July - Living Large

July is gone in a flash. 

A lot of big things happened this month - things not to be forgotten.

Mike turned 40. 

He said all he wanted to do for his birthday was take the kids and hike Timp. It's been many years since we were up there. So we put out the call to our trusty friends, the Wheeler's. (How many friends can you ask to hike 15 miles with you knowing they will jump at the chance? Thanks Wheeler's!)

Per Tillman's brilliant plan, Mike enjoying a surprise birthday DP at the summit...(in commemoration of this commercial-worthy moment last year atop Angel's Landing...) 

photo cred Tim Melton

Tillman REALLY wanted to come. I admit that I had my doubts, but this kid was on the mountain for about 12 hours - hiked 17 miles (we did an extra 2 miles because of  an unintended detour at the beginning of the day) - without any problem. Tillman, you're the man!   p.s. the wildflowers were UNBELIEVABLE!

One of the highlights of the day was when we reached the meadow below the switchbacks up to the saddle - we came across two big horn sheep. The one just stood there while we sat and ate our lunch. He was definitely on his guard with River and a few other dogs around. WOW.  Something I've never seen before. It was so cool.

On the saddle, ready to start out for the summit. River was pretty wiped out by this time. But those dog booties Mike bought for him this past winter helped a lot on the loose, sharp rock toward the top. We ran into my sister-in-law's mother at this point. She'd already summited for the day, and made the rest of us feel like wusses. 

At the peak. A new perspective. And all of us with the beginnings of altitude headaches at this point.

The hike back was uneventful (except the fact that I managed a second degree sunburn on my neck...still paying for that) - but I have to say that toward the end I was wishing I had those two miles back from the beginning of the day when we took that wrong turn. 17 miles is a lot of walking in one day - especially with so much altitude change. Extended periods of downhill are hard. My hips and legs were aching a lot on the way back. River felt the same way I think. Every time we slowed down on the trail for any reason River would make a desperate attempt to lay down under a bush or tree. Mike had to work to keep him going. He loved the intermittent streams to drink out of and cool off in.

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Noble was slated to join us for the Timp expedition but the week before developed a case of pneumonia... which not only put the kibosh on Timp for him but also kept him out of cross country work outs for almost two weeks.

Noble's incriminating x-ray. Note the faint white patches on the right side of the x-ray (left lung).

The day after Timp (Mike's actual birthday) we had his parents and some of my siblings over to share memories and eat cake and ice cream with us. Mike's brothers and sister's in law had sent their memories to me via email and we read them together. It was a great evening.

Mike's dad reading Mike's 8th grade autobiographical life sketch. It was so fun to hear what he had written about his life!

 Noble's birthday follows Mike's birthday (the very next day). For the big day he scored the professional grade downhill longboard he's had his eye on for a long time. It was kind of a funny how that all came together. He told us about the class of board he wanted and between Mike and Noble and I we probably went to 3 or 4 shops looking for it. Noble was totally disgusted with the lady at Zoomies who tried to tell him that she had a great downhill board with double kingpins (apparently exactly what you DON'T want for downhill). Since she'd lost all credibility with him, he just wanted to ignore her and get out. They didn't have what he wanted anyway. I told Noble we would have to just order it. But he had invited his bff for an afternoon of  epic downhill longboarding in Provo Canyon and he was really hoping to do it on a new Sector Nine Downhill Division deck. As a last-ditch effort Mike took Noble and his friend to a board shop he found online up in Sugarhouse. As soon as they walked through the door they knew that had found their paradise. It was bare bones, poser-free, with a couple of hard-core skater guys working on some bikes, and his dream board there on the wall. They talked shop with those guys for a while (Mike later put a damper on Noble's idolization of them, explaining that kicking around in a skate shop well into your twenties shouldn't be his highest aspiration). When, as they left the shop the skater-guys handed them a few skate magazines, they were officially fans for life. Because of the unplanned visit to Sugarhouse, there was no longer time to drive to Provo Canyon, and the skater-guys told them about some good skate hills around the University of Utah which they were only too happy to try out. Mike accompanied them on his own board.

Father son ride at the U

After that adventure they returned home and several other members of Project Thane (the moniker that Noble and his skater friends have given to their skateboarding brotherhood / board repair shop) came over for a bbq and, of course, more riding.

(A sampling from Project Thane's most recent photo shoot...Noble pulling some crazy slide maneuver.)

With summer birthdays behind us we turned our attention to a Trek family reunion at our house on Tuesday (a day after Noble's birthday), 4H the same night, and girls camp the morning after that. A lot of stuff to manage. Our Trek reunion went really well; we enjoyed having our kids over to reconnect, share a few inside jokes and take a photo. Jessie got herself to 4H and we planned to bring the trailer toward the end of practice. But during our Trek reunion she called us and said her horse was acting funny and that our friend Kyle (of Goblin Valley Arabian headdress fame) was helping her get him ready to take to the vet. Mike and quickly wrapped things up with our Trek kids and drove over to meet them. The vet checked her out and confirmed that she was in the early stages of colic. Jessie was really worried; she's seen enough horses die of colic. We got a hold of my dad in Nauvoo and he gave us some advise. The vet kept her over night to watch her. Jessie was pretty much decided not to go to girls camp till she knew what would happen with Dolly. I told her I'd leave it up to her. But my dad encouraged her to go anyway. Thanks, Dad. That gave her the courage to go...with the condition that Mike text or call me with updates for her. It all worked out, and Dolly improved over night and into the next day. Mike picked her up the next evening and brought her home.

Jessie with her Dolly

The next day Jessie, Grace and I headed for the Uinta's for 4 days of girls camp. With all of the distractions in the days leading up to camp I managed to forget a few critical things when we left, including my bag with all my clothes and toothbrush, etc. Thankfully, we had some people coming up that night and they brought it to me.

Of all the girls camps that I have been to, and I've been to a lot of them, this was without a doubt my favorite. And not just because we did some really fun things. The spiritual preparation ahead of time was evident in the spirit that filled our camp for those days. It was amazing. I really didn't want it to end.
Of course, there were a few other things that made this camp special. The fact that we stayed in a cabin was pretty nice: a bed to sleep in at night, indoor plumbing (though we didn't get  to take showers), and electricity. Also, we had the BEST food I have ever eaten at camp. Some of you will recognize Arlen and Jodi Jarrett in the photo below (they were in my ward growing up). They were our camp chefs, and the menu was incredible! As good as the food was on its own, Jodi stepped things up a notch with her presentation - sign boards, checked table cloths, no detail was overlooked (I should have taken a picture of the buffet).

I love these two.

Our camp directors were bold this year - which I SO appreciated - and went forward in planning a legitimate 4-5 mile hike (Lofty Lakes Loop above Steiner). We definitely had to do some encouraging with the some of the girls when they got tired - but most of them had doneTrek earlier in the summer (30 miles) - so we reminded them that they could certainly handle a measly 5 miles (the camp director told me after that it was only 4.1 but that she just called it 5 because of all the climbing). It was spectacular. I told Mike that I want to take the kids there. I thought it was the most "bang-for-your-buck" hike I had ever been on. I think we saw about 6 lakes and 2-3 breath-taking vistas.

with the girls at Kamas Lake- the first of many lakes we saw

The overlook above Steiner

Later that day...with Jessie and C-Mac (J's good friend) before skits. They did "Shoulder Angel" (see Studio C)

That night I went with one of the camp directors and the 4th years to do a night hike / star gazing. It turned out to be my all-time favorite thing that I've ever done at any girls camp. It was simple and it was life-changing. With the near full Blue Moon in the sky we walked (only about half a mile) without flashlights to where we laid out blankets or towels, had a song and prayer and then laid back to watch the sky while the camp director played 2 hymns (All Creatures of Our God and King, O My Father). After that we talked about our thoughts and feelings while she fired up some hot chocolate and cider on a couple of rocket stoves. The girls sat around sipping and sharing, and everyone wanted to just stay longer.

This is my super inadequate attempt at capturing the moment as we walked to our site. A glowing sunset in the west with a beautiful moon rising in the trees to the east...and mostly black in between. It really was an amazingly beautiful night.

 The next morning we headed out for Sulfur Creek Reservoir a few miles down the road to do some boating, wake boarding, tubing, etc. The girls (and leaders) got in all the high octane water sport they wanted (I myself ended the day with a big wipe out on the tube with J. and her friend), and also with a handful of kayaks and duckies that one of the camp directors brought. It was so much fun!

Gathering for testimony meeting later that evening.

What an amazing week. I missed Mike and the boys, but I wouldn't have minded if camp had gone a little longer. I really love these girls and the women I get to serve with. 

40 Years

Can you believe it? I'm Forty.

This is how we celebrated...

Brave souls at the bottom of the Goblin's Lair rappel

Thanks to Mike, I had the best birthday ever. (Except when I turned 6 and I got bunk beds. No one could top that.) Mike planned an epic 40th birthday friend party, and had managed to keep all of it a secret from me until about 2 weeks out when he panicked and told me so he could get help with the logistics. I wasn't disappointed to be let in on the secret. It was a little like finding out if your baby is a boy or girl: whether at the ultrasound or at birth, it's still exciting. I helped him plan the menu and send out the info to our guests, an eclectic group of our friends from different spheres: old high school / college friends, ward / neighborhood friends, 4H friends -- along with my parents and brother, Casey and his family who made the trip to help pull off a magical weekend.

Mike had scheduled the group camp site at the Goblin Valley camp ground. Most of us decided to bring a trailer / RV because temperatures at night were forecast in the 20's. This was a first for us - but I have to say, I could get used to that. A warm, comfortable place to sleep, convenient bathroom, hot running water, a refrigerator....AND the beauty of nature right outside the door...that's what I'm talking about. The only downside was having to fill the tank on the expedition again and again...it takes a lot of gas to pull something that big.

We made the trip down on Thursday evening and set up camp. Our friends, the Laroza's made it down late Thursday night too. Friday morning we got up (Abner woke us up at 6:30 AM yelling, "Emy's here! Emy's here!" after he looked out the window and saw his bff's trailer parked next to ours), made our breakfast and then set out together for Little Wild Horse Canyon where we hiked about 4 miles with our friends.

Abner and Sully spanning the canyon walls in Little Wild Horse

During the day on Friday we were joined by the Sullivan's, the Anderton's, the Wheeler's and about midnight, the Loveland family in their bus. That evening we made a preliminary expedition into the Valley of the Goblin's while Mike and Irwin drove into Hanksville for a spare part to make a repair on one of the trailers (the first of two trips to Hanksville over the weekend). The kids had a blast.

After dinner around the campfire with everyone,  Mike and I stayed up late with the Wheeler's talking about life and burned a good portion of wood while we waited for the Loveland's.

The next morning we had a deluxe group breakfast before some took the horde of kids for a game of capture the flag in the Valley of the Goblins while others of us headed out to rappel the Goblin's Lair. I missed the opportunity the last time we did this so I was excited to go. And a little nervous. I don't like ledges.

Hiking out to Goblin's Lair

Becky preparing to the rappel into Goblin's Lair

At the edge. I kept grilling Casey about EXACTLY what I was supposed to do...and telling him I loved him...just in case. I wanted him to know I trusted him...and not to let me fall.

Me in the middle of my 72 foot descent into Goblin's Lair.

Casey, the expert, bringing up the rear.

Our friend, Kyle, slipped into his Lawrence of Arabia headdress just before he made his descent. He was the one of the last one's down, and we all laughed super hard when we saw him come over the edge dressed for the occasion. Later, after we climbed out of the cavern, he photo bombed this picture of Jessie and her friend. This is probably my favorite picture of the weekend. Seriously funny.

After a leisurely lunch together we all said our goodbyes; some stayed for another day while others returned home.

I was amazed at how well everyone meshed and enjoyed talking & laughing together, not knowing each other before, and with different backgrounds. Some were making plans to get together later independent of us. Such cool people. I am so grateful for good people in my life, those who made the trip to Goblin and those who weren't there. In my 40 years I have been blessed with some of the best friends and mentors anyone could know. I love you all.
Also, thanks and love to all of my family and Mike's family. You are the most important part of my life. We had a get together with my siblings the day after we got back. I love them so much. They are my best friends. (They were there for that unsurpassed 6 year old bunk bed birthday.) And to my parents, my oldest friends: thanks for ALL my birthdays. I love you.

A Different Sort of Hike

Mike had been telling me about this place he'd heard about in the Unita's recently. A place where people have been building fairy houses in the woods for years. We wanted to go check it out. We finally carved out the time on Saturday (I insisted - overriding all objections - even if it was an hour's drive and it was already 3:30 PM). 

What a strange place it is. Just about a half mile walk from the turn-out on the Mirror Lake Highway you come into this place - maybe an acre or two of people's whimsical creations. Organic in a non-organic kind of way. Whatever people have thought up. Some of it is just super tacky, some of it clever, some magical. The kids LOVED exploring it! They want to make one. 

This goes down as one of my favorite pictures of ALL TIME.

Crossing the stream on the way in. Check out Tillman's awesome attitude spelled out in his expression. (It changed dramatically a few minutes later as he fell under the spell of the Fairy Forest.)

Definitely a colorful place

 In my opinion, there were too many brightly painted rocks. I picture a fairy forest as a more subtly magical place. But we did have a few favorite painted rocks. 

The Joseph Smith quote

For you, Casey and Helen

The happy rock

 Other stuff we liked...

Love this picture of the little boys. Sully standing there in  his "Chill I got this Bro" shirt and Abner running at him with a lance.  Ha ha ha. 

Mini Stonehenge

Cleverly painted Moose stick

Don't know what this is -- but somebody took a lot of time welding it together -- so there you go.

After our stroll through the Fairy Forest we headed to Bruges  for dinner, and then, because we were close, we stopped at the Millcreek Sullivan's for a visit. We interrupted bed time, but Casey and Helen were nice to let the kids come out to play for a while anyway.  

Noble and the other Noble (Noble Ezekiel Roanhorse) having a friendly futbol match in the back yard.

That was fun.

A Smattering

I usually like to follow a specific theme in a blog post. It keeps me focused and I draw meaning from the experiences of our lives that way. But when I go a month between posts that's kind of hard to do. I don't want to leave stuff out...so let's try a little thematic scatter-shot... stay with me.

#1. Outside Enjoying the Last Warm Days

Sully and Abner taking flight on the swings (in the play area that is STILL a work in progress -- into year 2 of this reno, and it will probably be next year when we finish this up). I love Sully's face. ha ha ha.

 A LOVELY late-summer sunrise.

 And and equally beautiful sunset. 

 Noble getting after it on the soccer field. He is really enjoying soccer even though, by contrast  to last year, his team hasn't won a game yet.

#2. Abner the Master of Cuh-Razy

The award for the busy, busy, busy, busiest Melton EVER goes to.....Abner William. He is wall-to-wall action, all day, every day. He can climb ANYTHING, get into just about any kind of container, get out of his crib, and open doors. He loves my make-up, throwing sand and flour and powdered sugar, drinking out of the toilet, eating gum from....who knows where?, head-butting, biting, tackling, spitting, pouring his own milk (!), NOT napping, helping himself to the fridge and pantry anytime, terrorizing the cat and even Jupiter, and running (away from me) at a VERY impressive pace (if we can channel his abilities, we may have an Olympian on our hands). Now that he can get out of his crib and open doors, nap and bed times have become a tricky business, usually including Ab ransacking the room, wrestling (sometimes beating up on) Sully, escaping,  me chasing him around the house (did I mention how FAST he is?), and finally resulting in him running suddenly out of fuel and crashing somewhere on the floor or at the foot of Sully's bed, after which we scoop him up and deposit him in his crib. (And then collapsing into bed ourselves.)

Doesn't he look angelic when he's asleep? This is my favorite time of the day.

We call this picture "Abner: The Acoustic Version"

(FYI, he loves Jessie's old baby doll and insists on having her with him at bed time. He does have a sweet, tender side.)

 We tried the door knob covers that we used when Sully was little. That worked for about a week, and then he just figured out how to break it apart to get access to the door knob.

This was plan B...so far so good.

#3. Jessie's Quinsinera (sort of)

Jess recently celebrated her 15th birthday. I agreed to let her have her first (at least since about 1st grade) "integrated" boy/girl party.

We spent the afternoon before the party cleaning the basement. This crew of neighbor kids wasn't necessarily helpful in that effort, but they were pretty awesome in their ninja outfits.

Once the teenagers arrived, things got exciting. The music was loud (they plugged in someone's ipod with lots of Queen and Twisted Sister...? Flash back to 1985. That was weird.), and the kids were louder.

"We're not gonna take it!!!....."

Dancing, games, eating, running amock in the back yard / trampolining, presents and a movie... could a 15 year old ever want for more?

Pizza, Italian sodas and munchies (in our unsightly unfinished basement kitchen).

Jessie reported that the word on the street was that this was the best party they had ever been to.

Booyah! We're popular! ...ha ha ha ha... 

Actually, I was just glad when it was over. So much noise and commotion (and a lot of sweaty teenage boys in my basement...ick) was enough to make me a little tense for those 3 hours. In fact I excused myself for about an hour to take Grace and her friends to the tennis courts -- just to get away.  Mike on the other hand, was loving it. He hung out a lot of the time in the basement keeping an eye on things, but also teasing and laughing....and rocking out I'm sure. ha ha ha.

#4. In the Garden/Kitchen

Oh man, we've got produce coming out of our ears.  I have just totally given up on keeping on top of the cucumbers, squash and chard.  Some weird fungus has taken hold of my tomatoes, so we haven't gotten a lot off of them for the past 3 weeks...just enough make it for eating fresh, which is fine by me since I didn't have plans to can any this year. The beets are gang-busters still, so I need to put borscht into the menu about once a week for the next month. And don't get me started on the piles of peaches falling off the neighbors' tree into our garden. Most years we (and the neighbors) have been on it. Not so this year. Too much going on I guess. I get a guilty feeling every time I look in the direction of the peach trees, knowing that hundreds of them have fallen and are moldering in heaps. I have collected some here and there to use in pies, and just to eat. But today I went out and tried to collect most of the usable fruit from the ground to make into fruit leather. I knew I wouldn't be canning any peaches this year, but I decided to try out the dehydrator my brother Sean gave us for Christmas last year.

A little bit of this and that...

 Humming away on the back deck.

#5. My Little Brother Got Married

Speaking of Sean.... His big day arrived this past Saturday. Unfortunately, so also arrived a nasty virus, making Sean a very sick man. Can you believe it?! We all felt bad but he was awesome. He smiled and toughed it out, even though he was literally ready to pass out by the end of the evening. 

I am so happy for them. I love Kim. Somehow I didn't take any pictures with my own camera during the day of the bride and groom together, and I haven't seen the official photos yet. 

The temple ceremony was awesome. My siblings and I all agreed that we wish we could have a recording of what was said, for our future reference.  It was so happy.

Sean with all his beautiful nieces. 

The boys 

 Mike having a pre-reception chat with my pretty grandma. She looks so young for 87!

I, for one, had a fantastic time! I love weddings! I love seeing old friends and neighbors and beloved family.  I love that a new family has been formed. I love that my brother is loved and is in love. I wish it could have been an easier day for Sean and Kim (with Sean being so sick compounded by the stress of putting on a reception with all its moving parts). They did an awesome job. I am grateful to have Kim as a sister. A new sister! Yay! Welcome to the family, Kim. The eternal family is what it's all about.