Ride up to the "B"

We went on a short 4 wheeler ride tonight up to the "B" above the temple. It was the first ride of the season.

And I almost killed Pearl.

Neither one of the kids ever want to ride with me because in their word's, "Dad's the crazy driver, not you!" It's getting really irritating and worse now that we have "Skulls" {aka, the side-side-side as Fern calls it}. Looking back now, I'm really glad Pearl was the one stuck with me, even if at the time, I could have grounded her for life with her whining and crying about having to ride on the back of the ATV with me. If Cole had been with me instead, I'm not sure what would have happened.

Pearl and I usually drive behind Jeff and the "side-side-side" so we see when the boys decide to drive fast or go off the jumps. There's a few pullouts on the road that you can catch some air on and Pearl begged me to take her on the jumps. Trying to show her that I'm not a complete fuddy-duddy, I took her on the jumps. We were both having a great time - and trust me, I wasn't going very fast - so I gave in to Pearl's pleadings and decided to go one last time.

I don't know what happened, but when we turned to start the jump, I gave it some gas and just hit the turn funny. I doubt we were going faster than 10 miles per hour, if even that. It jarred us both enough that my hands jerked off the handlebars and then I felt Pearl's legs move from right next to my hips up into the air. I heard Pearl scream and instinctively grabbed her as I felt her fly next to the left of me. I grabbed her jacket and was terrified as I watched her dangling on the side of the 4 wheeler, with her hands dragging on the ground right in front of the rear tire. I can still see the image in my mind and it makes me sick to my stomach. She was screaming and I was so afraid I'd tip the machine trying to stop it {it was still moving because I grabbed her with my left hand which is the side where the hand brakes are and I was too panicked to remember to hit the foot brake}. I knew if I dropped her or rolled the four wheeler that the machine would crush her, even with a helmet on.

It was really scary... but I think the adrenline was so intense that I didn't really feel sick about what almost happened until after the ride was over. Sure we puttered along at about 10 miles per hour the rest of the ride and after listening to Pearl tell her Dad that I almost killed her a hundred zillion times - and have to go emergency potty in a bush... that was probably more horrifying to her than a near death experience - that's when it really hit me.

The guilt and nightmares didn't go away for weeks. And on the next ride we took at Bear Lake up our favorite trail, I was in tears when I just freaked out trying to get the machine over some big ruts... ruts that normally I wouldn't even bat an eye at. Jeff yelled at me to stop being a whimp but he just didn't understand the terror going through my brain that I'd kill one of our kids {that time Fern boy}. I couldn't live with that guilt.

I'm really glad we had helmets on. And I'm really glad I got back on and have driven both machines since then. But I won't ever forget the terror I felt. Or Pearl's screams.

{The broskies. I have a feeling we will be getting a 2nd "side-side-side" soon to accommodate both kids who now have a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to ride on the ATV with mom.}

{Go ahead. Laugh. I know what you're thinking these dandelions look like. But seriously, I've never seen dandelions so big before!}

What have I done now?

What on earth have I agreed to now? {And yes, it has skulls, cemeteries, and the grim reaper on it.}

Heaven help me because both of my boys have THAT look in their eyes. And because now Jeff is going to say he needs a new trailer and a new truck to pull it with.

Labor Day @ Bear Lake: 4 wheeler rides

We spent Labor Day weekend at Bear Lake.

I'm so glad Jeff found a hobby to do there so he will keep taking us up to "my happy place."

The only problem is the boy loves 4 wheeler rides more than Jeff does. He tells me almost every single day that when he is 8 he can get a motorbike. Which is technically true and my fault for lecturing him about Utah's ATV laws. 

Oh well. At least I've got him completely brainwashed with helmet safety messages. Anytime he sees someone on an ATV or motorcyle or bicycle he tells me if they are wearing a helmet or not and if they aren't, that their mom is going to kick their butt.

Now I've just got to work on the whole no "crazy driver" thing Jeff does {or at least the kids perceive him doing... just because he goes faster than me and goes off jumps and lets them hit the throttle once in awhile} he loves so much.

The one and only ride

We've started a new tradition when we go to Bear Lake.

We sucker someone to drive up the canyon with us and then drop us and the ATVs off near Tony Grove {only on the other side of the highway}. Then we four wheel up and over the mountains to Bear Lake.

It's typically fun. Except this time. 

I have never been on a worse ride in my entire life! Both kids whined and cried and screamed because at least one of them had to go with me. They both would rather ride with Jeff because apparently he is way more fun and way faster than their mother. I stopped at least five times with Pearl because I couldn't stand her complaining anymore. She hated the trail the boys picked. She hated riding with me. She hated being hot. She hated everything! We even went to the pee cliff and she still complained!

I wanted to leave them on the trail! And yes, I know I'm using exclamation points after every sentence! I was not pleased. I told Jeff this was the only ride I was taking them on the entire week. And I meant it.

Even when they looked up at me all cute-like and asked. No four wheeler rides from mom.

Fine. I'll give the kids one thing. Their dad is more adventurous on the ATVs. I wouldn't go over those jumps at that same speed.

Let's hope the next ride goes a little smoother.

My Happy Place

My happy place is about a three hour drive away.... it seems longer though with bored, whiny children in the back seat.

My happy place is a lake of gorgeous blue and turquoise.

My happy place is great for a family 4 wheeler ride.

My happy place is home to moose. Or is it meeses when you see a baby moose and his momma run right in front of you while 4 wheeling?

My happy place is warm sand and this year, warm water.

My happy place is the perfect spot for a puppy to swim and run until she can't move anymore.

My happy place is family... I will someday get Anberlin to smile at me instead of scream.

My happy place is where I can tease my siblings that I have a cooler shirt than they do.

My happy place is a crappy trailer, a less-old trailer, a refurbished shed, and no showers.

My happy place is roasting marshmallows and eating Reese's peanut butter cup smores.

My happy place is full of memories for me as a child and hopefully for my own children someday.

My happy place is perfect.

Ride before the craziness begins

I feel like I've been running in chaos the past two months. It's been one thing after another. Loads of fun, some tears, and a whole lot of exhaustion. Exhaustion that ended up being strep throat... the very first time in my life.

It's gone something like this since May.

Yellowstone,

Cole's 3rd birthday,

My brother's high school graduation,

ATV ride and mountain picnic,

Week-long business trip to Baltimore,

Soccer games and soccer pictures,

Cherry Hill,

Family BBQ,

Pearl's birthday,

Pearl's birthday party with friends,

Girls Camp,
Father's Day,

Four friends' birthday parties for Pearl to attend,

Bear Lake {twice},

And finally, strep throat.

{Not to forget the normal day-to-day stuff like laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, work, YW activities and lessons, yard work, dog walking, etc.}

I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand how many weekends we've been home the last six months. 

So right before I left for Baltimore for a week, then home for three days and off to Girls Camp, we went on a short four-wheeler ride up at the "B." We had a picnic, did "crazy drivers," and zoomed around collecting dust in our hair and faces.

Then we came home and the kids found all the dollar bills in their piggy banks and bought themselves the most delicious snocones around. Even Blu enjoyed the spills.