I'm Published...

Well, it is official, I am now a free-lance outdoors columnist for the Daily Herald. I am one of 7 contributors to their new column/website (sponsored by Subaru) called Utah Adventurer (http://www.utahadventurer.com/). The official launch was today, but they are still working on the site a bit. I have four articles up: Hiking to Delicate Arch, San Rafael Swell, Winter Camping in Arches NP, and winter mountaineering up Mt. Nebo. There is video for all of them, and they'll finish linking the pictures to the stories soon. There will also be a profile of me with some pictures too (but I don't think that part is done yet). You can leave comments on each article and video, and rate them, and there is a general forum too. Kind of cool, really.

It doesn't pay a lot but the experience on a resume is awesome and it basically pays for the adventures we like to have anyway--plus, no more excuses, we HAVE to get out, it's my JOB, after all.

I'll be submitting 3-4 articles a month, ongoing. The goal is to have a site where people can go and find out what kinds of things there are to do, how to do them, and maybe get some ideas for what would suit their family, and hopefully give some inspiration: it is possible to get out and do, even with a bunch of kids in tow. Anyway, it's fun for us.

Pictures of cuteness: Our Ilana-girl

She is an amazing blessing to our family, and she deserves her own post. We are proud of our Ilana-girl. She takes our breath away.

Ilana turned 8, had her first friend birthday party, a Spiderwick theme with fairies and trolls and dragons, and of course, meringue mushrooms, because you HAVE to have those, right? We played "Feed the Troll," "Musical Mushrooms," "Flower pot ring toss," and "Pin the fire on the dragon," and made magic wands. It was a huge success with 16 kids running around. Ilana asked everyone to take a moment and "thank [her] mom, because without her none of this would have been possible." I love that. I am also inordinately proud of my troll, I drew him and painted him all by myself and I've never really painted anything before...I think he turned out nicely.

Ilana managing Flower Pot Ring Toss

Ilana in the troll box we used for Feed the Troll

They liked the cupcakes and mushrooms so much they were gone before I could get a good picture of them. Favorite quote from one of the kids, "I hate brown mushrooms, but I LOVE these white ones, I wish my mom would cook with them." hee hee

Baptism:

Ilana was baptized on Feb 2. She and I sang "All Creatures of our God and King", verses 1 and 3, though she mostly just sang the chorus. Justin baptized her, Dad and Jordan were witnesses, and then they confirmed her, all as part of our stake baptism day. We are proud of our amazing girl, how brilliant she is, how she loves her family and the gospel. After her interview with the bishop the Wednesday before he asked me, "Has she always been like this?" I said, "Yes," not quite sure what, exactly he meant. Then he went on to say that he has never seen such a depth of understanding about the gospel in someone so young, that she seems much older to him in her ability to express her thoughts about it.

Yep, that's my girl--always a wonder.

The pictures below are courtesy of Dad, of course.

Ilana with a friend from school, but in another ward, who was also baptized the same day--fun.

Ilana and Justin, waiting in the foyer, sweet as can be.