Silver Falls

We had a blast at Silver Falls State Park yesterday.  While not doing the entire Trail of Ten Falls, we did do 5.5 miles of the loop and saw 8 of them. My gracefulness cut the trek a little short with a bloody knee and scuffed up ankle and hands-not bad, just not very fun. Silver Falls is a really amazing place though.  We loved walking behind the falls, looking at crazy trees growing out of stumps and fallen down trees, and driving through the Christmas Tree Farms on the way to the park (those are not grassy rolling hills in the pictures, those are full grown Christmas Trees, it is crazy).  We are definitely going to try and make it back when the leaves are on in a month or so.  Sorry there are so many pictures, it was hard to decide which ones to add.  I had fun (probably a little too much) playing with the manual settings during this hike, so there were a lot to choose from.  Just click on any picture to get a bigger view.

International Rose Test Garden

It is still so strange to me that we can drive to downtown Portland in 20 minutes.  After a long week, JD and I went to the International Rose Test Gardens for a change of scenery before he spent the rest of his Saturday studying.  It was overcast and cool, a very welcome change from the 100 degree sunny weather we have had the past week.  We had fun walking around taking pictures, sniffing roses, and looking at the names of all the different roses.  They have everything from Fragrant Cloud to Betty Boop to Ketchup and Mustard.  I was a fan of the Octoberfest Roses (second ones down on the left), and that was even before I knew what they were named.  It was a quick get away and it was fantastic.

Pioneer Day

Happy Pioneer Day!  We packed a lot of my kitchen today, followed by lunch with my family and Grandma Ann.  We went to the rodeo with the Speth's and I got to use my firework setting on my camera, that made me excited, though in general I don't think I am a very big fan of rodeos.  Call me dumb, but I feel bad for those little cows being tipped, tied, roped, and ridden.  It was a good, productive day off though, it would be nice if Oregon celebrated Pioneer Day, oh well.

The Mountains

Ben Lomond, Panoramic Series July 20, 2012

I think, besides family and friends, it is the mountains that I will miss most.

Sunrise

I woke up this morning around 5:40 because I noticed the room was pink, I thought it was strange, so I walked to the window, opened the blinds, and then ran straight for my camera.  I found myself in the middle of my street, in my pajamas, and 5:43 in the morning taking some pictures of the watercolored canvas.  Things like this serve as a reminder that my Heavenly Father loves me.

S.P.E.T.H.

These were all taken at different spots around Temple Square when JD & I went to City Creek.

The Speth surname is dervied from the Middle High German word "spath," meaning "late;" thus it is supposed it may have evolved from a nickname for a tardy person.

First found in Bavaria, where the name Spaeth was anciently associated with tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes in early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region.  Their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Eclipse

Goodbye Christmas

Personal Summaries

The craziness has begun. My family has had the tradition of adding to a personal summary book since I was just little. This involves a few pages summarizing the year in pictures and written word. Some questions we answer are our favorite movie and book of the year, what we are doing at home, work, school, and church, the best and worst things of the year, and goals for the coming year. The first Christmas we were married our gift to JD's parents was starting this tradition with them. While I love the summaries, I now have to do one for my mom/grandparents Clarke/grandparents Hewlett, the Speth family, and my personal book. I am solely an annual scrapbooker for this tradition, so this time of year the living room is a mess and it is not surprising to find scraps of paper everywhere or to step on a brad that escaped its container. Thus far the Hewlett pages are done, just two more sets to go.

Free Run Foliage

I took my camera with me for a quick jog by the river today. Wow it is pretty. I love this time of year!

Moab Part 3

After church this morning, we checked out of our hotel and headed back into Arches. We drove straight to the trailhead for Delicate Arch and hiked our way up to the famous landmark. I have always been too chicken to go around the bowl and stand under the arch but I did today and it felt great. I love the ray of sunshine on me in my moment of triumph that JD was able to capture. The upper right corner pick was taken from behind the arch on a sandstone outcropping, I had to be extra brave to get that, the skinny part of the arch is closest to me (then you feel dumb when people are running over there and not even thinking twice about it or hugging the cliff wall to be able to get that angle, curse my fear of heights). The last picture is of my feet right next to Sand Dune Arch, we went back there before heading home because we were close and I love the slots you go through to get to it.
This has been one of our funnest adventures yet. We had a great time and did a lot in just a few days. National Parks pretty much rock!

Moab Part 2

Day 2 of our adventure was incredibly busy and spontaneous (in other words we had no plans and I wanted to do everything). We headed out to Dead Horse Point State Park, followed by Canyonlands National Park. Mesa Arch was beautiful but it was freaking me out because people were letting their kids run along the top of the arch=dumb. We also did several arches at Arches National Park: Skyline, Landscape, Pine Tree, Tunnel, Broken, Sand Dune, as well as hiking through the fins at Devils Garden. The slots were awesome and the temperature was great. I think my favorite arch of the day was Sand Dune, kids were playing in the sand, burying each other in the sand, and running through the slots. One creative kid had made a replica of the sand dune arch out of the sand below it and it was pretty accurate too. One more day before we go back to work and school.

Moab Part 1

Today was a long day of driving to say the least. We drove straight to Monticello from American Fork (thanks Grandpa) and made it in time for the 12:00 session. The temple is beautiful and the set up reminded us a lot of Redlands and Newport Beach. We drove back to Moab afterwards, dropped off our stuff at the hotel and headed straight for Arches. We did a few hikes before sundown, the lighting was fantastic, and in case you didn't notice, the leaves are changing in Moab too. It is fun to see bright yellows contrast the red rock. Another exciting day coming up tomorrow! :) I LOVE adventures with my very best friend.

Waterfall Canyon

Christie was nice enough to come on yet another fall hike with me yesterday. Waterfall Canyon was beautiful. The leaves were on along the entire trail. Chris is fun to hike with because she is crazy. Ever since her rock climbing class she has the need to plaster herself to all rock faces. This hike was momentous because the last time I went up Waterfall, I had a blood clot and didn't know it. I had to stop a bazillion times to catch my breath and slow down my heart rate and couldn't figure out what was wrong and why I felt so crappy until 6 weeks later when I was in the hospital and it all suddenly made sense. Yesterday the only main stops were to take pictures and I was super surprised when we were suddenly at the base of the waterfall. Fun times.

Hiking

Erin and I went hiking at Donut Falls this weekend up Big Cottonwood Canyon(yes the same place I was throwing snowballs at JD just 1 week ago). We had SO much fun. It has been a long long time since we went on an adventure and I can't think of a better person to go on adventures with. I also love having a fellow lover of fall with me. Erin's birthday is in November, and while not quite as cool as October, it is in the best season. We took a ton of pictures as we walked through yellow quakies and gathered leaves for Erin's clincals. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful Kindred Spirit as Erin.

Two Roads

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Fresh Air

This weekend has been a much needed breath of fresh air. It was so nice getting up into the mountains to enjoy the yellow aspens amdist the snow covered pines, have the pressure of school disappear, get things cleaned up a bit at home, and to attend the temple. I feel so much lighter and much more peaceful. It is nice....and airy.

Quarter of a Century

Today is my birthday. Some of the fun things that occurred included: finishing all of my presentations for the semester, got home from school and got into my pajamas to read a book by the window with one of my favorite blankets, my parents brought me delicious cookie dough instead of cake, JD gave me flowers, letter, Tangled, and the entire day homework and computer free (he also arranged for me to have work off), we went to Bombay House for chicken pakoras, drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon into the clouds and snow, ate dinner at Ganesh, went bowling, and watched Tangled. Fantastic way to celebrate turning 25!

Sure is Pretty Up There

I'm famous! Apparently I also say things like, "It sure is pretty up there." Why yes, Roland, yes it sure is.