DECEMBER 2023!!
The Skyline cross country team drove to California early on Thursday (November 30th) and previewed the 5K course in the evening. The next morning they visited Newport Beach, played around and did a leisure run there. Saturday morning they raced at the Footlocker West Regional Race, went to Knott's Berry Farm in the afternoon, then drove all the way home on Sunday.
Sophie and Sarah, getting ready for the day in California.
Sophie at Newport Beach.
The Skyline cross country team the night before their big races in California.
Sarah, Elena, Hallee and Sophie, keeping warm before their race on Saturday morning.
Sophie (and the other girls on the cross country team--except for Hallee) ran in grade-based race divisions. Sophie competed in the Junior Girl's division and finished in 12th place with a 5K time of 20:27. This produced a medal, which Sophie was stoked about.
Kaia, Sarah and Sophie--all sporting medals from their races!
Sophie and Sarah, showing off their bling!
Hallee ran in the Girls' Championship Division--the highest level of competition. She placed 48th (out of 135 runners) with a time of 19:24. It's a hard course with lots of hills and Hallee was unimpressed and disappointed with her time.
Hallee (sitting with Elena and Kaia) after her big race.
Sophie, Sarah, Coach Porter and Kaia after the races.
Sarah and Hallee
Sean and I often go on adventures at the nearby "nature park" or farm field (part of Cottonwood Regional Park near the Holladay Lion's Rec Center) when I pick him up after school. On this day, we checked out the school's recently constructed advent spiral. The Waldorf students walk the spiral, one at a time--a symbol of moving inward during the darkest days of the year and kindling an inner light. Traditionally, each child carries a candle to the center of the spiral, lights it there and then walks the spiral in reverse.
Sean also loves to visit this swing, placed near the farm field in a quiet grove of box elder trees.
A stick fort near the big swing.
While Sophie and Hallee were living it up in California, Casey and I took the 3 younger kids to the Orem Temple open house. It was so so beautiful. The cherry blossom theme, the rich and striking color combinations and the art were spectacular. We spent a lot of time discussing the different rooms we visited with the kids as well as the symbolism in the art.
Mom, Sean, Dad, Zeke and Lindy, visiting the new Orem Temple.
We also took the younger kids to the annual Salt Lake Children's Choir concert at the Cathedral of the Madeline the first weekend of December. This concert is a highlight of every Christmas season for me.
Zeke and Lindy at the cathedral.
Casey and I
Sean at the SL Children's Choir Christmas concert.
Another Mountain Monday up Porter Fork with the adventure ladies.
I designed and printed an official "Mountain Monday" team shirt for our epochs.
We took the whole team up Millcreek Canyon on a ski/sledding outing.
Sophie, Hallee, Sophie K., Sarah and Kaia went to support Elena at a local production of Handel's Messiah at Olympus High School. On the same night, Casey and I took the rest of the kids up to Aunt Cupcake's stake center to attend their annual Messiah performance.
Kim and I trekked up to Logan for our friend, Steffanie Casperson's, Ballet Aligned production of The Night Before Christmas at the Utah Theater in Logan featuring a libretto written by Steff's brother, Joel, and a ballet choreographed and created by Steff. Kai and Eloise featured prominently. We had fun taking Steff to lunch at an Indian restaurant earlier in the afternoon, visiting with her family in Millville, walking around Logan, hitting the Bluebird Candy Company and watching Steff's brainchild unfold. She is a master.
Kai is on the far right.
Kim and I at the Utah Theater in Logan
There are so many things that I didn't document in December: a big Abstract Company holiday dinner party that I helped plan at the Trolley Square Rodizio, the girls' Christmas piano recital at a local care center, a friend Christmas dinner at Kimberly's house, a Christmas breakfast with Newel and Karen and family, a Mountain Monday hike to the Bear Canyon suspension bridge, a visit to the Candlelight Christmas at This is the Place with Lindy, our annual Winter Solstice family celebration and dinner (which featured a bonfire and the lighting of our freshly decorated sycamore tree out in the front yard) and a trip to the Oquirhh Mountain Temple with the kids to perform baptisms.
Zeke, performing with the school choir in their holiday concert.
Casey and I, heading out for a run with our new favorite training partner--"Omega Dad."
Cute Lindy, posing in front of our still-amazing decorative grass in the front yard.
Sean with his gingerbread house.
This year I made a model of our little house on Best Avenue.
Grandma gave Sean these cute iron-on dinosaurs that we worked together to put on one of his t-shirts. An instant favorite!
It was fun to see a photo of Sophie in an e-mail from the Salt Lake Children's choir this year (even though she stopped singing with them in 2020).
Sophie, catching air at Nordic Valley.
Hallee, airborne at Nordic Valley.
On December 24th, we had our traditional nativity in the barn at the Sullivan Homestead, followed by a simple dinner.
Grandma and Dawn Nessl joined us.
I made traditional Norwegian Christmas cookies--pepparkakor--for the occasion.
Christmas Eve is one of my favorite nights: the stockings and gifts readied, a quiet house and soft lights casting colorful reflections on the living room walls. 'Twas the night before Christmas . . .
The kids, gathered together on Christmas morning, ready to read the Christmas story before opening the stockings and gifts.
Lindy, showcasing her new sloth warmie and a ski hat from the Nelsons.
Sean, showing off his sea turtle warmie.
Bear, sporting some ribbon on Christmas morning.
A couple of days after Christmas, on December 27th, we drove to Moab to stage for a multi-day trip in the La Sal Mountain backcountry. Our plan was to stay in the Expedition Lodge for one night then get up early the next morning to ski 4 miles into a yurt at Geyser Mountain Pass with gear and supplies to last us until New Year's Day. We arrived before check in time and decided to hike the first part of the Moab Rim Trail--up to where we could look down on Moab and over to the La Sal Range. Sean was dragging himself along (he'd spent nearly two weeks in December battling the influenza b virus including 8 straight days with a fever and very little food consumption so he was still feeling weak). Lindy was also looking droopy and we later found out that she was coming down with a fever and stomach illness. Not the best way to start a major expedition but we knew we'd figure out a way to haul everyone into the yurt.
You can see Lindy, stalled out on a rock in the foreground.
Casey on the Moab Rim Trail.
Sean with Bear. We love taking trips that Bear can join in on and he loved this one.
It was cold--hovering near freezing--but the sun warmed us as we made our way up the steep trail.
The kids enjoyed bouldering along the way.
The mighty Colorado River down below us.
We spread out along the trail--I wanted to run up and get to the rim and kids were distracted climbing giant boulders. Eventually, Casey, Bear and I (along with a dragging Lindy) and later Zeke and Sophie, made it to the rim. Hallee and Sean (apparently) didn't know which way we went so they stayed down lower on the trail. We took in the view and lounged in the sun for a bit but noticed the sun getting low on the horizon and decided to head back down. I knew that it would get frigid fast when the sun set and Hallee was just wearing a long-sleeved shirt while Sophie, Zeke, and Lindy just had sweatshirts on.
Casey on top with the La Sal Mountains in the distance.
We started back down the trail but realized that Sophie and Zeke weren't following and we'd also left a water bottle on the rim. Casey ran back that way while Lindy and I trekked down and ran into Hallee and Sean.
When Casey didn't return quickly I called him while I still had cell service (spotty on the trail but nonexistent in the lower parking area where we'd left the truck). He couldn't find the kids (Sophie, Zeke and Bear) anywhere. The last he'd seen them they were exploring an old tram shack on the rim (when he told them we were headed down). I didn't think they could get lost since the trail was so straight forward and the Colorado River was visible the entire time as a landmark. I kept walking down with Hallee, Sean and Lindy toward the parking area, knowing that I needed to get them someplace warm or they'd freeze (and Sean just getting over the flu and Lindy coming down with it didn't help). Unfortunately, Sophie had the key to the truck with her. The sun was about to set so I asked a lady in the parking lot if she'd give us a lift into town where I could keep the kids warm and be able to communicate with Casey (and possibly rescue teams). By this time I was getting worried, thinking maybe the kids fell off a cliff or chased Bear over one.
When we got to the Expedition Lodge, Casey texted that he'd finally located the kids. Some guy had yelled at them because they were throwing rocks at the old tram shack. To avoid hiking past this guy, Zeke led the trio up higher into the cliffs where they crawled through several sketchy places, finally realizing that they have to back-track. They were MIA for about an hour and a half on that escapade. I was so thankful that everyone was okay.
Lindy revived a bit after some ginger ale and microwave mac and cheese that she selected from the gas station next to the Expedition Lodge and Lindy, Zeke, Sean and I hit the outdoor heated pool, hot tub and slide. Casey and I also went over and visited with my Uncle Ron and Aunt Marilyn for a while, leaving our kids at the hotel to avoid cross-pollination. My cousins Jim, Kathy and Christy were there too so we got a chance to catch up with them.
The next morning we drove to the La Sals to get an early start. The groomed, snow-packed trail into Geyser Pass was gorgeous. Sean decided to walk in snow boots while the rest of us skied. I ended up pulling exhausted, feverish Lindy a good part of the way on my haul sled (along with Sean at times). It was a slow four miles that took a monumental physical and mental effort but we finally made it.
Lindy and Sean on the way into the yurt.
Wild-haired mom on the ski in.
The huge 24-foot yurt was located in some pristine back-country. We only saw two guys on a snowmobile once during the 5 days that we were there. It was so quiet. The sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. We experienced some snow but lots of sun. Our days were filled with ski tours, snow runs (for Sophie and Hallee), ski jumps, cruising down the snow-packed road and skinning back up, building snow men, games (the kids started the epic "Gamer's Guild" where we played nearly every game in the yurt and added up points to create a super-score), piecing together puzzles, drawing, dreaming, writing, reading, digging snow caves and consuming lots of good food.
Lindy and Bear out on a ski tour.
Hallee, headed out on a snowy run.
Lindy and Sean on a backcountry ski tour.
Beautiful, remote Geyser Pass in the La Sal Mountains
Hallee, Sophie, Sean and Lindy on puzzle duty.
Sean
Sophie and Zeke
Hallee enjoying breakfast by the fire
Even though Lindy was sick she was a great sport and rallied every day.
Hallee, digging a snow cave
Sophie and Zeke built some epic snow jumps
Zeke
Zeke catching major air.
Sophie, airborne.
Casey, getting in on the action
Zeke, riding high.
Sean, taking a jump.
Lindy
Bear with the San Juans in the distance
Mount Tomasaki reflecting the setting sun right outside the front door of the yurt.
Some of Sean's drawing in the yurt log book.
Sean, our artist in residence at the yurt.
Lindy
Zeke.
Zeke made these New Year's Eve snack plates.
Mom towing Lindy and Sean (who are using their sleds as snowboards).
The rising sun on the first day of the new year--2024!!
Sean and Casey, skiing out on New Year's Day. The ski out was fast, relatively easy, and mostly downhill on perfectly groomed roads. Again, we saw no one until we got close to the parking area.
Casey
Sean.
The scene on the drive home: Lindy was tuckered out.
The La Sals were a treat and we'll certainly be back!
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