Toes

Aven has discovered a love for getting her toenails painted, wearing lots of ankle bracelets, and playing in the sprinkler. Summer is good.

Splash!

It's great to be 2!

Grand Teton Trip

Way back in January Ian and I decided to book a cabin in Colter Bay, which is located on the shores of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. We booked it so early because we were told the cabins fill up fast and if we wanted our pick of days January was the time to do it. Way back in January June sounded so warm and summery. We thought it would be perfect- not too hot, not too cold. We were, of course, thinking of what the weather in Salt Lake City is like in June. We didn't even bother to look at the averages for the Tetons, which is how we ended up going on a "summer" vacation that felt a little bit more like an early spring vacation.

Even though the highest temperature we enjoyed was 63 degrees (and that was the afternoon we arrived) we still had a great vacation.

We were able to take a family portrait during a rare moment of clear weather. The views were breathtaking- when it wasn't pouring rain.

It doesn't get much better than that. One plus about going early in the season in colder weather was that it wasn't at all crowded. At the same time in July or August the above shot would be full of people canoeing, fishing, and swimming.

One place I was really looking forward to going was Jenny Lake. I had been there before and remembered how beautiful and tranquil it was. One fun thing to do at Jenny Lake is ride a boat across the lake to a trail that leads you to a lovely place called Hidden Falls. When we got to Jenny Lake the mountains were completely shrouded in clouds, so it wasn't quite as breathtaking as it was the last time I had been there. The first thing I did was buy winter hats for Aven and I since it was only about 4o degrees outside and we were about to embark on a one to two hour hike.As we started our hike it was pouring rain. The trail was muddy, snowy, and puddle covered, which made for an interesting journey with a two year old who wants to do everything herself. By the time we got to the top her pants were wet and muddy all over and her shoes were soaked.

The top of the trail looked more like March 12th than June 12th but Aven was amazed by the snow.

There it is- Hidden Falls. It was beautiful and definitely worth the mud, puddles, and snow.



The next day we drove to Teton Village to ride the ski resort tram to the top of the mountain. It was very similar to the Snowbird tram. Above is a view from the tram about half way up.

This is the view from the tram when we reached the top. Due to approaching thunderstorms we got right back on and rode down. The rest of the day was spent trying to avoid the downpour in Jackson Hole. If you ever go to Jackson Hole you may want to note that the public bathrooms are some kind of secret that nobody wants you to know about.

Another exciting aspect of our trip was wildlife viewing:
We saw a grizzly bear almost as soon as we entered the park. You can also spot Some Elk in the background.

A Bald Eagle! This guy was a cool find. He was just hanging out in a tree on the shores of Jackson Lake.

And this is an elusive moose who was hiding in the bushes with her baby- so sweet.

The last day of our trip the weather cleared up enough for us to rent a motor boat and go for a ride on Jackson Lake:
Check out that view! It was absolutely gorgeous and we only saw two other boats the entire two hours we were out on the lake.

Aven even got to drive. her steering was a little erratic though.

Finally, we were ready to head home. We knew it was time to go because all of the sudden it warmed back up to 63 degrees.

First Haircut

Lately Aven has been looking more and more like she's sporting a mullet, so when I went to get my hair done today I had Jessica, the stylist who has been cutting my hair for about 8 years, give Aven her very first cut. While I was getting my hair done Aven sat quietly in the vacant stylist chair next to Jessica's and played with her toy school bus. When it was time for her haircut she sat still and followed directions. Aven exhibited the type of good behavior reserved strictly for people who aren't her parents. I was very proud of her. A couple of pictures I took with my phone:

Aven Rides the Train

One of the perks of being related to a UTA employee (my mom) is getting to participate in special events designed specifically for employees and their families. This usually means getting to ride new trains first and getting access to cool places that aren't open to the public.

This weekend there was an event in which employees and their families could ride the new West Valley TRAX line, which won't be open to the public until August.

Aven and my mom and sister waiting for the train.

Aven loved riding the train. Every time it stopped at a light she said 'again!".

Another part of the event was getting to tour the new 350,000 square foot rail service facility in West Valley. I thought it would have made a great place to go indoor rollerblading or biking- it was that big.

We got to see one of the new light rail cars up close. We could barely get Aven to look away from the train to take this picture.

We even got to go under the train. That part freaked Aven out a little bit.

The fun continued with a barbecue, mariachi band, and balloon animals- a perfect day in a toddler's world. The whole event was so exciting that she fell asleep for her nap within five minutes, which never happens. I'm so grateful we had this opportunity, it was a lot of fun.