UP...UP and away...hiking to Timpanogos Cave PART 1

As you, my ONLY reader knows, I have a bucket list...a very long list of things I plan on doing before

the end of my life (which is a LONG time from now). 

On that list of things to do, I wrote that I wanted to hike to Timpanogos Cave....

and for Christmas the past year, my daughter Dayna and her husband Jack 

gave me a gift certificate to do just that!

WELL...when Halle and I went out to do our school shopping, I decided that this would be the perfect time to redeem my certificate and hike the mountain!

I have to say I think I WAS WAY MORE EXCITED for this excursion than either Dayna or Halle were, but they were willing and able and along for my fun! 

We geared up for our long hike with loads of water and some some

 "nutritious" peanut butter M&M's.  

We decided to snap a picture of us at the beginning point and then again at the same place when we were finished....you'll have to wait for that picture until the end of part 2~

Starting our excursion wasn't too bad. We stopped for picture taking and some rest along the way.

The view was gorgeous. We got an early start, so the morning was crisp and 

fresh...full of everything a mountain morning brings....that is

except for the smell of bacon cooking over a 

campfire.....

My oldest and youngest....pretty cool!

The rangers have to "HIKE" to work every day...as well as patrol the trail. 

As we got higher up the trail our breaks became more frequent and we

were wishing for a slight breeze to cool us off!

MORE breaks, means more pictures....just wanted to capture every moment 

and make sure I got the experience documented so when we came home, 

the family would believe we "really did it"....

Do you see the TINY road below???? THAT wasn't even half way up....its only going to get

smaller and smaller~

The trail kept getting steeper and steeper...no worries, we kept climbing...and climbing

and it kept getting more challenging and difficult the higher we climbed...it got HOTTER and we were all literally DRIPPING SWEAT!!

The view was gorgeous...I have to say, it was all worth it in the end...

every last step, every last hobble, it was all worth it!

Finally at the top and ready to enter the cave...woo hoo!!

We were a little "flushed"...a little "pooped" and a bit worn out...but seeing 

the cave was awesome......

TO BE CONTINUED in part 2

School Shopping...no ordinary trip for US~

I try to make school shopping a FUN event, because normally racing around

trying to find things that fit AND look good can

get to be a very long and stressful event. I've always let the kids pick their

favorite place to eat, sometimes we spend the night and do something FUN, 

making it our last BIG "Hooray" before the dreaded day of 

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Dayna came with us this year as she was "school shopping too". She works

at an elementary school and will soon be headed back for her 

"first day back to school" as well.

We had fun just shopping, trying on crazy shoes, crazy clothes...and eating amazing food!!

YES, cupcakes from the "Sweet Tooth Fairy" fall in the category of FOOD!

I think they have everything in them that makes me a HAPPY GIRL!!

Even though hats are not allowed at school, its still fun to try them on. I for one could never

pull a hat off and look cute, but all three of my girls look adorable in hats!

I only had one child to take school shopping this year. It was a little ODD, but we dealt 

with it! I only get to have this "School Shopping Experience" for 2 more years and then I AM DONE with

it....that makes me sad!!! Guess I will have to plan a large Mom and Daughter

shopping/party trip at that point!...Nothing like "girl time"!