Fall Activities in Utah for Kids under 3: Muller Park

The beauty of the outdoors! Muller Park Trail is a gorgeous trail in Bountiful Utah. Kids LOVE the outdoors and the magic that comes with it.
You can park off on the road close to the houses. You walk up the road for about 2 minutes until you hit a bridge. Keep the kids close during this part because there are cars going up the mountain and down the mountain. There are also bikers that come around the corner. After you get to the bridge, the only thing you have to watch out for are the bikes that come and go. But, the kids are free to roam around.

Five minutes into our hike, the kids were tired and wanted to snack. We found this area off the road to have our snacks and water. Mia was the most uncomfortable one of us all, because she was in the hiking back pack.

They loved every dog that passed by them and said hi to all of them. There were some really nice dogs on the trail that day.

The hike is kind of steep, but totally doable for the little ones .You don't even have to go all the way up, we didn't. Emma and Nelson had fun collecting leaves of all colors.

Bret felt free to be and he ran most of the time. Mia liked it better when I was walking, I think she was really uncomfortable in the hiking back pack.

Next time, I think I'll just bring her in the kangaroo pack. But I like that I can pack snacks on this back pack. So, who knows, we'll see.

At the end, we went to the river that's by the road. Our goal was to throw rocks in the river and let the kids get the rest of the energy out. But Bret of course, likes to be an adventurer and go the extra mile and become part of the river. Didn't even matter that the water was freezing cold, he got in the water and then sat in the river. No prob.

We give this park/trail **** (4 stars)

1- Easy access
2- Safety- You have to keep a watchful eye on the kids. Don't stress out, but know there's incoming cars, bikes, dogs. In my son's case, I have to keep him away from the river. Especially the deeper parts. Because he will most likely go in. The trail is kind of narrow. We herded the kids away from the edge and it was fine. They were obedient. Bring extra clothes!
3- Entertainment- It was fun! The kids really enjoyed themselves. They loved to explore and just be outdoors.
4- Great place to have a snack with kids younger than 3 months and old enough to sit by themselves. I think Mia would have been more comfortable if she was able to sit on her own.

All in all, it was a great trip. We would do it again.

Fall Activities in Utah for Kids Under 3: Kuwahara Farms

I have made it my goal to try and get out as much as I can, while the weather is still nice. There are so many benefits to us leaving the apartment.  For starters, the apartment isn't as messy! I love being able to walk through my home! We also decrease screen time. And my most favorite is...Bret doesn't scream or throw tantrums as much/ as often... YAY!

This week's adventure took us to Kuwahara Farms in Draper

It was beautiful! They had three green houses filled with different kids of pumpkins and Halloween decorations. The kids loved the dragon in the first tent (Just in case you were wondering what we were looking at in the picture below). 

My favorite were the pink/blush pumpkins, like the one on the bottom right hand corner of this picture:

The kids are free to walk around and touch the pumpkins, sit on them, or play with the hay. Bret is usually the first to run away and venture off to more exciting parts, but this time around he stayed close. He was so entertained by all the pumpkins. 

They have these wagons there that you can put the kids in. Or the pumpkins. Or both! You can also bring a stroller! 

Here's my friend Anai pulling the wagon and wearing her baby Sophie.
Mia is in the back there somewhere in the stroller!

Tiny hands. Tiny pumpkins. Perfect!

So many gourds so little time!

Finally, the famous corn pit and the bounce houses. Bret LOVED the corn pit. Emma, not so much, but the bounce houses were a hit. Nelsito loved both the corn pit and the bounce houses, but he was more into the inflatable minions. Mia, well...she grabbed corn for the first time and her feetsies couldn't get enough! 

I wasn't very good at taking pictures of the bounce houses or inflatable characters.
 But you can see one of the bounce slides in the background.

We give Kuwahara Farms ***** (5 stars) for:
1- Easy access- Parking, Strollers, wagons...wheelchairs.
2- Entertainment- You can spend 2 hours there and the kids will be happy and ready to nap.
3- Food- They have yummy churros to snack on! We got 5, but I think next time 3 would have been enough for all 5 of us.

4- Bathrooms- They only have one porta-potty. With not a lot of space inside, so plan accordingly.

Happy Fall everyone!

Getting to know them: Mia Grace

"...and my grace is sufficient for all men; ...for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27

Getting to know Mia Grace at this point is more about her needs as a baby and what I can do to meet those needs.

When I found out she had Spina Bifida, I thought she was at a disadvantage. I thought, why would God give her this?! Life is already hard as it is! Mia Grace is a great reminder to me of the promises given in the scripture mentioned above. She is such a strong little person. Spina Bifida isn't a disadvantage and it doesn't define her. When she was born, I realized that she was born to conquer. She has been so strong and resilient. There is nothing she can't do. 

I realized then that this scripture is more for me than for her. It was me who was weak. In other words, I was scared. I knew nothing of the medical world. The things I did know about her diagnosis and the care and warning signs we had to look for where too scary for me to think about. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to do any of those things.

Now that she’s been home for over a month, I feel like I’m getting to know her better as well as how Spina Bifida affects her. For example, Mia has hydrocephalus and had to get a shunt put in. The shunt helps all the extra liquid in her brain drain properly and it helps her so that she doesn't get symptoms from the Chirari II Malformation she has as well. So, if Mia throws up, I now think okay, is it her shunt? (I then touch her soft spot to make sure it's still soft). Then I think, she also has nerve damage somewhere in between her stomach and rectum...was she not able to digest the food correctly because she hasn't been able to poop? or is it the Chiari II making it hard for her to swallow? 
There's also the straight catheterization twice a day due to some nerve damage in her bladder. I remember I was really scared to do this one at first, but then when it came time to do it, I know God gave me the strength to be able to do it. 

Check out those curls!!!!

We have been able to go to what’s called, Spina Bifida Clinic. This is where all of the specialists come and see Mia. It usually takes half a day. I never thought I would love it so much. They answer all of my questions and I learn a lot! They calm my worries and help me help Mia. At the clinic we see the neurologist, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, her nurse, and nutrition. My favorite specialist out of all of them (and the most relevant at this point) is neurology. That doctor is so good at teaching us about Mia’s brain. Learning more about how her brain works and how hydrocephalus affects it and how the shunt helps it, allows me to prepare and understand when things don’t work correctly, or why they do work!

This doesn't mean I'm never afraid. HA! If I think about it too much or start thinking about what could go wrong and the unknown, I freak myself out and I just want to put both of my kids in a bubble where I can keep them safe and sound. But alas, that cannot be... That's when I have to stop myself and enjoy my baby NOW and the accomplishments of every day, as minuscule as they may seem. Like, all of her wet diapers make me go into my happy dance! It helps me know that her bladder is emptying and she'll be less likely to have kidney damage. She also hasn't had a UTI which is awwwwsome!! So far, we haven’t had the need to go to the E.R for a shunt malfunction or infection and I hope it stays that way. Her back is finally healing up nicely and she can lay on it. There's a lot of things to be thankful for and a lot of things to be happy about.

Mia has shown me strength, patience, and faith. I know God sent her to me so that I could work on trusting Him a little more. 

These two are magnificent!!