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That Red Dirt Road
Moab, Utah.
Such a great place for the outdoor adventurer. This was our first stop on our road trip. We camped, hiked, basked in the nature that calls to your soul and restores, and brings balance back to busyness of the day to day. Because of covid, I waited to book our trip until the last minute because as we know, things in 2020 change day to day. Many places were closed but found this great spot that gives you a feel of really camping in southern Utah as it should be. Surrounded by gorgeous rocks, sunsets that kiss you goodnight, and crystal clear stars that keep watch over you at night, as the moon guides the night. I became aware of http://www.hipcamp.com and how you can have some pretty amazing camping experiences on private property. I found Needles Campsite, which is next to the Needles entrance of Canyonlands.
Canyonlands
The Needles
We did a few hikes with the kids. Tip: Have each kid have a water pack . Not only did they love having their own, but they could stay easily hydrate and could carry the pack themselves. We also packed some snacks in their packs they could get as needed which helped us off load some supplies. Cave Springs Trail where we saw some petroglyphs and an old western camp. Then we hiked Slick Rock Trail which had some great views. Also found out to bring some sort of vaseline and gauze because 2 kids got bloody noses because it was hot and dry.
Then we drove to the other entrance, Island in the sky and got there in the late afternoon.. Which took about and 1.5 hours with traffic. The kids were tired from hiking earlier so we just stuck to the the viewpoints and short hikes from the road.
We ended up eating dinner in Moab because it was getting late and cooking dinner after a long just didn’t sound that fun. So we found a little mom and pop type restaurant and stuffed our faces. Moab has many restaurants to offer on the main strip but plan on around dinner to be waiting for a table unless you make a reservation. Not sure if all restaurants take reservations or not though.
The next day we hit up Arches National Park. We got there about 9am and this time we packed lunch and dinner in the camp just in case it was going to be a late night again. We did a lllooottt of hiking here…almost 9 miles with the kids and they did fabulous! Some of the point we hit: Balanced Rock, The Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Sand Dune Arch ( our kids’ favorite) and Landscape Arch. Tip: Hit the visitor center and get the inside scoop of hiking with kids and plus a map! And fill up your water packs for the hot day a head.
We ended before dinner this time and took advantage of going into Moab and down the main street to do a little shopping… gotta find a snow globe for one the kids’ collection!
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Not Just a Mom
I want people to feel more authentic, free & alive.
Have you ever had times in your life when you haven’t felt that?
I felt that when I became a mom. I knew things wouldn’t be the same but not realizing what that looked like was so unknown to me. From not being my typical size, not having the freedom to go do whatever, from being tired & just learning this new role. It was a BIG adjustment and honestly no one talks about it & a part of me felt that this new role as mom sort of made me give up any other identity I might have had. Then after kiddo #3, I decided to live life more authentically, which meant letting those areas of my life that I was deeply missing come back to life.
Even though I loved being a mom, somewhere along the way, the wife, athlete, traveler, adventure, creative self of me was gone. God created so many unique things that make us a whole person to shine for his glory, but sometimes the lies we allow ourselves to hear create lost souls with missing pieces. We walk around half full, unfulfilled, comparing our half lived life to the best part of other people’s lives. No wonder why I felt so incongruent with mine. When I made a choice to abide in things I was created for, I really felt alive. Not necessarily in material things, because those will never be enough, but in God and the things he has designed for me. I felt more authentic. I chose to seek out friendships that challenged me to grow as a individual, traveled more, joined a running group, even counseling!Now, my kids not only get a mom that gets to share things that she loves & is good at with her kids, but they get a whole mom without missing pieces of herself. And the best part about this journey is that I have chosen to invite my kids to be a part of the adventure, creating more memories. Over the years I have seen that there are so many other women that feel the same. The biggest reason why I still surround myself with the dreamers of Isagenix. Sometimes you just need a little encouragement & a vehicle to allow you to learn how to love all the things about yourself & help others do the same. The world needs more love. People loving themselves enough to use their God given gifts to love others.
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What’s all the HUB about?
Hopworks Urban Brewery , that is. Where craft beer, meets crafty style of beer snob parents that dine while children enjoy the play area and the yummy kids menu. This is a great local restaurant that takes pride in sustainable business practices as well and being a part of their community.
And if you are not a beer drinker, well you must not be a Portland native, but don’t worry they other options such as cider and kombucha. And a house made lemonade that will turn in you into a lemonade snob who will only enjoy cool glass of it if it’s freshly squeezed.
My kids loved the little play area, and repeatedly told me that this place had the best food ever, and can we come back again. Which of course, we will.
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Up, Up and Away!
We hit the road again and this time we ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My husband, Joel, grew up there and it was time to take the kids back to his roots. We made sure we timed our trip to coincide with the Balloon Fiesta. Where hundreds of hot air balloons take to the sky. And I have to say, it was incredible and definitely something to add to your bucket list!
Make sure you get there early and watch the dawn patrol take off and watch the magical glow of the balloons of balloons taking off. Then Mass Ascension follows where hundreds of balloons of all shapes and colors take to the skies. But dress warmly. The desert mornings may fool you, so come prepared with layers for a variety of temps.
And to get there, I would recommend a park ride shuttle. Can avoid the traffic to the parking lots and get dropped off right at the front gate.
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Happy Hour… With the Kids?
This year I have implemented happy hour after school. The start of school is so busy for us between getting in a new routine and soccer season that has begun. And this year I have all 3 in soccer so Monday- Thursday afternoons are filled with practices, which does not leave much time for, well, anything. We have between 1 and 1.5 hours after school before we have to get going to the next activity. And to avoid, missing out on family dinner time, thanks to good old practice, insert happy hour. The kids are usually staving after school and plus they need some nutrition before their practices. It’s been a great way to sit down with them, talk about their day and share some food together. And now they really look forward to happy hour. And sometimes you even get fun cups out to make it legit.
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The Rise of Entrepreneurship
If you have pulse and are breathing, you probably have noticed more people getting involved in entrepreneurial type endeavors. And more than likely you have been either been involved one or has had someone approached you to be involved in one or at least try their products or services. No matter your thoughts on this, times are changing and then need for additional income, flexibility and creativity in the workplace is greater than ever before. Gone our the days where you work at the same job for 40 hours a week for 40 years and then retire. There are many parts to why that equation is gone, but it would be naive to think that model works for our fast pace, do more with less mentality that we see across the board. Thankfully, the freedom for entrepreneurship is at your fingertips to bring back life to the workforce and for many the excitement and creativity to do what they love. But choosing the right avenue is definitely key. The right product and/or service that is needed at the right price and of course stands out from others paired with the best compensation to build your dream really make a difference. Insert, Isagenix into my equation. I have always been passionate about health. Hence, one reason why I went into health care and got my bachelors of science in nursing. Even though, I loved learning about the body and how to treat and care for it, a huge gap I was seeing is on the preventativie side. Have a long list of meds and medical conditions seemed to be the norm for the people would see on a daily basis and it just seemed to be accepted as ok , we have med for that on the medical side. And granted, its really hard to help people that don’t want to be help or don’t want to make changes, we owed it to ourselves to do better. So that’s where Isagenix fell into my life. Creating simple solutions for people ease the physical buderns that are ailing by nourshing their bodies with the nutrients they need and letting the body work as it is made to. As soon as started nourshing my body with Isagenix. I knew that this was a game changer, not only for me but could help so many people . The reason I started to pursuse this as a side hustle intially. And what I had come to find out was it was much more than prodcuts, but truly a mission to help people . So these past couple days I was fornutate to be able to travel down to Arizona for a leadership retreat with our team.
Dreaming, collaboratig, learning from each other as well as getting pretty spoiled at the corportate office. This company loves working with people in the field and getting feedeback from their associates. Not many billion dollar companies take time to meet with their associates and collaborate with them to better the future of not only the company but the customer experience both current and future.
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Gorgeous Hikes
If you live in the PNW, we have an abundance of beautiful hikes. Put Silver Star on your list to hike in June! You will get to see beautiful wild flowers as you hike up to the top where you are able to see 5 mountains that are a part of the cascade range on a clear day . Hiked this recently with some friends and was totally refreshed by the views and being out in nature.
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Road Trippin’
Nothing draws a family closer than being in confined spaces on a road trip! We tested our family strength recently with a road trip to a few National Parks. If you have a 4th grade child, take advantage of the free national park pass. This pass allows free admission to national parks! On the list for this trip was Crater Lake and Yosemite National Park.
We drove from Portland, Oregon and surprisingly the kids did great! And also surprisingly, they did not sleep. Not one bit! But that was ok, we were prepared for that. On all of our trips, I usually hit the dollar store for new coloring books, journals, crayons, pencils, crossword puzzles and the like and create a little pack for each of them. Each of them fills up a back pack with other items they would like to bring like favorite toys, stuffed animals, books or whatever but it all has to fit in their backpack. That keeps things down to the minimum. We also had movies and video games that we rotated between each of the 3 kids. And of course we played the license plate game because you just can’t do a road trip without! And last but not least, we let them be bored. Gasp! And it was fine. I feel like it’s good for the kids to be bored sometimes and let them figure out how to pass the time. And guess what?! they survived!
Our first stop was Crater Lake. The deepest lake in the US that was once a volcano. Also known for its beauty and magnificent blue waters. We stayed in some cabins here just for one night. There was actually quite a bit of snow on the ground for June so many of the hiking trails were closed to that hindered our plans just a little but didn’t hinder the beautiful scenery!
Then we made the long drive to Yosemite from there. I had a reservation just outside the park at Yosemite Lakes Campground and it worked out pretty nice. It was just a short drive into the park. But you definitely wanted to get there early so you didn’t have to deal with the traffic in the park. The best way to get around is just to park at your first destination and take the free shuttle around the park. Now, if you want to stay inside the park for your accommodations you definitely need to make reservations about a year in advance. We spent a couple days in the park sightseeing and hiking. There is definitely stuff to do for everyone. But just taking in the beautiful scenery was something else. So peaceful and serene. Lots of wildlife to see, and we even saw a bear!
From Yosemite we drove to the Redwoods and just spent a couple hours there and then headed to the Oregon Caves. Here you can take guided tour and the kids have an opportunity to become junior rangers which we took full advantage of.
Then it was back to Portland! And if you are ever traveling down I-5 in Southern Oregon, you have to stop at Rice Hill for ice cream. Joel and I had fond memories of stopping there in college with our trips to Lake Shasta every year. But note to self, do not let your kids get double scoops before you have to contained them in a 4 hour car ride home. Holy sugar high batman!
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Birthday Twinning and Freebies
This year, I celebrated my birthday with my birthday twin and we hopped around Portland taking advantage of our birthday specials. There are actually quite a few places that offer free items for your special day and we made a little route in SE Portland with a few of the places.
Follow along on our journey!
First stop Denney’s for a free Grand Slam Breakfast. You just need to show your ID
Next stop, Dutch Bros for a free drink. They are always so friendly here, but you feel extra special on your special day.
After that we were quite full already, so we made a pit stop at Mt Tabor and walked around and took in some lovely views of the city while we digested some of your food…because , well, we needed to make room for other things!
3rd stop. The Waffle Window on Hawthorne. This was my first time here and it was sooo good. They offer sweet and savory waffles and I of course choose a sweet one for the occasion. This one you need to sign up in advance but it’s so worth it and will definitely be going back.
Next, Fat Cupcake. The names seems fitting since we were feeling like one so far…and keep in mind it’s only 11:00 in the morning! All you need is an ID with your birth date on it and you get to enjoy one free cupcake!
5th stop… ok we needed to slow down. So I got a pedicure and Carmen got a manicure. Super relaxing and drank mimosas. Not too shabby!
Then off to Nothing Bundt Cakes. This one you had to sign up in advance, but totally worth it! With a May birthday, they had a seasonal strawberry bundtlet that was sooo good. And I am not a big cakey type person but this was delicious!
After this we spit ways and I met up with my husband and we headed off to Pastini. This cute little pasta place in SE and we hit in time for happy hour too, so discounted drinks and apps, along with my free entree of my choosing made for a pretty snazzy evening. You also need to sign up for this one in advance and I would definitely go back to this place.
Last stop, and I barely made it, but Cloud City Ice cream in Woodstock. You just need your ID for this and you get a free scoop! Birthdays are not complete without icecream and this place is da bomb with their homemade ice cream.
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Getting Summer Ready
Summer is approaching quickly and we LOVE to be in the water. With my boys having different abilities of swimming I usually start them back in swim lesson in the beginning of spring. We have been all over town for swim lessons, because quite frankly, if I can get them all swimming at the same time or at least back to back it’s worth it. But for the last year I have focused more on survival/water safety type swimming for my youngest. Jackson has always been trying to keep up with his older brothers and with us around water a lot in the summer, I wanted him to get some basic skills around the water. And we love Children of the Sea swim school near Washington Square and their 91 degree pool. It’s a bit of a drive for us, but so worth it! As a four year old he is confidently jumping into the water and flipping over to his back and they practice kicking to the wall, or floatie, or whatever they fell off of. Which is perfect for those situations that quickly happen to young kids and this way he is comfortable ‘falling’ into the water and kicking to safety. I wish we had done this sooner with our other kids! They have summer swim camps and summer lesson available to register now. They also give referral credit which is a great reward for sharing your love of their swim lessons!
