August 11, 2011 Day 2 Kotter Reunion, Donut Falls Part 1

Donut Falls

We started out our day by going on a 3/4 mile hike up to Donut Falls.  Matt wasn't able to make it again because he worked the night before, and was sleeping.  My Sister Kate and her family weren't able to make it.  My Brother Quinn left to go to Hawaii right after Cowabunga Bay.  It was My Mom, my Brother Chris and his family, Me and the girls.  The hike is really easy.  The kids had fun finding big walking sticks, climbing on the rocks, picking flowers, and finding and chasing butterflies.  We made it to the falls in good time, and decided that we would hike up to the donut.  We had to cross the river.  Kenzie had no problem doing that, she is fearless and it scares me!  Maddie was scared so I ended up piggybacking her across.  Now the hard part climbing up the slippery rock to see the Donut.  This hike brought back memories from a camping trip many years ago.   

We had gone on a camping trip to somewhere in the Uinta Mountains.  My Dad saw a glacier and wanted to hike to it.  So he gathered our family together and we set out to hike to this glacier.  The hike started out just fine, and then we came to an area of loose rock.  We had nowhere to go but up.  It was so steep and scary.  We eventually made it to this glacier.  We played in the snow, and had a snowball fight.  Then it was time to go.  We decided to slide down the glacier.  I don't remember if we all did or if it was just my older brother Chris.  Anyways I think he lost control and he crashed and scraped up his legs pretty good.

We made it back to the area of loose rocks and tried to go down it, but they were to loose.  My Dad was trying to find another way down.  We were all freaking out thinking that we were going to have to use signals to somehow get the emergency rescue out to us.  My dad eventually found another way down, it was still steep and scary but I'm happy to say we made it all of the way down and back to our campsite.  So knowing that I was able to do that hike made it so I could do this hike up to the Donut at Donut Falls with no problem.

I was a little scared though, but made it.  Maddie was very scared, Kenzie not scared at all.  She was ready to get to the top.  I pretty much had to push Maddie up the rocks.  We made it to the top, and it was so worth it seeing the Donut close up. Not only did we get to see the Donut from on top, but we got to see it from under as well.  So cool!   We made it down the to the regular trail with nobody getting hurt.  I thought it was going to be me that would because i'm just lucky like that.  Maddie was scared out of her mind going down.  We had to slide on our bums most of the way down.  It was a team effort.  Go team!  Such a great experience, i'm so glad we did it and hiked up to the donut.  Definitely was something to cross off on our bucket lists.  I wish Matt, Quinn, Kate and her family could have made it.  They missed out.

Pictures of our hike:

Sarah, and I:

Chris and Sarah:

Maddie:

Gabe and McKenzie:

Gabe:

 Grandma with Gabe, Madisynn, McKenzie, Trace, and McKell:

At the top looking at the donut:

I thought that we had taken a picture of the donut from on top.  I couldn't find it, so I googled a picture of what it looks like.
The donut:

My Mom took this picture of the donut while we were all on top:

On the way down:

Outside the falls:

Under the falls:

Thanks for reading!  Stay tuned for part 2. =)

August 10, 2011 Day 1 Kotter reunion at Cowabunga bay!!!

Doesn't this look like fun???  Well it was!!!

First things first, I woke up bright and early did a workout, got me, and the girls ready, got our lunch together, picked up my Mom, headed out to Cowabunga bay and met up with Chris and his family, and my little Bro Quinn. Matt was going to meet up with us later, and so was my Sister Kate and her kids.  The kids were so excited to be there, they could hardly wait to be in the water.
We started out in the Lazy River, went over to the wade pool, and tried out some of the water slides.  The girls weren't too sure about the water slides, probably because they were freezing.  We went on the double slider, and another beginner slide.  They didn't like it.  Maddie wouldn't go on the Maeday.  I don't know why.  I took them on the Hang 5.  Kenzie went by herself and I went with Maddie.  They did alright, but I was worried that they weren't going to enjoy the rest of the day.  Finally Matt showed up.  He was able to take Kenzie and go with my Quinn, Chris, and my nephew Gabe, and niece McKell  on some slides. She did really well.  She loved the biggest purple slide the best. 

Then we decided to go and eat lunch.  We had to go outside of the park to eat.  Yes they had some picnic tables, but they were all taken, so we had to eat at our cars.  You can't bring food into the park, they want you to buy their food.  Not a fan of that, that was the thing I hated about the park.  While we were eating Kate and her kids arrived.  We hurried up and finished eating, and went back into the park.  

We did the Lazy river some more, and then I went with Kate, Quinn, and Sarah. to go have some fun.  We decided to start out with getting drenched by water being dumped from a huge bucket from 60 ft. in the air.  Quite the experience, what a rush!!!  Moved on and went down a slide, Matt came and joined the fun.  We wanted another rush.  So we went and got water dumped on us again.  We decided to lay down on our backs this time and get splashed.  So fun, kind of hurt my ear a little though from all of that water.  Tried to turn my head out of the way.  Went on another big slide, wanted another rush, so we went and got drenched by the other water bucket.  I was on my stomach this time, much better.  I liked the other bucket a lot more!  Then we went down the last of the biggest slides.  I have to say My favorite out of the 3 biggest slides was the big purple one the Mondo.

We went back and played in the lazy river some more, and then Maddie wanted to go down some slides.  We went down the hang 5 twice, and then she wanted to do the Hang ten.  She didn't like that one as much because it was a longer wait, and more water splashes you, so you are freezing.  After that she wanted to go back to the lazy river.  She was done with the slides.  I'm so glad she tried!  McKenzie spent most of her time in the lazy river with her cousins.  She had fun on the slides, but didn't want anything more to do with them when Matt and my brothers decided to take the kids to get drenched by the big water buckets.  I had fun with my family!  It was a fun experience!!!

Starting the day out:

In the Lazy River:

In the wade pool:

By the slides:

Just chillin:

The bucket that gave us a rush:

Kotter family reunion 2011

Last year was Bear Lake, this year we did a staycation.  Just did things in the area.  My Bro Chris and his wife Sarah planned it(I think Sarah planned most of it =)), and boy she did an awesome job.  Thanks Sarah for all that you did.  I love Sarah, she is so much fun, and so creative, and I love hanging out with her!  Our Staycation was 4 wonderfully days long.  We went to Cowabunga bay, on a hike to Doughnut falls, to Hollywood Connections, and had the Kotter family Olympics at my Sister Kate's house, camped in the backyard, and Relaxed. Stay tuned posts coming on each day of our Staycation. =)

Dinner in a pumpkin

Tried a new recipe last night.  It turned out yummy we really liked it.  Very festive and appropriate for Halloween or fall.  The girls were so excited when they came home from school and saw the pumpkin with a painted face.  They couldn't wait to try it.  So here you go dinner in a pumpkin:

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 small to medium pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 lb. ground beef

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained ( I used fresh)

1 can chicken soup

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 (6 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts drained

Cut off top of pumpkin and clean out seeds.  Paint face on pumpkin with marking pen.  Preheat oven to 350.

In large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender.  Add meat and brown.  Drain drippings.  Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup.  Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cooked rice and water chestnuts.  Spoon mix into the cleaned out pumpkin shell.  Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin in filling on a baking sheet.

Bake 1 hour until inside meat of the pumpkin is tender.  Remove pumpkin lid and serve.  For your vegetable, scoop out cooked pumpkin and serve.  Serves 6.

Enjoy!!!

Crazy Hair Day

Last week was say no to drugs week.  Each day they had something different.  Monday they had a red wrist band that they wore.  Tuesday was crazy sock day, so Maddy wore 1 pink sock, and 1 brown sock up to her knees because they were Kenzie's socks.  Wednesday was dress up like a nerd.  Maddie wore stretch pants with a polo shirt.  The shirt was buttoned all the way, tucked in all the way, and the pants hiked up to her chest, and socks mismatched socks over her pants up to her knees..  I wish I would have taken a picture, but I forgot.  She loved it!  Thursday Crazy Hair day which she loved even more.  Friday wear school colors blue and white for the cougars.

Crazy hair day photos:

 I wish that she could have worn the super girl costume.  Classic!

Final outcome what a cutie!  Everyone loved it, and laughed.  She has a ton of hair.  Not so much fun by the end of the day after her shower.  No tears were shed, what a brave girl!

Going darker

 I needed a change, so I decided to dye my hair a dark brown with some red in it.  I loved the outcome in the salon, but when I got home I wasn't so sure anymore.  Matt and the girls loved it.  It was funny they asked me if I was new.  I needed another girls opinion though because I was going to one of my good friends growing up wedding reception.  I haven't seen a lot of these people in years so I didn't want to go looking like a freak. The last time I did something drastic the outcome was awful.  I bleached my hair, and I looked like an Albino.  I tried to convince myself that I looked ok.  When my Mom saw me she was dead honest and said it looked terrible.  When I went to my college classes the next day I felt as if I were wearing some kind of neon sign on my head that lit up my hair making it so that everyone was staring at me.  They probably weren't, but it sure felt like it.  I got if fixed quick.  I will never bleach my hair again!

Anyways back to needing another girls opinion, my Mom was out of town, Sister and Sister in laws live to far away.  I called my friend Jacoy, she wasn't home.  I called my other friend Beth she was busy.  I didn't have anymore time to try my other friends because I had to leave to go to the reception which was over an hr. away.  As soon as I got to the reception all of my insecurities about my hair were washed away.  I got so many good compliments, that made me feel so good!  Someone even told me that they liked the new color better than my old color.  I think that I do too!  My Mom likes the color.  It was funny when I picked her up from the airport.  She didn't recognize me when I got out of the car, and she did a double take.  Too funny!  It feels nice to have a change. =)

Homemade Salsa

This year I wanted to be brave and try something new like making salsa.  My friend Shaina is one awesome cook and had a recipe in a cookbook that she had published a couple of years ago.  So I planted my tomatoes hoping and praying that they would do well so I could make the salsa.  Sorry to say my tomatoes didn't do so well.  We hardly got anything.  Lucky for me though that my awesome Brother and Sister in law Jason and Rachael were able to produce one heck of a garden.  They overproduced, and I was happy to take the tomatoes and peppers off there hands.  I had enough tomatoes to make 2 batches of Salsa.
I really don't know why I was so afraid to try.  Maybe it was because of all of the peppers that I would be cutting up.  I haven't really done much with Serrano peppers, Anaheim peppers, Jalapeno peppers, and the mother of all peppers the hottest the Habanero pepper.  It wasn't hard at all.  Wear rubber gloves and you will be fine.  My biggest problem was the onions.  My eyes wouldn't stop watering.  and by the end they were pretty swollen.  The batches I made were pretty mild, so next year I would like to make it hotter.  Thank you again Jason and Rachael and Shaina for making it possible for me to try something new!  Love you guys!