Antimony, Utah

My friend Annette and I headed to Antimony, Utah on a Friday evening.  We went to the Rockin R Ranch.  We spent the night and then spent all day Saturday there.  Friday night we played a bunch of table tennis and then headed to bed.

On Saturday we had a full day.  Breakfast was provided and it was quite tasty.  After breakfast, we learned to saddle and groom our horses.  Then we had lessons on how to ride and guide our horses so they would follow our commands.  We learned to get them to trot and to go around barrels and even to lead a calf.  I wasn't that great at it, but I tried and the teachers were very patient and helpful. There were 2 teachers and 4 of us learning so you got a fair amount of individualized attention.

Then we had an hour and a half trail ride with lunch.  It was really quite pretty.  (But by the time the trail ride was over, I was ready to be off my horse...I was sore.)  

Annette grooming her horse.

The trail ride.  Annette is right behind me.

After our trail ride, we took care of our horses and then we headed over to archery.  I am seriously not athletic, and I wasn't very good (although I did have a few good shots).  But it was still a lot of fun.

Then we headed on a hike.   The hike was just Annette and I with two guides.  The guides that took us on the hike pointed out different types of rocks and we collected some rocks.  They were cute young girls and it was fun to go on a gentle hike and loosen our muscles and enjoy the beauty.  They told us a bit about the area and we had a fun time talking as we hiked.

That evening we had another delicious dinner.  Then there was a campfire and smores and singing.   Right after the campfire, we headed back to Salt Lake.  A quick but very fun trip and a generous gift from Annette.  She paid for everything (although I drove and paid for gas...small contribution compared to what she did.)

Thanksgiving Day

We spent Thanksgiving at my aunt Elaine's.  My grandpa was there also as was my sister Suzy.  My aunt Diane and uncle Brent and cousins Tanner and Colton stopped by for a little while but didn't stay for dinner.  I love Thanksgiving. Spending a month contemplating my blessings and all that I have to be thankful for really helps prepare me for the Christmas holidays and really puts me in the right frame of mind.  I do have so much to be thankful for.

I feel especially blessed this year to be working at Ensign.  There are challenges at Ensign just as there were at Parkview.  But it is a much better work environment...calmer, more trusting, happier, less stressful.  I have a challenging class this year but I love it there.  I love working there and have felt welcomed and supported.  It has been a real blessing to be somewhere new and have a new experience.  And I am thankful we decided to have my girls go to the neighborhood school.  Our home is less frenetic, less busy, less stressed this year.  There is a different feeling and so much more peace.  I am so very thankful for that.

I spent the month of November counting my blessings on Facebook.

Here are the few photos I took on Thanksgiving Day:

Antelope Island

As another excursion for Michelle's ABC book about Utah, the girls and I went to Antelope Island.  We had been there once before several years ago, but it was fun to go back now that the girls were a little older.

Before we even made it to Antelope Island, we saw this guy.  Pretty sure it was a fox but he was far enough way that I am not 100% certain.

Gabby is such a character.

Again, Gabby is a character.  She was pretty sure she was going to be attacked and/or eaten by one of the bison.

 After driving around Antelope Island, enjoying its beauty, for a couple of hours, we headed to Ogden. There is supposed to be a statue of Peter Ogden at the City Building but we couldn't find it.  (It's probably inside and it was closed.)  But we did find this cool statue honoring America's fallen firefighters.  Made me a little teary eyed contemplating their great sacrifices in our behalf.

I love my girls!  They are funny, smart and silly.  It's a great blessing to be their mom!

Beehive House

For her Utah Studies class, Michelle had to create an ABC book about Utah's people and places.  She decided that as part of her book, we would visit as many of the places as possible and include photos of her in front of those locations holding the letter it represented.  So on one of the days during UEA, we drove around Salt Lake taking photos of as many places as possible.  We visited East High, the Huntsman Institute,  the arena where the Jazz play, the State Capitol building, the Lion House and the Beehive House.

Gabby really wanted her photo with the two buffalo across the street from the State Capitol.  We were at the Capitol just a couple of hours before it was evacuated because a mysterious package with an unloaded rifle was left there by a man trying to send a message of peace.

 Then we headed to Temple Square   I don't know if I have ever done a tour of the Beehive House before...I think I might have years ago.  But my girls and I took a tour of the Beehive House.

 Two cute sister missionaries took us and three other family groups on the tour.  Because it has been a couple of months, I don't honestly remember much of what they said.  What does stand out is the spirit we could feel there.  I also remember that they emphasized how Brigham Young really made time to visit with, listen to and help those who came to see him.  He was a very busy man as both territorial governor and prophet as well as a husband and father.  But he did the best he could to make time for each person who came to see him, to ask for his help, to receive his counsel.

 The home is very beautiful.  It reminded me a lot of my trip with Michelle to Nauvoo this summer.  The early Saints were industrious and worked hard to beautify wherever they lived.

One thing that Michelle and I found fascinating was that what looks like wall paper (and now partially is wallpaper) would not have been wall paper when Brigham Young lived in the home.  They would have hand stencilled the designs on the wall! Amazing!