day. He liked it so much that he said he's going to have it framed and hang it in his office at work.

At the end of the day, I came home with an incredible wind chime. This lady makes wind chimes out of old pretty china, and utensils, and such. I was in awe over a banged up watering pail with millions of spoons hanging from it. Then I was in even more awe when I looked at the $94 price tag. Instead I brought home an old pot with spoons, forks, and butter knives hanging from it. Oddly enough, eating utensils make the sweetest little ringing noise when they are gently knocked together. Music to my ears I tell you! When I showed BWell our new wind chime he thought it was a little strange. But I'm sure it will grow on him, as most my crazy ideas do. Especially once we hang it out on our patio and it makes pretty music.

Logan Love: Wind Caves

Summertime in Logan is picture perfect if you ask me. Things slow down since a lot of the college crowd leaves, the weather is warm but not too hot, and there are always plenty of fun things to do. One of my favorite things to do during the summer months here in Logan is spend time up Logan Canyon. It's one of the prettiest canyons I've ever been in. It's like this secret little treasure tucked away from the world, and I'm totally fine with that. There are great running trails, great camping sites, and. . . .really great hiking.

Hiking is kind of a hobby of mine and BWell's. We enjoy it and I think it's a much better way to spend my evenings rather than flipping through channels on television. A really popular hike here in Logan is the hike to the Wind Caves. 

The hike up is just under two miles, so it's relatively easy. There are a lot of switchbacks, but it's easy enough that kids can do it. And the view at the top is breathtaking. It's fun to explore the caves and then the hike down always seems to go fast. If you'd like, pack a dinner to eat when you get to the top. That's always a fun time.  

We always try doing this hike a couple times every year. It's fun to hike during the day and at night. I recommend both. 

Last Friday, we went on this hike with our friends Shayla and Jace. And afterward, we totally went to a campsite to build a fire. There was a camp set up where we started the fire, but no people. It was a bit eerie but that just added to the fun. After eating several s'mores and putting the fire out, we got out of there before anyone showed up to cuss us for disturbing their campsite. It was a great summer night though. I'm definitely looking forward to many more.