Swiss Cottage UT

And finally…🥁 the NEW Powderhorn Peak!! Doing mind the photo quality - if you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a photographer. Also, I’m 99% certain my phone screen is blocking blue light and these are probably even worse than what I’m seeing. Alas, I’m too damn willed to care. Between Ben’s excruciating, almost daily headaches and a second grader who refuses to go to school, I’m over it. Link in profile to book your stay! Same great views as our old new Camp Solitude location, and right Nextdoor! Time for a family ski trip! 🎄

Powderhorn Peak has a new name and a new face!! Introducing…CAMP SOLITUDE!! Now taking reservations for the 2023/24 ski season. It’s gonna be EPIC!! ⛷️❄️ Book direct and save on fees. Link in profile, or DM for more info.

Cheers to our next project -
Solitude 2.0! We were so stoked when our neighbor called to ask us if we were still interested in her 2 bed, 2 bath condo (we bought our first unit from her a few years back and asked her to let us know first, if she ever wanted to sell). We signed today and take possession Friday and I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!! This one is fully remodeled (hot damn and HALLELUJAH), but we think it needs some personality…stay tuned! Link to book coming soon, but we get first dibs on Christmas!! ⛷️🎅🏻🎄

First day. 🥹❤️

Happy 46th birthday, to our favorite guy - aka the Family CEO, aka tech nerd, STR guru, handyman, adventurer, trouble making, practical jokester, juggler, creative genius, button pusher, dad joke cracking, mountain man, dog walking, ice cream lovin, road raging, world traveling, toe tappin, intellectual genius. We love you! 🎂
#46

Joanie deserves her own post. Yesterday in my scramble to run up (and back and up and back again) up the canyon, I forgot my wallet. Home Depot doesn’t take Apple Pay (get with the program, ). This darling lady came to my rescue with a $187.67 charge!!!! She kindly told me to, “I’m paying it forward. Step aside, or I’ll smack you!” And then added, “Don’t you DARE cry, or I’ll start!” There is so much good in this world!!! I’m headed back to Home Depot today to pay her back AND bring her a treat. Thanks, Joanie, for the reminder of what really matters. ❤️

This little cowpoke was beyond thrilled for a day at horse camp! I think it’s safe to say that after almost two months, we are FINALLY settling in to our lives in the dessert? My feet would agree. 🌵

So many hikes within five miles of our Swiss Cottage and Powderhorn Peak locations! Only one more weekend in July available at Powderhorn, Swiss Cottage is booked solid. Grab your spot today or I just might beat you to it. 🤣

Alaska cruise highlights:
Juneau - whale watching
Skagway - White Pass RR
Glacier Bay - 360 views
Ketchikan - Creek Street
Victoria - Harbour views
This was our first getaway alone (for more than 2 nights) in 15 years!! We flew to Seattle and left the littles with my parents and enjoyed 7 days aboard the NCL Encore with my niece and nephew. We had such an awesome time (and picked up some extra Lbs - the food was 👍.
Thanks again, .dyreng I love you all!! ❤️🏔️ 🚂 🚢 🎣

Happy Father’s Day, to my best guys! First, the hubs: show me another guy who gets up with the newborns for six weeks so his wife can get her rest to make it through the brutal first weeks to postpartum AND gets up to work every day on top of it all…I’ll wait. Years ago, he begged me to face my fears, leave my bubble and see the world. I think he got more than he bargained for. 🤣 He is a brilliant multitasker and can figure any and everything out, from running a business to plumbing, he’s generous, patient, adventurous, hardworking, tenacious and sometimes really hardheaded. 🤪 We wouldn’t have him any other way! Love you, Bennett.
And my dad - the guy who taught me that honesty is more important than consist, play is the reward for hard work, family comes first and cussing doesn’t solve all of life’s problems, but dammit, it helps! I love you, dad!!

It’s safe to say, they’re ALL in love. She is the cutest, sweetest, most well behaved “hypoallergenic”puppy, ever. Also - it appears that I am ALLERGIC to her! 😭 Lu has already informed me that if one of us is going to go, it will have to be ME. 😳🤣 Jack says he loves her, but “people are more important than pets.” 😅 I meet with the allergist in a few weeks and we’re hoping and praying for the best. 🙏🏻 The things we do for our children!!!

Pretty much how we’re all still feeling a week into jet lag. 😅 Ben and I got four hours sleep max the night before we left, followed by an early morning flight that got us home at 3 am. There is always so much more work to do - moving in and out - than we ever remember. But it’s all worth it! ❤️ 🏝️ ✈️ 🏔️ So grateful our kids are all such stellar travelers!

Maybe it’s jet lag, maybe it’s the fact that he’s a mountain man and my heart belongs near the ocean, but we’ve sort of been at odds for two days now, over how and where we are going to spend our time in the future. I think 50/50 seems fair?! 🤪 How do you handle the stalemate’s in your relationships? Arm wrestle? Flip a coin? A for your thoughts…? Comment below.👇🏻

Stay tuned for Hawaii throwbacks. 🥹🌺 It was SO much harder to leave this time!! Having more space to live in, not teaching at the university and NOT having a big remodel project to work on made all of the difference. One of my favorite things to do was watch Tan Man and his bros surf at TBay - a short five minute walk from both condos. Link to book direct in profile! 🤙🏼 Meanwhile, I’ll be over here working my magic over the next year to convince Ben that we need to split our time 50/50. At least.

Such a fun week with this lively crew! Can’t wait for next year,

May Day. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 That’s all. 🌺🌈🐠🌦️🏝️

Aina garden party. I cried. 🥹🌺🪴I love this school and this girl SO, SO much!!!

Afternoon adventures at Waimea Valley.
Lu had a couple of really tough weeks at school, which is not at all like her. She begged to skip, every single day, and told her friends that her face was red because her brother punched her. The truth was, her tear stained face came from big, anxious feelings about some mean girls at school. It took nearly three weeks to get her to come clean about what was really going on. Yep. I’m a therapist and my girl hates talking about her feelings. 😮‍💨😭 My first thought was, “Let me at ‘em,” followed by some unkind words, but I calmed down and made a couple of quick phone calls to the school. The school social worker saved the day with lunch bunch, and Lu has some new friends at school. We are so grateful to have our happy, social girl back! If something seems off with your kiddo, it probably is. Getting Lu to talk is like pulling teeth. I hesitated to involve the school, but I’m so glad that I did!! 💖 Isn’t it amazing how children just come here with their own personalities?! Some of mine have zero problems sharing feelings and with some of them, I have to get really creative to get them talking. I’ve even been known to have them write their feelings down. Whatever it takes! 💗

Mother’s Day is a little more lonely, this year! 🥹🌺 I think this is the first time that I haven’t had my oldest two with me to celebrate. I'm so dang thankful for these awesome kids.💗P-Ditty has taught me that I am bigger than my fears. He has taught me to listen, communicate & express my feelings, to be open, authentic & vulnerable, to love & cherish the elderly, the young & the differently-abled & to work hard for things that I believe in. He has inspired in me a love of travel, different cultures, traditions & religions. 💗 From Tan Man, I have learned to breathe when I want to lose my temper, to apologize, to be aware of others' feelings, forgive quickly, to nevergive up when things get hard and to express my feelings and affection in meaningful ways. I have learned to love and be loved and what it means to be a true friend and work through differences and misunderstandings. 💗 Mr. Jack has taught me not to take life so seriously. To stop and smell the roses. To delight in nature and to never stop learning. To have fun, be silly and laugh when I want to cry, to go with the flow and to breathe my way through hard things. He reminded me that miracles happen. 💗 And Lu has reminded me that I have a soft and tender side. She has taught me how to be still; to find peace again and to relax and go with the flow. She reminds me that shoes are optional, cartwheels are the best way to get from point A to point B and that being yourself - no matter what - is more important than fitting in. She taught me that sometimes our biggest fears turn out to be our greatest blessings - that God knows more than I do and that his timing is perfect. Life, however, is not perfect. I am FAR from perfect. And I have made too many mistakes to count. As such, I have also learned that spanking really DOES hurt me more than it ever hurts my kids, that yelling and screaming and throwing adult temper tantrums leaves me with epic shame and that kids don't need perfect parents, they need imperfect parents who are willing to admit their imperfections. I really am one blessed mother. I love my children more than I can ever express.

A fun day in town, celebrating Jack’s birthday! Pups of War for a nerf gun fight and The Old Spaghetti Factory for the “Best birthday of his whole life!” And no clean up, afterwards. We love you, Jack!!

What dreams are made of. These are the types of north shore dreams that I don’t want to ever forget. 🌺🥰🏝️

Ben has a new favorite snorkeling spot! 🐠 And the kids were big fans of the rock climbing and swimming. Win-win!

This morning goes down as one of our best Hawaiian days, ever. Miss you already, 🏝️☀️🌊

Just under one year ago, we met with a hospital chaplain to discuss whether we wanted the medical staff to continue to revive my dad and keep him on life support. Thank heavens we didn’t have to make that decision, because his heart decided to beat on its own and he didn’t stop breathing again. With sepsis, serotonin syndrome, kidney stones, an aortic aneurysm, several surgeries and a lot if hard work and determination behind him, he and my mom finally made it to paradise for a memorable week. We are so grateful! Love you, mom and dad. Proud of both of you!! My mom actually threw her back out the week my dad was in the ICU and spent the next four months in bed until she could have surgery, as well. Glad to have that year behind us! Love you both!! ♥️🙏🏻♥️

Such an amazing time spent paddling Haleiwa River, today. We saw no less than 20 turtles. It was crazy! I think my cute brother’s fiancé must be good luck! 🌈🐢🤙🏼

It’s National Infertility Awareness Week! Maybe people think we are a blended family because our children are so spread out. Nope!Our 1st son was conceived spontaneously, 1st month we tried, & came four weeks early, after 11 weeks on bed rest. After 3 awful years of infertility & 3 losses, we did 2 rounds of IUI, and our 2nd son was born. During the next 9 years, we lost 3 more pregnancies & finally decided to pursue our last option - IVF, $30k magic that we couldn’t afford (but were miraculously blessed with a $30k raise in stock that month - no joke). The Little Embryo That Could defied all odds - out of 15 eggs retrieved & fertilized, 4 were viable after 5 days. 2/4 had chromosomes incompatible with life (one girl, one boy). Of the 2 “poor quality” embryos that were left, 1 was rated a 2BC & came back with a blank test result & the other, a boy, was rated 2CC - the lowest quality embryo they will transfer. The doc gave us a 5-7% chance for a successful pregnancy & warned us that the likelihood of another miscarriage without IVF & PGD was 85%. We were devastated but had to give it a shot, after going through all of the physical & emotional pain. Jack was born 9.5 months later. Our feisty little miracle boy. Our 4th baby, a girl, came as an aftershock that knocked our socks off. Never in a MILLION years did we see that coming - especially not at the ripe old age of 42! 😳 We’re so grateful for our 4 miracles. If you are suffering through infertility &/or pregnancy loss, you are not alone. Please reach out. If someone you love is going through infertility, here are some helpful things to say: “I’m so sorry.” “I love you.” “Is there anything that I can do to support you?” “This has got to be so painful.” Not so helpful: “Why don’t you ‘just’ adopt?” “Maybe God has other plans for you.” “Think of all of the things you can do with your freedom.” “At least . . . “ Above all, listen, love & try to be patient. You can’t understand what it’s like unless you’ve been there, & even if you have, we all experience trials & pain differently.”

First solo flight today for my boy. 🥹😭❤️ My heart is full!! Shirt cutting is a sign of an instructor's new confidence in their student, symbolizing that they no longer require the instructor's hands-on assistance, as they once did. Way to go, 👨🏼‍✈️✈️

Tourist kine tings with our girl. 🤙🏼 We LOVE the night show at the - especially when my favorite BYUH students perform!! ❤️

Enjoyed the most incredible sunset, maybe ever, with my boy the other night. Having four kids spread out over 16 years (thank you, infertility and several miscarriages) creates some pretty unique challenges. We are usually at the mercy of the youngest (and most demanding) members of put family and the oldest two have been nothing short of PATIENT with it. So we decided that once a week, it’s TANNER TIME. This week, it was my turn. 😂 I might have made it awkward, bc he told me that it felt like a first date, what with the 20 questions I came prepared with. 😂 But just so you know . . . his favorite color is blue, favorite vacation - Europe or the Disney cruise, favorite birthday present - a battery powered dirt bike he received when he was 10, favorite food - probably pizza, favorite candy - Swedish Fish, favorite friend - he loves them all, favorite place he’s ever been - Rome, when he grows up he wants to be - a pilot, he plans to serve a mission for our church, wants to go to college but not sure where, loves skiing and surfing equally, dreams of living on the beach in New Zealand, and just might be the most adventurous, easy going, kind hearted kid I know. Love you, Tanner Joseph. I think you’re RAD. 🤙🏼

The spindles at Swiss Cottage were definitely NOT kid-friendly/mother-approved! These wood panels were the perfect fix and just might be my favorite design element at the cabin. Ben gets all the credit for this one! He’s the real creative genius. I’ll leave the problem solving to him, while I shop for bargains and put patterns, textures, colors and accessories together. We make quite a team. 👊🏻😜 Paint is Benjamin Moore - Swiss Coffee.

He’s out there EVERY SINGLE DAY. Rain or shine, big waves or small - NO EXCUSES. Tan man, you inspire me in all the ways. I, on the other hand, am a pro at excuse making and procrastinating. 🙄🤙🏼

Meanwhile, back in Salt Lake, it’s STILL SNOWING!!! More snow than ever on record. Ben had to take a detour from a work trip to Seattle and has been up there all weekend restoring water and breaking up ice damns. 🥶 It’s not ALL fun and games!!

Today we visited not just one, but TWO of our favorite temples: the Byodo-In Temple and the Laie Temple (my favorite visitor’s center, ever). Tanner’s friend is here visiting this week, and we had to show him SOME of the touristy things! 🌺 There is just something special about the north shore. I love this sacred land and the beautiful people here. They exude respect - for the aina, for their families (both here on earth and those in heaven), for their culture and for their community. I am so grateful to be here and to learn from them, and especially to have my children experience it. Hawaii has my heart. 🙏🏻

They grow like weeds. Er . . . Palm trees?! Swipe left to see what these kiddos and this tree looked like when we bought our first place in 2000! It’s kind of mind blowing. 🌴

LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE. 🌴🐠☀️🐟🤙🏼Most amazing snorkel day, maybe ever. The conditions were perfect!

Saturday special - SUP in a new place! Awesome adventure, beautiful scenery, but unfortunately, so sea life sightings. 🐠

Our first week in paradise = pure magic. All day school, beach time, hikes, swimming and NO SNOW. Sorry, Utah friends. 🥶 Happy spring!

Another first day back to school!! Half days in Utah went by without a hitch. The kids loved the social interaction and outdoor recess, and I loved having a short break every day. We finished the homeschool curriculum, and they’re back to full days in Hawaii. We are all stoked out of minds about it!! People often comment on how terrible schools in Hawaii must be. That has not been our experience. Put children have always been greeted warm smiles and welcoming peers and there is none of that keeping up with the Jones/competitive nonsense. Academically, the math makes sense and we’re also going from 1 adult : 30 kids to 2 adults : 15 kids. There is NO comparison and the only reason I might have gotten slightly choked up this morning, is because I want these littles to have this experience every year. Now to convince Ben and Tanner . . . 🤔🙇‍♀️🙏🏻📿

We made it!! So ready to hit the beach, but first, cleaning, changing out linens, getting the kids registered for school and also, baking cookies, because PRIORITIES.
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