Part 2 of our Big Trip: Huntsville, Utah. Home of idyllic landscapes, gorgeous mountain views, and hometown of my best friend from college, Edith.
Isn't it lovely? Three weeks of unseasonable June rain have made the valley particularly striking, and how lucky we were to be visiting Edith and her family when Huntsville was so lush and green.
Edith grew up here, on this very land. She and her husband built a home (I forgot to get any pictures of that!) on land split off from her parent's property, and they now raise their 5 adorable and smart-as-a-whip children here. Apparently Huntsville is a very up-and-coming area, and a lot of wealthy people are moving in with their million-dollar custom homes built on what used to be farmland. It's alway sad to see that happen to a rural area, but especially when the resulting tax value of properties is so elevated that the "old-timers" are forced out simply because they can't afford to pay taxes on their farms anymore. And especially when the farmland views are as lovely as these.
My kids had such a good time here. Hyrum is holding what we referred to as a Giant Puffball (Edith told me the real name but I forgot) that puts any dandelion puff to shame. Those things were huge!
They still worked the same way as dandelion puffs, although they required a lot more gusto to blow all the little floaters off. It was a challenge eagerly welcomed by the kids.
There was a tall swingset in the backyard, and Eliza tried valiantly to climb it like her new friend Anderson (Edith's only son who feels very keenly the struggles of living with 4 sisters).
She decided to keep with the swings instead.
They all had a great time on the trampoline. Here you see Hyrum and Meredith, who are almost the same age. Then there's adorable little Rosalie, who is 6 months older than Hazel and as charmingly talkative as can be. It's so fun to listen to such long strings of sentences coming from someone so young! Hazel is just starting to imitate words and sounds, so it's quite novel for me to hear a kid who happens to be smaller than Hazel and looks her same age roll out complete sentences as clear as a bell. So cute.
Hyrum found a friend amongst the rhubarb leaves that Edith had discarded after harvesting some fresh rhubarb for a very yummy crisp she made for us one evening.
My poor kids are so desperate for a pet that they'll resort to adopting caterpillars, if only temporarily.
"Look, Mom! He's trying to give me a kiss!"
Farewell, little green fuzzy friend. Go make yourself into a pretty butterfly or moth or whatever you are destined to become.
While staying with Edith, we rode horses which belong to her sister who lives down the road (super bummed that I have no pics of that, as I didn't bring my camera. Eliza was so thrilled to be riding a big horse). We also swam in her sister's pool, which had some amazing boulders arranged at the pool's edge to create a natural-looking diving board. The kids jumped off the 8-ft-high platform fearlessly and effortlessly. I climbed up there, got height fright (how could something that looked so low from the pool seem so very high when standing on the rock above the water?) and almost climed back down. Eliza was egging me on, though, so I had to do it. It was actually quite fun, but not enough to do it again. :-)
Edith and her little brood are blessed to have both her parents and her awesome in-laws within a few miles of their house. Edith's FIL, Steve Songer, is a fantastic artist and also happens to be a terrific carpenter and gardener.
He built this playhouse for the grandkids in their backyard. Isn't it so very fun?
Some time ago the Songers hosted a family reunion, and from what I understand Steve made a sign of the location of all the young people in the family who were currently serving missions in various parts of the world.
Wouldn't it be fun to have a garden shed like this? The pvc pipe on the right hand side is covered with plastic in the spring to give the tomatoes a head start.
I just love this old weather vane "tower"....not sure what it's called but it sure is fun!
Birds and birdhouses are a delightful and whimsical recurring theme in their garden.
Here's a collection of old bird's nests piled up, and a little surprise nestled away in the top one. Not to worry, it's not real!
The inside of G and G Songer's house is as charming and fun as the outside. Here's a dear little hand towel on display in the hallway. I don't know who made it, but I love the obvious care and handwork it took to create it.
I had to share the great storage system they have in their mudroom. How many people would take the time and effort to hand-paint colorful and artfully rendered numbers on their storage boxes? Steve Songer did, and I really like the result. He seems to do everything with creativity and skill.
Back outside, the peas in the vegetable garden flourish with rampantly growing vines and pods. There are few things as delectable as a fresh pea pod snapped from the vine and eaten on the spot.
A big thank you to Edith and your family for letting us come and stay with you - we all had a wonderful time. Thanks to all the relatives for letting us ride your horses, swim at your pool, and play in your yards! It was so much fun!
My kids were very sorry to have to leave their new playmates, and have declared that we need to make this an annual trip. After driving with them for hours in Utah and now in California, I'm thinking that it will be quite awhile before we do this again, even though the visits have been so much fun. Road trips in a small rental car with 3 little ones who apparently have nothing better to do than fight and argue with eachother is not, I repeat, NOT a fun and relaxing experience! :-) I'm sure those of you who have Been There, Done That would smile and heartily agree.
Oh, what lovely photos of my parent's house. It made me so homesick! and made me want to be a barefoot kid again rummaging through my parents garden for fresh peas and strawberries.
Posted by: Katie Songer Hale | July 15, 2009 at 09:22 PM
That tower thing is called a "cupola." Or at least, that's what Steve calls it. Since he built it, he can call it whatever he likes.
I do hope you will be able to visit again sometime. I'm doubtful we'd ever drag all seven of us to your house. I couldn't face the traveling--you're braver than I am. Maybe just the two of us adults. . .
Posted by: EdithSonger | July 12, 2009 at 12:41 PM
What a charming place. The quaint and colorful bits just glow thanks to your description and lovely tilts with you camera lens. Thank you for capturing the beauty of the Huntsville and the Songers. A place I would love to visit and people I would love to eat a long, lazy lunch with.
I was thinking of you and Steve today, as we chatted with an ensign that just moved from Hawai'i and his first tour. I'd love to talk with you sometime about living there.
Posted by: Peggy | July 11, 2009 at 06:44 PM
This is one of the most beautiful blog posts I've ever seen! Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
Thanks sooooo very much!
Celia
Posted by: celia | July 11, 2009 at 02:24 AM
I absolutely LOVE Huntsville! And now I am wondering if the Songers will adopt me! What an awesome family. Sounds like a fun trip.
Posted by: Sunny | July 10, 2009 at 05:29 PM