Uinta Camping Highlights

Nathaniel, Grant, and I went camping with my family in the Uinta Mountains this weekend. It was one of the best camping trips ever!

1. Eaten by mosquitoes
Tenille's mosquito bites: 27
Days of itching: 3
Camping memories: eternal

2. Trying out our new baby backpackHours searching for backpack: 12

Number of stores visited: 15
Exploring nature with our son: priceless

3. Hiking Bald Mountain
Elevation: 11,943 (highest peak in the western Uintas)
Round-trip miles: 4
View at the top: breathtaking

4. Spotting Ute Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)
Number of Ute Ladies' Tresses in the world: ??? but they're a threatened orchid
Number of Ute Ladies' Tresses we spotted: approximately 50
Nat's excitement: unparalleled
(F.Y.I. Nat would love to study the evolution of different orchid species at Penn State.)

5. Finding a nesting Bald Eagle on our hike to Hoover Lake
Number of Bald Eagles: ??? also threatened
Miles to the lake: 2
Times I said I would miss the Utah Mountains: infinitely many

There and Back Again...

For Easter Vacation this year, we flew down to sunny Arizona. We played by the pool, got some sun and culture, and enjoyed the family. Here are some pictures and highlights.

Grant discovered kitchen toys while we were down there. We packed a bunch of his toys with us, but he took a liking to this collapsable measuring cup and a wooden mallet he swung around like a wand. EVERYTHING goes into his mouth!

We attended India Fest at the Pheonix Art Museum. There was delicious food, spectacular dancing and music, but no water bottles were allowed inside. Even empty water bottles will be confiscated by scary security men.

We also enjoyed participating in traditional Easter activities, such as dying and searching for Easter eggs. I have featured my new favorite way of dying Easter eggs: the silk tie method. Simply wrap raw eggs in pieces of a silk tie and boil for 20 minutes. Even the not-so-artsy can create beautiful eggs. Other good methods included marbled Easter eggs and lace Easter eggs (both methods are still undergoing refinement).

We also played with friends and hunted for Easter eggs. The eggs were hidden in Grandpa Michael fashion . . . novice level (so Tenille could find them; Nat did not even try).We had friends over, including the Davises from New Jersey, who now live in Mesa too. Grant made a new friend in Tyler, who is 8 months (?), and Jeff and Laura's most recent (and unexpected) addition!

It was time for some new family photos. We were ecstatic that Grant cooperated. Nat tickled him to get him to laugh in all the pictures. Tenille absolutely demanded that Grant wear his sailor outfit. It was the first and last time.

Here's a really nice Cannon family picture. Josh is missing though, and will be serving in India for another 8 months... When will we ever get the whole family back together?? We think everyone should just follow us back East!

We hope everyone else enjoyed the Holiday!