Utah Seasons

You have to love the weather in Utah because it is so unpredictable. I love the fall and in Utah the colors are amazing and they can change drastically....for example on October 9th we got a great picture with the fall colors and Mt Olympus

and on October 12th a winter wonderland! We built a tiny snowman.

Josh is 32 and We climbed Lisa Falls!

We had an exciting weekend full of birthdays and adventure (at least that it what Joseph calls it). We went up Big Cottonwood Canyon and hiked up to Lisa Falls. Savannah wanted more adventure so we did a little rock climbing and trail blazing to get to higher peaks. The kids did awesome. It was slippery at times and they enjoyed sitting on their bums to get to the next rock or tree. Nobody came home bleeding so we felt successful. Savannah was the leader until we'd come to a drop off or need to climb up a crevasse and Bella didn't understand what a drop off was so we had to keep her on a tight leash. It was beautiful up in the mountains with perfect temperatures. How blessed we are to be so close to greatness. We had a great weekend!





Notice both Savannah's and Josh's eyes. They both love the drunk look!

Joe and Liv are THREE!

Time has gone so quickly. To think that it has been three years since the arrival of Joseph, who is five minutes older than Olivia; and Olivia is crazy. I wish I could slow down time. Isabella will be 18 months next week and life is getting a little less crazy and the kids are so much fun! Joe and Liv had a blast making their cake. I have to admit they did more watching than making, but fun none the less. Presents were a hit and the fair was a new adventure. Isabella loved the farm animals and Pony ride. Joe wouldn't get on a pony and Sav, Joe and Liv got sick of the farm animals quickly and wanted to ride the BIG rides (they were a total rip off by the way)! It was a great day to turn 3!

Party with Pat and Fran

Gerry, Erin and Iain Lanphier (Gerry Lanphier is Grandpa Hayses older sister) were up for a couple of days so Fran put on a party. It did also happen to be Fran's birthday and she does know how to party. She filled up her backyard with toys galore and Iain and my four kids had a blast. We had great food, great company, fishing and a great ZOO trip. We hope to do it again!

Alex Pingree and Autism

Many of you know the Pingree family and know that their son, Alex, is autistic. This link is to their blog. Read the short intro and then watch the video. It is well worth it.

http://thepingrees.blogspot.com/

The Thai National Anthem

I was reading an article by the sports columnist Rick Riley today. He was making fun of some of the various national anthems that we will be hearing in the upcoming Olympics. It made me think of my mission to Thailand. Everyday in Thailand at 8AM and 6PM, the Thai National Anthem is played. All TV and radio stations pause to play it as well as all public address systems. The whole country comes to a stand still to listen to the anthem. The video is taken from one of the Thai channels and its broadcast of the anthem.

Marathon Woman

Jill is awesome! She ran the Deseret News Marathon yesterday. She finished in 4 hours and 17 minutes. She did such a great job. She described the last 6 miles as, "like running on needles." The last couple of miles sounded like torture. The temperature was rising, the asphalt was getting hot enough that she could feel it through her shoes and she had already run 20+ miles. She said that the only thing that kept her going was the motivation of the next water station. I probably would have started crying and quit at about mile 10. Not Jill though, she ran the whole thing. She had some mild cramping in her calves and her feet were sore from running on them for 26.2 miles but beyond that she felt pretty good at the end. After a hot shower and then soaking her feet in Millcreek for a while, she felt good. Her body is plenty sore but it doesn't seem to bother her too much. She is very satisfied with having finished and I couldn't be prouder.

She has worked extremely hard over the last 3+ months as she has trained for this event. She has been getting up early (regardless of how much rest she got the night before) and training. She has been eating right, stretching, doing sit-ups and other things to get her body ready . She is grateful that her body held up through the whole thing. She had been fighting a bout with plantar fascitias. But thanks to some great tips and a funny little boot thing that she wore to bed her foot didn't give her any trouble.

I am so impressed with her dedication. One of the best things I can say about my incredible wife is when she commits to something she goes all the way. There is no quit in her when she decides to do something. I believe that quality is what makes her such a fantastic wife and mother. Way to go Jill!