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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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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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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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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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A Trip to the Northern Neighbor
Vancouver, BC Canada
Living in the PNW, there are many drive-able destinations and for this spring break we took a quick trip up to Vancouver, BC, Canada. It’s about a 7 hour car ride from Portland, (Thanks Seattle traffic!) but totally manageable. We headed out early in the morning and planned for a pit stop in Seattle for lunch. We stopped at Pike’s place area and grabbed lunch and walked around and enjoyed some beautiful weather.
Then from there we headed to the border. We stayed right in the heart of the city at Pinnacle Hotel and had a great view of the water. The city is very walk-able with many restaurants and things to do in walking distance. Stanley park is right around the corner too. The hotel offered bikes to rent to ride and most people use to head to Stanley Park.
We actually didn’t plan too many things and sort of winged it for our 4 day trip. Joel and I had been to the city many times before but this was a first for the kids.
Our list of things to do:
Capilano Suspension Bridge. The name came from the Squamish Nation meaning beautiful river. Capilano originally was spelled
Kia’palano . The bridge originally was constructed in 1889 made of hemp rope and cedar planks and evolved overtime as well as the park. Along with the suspension bridge over the river, there is a cliff walk with some beautiful views, tree top adventures that also include a fun scavenger hunt for the kids and provide some views from up top.Hockey Game. Canadias do it right. This was actually our first NHL game and why not see it here! The team is the Vacouver Canucks. And we saw a great game that went into overtime and ended up in a few shootouts with the Canucks taking a win. And what was fun is that they had happy hour at the arena so you didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for some snacks!
Tim Hortons. Founded by the Canadian hockey player, specializes in coffee and donuts. Sort of reminded me of Dunkin Donuts on the east coast because this is where everyone goes and it’s on every corner! LOL! I enjoyed a latte and of course a donut!
Stanley Park. This is 1001 acre park right in Vancouver with so many things to do! Bike riding, hiking trails, swimming, parks, restaurants and Vancouver Aquarium. There is really something for everyone and a great escape from city life. It also boasts great view of the city skyline, mountains, and the water.
Vancouver Lookout. This offers 360° view of the city from 553.16 feet above. The great thing about this lookout compared to others is that your ticket is good all day. Go see the city during the day and then swing back by in the evening to catch the sunset.
City Walk. There is nothing better than exploring a city by foot. I feel that you really get to experience the city, the culture, the people at a whole new level. And the kids were pretty good sports about walking. And besides, it good for them!
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Thai to Go
Anniversary trip to remember
Marriage is sure not easy. It’s daily choosing to love your spouse more, choosing to see the best, choosing to serve and wanting the best for the other person. Some days we get it right, others it’s a work in progress. But continuing to work at it, breathe life into will always reap great results. So for our 10 year anniversary we knew we wanted to go somewhere. A place we hadn’t been and do things we wouldn’t normally do or couldn’t do because we had the kids with us or budget reasons. When I saw a timeshare spot open in Thailand , we went for it. Not really knowing anything about Thailand except that we liked the food and they have some beautiful beaches. We only had 11 days at the beginning of February to spend there, so we made the most of it.
We started our trip the northern part , in the city of Chiang Mai. I actually knew a gal that lives there with her family and she was able to help us out with tips and also picked us up from the airport. It’s the largest city in northern Thailand, that is bustling with people, markets, and temples and not to mentioned amazing Thai food that was so inexpensive. The currency of Thailand is called baht and for about 32 baht equals 1 US dollar at this time.
Day 1: Actual day 1 because the first 2 included flying across the pacific and into the next day. So for real day 1, it included taking a taxi to old town Chiang Mai. We walked around the temples. And ladies, make sure your legs and shoulders are covered while walking around the temple grounds and in the temples. We opted to try out both Joel and mine’s favorite dish, pad Thai, and for 60-70 baht we got delicious pad Thai with shrimp. There are tons of markets around with people selling food, clothes, bag, shoes, artwork, soap… you name it. So we took advantage of the different markets to buy souvenirs for our kids and for our parents. Oh and maybe a few for ourselves. Basically day 1 we played tourist. Most people spoke some , English…at least enough to get by. And we always brought the business card of our accommodations that was in Thai so we knew we could always get back
Day 2: Elephant day! This was on my to do list forever! Now there are many sanctuaries throughout Thailand where we could have seen the elephants but some were not the best caretakers of the elephants. We were recommended Patara Elephant Farm and we cross referenced it with Trip Advisor and after being there I would say it’s a must. A lot of the elephant were rescued from other places and now they have acres upon acres to roam free. We signed up to be the elephant owner for the day. This included feeding, brushing , bathing, and playing with the elephants. It also included a short ride on your elephant to the swimming hole where the elephants played in the water and so did we. They also fed a delicious meal of fried chicken, rice and fresh fruit. Transportation to and from your hotel too! And they too amazing pictures of our day free of charge!
Day 3: Thai cooking day. Now we are official Thai chefs…or I like to think so but I have yet to recreate this meal at home since we have been back. This is a must! We chose Thai Farm Cooking School They have a great set up . They provided transportation to their farm where they have little stations set up so everyone can have their own cooking spot. Classes are small and they take you set by set. There are 2 different menues to choose from based on what day you go, but you do get a cookbook for both menues to take home . We made curry, a soup, pad thai, stir fry, bananas and coconut milk. They also served green papaya salad and the most delicous lemongrass tea. You also got to learn about the different ingredients…especially the peppers. Woah, thai peppers! Don’t worry you can make your dishes Thai spicy or tourist spicy as they say it. All classes are done in English and you get to meet people in your class from all over the world. Very fun and highly recommend it.
Day 4: We sponsor a kid through Compassion International and had the privledge to visit him and his family . Will post more details in a later blog. But truly grateful for that experience. Day 4 also included a short flight down south to Krabi and onto Koh Lanta where we started our beach vacation.
Day 5: Relax. We stayed at the Twin Lotus Resort. It’s an adult only resort and we rented a private villa on the beach…umm , it was so nice amazing! We enjoyed a free breakfast and they had all types of breakfast items from around the world. We definetly took advantage of big breakfast ! Day 5 included hanging out at the beach and boy was the water warm. It was like bath water and so clear and the water was so calm. Very enjoyable to swim in . We walked around the beach and then booked an afternoon kayaking trip in the Andama Sea around a few islands. We were able to see some monkeys in the wild. Althought they were pretty friendly.
Day 6: Snorkeling day. We took a boat out on the sea and headed to 3 different snorkeling spots. I wished I had brought and underwater camera so for now you’ll just have to imagine. The coolest ones were starfish. We saw red, blue, white and purple ones. Oh and we also found Nemo and his family and many neon, tropical looking fish. The water was so clear, warm and it was simply perfection out on the white sand beaches. I could get use that lifestyle.
Day 7: We rented a scooter and drove around the island and did what ever we wanted. Thailand drives on the opposite than what we are use to in the US, so it was a little weird but we got use to it. We ate some more, swam some more, played tourist some more. I ended up wearing a mask by the end of the day because I was tired of breathing in the exhaust and dirt while on the scooter.
Day 8: It was really a continuation of day 7 since we had an overnight flight from Krabi to Shanghai and it left just after midnight. Slept a little on the flight and then we landed in Shanghai and took advantage of a long layover and went out into the city. Not without a little excitment while trying to get a 24 hour visa to enter the country but that story I’ll save for another time. Let’s just beauccracy at it’s finest. We did a little sightseeing and went up the 2nd tallest tower in the world, rode the fastest train the Maglev which is a magnetic train, bought some chinese souvenirs and of course ate some chinese
Day 9: A long ass travel day that included us not getting our bags that were left in Shanghai. Oh language barrier and the fact they weren’t tagged to our final destination. But we did end up getting them a week later and the kids got their souvenirs and get all our stinky, dirty clothes.
It definitely was a whirlwind of a trip but was so worth it. And any time you take to invest in your marriage will always be worth it !
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My Three Shredders
We are so fortunate to grow up in the Pacific Northwest. There are adventures to be had all around us. And this year I was determined to get all kids comfortable on the mountain, either skiing or boarding. I grew up skiing with my family and I love being on the mountain with fresh snow and those bluebird days…ah they are the best. We took advantage of Summit ski hill at Government Camp on Mt Hood. It’s the perfect place for little ones to learn to ski. They have one lift that is slow and perfect to learn how to get on and off the lift. The lift operators are so patient. Way more than I could dish out! And you don’t have to worry about more experienced skiers flying by your kid as they are learning to navigate the slopes and not to mention the price cannot be beat. I don’t know about you, I am not in the mood to donate my kidney to afford teaching my kid to ski and maybe only getting a couple runs in…um no thanks!
Here are my tips!
- Have low expectations! No really. Just plan on having a fun day and maybe only getting a run in if this is their first time up. That way you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you accomplish more. And if you don’t make it more than one run, just have a fun day in the snow and grab some hot chocolate.
- Pick a nice day to go up. Its not fun learning to ski if you it’s super cold, windy and its so snowy that the visibility is terrible. We picked sunny days where it had recently snowed so they could have pleasant experiences for their first couple of times.
- Keep it one to one ratio. This is not the time to be super mom or dad trying to tackle teaching more than one kid to ski at a time. It’s a disaster
- Rent equipment off the mountain. You will save money. And if you think you’ll be going at least once week, look into a season rental
- Ski midweek. Less crowded and will save even more money.
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It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!
… Everywhere we go! At least when you go to Leavenworth, Wa. This is the cutest little town in central Washington near the Cascade Mountain range that will make you think you are actually in Bavaria. The Christmas season is a perfect time to visit for a little getaway. With over 500,000 Christmas lights and the alpine style building, you might feel like you are peering into a Holiday Snoglobe. It really is picture perfect. After Thanksgiving is when the festivities start. Christmas spirit kicks off with a little parade with Santa and children walking down main street with lanterns. Enjoy some holiday shopping with Christkindlmarkt. There is also a ski hill nearby and places to go sledding. Blackbird Island is a great place for a walk
Things to do:
Nutracker museum. They have thousands of nutrackers of all styles and sizes. The kids get to enjoy a scavenger hunt while they are there and search for specifice nutcrackers.
The reindeer farm is a very neat experience and lets you get in the corral with the reindeer and feed them. But watch out for those antlers! Book online to ensure a and your family on the tour.
Blackbird Island. It’s right next to the Bavarian village and is so beautiful in the winter and the snow. The Wenatchee River flows right by it and it makes for a peaceful hike or snowball fight with all the snow on the ground. Whichever style you prefer
Outdoor Recreation: All sorts of fun activities for the snow enthusiast. Skiing/snowboarding, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, sleigh rides , dog sledding , snowmobiling, and more.
Where to Eat:
Plenty of places to eat and you won’t have trouble finding any German food. If that is not your style then there are also a few Mexican Restaurants, Breweries. and Pizza places .
Two of our favorite German restaurants:
Andreas Keller. A nice dine in restaurant with all the trimmings. You also get to enjoy live German music regularly
Leavenworth Sausage Garten; What else do you need besides sausage and bier?
And there are a pleothra of places for wine, beer and cider.
Where to Stay:
The village is quite small so even if you are staying outside the main area, it is still in walking distance and may save you some money. Most places have breakfast available to their guests and there are some hotels with pools. Just depends on what you are looking for.
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Family Travel Tips
After having a bag the size of me break on a train in Paris when I was 18, I have learned the importance of packing light! And now with a family of 5, packing light brings on a whole new meaning and makes traveling so much easier. These are my tips that I have found helpful.
- Recruit the kids. If they are walking they can carry their own backpack. Typically what I put in their backpacks are snacks, water bottle and toys/things to do for the plane ride. A lot of times I head to the dollar store and get a new coloring book , word puzzle or something easy to travel with that’s new to them. Kills some time on those long plane rides.
- Pack 1 or 2 carry on luggage that includes a change of clothes for everyone, swimsuits if you need them for your vacation, extra kids stuff that you cannot live without and a few more snacks. I always have my camera, electronics in a carry on luggage. Basically anyting I don’t want to risk being lost, damaged or delayed on getting to me on my trip.
- Pack 1 large carry on to check. If we are gone for a 1 week, I’ll bring 3-4 full outfits, pajamas, 1 shoe that is great for walking, 1 sandal, one jacket and then depending on purpose of trip weather you need other items. If you don’t know where to start, begin by placing everything you want to take out on your bed. Then eliminate a third of it. Place shoes in first and stuff them with your socks, undies, t shirts etc….anything srunchable. I’m big on rolling my clothes to maximize space. You can also use gallon size ziplock bags if you really want to compress your items. I haven’t done this with a family trip (yet) but have for myself and fit everything I needed in an oversize backpack for a trip to Czech Republic. For more great tips click here.
- Strollers and car seats are always checked for free if you need to take them. If you want your carseat on the plane you have to check to make sure it meets FAA regulations. We have never done that and to be honest, it sounds more like a hassle; but for those kids that do better in their carseats go for it!
- If you are flying international with a babe, some of the airlines have bassinetts you can utilize for your kids to lay down and sleep.
- Most car rental places have the option to rent a car seat if you decide not to bring your own.
- If your child is too small to sleep in a bed, a lot of places have pack n’plays or cribs to rent you just need to call ahead to reserve. And if they are not available where you are staying, sometimes a quick google search can let you know if there is a place nearby that can rent baby stuff out.
- To get on the plane early or not???….Honestly it’s personal choice. Sometimes it’s nice to let your kids run around until the last minute, while other times it’s nice to get on the plane and get you and your family settled before everyone else gets on board too. Go with what works for your situation.
- Bring childrens OTC meds. You don’t want to me stuck somewhere and your child needs something for let’s say, fever and you have to track down the nearest drug store. When we went to Mexico I pretty much brought a whole medicine cabinet! Also include antibiotic oinment, bandaids, thermometer etc
- And lastly, just relax. You’ll probably get the looks, your child will scream or kick the seat in front of you, they could very well pee their pants, but it will all be ok. As long as you are paying attention to your kid and their needs and let’s be honest, they are’t being annoying a**holes on purpose, it will be find. So sit back, relax and enjoy these moments,because one day they’ll be gone!
Ezra and Jackson on the way to Mexico -
With Brave Wings She Flies
I had the honor and privilege to attend Earn Your Wings this year. It is an exclusive leadership retreat with my team that was held in sunny San Diego. I was so excited to attend. One thing I have learned from being a mom, is that you cannot pour from an empty cup and going to events like these fill me up! There’s nothing like being surrounded by positive, confident women that build each other up, cheer each other on and help each other be the best versions of themselves and therefore able to give the best of them to the people in their lives. I may be a boy mom, but I want to show them that women are capable of so much. I want them to see that I am confident in who I am, that I am not afraid to follow the dreams and desires that God has place on my heart. That it is ok to dream BIG for yourself and that I have so much power and the ability to go for it. To not be ashamed or afraid of failing because it just means that I was trying something new or hard. And this was what this event was all about. We had five amazing women putting this all together for us and totally spoiled us. They have such big hearts for serving other people and helping them succeed. We started it off with a White Party, where I got to mingled and meet some other powerhouse women. The next morning we enjoyed the beautiful sun and walked around the marina with an icebreaker session, followed by a some amazing speakers that talked about leadership. We had a little friendly competition between our tables and had to be creative with a scavenger hunt around the resort. Let’s just say nothing was off limits except don’t break any laws…lol. Day 2 certainly did not disappoint and got my butt worked with some bootcamp on the beach. What a way to get the blood flowing! The second session was learning how to work with different kinds of peoples and really utilizing strengths within the team and a bunch of brainstorming and collaboration. Our session ended with a special ceremony. We got to release baby butterflies outside as watched how they learned to fly. The process to become a beautiful reminds me of life’s journey and here they finally Earned Their Wings and flew…. It was such special moment to witness. I’ll always remember that behind every beautiful and glorious moments in life, there were sacrifices and tough times that got me there and If I hadn’t pushed through, I may never have experienced those special times.
Earn Your Wings Bossbabes 
Scavenger Hunt 
Beach Bootcamp 
When biz partners become friends 
Our team doesn’t have any fun!
