Welcome to the Family!

Whenever we go to a pet store we look at the lizards. The Bearded Dragons always seemed to want to come home with us. So it got me thinking, a couple years ago, that I might want one. It was decided that if I were to get one, it would be mine and I would have to take care of it. Not that I'm irresponisble, but I wasn't that committed at the time... so we put it off.

Just a couple weeks ago I was thinking about my upcoming birthday and what I would want. When all of a sudden "bearded dragon" popped in my mind! We looked into it, and looked for deals on KSL and Craigslist, and finally found one a week ago.

Bearded Dragons are good starter pets because they're really laid back and are ok with being handled. And they eat almost any vegetable and fruit. So far we've fed him cucumber, kale, carrots and crickets. Apparently they really like raspberries, so we'll try that soon as a treat. Sometimes I'll hand feed him and I think he really likes that. He also likes to lounge--when we're watching tv at night, we'll bring him down and lay him on us...and he's perfectly content (once he finds a comfortable spot).






We named him Falkor (it was whiskers...he's not a cat!). One of my favorite movies, and books, is The Neverending Story. In the story is a Luck Dragon, named Falkor. How appropriate, right?


Can you see the resemblance?

End of Summer Report

It's ok that it's October and I am just now getting around to giving an end-of-summer report. Trust me...

I'm starting to understand why my grandma ALWAYS tells us that we are growing up too fast whenever she sees us--time really does fly and I don't think I'll ever get used to it!!!

Those of you around Provo know that there's such a thing as a Pass of All Passes. It gets you entrance (mostly unlimited) into a variety of venues around Utah and Salt Lake Counties, including our local baseball team games, our local water park, and local "family fun centers." Mike and did not get it this last summer because we knew we wouldn't have much time with all his new work training. But we couldn't pass it up for this year (good through all of next summer) when we saw a waaay good deal online. We've even already taken advantage of our passes-we've gone mini-golfing twice! The first time, Mike wasted me, which is normal. BUT! This week, I was rockin' it! The proof is below:

(It got wet because we also went on the bumper boats, with a bunch of ruthless little kids, and I got stuck under the water falls for probably an entire minute. But that is the actual card!)

We had a crazy summer full of crazy weather, including a wind storm that blew down a tree in our near backyard, twice. The first third broke off without us getting pictures, but then a second third broke off!

(The tree on the left-the broken one-used to be as full as the tree on the right)

We have some Rhodes rolls that might be old, but they just don't rise for us. Here's what our cooked rolls look like:

(They taste fine, but look funny)

In September, my niece, Janna, got baptised. So we went down to St George over Labor Day weekend to show our support to her decision!

Couldn't pass up this photo-op!

Dad and Daughter

The proud supporters

The proud Grandparents (and younger sister)

My parents came here for a week or so and during their stay we all went to the Kennecott Copper Mine. It was really neat and we're both really glad we finally went to see it. It is just a big hole you look into, but it's crazy to see the way people can manipulate the land. My dad used to work in a copper mine in Arizona, so it was fun to have him along to tell us the "behind-the-scenes" stories that you don't read about on the walls of the Visitor's Center.

We have hiked the "G" a couple times this summer. With the nicer weather, and little later sunrise time, we decided to watch the sunrise over the valley. It was a perfect morning. I don't think we have a panoramic function on our camera, but I took spanning pictures and am trying to find a site that will patch the pictures together. For now these will have to do:

This is the first pic I took that morning, while we were still going up the mountain.

And on our way down--almost looking at the same spot as above.

Mike's parents came down for a weekend and we went on the Stewart Falls hike on the backside of Mt Timp. It was fun being with them nad some other's of Mike's siblings. In fact it was almost a family reunion because only one sister, Natalie, was missing.

That's Mike near the bottom of the pic, in red. There's an upper ledge you can hike up to once you are at the bottom of the falls.

It was hot, but I'm still not sure if that justfied all the Jenkins siblings going under the falls...

Thanks, Mike, for a great summer!!