A Homemade Slide

Lisa and I were talking the other night about how fun it would be to have a slide for Benson.  We had a small mishap with our toilet (ha! "mishap" - Lisa interjecting here - Let's just say this "mishap" caused flood #3 in our basement!) and while we were at Home Depot looking for a repair part, we found a scrap bin of some wood that was just enough for a basic slide.  The original plan faltered and we had to rig it up to work, but it seems to be okay.  Someday, we'll put a better finish on the MDF surface as well as properly cover the 2x6 rails down the side.  For now, Benson is loving learning how to use it! Here's a quick look at his slide.

Hogle Zoo on Pioneer Day

Happy 24th of July!  In Utah, we celebrate Pioneer Day.  We celebrate the date of July 24, 1947 - when the pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley after a long and difficult journey from the East.  They have forged a lasting legacy of courage, hard work, and perseverance that we will forever be grateful for.

Today, Matt took work off to join Lisa and Benson at the Hogle Zoo.  Unfortunately, when we arrived, certain animal exhibits had been closed due to the rebuilding of an African Safari.  We assume that the Lions, Zebras, Camels, etc. are all apart of that exhibit which will be complete for next year.  There were still many animals to see though and Benson was in awe as he watched each of these different animals move and make their noises.  He especially liked the monkeys as they jumped from tree to tree as well as the sea lions/seals gliding through the water.  The zoo also had a Lego Exhibit.  There were several stations (5 or 6?) where animals had been built from Legos  Check out the polar bear in the picture below.  It took thousands of Legos to make him!

We finished the day off going to the Butlerville Days firework show (Cottonwood Heights 24th of July Celebration).  The fireworks were fantastic and we were lucky enough to find the Haycocks nearby to share the time with.  Happy 24th!

Lower Bell Canyon Reservoir Hike

Our family has set a goal to go on a hike every available Saturday that we can. We are so blessed to live so close to the mountains where trailheads are only minutes away. With an 11-month old who needs to get back for his morning nap - we couldn't ask for anything better.

This week we went to Lower Bell Canyon Reservoir. A good friend in our ward recommended it to us as a close and  short hike. and so we threw our gear into the car and up we went. The hike was a little steeper than expected, but nothing difficult. The lake in the morning sunlight was beautiful and the ducks from all across the lake came to greet us as we made our way down to the waters edge. From a ridge just west of the lake, we were also able to take a couple of panoramic pictures. Beautiful place!

Panorama of the Salt Lake Valley

Panorama of the Mountains

Directions: Just 50 yards east of the intersection of Wasatch Drive and Little Cottonwood Rd in Sandy, UT, there is a small parking lot. This is the Granite Trailhead. Once on the trail, it is very straightforward and you just hike along for about .6 miles to the small lake up top. You can stop there or continue up Bell Canyon another mile to find several small waterfalls and eventually the Upper Reservoir.

All I Want Are My Two Front Teeth

Benson's getting his first set of teeth!  The front two, bottom row have finally cut through and are making their first appearance.  He really started drooling about 3 months ago and we would blame any kind of fussiness on teething.  Apparently we were wrong as they came in a lot later than we expected.

Here's a quick picture.  They look cute and adorable, but watch out ... their sharp!

A little tidbit about baby teeth: Generally, there are 20 primary teeth (baby).  This is compared to the permanent set of 32 teeth that later replaces the baby set.  When referencing individual teeth, dentists use an alphabetical system (A through T) for baby teeth and a numerical system (1 through 32) for permanent teeth. Benson's two teeth then would be teeth O & P, or the lower central incisors.  As you can see in the chart below, he was a little late in cutting these (he's almost 11 months) and he only gets to keep them for 5-6 years before they are replaced.

When you have a Hygienist for a wife ... you have to learn these things.  Knowing the reference for each tooth is very practical too.  In a restaurant, all I have to say is "numbers 8 & 9" and Lisa understands that she has something between her front two upper teeth.  This way, I can let her know without drawing any attention to the situation as no one has any idea what I am talking about.