Unpopular Opinion: I love winter

It's the middle of February and while I love random sunny, days in the 40s and 50s, I do so love winter.  

The snow, the clear stars, my breath on the air.  I love how much my dogs love to romp in the white powder.  The way the sun sparkles on the piles of flakes.  

I do miss the look of frost on a grassy field.  That was much more easily found in Missouri.  As were cardinals.  I miss cardinals.  

But I am rather enjoying the winter here.  Yes it can get sloppy at times, but overall I am rather pleased with how tolerable the cold is in Utah.  (Not that I'm trying to brag).  

This past week has encouraged me.  Instead of being worried and afraid that I can't handle the increased workload and responsibility of my new position, I am now confident that 'tis nothing I can't handle.  I look forward to the new challenges and experiences that it brings.

I am where I want to be.  I am with my people doing what I love.  Right now, I wouldn't trade that for anything.  

(Me as a superhero.  Made at an art integration conference that I was able to attend)

This is my addition to a "mural" as part of the same art integration conference.  

This would be my "signature" if I were a graffiti artist

As part of my new position I have opportunities to attend training and conferences that take me cool places.  I was able to go to the Hogel Zoo.  The weather was terrible so I didn't get to see much but here are a few pictures and videos.  

My phone isn't the best camera but I sometimes try to capture the beauty that I find while I'm here.  I hope someday to afford a camera that will make this easier.  Below is a picture I took while hiking with my dogs in the evening on the Bonneville Shoreline trail which is a short 5 minute drive away from my house.  You can see the temple in the distance.  It's right in the middle of town and every time I see it I do truly think in my mind  "I love to see the temple". 

Finally, Kirsti came to visit!!  We had a blast at the nature center (I didn't snag any pictures) but we also went to a place that I shall never be allowed in again unless I have a child with me.  So I was truly happy to capture a glimpse of the magical place called The Treehouse Museum.  I think it kind of a cross between The Magic House and The City Museum in St. Louis.  It was so fun!  

There were so many multicultural displays!  There were also lots of little exhibits that were related to Ogden, Utah, the United States, etc.  It was really so fun.  I think I loved it more than Alice!

Every exhibit had little costumes of some kind!  Alice loved the cowboy hats.  

Look at this kid, she's a natural cowgirl!

Little mural at the rodeo exhibit.  How many random famous characters can you spot?

This was an adorable little diner!  Kids could put on little aprons and pretend to serve food to people sitting at the bar and at little tables.  It was adorable and totally something I would have loved playing with as a kid.  Maybe if enough kids play with this, they will appreciate food service and tip better!

Alice spent a lot of time in this wonderfully charming woodland exhibit and I was happy to oblige.  It was lovely and so well painted.  I swooned. 

There was a little oval office where you could pretend to be President!  

There was a great room/exhibit that talked about all the first ladies and these displays with all the first ladies (through Nixon) in Porcelain doll form.  

There was a room with a few small exhibits on fables from other countries.  This one was from Russia.  I can't remember the name of the fable but I can only guess it included Baba Yaga.  

No awesome interactive children's place is complete without a giant chess board!

And finally this seemed too perfect not to include.  Alice was, indeed, in a wonderland.  We all were.  And I hope she is able to visit again and again to enjoy this place.

I'm finding myself more and more at home.  While I do love winter, I look forward to all spring will bring.  More hikes with the dogs, kayaking on lakes, camping, General Conference, and seeing the nature center in bloom with wildflowers.  

Until next time, dear fam.  Love to you all!

Winter wonders and fun

Ok, ok so I've decided that I want to try blogging once a week again.

I know, promises, promises.

I miss the mental stimulation and outlet for thoughts that it once offered.  I also like sharing with friends and family what I've been up to.

For tonight...another epic photo dump.  Perhaps more than the last one.  

But before that I'll share a little more about the promotion I was offered that I will start in earnest next week. 

I am going to be the new Outreach Coordinator at Ogden Nature Center.  This comes with a pay raise and a hefty amount of additional responsibility.  More than I realized before I started training.  Now I watch Hope (the girl who is leaving) with new found respect as I realize just how much she did to make sure things run smoothly and details don't fall through the cracks.

Essentially I am doing most of what I do now.  Teach kids on field trips, teach community programs, teach first graders all over Utah, write curriculum, etc.  But now I am the person answering and sending the emails that make sure everyone is on the same page (co-workers and the teachers/community members we work with).  I'm the one taking phone calls and calling people to set up outreach programs.  I'm also the one heading up the running of several teacher workshops.  We've done one on outdoor education, we're working on a big one on bringing Monarch Butterflies to the classroom to raise and teach about them which is really cool, and we're also working on two more.  All that have to be done by the end of the school year.  Yikes!  I already feel like I'm running out of time on that one. 

I also get to teach once a week at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.  They have a preschool program that they don't have enough staff to run there so I will hop over there almost every Wednesday and teach cute little pre-schoolers for about an hour.  I'm really excited for that. 

I'm excited for this new challenge and growth, but I'm also apprehensive. I just hope I can be as organized and efficient as Hope was.  I'm sure I'll do great but there's always a sense of nervousness with change. 

Anyway, any other questions just ask!

Now...for a million un-edited photos from December.  Yeah, just December.  It was a busy month.  

To start, here are the pictures of Kirsti and I going to see the lights at Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point.  They called it the Luminaria.  I got the tickets at a silent auction.  It was really fun and lovely.  I just with my pictures could do it justice.  

Made of gingerbread.  Edible?  That's questionable.  

So I know this isn't lights, but Reindeer are cool.  

Reindeer antlers are huge!!!

One perspective of the light show they had going to music.

I am the s'mores snowman.

The other perspective of the lights to music show.

Later in the month I went to "Christmas Village" which is in downtown Ogden.  It's really pretty cute.  Local organizations/clubs, businesses, and non-profits create small houses (about the size of small sheds usually) that represent them.  Some do models of their business-like Ogden Nature Center who made a model version of the visitor center.  Then inside the houses are displays that also represent your business/nonprofit/organization.  There were lots but I just included some of my favorites.  

As you walk around, music plays and there are lights everywhere.  It was fun. 

Hope and I in front of the Ogden Nature Center model house.

The Nutcracker House (I thought Steven might be impressed with their collection)

Hope and I in the laps of random giant bears.

A really cool model of a historic hotel that is in downtown Ogden.

I can't remember who set up this display but if you look close, it's gingerbread people in a "hot tub" of hot cocoa, topped with whipped cream.  I thought it was cute. 

And now for a few other pics.  

I painted this for a co-worker.  I'm still not great but I'm learning and having fun doing it.  I was pretty proud of this one so I wanted to show it off.

So I bought myself a tiny tree.  Like 3.5 feet tall or something.  I set it up.  And left the house for a little while and this is what happened.  I guess I didn't have it stable.  UG.  I lost a few ornaments.  But most survived. 

Here it is completed and upright again.  

Another painting for a coworker. This one I am more critical of, but as I said, I'm still learning. 

Hope and I made ginger cookie houses!  The ones that come in kits.  Maybe some year I'll make my own ginger cookies/bread.  We did a train (with a cart that holds trees) and a cute dog house!

Kirsti and I went to see the Lights at Temple Square.  It really is so busy.  I don't mind going, I just wish there was a good time when there are less people around (not likely).

So as most of you know I went to Arizona to be with Mom and Dad for my two weeks off for Christmas and New Years.  It was a great two weeks.  Though the drive there and back was LOOOOONG.  10 hours give or take.  With two dogs.  I could go into the disasters that ensued on the way there, but lets stick with happier memories.   

Packed up and ready to go!

One of the many beautiful views.  One of my regrets was that in my haste to get there I didn't stop very often to take pictures of the amazing drive.  Driving through evergreen forests, driving along stretched of highway just like this one.  At one point I saw one of the most heart wrenching sunsets I've ever seen again beautiful purple mountains that were back lit.  And I had to write about it the second I had a chance once I arrived in Arizona because I didn't want to forget it and I didn't get a picture!  Oh well.  

I made it safe to Arizona and the following are some fun pics of my time there.  

I'm the best Christmas present you'll ever get!  (Hehehe)

This was one of my favorite things.  In my cracker that I got from Kirsti and Ryan, I had two bouncy balls.  I would put Lily in the back yard and then let Bones have at it.  He really is hilarious and had a blast and was so aware of Alice!  It was great.  

Bones and Dad were reunited and Bones loved it.  I think Dad did too.  

The next several pictures are from the Rare Earth Gallery which I'm sure many of you have heard Mom and Dad talk about (and I think some of you have been to!).  I was in awe and wonder.  So I'm sharing just a few memories from it.  

I got some lovely earrings that were made from this kind of stone. (Don't ask me what it is.  I have it somewhere but don't feel like looking it up). 

This kind of fools gold (pyrite) grows with perfect edges just like this, in cube form.  Nature really is the coolest.  

Mom, Dad, and I went to the top of a mountain in Phoenix.  It was a perilous drive but too high to hike for the three of us so we braved it.  It was windy!  But they views were pretty cool. 

Then we went to see some petroglyphs.  

We also went on an adventure to Tortilla Flat located in Tonto National Forest, near the Superstition mountains.  Here are some cool views and such.  

Not so much a "cool" view, but there is legend that a man called The Dutchman found gold and carried the secret of the location of it to his grave.  Apparently no one has been able to find it in all these years.  But at Tortilla Flat they have this silly little fake entrance to his mine.  

Baby rattlers, heheh...

I know a lot of people frown on graffiti, but this is art. I don't care what anyone else says (spray painted on the side of a cement tunnel)

The superstition mountains.  

Finally, Mom, Dad, and I went to see the sun rise New Years day.  The day I drove home.  It was a lovely end to a wonderful trip. I'm so glad I got to go.

 


So...if you managed to make it to the end, thanks for joining me on this photo dump adventure. 

I really do want to do this once a week.  And I'm gonna try.  So dumps like this shouldn't happen again (hopefully).

I send love to all my friends and family who might be reading this.  I look forward to this new adventure that the new year has brought to me.

And look forward to many more fun times.