Picnics, Pioneers And A Hello Kitty Pinata

The weekend before Mr. S had to have his second surgery we were lucky enough to spend a long weekend up in Cache Valley. My brother and his family were here from Taiwan so saying we had a jam-packed 4 days is an understatement. My adorable niece, Elizabeth, turned 2 so the family took advantage of her being here and planned a birthday party. I was in charge of decorations. I may have gone a little crazy but I have always been a details kind of gal and Zurchers makes it too easy. Plus, once you start with a theme, it’s hard to know where to stop. Even Kingston took part in the festivities.For the first time in my professional life I had Pioneer Day off from work. This meant that I was able to enjoy the kind of parade that only a small town in Cache Valley can provide. The family had to split up to attend two different parades because we had a niece in one and a nephew in another. I was just glad that the one I attended had plenty of Tootsie Rolls thrown my way. Everyone got back together for some baseball, dinner and fireworks.My favorite day of the weekend was the day we went to Bear Lake. I love the sun. And I love the water. I did feel bad for Mr. S who spent the day sitting on the beach unable to walk very well or get in the water. I made it up to him with a stop at La Beau’s for a shake. It was a great weekend and since our summer was cut short the next day with surgery, I’m very glad we were able to have those few days. Now the plan is to get Mr. S walking. I have a lot of plans for fall and I need a husband who can walk. Preferably without crutches or a cane.

Our 4th of July Adventure

July is one of my favorite months. I have a birthday and since I live in Utah, an entire month of fireworks. It’s nothing compared to ending everyday with fireworks like I did in Florida, but I will take what I can get.

Now that I am a certified and legal motorcycle rider, Mr. S and I planned a fun ride over the 4th of July weekend. Overall we rode almost 800 miles. We left Thursday night and rode as far as my sister’s house in Wellsville. It was raining, which had me worried, but I handled it like a pro. Especially if you have heard me describe my first time on the freeway only a month previous. There was a lot of pulling over and freaking out happening on my part. But I eventually overcame the fear because I knew I had to in order to make this trip happen.Day 2 started with a ride through Logan Canyon. We stopped in Bear Lake and enjoyed a raspberry shake and fries from LaBeau’s.

The morning started off great with clear, blue skies, but by the time we would arrive at our hotel for the night we rode through 6 rainstorms. That’s right, 6! The good thing is that most of them were short-lived and we could always see clear skies in the distance to help us keep going. Our agenda for that day was to continue on US-89 to Jackson, stop for dinner and then ride over Teton Pass into Drigg’s, ID. The last rainstorm just happened to start right as we left Jackson and were headed over the pass. The scariest 10 miles of my life! It was bad enough going up the pass, but once we neared the top I realized I would also have to ride down. By that time the rain was coming down pretty hard, I was cold, wet and the roads were covered in water. I was sure I was going to drop my bike but with a lot of careful maneuvering we both made it down safe. Initiation over. We arrived to our cabin in Drigg’s cold, wet and tired. After a hot bath I was asleep by 9.

Our cozy cabin in DriggsMy favorite day on the bikes was Saturday. From Driggs we rode up through Ashton, ID to Mesa Falls. Who knew Idaho could be so beautiful. Ashton is full of rolling hills, which were a blast on the motorcycle, and green, lush farmlands. And Mesa Falls was so beautiful I couldn’t add just one picture so I put together a slideshow for your viewing pleasure. The other plus to this day. No rain!

After Mesa Falls, we continued south to Idaho Falls/Shelley where we were staying with some friends of ours. I had always heard that the fireworks in Idaho Falls were some of the best. And they really were. It helps to have such a picturesque backdrop with the temple on one side of the river and fireworks on the other. Add in some cuddling and Neil Diamond and my 4th of July was complete.We left Shelley after church on Sunday for the final 200 miles. It’s amazing how comfortable I am on the bike now and happy for Mr. S’ sake. We are now able to share in a hobby that he has loved for so long. And I look forward to many more road trips in the future.