Ensign Peak

Tonight we had our first mountain excursion this trip!  It was totally, absolutely glorious.  I don't know what it is about having a view, but that's one of the best parts about the mountains in Salt Lake is that it's so easy to rise above it all - this particular hike is only a mile round trip and it's still amazing.  Right now my mom's serving in the youth organization of our church, with the 12-13 year old girls to be precise.  Most Wednesday nights they have activities and tonight just happened to be a hike up Ensign Peak, yet another sentimental location for me.  When I was a teenager and our prophet, President Hinckley, rededicated the updated monument I was one of a large group of youth where we all carried huge flags from around the world up to the top...I don't remember why, exactly, but I would guess something along the lines of representing the fact that our church has grown into such a worldwide church since being restored in 1820 and that we are to be 'an ensign to the nations.'  But that's just my guess.  A few years later I ran up to the top by myself anxiously carrying my unopened mission call and then reading at the summit the words 'you have been called to serve in the Thailand Bangkok Mission' and my life has been forever blessed since.  So I generally jump at any opportunity to go there, especially now when I can bring my kids (well, not B, he went to bed) and share such places with them.

Because we were leaving from a church picnic with my in-laws, the kids and I missed starting the hike with the group but I thought that would be fine anyway since I wanted S to hike up as much as possible on his own (E was riding in my carrier backpack).  He did quite well, probably about half or more of the way up, but eventually we looked like this:

Ensign Peak is at the north end of Salt Lake Valley, so the view really is incredible.  Yep, that's my mom in the red.  She totally looks younger than me.

We've really got to train S to be a bit more self-sufficient on hikes though.  I'm not sure where I would have put baby B had he come along...perhaps I could wear him on the front in the ergo...no, that would be moving out of the 'fun' realm and into the 'annoying' one.