Day Two and Three!

Yesterday, Dean had to work until five then I had to work in the morning just til noon. So, while we were at work, my grandparents and dean's parents went back to the airport to exchange there car for a van so we all could ride together, on there way back they decided to stop by a pawn shop to buy us some binoculars. After that, they got lost around our little section of the city haha. After getting off work we went to the gateway, which is downtown to get some lunch and do a little shopping. From there we walked over to the temple to look around and ended up taking the tour of the tabernacle. We learned a lot about the crazy Mormon religion and they wanted us to fill out some info cards at the end but we slipped out right before the end. When Dean got off work we drove up little cottonwood canyon to look around and see the fall colors. We ate at the steak pit in the lodge at snowbird. While eating, our waiter opened the door behind us and gave a piece of bread to the porcipine setting outside. It set outside the whole time we were eating and ate that piece of bread. Dean and I used the hot tub at the hotel after we got back, and now we know how to use it anytime we want.

Today we woke up and went to Sam's and got us a bed for our apartment. Joelle had a interview with snowbird for a little job, then after that we drove down to American Fork Canyon and cooked a lunch over a fire and had a little picnic. After eating we went on and drove the whole alpine loop around to Provo Canyon. There was beautiful fall colors and big peaks with some snow still on them. We stopped at the end of the loop to look at a beautiful waterfall. When we drove back up to salt lake we drove across the valley to the biggest open mine in the U.S. It used to be an 8,000 ft mountain, now its a hole that is like 5,000 ft deep. We left the west side of valley and took them back to the hotel to rest. After resting up we went back up to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon to look for some moose again. We walked halfway around the lake and heard a moose in the distance. Then my mom spotted a moose up at the top of a cliff above us. We had a couple for sightings after that but they moved out of view and we could still hear them. We walked on the trail that was going in the same direction and we continued to hear them calling but we never got another sighting. To finish up tonight we took them to Asain Star, our favorite resturant. We ordered a little sushi for everyone to try and my grandpa and Deans dad actually liked it.

Day Two and Three!

Visitors, day one!

So, my grandparents and Dean's parents came into Utah last night, we meet them at the airport and lead them to their hotel and then grabbed dinner at red robin. I was so so so so happy to see all of them and they were definely excited to see us! My grandfather called me this morning around 7:15 and we were still in bed, they had woke up around 2:30 am because my grandmother is use to getting up around 4:30 back home. They forced there selfs back to sleep but keep waking up. So, I am hoping they get better sleep tonight. Anyways so we got up and went over to their hotel to eat breakfast with them, from there we went to our church, The Rock Church. They seemed to enjoy the service. After there we started the drive into the unita mountains, it's about an hour and half away from us, but is well worth the drive. Right before you get into the Unita Mountains there is a small town, so we stopped and at lunch at a little cafe. Then passed all the horse ranches, which my grandfather loved and made it up into the mountains. First we stopped at the Provo River Falls, took some pictures and walked around.

Our next stop was Lilly Lake where we saw a bald eagle and sat on some logs and looked at the beautiful mountain lake. The Unitas are known for there natural mountain lakes. After that we drove up some more of the mountain, and stopped at a overview area of a small mountain lake, there we meet some hunters who were very kind and took a group picture of all of us. Then we drove on down and stopped at Mirror Lake, this lake is at a campsite and is pretty big, we walked around then found a pinic table and sat and looked up at the mountains and watched some fishers for a while. Then we started to drive out of the Unitas and stopped at another outlook to view the mountains. We also saw a bunch of cattle but no mooses! Not yet at least. Then we started our trip back to Salt Lake, we did stop once to view a huge lake right above Park City. Walmart was our next stop, they wanted some drinks and snacks for there hotel room, and my grandparents bought us some pots, pans, and a few other kitchen goodies. They are too kind to us. Dinner was after that, Jeanette and Jamie are going to be so jealous when they find out we went to the Noodles and Company. They loved it in Colorado Springs, my grandparents also loved it! After dinner we drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon and hiked around Silver Lake, where we saw moose with Chad and Rachel. But, today was super the lake was filled with tons of people so we weren't expecting to see any. The lake was filled with golden aspen trees unlike last tuesday with Chad and Rachel here. Then we took them back to there hotel rooms and made popcorn and just relaxed with them for a little bit. Now, there probably passed out asleep and Dean and I are doing this and watching a show on Salt Lake City's History. Also, I can only put three pictures up so we will get all of them on facebook soon. =)

An Evening with Chad and Rachel

On Tuesday, Chad and Rachel came in for a short visit. They were on there way to California to pick up some of there things to take back to Lexington with them. They got here around five in the afternoon. So, since they were just here to spend the evening with us we decided to take them up into Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, the two cayons that are close to our house. At the top of Big Cottonwood is the ski resort Brighton. At Brighton there are some mountain lakes so we hiked to the closest lake called Silver Lake, Dean and I had been there before usually on Sundays after church we pack lunch and eat up there. And on Sundays the lake is filled with many people. But when we were there with Chad and Rachel there were only a few people the lake was still and quiet. As we were walking around the lake Chad pointed out a moose, then I saw a second one. We got a little closer to one eating some leaves of a tree and the other moose went down in the lake. That was the second moose sighting that Dean and I have experienced here in Utah, now we want to see a bull moose hopefully when Deans parents and my grandparents are here next week! But anyway back to Chad and Rachel's visit, after Silver Lake we just drove up Little Cottonwood to show them Snowbird and some spots we've been climbing at. Then we went to a little sushi restaurant that Dean and I have been wanting to visit, we all ate lots of sushi and it was amazing! Then we just came back home, Dean and Chad when skating in the freezing cold and Rachel and I sat on our computers and talked. It was just a short visit but was a good one, it was just nice to be with people we know and just talk about their plans, our plans and everyone back home.

Joelle Blogging

Today it's Joelle's turn to blog, when we first got a blogspot I told dean he was in charge of updating it every week. But, I am sitting at work and I have no kids in my class so I thought hmm I'll just update the blog. In our last blog we were telling everyone how the leaves are starting to change but we couldn't feel fall coming in because it was still in the mid nineties here. Well this past week the temperature has dropped and we've seen some rain showers in the evenings. Which is very rare to us, rain in Utah? It was the first rain showers that I have seen since I have been here. But the rain is suppose to clear up this weekend so we can get back to our usual activities, climbing and hiking. Yesterday, we went up into Big Cottonwood Canyon and started doing a three pitch climb but by the time dean to the second pitch and I was half way up the first one, it started pouring the rain. So I lower down then dean did picking up all the gear, by the time we got to the car we were soaked. I think were going to go try again on sunday.
So, since I have got out here I have learned that I love to cook. I have always liked to bake cakes, cupcakes, and such but I never really got into cooking food unlike my grandmother and my mother. I cook dinner almost everynight, we usually set our small coffee table as our dinner table and sit on the floor, and it works for us. But, yesterday I ordered a real dinner table thanks to my grandparents and mother. I am so excited to get it set up for the arrival of my grandparents and dean's parents. And I am also excited to cook dinner for them! They will be here in about two weeks and I am soooo happy. My grandfather has never been on a plane before so I think he's a little scared of that but I am so happy for all of them to come out and visit. We plan on taking them up into the unita mountains to try to see some mooses and also to see the beautiful orange colors of the aspen trees. We also going to take them around the two canyons close to where we live. And on there last full day here Josh and Betsy will be here too! So, since there coming out mainly to climb we're going to go up with everyone to Big Cottonwood Canyon and head over to Storm Mountain. There at Storm Mountain is a bunch of pinic tables and fire pits, We are hoping that my grandparents and dean's parents will cookout for us as we climb. We miss there cooking!! Also the week before everyone comes out my friend Tyler Clendenin and his family are coming out to visit Kim's brother, I do believe. I am so excited to see all of them also! And after my grandparents and dean's parents leave Josh and Betsy are staying with us along with Nate for a few days of climbing.
After everyone visiting at the end of September and beginning of October, I will only have to wait two months til Thanksgiving which my sister is going to come out and spend time with us. Dean and I miss her very much, I think she is going to help me cook Thanksgiving dinner for Dean and Mike (new friend who's going to move in with us in October.) And only three months til Christmas and I wil be back in WV for a few days and all I am going to do is surround myself with my family, friends, and dean's family. I miss everyone very much and I think of almost everyone every single day! =)

Last Weekend of Summer!!

It sure doesnt feel like it here so much as it was in the upper 80s this weekend. But I did see that the leaves are changing up in the Uintas, so that means fall is on its way and winter will be right on its tail!!! Anyway this weekend we planned a climbing/camping trip to Rock Canyon in Provo. After we did a couple trad climbs, and a couple sports to satisfy Joelle, we got a text saying there was going to be a party, so we decided that meeting more people would be better then camping out. So we drive 45 min back to Salt Lake and turns out the party was a no go. Bummer. But we decided to wake up and go climbing on Sunday, where we went up into Little Cottonwood with our friend Devin and his roommate, Adam. We got on what was probably the slabbyest 5.8 on granite we have ever done. Literally no holds just basically "extreme walking" as Devin put it. I took my first real lead fall with Joelle belaying me and got a little rope burn on my leg, fun stuff. After that we went on up to check out what octoberfest at Snowbird was all about, lots of crowds, beer, and polka music. Not that cool, but our friend Mike was working so we stopped by and said hey. We drove on over to Big Cottonwood to do a more typical 5.7 since it was Adams first time climbing. Joelle wanted to lead it but freaked herself out at the third bolt, oh well maybe another day. Labor Day went down with no actual labor at all. We chilled by the pool and then we went to get Joelle a snowboard. She finally found one that she liked, a Burton Feather for a cheap price of $140 now all she needs is a set of bindings and she will be ready to ride.