The giving of thanks

This is out of order, but I just found these pictures. I had a lovely Thanksgiving with Hans, Holly, Kelsie, Holly's sister Breann, her friend Kevin, and our cousin, Doug. I haven't seen him for years!! He's doing really well. Living in Too-son. He's applying for jobs as a guidance counselor for the deaf. Awesome! Our Cornish Game Hens were raw at dinner time, but besides that dinner was rockin! Breann made her and Holly's grandmother's homemade chicken noodle soup. Yummee!!! I made Hog-nose aka hog-nog aka egg-nog. Double yummee!!! Hold the rum.

I am MOST thankful for my family, friends, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessed life!

My Precious

So here's a funny story... Hans, Holly and I started watching The Lord of the Rings the other night, the first time for Hans if you can believe it! When Gollum came on Kelsie started into a chorus of scarry, scarry, scarry, so Holly started telling her that he was kinda like a puppy. Kelsie heard him saying "My precious". The next day we were looking online for something and Kelsie started saying "Precious, precious?", so I looked up Gollum. When she saw the picture of him she squeeled "Precious" with delight! I think we should get her a little gollum and she can pet it's head with all 5 hairs!

Congrats Kathy and James!!!

My cousin Kathy married James Gardner on the 29th of November in the Mesa temple. It was so beautiful! I got to help with their reception which was at a friend's house. They had a bridge over their pool with white Christmas lights there and on the trees. Very classy, such a great ambiance. Really relaxed. People just lingered and chatted. I helped with the food, which had an Italian theme due to Kathy serving her mission in It-ly...Itly, what's my wife doing in Itly?! (Movie anyone?!)

Hans, Holly, Kathy and James. I'm holding the Precious.

Zion's/The Narrow's

On my way back to Arizona from Utah I stopped in Zion's National Park and hiked about a mile and a half up the Narrows. You hike up this paved path, at the end is the start of the narrows, which is a canyon that has a shallow river you have to hike through. The weather was fresh. I was in my old running shoes and the water was 42 degrees so I didn't get too far before I couldn't feel my feet and legs. It was sooo beautiful and sooo fun! I'm going to go back and do the hike when the temperatures are a bit nicer.

The red and the blue

Sara and Tyson let us stay at their house. While there, BYU played the University of Utah Sara did her undergrad at the U, Tyson at BYU. Both went to BYU for law school. They have extreme loyalties to their undergrad schools. All week Sara wore red to work, Tyson wore blue. It was so funny to watch them during the game, until BYU started to lose so badly, then Sara started to cheer silently so as not to rub it in. Fortunately their marriage is not included in the rivalry. Thanks so much for letting us stay!!!

Utah/Merl Visit

Anna, Gwendy, Heidi and I met up in SLC just before Thanksgiving. Anna and Gwendy came from Vernal to pick up Heidi to take her back there for the giving of thanks.  Here we are at Snowbird, we're such snow bunnies. Boing, boing.

This is me posing on the slopes. I like to call this Magnum.

Jennilynn (the nanny that came to Switzerland just after me), Patrick and Koko Merl, Millie on Snowbird. 


Patrick, Koko, Nicholas and Phineas Merl, the family I nannied for in Switzerland and Germany) came to Utah to visit Koko's parents so I took a little drive up to Murray. Jennilynn (who is sitting next to me, holding Phineas) was the nanny right after I was there, then Melissa (wearing brown) came just after Jennilynn. It was so fun to see them!! The boys remembered me which was Awesome!!! They all kept asking me when I'm coming back to Europe, so I might have to think about that one...(yeah, some people like to call me a gypsy tramp...)

Zsa-Zsa!

I was day dreaming by the pool in LA....

...and I woke up with this fabulous new weave!!!!

hairstylist: Zsa-Zsa, aka charise marie (her first time using foils!!!)

El grande canyone, spanish for The grande canyone

I decided last minute to take a trip to the grand canyon. I slept on my purple lawn chair, under the stars, beautiful! I hiked the South Kaibab trail, about 6 miles round trip, 2000 ft elevation. The view is breath taking!! I hear it's even more picturesque from the north rim. I think I'll have to plan a trip and hike from the north to the south. A friend of mine did it, said it's 30 miles or so, and they took it easy and did it in 5 days. Could be great. Any takers?!

These little burros climb up and down the mountain, these ones were hauling out trash. They add their own greenery to the trail, not a good idea to step in it when it's too fresh.

I met some great people on the trail, a couple from Switzerland. I got to talk with them in German for 20 minutes or so, and my uphill hiking buddy, Scott, from New Orleans, currently residing in Austin, TX. We got to talk southern... yeah, it's a language.

Rock Crawling in Moab!!!

I went jeeping in Moab with Tye, Brian, Kristy, Curtis, Ryan, Kolbie, etc, etc!!! It was sooo fun!! We went on Pritchett canyon the first day, about a quarter of the way in, Tye broke the drive shaft on his jeep so we had only 2-wheel drive. We drove out, he got it fixed the next day, but we still went out with Brian and Kristy in their truck on Fins and Things. Tres fun.

Curtis, Kristy's dad, and owner of this fine white truck, decided to try to jump this 3-foot ledge in 2-wheel drive. He got going pretty fast, the front end went up into the air about 5 feet, and when it dropped, the rim of the rt front tire split in half, circumferentially! Amazing! They changed the tire right there on the side of the mountain. A bit precarious don't you think?!

That's right, you're seeing correctly, that's me on 2 wheels! 

Again, Curtis doing all kinds of crazy things with his truck. He was trying to roll it, but couldn't get the darn thing to go over, this was as close as he came... Again, he was trying to do Moab rim in 2-wheel drive, so at this point he had to be pulled out of the hole, made a nice oil puddle.

Juan had the best rock crawler there, he could get up pretty much anything, very fun.

A fabulous trip all-in-all. Thanks so much!

Highlight

To my adoring public, I have decided to finally grace you with some of the latest happenings in my life. Starting with the highlight of my trip, seeing Buzzy at the airport with Heidi and Kierstin!! He's just returned from 2 fabulous years as a missionary in Columbia, South Carolina. I can't believe it's been that long. Buzz, hope you're not too weird for too long! ;-)

So, as an update, I'm presently in Utah, visiting friends and family, attempting to get a little more medical training/guidance/information, before I head off to AZ to spend some time with Hans, Holly and baby Kelsie. I'm thinking a stop by Zions, maybe Goblin valley, maybe the Grand Canyon might be warranted on my drive down.  I'm waiting to hear back from PA schools, hoping to start in the spring. Besides that, not really sure what's going to happen next, a little nerve wracking, but very exciting too!! Love you all and thank you for your patience! =)

PS, if you didn't notice, I chopped my hair for locks of love! I like it a lot, but am still getting used to not having it there. Connie cut 12-15 inches off, depending on which layer you're looking at! WOAH!!! Yeah, going for sassy, what d'you think??!!

Exodus

Charise and I loaded up the Element with gas, here she's strapping them down, for the long drive down the Alcan. We made good time, leaving on the evening of Saturday the 27th, arriving in Rexburg to visit Heidi and Kierstin about 3am, Tues the 30th. We then drove down to Utah after meeting some of Heidi's friends and chatting for a bit with Aunt Karen and Rachel.

Jeff and Allison have been fabulous hosts! And, Jack as well of course!

Fjords tour -- 09/24/08

Reece and I went on my very first Kenai Fjords Tour in Seward. It was awesome!! Granted it was raining and cold, but it was still great! We saw Sea Otters

Sea lions and seals

Calving Glaciers


I couldn't capture it on my camera, but the beautiful porpoise swam and jumped along side our boat, the humpback whale breeched (which we were told is something they rarely do in AK, this is usually reserved for their mating season down in Hawaii. Maybe our boat was looking like a good catch... an unlikely match I'm afraid). We also saw this little black bear swimming off-shore. There was only 1 puffin that flew over. I guess they've all traveled away for the season. An awesome trip!

Homecoming 2008

I went with Kammi and Daniel to chaperone their homecoming. Funny. I went out and danced with them for several songs, got mistaken for one of the students many times, and got to act my age for a little bit when I encouraged the young chillins' to show a little respect for themselves and their dates while dancing. Everyone I had to talk with was pretty responsive. My friend recommended I take squirt guns, use it to "cool them off". HA!

Flowers from Monsieur Leon

So, Leon welded this amazing flower for me out of steel just after we first met about a month ago due to an old case of bursitis...funny story, I'll have to tell you about it sometime. Anyway, he's awesome in a plethera of ways. "Do you know what a 'plethera' eez?" Rufus is also wicked awesome (that's his alter-ego that comes out on occasion, if you're really lucky!)

Grandma's bear

This little bear was hanging around Grandma McCubbins house for a couple of days. Coco, grandma's dog was defending her home quite well. Uncle Mike ended up having to put him down because he was dangerous, he'd been relocated twice before he showed up there. CRAZY!!!

Summer fun

Dreamie with Billy Bob, aka Princess Kitty ba-ba boo-boo. Dreamie was the stylist.

Dan Pascucci (with short hair!), Katie, and Chrispepper.

Sylvia?, myself and Skyla at the Kenai river.

YSA in Soldotna stake. Good times!

10 years since Hight School...WHAT?!!

We had a bonfire the first night, dinner at Paradisos the second night, and a family picnic Sunday afternoon. So great to see everyone who was there and sad to miss everyone who couldn't make it. Also, so interesting seeing how people got back into the same groups as 10 years ago.

Harmony and myself.

Back: Mandy, Jenny, Allison, Front: Ashley, moi, Makenzie

Zack, Prescott, moi, Josh

Me and Mak. 

Kammi's B-day

Kammi wanted a tea party for her b-day, so Becca and Lacey worked their magic and Kammi had her wish granted, complete with tea (orange juice) and crumpets (scones). Aug 6th.

Court and Tess's baptism

So, I don't have any pics of Court and Tess...yet, but here are pics of my fam who were there.  Regardless, congratulations my cousins!!!

Adventures to Seward

So, we were going to go sea kayaking in Seward, but we have to put that off to another day. Instead, I had a maud foto shut...
One of the cruise liners w/ the beautiful mountains of Seward in the background.

Lisa and Eric, Grammie Wooster's step-son and his wife, came up on their motorcycles, we went with Becca, Lacey, Reece, and Jacob out to Exit glacier. So fun!

Beautiful...the glacier that is...or maybe Lacey's teeth...?

Overlook from Princess Lodge. A girl who was working here got mauled by a brown bear while out hiking by herself 2 days before we were there. The bears are all over the place! I'll have to post some pictures from Lisa of the bear Michael shot at Grandma McCubbins!