Labor Day

It's a federal holiday, so I am delighted to report that I had a paid day off and took full advantage of it! We all did. It was a true day of fun-fun-fun.

We had our annual breakfast up the canyon at South Fork Park. I chose to bike up the canyon, preparing our fruit in advance. I haven't been up South Fork all year, and I like to do that climb at least once a year. It was a fairly miserable ride. I had a fierce headwind from the mouth of the canyon to Vivian Park, and then a steady four-mile climb to the gate at the top. I was slow and felt sluggish, was passed several times on the way up, and thought about stopping at South Fork Park and not going all the way. It was only 9:10am when I got to South Fork Park, however, and no one else was coming until 9:30am, so rather than sit around doing nothing for twenty minutes, I sat on my bike and just kept peddling. There were two men at the gate as I came slowly (4 MPH) up the hill, and one of them said, "You're faster than I was." I replied, "There is nothing fast about this pace." I made it just at 9:30am.

I made it to the gate!

I came up this road which doesn't look so steep from this angle,

but on my bike headed up, it felt like climbing the Alps.

I'm fat and slow.

I was excited for the blissful, superfast downhill, reward for biking to the top. I began tearing down the hill, but while going 35 MPH (much faster than the up), hit a pothole and got a flat. I panicked, sure I was going to crash and really, really, really hurt myself. I managed to brake smoothly and come to a stop, crash-free but frustrated that my down was interrupted. I changed my tire and was grateful that all six bikers who passed me asked if I needed help and had everything I needed. The remaining down was taken a bit more conservatively so my eyes didn't water and I could see where I was going.

Breakfast was delicious! Pancakes, eggs, fruit, donuts, and bacon and sausage. We talked, played Ultimate Frisbee with another family in the park, chased kids, and entertained small people. It was a beautiful morning and a delight to be together sharing a meal in nature. Everything tastes better eaten outdoors and at altitude. I don't know why, but it does.

Here is the one only picture I took while at breakfast.

Blythe is scared of Christopher and Tysen's dog Maverik, 

and carried around this enormous stick to hit him with he got too close.

(eye-roll)

And here is a picture Mikayla took, one of three.

Mom and I in our matching shirts.

It was a blue-striped sort of day.

I had wonderful small helpers working closely with me to make scrambled eggs.

How lucky am I?

We needed to get Brandt home so he could go to the movie with Paul Moreland, and brought Cora home with us. She wanted to come to our house to play. She did some Lego in the basement, then came up and wanted to do a play a game and do a puzzle. We did two puzzles and played All Around Town, then went to Grandma Sue's house for a swim. It felt so good to be in the water. I took one picture at the pool.

Having a 'nuggle with Thea

We had Kent bring over hotdogs for dinner and then ate together before going home and getting ready for Fugitive (separate post). Brandt had just come from a party at a friend George's house, meaning his whole day, from beginning to end, was party, party, party! Aside for a short resting of the eyes as we lay on the couch, it was party, party, party for pretty much everyone.

Here's to a Labor Day devoid of actual labor.

Labor Day

Labor Day sort of marks the end of summer.  The kids have been in school for two weeks, we have no other days off of school until the middle of October when we've fall break, the snow cone stands will be closing soon, and all the students are back in town making driving a headache. 

But I'm not ready to have summer end!  It's still hot, I still want to play, I still want to bask in the sun and work on my tan, I still want to bike outside.  So today I did all of these things.  We gathered with the DeMartinis at South Fork Park for breakfast in the canyon.  We weren't meeting until 9:30, so I left the house on my bike just after 8:00 and biked all the way to the top of South Fork.  I came down the canyon and stopped at the park just as everyone else was arriving, except Mom who had been there for a while setting up, and who I hailed as I biked past.  I had a fierce headwind from the mouth of the canyon all the way to Vivian Park.  There was no wind once I got into South Fork, but then it was all uphill.  While four miles isn't long, four miles all uphill IS long, and I felt it.  I was fairly pooped the rest of the day.

At the gate at the top of South Fork.

Breakfast was delicious.  For some reason, bacon and pancakes always taste better when eaten in the mountains.  I don't understand it, but I embrace and relish that difference.  The kids ran around the park, played some soccer, made a fort in the forest, and played croquet.  I played too and got killed by Griffin.  It was great to be in the great outdoors, but it got hot quickly. 

I wish I could say this was ALL of the DeMartini grandkids/cousins.

Sadly, Bryan's family was not with us, so we're missing his four.

I biked home from the park and was irritated to discover that I had a headwind as I went down the canyon.  How unfair is that?  Headwind both directions?!  At least I had gravity on my side.  It was hot biking on the asphalt, but it felt good to be moving.

When we got home, the kids both immediately gathered with friends to play.  Brandt went down to Paul's house, and Blythe had Lilly, Emma, and Ellie all come to our house to play.  I wanted to swim, so I went over to my mom's house alone and swam with Mikayla and her kids and Grandma Sue.  The water felt good.  I wanted to bob around, but Kal wanted me to run with him across the yard to "cannonball" into the pool.  I humored him four times, and then that was enough for me.  I told him I came over to float around the pool, not run around the yard.  He ran with Cora, Brick, and Rowen and was content.  And I basked in the fun and felt bronzed and beautiful.

I got out of Mom's pool in time to make a quick stop at the grocery store for panzanella ingredients, come home and make panzanella, then got right back in the pool, this time at the Cutler's house.  They were hosting an "End of Summer Swim," and invited pretty much the whole ward and others to join them for dinner and swimming.  We all went and had a splendid time.  Both kids had friends--Brandt swam with the Morelands and Will Weidner, and Blythe swam with Ellie, Ava Davis, and Elle Blad.  We ate pulled pork sandwiches and delicious sides, visited with our neighbors, and played and played.

If Labor Day really is the end of summer, I suppose it was a pretty good send off.  But if we can eke out a few more summer moments, I'm going to!