Photo of the Day

While we were home alone today I snapped a quick shot of the kids at play. Alex is in his own world, Dylan misses Tara, and Kennedy is posing for the camera. Classic!

Geocaching with the Boys

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It's official - I have become one of the nerdiest people I know. I just got back from a two day trip, a trip where all we did was geocache. I can already hear the snickers and see the finger pointing. Still, it was the only way I could accomplish a couple of goals: finish finding a cache in every county in Utah, and work on finding a cache in all 50 states (Colorado and New Mexico). Go ahead, laugh already.

Now that we've gotten that out the way here's what happened. Ross, Mitchell, and I started planning this trip around March. We knew there was going to be a lot of time in the car and we needed to keep the trip as short as possible. Try explaining to your wife and kids that you're going on a two-day geocaching trip. We used Google Maps to plan out every twist and turn along the way and our route was ready (BTW - if you're not using Google Maps, you should be). Rather than give you every detail here are some of the highlights based upon the states we visited.

Wyoming: We stopped outside of the little town called Urie where we encountered a couple of interesting folks. The first was a farmer from Green River who was selling watermelons on the side of the road. He immediately stopped and followed us around to see why three guys were looking around a Tuff Shed. Later, an older woman came out from a nearby retirement center to see why were looking at her tree. Sometimes, it's easier to make something up than tell the truth. We ended up giving them the geocaching run down and then we were off. Caches in Wyoming - 6...

Colorado: This was my first time caching in Colorado. Truthfully, it looked a lot like Eastern Utah. Until we got to Ouray that is. I've never been through Ouray before, but I would certainly like to go back. We all loved the Million Dollar Highway (well, Ross liked it a bit less since he drove around the tight curves and past the sheer drop offs) and the mountain scenery was awesome. It was the prettiest part of our drive and the only time the temperature dropped to my kinda level. We left the state with food from the Durango Taco Bell and 10 caches to our credit.

New Mexico: We didn't really have a destination while in the Land of Enchantment. As we poured over the map Farmington, New Mexico was the largest city in the NW corner of the state (that and the fact that there was a Holiday Inn Express didn't hurt - free breakfast). I had to laugh when the front clerk at the hotel asked where we were going and we said "Here." He asked, "Why?" I guess that sums up Farmington, NM. We woke up early and got back out on the road. I think my favorite cache of the trip was off the highway outside of Shiprock. We found a pretty cool petroglyph. Whether it's real or not - you decide!

Utah: Our two day odyssey led us back into the Beehive State around 2 in the afternoon. In order to finish off our Cache Across Utah we drove North through San Juan, Grand, Emery, and Carbon counties. As the afternoon wore on you could certainly tell we were back out of the hills. I think it was over 100 degrees in Moab. Our final cache led us up the canyon just out of Helper. We originally thought we'd drive all the way to Roosevelt, but as soon as we saw a sign for Duchesne county we pulled off the road and found a cache in our final county of Utah.

After 1100 miles and the better part of two days we arrived home with 39 cache finds, two additional states, and the final five counties of Utah. I'm really glad we made our marathon trip and even happier to be out of the rental car. Thanks to Ross and Mitchell for a good time and a well named road trip.

Signed, Sealed, Delievered - I'm Yours

After a full week of running around, we ended our big adventures on a major high note. Most kids get one or two big days a year, Dylan had his third big day in two weeks. After adopting and blessing Dylan the last, and most important, event happened this week. We took Dylan down to the Manti Temple for our sealing.

We had a little smaller group this time, but we were grateful to everyone who was able to come. We wish that we didn't ask so much of our friends and family, driving to San Pete County for the third time in five years. Still, it is a big deal to Tara and me that all of our kids have the same beginning in our family. Since we were married in Manti, it only seemed right that each of our kids was made part of our Eternal family in the same location.

The day went perfectly. We arrived at 9:30 and got right to the preparations. Fortunately, we remembered all of the paperwork this time so there was no last minute scrambling. Good thing too, now that I'm out of the Bishopric I don't have any connections I can call in. All the guests arrived and at 10:30 the sealing was underway.


It is a very simple ceremony, but what a beautiful moment for our family. Tara and I are always blown away as each of our children comes into the sealing room dressed in white from head to toe. It is a moment that I'll never forget and I hope that my kids can have some sense of the special experience we shared as a family.

We headed outside the temple for a few pictures and then it was off to Ephraim for some good pizza with family and friends. By 3 o'clock we were back at home and the whirlwind week was over. Now there aren't any more special days, we're a family - just like everyone else.

Dylan came into our lives in an instant and our family has loved him ever since. I can't tell you how blessed we feel to have such a wonderful little boy. We love Dylan with all our hearts and I can't imagine our world without him. Dylan, we are so glad you're part of our family. We love you!

Getting Back to Nature

We just got back from our annual camping trip up to the high Uintas. Usually we like to head up to the hills for a few days, but our schedule has been pretty packed and we only had two full days to enjoy the outdoors. I have to admit I was a bit gun shy on this trip since Alex's puking adventure last weekend, but I figured with Tara's help we could deal with anything that came up.

The trip was to the West Fork of Black's Fork, our usually spot. Everything was great. The weather was in the 70's each day, and stayed in the 40's at night. We had plenty of good food. Lot's of refreshing drink (including a trip up to the cool drink - a natural mountain spring). Plenty of time to sit around the fire at night. It's amazing how much different a camping trip is when there aren't any fire restrictions.

This wasn't meant to be a schedule heavy trip. Instead of an itinerary we mostly relaxed and took the days as they came. I think the only thing we actually planned to do was take the kids down the river in a raft. Everyone had a fantastic time in the water. They loved floating down the stream, even if it took a minute or so to get past their initial jitters. Even when they had to wait for their next turn in the raft the chance to throw rocks in the river was more than enough entertainment. I love how simple things can bring so much pleasure.

When we first started talking about the trip there was some debate about whether or not Dylan would make his first outing. We've had trouble with both Kennedy and Alex at night while they were infants and we weren't sure if we wanted to go through that again. The biggest culprit to a bad night in the mountains is the cold, but Tara made sure Dylan would stay warm as she packed about 5 blankets to battle the elements. Big D did great! He went to sleep about 9 and slept until 6 each morning. I think it's awesome to get kids used to being outdoors from an early age and I'm glad Dylan had fun.

My favorite part of the trip was an early morning hike with Alex. We both got up about 6:30 one morning so we decided to head out and look for some old cabins. I remember my dad always getting up early and going for a hike with one of us, so the chance to have the same experience with my son was priceless. Since Alex is only 3 the hike was a lot slower than normal, but he was a trooper. I had to pick him up and carry him a couple of times, but he went most of the hike on his own. It was a neat moment for us to share with one another and I'm really glad everything went well.

Camping is always a lot work, but there's nothing better than sitting around a fire with the people you care about. Time seems to stand still and you can take in what's truly good in this world. I'm glad we were able to go camping again this year and I can't wait for more outdoor adventures with the kids.

Dylan's Blessing

Now that Dylan is officially ours, we were able to bless him last Sunday. Jared gave Dylan a very nice blessing and we were all a little teary eyed after.


After the blessing, we all came to our house for some lunch. Everyone pitched in and helped and it turned out to be delicious. Our yard looked really nice and it was a lovely 75 degrees for the afternoon.

We had lots of family and friends attend the big event. It was especially nice that we had Maralee and Amber (Dylan and Alex's birthmother) come to the blessing. They also came to lunch after and it was good to have some time to talk and get to know Amber better. She was amazed at how big Dylan is and of course how cute he is!


We had a nice day and we are so glad that Dylan is officially our little boy. Now on to the temple to be sealed to our little guy!

Fathers/Kids Overnighter

I've been pushing for the past few years to have another Fathers/Kids overnighter with the guys from the ward, so I was ecstatic when the dates were set and a venue was selected (I guess I should say when the dates were set and the venue was moved). Kennedy and Alex are always excited for an adventure, so I'd been building up the camping trip with Daddy all week. It was great too - every time one of the kids would stand acting up all it took was: "I don't know if you'll be able to come camping with Daddy" and the behavior was immediately changed. Nothing like a good threat....

The overnighter was held at the Heber Valley Girls Camp on the outskirts of Heber. What a place! Our girls have spent a few camps up there, but this was the first time I'd ever been and it was impressive. There's a wide paved road that takes you right up to the camp entrance. Instead of having basic campsites, you have small compounds with cabins and bunks for everyone. We had a huge pavilion and a wonderful fire area complete with stadium (log) seating. It was really something, I just wish we had more people that came. By the time we were all there, about 8 dads with their 25 kids actually showed. Too bad, but we still had a great time.

The kids loved exploring the campsite. There were several little trails that led you off into the hillside. Nothing very far, but still an adventure for little ones. The big boys set up a horse shoe pit and enjoyed a few games together. After the play, we roasted hot dos and marshmallows by the fire. Had movie night in one of the cabins. Mostly, it was just a chance to enjoy some open air with some good friends.

Now, I know nights in a sleeping bag always make for some kind of adventure, but I had no idea just what I was in for this time. We finally put the kids to bed around 10:30 and I went out to sit around the fire for a few minutes. Rain settled in so I turned in just after 11 pm. Around midnight Alex started to whimper to bit, so I got out of bed and calmed him down. This happened again at 1 and then at 2. Finally, I decided that things weren't going to change so I brought Alex into my sleeping bag. Big mistake.

About 3 am Alex started to cough. Every parent knows the sound of a cough that spells trouble and I had just heard it. As I reached out my hands in front of Alex's face he lost it. In my hands. In my sleeping bag. On the foam pad. On his jammies. CRAP!!! I tried to clean up the mess as best I could - the only towels I had were wet wipes and I attempted to calm my weary little guy. You can imagine that calls for Mom were in full effect by this time.

It took a few minutes but I finally got Alex back to sleep. Just when I thought I had everything under control, there was another cough and another attack. My bag was soaked, his jammies were covered. I was ready to pack it up and call it a night. Still, Kennedy was sound asleep and I didn't want to pack in the dark. I went through the same procedure once again - only this time I put Alex back in his bag. Fortunately, I brought up an extra sleeping bag so I wasn't forced to sleep with the smell of puke all night. Around 4 am the adventure was over and Alex was out for the rest of the night.

Too bad I wasn't. After everything that had gone on I mostly laid in my bag the rest of the night. I kept waiting for another attack, but none came. By 7 am I had enough and got up to start my day.

The rest of the camp involved a lot of playing, a lot of eating, and a lot of cleanup. Even though I only got a couple of hours of sleep the trip was still fun. Alex was fine the next day and everything worked out. I just need to remember to keep the kids in their own bags for the first few minutes after the dreaded cough. The trip ended as we pulled into the driveway, everyone totally spent from our night in the woods....

Done Deal

Today we were finally able to adopt Dylan into our family. For the past six months Big D has certainly gained a permanent branch in our family tree, but now everything is legal and binding. I'm always amazed at how clinical a court proceeding can be. Our lawyer was very formal (except for showing up 30 minutes late!) as he questioned us concerning our relationship with Dylan. Both Tara and I testified that we felt our home was a good place for Dylan to be raised in and the judged agreed. Six months of waiting, twenty minutes of a hearing and it was over - Dylan Noble is part of our family.

The kids are super excited for their little brother and both of our families couldn't be happier for our special guy. I know that we have to go through these formal proceedings, but we've known Dylan was part of our family from the first time we saw him. It's wonderful to know that he'll be with us for the rest of our time together on Earth, now on to the blessing and the sealing where Dylan can be part of our family Eternally.

Casting Call

Yesterday we continued a fun little tradition we've had with each of our little ones. Around the six month mark Dick has come over and made a plaster mold of the kids' little fists. It's been fun to watch as each little hand is place in the mix and the mold is taken. We figured it was finally time for Big D to immortalize his massive fist.

Dylan handled it pretty well. Since he is generally a pretty calm kid, he kind of wondered what was going on. Still, he didn't make too big a deal out of the slimy mix. In less than one minute the mold was set and Dylan could put his fist back into his mouth. It will be fun to see the finished product, proving that Dylan really was the biggest of the kids.

I'm really glad we keep these little mementos of the kids as babies. We haven't done any bronzed booties, or kept any locks of hair from the first haircut - but I still want to have a few little keepsakes from the early years. Having the collection of tiny fists is a good reminder of how lucky we are (and how quickly kids grow!).

Summer Fun

This summer has been extremely busy, but mostly with fun stuff. We have been swimming at least once or twice a week (which is once or twice too many times for me!), but the kids have loved it. Luckily we have had lots of offers to go to private pools because I don't know if I could handle chasing the kids and trying to keep track of them at the local pool.

We have spent every Tuesday at Park days with the kids in the neighborhood. I've really enjoyed this weekly event, just to get to hang out with the moms in the neighborhood and have some adult conversation. The last couple of weeks have been especially fun. Last week we went to Liberty Park. The kids loved playing in the seven canyons water feature and swinging at the playground.



This week, our neighbor invited us up to her condo at Snowbird. We spent the day swimming, eating and playing at the cute little playground. The best part was that it was 100 degrees in the valley and 80 degrees in the canyon. That made the playground much more bearable.

We also went to Kennecott Copper Mine on Monday with Char, Candace and Heather and all the kids. We had a great time there. The kids loved the huge dump trucks and looking into the huge open pit. After Kennecott, we went to the cute little town of Copperton for lunch at the playground. The kids had a great time and it was fun to see the family. No pics, I forgot my camera, as always!

It's been a fun summer so far and I'm glad we have a few more weeks left to enjoy the freedom.

TV Obsessions

I know it's not a big surprise that I like to watch TV now and again. What will surprise you are two of my favorite programs: Top Chef and Man vs. Food. I am totally addicted to both of these food inspired programs, but for very different reasons.

Tara and I picked up on Top Chef several years ago and immediately became hooked. So much of reality TV is getting unwatchable (anything on VH1 and most of the networks), but this little show from Bravo has just what the diner ordered. Great drama, fun personalities, elimination challenges - truthfully, I don't think that either of us really care that much about the food, it's too fancy for our naive palettes.

This summer they've had some of the headline chefs from around the country competing in a version of the show called Top Chef Masters and it's been great. One of the downsides to the regular show is the cut throat nature of the competition. Since the contestants are relative unknowns trying to make a name for his/herself the tension runs pretty high (the language can run pretty hot as well). These master chefs they already have a name, so it's fun to watch them enjoy the cooking process and cheer one another on.

Our latest obsession is the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food. There is no fine dining here. This is pure comfort food: hot, greasy, and plentiful. The host, Adam Richman, travels the country to take on various food challenges. So far we've seen him tackle a 72 oz. steak, a 5 lb. hamburger, and the hottest ramen on the planet. The best part of the show is the fact that sometimes Man wins and sometimes Food wins (we watched as Adam couldn't keep 15 glasses of milkshake down - not a pretty sight).

Still, I love the variety of food and the fun hang outs you learn about on this fantastic show. I know there's no way I could finish a 12 egg omelet, but I can certainly enjoy watching someone else take a crack at it.

Torrey 09'

Most of the family spent the 4th of July weekend in Torrey, UT. We were just missing Jared this year. No biggie, right? Well we missed him, but he had fun with his buddies on the east coast. Anything to get out of the Houtz reunion, right? We survived without daddy, anyway.

Torrey is a cute little town outside of Capital Reef National Park. We spent four days in Torrey and really enjoyed it.

Friday was a fun day and we mostly relaxed around the campground, playing games, doing crafts with the kids and going swimming. Kennedy has been our little water baby this summer and I couldn't get her out of the pool.


Alex was happy to hang out on the edge of the pool and shoot people with his squirt gun. Dylan did okay in the water, but didn't last too long.

The evening was spent doing a quick hike to see the sunset (which we missed), but it was still beautiful. Did I mention that Dylan is heavy, even if we are only going 1/3 of a mile!

Saturday, the 4th of July had big plans. We were going fishing, four-wheeling, picnicking, hiking, etc. We ended up at a beautiful lake that Chris took us to and within 10 minutes of getting a fire built, we had a huge downpour. Luckily, Kennedy was able to catch her first fish ever with Uncle Phil before the rains hit.


We waited it out a while, but decided to pack up and head out. Our big day fishing and playing wasn't so big after all.

When we got back to camp, a few of us decided to do a fun four-wheeler ride that took us up some beautiful red rocks. I had Alex and Char on the back of my four-wheeler for the almost 2 hour ride. We encountered several large "streams" that everyone said didn't exist before the rainstorm. Anyway, we got a little muddy, but we had a blast. I'm not sure how we ended up with the only four-wheeler without mud flaps, but we had fun anyway. When we got back to camp, Alex said, "I wanna go again". The kid loves to ride four-wheelers.



Most of the family headed out on Sunday, but we stayed an extra day with the Duncan's. We spent Sunday driving to a fun little place called Calf Creek. We didn't have time (and I have too many kids) to do the fun hike that is there, but we played in the river, fished and chased baby fish with Alex. It was a great afternoon and the kids had a blast.


Monday was our last day in Torrey. We played in the pool in the morning, then headed to the local malt shop for lunch and headed out. I was sad to say goodbye to my family. I have always loved the annual trips that we do and I'm thankful to my parents who put it together every year and make it possible. Thanks, mom and dad for a fun trip.

Here's a few of the highlights of the trip:


Uncle Paul giving Alex a tool from his tool box. Alex was in seventh heaven and pretty much stalked Paul after that. He kept asking me, "where Uncle Paul". Uncle Paul still gets included in Alex's prayers every so often!


The kid races. They loved it!


Alex fishing with Guncle, before the rainout.


Reading stories with Aunt Char every night before going to bed. Ya Ya was lucky enough to get to stay with us!


Dylan hanging out with Grandma. Luckily, everyone pitched in to help the single mom for the weekend.