So when it's too cold to camp, you do other things.
When it's too cold to camp, you go hiking. It's a thing in Utah to put big letters up on mountains to represent colleges and cities. Like in Provo, there's this big "Y" on the mountain to represent BYU. Well, this tradition has evidently made its way up to Idaho, and near Rexburg is "R" Mountain. So yesterday, Gerald and Eli and I decided to hike up to the top. It was a fairly short hike, but steep! Going up wasn't bad, but coming down I was sure I was gonna slip and tumble all the way to my death at the bottom! Fortunately, that didn't happen, but [note to self] I really need better hiking shoes for a trail that steep. It was super pretty at the top, though. Here are some pictures on our way up:
When it's too cold to camp, you become a cat person. To clarify, I am a dog person. Through and through. I have loved dogs ever since I can remember, but cats....ah, not so much. Both my mother and my daughter are highly allergic to the feline species, so I've never had the opportunity to really get to know a cat, until now. Eli and Amanda have this cat named Ramsay, and you have to admit, he's pretty adorable.
That said, he was determined not to allow me to get ready for my day Sunday morning. When I tried to brush my teeth, he jumped into the bathroom sink. Even after I took him out, he stuck his entire head under the running water. And when I tried to take a shower, this:
And finally, when I tried to tie my shoes, he pawed the laces untied over and over.
When it's too cold to camp, you go to Jackson Hole. Just across the border into Wyoming is this quaint little ski town called Jackson, and on a whim, we decided to go there Saturday night. It turned out to be such a good idea, such a relaxing way to spend the evening. It reminded me a little of Red Lodge, Montana, with the little shops and the big candy store. Here we are at the classic arch:
When it's too cold to camp, you once again discover how caring your children are, and you are humbled by their service. One shop at Jackson Hole is a gallery with stunningly beautiful photographs, all by the same photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen . But here's the thing; almost all of his photos are of wild animals--three floors of gorillas, grizzly bears, moose, birds, and you see where this is heading. The further into the gallery we went, the more uneasy I became that around the next corner would be one of those long animals with no arms or legs. But just as I became nervous enough that I could no longer enjoy the beautiful art, Eli was all over it. He went ahead of me and scoped out the entire gallery in order to reassure me that there was no cause for worry. Anticipating others' needs and caring enough to meet them is an incredible spiritual gift that my sweet Eli was blessed with.
When it's too cold to camp, you eat delicious food. We had a couple excellent meals in Rexburg. Saturday night we ate at a new restaurant called Fresco. It has a stark, modern decor and specializes in flat bread pizza, which was super yummy. Then this morning, we went to Eli's workplace, Winger's, and enjoyed a huge, delicious breakfast.
When it's too cold to camp, you watch movies and eat the best chocolate chip cookies in the universe. I'm not even kidding. Of course, I've never made a good cookie in my life, so this whole cookie-making deal eludes me, but Amanda can make these perfect cookies, light and fluffy, soft and chewy. Mmmmmmm.
Dear Eli and Amanda: We will go camping one day. I promise. It just needs to warm up a little. Meanwhile, thank you for a delightful weekend with two of our favorite people, doing all sorts of fun things that you can do when it's too cold to camp.
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