Moab: Midlife Crisis Tour!

All of us on Porcupine Rim. Castle Valley behind us.

Last weekend I was able to go to Moab, UT with some friends I grew up with (Thank you Jess, Tammie, Michelle, Suzanne, Brandi and Kathy!). It was Such a great time. Not just the riding, but the time with them.

Tyson looking out over Slickrock.

We left home Thursday morning; Rusty from Mt. Home, Tyson from Houston, Kevin from Fredonia, and Kyle (he flew in from Eugene Wednesday), Dave & I from Idaho Falls. We met up in Provo and headed for Moab. The first, and only, time I had been to there was 8 1/2 years ago. This was the last time we all went down there. Tyson and Rusty have been there several times, but not the rest of us.

Rusty on the Slickrock Practice Loop (Can you see him?).

Kyle climbing slickrock...tires just grab on to it like no other!

Kevin on Porcupine (he was fearless on the full suspension!)

We were all quite a bit out of shape. When we got there Thursday night we wanted to get a quick ride of the Slickrock practice loop in just for a warm-up. That really opened our eyes as to just how out of shape we were! We hurt a lot! That ride is only 2 miles, and we still had 14 miles for Friday and about 10 slated for Saturday!

Me, Kevin and Tyson on the edge of Porcupine Rim, looking at Castle Valley below.

We rode Porcupine Rim Friday. It was an adventure getting to the trail head (we missed it, but that took off 3 miles of rough climbing. I really liked most of Porcupine Rim. Fast, technical, and great views of Castle Valley. It was really cool riding along the rim of a 2000+ foot drop! There were some really fast stretches and some really technical areas that were fun negotiating. The last 2 miles however were very difficult and I ended up walking the bulk of that.

Kevin after another jump on Porcupine.

After finishing Porcupine, Kevin realized that the keys to his car (the only one at the bottom) were in Rusty's van (at the trail head). We ended up hitching rides back to the trail head in order to get enough drivers to recover the cars and get us back to town. It was an adventure that will not soon be forgotten.

Tyson on Sovereign Single Track

Saturday, we rode Sovereign Single Track. It was very technical, but not as difficult as some of the stuff on Porcupine. After we got out on the trail a way, we noticed the storm clouds rolling in (the weather report called for thunder storms) and made the decision that we needed to find our way back to the parking lot and off the plateau! The return route was not the best way as there were a lot of sand traps, but we were not familiar with the trail and did not want to get struck. We did get a few drops, but nothing major. Definitely a trail to ride again!

After our first trip to Moab, we all thought that we would make it an annual trip together. However shortly after that first trip (14 days for Tyson!), we all got married, and it became more difficult to make the time to go. An annual trip is not realistic at this point, as well as all of us going, but I surly hope that it is not another 8 years before I can make it to Moab for riding again.

Yes...this is me...don't laugh too hard!

Moments of our children

Our kids are so funny. This morning, Creedance was upset because Topher was sitting on the heat vent by the table, she didn't realize that there was more than one that she could sit on and be warm. So she went and sat on one for a few minutes, I thought that the morning light coming through the patio door created great leading lines to her tiny body sitting in the corner of the large space (not to say that our living room is a large space, but to our little girl, it is HUGE).

She just sat there for probably 5 minutes before she realized I was photographing her. She looked up once and smiled and then just kept sitting there doing her own thing; looking at her hands in the lights and shadows, playing with the door hinge, admiring her new Easter pajamas, just being a child.

Today was haircut day for the boys. Topher wanted a shaved head for summer, and as a tribute to Kyle, we started off with the horse-shoe. What a great sport. I think I will bic his head for Church tomorrow!

TJ has been improving with his balance and agility. Dance class and gymnastics have been a big part of that. He also just started seeing a new physical therapist. This guy has experience with pediatric amputees, and has been a big help and has given great advice. It is still funny to see how people react when his foot falls off, or when we are swimming and they can't figure out if his leg is broken and it's a cast...or what it is. They are curious, but don't want to seem rude and ask...for our family: Ask, we are not bothered by his foot, we are not afraid of it, we try to make it fun, and just normal life.

TJ's friend, Ted is also in the dance class...he likes to do his own thing a lot of the time. The beat of a different drummer!

Finishing the unfinished basement

So we have started to make a bathroom in our basement. It was roughed in (mostly) for a bathroom, we just had to make it so we could hook the sink, tub and toilet to it, now we are building the walls and running electricity to it. While we were at it (and with lumber so cheep) we figured that we would build the remaining walls too (add a little hallway) and wire the two bedrooms for light and power. We will finish them eventually too. I would like to have the rest of the basement all done within a year or so, but we will see how the cash flow looks for that.

Jess gave me a budget of $600 for the bathroom, which wasn't too bad. We have nearly met that amount and only have the bathroom roughed in, but have the bulk of the things purchased (the only larger item we have left is the toilet now). However I am trying to convince her that we need to heat the tile floor of the bathroom as it will be tile, and such a small space would be (relatively) cheep to add the heating element before the tile ($260 with a programmable thermostat!) She has yet to budge as we will not be the ones using the bathroom in the mornings, just the kids...how mean. Ha Ha!

The kids have had a fun time "helping" me work on the walls and everything. They pick up a hammer and bang on the stud walls and act like they are working hard, then ride scooters around and around the basement. Jess even made a little ramp so they could go through one of the walls.

The first wall I built was a bit tight (only a 1/2 inch!), and I really had to beat it to get it upright and plumb...what a royal pain!

It is moving along really swiftly and I hope to have it nearly done (the bathroom anyway) before I go to Moab (hopefully I can go) near the end of April. I really want to have it done before July, and I mean the bathroom completely done and maybe one of the bedrooms.

Very small bathroom, yes, but it does have it's own linen closet.

I like this little hallway we added, it is actually a bit wider than normal, and also gives us a great place to mount a flat screen TV and creates a place to the side to have a cabinet for DVD, surround sound, satellite...whatever some FUTURE owner may want to have their TV hooked up to. We are too cheep to have any of that fancy stuff, our flat screen tube TV and digital antenna is just fine, I am thinking RESALE.

Here's the wide-ish hallway, room for the kids to stash a few toys and not be in the way (too much).

New carpet for the Bus!

Lately I have been wanting to do some improvements to the bus, however there are no funds to allocate for such projects. I have been doing little things here and there, installing parts that I bought a year ago and have yet had the time to install ) spedo cable, radio antenna, lights in the dash. I also have made a few custom things that I can salvage at work, and fix little things here and there that have simply been neglected (I think that a lot of this car's life it has been neglected...poor thing!). So any expenses have been very minimal. This latest project represents about $16 out of pocket, for floor mats in the front and rear to protect the coolness!

When I worked on the Rexburg temple I was able to salvage a few pieces cut-off of carpet big enough to re carpet my Bus. I have had it kicking around the house for quite a while now. I thought I would just do the front seat area but got on a roll and did the whole bus today. I really didn't think that I would have it all completed today, I thought I would be driving around for a week or so with a bare bones cargo area. It looks really good...the carpet does the bus still looks like crap. I really dig the vine design in the carpet (maybe I'll use it as inspiration for the outside painting of the bus! Those of you who have been through the Rexburg Temple will recognize the design...that is if you ever look down while you are there.

It is obvious that I need to replace the kick panels (beneath the dash), simple masonite or thin wood paneling will be what I use, I also plan on doing the door panels and headliner with the same. I think the blue Vanagon seats need to be recovered in a green pallet, but they are much better than the original seats that were in the bus when I got it.

To get the carpet out of the back I had to remove the rear bench/bed and all the cabinets. You can see how nasty the original carpet was (30 years of neglect). It is very obvious where the cabinet was, and what the carpet once looked like.

Here's the "Kitchen" with the new carpet. I bought a nice, clear, plastic cargo mat to lay down to protect it for the winter. I want to keep the nastiness off it for as long as possible. Note the "Mr. Heater," it is really great for camping!

When I started tearing out the rear seat, I thought that was all I would have to take out, and that the carpet could be just pulled out from under the ice-box and cabinets...

...nope! I was sorely mistaken (very sore! Try working for 3 hours bent over lifting and moving cabinets...I even had the pop-top up!). I really liked the space inside without the sink! I am thinking of building a custom bench that is the width of the bus and eliminating the ice-box, sink, and cabinets (closet is questionable). I could easily use the existing hardware and just build it out of plywood like Westfalia-Werks did. The cabinets just eat up the space.

Here it is all done! I really like the look, and it feels great on the toes! I can't wait to camp in it...I just worry about the dirt. This carpet is really thick and has pad too, better insulation and much softer. I will mull over the idea of a wider bench and less cabinets, but that means more carpet, this carpet just barley goes under the cabinet now, and a farther departure from an original westy (not that the Temple carpet is OE!). All in all I am very happy with it.

Christmas & New Years

This holiday has been great! We spent Christmas at Island Park with Jessica's family. That was a lot of fun. I really do enjoy spending time with them. My kids really like spending time with them too, they really look up to them.

Christmas day we got more than 30 inches of snow! It came down all day! You can see how we had to dig out the cars the day after. We went into West Yellowstone to swim at the Days Inn (they have a pool with a slide that the kids LOVE!) on Friday, then after we got back we were socked in for another 2 days...it was a lot of snow in just a few days!

Christmas morning was a lot of fun for the kids. They got way too many presents...I think so anyway (we had to bring it all back home from Island Park).

Jessica's little brother, Jake, is leaving for his mission this month so this week (while his brothers and a sister were in town) he went through the Temple too. That was a really great experience to be there with Jessica's family in the Temple. I was very touched! It has been a great vacation!

Shooting with the kids

You can see we didn't shoot a whole lot...it was cold out!

So for Christmas this year Jess and I decided our family needed a gun...yea baby! I went and picked it up a couple of weeks ago and today we went out shooting with Milton. I took Creedance and Christopher while Jess and TJ hung out at Milton and Liz's. We tried out the shotgun a little, but couldn't really shoot any skeet...it was too cold to load into the thrower, they kept breaking. The shotgun came with 2 barrels, one 28" and one 18 1/2", I tried out both to see the difference in the shot...either way I don't want to bet peppered with it.

My boy is a marksman!

Milton brought a couple of his rifles too, a little 22 for Toph to shoot, and a SKS (7.62x39mm caliber). The SKS is pretty cool, Milton's has a decent scope, a sight for a grenade launcher, and it even has a bayonet (just in case the deer charges)! Milton shot his first deer with it about 4 years ago. Anyway so Toph shot a few rounds with the 22, then Milton helped him steady and aim the SKS (it's quite heavy) with a mono pod. The picture above shows Topher's first and only shot with it. HOLY CRAP! He was sighting it in and Milton was only helping steady and take the weight. You can't hit the center any better than that! The other shots within the center are my second grouping with the mono pod, and the ones below (suck don't they!) are my first attempt. I was really proud of my boy after he shot that bulls-eye!

I think it was good for Toph and Creedance (she didn't want to shoot, just come and watch) to understand a little about the guns and about gun safety. Not to say I'm going to go out and buy them their own gun anytime soon...but I want them to understand what a gun can do and how to be safe with them. We had a fun time today!

Billy's Giant Burgers

For much of the summer and into the fall, I have been working in Jackson Hole, WY. We were working downtown and parking there really blows. Once we get a spot right close to the jobsite, we don't want to move and loose it. So we started finding good places to eat lunch within walking distance. We are also sick of Wendy's.



One place we found that we really like is Billy's Giant Burgers. Oh they are good! I had another today, and they are great. I usually can't finish a 1/2 lb burger...the flavor fades away and it just isn't worth the pain. But these are great! If you dind yourself in Jackson Hole you must stop there. It is a great burger for just a bit more than Wendy's or McD's...but by far MUCH better!

Family Home Racing!

TJ has a funny run...he really gets his shoulders and hips going

The kids were racing across the living room tonight, and thought it would be a good chance to photograph...maybe a shot or two for the Symes project. Regardless they are fun to have. It was fun to watch!

On your mark....

Here's his shoulder and elbow really swinging!

TJ

We were able to spend a few days in Salt Lake and Provo while we were down there.

So I have not been photographing much lately. I think that it has been about a year since I shelfed the camera. I do get it out when I am able to go to Shriner's Hospital with Jess and TJ. A couple of months ago I was able to go with them...and I have not looked (really looked) at the pictures I took there. I kind of like how they came out. I like the direction the images are going.

Clowns from Barnim & Bailey were at Shriner's That day too!

My primary concern (for the time being) is that the images will become too much like snapshots of my kid. I am always trying to think of compositions and emotions that are beyond that of the sappy snapshots or portraits of a parent's child. (I hate sappy photos--yes I have made many myself).

I think that the older two kids like it better when we take them with us...dispite the waiting...

I also forget to photograph TJ more. When we are working and playing in the yard I don't take the time to go get the camera. To add to that, TJ has began to mug for the camera...dang! He has moved from the innocent time when children do not acknowledge the camera, I love that time. I love the genuine expressions, the openness to be themselves, and never..."Can I see the picture?" as they pull the camera from me.

TJ is getting quite agile with his foot. He can get around where ever he wants to...with or without it. It has been really great to see him develop and grow. His prosthetic doesn't seem to bother him at all.

GRASS!

Testing the sprinklers in the front yard.

Friday afternoon Jess and I decided that this weekend would be perfect and the last weekend for us to put in the grass. So I called an ws just able to get our order in (they usually want 24 hr notice). It was delivered Saturday morning and while I was helping with Scouting for Food, Jess and the kids started rolling it out.

The kids would have us load a roll of sod onto the wagon or skateboard so they could bring it to us.

By the time I got home, they had just about half of the front yard rolled out. I was impressed, so we kept rolling it out and we had the front and a good bit of the back done by 1 or so. I called Steve (I work with him) to see if he and his son could come help too. So between us, my dad and Steve & Stevie, we made a lot of progress.

The front yard DONE!

Dad was a lot of help...we were really moving.

When we were just about finished, Topher called Jessica's dad and asked if they would come help too. They got there and helped with about a half a pallet. I didn't think we would get it done, but we did. We actualy ran out of sod (6500 square feet). We will have to go get about 100 square feet or so to finish up a few edges. We are really happy with the grass and very excited to have it in. Our yard won't be a muddy mess this winter and spring, and we won't have to worry about it in the spring.

Now I have a big back yard of grass to mow

...I didn't have to mow a lawn once this summer!

I just have a few adjustments to make on the sprinkler systems and hook up the electronic control box. It has been a lot of work, but our house finally LOOKS like it is finished, and not ALMOST finished.

Ready for a BBQ next summer...who's coming for lime steak and salsa?!?!
...who says we have to wait for summer?