January Trip to Little Hole

So did you notice the title?  JANUARY trip to Little Hole.  So it's been a mild winter to say the least.  Normally everything would be under several feet of snow this time of year, but not this year.  Dry as a bone and very warm.  Notice in the pictures that not all of us even have coats on.  We did however have to deal with the crappy inversion that hung over Vernal most of the dang winter.  Talk about depressing.  But as you drive to Flaming Gorge and climb higher and out of the bowl it's blue skies as far as the eye can see.  So glad we could get out of the fog.  What a beautiful day for a hike.  We started at Little Hole and hiked about a mile up the trail then stopped and camped for the day.  Dan and the kids did a little fishing, we built a fire, and just relaxed.  

Just look at those blue skies!  That's what my heart desires.

The Green River is amazing.  

Grateful for a husband who takes me on adventures like these.  He keeps me going.

And we made it to camp.  The kids rocked the hike.  Even Landon's little legs did pretty good.  Dalin and Braden each have a hydrating pack and they love that they can control when they can have a drink and carry their own snacks and fishing ties.  

This is the spot mom!

They're like little monkeys.  If there's a tree to climb they will climb.

Playing with my camera.  

And the fire pit.  There's just something relaxing and stress freeing about a fire.  It's one of our favorite things to do.

Daddy and his boy.  Landon HAD to wear his snow pants, coat, hat, and gloves.  I don't know how he didn't roast to death while we were hiking but he refused to take it off.

Cute boy.

The sunset on the hike back out.  What a perfect day.  It got me out of my winter funk and back into the world is wonderful mood.

Roller Coaster

Braden really likes roller coasters.  He watches YouTube videos of them.  So he got this Kinnex roller coaster set for his birthday.  I thought he would love making his very own roller coaster.  As it turns out he lasted about ten minutes into the three hour process.  Note to self:  be careful what you give your kids.  You could be creating a great deal of work for yourself.  But once I finally got it all set up they all loved it.  It sure kept Landon entertained while Dalin and Braden were at school.

This is what he likes to snack on.  Tomatoes.  Orange, bite-size tomatoes.  He will eat the whole tub in five minutes flat.  He's my only one who will eat tomatoes.  When we go to the store I bribe him to be good by promising we will buy tomatoes if he behaves.  Works every time.  

Who doesn't love a little snack and some roller coasters.

Ice Fishing

I've never been ice fishing.  Dan goes in the winter a few times every year.  The boys are always asking if they can go ice fishing but until now we've never taken them.  Some friends of ours wanted to go out to Pelican lake so we decided to join them.  

These pictures actually happened last, after the ice fishing was done.  Landon looks like a giant marshmallow.  Dalin is just chillin', and Braden is just happy to be there in the warm car. 

Look how dirty he got.

Riding in the ice fishing sled with all the gear.

You can tell in was a fairly foggy day.  You couldn't really see very far.  The inversion settled in and just didn't want to leave.  You could just feel the moisture in the air. 

Keeping the ice out of the hole.  It would freeze over after a few minutes if you walked away.  Our friends the Wallaces have two kids.  On the left is Cole who is Braden's age, Landon, Braden and Dalin.  I kept telling them not to get wet or they would get really cold, but that's like telling a baby not to cry.

Landon and his little buddy Avery.  They have become good little friends.  She is a year older than he is.  

And their good dog Ace.  I like how Landon is looking at him in this picture and Avery is totally cheesing it. 

The fog cleared a little, but never went away.

My good friend Leisa and I.  

Dad took over the pole so Landon could have a snack.

All the kids huddled in a sled watching a movie and trying to keep warm.  We had a lot of fun even though their little hands got so cold.  Water and little hands in the winter is not a good mix.

The Green At Dinosaur

The nice thing about winter is that you can get into Dinosaur National Monument without paying a fee.  We've been to this spot before along the Green River not too far from the dino quarry and the kids have really enjoyed it.  This year we went and there was no snow and the river wasn't frozen at all.  Very unusual.  In years past we'd be standing on several feet of snow looking down on the river mostly covered in ice.  It was plenty cold out there, but well worth it to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors.  

They kept finding chunks of ice the looked like things.  Here Braden thinks this looks like a whale.  

Dalin found and "arrowhead".

We tried to do a little fishing, but it was pretty cold and the kids were more interested in throwing chunks of ice around and watching it break into a million pieces.  

Happy 7th Braden

Every year my kids' birthdays throw me off.  I just can't believe Braden is that old.  Seven years ago he was my little bean and now he's a huge, lively, big, little stink.  We love him so much.  We started the morning with number seven pancakes with sprinkles on top.  

After school we had some friends come over for a crazy time.  Can you tell what his cake is?  It's a Lego cake.  Notice the Lego worker covering it with icing?  She did the whole thing all by herself.  

Braden and his best friend Alex.

The whole crew.  Avery (in chair closest to the camera), Landon and Cole are behind her.  On the other side of the table closest to the wall we have Aaliyah, Alex, Braden, Sam, Dalin, Jackson, and Jeremy.  

Braden blew out his candles and we all enjoyed some cake.

The Braden stash.  I hope he had a good day.

I think we've entered the realm of Nerf guns.  He's a handsome kiddo.

If Braden were a food he would be kettle corn.  He's salty and sweet at the same time (and he loves popcorn).  He continues to be a more picky eater, but if it's something he likes he will go to town.  He can eat a lot.  His favorites are mandarin oranges, raman noodles (raw), and popcorn.  He is growing like a weed and is still in the 95th percentile for his height.  He's a rough go-getter and hates to come in last no matter what it is.  He is willing himself to read at the same level as Dalin because he can't stand that Dalin might read better than he can.  He doesn't care if he's two years younger he will conquer all obstacles in his way or cry if he can't quite make it whether it be a race, wrestling, reading, or playing a board game.  He doesn't like to lose.  He has the sweetest smile that can sometimes be a little mischievous and I love him to bits.  Happy birthday sweet little Braden.