The Weekly Photo

I know this picture has already been on the blog, but I want this one to be my Weekly Photo. So don't bother looking at this post; I'm just saving this here so I can later put it my Weekly Photo photo album, which I order every year.

Nature is Free

Well sure, National Parks cost money, and sometimes if you live in the city you have to drive out to nature, but really this beautiful natural world is pretty much free to roam. 

We love to go out and hike, explore and observe. There are so many beautiful things to see and you do not need money to see them, just the will to go.

Elanor and I are back in Utah briefly and Tyler had quite a few days off, being President's weekend. On Valentine's Day, it was 60 degrees here (crazy, right?) but we decided to enjoy it and went up to Little Dell Resevoir for a dinner picnic and some exploring.

Silly girl.

A beaver dam.

On Monday, it was a little cooler but we still wanted to do something fun outside. We decided to go to Little Cottonwood Canyon and walk up the stream. We anticipated some snow (though there should have been 5-6 feet), there was a little left over snow, but it did start snowing while we were up there! I love snow. We brought lunch and hot chocolate, which made the experience so pleasant!

We brought snow boots for her, but she would not wear them! Luckily, the snow was so hard that she did not sink through at all.

Slipping and sliding on some icy snow.

We love going on these adventures together and are so excited to add a baby into our family fun. I am getting really excited at this point and can't wait for her to come! Only about  nine weeks to go!

Also, I don't mind sharing name ideas, so here are some of ours (feel free to comment on which ones you like best and why):

Rosalind or Roseline

{we would also probably call her Rose}

Anja 

{pronounced An-ya--it is a Scandinavian name}

Alice

{Elanor really likes Alice}

Olivia

{unfortunately, it is the number two most popular name in the the U.S. right now}

Hermione

{I do love this name, it is a Shakespeare heroine name, as well as very obviously being from Harry Potter}

Thoughts? Any other suggestions? We have had a hard time picking a name this time around! I also don't like naming a baby until I see her, since I think how she looks/feels can determine a lot.

The Weekly Photo

We had a a picnic up at Little Dell Reservoir on Valentine's Day. It was so lovely to be with my two most favorite Valentines.  Elanor had a lot of fun finding several beaver dams on this stream!

More pictures coming tomorrow!

The Weekly Photo

If you follow me on Instagram, then you already saw this photo/drawing. Sorry, but I love it! My brother, Ian, who is on an LDS mission, sent this in the mail to Elanor! Elanor often sends Ian her artwork (we only send her best pieces) and he usually sends her a drawing back. It is often just a funny little sketch, so it was wonderful to get this beautiful water color. Ian wrote that it is his dream tree house. Elanor and I have had a fun time looking at it and exploring all the little areas. Can you spot the tire swing? 

The Weekly Photo + Skiing

Elanor skiing at Park City Resort.

We took Elanor skiing last week at Park City. They have a free magic carpet skiing area, which is perfect for kids. She had a lot of fun, but did get a bit bored since it was not very steep and the snow was rather slow. Elanor loves to go fast!

Elanor getting on the magic carpet by herself.

Elanor was also able to go skiing this past weekend with my dad as well! And yes, we are up in Portland again. I am doing the choreography for my mom's play and Elanor has a part in it as well, so we will be up here a lot in the next two months.



Also, there should have been a Weekly Photo posted Monday, the 27th. Here is that photo:

Elanor and Tyler going out on a Daddy-daughter date!