Our Hiking Experiences

This summer we were able to go on some really fun hikes!  I've already wrote about our hiking with Brittany in Teton Canyon and climbing Table rock with my dad.  But I'll include some of those pictures anyways!

#1 - Our first hike of the summer on the Huckleberry Trail with Burley.  We kept him on a leash and it was a good thing too!  The trail maintainer/ranger guy came down the trail with a backpack on and an ax in his hand.  Burley went crazy barking and growling!! I think he was ready to protect us from the 'big animal' coming towards us.

#2- Teton Canyon hiking with my sister Brittany.  We enjoyed the beautiful scenery!  There were waterfalls everywhere and everything was so green.  We had a picnic by the river and enjoyed the great weather.

#3- Table Rock with my dad.  It was an awesome hike!!  The weather was perfect and there was hardly any wind on the top of table rock.  It's a hike we have to do every year.

#4- Pack Saddle Lake hike.  Doug was getting ready for school to start and just had to have another day outdoors befor that happened.  So we planned a picnic, grabbed our coats and drove out towards Driggs.  I had never been to Pack Saddle Lake before and so I was excited.  We decided to let Burley off of the leash to see how he would do.  He was awesome!! He never tried going off the trail and would run ahead then turn and wait for us.

This is what we found when we got there!  It was just beautiful!!

There was a rope swing hooked up too!  Of course we had to swing on it and I'm sure if it had been 20 degrees warmer we would have just let go and jumped in the water.  It was an unusually cold day even though it was sunny and beautiful.

#5 - Hiking around Cave Falls and to the Bechler River.  The Saturday after my birthday we went out to see the collapsed cave at Cave Falls.  Again we packed a lunch and brought Burley along.  We were very glad that Burley never jumped in the river.

The Falls were beautiful but the fall time colors were even more amazing!!  Everything was yellow, orange, and red!

We weren't really planning to hike, but we just couldn't resist the beauty surrounding us so we jumped on a trail that followed the river.  After a while the trail took us a little away from the river and I suggested we turn back.  Of course Doug being who he is said, 'Lets just go a little bit farther.  Then we can have lunch and turn around.  I just want to see what's up around that corner.'  And boy I'm glad we did just see what was around the corner!

#6- Backpacking from Bechler River Ranger Station to Old Faithful.  Ok so I'd never been backpacking before in my life....until harvest vacation this year.  Doug got me all excited to hike to Old Faithful so I insisted we still do it, even though the weather might not be amazing the whole time.  So we rented some gear from BYUI and bought our freeze dried meals.  It didn't really cross my mind how far 30 miles really is, especially when you are carrying a pack!

We did it in 3 days and it was awesome!  Yes I was sore when we got done.  I hobbled around on sore feet for a few days and had some knots in my shoulders and back.  But I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!  I loved being out alone with Doug and in a place you could only get to by hiking.

The first day was beautiful!  It was sunny and the hiking was easy.  We went across these huge meadows.  I'm glad it wasn't really wet other wise we would have been hiking in a lot of mud.  We had to cross the river 3 times.  It was pretty freezing and up to my mid-thighs!  Thank goodness we brought our chacos!

Just after the last river ford we found our first camping site.  We got our tent set up and dinner made just before the clouds gathered and it started to sprinkle.  We tied our food up on the bear pole and snuggled in for the night.

Unfortunately it rained all night long and continued in the morning!  So we had to pack up a wet tent and it was quite chilly.  We got going and started up the first real climb.  We passed waterfall after waterfall!  It was beautiful even in the rain.  We also passed a lot of thermal areas that were steaming in the cold weather.

When we got up on the ridge passed three rivers junction, it was like we were just up in a cloud! We couldn't really see off the side of the ridge or the mountains surrounding us.  It was amazing!  It began snowing where we were supposed to camp up at the top of the mountain....so we decided to come down the other side and camp in a lower campground.  Luckily that campground wasn't already taken by anyone.

And our last morning we were trudging along (me in front) when around the bend came a BIG buffalo.  I gasped and jumped off the trail and Doug didn't know what to think at first.  Once he realized it wasn't a bear he was happy!  We grabbed a few pictures while he walked past us like we weren't even there.  Our one and only wildlife encounter on this trip.

This picture doesn't do him justice!


Lone Star Gyser


At the end-Yes our smiles look a little strained and I'm standing like my feet are killing me, well because they were!

Our Adoption Profile!

Our adoption profile is finally up and available on the LDS Family Services Website!! Yay!!  This is our direct agency profile where birthmoms will be able to view our information and have the ability to choose us as their adoptive couple.  So here is the link.

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/25055456/ourMessage.jsf

I'm also attaching this link to my adoption blog so it is connected to the information I have already passed around to friends and family.  Hopefully we will meet our baby soon!

September...

Well we started off September by having a fun little Hansen family get together.  We traveled to Salt Lake to see 'The Lion King'  and went to This is the Place.  

The Lion King was just as wonderful the 2nd time seeing it as it was the first.  I think our camera was MIA again!  Sorry!  I know someone got pictures of us there but I'm not sure who.  It was so fun though going to the Capitol Theater to see the show.  It was way smaller than the theater we went to in LA and so I felt like we could really see what was happening.  It was so much fun especially with the nieces and nephews drinking in the show.

The next day we went to the pioneer monument, This is the Place.  It was fun and interesting to see all of the pioneer activities they had.  It was almost like a mini Nauvoo experience.  We watched basket weaving, made beaded bracelets, visited the printing press and rode the train.  It was a pretty warm day and we were able to cool our feet off while we panned for gold.  That was a lot of fun! I loved seeing the quilt display they had in one of the buildings.  They had quilts from the late 1800s and it was just amazing.

Doug and I at the Monument.

Riding the horses!

 

Our cute nephew waiting so patiently for lunch.

Digging for beads to make our bracelets.

The Blacksmiths!  It was awesome to see them work and some of the things they had made.

Later in September we celebrated my birthday! It was on a farmers market day so I ended up setting up my stuff.  My neighbor was so kind to sell it for me that day.  Doug walked me down the street a little and surprised me with beautiful roses!  We went to dinner and a little bit of the homecoming football game.  Then we just went and played mario kart together!  It was so much fun to just spend time together, I loved it.  Oh and Doug got me this handmade pottery cookie jar!

Then the Hansen family celebrated with me after Sunday dinner.  Everyone was so sweet with their gifts and birthday wishes.  Thanks for an awesome birthday!

August went in a blur...

August was filled with more fun...

We enjoyed the Boyer Reunion here in Rexburg.  I enjoyed sleeping in my bed while still being able to show up early and eat food.  We were pretty spoiled this reunion.  We loved seeing all of the Boyer aunts, uncles, cousins, and babies.  The activities, music, dancing, and church were all wonderful like always.

Doug and I painted Grandma Hansen's house.  This was fun but at the same time not so fun.  I loved spending the time with my husband but it was just flat out hard work.  We did work hard though and it turned out looking just beautiful.  From doing that we got to paint Aunt Sharlenes house which was once again fun but not.  No really we enjoyed ourselves and I love the sense of accomplishment when you get done with a hard project.

We went waterskiing a couple times with Bryant, Becca and Craig, and Dallin and the kids.  It was fun and beautiful.  Doug talked me into water skiing and I crashed hard like usual.  It's one of the many talents that I have not been blessed with.  I try though.  I have more fun watching Doug do the thing he absolutely loves.

Doug and his brothers went on Attempt # 2 to conquer The Grand.  Sadly the weather had other thoughts and they had to turn around and come back before they were up it.  Us women at home just chewed our nails and fretted around the house as we watched the black clouds gather.  We were very happy to see our men return home safely.  So next year I'm already planning for Attempt # 3. Hopefully it will be a success.

We filled our Fridays with working at the Farmers Market.  It has turned out to be a great way to advertise for my quilting/sewing projects.  I made a huge king sized Minkee quilt as a custom order and a crib set.  Both were started and finished in August so I was busy!  It was easier to work when Doug started school and I wasn't so tempted to spend all of my time playing!

School started and so did my daily visit to help with the 5th graders.  I have learned just how hard it is to teach in a class room setting and am so grateful that I am a one on one piano teacher!  Doug has so many 5th graders that he can't fit them all in one room.  So I get to take half of them on occasion, and attempt to teach them how to play the violin, viola, cello or bass.  I love the days I just get to tune and walk around fixing positions or answering questions!!  But I am learning a lot!

And that about sums up our August.  We spent time outside whenever we could and enjoyed a wonderful summer.

The Hansen Family Reunion

Right after my parents left we had an official immediate family Hansen Reunion.  We almost had everyone there!  Richelle and Bryce weren't able to come with their boys, and they were very missed.  We decided that since everyone is married and starting to have kids it was time to have our own reunions.

Doug and I volunteered to be the first couple in charge which was a little bit of a chore but so much fun.   With everyones help it turned out great!  We found a cabin in Island Park that had a wonderful kitchen and open living room.  It was a great size for our little family!  It could've used 2 bathrooms but it worked : ).   There was a tree swing out front, fire pit out back and even a hot tub on the deck.

We had a great talent/skit night the first night!  Everyone participated and it turned out to be a fun and laughter filled evening.  Here's the pictures I got before my camera died.

Throughout the course of the reunion we had a horse shoes tournament.  I think this was everyones favorite activity.  I don't remember who won!  But thats not the important thing right?

We also played plenty of games and ate plenty of treats, thanks to my wonderful sister-in-laws culinary expertise.  Everyone pitched in with food and cooking meals.  We definitely had more than enough to eat over the weekend.

We visited Big Springs to see all the big fish, which turned out weren't so many or so big, but it was fun!  It's a good thing we decided to visit because just as we were leaving 3 moose came running out of the woods to cool off in the spring.  There was a mommy, daddy, and baby.  It was an awesome, if not terrifying, thing to see.

We played Minute-To-Win-It my way.  It was a lot of fun!  It's crazy how hard some of those games can be.  But we got a lot of practice after all was said and done.

I got to dutch oven!  Which I love!  And my new favorite crisp/cobbler is Apple-Rhubarb crisp.  It was fabulous, not to brag, and definitely one I will be making again.  We also got to have s'mores and sing campfire songs.

And another favorite, which will always be, was our sunday testimony meeting.  I am always amazed at the wonderful people I am blessed to have surrounding me.  We were spiritually uplifted and grew together as a family.

All in all I think we can stamp the Reunion as a SUCESS.  We kind of had another mini-reunion over labor day so stay tuned for more info on that...

Adoption!!

Hey everyone!  We are planning to adopt and so very excited about it!!  We are still waiting to be approved but would like to get our information out there.  Let your friends and family know and help spread the word around.  Come see our adoption blog at:

dougandjessadopt.blogspot.com

We will have buttons and links to our profile in the near future.  I'll let you know when our profile at lds family services is available.  And if you wouldn't mind grabbing our adoption button that would be great!!  Help us get the word out!

To make the button on your blog:  1st copy the code in the drop down box on under the button on my blog - on your blog go to customize/design - then page elements - add an html/java script gadget and paste the code that you find in the box under my button!  Thats it!

Thanks!

July Continued.....Dad and Table Rock

The same week of our anniversary my dad came to visit.  He flew in on the weekend, like Brittany did.  We had so much fun during his visit.  It was the most time he has been able to spend with us at our home since we have been married.  We loved it.  We were able to play some games, spend time at the Farmers Market, hike and visit.  I think we filled up the weekend pretty well.

Our big activity was hiking table rock.  On our way up the road we saw a young bull moose.  It looked pretty awesome in the morning sun with dust hanging in the air from the road.  It was the second moose I've seen but I didn't have the camera out.

We went up the Huckleberry trail and back down the same way.  My dad said he wanted to go the pretty way and since we killed ourselves going down the face last time we decided to go up and down the long way.  It took a long time but was worth it.  We got beautiful pictures too!  My dad kept wondering if the hike was worth it but in the end he agreed it was.  I'm still not sure crossing the river twice, taking our shoes off, and almost freezing my feet off in the water was worth it : ).  I just don't want to do that again!  we will go later in the season next time.

    

Everything was so green it was just beautiful.  This is the beginning of Huckleberry Trail.

   

Here was our destination and hiding behind it is The Grand.  We passed some beautiful waterfalls on the way up. 

We ate our lunch on the top of table rock, while staring at the grand.  It was a beautiful sight and the weather was perfect.  

    

On our way down we ate 'snow' for water, crossed the river again, decided to soak our shoes, and dad fell in!  It was pretty funny!  I felt bad for my dad though when we got done.  He was supposed to go on a backpacking trip with Tyler and Janae a few days later!  He had pretty sore legs for the rest of the weekend.

My mom met up with us to take my dad to Spokane to see Tyler and Janae.  She had been off traveling with her sisters for their Sister's Retreat.  She got to spend a day with us, which was wonderful.  We went out to dinner played games and got to visit.  I am so glad that they took time to come and see us even with how busy their schedules were.  It was too much fun!