Slow

After about a month of disinterest in reading, a book caught my eye on Goodreads that has gotten me out of my reading funk. In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honoré has opened my eyes to slowing down in all aspects of life. Not that I'm a rushed person, but I am extremely impatient for no apparent reason. Road rage boils over and I find myself yelling and whipping around the car slowing me down when I have plenty of time to get where I'm going. My Internet browser doesn't load fast enough and I give out an aggravated sigh and click refresh a thousand times (like that helps) and the list goes on. I hate feeling impatient, I hate what a grump it turns me into and for what?

I've only read about half way into the book, but I can already feel the effect it's had on me. I'm more aware of my surroundings, I don't let small things bring out my impatience and I take time to just do nothing. Something I didn't realize was so difficult until I forced myself to do it. It's amazing the things I notice that have always been there and how much more I can get done and enjoy when I'm not trying to multitask everything. Doesn't seem to make sense, but try it and I promise you will notice a difference! 

Another aspect of the book I love is his focus on eating and food in general, one of my favorite things (too much of a favorite sometimes!) We've become obsessed with convenience aka fast food and I am most definitely guilty of this. My excuses usually include not having a kitchen I enjoy cooking in and finding recipes for one person that can also be good leftovers; only one of those is still a good excuse in my mind. What it really comes down to is laziness, as most things do. Here he talks about a food movement that started in Europe, but now has a U.S. chapter and even a local chapter here in Utah! It's called Slow Food and it's all about eating locally and naturally grown produce and meats and taking the time to make a home cooked meal and even more time enjoying it. Cooking then sitting around for hours eating and relaxing? I can do that. 

Hopefully as I continue to read I'll only become more inspired and I plan on starting my venture into Slow Food as soon as possible, maybe starting with a Marghertia pizza, a craving I have yet to fulfill! 

Lake Blanche

The original plan was to hike Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, but an overheating car and fear of being stranded lead us back down the canyon to the Mill B trail heads and what we thought would be a quick 2.8 mile hike to Lake Blanche. We couldn't have been more wrong! Sure 2.8 isn't that bad, when it's not going completely uphill to the TOP of the mountain! The first pic is when we were only slightly winded and loving the gorgeous scenery, not knowing the hell to come. That was a bit dramatic, but seriously this was the hardest hike I've ever been on. 

 

It was around what seemed like mile fifteen that our new found friend and motivator Brett had to turn back and get home. I'm still sad that he didn't make it and even sadder that we didn't get a picture with him. 

Maddi's expression perfectly sums up how we felt at that point and we still had forty-five minutes to an hour of hiking left!

After three strenuous hours of hiking, climbing and complaining we FINALLY made it to Lake Blanche. The closer we got the more we were told it would all be worth it and they were right. It was so serene and overwhelming.  I have to say we were both feeling proud and accomplished. Our attitudes had completely changed just sitting on the shore and only got better with the thought of walking downhill. About a half hour into the walk back down I did an ankle give out-bounce-slide fall down the side of the trail resulting in the wounds pictured above.  It was more funny than painful and we laughed about it almost the rest of the way down. By the time we reached the paved road I'm sure we looked like we had been stuck in the woods for days on end, but it really was worth the struggle.

27

Family, friends, pizza and ice cream cake, a perfect way to celebrate 27 years

Light Box

A few weeks ago I found a tutorial online for a DIY photo light box and since Sundays are for relaxing and killing time I thought why not make one! Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty and put together as the tutorial, but I figure no one will see it and if it works it works.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a photographer, but I've had a SLR camera for a few years now and have made a summer goal to learn to use it better and use it more, even if that means looking like a tourist everywhere I go. Basically, hide your pets and children, because they are my favorite subjects!

Aunt Mom

The past four days I've been pseudo-mom to my nieces and nephew while their parents were away at girl's camp. I had prepared for tears and fights and the three of them trying to swindle me, but instead I got three obedient and fun kids. I'm pretty sure Ava even called me mom once, so I guess I did a good job. 

Most of Thursday was spent out in the pool, leaving me with knees full of bruises, (it's not easy being a big kid in a little kid pool!) a sunburned back and a stop to the shave ice shack down the road. And of course a sleep-over with their favorite cousin. Let's just say I'm grateful swimming and sun wore them out!

After a long Friday morning and a quick dip in the pool, we headed up to Orem for the annual Summerfest carnival! There's only pics of the girls, because naturally, the impatient boys ditched us.

We ended the night at Grammie and Papa Olson's house for a campfire and s'mores and some impromptu dancing on the grass. Again, just the girls, the boys run when they see a camera unless I sneak attack them.

I had a great four days and got maybe a small taste of what it's like to be a mom and let me tell you it's hard work! These kids are three of the greatest blessings in my life and I love that I get to live so close to them and watch them learn and grow. They make me nostalgic for those summer days as a kid and I'm lucky I sort of got to relive them with my three buddies. Maybe my sister should go out of town more often!

Stewart Falls

Yesterday, Drea and I made the short hike to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. I haven't been up there in years and I've made a personal goal to get out and be more active this summer and Utah is the perfect place to do just that! The weather was perfect and the mountains were more lush and green than I have ever seen them, lets hope the burning summer temperatures don't change that.

We stayed at the falls for about an hour, taking pictures, eating our picnic snacks, watching all the kids run through the river acting like it wasn't freezing cold and climbing high enough to feel the mist and make a run through the lower level of the waterfall (I screamed through the whole thing both times, SO COLD!) Places like Stewart Falls help me better appreciate the state I was born and raised in and remind me to take advantage of the beauty and opportunities that are literally surrounding me. Next up Battle Creek Canyon!