Brooks Family

Kevin & Melissa Blog: SoCal Vacay: Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:28:58 +0000

We rented some wet suites and then went to the beach. The weather was great! The kids loved playing in the waves. It was Truman and Norah's first time at the beach and they loved it. At one point, I took Truman pretty deep and a bigger wave snuck up on us. Truman got a little water in his mouth. I watched as his face scrunched up and he exclaimed, "that water is salty."

We then spent time building sand castles, burying each other, and running in the tide.

We then went back to the hotel where we hopped on the pool, packed up, and then hit the road. We pulled into St. George around 10.00pm for a good night's rest.

Another great day.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Maxwell Becomes a Jedi

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:06:22 +0000

Kevin & Melissa Blog: SoCal Vacay: Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:45:08 +0000

It was a great final day in Disneyland. We spent the morning finishing all the rides on California Adventure. We rode the California Screaming roller coaster. Hannah and Maxwell had a blast. The whole the we were on the ride, Hannah was laughing and screaming.

We then went over to Disneyland where each kid got to pick out a toy or piece of memorabilia. Hannah picked out a crystal dragon and Mickey Mouse earrings. Maxwell picked out a Jedi gun and Jedi Training School t-shirt. Norah chose a Tangled dress, wig, and tiara. Truman selected a Star Wars Alliance Nerf gun and Cars toys.

We rode Pirates of the Caribbean one more time as a family and then went back to the hotel for some pool time. It started to rain pretty hard, but we went swimming anyway. It was great. Hannah Maxwell, and I set up an obstacle course, including the crab walk and standing on a chair we placed in the pool, and swimming around the pool. It was a fun race.

After dinner at IHOP, where Truman ate more food than I have ever seen him eat, and we headed back to the park for two more rides before we retired to the hotel for the night.

So, our time in the park is over. We will spend tomorrow at the beach.

Overall, our family first Disney experience was great. I think we came at a great time of year. The longest we ever waited in line was 15 minutes. On more than one occasion, we spent more time walking through the line maze than we actually did waiting. It was great. My only regret is that Truman was one centimeter too short for a lot of the rides. We were able to sneak him on Splash Mountain, but the other rides were pretty strict about the height restriction. Little Truman would try and stand on his tip toes while wearing cowboy boots. Oh well, he still had fun!

As we rode the swinging Ferris wheel, Norah said to Maxwell, "don't be scare...just think of all your favorite things. I'm thinking of unicorns."

Kevin & Melissa Blog: SoCal Vacay: Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:56:52 +0000

You know you are on vacation and it's Valentine's Day when you let your kids eat leftover cotton candy for breakfast.!

Classic family photo, on a classic Disney ride.

Tink is Norah's favorite Disney character.

On the second attempt, Maxwell was selected as a Jedi trainee. He had a blast. He even had the chance to fight Darth Vader (a video of the battle will be published soon.)

After the class, Maxwell said "I want to practice the moves they taught me...those classes were so real."

Norah as she measures herself on Big Thunder Mountain, "I can't believe I'm older than 40 inches."

Kevin & Melissa Blog: SoCal Vacay: Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:39:43 +0000

Disney does not disappoint.

After years of resistance, I finally took the family to Disneyland. It has been awesome. We rode every ride we could on our first day and we are spent.

Two more days of this and then the beach.

Quotes from the day:

Maxwell on Star Tours, "Dad, this is the most advanced technology I've ever seen."

Norah to Truman on the Finding Nemo ride,"Hold my hand Tru, it's not too scary."

Norah on Pirates of the Caribbean, "I like seeing dead people!"

Maxwell after Splash Mountain, "That was just so freaky." Truman said, "I'm all dirty." (of course he was just wet, but he loved it!)

Norah as she rode on my shoulders, "I haven't tooted today yet, and now I have to."

I have been working on creating a sense of motion, while keeping the primary object in focus. I'm getting slightly better as seen while I tried to photograph Melissa and the kids on the Tea Pots.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: SoCal Vacay: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:15:12 +0000

Left Las Vegas this morning for Anaheim. The drive was pretty uneventful (thank goodness) with Melissa navigating and me driving.

We easily located our hotel across from Disneyland and then almost immediately left to go visit Brandon, Erin, and little Ben. It was good to see them. After they told us how close we were to the beach, we decided to make an impromptu visit to Huntington Beach.

The kids had a blast playing in the sand and waves. At one point, an unsuspecting Truman was toppled by a small wave and was soaked from his shoulders to his toes. He was pretty sad for a few minutes, but quickly returned to enjoying the beach. We didn't stay long…we wanted to make sure to save some excitement for our return on Thursday.

We came back to the hotel where we enjoyed some time in the pool and hot tub. It was a good time. We ate dinner in the room.

We are now watching the movie "Hugo" while we await the fireworks from across the street.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Norah Turns 6!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:02:19 +0000

Kevin & Melissa Blog: The Scientist

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:04:51 +0000

Hannah won (among six other qualifiers to move on to district) the 6th Grade Science Fair! Hannah and Melissa worked hard on this project during the last month. As an outsider, it is a pretty cool project.

Melissa often makes sour dough pancakes made from a 100-year old start. Hannah was curious if she could make her own start and then determine in which liquid it would grow best. They tested distilled water, apple juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, raw milk, and coconut water.

It was actually pretty amazing...they captured their own yeast and bacteria "in the air" and nurtured them over 12 days to see which start grew the most and then which start made the most delicious pancakes.

Hannah now moves on to the district competition. It should be fun to see how she does at the district competition.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Truman and Santa

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:45:14 +0000

One of the best things that happened to Truman this year was attending the Great Falls Parent Participation Preschool! Truman loved his teacher, Mrs. Rosean Harris. This is a clip from the Christmas party at the preschool when Santa Claus came. Truman really warmed right up to Santa! When Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, Truman just said he wanted a toy. He was pretty easy to please.

He did end up getting a great blue bike for Christmas. I emphasize blue because it has been his all-out favorite color this year. He does look really handsome in that color.

The preschool was a great experience for both me and Truman because parents were very involved. We took turns doing activities & snacks and Truman really loved having me come. We'll always have great memories of that time he had!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Utah Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:45:59 +0000

9th Street Bridge in Great Falls

Most of you have heard about our return to Utah. We have tried to keep it quiet due to work sensitivities, but we are at a point where we feel like we can go public.

We optimistically moved to Great Falls in July with a lot of hope about the community and job. Kevin joined the local hospital in Great Falls and had concerns from the beginning. For the purposes of a public blog, let's just say it wasn't a "good fit." Don't misinterpret, there are wonderful and kind people in Great Falls. But we knew early on it probably wasn't going to work out at work.

And so, we find ourselves back in Utah. Our house in Highland is under a 24-month lease, so we had to find a rental. We found a great place not far from our old neighborhood- close to friends and family. We have plugged ourselves back into the great life we had before we left. The kids are back in ballet, swimming, gymnastics, etc.

An event like this begs the question, "Why did we feel so right about moving to Great Falls if it only lasted 6 months?" It's a great question with a lot of complex answers--many of the answers will probably become apparent in the coming weeks, months, and even years.

We will miss many of the wonderful people in Great Falls. We will miss the surrounding scenic landscape--Montana is a beautiful state. It is too bad we only had one quick trip to Glacier National Park. We are committed to returning soon!

However, we are also excited to be back in Utah. We are already scheming our next canyoneering trips and races.

For now, we are going to take a week off and take the kids to Disneyland. I haven't been in 20+ years and Melissa has never been. It should be fun.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: When I Grow Up, I Want to be a Nature Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:01:57 +0000

I used to say that if I wasn't in hospital management, I would work at REI. Recent events have modified that view.

Over the past 6 months I have made the drive between Salt Lake City and Great Falls, MT over 10 times. Portions of this drive are incredibly beautiful. I have often noticed huge hawks, eagles, and even an owl aligning I-15's power poles hoping to scavenge any small animals left behind as road kill.

Over the past few trips, I started bringing my camera with a 270mm telephoto lens hoping to get a great picture. A few weeks ago, I spotted a HUGE bald eagle about 7 miles south of DuBois, Idaho. I pulled over my truck and immediately he flew off. I hopped over the barbed-wire fence and gave pursuit. In my mind I saw myself as a budding National Geographic photographer hot on the chase of the next "photo of the year." In the end, I landed a few very grainy photos without much detail. None of the photos even proved worthy of saving.

Yesterday, as I drove back to Great Falls from Salt Lake I was determined to find the same bald eagle. I pulled over and watched his nest for 30 minutes. Much to my disappointment, there was not sign of him/her. I continued down the interstate and about 10 miles down the road I saw another huge bald eagle (maybe the same one). I slowly exited the truck hoping not to spook him off. Again, he took off. They are so private and unwilling to share their honorable mystique.

At this point, I thought my chances of landing the photo of the year had vaporized. So, I continued down the interstate with the audio version on the life of Einstein keeping me entertained.

About 20 miles south of Butte, I spotted another bald eagle on a fence post (see below). I got out of the truck with my hand on the shutter and immediately started shooting. I was still at a distance over 30 yards, so the pictures weren't great. It was also dusk, so the pictures were under exposed.

As I kept walking towards him, he took off. As I dropped the camera from my face, I noticed some movement about 20 feet in front of me. It was a hawk! He just stood there staring at me with a cautious face (how do I know it was cautious? I mean, I am no expert in hawk facial expressions.)

Anyway, I was certain he was going to fly off...but he didn't. I kept approaching him while snapping photo after photo. He let come within 3 feet of him. I set down the camera and just sat gazing at this amazing creature. At some point, he actually took his eyes off me. I took this to mean he was pretty comfortable with me. I sat there for over 10 minutes. It was a sacrosanct experience for me. It was such an incredible feeling.

I started to get cold, so I started to slowly back away and return to the warm comfort of my truck. As I settled in behind the steering wheel, I started to review the photos. I had taken over 100 shots!

Included in this post are a few of the best shots. Note, the photos of the hawk have not been digitally zoomed in photoshop. I was literally that close with the lens at about 50mm. The picture of the eagle has been modified-hence the grainy look.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Brooks Family Talent Show

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:01:12 +0000

Jane & Lenny Show: Dreams Do Come True!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:15:19 +0000

Our family Christmas present this year was to go on a cruise. Disney had a “Kids Sail Free” promo that we were able to take advantage of. Despite Lane’s extreme “reluctance”, we had a great time. I had hoped to sit by the pool all day reading, but Lane was insistent that “we get our money’s worth” and participate in as many activities as possible. (Is he turning into my dad?) On our day in Puerto Vallatra, we went on a horseback ride and played in the waves at the beach. The kids had fun getting knocked over by the waves until they cut their knees on some rocks. In Cabo San Lucas, we rented kayaks, but after 15 minutes, the kids just wanted to play on the beach. It was a great vacation! So relaxing and nice to have everything done for you - and hey! - everything on the ship is “free”!

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Hannah Goes on Pointe Shoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:40:30 +0000

On Friday, I (Kevin) took Hannah to Bozeman for the Montana State Dance Association convention. We had a blast! The highlight of the trip for her came when she was custom fitted into her pointe shoes by a German speaking transplant who lives in Spokane, but fits all the girls at Ballet West. She has worked very hard to finally get to this point--pun intended.

Look at that! Standing on her toes like a true ballerina.

Hannah is at a great age. She still has the innocence of a little girl, but she showed great committment to each seminar. She had classes every day for 2.5 days and she was absolutely involved in getting better.

On Saturday night, we went to the Outback Steakhouse together followed by the movie "Johnny English Reborn." We had a great time together and laughed our heads off during the movie.

Bozeman was very pretty this time of year. The air was crisp and trees were at their peak.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: It's okay Maxwell, just rub some dirt on it.

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:40:18 +0000

On Tuesday, December 13th, I was helping in Truman's preschool class. I was the snack mom that day. Of course as I was doling out "ants on a log" (celery with PB and raisins) to hungry 3 & 4 year olds, I noticed my cell phone ringing. As I was a little busy and I didn't recognize the number, I just held off until a couple of hours later when I got home. (Apparently, it was Maxwell's PE teacher calling me from his cell phone.) After I arrived home, I then got a call from the secretary at Riverview Elementary, telling me that Maxwell hurt his foot or ankle on the playground and needed to be picked up asap.

I was thinking, ugh... It's probably just a sprained ankle and now he's going to miss school for this! So I went and got him, displaying absolutely no emotional alarm in front of the secretary. She definitely seemed more concerned than me. Instead, I just gave a nod of my head to Maxwell, like come on, let's go. We proceeded to head out to the car and he hopped nearly the whole way, before I became impatient enough to say, look let me just give you a piggy back ride! Maxwell: No, mom, no! That's so embarrassing! Whatever. Maxwell told me the whole story of how it happened. He was playing tag with his friends and caught his foot in a railing on the playground equipment while running around on it. A friend pushed him over, not knowing that his foot was caught. He pulled it out, but it really hurt, etc.

We came home, and I'm saying the whole time, you've just got a sprained ankle! You'll be fine after a day or ibuprofen, etc. I even tried to get him to do a few chores around the house (as he's crawling on all four). The next day he stayed home from school... it was just too swollen and painful. Yet, I'm saying once again, don't worry about it! With some more ibuprofen (hey look, it's the yummy berry flavor!:)), you'll be fine by tomorrow and DEFINITELY able to go back to school.

The next morning: Mom, it really hurts and I can't put my shoe on because my foot is too big! Uh oh. (Hmm... maybe this isn't just a sprained ankle?) Once again, I needed to take Truman to preschool, so Kevin volunteered to take him to urgent care. Kevin called me a couple of hours later. Apparently after an x-ray, it was confirmed that he had 3 broken bones. Ooops...

So, they allowed him to wear this boot thing, instead of a cast, if he's careful and really good about keeping it on for the next month. (Of course, if he's not good about it, he has to go back for a cast.) The doc said it should take 6-8 weeks to heal completely.

BUT, look at how good his life is now! I don't make him run around the house doing as many chores. He gets special treatment and Kevin even got him a pizza when they came home from the hospital. Not to mention, his sympathetic Grandma Marlene got him a little present to pass the time. Life is great! I still forget about his situation occasionally, like this morning when I told him to run downstairs and get his sister. I didn't hear a complaint, but I did hear the crutches start up... thump, thump, thump... But then, Maxwell said, hey, mom, is it okay if Norah goes? Oh, oh yeah... forgot about that! :)

Jane & Lenny Show: 2011 Year In Review Slideshow

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:09:34 +0000

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Fall in Great Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:28:13 +0000

We took a walk along the River's Edge Trail today. This big white bird (a crane?) was great! There were several other Canada geese and seagulls. Plus, are those black cranes next to the big white one? Time to learn more about common Missouri River birds! Of course, we passed one of the dams. It looked much different than when Kevin & I ran by it back in the spring, when the river was in flood stage.

The kids were too darn cute, as usual. However, I had a little mishap... I lost my cell phone! I was so stressed. I ran back along the path (twice) and saw nothing. LUCKILY, a kind woman found it and called us. Also, she happened to live close by, so I went and got it from her. Thank you, kind, honest lady!!!! I can't describe the relief I felt!

We've recently discovered that we need to use reverse psychology on Norah to get her to do anything. Even she knows it! For example, tonight when she was playing "attack Daddy on his bed," she said to Truman, "Should I go on the bed to attack Daddy?" Truman, of course, said yes. But THEN Norah said, "No, Truman, tell me NOT to do it and then I'll go." Yikes! Well, at least we know how to get her to do stuff. But it seems like she's already figured it out, so is it really going to work? Hmmm...

Lately, when I've been reading Truman books, he'll say "Amen" when it's done. In fact, he'll decide when it's time to end and shut the book with AMEN.

Today, Maxwell had to make breakfast & dinner for the family, including clean-up and table setting (it's for a Cub Scout achievement). He chose blueberry pancakes for breakfast and meatball sandwiches for dinner! Totally some of the favorite foods of Maxwell. He did a great job, but experienced a nasty cut when chopping vegetables for the salad. Nothing serious... a bandaid did the job, but I had to help finish up a little!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: First Day of School & Hannah's 11th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:50:57 +0000

Hannah turned 11 on August 31st, 2011!

Here is one of the amazing chocolate moose birthday cupcakes, that she, herself, made from a recipe in a really cool cupcake recipe book. She got the book with some birthday money from Grandma. This was not a 30 minute recipe, I can assure you. It was like a 3-day recipe!

Of course, the kids started on school on Hannah's birthday, August 31st. What a great birthday present for Hannah... ha ha! Hannah started 6th grade with Mrs. Hutchinson, Maxwell in 3rd grade with Mrs. Ross and Norah in kindergarten with Mrs. Bannister, all at Riverview Elementary School. They all ride the bus, which stops almost right outside our house at the corner (in the upper right hand corner of the picture with Maxwell). The kids are starting to make new friends and we're looking forward to a great year! I have to admit, Norah still looks so small to be going to kindergarten all day (especially when she climbs up on that big bus), but she is loving it and is very enthusiastic.

Little Truman also started preschool, which is very close to our house (Great Falls Parent Participation Preschool) and he loves it. However, this morning as the kids were getting ready to head out the door to the bus stop, Truman showed me he was also ready with his jacket & backpack on. I thought he just wanted to walk across the street to wait for the bus with me & the kids. He headed over with us. When the bus arrived and all the kids got on, he broke down in the saddest sobs when the kids told him he couldn't get on the bus with them! It was SO SAD! But later we went to preschool where he could stare at the pet lizards, fish & turtles and had a great time!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Grandma and Grandpa Visit Great Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:05:23 +0000

Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Marlene came to visit us in Great Falls. We took them to Ryan Falls, Giant Springs, and the Charles Russell museum.

The kids were so excited to have them visit and we enjoyed a great day together.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Maxwell Plays "Green Sleeves"

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:20:59 +0000

Maxwell is getting a lot better on the guitar. He really likes to play Jack Johnson and The Beatles, but settled on "Green Sleeves" to play for the blog.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: The Electric City

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:01:15 +0000

Great Falls is known as the "Electric City" because of the hydro-power plants along the Missouri River in town. I caught this photo the other night as Melissa and I watched an amazing lighting storm. It puts a different spin on the electric city.

Great Falls is Great. The weather has been great! Not too hot (at least to me... I think the local residents thing it's too hot, because maybe they're used to a little less hot?). Nice summer-type warm and dry... with a few occasional scattered thunderstorms, including giant-sized raindrops. However, we expect that to change in several months! I saw a picture of Great Falls in the winter, posted on the local ice skating rink website, and I felt cold just looking at it. Just what I envisioned- an icy cold, blue plain with frozen blue mountains in the distance. Just the same, we've been hearing about the warm Chinook winds that blow in during the winter. Although, admittedly, something seems illogical about a "warm" winter wind, but I look forward to it!

We're all settling in pretty well. I was just telling Kevin last night that as I drive around Great Falls, life definitely feels slower. People aren't rushing around as much. They definitely drive slower! That's probably part of being in a somewhat smaller town, surrounded by even smaller farming communities. We live on the north edge of town, bordered by wheat farms. I love running out by those wheat farms... so plains-like and stretching on for miles. That's when I feel like I am in "big sky" country. It's the wide-stretching plains. Although, we can still see the mountain ranges in the distance. There is also an air force base on the east edge of town and we frequently see the F15 jets flying through the "big sky."

Working at Benefis seems to be going well for Kevin! Starting a new job has it's challenges, settling in, etc., but I know he'll do great. He makes me proud! He strives to do the best he can. At least I know if I send him off to work after a hearty, healthy breakfast, he can conquer anything that comes his way that day. :) I've been enjoying making eggs in several different ways lately... just wanted to include a side note of my cooking adventures. After nearly 12 years of marriage, I'm starting to learn how to make a better omelet. It's still coming along.

Hannah starts ballet soon at a local dance school, "Miss Linda's School of Dance." She's pretty excited to get that going again. Norah also started up gymnastics again at "Great Falls Gymnastics Academy." Oh, she's so cute in her little pink leo with adorable pigtails! Maxwell is begging to play hockey, which of course is a staple sport in Great Falls. We're still considering that one... (as he's only gone ice skating once!). Truman told me today "I don't have any friends." He's been remembering one of his buddies, Tate, back in Highland. Tate doesn't live across the street anymore! :( I quickly assured him that he would make friends soon, as will all the kids! Luckily, they have already made some friends from church, who live close by. Plus, they're excited to write letters to friends & family back in Highland. Coloring, using lots of stickers, writing & stamping letters is tons of fun for them!

All in all, it's been GREAT in Great Falls, only after a few weeks!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Freedom From the Green Monster!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:49:14 +0000

I am about to shed a tear as I write this post. I AM FREE! Today is a hallmark day! I finally took the time to teach Hannah and Maxwell how to mow the lawn. They had a great time learning how to mow. I am really proud of them as this is not the easiest lawn to mow. Our front has a pretty decent hill and our back yard is quite spacious.

They did a great job and I can't wait until next week when they can do it again.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Neon Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:22:12 +0000

I learned about Neon Canyon while reading Aron Ralston's book. Aron describes Neon as his favorite slot canyon. Since that time, I have been trying to plan a trip to hike this amazing slot canyon. We finally made it!

We left with Lane and Jenny on June 30. As usual, grandma and grandpa watched all 8 kids so we could have another adventure (something we will greatly miss as we move to Great Falls). We spent the night at the Egypt trail head. The following morning we hiked into Neon Canyon after a very beautiful 4 miles across the desert landscape.

Neon Canyon requires multiple rappels culminating in the final rappel into the Grand Cathedral.

There was a lot of water in the canyon.

In this series of photos we had to navigate our way out of a keeper pothole. This challenge was actually quite fun. I had to hoist Melissa to the top of the hole. She then used a grappling hook to connect some webbing and an aider to assist the rest of us out of the pothole.

The final rappel down the Golden Cathedral lived up to expectations. It was absolutely beautiful.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: The Real Hannah Montana Covers Jack Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:14:04 +0000

Hannah has been playing guitar since February and she has made a lot of progress. She has been rockin' a lot of Jack Johnson lately, so we thought we would share one of our favorite songs with you. What do you think?

We need to give a big shout out to her guitar teacher, Curtis, for all his help. He has been awesome.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Glacier National Park: Two Medicine Lakes

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:40:16 +0000

We moved the family to Great Falls on July 18th. The house, neighbors, and city have been great. We had a week where Kevin did not have to work and the kids did not have any activities, so we decided to break away for a quick excursion to Glacier National Park-only 2 hours from our house! We went for one day, but on the scale of awesomeness, it was pure awesome. We went to the Two Medicine Lake area. Glacier has so much to offer. I am sure we will spend years exploring this amazing national park.

We hiked to Running Eagle Waterfall. This is a perfect hike for kids since it is very short and flat. We spent over an hour playing around the falls while the kids threw rocks in the river.

We then hit the Two Medicine lodge for some soft serve Huckleberry ice cream over looking the lake. Good times...

The upper lake was absolutely beautiful. We took a "cruise" on an 87-year old boat by the name of Senopah around the lake.

We retired back to the camp for the requisite all-American hot dog and marshmallow dinner. The kids loved it.

Jane & Lenny Show: Family Campout

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:30:58 +0000

Jenny has been going to girls camp for the last three years and since I am left with the kids, we have made it a tradition to go on a campout of our own. Based on a tip from a friend, we decided to head down to the Escante area of Utah to spend some time there. It is 4 to 5 hour drive down, so on the way down we stopped in Meadow to visit the hot springs there (and they are only 5 minutes off the interstate). Then on to Calf Creek camp ground. We stayed there two nights. On the first day we hiked “Spooky” and “Peek-a-Boo” slot canyons. These are non-technical slot canyons and the kids had a blast in them. On the way back to camp we stopped by Devil’s Garden, but it was somewhat a let down compared to Goblin Valley. On the next day we hiked to Calf Creek Falls. That has to be the most picturesque waterfall I have ever seen. Everyone had a great time. Too bad mom missed out on this one. Enjoy the video slide show of the trip.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: AF Canyon Half Marathon and 5k

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 18:04:27 +0000

Last year, after Melissa and I participated in the Red Rock Relay, I began to question why there wasn't a major running event down American Fork Canyon. Shortly thereafter, I decided to measure the distance from American Fork Hospital to Tibble Fork Reservoir to see how close it was to 13.1 miles. Much to my satisfaction, it was exactly 12.8 miles. I was confident we could wind our way through a neighborhood to reach the full half marathon distance.

I immediately called my close friend and colleague, Ethan Shumway, to share my vision for hosting a half marathon down AF Canyon concluding at American Fork Hospital with the purpose of building awareness around our hospital services.

I called the Utah Department of Transportation, State Forest Service, and City Mayors to gauge their level of support. All initial indicators suggested this could be a real possibility. My initial optimism was challenged as different government agencies began to hedge against permitting our race. From September through March, a lot of really great people worked with us to finally acquire all the necessary permits to host the first ever half marathon down American Fork Canyon. For logistical reasons, we had to conclude the race at American Fork High School. During this time we also secured a $10,000 sponsorship from great people at SelectHealth.

From the moment we had permits and a title sponsor, we pulled together the coolest group of people on the planet to organize this event. While there are a lot of people I could/should mention by name, I really could not have done this without the hard work of 3 key people-Holly Hardy, Craig Nielsen, and Laura Salazar. From the very beginning they saw the vision of the event. We also added, the Fat Cyclist and The Runner/Hammer (check out fatcyclist.com to better understand how cool this is), to our team. We determined that any proceeds from the event would go to cancer patients in the community who were unable to pay for their required treatments.

One day, while running along Westfield Road, I was trying to think of a tagline for our marketing campaign. I started to think about my close friend Kris, who was in the middle of battling breast cancer. As I ran in the shadows of my favorite maple trees, the tagline "Live.Survive.Thrive" came to me. Kris is the embodiment of this tagline. She just finished her reconstruction and is already planning to run the St. George marathon this fall. She knows what it means to thrive.

Throughout the planning of this event I gained a lot more compassion for other race directors. There are so many details to consider. Again, there is no way I could have done it without a great team of people who shared the same vision.

After months of planning it all came together on June 25--the first ever half marathon down AF Canyon. It was a huge success. We had over 880 registered runners for the half and 430 for the 5k. As the reviews of the race poured in both on facebook and in the newspaper, it became apparent this event would become a legacy event for a lot of people.

Melissa ran the half (she PR'd). Hannah and Maxwell ran the 5k. I was busy directing the race, so I didn't get to see most of this, but they all had fun. I also need to give a shout out to Lane who acted as a consultant to me throughout this project. From multiple angles, his advice and hard work contributed to the success of the race.

So, after months of planning in anticipation for the race, 40+ hours on race day with no sleep, and the ongoing post race cleanup, was it worth it? Yes. We raised over $55k for cancer patients in our community. There is no reason why we can't double that for next year. Although, next year I plan on running the race instead of directing it.

Jane & Lenny Show: American Fork Canyon Half Marathon

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:23:57 +0000

My brother Kevin works at American Fork Hospital and got the idea to put on a half marathon down the American Fork Canyon. He worked on it for almost a year and put together a great event that raised money for cancer. It was a lot of work for him and a great success. The course is one of the fastest you will find as it is downhill nearly the whole way.

Jenny and I raced again for the second time this year. I lost two weeks ago on the full marathon, and that was the race I wanted to win. There is much more bragging rights on winning a full marathon than a half. Despite that, there was no way I was going to let her win this one. In the end I did beat her on this race by around 2 minutes. We both set personal records for a half marathon. It is going to hard to find another half marathon that is faster than this one. Now Jenny has me beat 3 races to 2, so I am looking to tie it up at our next race.

Libby also ran a great 5K. Here are the times:
Lane: 1:30:10, 13.1 miles, 6:50 pace
Jenny: 1:32:26, 13.1 miles, 7:01 pace
Libby: 27:43, 3.1 miles, 8:53 pace

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Jane & Lenny Show: Utah Valley Marathon 2011 Results

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:56:04 +0000

I built up the hype for the race between Jenny and I at the Utah Valley Marathon for months. It made for some fun rivalry. Following is the race report:

We ran the first mile together but then Jenny started to pull away. I was conflicted on whether I should stay with her or not. I have a history of going out too fast on marathons, so I decided to let her go. By mile 4 or 5 I could no longer see her in front of me. Jenny’s history of racing is that she never goes out too fast and she never slows down. She is always a steady-Eddy. So I had resigned myself that Jenny was going to win handily.

Around mile 16 my knee started to hurt. I have never had knee problems before, but I was able to maintain a good pace until around mile 22 when I started slowing down from the pain. Then, as I approach mile 23, Jenny steps out of the bathroom (she didn’t actually need to go to the bathroom, she just went to sit down for a breather). That was like manna from heaven. By this point, though, my gate is quite uneven from trying to favor my good leg and we both feel completely spent. Over the next few miles Jenny runs ahead but then stops and walks until I catch up. Finally at mile 25 I see the finish line and I realize that Jenny is no longer stopping to walk and has crept a ways ahead of me. So I gave it all I had and mounted a final effort to catch back up to her. Unfortunately, it was too late. I made up a lot of ground, but in the end she crossed 27 seconds (about 100 yards) ahead of me. Out of 12,480 seconds, it came down to 27!

I set a personal record with a time of 3:27:23, so I was happy about that. Jenny ran it in 3:26:55 (2.5 minutes slower than last year). Overall it was a great experience. I am looking forward to the next race.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Great Falls Here We Come

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:50:23 +0000

WE ARE MOVING

If you haven't already heard, our family is moving in a couple of months to Great Falls, Montana, where Kevin accepted a new job with Benefis Hospital! Moving is sad and difficult, but ultimately we hope there will be many good things that come of it. The hardest part is leaving family! Also great friends! Wonderful family & friends have created a little heaven on earth for us.

But we attached the picture below, taken from the panel in our minivan, that displays the elapsed time and distance from the drive from Utah County to Great Falls. Check it out, family & friends- it's not that far to travel! You have to drive 4 hours to St. George, for example, and this is just tacking on a few more. So come on up and see us! Or we'll come down and see you (more often than if we lived in Alaska, for instance), which is more likely to be the case.

Great Falls gets it's name from a series of waterfalls on the Missouri River, by which it is situated. They are really spectacular! There are dams built at the waterfalls and this is the Ryan Dam, pictured above. The picture doesn't do it justice of course (even though it is a cool panoramic view). Just imagine mist coming at you, along with the sound of great rushing waters!

We went up there with Hannah & Maxwell to let them see the city, schools and look for a house. They both told us their favorite part of the trip was visiting the waterfall and also swimming in the hotel pool & hot tub (ha ha). We look forward to sharing more adventures from our new home in Great Falls!

Jane & Lenny Show: Track Us at Utah Valley Marathon

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:35:19 +0000

Jenny and I are racing against each other tomorrow at the Utah Valley Marathon. We will be running with our Android cell phones and an ‘app’ that I have been tinkering with in my spare time. This app tracks our progress on the course and sends it to a web page that you can monitor to see how we are doing. You can also post a comment to the web page and it will get sent to our phones and converted to speech for us to hear in real-time while we are running. So send us an encouraging word in the middle of the race if you are watching.

The web page is at Utah Valley Marathon 2011 Tracking Page. Head over and check it out now to see what its like, but be sure to check it out again tomorrow during the race. The race starts at 6am mountain time. The page will automatically update as others comment and as we run. If you check it out, let me know what you think.

The app and webpage are still a little fresh and are from being complete, so please let me know if you experience any problems. This is the pilot run, so hopefully it won’t break. If things do break, sorry.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Alice in Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 24 May 2011 19:26:04 +0000

Hannah performed as a card and a fish, in her ballet school's production of "Alice in Wonderland" and she did GREAT! She really enjoys doing it, but she was also relieved to be finished with the performance. It required a lot of practice time.

Thankfully, a lot of family members were able to come and support her- Mom & Dad with Norah and Maxwell, Grandpa Jeff and her cousin, Maddie, Grandpa Jerry & Grandma Marlene and her cousin, Libby. Truman stayed back with Uncle Lane & Aunt Jenny (thanks y'all!).

Norah completely enjoyed watching all the beautiful ballerinas. She clapped louder than any of us and narrated most of the ballet, as we kept telling her to whisper and quiet down. Actually, just watching how much Norah enjoyed it was one of the best parts! Maxwell also enjoyed it and was a nice brother to tell Hannah that she did great and looked beautiful! That's the way we all feel!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Orange Crush 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 21 May 2011 15:52:22 +0000

Another season with the Orange Crush has come to a close. Overall, the boys showed a lot of improvement. Good job boys!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: It is Great to be 8!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 14 May 2011 16:18:42 +0000

Maxwell had a GREAT 8th Birthday... check out this Lego train set! This was his birthday present from mom & dad. He was begging for this train set and we were a little skeptical that it was a good idea, inasmuch as the age on the box said 14+. Just the same, we got it and it was not a problem for him! He got this train together in no time. He tells us all the time that he wants to be a Lego creator/building master when he grows up (not surprised, right?).

Maxwell is at such a great age. We are enjoying everything about him right now: zest & excitement for life, gratitude, kindness & sincerity to his friends and family and hard work (when he focuses in). Sometimes you just want your kids to stay at a certain age and not get any older. I'm sure we'll appreciate every way he grows, every year. But I hope I'll never forget how great he is at this age.

This year he didn't want a birthday cake, but a birthday peach-blueberry cobbler! Here he is below with his cobbler. Can you blame him? I think he made a great choice! We look forward to many great birthdays ahead with our wonderful Maxwell!!!

Jane & Lenny Show: The Princess and The Fairy

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:32:00 +0000

This was a fun movie to make. Abby is princess Roseaca I made the costume. Nora is the fairy. Hannah made that costume and is the monster. I was filming and told the girls what to say. Abby and Nora loved the movie. But Hannah was really embarrassed to be in it even if no one knows who she is.

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Jane & Lenny Show: Abby’s Mothers Day Song

Sun, 08 May 2011 21:59:33 +0000

Abby loves to break out in a spontaneous song. Here is a song she made up on the fly to mom. Points to whomever can guess what the kids made her for breakfast in bed this morning?

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Moab Gran Fondo

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 07 May 2011 23:05:24 +0000

First, a quick lesson in Italian..."Gran" means big. "Piccolo" means small.

You may remember this post from last July when I bought Melissa a bike and her first ride was to the top of Suncrest. Well, that was a good first time bike ride. In hind sight, that first ride was actually "piccolo" compared to the event we completed today.

Back in February, while Melissa was running an errand, I was anxious to register for a cycling event we could do together. I chose the Moab Gran Fondo--which, from my understanding means, "The Big Ride."

Before I continue, I needs to give props where props are due. We owe heartfelt thanks to Grandma Marlene and Grandpa Jerry and Jenny and Lane for taking care of the kids so we could sneak away for a spectacular time. The kids had a full array of activities including swimming, ballet, and soccer and as always, they were well taken care of.

Now back to the event. Melissa and I chose to carb load on Friday night at Pasta Jays (the last time we ate there was for the Moab Marathon about 5 years ago). It was a great chance to relax and talk--mostly about the kids.

The following morning we enjoyed breakfast with Paul Frandsen as we discussed the details of the course. We then rode over to the start (see above picture) before we launched into one of the most enjoyable portion of the course (I wish I had a picture). Essentially, it was 17.5 miles of gently rolling hills along the Green River and thousand foot red rock cliffs looming overhead--truly, this was the highlight of the trip for me. I did my best to stay with the front peloton and Paul, while Melissa stayed in the middle of the pack.

Once we were through the canyon, we turned south into Castle Valley and the climbing began. This turn marked the beginning of about 5,200 feet of climbing and where the men became separated from the boys. In this scale I would categorize myself as an prepubescent school boy--in other words, I was dropped from the main field. Again, the scenery was amazing. We had snow capped 11,000 ft peaks in the background and red rock desert vistas in the foreground.

Again, the climbing was intense! Or, put another way, salt was running down our faces and lactic acid was burning our legs. A few miles from the summit, something happened to my hip. I have a relatively new bike and I don't think I have the fit dialed in just yet. It became very difficult to pedal. I know, forget the excuses, the fact is this was a tough ride!

The course summits at mile 40 with a peak elevation of around 8,300 ft. It is then another 20 miles of descending back to Moab, complete with hairpin switchbacks, potholes, and loose gravel. It was awesome!

So how did we do?

With a field of about 265 rider, Kevin finished in 59th place (3:52). Melissa finished almost exactly an hour later in about 165th place (still waiting for official results).

In short, it was a great time together and we are already planning a return to the Moab Gran Fondo.

Oh, by the way, a husband and wife team from Canada won the male and female divisions respectively. Melissa and I plan to challenge them for the title next year-- Eagle Powers come to me!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Diamond Fork-Fifth Water Hot Springs

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:59:52 +0000

We were hoping to hike Neon Canyon over Spring Break, but unfortunately the weather was prohibitive. Instead, we opted to hike to Fifth Water Hot Springs with the Lane and Jenny Family. It was still a lot of fun.

Jane & Lenny Show: Racing Season Begins

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 01:44:33 +0000

I ran my first race of the year today. It was the Salt Lake City Marathon. I set a personal record with a time of 3:34 (8:12 min/mile). It is a relatively flat course (compared to St. George and Utah Valley marathons), so I am really happy with the results. I have also shaved off nearly an hour from the first marathon I ever ran. I should be able to set another personal record in June when we run the Utah Valley marathon, which has got to be the fastest course in Utah because it is downhill for the whole 26 miles.

Jenny and I are signed up for two races together this spring. So far in head-to-head races, we are 2-1 in favor of Jenny. She beat me in the Utah Valley marathon (2010) and the Moab half marathon (2008). I beat her in the Salt Lake half marathon (2008). This spring we are racing in the Utah Valley marathon and the American Fork Canyon half marathon. I think I am poised to take the led in our head-to-head races.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da...

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:03:38 +0000

April Fool's Day was great! It's a favorite holiday in our family- especially for Hannah. She played a lot of jokes on us! Taped up door knobs, put rocks in Maxwell's lunch, made oatmeal with vinegar, etc. I have to say I was impressed by all hear good ideas. Also, just a quick update that the AF Canyon Half Marathon is up and you can register! Kevin has been working so hard to get it going. Please register and run- it's a fantastic run!

www.afcanyonhalfmarathon.com

A little late on this one, but we celebrated Grandpa Jerry's Birthday back in March- good times! You can also see that we're cracking the whip on Hannah and Maxwell to practice guitar & piano. They have times when they love it and times when it's torture. Surprisingly, I feel more satisfied when it's torture. Then I know they're making progress! That way, the next time they practice, it's already become easier.

I'm learning to enjoy spring snow this year! Instead of whining about why it has to snow in April, I'm appreciating the unique beauty of snow laying on green grass and daffodils coming up through it. We shouldn't feel like the weather is being unfair to us. It's part of living in the beautiful Rocky mountains! It's a different snow- it melts so fast usually that our kids wear t-shirts outside, as it warms up again quickly. Rocky mountain springs are GREAT!

Norah is still sharpening her skills on the Wii. Honestly, I don't know how she's so great! Maybe I shouldn't say that... it's probably a reflection on me (am I a bad mom if I let her play 6 hours a day? - just kidding). Maxwell is pretty great too (I have to say that or he'll get after me). Truman is getting into legos more now and I knew it was bound to happen. Thankfully, he can use all of Maxwell's legos, which are already overflowing. Although Truman still loves trains and cars. His birthday is next week and Hannah asked me if she could make him a special cake. All I can say is, thank goodness! I've been waiting for the day I can essentially pass on all baking duties to Hannah. She's actually become a pretty skilled baker.

Kevin and I attended Valeriia Mykho's graduation from LDS Business College this past week. We love the Mykhos!!!! I feel so blessed to have a forever connection with them; they are like family to me! We have known them since our missions in Ukraine. Krystyna is studying at BYU and Ira is still living in Ukraine. We are so proud of Valeriia!!!

Jane & Lenny Show: Abby is 4!

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:53:11 +0000

Abby was so excited to finally turn four. Of course, she had a princess party complete with a Mermaid cake. (Libby helped decorate the cake and is showing potential as a Party Planner.) Abby invited some of her favorite princess friends over to make picture frames, go fishing and break a pinata. The cake was a hit and a good time was had by all.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Hannah & Maxwell on Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:00:08 +0000

Jane & Lenny Show: Valentines Cards

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:00:48 +0000

For the last month or so, the kids have been learning Scratch, which is a graphical computer programming language. I highly recommend scratch to those who are looking to teach their kids introductory programming concepts. Below are some examples of some valentine cards the kids made. To view, click on the image and a popup window should appear and run the program. If you have problems, let me know.

Libby (age 10)

Hannah (age 10 — Libby’s cousin)

McKay (age eight)

Maxwell (age 7 — McKay’s Cousin)

Libby — Sample 2

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Happy Birthday Norah!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:07:37 +0000

Norah is five years old! We can hardly believe it. She is so much fun. She told me that she wanted a princess pony castle candy cake. Did I include everything? She put the pony in the front of the cake herself. She said it was the best birthday ever! Unfortunately Hannah wasn't with us in these pictures because she was able to go to the Ballet West dress rehearsal of Sleeping Beauty. Norah was mostly interested in the beautiful pony presents. Daddy also picked out a new Sunday dress and shoes for her. She had a little party with friends earlier in the day. All in all, an awesome day for Norah. Happy 5th Birthday, Norah! We love you so very much!!!!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Hannah's Science Project

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 13:02:42 +0000

For Hannah's science project we decided to figure out which surfaces in our house contained the most bacteria. With Uncle Ben's help, we procured some sterile swabs and petri dishes. Hannah then wiped each surface with the swabs, transferred the bacteria to a petri dish, and then waited to see what would grow.

It became obvious early on that the dirtiest place was our kitchen sink.

The keyboard was second:

Interestingly, the toilet and bathroom doorknob were among the cleanest:

The cell phone and remote control also had some nastiness:

It was a lot of fun working with Hannah on this project. Also, thanks again to Uncle Ben for the supplies and guidance.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Best and Worst Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:19:24 +0000

Recently, we enjoyed a night with some friends we knew from Minnesota. In the past, we've done some taste tests with them, which included various ginger ales and vanilla ice cream (two separate tests).

The participants are given a sample of each different brand of whatever is being tasted. They are also given a list of what brands are present. They must match the sample with the brand, as well as rating best to worst.

Here is the review of different chocolate, from best to worst:

1st Place- Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate
2nd- IKEA Brand Milk Chocolate
3rd- Lindt Dark w/Sea Salt
4th- Newman's Own Organics Mocha Chocolate
5th- Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate
6th- IKEA Hazelnut Chocolate
7th- Hershey's Milk Chocolate
8th- Italian Perugina Milk Chocolate
9th- IKEA Dark Chocolate

Surprised by any of these results? I can assure you the participants were! Who would've thought that cheap IKEA milk chocolate would get 2nd place? You might not want to try IKEA dark though! Those top two are probably the best value as well... not as expensive as those pricier organic chocolates (although I'm a big proponent of organic).

This is probably good to know, as Valentine's Day, the biggest chocolate holiday of the year, is right around the corner! Get your love some Cadbury's! (Unless it's me... then I'd go with Newman's.)

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Spotlights

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:07:52 +0000

Maxwell's completed Boba Fett Lego ship

Hannah's 5th Grade Science Project

I had to provide the following information for my three older children, for when they will be "spotlighted," in their church Sunday school. I actually haven't asked some of them these questions before, and I knew right away that I needed to put this information on the blog! Get better acquainted with them through the following information:

Hannah Brooks

I am 10 years old.

My favorite food is Cafe Rio or Italian.

There are no foods I don't like. If it's edible, I like it.

My favorite book is Fablehaven.

I am good at ballet.

When I grow up, I'd like to be a mom.

My favorite place to visit is MY BED! I like sleep.

My favorite holiday is April Fool's Day (that's not a joke).

Maxwell Brooks

I am 7 years old.

My favorite food is donuts.

Foods I don't like are hot chili peppers.

My favorite book is Fablehaven.

I am good at building lego creations.

When I grow up, I'd like to be a lego creator.

My favorite place to visit is Lego Land.

My favorite holiday is Halloween.

Norah Brooks

I am 5 years old.

My favorite foods are ice cream, pizza and cereal.

Foods I don't like are broccoli, mushrooms and leaves (which is lettuce).

My favorite book is Strawberry Shortcake.

I am good at cartwheels.

When I grow up, I'd like to be a farmer.

My favorite place to visit is the Dinosaur Museum.

My favorite holiday is Valentine's Day.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Snowshoeing With the Johnsons-Tibble/Dry Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:08:59 +0000

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Christmas 2010 Slideshow

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:21:12 +0000

Jane & Lenny Show: 2010 Video and Holiday Newsletter

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:58:35 +0000

Here is our 2010 year in review video and our 2010 newsletter.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Dry Creek Trail Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:52:56 +0000

Dry Creek Trail to the Saddle

Overlooking Alpine/Highland Above the Clouds

Lane and I at the Saddle Summit

Over the past couple of weeks Lane and I have attempted to reach the saddle summit of the Dry Creek trail. We finally made it today! Between our attempt on Christmas Eve and today, we ended up forging a lot of the trail (not a task I would be excited to repeat.)

I think my next goal is to summit Squaw Peak this weak and then start exploring the Timpanooke area.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: 2010 Christmas Piano Recital

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:04:57 +0000

The recital was a success! Went great. I used to teach my kids, but luckily I found another teacher, Emily Robinson, to trade piano lessons with! So great!!! I teach her kids and she teaches mine. The piano recitals are very low key. We have them at the church, complete with milk & treats after. Even though the kids are playing for mostly family members, I can tell there is some nervousness. But it's good for them to have as many opportunities as possible to perform in front of others! Next year hopefully we'll have Norah on board...

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Norah Reads Her First Word!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:56:19 +0000

Norah is super cute! She's really been trying hard to learn her letters, sounds and forming words. She is just at a fantastic age, where she says the cutest things and is super sweet (most of the time). It's a lot of fun. There are those great moments when we just want her to stay this age forever. It's so good it's hard to describe sometimes!

All of the kids are cute! Hannah is really growing up. We love hearing her jokes and seeing the comics she makes up. She will draw out some great comics. We just love laughing with her. She likes to send me hilarious texts. It's great to see her grow her talents and interests. She really does love going to her ballet classes. She just had tryouts, in fact, for their next performance in the Spring, "Alice in Wonderland." We still don't know what part she will be. She's doing awesome in school and just told me tonight that she needs to check out a fantasy-genre book asap for her next book report. Any great suggestions out there for 10-year-olds?

Maxwell also came back with a great report card this week. Oh, he's so much fun! He's always full of zest and excitement for life. It makes life so fun! Although, he is not always so excited about practicing the piano and does occasionally try to get away or get out of doing it. Pretty typical with kids. But we're still holding strong to the hope that someday he'll thank us for it!!!! Oh yeah, he'd better. I also love watching Maxwell ride his bike (and Hannah). They just look so happy! A funny thing- some weeks ago his primary teacher asked me what some of his talents were. Of course, I said things like a good piano player, a good friend, good at math, etc. Later Maxwell said, "Mom, why did you say that stuff? Why didn't you say that like I rock at playing the Wii and that I'm a master lego builder?" Yes, of course, why didn't I think of that?

Truman, last, but not least, still makes my heart melt with his sweet "baby" puppy-dog eyes! He's saying more and more words all the time. Probably most of them are words and phrases that he learns from his older siblings, pertaining to legos and playing computer games, etc. He's also really getting into friends. He loves playing with other little friends! Okay, I'm going to admit that he still sleeps in a crib and that's so I can make him take a nap. Yes, he can't climb out, so it's a good way to "lock him up" and make him stay in there and sleep! But when he goes in, he demands that he "needs something." He then proceeds to point out things that need to go in the crib with him. He'll even get Maxwell to put stuff in there at night before he goes to sleep. It's ridiculous how full his crib gets with cars, books, trucks, toys, etc. Later, after he goes to sleep, we try to unload it. How the heck does he sleep with all that stuff?

Jane & Lenny Show: Bloomington Cave

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:59:34 +0000

We recently took a trip to southern Utah for me to run the Mesquite marathon. The marathon would have been a great downhill course but as luck would have it there ended up being a strong head wind for the last twenty miles. So I did not turn in my best time, but while down there we did a tour of Bloomington Cave, which is a thirty minute drive west of St. George. Bloomington cave is the fifth longest cave in Utah and used to be the most graffiti filled. They recently put a gate on the entrances and did a major clean up of the graffiti.

Since it is gated, you have to get a permit from the BLM to get the combination to open the gate. I was expecting them to give me grief about taking our kids through based on all their warnings and waivers and whatnot. But they never asked and I didn’t tell the age of the people in the group. I have to admit I was a little nervous to take the kids through as I hadn’t been through the cave myself, but based on the on-line reviews, I decided we should at least give it a shot. It is a large cave with lots of passages and there are some semi-technical routes you can take. The “green” route seemed like a good route for the family, so we gave it shot. Caden ended getting sick the day before and puked several times on the drive down. None of the kids wanted to do it either. I think it was because I scared them with stories of Neff’s and Nutty Putty cave.

I knew once they got in the cave they would have fun, though, and we took a gamble that Caden was through with his vomiting. It ended up being a perfect cave for the family. The kids had a blast and Caden was fine. We were able to do the entire green route, which goes in one entrance and out the other. There were some good crawls, climbs, descents, and large rooms. Nothing too technical and nothing too claustrophobic. I was expecting with its history of graffiti that all the formations would have been vandalized and destroyed as well, but we soda straws, bacon, cauliflower, flows, and the like. Although there is still some spray paint on the walls, they have done a good job cleaning it up. Furthermore, not only is it well mapped, but they also have six different routes completely flagged, which makes it great for the family. The kids had a great time trying to find the next flag. Abby, in fact, probably had the easiest time of it given that she could walk upright the most. She did start doing the potty dance in the middle of it and I thought we were in for some problems, but she held it.

So Bloomington cave earns a “highly recommended” on my list. The only downside is that it is so far away. It makes me wish that Nutty Putty were still open.

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Kevin & Melissa Blog: Thanksgiving in Texas!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:32:54 +0000

Fun times in Texas! It was great. We drove to Dallas to have a little Keith family get together for Thanksgiving! On the way down, we first stopped in Amarillo, to spend the night at Mark & Katie's house. The next day, we made the rest of the drive to Dallas, to stay at Jacob & Lori's house. The kids LOVED playing with all their cousins! We don't get to see these cousins very much, so this was a great opportunity to see them. Jacob & Lori prepared an excellent Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed going on a run that Thanksgiving morning through their neighborhood. At first, I thought I was just feeling pretty good. Then I realized my average pace was about a minute faster than usual- that's the beauty of going to a much lower elevation! It was awesome- I should do it more often- ha ha!

We went to see the Fort Worth Stockyards and had lunch there at a little place and this guy made Texas long horn cattle balloons for all the kids to wear on their heads. Well, most of them chose the long horn hat. Some had flowers or other stuff. They were pretty cute! Truman was totally into his. He wore it most of the day!

We had fun seeing some of the sights of Dallas! But mostly, it was just really nice to spend time with family, interacting and playing games at night, etc. We had an exciting trip home too! During the night before the next day when we planned on leaving, Hannah got sick and threw up- at 3:30 AM. In fact, she threw up all over her cousin, Maddie. We'll never forget this story for years to come I think.

We decided it would be best to leave as soon as possible at that point, in order to get any sick kids out of the house and not spread it around. Plus, we were wide awake after cleaning it up. So we packed up and left at 4:30 AM. We were making pretty good time until we got a flat tire 40 miles before Albuquerque, NM. So, three hours later and after getting both back tires replaced, we were on our way. Then, Kevin got pulled over by a cop in Colorado and narrowly avoided a speeding ticket. He explained to the officer that he was just speeding up briefly to pass a large truck with a trailer before lanes merged again. Luckily, the cop was pretty nice about it and didn't give him a ticket. Maybe he noticed the sleepy & cranky kids in the back just trying to watch Scooby Doo!

All in all, it was a trip we'll never forget! Thanks for a great time, Jacob & Lori! You guys are the best.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Daddy-Daughter Date

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:03:30 +0000

I took Hannah on a Daddy-Daughter Date and she chose to go bowling. We had a good time being silly! Hannah is such an amazing sister and daughter. Her siblings all adore her. Hannah is always thoughtful of everyone's feelings. We received her midterm report card and she had all A's with one B+ (sociology). Hannah has a quirky sense of humor that always brings a smile to my face.

Hannah decided she wanted to race in the Kahtoola 5k snowshoe race at the end of January. It should be fun running in the snow together. We are super proud of our girl!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Happy 80th Grandma Gayle!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:09:33 +0000

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!! Our Grandma, Gayle Dudley, turns 80 this week on November 18th. What a great opportunity we had to come together as a family and celebrate. We love her so much!!! My Grandma has been a great influence in my life and I appreciate her greatly, which I think goes for all of us! Aunt Allyson and Uncle Ed invited us all to their house for this great occasion. Kevin & I are looking forward to completing a picture slide show for her & Grandpa, hopefully coming soon.

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Proud of Our Sweet Candy Cane!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:17:33 +0000

This is Hannah's second year in the Nutcracker, with her ballet studio Barlow Arts Conservatory. She loves it! In fact, it is her second time being a candy cane! Doesn't she make a great candy cane? I was able to be a chaperon mom backstage, watching over all the other candy canes. It was actually a lot of fun to be with them and see how the production went. Hannah's favorite part was the Spanish dancers, Norah's favorite person was Clara. Norah was very cute to be with when she watched. During the dance of the snowflakes, she happily said, "It's princesses!!!" Although it was a little bit of a rough time for her, as it was past her bedtime. She was also telling us that she wanted to go to sleep. I think Maxwell's favorite part was the enormous Mother Ginger. This character is difficult to describe adequately. It was a man in a huge skirt (in fact, he was on some kind of scaffolding, which rolled around on wheels). All these little gingerbread cookie dancers hid under the skirt and then ran out to do their dance. But his expressions and/or acting was hilarious. Apart from how much fun this all was, we are GREATLY relieved that it is done for this year. Enough rehearsals and late nights for us! Time to get back on a normal schedule... especially a normal sleeping schedule!

Kevin & Melissa Blog: Blue John Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Brooksburg) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:21:14 +0000

This shed, dubbed "Motel 6," is located at the Granary Trailhead

Melissa and I decided to celebrate our 11 year wedding anniversary by hiking Blue John's Canyon.

This canyon is part of a series of canyons given the name "The Robbers Roost" because it provided a hideout for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. Blue John Canyon is named after a member of the Wild Bunch named John Griffeth. Folklore suggests Griffeth had one brown eye and one blue eye and was known to hide stolen horses in this area.

Blue John Canyon was also made famous by the incredible Aron Ralston incident. If you remember the news stories back in the Spring of 2003, Aron became entrapped by an 800 pound chockstone for five days and was forced to amputate his right forearm to escape. Melissa and I spent considerable time in this canyon and both of us can attest that this is probably the most memorable survival story of our generation. The amputation, after 5 days of being trapped is impressive, but after that dreadful event, Aron had to rappel down a 75 foot cliff (see picture below) with one arm, followed by a 5-6 mile hike until he finally made contact with a family in the canyon to witness The Great Gallery, hidden in Horseshoe Canyon. Aron's story is incredible!

After hiking, crawling, and squirming our way through Blue John Canyon, we rappelled down the aforementioned cliff and entered Horseshoe Canyon. This incredible canyon provides spectacular cliffs, balancing boulders hundreds of feet in the air, and other amazing geologic features. However, this canyon is most memorable for the 7000-9000 year old pictographs (see picture below). Even though we couldn't spend a lot of time in "the gallery," we developed a sense that this is indeed sacrosanct land, if for nothing else than recognizing the efforts made to leave such an impressive piece of art/history.

75 foot rappel

Jane & Lenny Show: Lady Luck 2010

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:15:41 +0000

Since we had so much fun running the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay last year, we did it again this year. OK, so we really just like the hotel and spa after the run, but it makes the run worth it (and it is free - with our team entry fee)! Team Lady Luck got it together for the second annual Girls Weekend, I mean, relay run. The weather was great for running although a little cool to sit out by the pool. Luckily, the spa is indoors. A good time was had by all and we took 5th place overall in the women’s division and 3rd in our age group. Not bad for a bunch of moms who left 11 husbands, 43 kids and 1 dog behind! Our overall time for the 194 miles was 30 hours 41 minutes which averaged out to a 9:26 minute/mile pace.

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