Cowboys

Let's talk about cowboys for a minute. I think everyone will agree that cowboys are extremely attractive.WHY?
Let's talk about some of the reasons that cowboys are so very wonderful . The tilted hat and the jingling spurs. The calloused hands. (let me tell ya, I love a set of  big rough hands)
Perhaps it's the fact that their profession involves taming beasts, and then riding off in the sunset. (preferably with me in tow.) They also have the ability to lasso whatever they want. ( including me) Also, plaid, button up, preferably pearl snap shirts look so dang good. And don't even get me started talking about the ability to survive in the wild. It's soooo attractive. I can't even handle it.
 Also, frequently when daydreaming about cowboys I imagine them sitting next to a campfire (romantic? yes.) Strumming their guitar and singing the tune of a gentle country love song in their deep voice while you rest your head on their muscular (from lifting bales of hay) shoulder. Ahhhh! I'm almost crying right now because that sounds so wonderful. If you aren't, just listen to this. See? Now you're crying too. Don't feel bad about the crying. Singing cowboys almost always have that effect on me.
Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.(sorry to make you cry)  Needless to say, I really love cowboys. That is why I am moving to Wyoming to wrangle myself a cowboy husband.

Bears are Cute.

While pondering the very question that spawned this blog I realized that although the goal of this project is to compare men to mountains, there are some similarities between our two subjects of discussion.
You don't believe me eh? Well listen to my logic and I think you will come to agree with me.
Sometimes mountains are scary because bears are hiding in them. Sometimes men are scary because they have bear like qualities. Some examples could include growling, hibernating, lumbering around, and growing massive amounts of hair. The hair might be the scariest of all the qualities. If you need proof, look at men during "no shave November". It's scary. Therefore men and mountains can both be scary.

Even though grizzly bears could tear me apart I still think they're cute. (perhaps this is another similarity between men and bears.)

Swoon

As I sit and ponder on the great things of this life, I often think about men and how they make me swoon. There are just certain things about those who possess a Y chromosome that make me want to go weak at the knees and fall into a pair of loving (and preferably strong) arms.

Ladies of the world, you cannot deny that suit coats and sweat shirts are incredibly attractive. No, not together--don't be silly. I have paired the two because they are attractive for the same reason. Something about a man wearing one of the aforementioned items of clothing ignites this desire to lay my head on his shoulder--preferably while he wraps his arm around me and whispers sweet nothings into my ear.

While we are on the topic of clothing, I may as well throw out that the rolling of dress shirt sleeves and the wearing of glasses are definitely a plus in most situations.

I adore a good smile. The kind that spreads all the way up into the eyes, nay, the kind that envelops the entire face. Take, for example, Dennis Quaid.

Photo Credit

I am also partial to the chefs of the world. I am a firm believer of the idea that a man who learns how to cook is really just learning how to open the door to love.

Speaking of opening doors, a man who is respectful and chivalrous is sure to put himself in good standing as far as my affections are concerned. I can't help it, something warm and fuzzy flutters in my soul when a man takes care of me--even if it is something so simple as offering his seat or catching me when I stumble.

Men and children. Oh, my heart just skipped a beat. Actually, my heart just skipped a beat with every point that proceeded this (except, maybe not the chef one--my heart only skipped half a beat there), so maybe my heart just skipped two beats? Two whole beats--in a row! This is getting to be very dangerous business, what with the swooning and the heartbeat skipping and the weakening knees. It's a mighty good thing that any man that puts me into this kind of peril will also be there to care for me through it all--somehow the tradeoff is worth it. Just the same, I do so adore it when men are darling with the little ones.

Determination plus responsibility. Add in self-confidence, but slight hesitation. A little nerdiness and an understanding of the world around him. Recognition that he needs to take the initiative, but not do everything. 90-10. Now this is a good combination.

Well, these are my deep ponderings on the world, and my dreams about someday being in love. It is likely that I will return and add to this list of things that make me swoon, but for now, this will have to suffice.

Hike #2

Well, due to Dania and her marathon running self we counted the Provo River Trail as a hike. And since we are both fatties it counts. Caleb joined us, and although we questioned how manly he was a few times throughout the journey he proved to us through his adorableness with Benny that he deserves some serious man points.

*Disclaimer: We don't actually keep track of points, it's just a phrase. But if we did Caleb would have lots.

**Notice: The following pictures and comments are provided, not by Stephanie, but by me, Dania. I guess you could call me OCD, but I like things to look just so. And Steph, well, she doesn't really give a hoot. To each her own, I suppose.

We are fully aware of the awkward nature of this photo. We're also over it.

Bridal Veil Falls. Disregard the random woman's head. 

This was our little "off roading" excursion. We were feeling rebellious.

We had an after party, during which Steph and I thoroughly enjoyed some good old T-Swift and ice cream cone microphones. Caleb just ate his ice cream and watched us. And really, can you blame him?

Pretty much, hike #2 was a success. We'll probably keep this up all summer.

Men... Unfortunately Fictional.

This is Ned. He is a fictional pie maker. I wish he wasn't fictional. Or better yet, I wish I was a fictional character who my fictional man was in love with and then we could live a happy fictional life together! That sounds just about right.

This is Gilbert Blythe. I also wish he wasn't fictional because he is adorable. If you don't understand go watch Anne of Green Gables. Right now! But for the record I would want Anne to stay fictional because then my chances with him would be better.

Musings on Men from a Mountain

I hiked the Y on Monday. Sadly, this does not count as hike numero dos (for those of you non-Spanish speakers, that means number two) because Steph did not join me. I was hiking it with a group of single church goers, which meant that there were men of all sorts there. And, as I hiked up that blasted less-than-attractive mountain, I began to wonder to myself the following things. First, why on earth did we have to make this trail both steep and long? I mean really, if it's going to be that steep, you may as well just make it a straight-shot hike, rather than the mile-long, 11-turn, ugly beast that it is. Second, why, oh why, did I decide to leave my delicious granola bar in my car at the bottom? I really wanted that granola bar, seeing as how I was famished, but by the time that I decided that it actually was a horrifically terrible idea to leave that nourishment behind, I was already past the first turn and it was much too late to go back. Third, and most lasting, pickup lines?

You see, I've never fully understood pickup lines when used in all sincerity. Sure, they make a good joke. I mean, when phrases like, "Hello, I'm a thief. And I'm here to steal your heart." exist, I just feel like it's impossible to not get a kick out of them. But do girls somewhere in the world honestly fall head over heels for something like that? Cause...that'd be weird. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather hear an honest effort, an honest compliment, an honest personality than some of this I'm-joking-unless-it-goes-well-at-which-point-it-actually-was-sincere garbage. I am a big fan of being lighthearted, don't get me wrong, but a pickup line just doesn't make me feel like I'm important. Better luck next time, boys.

In case you were wondering, I did make it to the top of the mountain with my companions. We failed to capture ourselves in the moment, but I did document the nearly setting sun in all its glory.

Proof that I made it to the top.

Rock Canyon

Hike #1.

Yesterday, we hiked the ever-so-lovely Rock Canyon. It was great fun. In fact, it was on this hike that this blog was created--in our minds.

We made it to the Squaw Peak turnoff before time constraints forces us to turn back, but along the way we jammed to Taylor Swift and Céline Dion. (I have reached the conclusion that Céline Dion is, in fact, the perfect thing to listen to while hiking up mountains.) We climbed every mountain, forged every stream, followed every rainbow, till we found our dreams--and sang that song while we did it. All in all, I would consider this hiking kickoff a raging success.

Want to know something impressive? Of course you do. On the very day that we began our hiking adventure, we witnessed many a person hiking up with race bibs on their clothes. Our curiosity overtaking us, we finally asked two guys what they were doing. As it turns out, they were doing the Squaw Peak 50 Miler! Did I not tell you that it was impressive?

Sadly, the concept of pictures did not fully formulate in our minds until the hike was nearly through. But, on the bright side, it was before the hike was actually through.

Wish I could be...

...part of your world.

Dania, Eve, Jeremy, Amanda, Stuart, Steph

Admiring the view, wishing we had men.

Steph is a doll. She's showing off the blue and orange trail markers we found.

Beauty.