"We're off to Trick 'r Treat......."

Happy Halloween!!!

I love Halloween!!! In fact I always have loved it, but adding little ones to the picture makes it even twice the fun. Since C was barely two-years-old she's had a fascination with the "Wizard of Oz." We'll never forget being on a car trip and C at the young age of two out of the blue said, "Give me back your ruby slippers, they're of no use to you!" The fascination has continued ever since and there's never a day that goes by where C isn't having to wear a blue dress, or is found carrying around a tattered old basket with a raggedy Toto (who's a white poodle) inside. Therefore, we dedicated this Halloween to the Wizard of Oz.

A was a great sport through all of this. I don't think that being a witch for Halloween was top on her list but she happily gave in when we presented her the option. Tyler used his creative skills to make her a wicked broom out of materials left over from our yard and a bamboo stick. And of course Cambry was Dorothy complete with ruby red slippers (red church shoes) on her feet.

We went to A's Halloween Parade at her Elementary School and we're excited to find out the the 1st grade teacher's theme was none other than the "Wizard of Oz." C was so excited when she saw Glinda, so of course we had to take her picture with her. Also along the way we ran into the Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man, and A's teacher was the friendly Scarecrow.

Along the way Dorothy decided to stray from her usual behavior and picked up a lonely pirate along with a ballerina munchkin along the way. Of course, Aunty Em (or boring Mommy) was the one behind the camera.

Using a Little More Caution

To borrow from my sister-in-law's blogging style, we have decided to remove the actual names of our children from our blog entries (Thanks Ganelle!).

We don't want to take our blog private, but we do want to protect the identities of our children a little more.

As visitors to our blog, and when referring to our children in comments, please use their first initial in all references (comments with actual names will not be posted).

Hee Haw Harvest

Our family spent a fun filled night at Hee Haw farms. It was a beautiful fall night filled with corn mazes, slippery slides, a haunted barn and crisp fall air!



A & C had fun riding in their pretty pink piggy!

Daddy took C on a fun filled 4-wheeling ride!! It was a great evening until the very last when our daughters decided to enter a blown up haunted house. While every other child came out with a huge smile on their face, A and C came out balling and appauled that we would even consider sending them into a place like that. What can I say, we love our girls but they all need to toughen up!!!

Our Newest Addition to the Family!!!

Is it C's newest doll?





Is it A's newest masterpiece?





Is it Tyler's newest Elk Horn?





Have we adopted a new baby into our family?

No, it is our latest zucchini to take over the garden and it is in the 100th percentile for zucchini's. Now the question is, "What in the world is mom going to do with it?"

7800 Feet of Fun and Mosquitos (elevation)

This last weekend, Tyler's family ventured down from the Ogden area to join us in a camping trip to Payson Lakes. I must admit that Tyler took A and C up Friday afternoon, while I came up Saturday morning with H and Tyler's mom. It got too cold up there for a three-month-old to sleep in a tent (not to mention too cold for me ;) jk).

Tyler took the afternoon off on Friday and packed up the van with all our camping supplies, Opa's canoe, and all four of our bikes. The van was loaded down!

Opa (Gil), Tyler's dad, came up with Tyler's sister Tammi and her two kids, C1 and C2.

When Omi (Trudi) and I arrived Saturday morning, Opa had breakfast ready for us. They packed up the campsite and we headed down to the lake. This is a great campground by the way, surrounded by pine and aspen trees with a small lake. We'll be back for sure.

Tyler took C1 and A out in the canoe to do some fishing. We got A her very first fishing pole, an early birthday present, it's a Barbie themed pole. After several failed attempts at close to surface fishing, Tyler decided to drop the bait down to the bottom of the lake. Within a minute, A had a great 10-inch fish on her line! Reel it in!!! A was so proud of her catch! She even ate it for dinner that night.

Maybe in the next summer or two we'll purchase a tent trailer. That's my kind of camping.

Saddle Sore

Occasionally, I ride my bike and the bus to/from work. At the end of June, I decided one day on a whim that I would ride home from work—13.4 miles. It took me just under an hour at approx. 14 mph. I was hot, tired and worn out after that ride. It was the biggest ride I've done in nearly two years!

Yesterday, I did the same thing . . . only the result was very different.

A week ago, I took the advice of my brother-in-law, an avid road cyclist (thank you Ron). Since I can't get the road bike I want (too expensive), I replaced my big fat knobby tires on my mtn. bike with small slick road tires (26x1.25)—a $50 fix.

I was able to do the same ride in exactly 45-minutes of riding time, or 17.86 mph—only my second time riding home from work. At the end of this ride, I felt much less exhausted. One factor could be that the temperature was about 8-degrees less yesterday. Or it could have been the fact that I was riding in bike shorts (no, not the tight spandex kind, sorry). But I am sure that the new tires really helped a lot (much less resistance on the road).

I was getting to the point that my gears weren't much of a resistance—I couldn't pedal any faster. Road bikes have a higher gear ratio, allowing for faster speeds.

My goal is to work up my endurance and strength to do the ride in under 40 minutes, or 20+ mph by the time the weather turns too cold.

Camp Loll Alumni Trip – Day 4

Camp Loll/Home:

Sunday morning, we had LDS church services at the Campfire Bowl. Due to the sheer size of the group, we couldn't hold it in the normal area designated as the Chapel. (When this camp was a seven-day camp, services were held in the Chapel for all troops and staff that wanted to attend.)

Delose (the camp director), gave us (Todd and me), a preview of the alumni meeting to be held in the lodge later in the day to discuss the need for contributions from alumni and others to pay for program equipment expenses and maintenance costs. One of their biggest needs and wishes is for climbing equipment and sailing vessels (catamarans, etc.).

At noon, we took off for home. Another 30 miles of road, most of it dirt, towards Ashton, Idaho, on down through Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Brigham City and Ogden. I dropped off my dad in Layton and then home.

According to Google Maps, I clocked 770 miles and over 16 hours of driving on this trip. 406 to Camp Loll and 364 back home including all our detours. This is nothing compared to Todd's 2200 miles he covered for this trip.

It was very relaxing to take our time this weekend. Normally, we drive straight to camp and straight back. It was nice to relax at the different campsites and enjoy the scenery more on the way up there. In my opinion, it is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world.

A view of the Grand Tetons from the Wyoming side

Conner looking cool for the camera

A timed exposure shot of Todd spearing himself with a stick

Looking off the cliff near the Campfire Bowl down into the crystal blue waters of Lake of the Woods

Camp Loll Alumni Website

Camp Loll Alumni Trip – Day 3

Camp Loll:

We packed up camp near Flagg Ranch and drove the 17 miles of dirt road to Camp Loll. As this week's scouts were leaving, staff alumni and their families (300+ in number) were arriving at camp.

After lunch and setting up our tents (third time in three days), we had the chance to use the facilities. Waterfront. Archery. Polar Bear Plunge. Rifle Range. Rapelling. Etc.

Our first priority was to do the swim check in the infamous cold water of Lake of the Woods (60 degrees this weekend). I ended up being the first of all alumni to complete the swim check. Todd was second. Conner attempted twice, but decided both times that the water was too cold.

Afterwards, we took out row boats, whitewater kayaks and sea kayaks. I also took several other plunges into the water.

After the waterfront, we hit the archery range. I consistantly hit the blue area at the top of the target with three of my arrows. Two went past the target and into the hillside.

Since we were already in our swimsuits, we decided to take our group over to Polar Bear Springs to take "The Plunge" — 10-seconds of sitting down while 35-degree water cascades over your body (this makes you wonder why humans are at the top of the food chain) . . . I again took the lead in our group, followed by Dawson, Todd and then Conner. I guess that my dad is the only smart one in our group.

After dinner and the evening flag ceremony, it was off to the Campfire Bowl . . . actually a stage on a cliff overlooking the lake.

Looking back at the Waterfront and Campfire Bowl (on the cliff) from the Polar Bear Springs trail

A view of the lodge, current staff, alumni staff and their families at the flag pole (the lodge did not exist when we were on staff)

Just before the Campfire program began

Proof that I took the Polar Bear Plunge. I admit, I have extra padding to help me endure such freezing water.

View Larger Map

Camp Loll is located on Lake of the Woods in Wyoming, two miles south of Yellowstone and four miles north of Grand Teton National Park in the Targhee National Forest. Access is by dirt road either from Ashton, Idaho or Flagg Ranch, Wyoming near the south entrance of Yellowstone. About 15-20 miles of the road before arriving in camp is on roughly graded dirt roads. The road is commonly called the Ashton-Flagg Ranch or Grassy Lake road. The camp is operated by the Trapper Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America based out of Ogden, Utah.

Camp Loll Alumni Website

Camp Loll Alumni Trip – Day 2

Jackson/Jenny Lake/Flagg Ranch:

This morning, Todd was itching for all-you-can-eat sourjacks from Jedediah's in Jackson. After breakfast, we looked around the shops in Jackson before heading up to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park where we took the ferry across the lake to hike up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

We then drove on to Flagg Ranch, a small resort/general store area just before the South Entrance of Yellowstone. This is where the road takes off across the southern boundary of Yellowstone towards Ashton, Idaho. About a mile west of Flagg Ranch, we found a campsite right next to the Snake River where we cooked dinner and swam in a small arm of the river near Polecat Creek. Later, we took a dip in the area that was formerly the Polecat Creek Hot Springs Resort.

Breakfast at Jedediah's

Tyler in front of Jackson Square

A nasty bug on my dad's shoulder while at Jenny Lake

A cute chipmunk eating that same nasty bug after I flipped it off dad's shoulder (I must have killed it). The chipmunk came up on it's own, picked it up and started munching. Don't worry, he didn't eat the legs or antennae.

Todd, Dawson and Conner on the ferry crossing at Jenny Lake

Camp Loll Alumni Website

Camp Loll Alumni Trip – Day 1

Monte Cristo/Hoback River:

This weekend, we returned to Camp Loll, where Todd and I served on staff for several of our summers: Todd in 1986, '87, '90, '91; myself in 1990, '91, '92.

Todd drove with his four-year-old (Dawson) from Blue Springs, MO and met myself, Dad (Opa) and Todd's oldest son Conner at the Star Valley Cheese Factory in Thayne.

We began our journey in Layton, up I-84, over to Huntsville, over Monte Cristo and up through Randolph, Woodruff and Star Valley. After a late lunch at the Cheese Factory, we drove up through Alpine Junction, and Hoback Junction, we found a campsite on the Hoback River to spend the night. One of Todd's good friends from Loll, Dan Reeder and his two sons, met us at our campsite.

The legendary Star Valley Cheese Factory was a big disappointment this trip. Their cheese room was empty, half of the cheese they had was from Utah's Cache Valley, the "squeaky cheese" (curds) were dry and quiet, the knick-knacks and huckleberry treats were MIA and we were the only people in the restaurant. A far cry from previous trips, including the one three years ago.

While driving over Monte Cristo we wanted to follow up to our snowmobiling adventure on March 21 this year, I wanted to stop by the that outhouse we let the kids slide off the roof of to get a picture.

March 21, 2008

July 31, 2008

Tyler and A went snowmobiling in March.

Tyler, Todd, Gilbert, Dawson, Conner

Camp Loll Alumni Website

"Through the Years"

Although eight years seems like an "eternity" we have many more to go...but I'm glad that I can spend them with you. Hopefully you can put up with me that long. (JK) I love you Tyler!! Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father to our girls. Happy Anniversary! I hope that the fun never ends.

Eight years . . . REALLY?!?!

Has it really been that long? What have we done in eight years?

2000-2001
Living in St. George, Tyler attending SUU and working at Boulevard, Cheryl teaching at Cross Creek, Wangsgard family trip to Jackson Hole.

2001-2002
Wangsgard family trip to Lake Powell, we hiked the Subway in Zion NP, trip to Hawaii, our temple sealing, Tyler graduated SUU.

2002-2003
A was born, Cheryl fell gravely ill post-birth, trip to Disneyland, we moved to Las Vegas.

2003-2004
Celine Dion concert (Vegas), we moved to Roy, Tyler took job at Lifetime Products.

2004-2005
Wangsgard family Baja cruise, C was born, Cheryl had gallbladder removed.

2005-2006 - Moved to Spanish Fork, Tyler took job at Dentrix, Wangsgard family Disneyland trip, family road trip to Seattle.

2006-2007
Tyler took job at MediaOne, Wangsgard family Disneyland trip #2, Smith family reunion in Midway.

2007-2008
Family road trip to Missouri/Denver, H was born, Tyler took job at BYU.

My view at BYU

I moved into my new office today. Instead of staring at walls all day, this is my new view.

A great view of Rock Canyon wouldn't you say?

And "Y" Mountain!