Dear Diary

My friend Eric and I spent the weekend down in Canyon Lands in the Maze district. It was an amazing weekend. It was so hard to capture the vastness of the place with the camera, but hopefully it will give some idea. We hiked in on the north trail, down into the maze district, out the other side, and back in and back out the North trail, about 40 miles altogether. The maze district itself seemed literally ten times as big as Bryce in scale. The individual fingers and corridors of the maze are like 200-400 feet tall sandstone monoliths, with kind of sandy, grassy shrubby ravines in the bottom. We explored on the second day, scrambling up some of the debris slides and traversing across the different layers of the fingers. The most ideal part about this park is we saw an average of three people a day, excluding some car campsites up on the ridge. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say it's one of the coolest hikes I've done in Utah.

Pics of Joycsha

Here's the latest of Miss Joyce sporting her spring wear. Yes we kept her in her onesies for modesty - no sleeveless spring dresses for this girl. Just kidding - it was still a little cold but I really wanted her to wear it.

Yosemite Trip -- April 18-20

Steve and I spent a wonderful weekend in Yosemite. It is truly one of the most spectacular places on earth. We went on a couple of world class hikes. Here are a few photos of our trip.

Our first hike was to Vernal and Nevada Falls. Part of the trail is called the “Mist Trail” as it goes so close to the waterfall that you get soaking wet on a perfectly clear day.

Our hike on Saturday was to the top of Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Point and beyond. It was one of the best hikes I have ever taken.

Our destination for this hike was above the tops of those falls. It was a steep but excellent hike with a great trail.

At Yosemite Point

Steve on a rock with Half Dome in the background

Steve took a good nap at Yosemite Point

Here are two shots of the icons of Yosemite – El Capitan and Half Dome

This Giant Sequoia is some 3,000 years old and is named Grizzly Giant. It was getting dark by the time we got there but if you look closely at the base – click on the picture for a large version – you can see how Steve is dwarfed by this massive tree.

Finally, one of Steve’s great photos with his point and shoot camera as the day ended on Saturday.


It was an unforgettable weekend for both of us. We only wish more of you could have joined us.

Brad

Bauge

We wend to Bauge this weekend to be with Xavier's family. It was really lovely. Here are some photos I took throughout the weekend. I feel really lucky to have Xavier's sister Marie especially. She is so warm and loving with me.

Joyce talks to her Dad

Joyce really likes her dad. In the following pictures you can see that they have interesting and engaging conversations.




The other night John and I were talking about how as Joyce gets bigger, more and more of her emerges. I don't quite have the words for this - but it's as if who Joyce is becomes more clear and she has more developed capacities for expressing that. It really makes me think about what defines consciousness - in my department for example there are some theories of thought that say unless you have language you are not conscious. Joyce doesn't have verbal language and so some may say she is not a conscious being. However, in another class, we read Bakhtin - a Russian theorist who loved Dostoevsky - and he says that consciousness involves communication that both reflects old responses and anticipates new ones. Looking at Joyce's faces I love the degree of engagement such a tiny being can reflect. It feels like such a privilege to watch her grow into herself. Even on the days when I am so exhausted and wondering what I am trying to do by going to school and care for a small infant, I am happy to watch her.

Nauvoo Trip -- April 10-13, 2008

We spent a wonderful four days in Nauvoo this past week. My brother Rob, his wife Mary and their four youngest children along with my brother Scott, his wife, Melanie, and their five youngest children joined us and Friday Julie, John and Joyce met us in there. It was great to spend some time with these relatives in a truly beautiful and sacred place.

I/we were deeply touched as we walked where all those marvelous Saints lived and toiled from 1839-1846. Here are a few pictures:

On our way to Nauvoo we stopped in Hannibal, MO, where Mark Twain was raised and the setting for most of his Mark Twain and Huck Finn books. Andrew and I have been reading all of those great works and he was excited to go to this literary Mecca. Here we are in front of the statue of Tom and Huck.


The highlight of Nauvoo is the spectacular temple that was constructed to match the one the Saints sacrificed so much to complete in 1846. They had to be abandon after being forced from their homes that same year. Here are a few shots of the superb reconstruction that was completed in 2002. Rosie and I did a session with Rob, Mary, Scott and Melanie on Thursday night and the interior of this temple was the most beautiful of the twenty temples I have been through. Friday night Scott, Rob and I took Rebekah, Mary Kate, David, Trevor, Stephanie and Jeremy and did some baptisms and confirmations for the dead. Saturday night Julie and John did a session.


Here are a couple of pictures of Andrew and Rebekah with the star of the weekend -- Joyce.


Here we are in front of the beautiful statue at the end of the Trail of Hope of two of our heroes -- Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.


The whole group in front of the Nauvoo temple

Scott, Rob and Brad in front of Carthage jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred. A statue of those two is behind us.


Rosie, Andrew, Rebekah, Julie, John and Brad in front of the temple.

Here it is

I got my new bike today and it is wonderful. What do you think?

I also wanted to post a photo of our bathroom in its current state. These construction jobs are a major inconvenience and seem to go on forever. But it will be nice once it is complete.

New harstyle and Too Tuff Too Dream (my horse)

Hey Everyone,
Look, I got my hair layered. I love it layerd so much, and it is so cute. Can anyone guess who made me color my hair? What do you think? She made me do it even though I said no thank you becasue she said she wanted me to try something new? Does that surprise anyone? I want to keep on layering my hair because it feels so good adn I like how it lays so well, plus when I curl it I have to say it looks better. I thought you all would like to see my new hair style. It was Paul's idea to post it.
Kay is doing well and so is Sammy. Kay and Tuffy are friends, they are in teh same pasture.
I posted a picture of my horse Too Tuff Too Dream/ Tuffy, she is ten years old, I have had her for 2 months now, I got her on Joyce's birthday, chustnut with one sock and a star/blaze on her face. Tuffy is my horse. I love to ride her as you can all see adn I can't wait for you to meet her, she is so gentle, adn willing to learn. She is my horse, just like Kay is, so now I have two horses. Thank you so much to Mom and Dad for letting me get Kay adn Tuffy as my big birthday gift, I love them both so much, and Sammy too.
I am so glad we are family forever. I want to see Joyce so much adn I want to see Margurite, adn I can't wait to see everyone soon, I am so excited. We are going to have so much fun! I am still workign at Kid's BASE, and subing at GRCC childcare center. I am still playing soccer, flute, signign, horseback riding/dogs, helping out around the house/run errands, homework-going to school part time.
This quater I am taking two classes, one is Multicultural Anti Bias-talkign about diversity, and my other class is called Exceptional Child-where we are learning about children with special needs, different terms taht go along with that like IEP- Indivudlized Education program. I am loving school, and having so much fun, I can't belive how fast time has gone by because I am half way done with getting my ECE AA degree, adn getting my ECE certificates. Thanks mom and dad for letting me adn all of us go to school so we can learn many things, adn I love learnign about chidlren. Thanks to everyone for all of your support.
I love you all so much adn miss you. I am sorry I couldn';t be with you in Utah adn Navoo, I have school adn I need to take care Of Tuffy, Kay, and Sammy. Have fun.
I love you all so much!
love always and forever,
Mels

NBA Road trip #2

As everyone knows, Dad and I went on our annual NBA road trip last week. bomb. It really was a trip of a lifetime, and i'm so greatful i had the oportunity to go and that Dad took me. I can't imagine a more personalized trip that he would take me on.
We started off in Boston, and went to a game the night we flew in...Boston vs. Pheonix. It was a great game. Boston won, but both teams had some great plays. The fans in Boston were another highlight of the night. Very fowl mouthed but hillarious. I also witnessed a fight in the hall....
The next day we went to New York to see Stephen, and went to Mama Mia. Mom Stayed with Stephen for the next couple days, while we went to philidalphia. In phili we say the Sixers play pheonix, and it was another great game. The suns won, and there were so many highlights in this game!
The next morning we drove back into New york, to go to china town! i got a rolex watch, a pair of jordan 3's, and a movie that is in theaters all for like 60 bucks. oh, and it's all real....
We headed out of New york to New Jersey, to see the Nets play the suns. 3 suns games! this game was the best and closest game of the week. It was a great game. At half time, i went down and gave all the suns players a high five. Saweet. The game went down to the last minute, but the suns held off again and won.
That was the last night of the trip. Everything on the trip went right, and seriously it was amazing. I just wanna thank dad again, i don't think you know how much it means to me.
here's some pictures of the trip for everyone to see