USAT

Kate and I have been embarking on our USAT (aka: Utah Summer Adventure Tour). Being out of school, there's much I want to do with my little baby. I've got a list a places and things I want to accomplish with her before the summer ends. Some things have been totally lame, and others (a few) make me wish I'd discovered them a lot sooner. This little event was free (so who am I to complain?) but painful. We attended the Teddy Bear Picnic at Orem Public Library early in June. Even Kate who loves a story, and even more so, loves a Teddy Bear, could not wait to get out of this one. If you could see the look on the whited-out face, it would be one of misery. She did, however, enjoy sitting and reading library books with me prior to the show, so it wasn't a complete let down.

Tracy Aviary was part of the tour...pleasant surprise. No need to discuss that one (since I already posted about that).

Well, today we visited the John Hutchings Museum in Lehi. Hmm... where to start? Well, the good news is that during Lehi Round-Up week, admission is free. The bad news...admission should always be free. The place is just full of creepy knick-knacks and collections; items like barbed wire, and buttons, yes buttons!

In fact, I took a moment to snap a pic of the button collection just to be a smart-aleck. Just then, a museum guide approached and said, "Oh, are you a collector?" I (kicking myself for being such an ingrate), replied, "Oh, no." The conversation continued...

"Beauty of a collection, though, huh?" said the guide.

"Yes, really," replied the ingrate.

"You know, the woman who lent us that collection has more buttons at her home. I bet if you called her she'd let you come over and take a look at them. I can get you her number."

"Oh, no, that's fine." Yes, I'm quite the jerk.

There were a few exhibits of note like...

The jail cell. This baby was used until the 1960's right there in Lehi. The creepy bearded-woman in one of the jail cells was also worthy of mention ...

The saber-toothed cat,

the extensive rock collection (being shown off by our model, Kate), Butch Cassidy's gun, and some Porter Rockwell findings. On a scale of 1-5, I think I'd give the place a 1. Good for Lehi for having a place to put people's junk, but REALLY...not so neat.

After the museum, Kate and I spent the afternoon at the A.F. swimming pool. She is just so much fun. She REALLY loves swimming. We had to go down the big slide, "Again," and "Again."

I've Done It!

The zoo membership is on its way out. Kate and I went for one last visit yesterday (until we once again renew our membership). Anyway, super successful day at the zoo. We don't usually go early on in the day so we saw a lot of new things like:

this cheetah

and the gray wolf (not pictured).

This is why I've titled the blog as such. Spotting these two animals is a feat! Everytime I go to the zoo, I think, "Uh, lame. Where's the animal?" Well, now I can vouch that there is actually a wolf somewhere in that massive enclosure, and yes, the cheetah really exists.

Even more cool were the various upclose encounters we had. Here's Kate making friends with the giraffe.

And here's the rhino. For anyone who frequents the Hogle, you know that the "rhino viewing area" is not usually so full of "rhino views." Not today...

I, unfortunately missed out on the photo opp's of the day. My camera ran out of batteries so I missed the snarling tiger just feet away from us, and a darling orangutan that was kissing the window at us.

I know..."Big deal," and "it's only a bunch of animals," and "I've seen it all before," but hey, the trip was awesome!

Once a Carni, Always a Carni

The carni came to town, and we came to the carni. There's just something about blinking, colored lights and cotton candy aromas that I simply cannot ignore...

Joel McHale Live

Joel McHale is officially my hero. Dave and I laughed our guts out watching his stand-up show last night at Abravanel Hall. It is a rare occasion that I ever laugh so hard that I cry, but literally, tears were dripping down my face! I kept thinking to myself, "What if I had missed out on this show?" It was just that much fun. Here we are--the last time both of us graced this place was in 2nd grade for a delightful performance of the Nutcracker. The building hasn't changed much, but the entertainment was a definite improvement.

The view from our seats

Anyway, I was originally a little skeptical as to how funny the show could actually be. It began with a warm-up comedian. I forgot who he was, but has done some Mad T.V., and a few other shows. He did great, and I wondered if Joel McHale would match up. Um, yes...he was so funny.

The first part of his routine was more like the Soup, poking fun at celebrites and bad television. Ryan Seacrest, Tyra Banks, Kim Kardashian, and the Hills cast were all highlights of the evening.
The second half of his act, he joked all about his wife, kids and parents. This was the best part of the show; I was bawling, my mouth hurt from excessive smiling, and my stomach muscles had never had such a great workout.

At one point, the spotlight controller guy failed to follow Joel around the stage (we're on a first-name basis now that we know him). In response, Joel began reenacting the Sound of Music (the part where the von Trapp family escapes the talent show and the announcer names them as the winners). He got the spotlighter to play along, and started spouting off, "The family von Trapp!..." He then pointed to an empty doorway, where the spotlight followed. He repeated this again, "Family von Trapp?" and the spotlight once again focused on the empty doorway. Hard to explain, but if you know the movie, you might understand the joke a little better.

I've been told from a few sources that the guy either reminds people of my good friend, Paul Sampson, or my darling husband, Dave. Watching Joel McHale live totally explains why. He is an absolute weirdo! No offense, I mean "weirdo" in a good way. His sarcasm is one of a kind, and his little mannerisms and movements just make you laugh. What a memorable night!

A Birthday Treat

Well, I am now 28, but more importantly, another year wiser. I suppose I should enlighten you with my new-found wisdom and knowledge... The birthday proved to be rainy one, but was still great. We woke up early to open presents and then went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. The picture above is quite deceiving; the weather was REEEdiculous! Buckets of rain were pouring down just as we arrived. How lovely. You know, there really is nothing better than getting yourself all done up and then getting drenched by Mother Nature. Here's Kate helping Grandpa Reese get dried up after the down-pour.

And here's all of us waiting for the video before the tour:

Despite the rain, I don't remember seeing such a beautiful temple (the Newport Beach may have been close, but it's been too long to remember). Kate rode in her stroller through the entire open house. But upon reaching the Celestial room, she popped right out of her seat almost stunned by the room. The temple volunteers laughed when she let out a loud gasp as she saw the sparkling chandeliers. She was a very good girl through the whole tour. This is Kate enjoying her sugar cookie in the reception hall after the tour:

(Notice the blankie? It goes everywhere she does)
Here's a couple more pics to feast your eyes upon:

Who are those good-looking people? Oh, wait...

After the tour, we stopped for breakfast at Mimi's, a caloric delight. We then went home and enjoyed some long nappage (the perfect activity to ensure a happy birthday). Afterwards, Dave went into work for a few hours because, after all, the teeth can't be neglected.

Later that night, the UPS dude dropped off some pink and white birthday flowers for me. Dave asked, "Were you worried I forgot?" Pssh. What a guy, huh? To that I replied, "No! You know, you don't always have to get me flowers!" (although they certainly do make me tad lot happier). Anyway, my sweetie pie and I got to drop of Kate at Grandma Sherrie's so we could enjoy a nice dinner out at Flemings. What is Flemings, you ask? Let's have a moment of Zen...

The place is divine. Their steak causes some definite overactive saliva, and the service is spot on. They call you by your first name at dinner (which is definitely strange because I don't ever remember disclosing that info). The first-name thing is rather refreshing, though. Fleming's definitely breaks the bank every time, but if your searching for Dreamland, this is the place. **Does it sicken anyone, that I can get so hung up on good food?

Anway, they put a little birthday candle on my dessert plate, which they did not cover:( But, they did give me a cute, golden birthday box filled with chocolate truffles. And even more fun, is how they came and took our picture, printed it off, and presented it to us in a little frame (they even emailed us the pic so we could post it online). So here she is:

How's that for eye candy?

Successful, happy birthday? Check, check!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

Kate & I want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most important person in our lives. We love you so much! You are the best mother and wife in the whole world! Hope you have a wonderful day,

Love,

Dave & Baby Kate.

Webelos "Extreme"

I attended it yesterday, and might I add, super fun all-day event!!

I won't tell you what I overheard many of the scouts saying...

Okay, I will: "Why do they call it Webelos Extreme? There's nothing extreme about this place!"

The super cute, upbeat Webelos Den leader (me) then replied, "Are you kidding?!! Did you not just play "Ultimate" Frisbee? Did you not just see that kid get nailed in the face by that frisbee? That was totally extreme." To that, the scouts just rolled their eyes and walked away. Well done, Ashley, well done.

A Fowl Day

It's not everyday you get to stand next to a bird with a 10 foot wingspan. This is a condor. Kate and I came across this thing at Tracy Aviary this morning. When he opened his wings I nearly ran; he was just huge! The picture does no justice (I only had my cell phone camera), but he was a definite favorite!

This creature to your left is extremely rare; best-known for it's beauty and strong will. You can see how she measures up to the other birds...

Kate's favorite part of the day was likely every other kids' favorite. Here she is feeding the ducks. Do you like her day old hair-do? Thanks, mom!

Another highlight of the trip included the peacocks who walked freely around the park. It was really cool seeing their feathers all fanned out.

Also cool, was the bird show (although, come to think of it, it kind of sucked compared to Hogle Zoo's bird show), the eagles, the emu's,














and these cute parrot-like birds that were very friendly and came right up to the fence and actually said, "Hello." I had never been to the aviary. For being a place devoted to birds only, it was surprisingly fun. I think I'll go back.

Up

Over the weekend we saw "Up" in 3D. Let me rephrase that...Dave and I saw it in 3D, while Kate watched a much fuzzier version. Turns out, "the one size fits all" glasses don't actually fit all. Kate didn't seem to mind; the sticky treats and buttered popcorn seemed to keep her pretty entertained.

It was a cute little show. It's nice being able to go to the theater again (those first couple of years with a baby just don't quite work). Even if it's a cartoon...we'll take it.