Always an Adventure

So....

2012-01-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

A friend just told me I have been MIA in the blogging world. I decided to actually look at it and see just how behind I am. I guess I have been a little absentee.

The main reason I have a blog is not so that others can see what I am doing but to see what is happening with everyone else. It's my window into the lives of those I care about (meaning I can spy on you without it being creepy). However, I am thinking that this year I will try to make my blog more of a scrapbook/journal, as many others do. I have good intentions of doing an online scrapbook, journal, etc. and never get around to it. I've been married 4 years and the idea began just after our marriage. And although I am not the most regular blogger, it carries more of mine and Chris' history in one place than anything else. Ideally I'd do what I do whenever I decide that I am going to start keeping a journal...again - I go buy a clean fresh new one, even though the old one isn't half way filled, which is what I would like to do with the blog - a new address, name, design.... But, there may be a few people that keep tabs on us, and for the sake of ease I'll just keep this one going in the hopes that it will be more complete this next year.

For those who may be interested, I spend a lot more time working on Emersyn's blog firstbabybell.blogspot.com. I started it when I was pregnant so I could chronicle her existence, probably with more detail than she will want to read when she gets to it. And even with that, I am still behind by a couple of months.

That being said I have a few end of year photos that complete 2011 and show just what a great year it has been and how much we have to look forward to in 2012. Pictures are all anyone wants to look at anyway, right?

Tirck or Treat

2011-11-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Emersyn wore her full costume for a total of probably five minutes. I'm not sure she knew what to think about it. But she sure looked cute.

Fall Family Photos.

2011-10-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

The scenery was amazing. I love Snowbasin this time of year. Emersyn was wonderful and survived through pretty much everything. Thanks Rachel for the great pictures.

Kona and the Ironman

2011-10-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

No, neither Chris or I did the Ironman.

We went for 'work'.

There is a Sports Medicine conference that goes on the week before the Ironman that Chris wanted to attend, as well as help out in the medical tent during the race. One of the main medical directors is one of the Kaiser Fontana Sports Medicine staff where Chris did his fellowship this last year. We persuaded my mom and dad to come and help with Emersyn. Jan and Sara decided they didn't want to miss out.

Vacationing with a baby is a different story than going as a couple, or just adults. There are nap times to consider, major diaper bag preparations because you never know what is going to happen, and bedtime should be as regular as possible. Crossing time zones adds to the difficulty of caring for a little one. It was a tremendous help having my parents and Jan and Sara there. Emersyn loved having some regular playmates as well.

The Ironman swim buoys are set up for the week before so racers can practice their swim. My dad, Jan, Chris and I all went out to test the waters. I had so much fun swimming I could have sworn I was meant to be a dolphin. It was amazing how the salt water makes it so much easier to swim - one day I figure I swam close to 2 miles, just over a 1/2 mile short of the actual Ironman swim distance, and with the salt water I would have had no problem swimming longer.

During the week the swell had gotten rather big so we had to be careful to stay close to the buoys to prevent getting swept away. While swimming I would look around to check on my dad to make sure he was close. One time he had gotten caught a little bit by the waves and probably doubled his swim distance after covering the length it took to get back on course. By race day the surge had died down quite a bit.

This boat was about a 1/2 mile out from the shore and was there during the week serving coffee, gatorade and water. Every now and then they threw out a swim cap or goggles. There were a lucky few that earned some free gear by being able to swim to the ocean floor and grab a rock. I'm not sure how deep it was, but I think there were only one or two who could actually do it.

The Kona Hawaii Temple. Closed for cleaning.

For those who have been to the Kona side of the Big Island they know that Kona is not the lush tropical Hawaii most people picture. It is made up of large black lava fields with rocky lava beaches. That is part of what makes the Ironman so tough. We took a day and travelled to Volcano National Park where a flow 10 or so years ago covered the road

The start of the Ironman.

The pros have already gone and the age groupers are lined up for the swim.

Craig Alexander - the men's Ironman World Champion winner

Chrissie Wellington - women's winner

My dad, Chris and I had a great time volunteering in the medical tent. We were star struck by tall the professionals and enjoyed helping them. We were amazed by what the body and mind can accomplish. Finishing the Ironman is truly an amazing feat. Maybe one day...

Xterra

2011-10-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

In this years Xterra I filled in for my dad who was signed up to be the swimmer on a relay team. The last time I did the Xterra the swim was my least favorite part since it was such mayhem once the gun went off. There were so many people massed together that each limb found another person when I kicked or raised my arms to stroke. It was tough to get a rhythm going. The course was changed just enough that there was a little bit more room and it always helps when you can get out ahead of the crowd. I cut two minutes off my swim and finished in 16.30 minutes. With the new baby, moving, and lots of vacations Chris and I didn't feel prepared to do many races this year, but we are already making our lists for next year.

Chris is always my number one supporter and was great to carry around my second number one fan (Emersyn). It was a chilly morning where I could see my breath so we made sure Emi was plenty bundled up.

A lot of people showed up to see Lance Armstrong. It was funny to see how quickly everyone dispersed once Lance had come through the finish line. Rumor is he can't stand to lose and will be back next year.

A fuzzy picture, but the leaves were already changing back in September.

How do kids survive their parents?

2011-10-11T10:13:00.001-07:00

While giving Emersyn a bath the bottle of baby wash slipped off the tub rim and hit her in the face, cutting her on the right side of her nose and giving her a bloody lip. It's a good thing kids rebound and love you anyway.

Bear Lake

2011-09-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

How I missed Bear Lake while we were in California. It is a major gathering place for our family and one where I have many memories and am glad to have the opportunity to make many more. (Thanks to my parents for making it possible for everyone to be in one place). One month I went three out of four weekends....it's good to be back.

I took Emi swimming for the first time. We hung out in the kiddie pool - which I'm sure is so warm because it is 50 percent urine. I'm not sure if she liked it or not. She mostly just watched everyone else splashing around and wanted to chew on my watch. I gave her a good dunking which didn't produce any effect either, but at least she didn't hate it.

Jan and her boyfriend, Matt (keep your fingers crossed)

My parents recently bought a cottage close to the condo they already own. There is now room for everyone and their kids to stay. It was so much fun having such a comfortable place to get all the cousins to hang out together.

Who do you not want to share a room with?

2011-09-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

Listen closely and you can hear that our little angel snores.

Fly

2011-09-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Emi is getting so heavy it took all the muscles Chris had to get her in the air.

No Peas, please!

2011-08-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

We have been giving Emersyn baby food and she loves it, all except for the peas. We heard they were the worst so that's what we started with and Emi sure didn't like them.

Donut Falls

2011-08-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my brother, Alex's birthday we did a fun and easy hike to Donut Falls up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It gave us a chance to use our baby backpack and see how Emersyn liked it. She hiked like a champ and blabbered pretty much the whole way. I'll take it as a good sign that she is going to like the outdoors.

Mom, Dad and Tyler came along. My mom kept commenting on how beautiful it is up in the Cottonwoods since it had been such a long time since she had been up that way. My dad mentioned that it had been 35 years since he had done this hike and things looked a little different.
Alex and Marty out on their first hike with baby Isaac. Happy Birthday Alex!

Emi Updates

2011-08-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite baby stages is when they play with their feet and suck in their toes. Emersyn is really enjoying munching her cute baby toes.

We started her on rice cereal and she eats it like a champ. Even though it's a different way of filling the belly I don't think it's much of a step up from breast feeding or bottles. I think actual baby food that has flavor might get her more excited.
Tummy time is still rough...
She still isn't rolling over, though we're pretty sure she's capable. As much as she dislikes tummy time you think she'd have figured it out by now.

Cape Cod

2011-08-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Chris, Emersyn and I travelled back east to visit the Bell family in Cape Cod. It was everyone's first time meeting Emersyn and she loved all the new faces. Emi was a stellar traveller. She was amazing on the plane and hung in there when nap times weren't quite right. Many people have said it, and I believe it, that around five months is the ideal time for traveling with a baby. Time seemed to pass far too quickly, though. Having a baby adds a bunch of things to the list of what it takes just to get ready to hang at the beach so it was more like we were packing for a short trip when we were only spending a few hours at the beach.

The waves and water were wonderful. The older cousins spent most of the days catching waves

With the nice ocean breeze Emersyn would easily fall asleep in our arms. We would either hold her while she slept or lay her on a blanket in the shade. The sound of the ocean was her live noise-maker that dulled out a lot of the noise from the other beach-goers and she seemed to be able to nap soundly.

Our ride to and from the airport: an 80's style stretch limo. It was the only car that could take four adults, two kids in car seats and a whole load of luggage and a stroller. The ride was pretty comfortable, but I felt more like I should be standing out a sunroof driving around a city like a scene out of the movie 'Big'.

Quck post move update.

2011-07-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

Since moving back to Utah we have been super busy. We painted and painted and painted our house - it took a long time and our house isn't even that big. Painting the garage is what took the most time. Every thing goes slower when you have a little one that needs attention every now and then. Emersyn has been a super star with the whole process of moving. We were sad to have our renters go as they are such good people. They took great care of the house - a few more dents and knicks, but what else can you expect with three kids.

Thanks so much to family and friends who helped out. We got welcome back treats and meals just when we needed it. Extra hands to help paint, take care of Emersyn, and move furniture. One of the many wonderful parts of living where we do is the abundance of people we know and who are willing to help out.

As much as we enjoyed California, Chris and I realized we are not meant to live in the city. We enjoy wide open spaces with green fields, mountains, livestock, three-legged dogs, and where we can see a tractor driving down the road every now and then. We hope to stay where we are for quite a while.

While we aren't hoping to move any time soon, Emersyn seems to do something new every day. It has been great for her to have so many family members around to give her new songs to sing and games to play. She has started to try communicating, but it's in a language that I think only she and Chris understand.

We're moving back!

2011-06-15T19:57:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in life things just work out. Chris and I left our cozy home in Utah for Chris to expand his practice and do a fellowship in sports medicine. After the match landed us in Southern California I wondered how we would ever get back to what we consider our little taste of paradise in Mountain Green. Even after enjoying the beautiful California weather we knew our hearts were made for the mountains and not the beach. With a lot of prayer and hard work, Chris was able to get a job in Bountiful working with a friend who knew Chris was looking. Even though it wasn't the position Chris had his eye on it turns out that it will be even better than he expected and pretty close to the perfect sports medicine position. The only downside being the commute from Mtn. Green to Bountiful (which isn't much to complain about, really). We attribute all of our blessings to the continued and righteous prayers of my faithful and charitable mother. We are very excited to be moving back to our homeland, and in fact, back in to our original home. We had the perfect renters and are sad that they are moving out of the area as we would have really liked to get to know them better.

There is so much we are going to miss about California. It was my first experience living outside of Utah and away from family. I definitely missed my family, but learned who I am without them and was able to grow tremendously from it. I realized a lot about how the Church immediately brings people together who need one another so much more. I have a profound love of the diversity seen in the chapels here. I have appreciated my calling as the Beehive counselor in the young women and have enjoyed the goodness of the girls I have taught.

Chris and I, seemingly, had two completely different experiences while being here. He was constantly busy having places to go and things to do with his fellowship. Events to cover and games to go to... I, on the other hand, had an open book as far as schedule goes. I always figured I would easily be able to fill my open days with bike rides, runs, and swims, and a few crafty projects on the side. However, the pregnancy diagnosis that was discovered only a week after our arrival in California changed all that. Feeling too sick to do much more than a 45 minute workout for the first 3 months kept me on a schedule of couch - sofa - kitchen - bed - and back to the couch. I didn't have the motivation to get out and be social and the idea of getting a job and having to do training when I felt so terrible didn't seem like a great idea. So, when I did start to get over the morning sickness I still had few places to go. Thanks to some inspired people and great visiting teachers that soon changed. I quickly made some great friends with people I hope to always have an association with. Many of whom I wish I had known better because I could have learned so much from them.

That being said here are a few things I will definitely NOT miss in California:

1. Smog - I think at least 50% of the people here have asthma

2. Traffic

3. Loud trucks and motorcycles

4. Living in an apartment on the third floor

5. Living in an apartment

6. The overabundance of franchise restaurants and lack of small specialty ones

7. Shopping carts being left in the parking lots and not being returned to the store or the cart return that is one parking spot down

8. Stopping every block for a stop light or stop sign when riding my bike - thus having a ride take twice as long as it should

9. Triathlons and races that cost 3 times what it does in Utah

10. Lots of people everywhere, even when you're nowhere

11. In-and-Out restaurants every 3 miles (How dare I!?)

12. Having to travel far distances to mountain bike or ski

There are so many things I will miss, primarily people, and so a list of some of my favorite parts of California is in order:

1. The weather - cold is having to wear shoes instead of flip flops even though you still have shorts on

2. Being able to swim year round in an outdoor pool that is right outside my door (probably my very favorite part of living in California)

3. Friends, of course!

4. Being close to Chris' brother and his family

5. Going to the ocean whenever we want

6. Flip flops being my number one shoe choice

7. The Pacific Rail running and biking Trail

8. The unbelievable amount of outlet stores in one place

9. The awesome parties the Oka's throw

10. BJ's Restaurant and Panera

11. Not having to work

12. The Terravista Ward and Hermosa Branch

(This list may be altered at any time)

I cut my hair just before I left and now it's pretty much grown out. I was pregnant and delivered a baby and now I'm back to my original size. We are moving back into the house we had before we came to California. When we get back to Utah it will seem like it is the same as when we left, and it will be as though we were never gone. But only on the outside (minus the baby). Everyone says that you should move away from home at least once; that it will be the best thing for yourself and your marriage. I would definitely say that it has been a growing year on the inside. I know I'm young (is 29 young?) and still have a lot of growing up left to do, thankfully we have Chris to be the mature and wise one of the family, but I think I am better for having had the experience and look forward to our next adventure back at home.

Hush Little Baby...

2011-05-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were singing (as good as our off-tune voice boxes would let us) to Emersyn on night and didn't really know the words to Hush Little Baby. I looked up the lyrics and thought someone had made them up.

Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in

So instead Chris and I made up our own words to the song:

Hush, little baby, don't say a word.

Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,

Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns blue

Daddy's gonna buy you a big canoe

And if that big canoe starts to sink

Daddy's gonna buy you a bike that is pink

And if that bike happens to get a flat

Daddy's gonna buy some skis that are fat

And if those skis don't go through the pow'

Daddy's gonna buy you a nice big cow

And if that cow makes nothing but pies,

Daddy's gonna have to sing you some more lullabies.

I do have to say that the whole part about the cow and pies came up because of the cows on my dad's ranch...it works.

Emersyn's Baby Blessing

2011-05-09T16:07:00.001-07:00

Chris and I traveled back to Utah for a sports medicine conference based out of the Grand America in Salt Lake City. While we were going to be around family we took the opportunity to bless Emersyn. The entire experience was amazing and perfect. Chris was very thoughtful and inspired as he performed the blessing and we were fortunate enough to have a lot of wonderful priesthood holders join in supporting our little family.

We are so grateful to everyone who came - family and friends. It was very touching to both Chris and I to see how many people came and showed their love for us on such a special occasion.

This is a four-generation picture which includes my grandmother, mother, myself and Emersyn. I have a four-generation picture taken on my blessing day and it has always been very special to me.

We were glad that Opa could make it to the event and even join in the circle.

Our little angel

We are so grateful to have Emersyn here and to have the opportunity to raise her. We love our little eternal family and look forward to many adventures to come!

Emi's first Easter

2011-04-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

You're never too old to dye eggs

2011-04-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

CHRIS' "BOY" EGG

Covered in basketball, soccer, and all sorts of other 'boy' stickers

MY "GIRL" EGG

Butterflies, flowers, etc.

HAPPY EASTER!

Hola Amigos!

2011-04-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a smile

2011-04-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Every new parent knows how amazing it is when their kid starts to smile back at them (and not just when they are moving stuff into their diaper). Here I am trying to get Emi to smile at me, which she does, but then becomes much more interested in the mirrors on the wall behind me.

At the Pool

2011-04-21T13:08:00.001-07:00

This is how Emersyn hangs out at the pool...and pretty much everywhere else.

The Grandparents

2011-04-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

My mom was so excited she showed up in California the day Emersyn was born. We were so glad to have her here. She is a superstar when it comes to helping people. She brought us food in the hospital since the hospital food left a lot to be desired. She sanitized the whole apartment a couple times over. All of our meals were taken care of once we were home. She went to the grocery store and ran errands. Took me to the doctor. Watched Emersyn in the middle of the night so we could sleep. And, well...was wonderful. I was lucky to have my dad come out that weekend for a day so he could see Emi as a newborn.

Chris' mom flew in when Emersyn was about 4 weeks old and stayed for almost a week. She was great to be a babysitter and do grandma duty when we needed it. She was especially great at understanding my new-mother anxieties and being patient.

3 Week Photos

2011-04-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

A good friend and talented photographer was wonderful enough to take some pictures of Emersyn when she was 3 weeks old...still small and very new. (And wasn't even upset when Emersyn spit up all over her bedspread)

The Evolution of Emersyn

2011-03-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Even though she has not been with us for very long she sure has changed quite a bit. The following is a series of photos documenting these changes.

Day one, the Angry Alien:

Later that day, Rocky Balboa after his bout with Clubber Lang (the first one):

A couple of days later, the Little Monkey:

And then, our beautiful Emie appeared:

Something tells me she's going to regress now and again to the Little Monkey phase....

She's Here!

2011-03-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Emersyn Elizabeth Bell

March 1, 2011
7.0 lbs 20.5 inches

Thanks to Mom!

2011-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

The end of this pregnancy is fast approaching - okay not 'fast' approaching, just approaching. I have been doing my best to fulfill my nesting urges even though we don't have a baby room and I am limited as to what I can decorate. Chris has been great in telling me how wonderful the changing table looks even though he doesn't understand why I wanted to paint it black in the first place. He makes approving comments and does his best to appear interested when I show him the new stock of nursing pads, q-tips, and garbage can deodorizers I just picked up.

We feel like we are pretty well prepared as far as having all the right equipment goes. Stroller - check. Car seat - check. Crib - check. Diapers and wipes - check. And then we started thinking about all of the little things that a baby needs. Thank goodness for friends, baby showers, and especially mothers.

My mom flew in for a long weekend just to spend time with us before the baby arrives. I think some of her motivations, other than just wanting to see us, were to see me and the large and in charge belly before I deliver, and to get away from the cold winter weather in Utah. It was great having her here to talk to and be with. We did a lot of shopping in getting all those little things that Chris and I wouldn't have known we needed until that moment when we needed it.

I was so glad to have my mother come - even though it was a very low-key, 8 months pregnant kind of trip for her. It means a lot to know that she will take the time and effort and expense to come. And, with the baby on the way it won't be long before we see her here again.

He Rides Again!

2011-01-26T09:38:00.001-08:00

With how busy Chris has been with the fellowship and my inability to get out and do more activities we have been rather lax in the racing and competing area. It is unfortunate that we haven't been able to take more advantage of the year-round warm weather. Without much in the way of training Chris took on a pretty tough mountain bike race. From the wife point of view Chris pretty much tore-it-up!

I liked seeing this little girl on her bike. It doesn't have any pedals so in Fred-Flinstone style she just pushed with her feet to get around. Following the adult races there was a kids race so there were a few of these little bikes scrambling around. I had visions of Baby Girl Bell doing this same thing a few years from now.

The Getty Center

2011-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

On a Sunday afternoon Chris and I joined the other Sports Med fellows for a look around the Getty Center. Due to our church duties we only caught half of what the Getty Center holds, but I think we were there for the best pieces. I really enjoy seeing skilled paintings and was blown away by some of the items we came across.

The Getty Center is a campus with various buildings/museums housing artwork, sculptures, photography, manuscripts, etc. It began with a wealthy man who started collecting things in his own home. After his collection grew he turned part of his house into a type of museum. After his death his entire property was turned over for the purpose of making a real museum. 1.3 billion dollars later the Getty Center came to fruition and opened in 1997.

This one we liked simply because of the painting itself. Who would ever think to paint a 3 feet by 4 feet painting of a man yawning.

This painting was one of my favorites due to the sheer skill of the painter (though I can't remember the name). The detail was so precise and everything finished so smoothly it was amazing to think that it was done by hand.

This is Irises by VanGough. Of course it was a favorite for most everyone at the museum because it's a painting and painter people can identify with.

This one is The Portal of Rouen Cathedral in Morning Light by Monet. It is amazing how up close the picture seems to be kind of monotone in color, but by stepping away and looking at the painting from a distance there are so many intrinsic colors that pop out.

There was a section of books that are from the Medieval era. The detail and design are incredible. It took years to complete just one book.

Another feature of the Getty Center is that it sits at the top of a hill which provides amazing views of downtown LA (try to look past the smog) and the ocean. There is no parking up at the top so you have to park at the base of the hill and take a train up.

Monkey Yoga

2011-01-21T12:27:00.001-08:00

Yoga is all the rage these days and as I looked at our recent pictures I realized that it has infiltrated into the monkey community as the San Diego Zoo as well.

San Diego

2011-01-18T11:44:00.001-08:00

Chris and I wanted to have one last getaway before the baby arrives and we are no longer 'single', and before I became too pregnant. The scheduling worked out just right and we headed to San Diego for a quick weekend getaway. The weather was fabulous - in the 80s, and we were able to do and see a lot.

We went to the beautiful San Diego Temple. The building is so amazing - inside and out. And, in looking at this picture I realize just how pregnant I look.

We spent the afternoon at Torrey Pines State Park, which is actually a really neat beach that is paralleled by a bunch of walking/hiking trails that take you through the protected areas that have all of the torrey pine trees that the beach and state park are named for.

Torrey Pines beach is also a great place for surfers. Chris caught some cool shots of some of the locals taking advantage of the waves.

Our hotel was right next to Old Town San Deigo, which had some great restaurants and a lot of history to go with it. We ate at a yummy mexican place, which totally redeemed mexican food for me (Having had a series of bad experiences with mexican when I was first pregnant I hadn't dared try anything for the last 4 months). We walked around and saw some of the original and restored buildings from some of the first people to come to the area.

The next morning we found a great diner and had a lazy start to the day. We spent the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo. Neither Chris nor I had been to a zoo in a long time and had a lot of fun. As if we were on a safari we took a lot of pictures trying to catch some great shots of the 'wildlife'.

The orangoutangs were so much fun to watch. This is an older monkey playing with a younger one (not eating him, as it looks in the picture). Chris and I were both very pleased at how energetic most of the animals in the zoo were. Sometimes it can be more depressing than exciting when caged animals appear too melancholy. One of my favorites was an otter that was making fast circles in the water chasing his own tail.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the only zoos to have live pandas. The panda exhibit is monitored very closely so the animals are disturbed as little as possible.

Chris and I had a wonderful weekend away. I was completely exhausted by the time we got back to our apartment. I realized just how much of a toll pregnancy has taken on my endurance, and where I am at home most days I was not used to all of the activity.

Utah for the Holidays

2011-01-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Chris and I were so excited to be home for the holidays. We were glad to be around family and friends and to enjoy the cold Utah weather and snow. After living in the city we are very appreciate of how beautiful some more rural places can be. (and, typical for us, we forgot our camera so these are phone pictures)

Chris was able to take advantage of some good ski days while I took the pregnant lady route and stayed at home visiting with friends and family or snowshoeing. My mom was wonderful and threw me an open house baby shower that brought together a lot of people I hadn't seen in a while. Thanks everyone for coming! I only wish I had had more time to sit and really chat with each person more individually. We were given some much needed baby supplies and we are so grateful for everything.

With all the snow that fell while we were there Chris got a lot of experience clearing out the horse property using the tractor. He was a huge help to my parents, but I think it was more fun that work to him. The Utah temperatures were only in the teens most days, but we loved the crisp cold air that made it feel like winter and Christmas. There is something about having air so cold your nose hairs freeze when you walk outside.

On new years day my mom and Jan hosted a family baby shower at the horse property. It was fun to have all the Sonntag girls together. We played some fun games, my favorite being one my aunt came up with. She melted candy bars in the bottoms of diapers and smooshed them up so they looked more like poop than candybars. Everyone had to sniff, examine, and taste (if you dared) to find out what kind of candy bar it was. I laughed seeing everyone sniffing dirty diapers. I was given another load of stuff for Baby Girl Bell - all of it very useful and necessary. One of my favorite gifts was a little red sweater from my Aunt Susan. It was one I wore when I was little. My mom had given it to Susan's daughter, Heidi, after I had grown out of it and Susan had saved it and was giving it back to me. I loved that it had survived the years and was going to be worn by my own little girl. It is definitely one of a kind.

The rest of the day was spent sledding behind the 4 wheelers (well, not me) until the sun went down and it turned too cold. It was a great way to spend the new year and our last day in Utah before heading back to Cali.

Our Wally Wear

2010-12-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone heard about the monsoon that hit California just before Christmas but we were stuck in the middle of it. It rained for 6 days straight. We thought we were going to have to take an ark to travel to Utah for Christmas instead of the plane. I would check the water level in the pool every day to see if it was going to fill up completely and become one of those infinity pools. And it would have if it wouldn't have been drained one day.

In the midst of all this weather Chris and I drove some friends to the Long Beach airport which is about an hour away. The drive there was uneventful, but on the way back we were unfortunate enough to score ourselves a flat tire while driving on a busy freeway (what freeway in California isn't busy), near sundown, with a narrow shoulder. Chris changed the tire while I stood watch. After we got the little donut of a spare on we went to a tire store to see if we could get it fixed right away. Being completely soaked and having a 45 minute wait we decided to make use of the time instead of freezing while sitting in the waiting room. We walked to the Walmart across the street and found ourselves some of the most high quality and best looking outfits. Despite the fact that we look like we are about to go on a hunting trip we were more than happy to have some dry clothes to drive home in.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

2010-12-20T12:05:00.001-08:00

Because we are going to be in California temporarily and space is a rare commodity Chris and I left all of our Christmas decorations in storage in Utah. Every single one.

Chris and I were kind of bummed because the weather feels more like early fall, we didn't have anything around us that made it feel like the holidays and we hadn't been feeling any Christmas vibes. Chris surprised me by stopping at Lowe's and buying the last of the little Christmas trees at the bargain price of $2.00.

I was super excited. We thought it very reminiscent of the tree Charlie Brown has, and probably just about the same size. We didn't have a tree stand so we cut a hole in a postal box and put a bowl with water underneath. We even have a couple of presents under the tree. Now we turn on the lights the first thing in the morning and leave them on all day. We definitely have a better sense of the Christmas spirit.

Christmastime in California

2010-12-15T18:34:00.001-08:00

It is strange to think that Christmas is so close. The weather in California is rather deceiving to those of us from Utah. The leaves just started changing last week and the weather has finally cooled down to pants weather, though I'm still wearing flip flops most of the time. I feel more like I should be preparing for Halloween than gearing up for the Holidays. To help us get into the right mood Chris and I went with the youth in our ward to tour a christmas light-lit street in the foothills just above our apartment. It was very impressive to see so many houses decked out from top to bottom.

In years past Chris and I have barely gotten lights up, and when we have they are usually only half working, or we don't even turn them on. I think we are really going to have to step it up in the years to come. This year we exempted ourselves from any decorations due to us being in Utah for the Holidays.

Oma turns 80!

2010-12-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Grandma (Oma) who turned 80 this year! My mom was wonderful and flew me to Utah to be there for the celebration. It was so neat to see so many people come and celebrate the life of such an amazing woman. Oma is one of the most generous and kind people, and not just because she's my grandma. I am always impressed at how she remembers the name and birthday of each of her 50 or so grandkids, their spouses and her great grandchildren. Because she wants to have a personal relationship with them she still shops for birthday and christmas presents and attends graduations, weddings, and various other celebrations.

We love you Oma!

Turkey Day in Arizona

2010-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Chris and I traveled to Arizona to spend Thanksgiving at his parents new home. They had moved in just two weeks prior to us getting there and had done a great job at getting settled so quickly. Chris' brother, Joe, and his wife and son were there to help make a nice family celebration.

The only pictures we have are these couple I took while on a run. I thought the cacti were amazing. The really big ones are protected by the state of Arizona so they are everywhere. They get amazingly huge and it takes a lot of years to get there. Also on my run 4 coyotes meandered right where I was planning to run next. Not knowing much about coyotes and human attacks I decided to end my run there - just in case. I figured being pregnant I would be a pretty easy target and could feed all four. My sister did some research and found that coyote attacks are rare and only usually happen to dogs and once in a blue moon to little kids that resemble small dogs. I'm safe, but still...

Why do Californians have big trucks?

2010-11-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

You may have already seen this picture on Chris' facebook page. Chris can't understand why anyone in California needs a huge truck. In his mind they are big, loud, use up a lot of gas, take up extra parking spaces, get in his way when driving on the freeway, and people in California obviously don't use them for hauling stuff. So why have one? I'm supposing he thinks everyone should have a small convertible sports car or motorcycle to fit the SoCal style. One thing is for sure, though. We haven't seen one other car here that looks like Chris' subaru with the sticker-laden rocket box on top. It makes it easy to find our car in the giant parking lots.

Visitors and DisneyLand

2010-11-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Rich, Heather, Tyler and Ainsley came for a quick trip to California. We were so excited to have some visitors. They came and hung out at our apartment for a day giving them a chance to relax. We did some shopping at Heather's favorite store H&M and spent some time in the hot tub. They have both been uber busy so hopefully they were able to enjoy a little bit of down time in their packed trip. We also spent a day at DisneyLand - which was mine and Chris' first time there since we've been here.

Heather and Ainsley. I couldn't believe how big Ainsley is. She is one of the cutest little girls out there.

What is DisneyLand without some Mickey Mouse ears.

Rich and Tyler at Tinkerbell's house. Tyler was so excited to see all of the fairy homes and everything associated with the Tinkerbell movie. When the light parade came around Rich hoisted Tyler onto his shoulders so he could see all of the characters come by. Tyler was so cute waving at everyone. He was especially excited to see Woody and Buzz.

Chris and I had to wait around a bit to meet up with everyone so we went and hung out with Santa's reindeer in FrontierLand.

All we did in Toon Town was get some yummy pizza and use the bathroom.

It's a Small World, but all dressed for Christmas. It was great to have the 'It's a Small World' song broken up with Christmas carols so it wasn't so monotonous. This is one of the few rides Tyler didn't get scared on. He was trying to hard to talk Richard out of taking him on Pirates of the Caribbean before he even got through the line. His favorite ride was Winnie the Pooh. I think because it ends with everyone throwing Pooh a birthday party and Tyler loves birthday parties. We actually went on it twice.

I have to say that going to DisneyLand with Rich and Heather with their kids and Heather's friend Erin and their kids, was a learning experience. It convinced Chris and I that we probably won't be taking our kids to Disney until they no longer need naps in the middle of the day, and until they are old enough to know what Disney is and they actually ask to go. And, when we do go, it will be in the middle of January on a Tuesday - supposedly the slowest time of the year. So, it will be a while before we even have to worry about it.

Holes In Socks

2010-11-15T08:59:00.001-08:00

Holes In Socks!

Holes are good in donuts
and for putting keys in locks.
Holes are good in some things,
but holes aren’t good in socks.

Holes taste great in swiss cheese.
We need holes for wearing rings.
But how do holes get in my socks?
Holes belong in OTHER things!

Holes work fine in inner tubes
and to put mail inside the box.
Holes work fine in things like that
but holes don’t work in socks!

Holes make scissors cut right
and open pockets for my rocks.
I DO need holes in special things,
but who needs holes in socks?

Holes have to be in noses
and our ears to hear friends talk.
Holes have to be in body parts,
but WHO put HOLES in socks?

Holes do let the puddles fill
to splash in on our walks,
but HOLES IN SOCKS JUST GRAB MY TOES ...
I Hate Holes In Socks!

Just like the girl with one hundred dresses, Chris has at least one hundred pairs of socks, but he has just a couple favorites that he wears over and over again until they wear out. This pair still has a ways to go before we toss them out.

Happy Anniversary

2010-11-15T08:46:00.001-08:00

On November 10th Chris and I celebrated our 3rd (Leather) wedding anniversary. Chris is always fabulous and got me one of the most beautiful bouquets I have seen. I am so amazed that I somehow got lucky enough to end up with such an incredible guy. He is the perfect one for me and I only hope that I can be as great to him as he is to me. We are super excited to be three years into our marriage and expecting out first baby. More trials and growing experiences to come, but there is no one better to take on such challenges with than Chris.

Tri Carson

2010-11-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Chris had been wanting to do some sort of competition and came across Tri Carson, which was sponsored by Kaiser Permanente - the healthcare system his fellowship is associated with. It was a very early morning, and a wet one at that. It was the first time this triathlon was being put on so it was a little disorganized and chaotic. It was a reverse tri so the run was first. I was waiting by the transition area so I could see Chris come and go. When the first group of runners came in they came from a completely different direction that the rest of the racers, meaning they added some extra distance to their run. The bike course left from the transition area, went over 8 slippery speed bumps and then required 4 loops on some streets away from the transition. Most people had no idea how many laps to do or how many they had done. The swim was a short, about 150 meter pool swim - and then it was done. Chris was super fast and placed 8th overall and 3rd in his age group. However, considering how crazy the course was who knows how anyone really placed. It was fun to see Chris compete, but tough being on the sidelines and not in the midst.

I had great timing with the camera and kept catching Chris with his eyes closed.

This is some kid cheering on his dad - but I thought it was great for my Chris as well.

LA Triathlon

2010-11-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Chris and I helped out the other Fontana and Kaiser Permanente sports medicine fellows and residents in doing medical coverage for the LA Triathlon. The whole system was amazingly organized and elaborate, and thankfully, not very necessary as far as injuries and accidents were concerned. Chris and I were very excited to be able to take part in covering the race and seeing some professional triathletes as well.

Here is Chris in the medical tent during our morning debriefing. Chris and I were in van#1 with Slim, our driver. After following the bikers on the course for a time we were stationed at the turnaround for the run. We had fun cheering on the runners and taking pictures.
Chris, Tanya, and another volunteer hanging at the start of the race. Of course with my timing I get Chris with his eyes closed.

Chris got some great shots of the riders on their bikes.

It started out as a foggy and chilly morning, but toward the end of the race the sun came out and we really started to heat up. I'm sure the racers did as well.
This is one of my favorite photos from the race. This is Sarah Haskins, a professional triathlete that competed in the 2008 Olympics and is a very accomplished racer. She entered the LA triathlon with an injury knowing she would have to walk on the run portion and that she would get last place out of the professional women, but because of the way the points system works she would still get some points by at least placing. I thought it was inspiring as you rarely see professionals walk, and often times if they are far behind they don't even finish a race because they are racing to win. I liked how in the photo she is the only one you can see on the course and she is obviously walking but looking up and not down.
This is the photograph I used for the camera class I was taking. It is the water station at the turn around point of the triathlon. I had to use the aperture setting, but still didn't really figure it out very well. It is where the images up close are in focus and everything behind is out of focus. I still have a lot of practicing to do.

One of the best parts of Halloween

2010-10-14T14:11:00.001-07:00

Feliz Cumpleanos

2010-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite husband!

Chris just celebrated his 38th birthday and he just keeps getting better with age!

Love you.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

2010-10-14T14:00:00.002-07:00

As of now this is my favorite recipe. I made these to take to Chris at work to celebrate his birthday. They turned out so yummy. I frosted them, but ran out with a few left to go. I decided I like them better without any frosting, maybe just a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top. They are very moist and have stayed that way for a couple of days.

This is the original recipe, but I made same changes noted below based on some reviews.

Yum!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted*

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar*

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated zucchini

3/4 cups chopped walnuts

1 (16 oz) package chocolate frosting

1/2 cup walnut halves

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a large bowl beat eggs with sugar for about 10 minutes or until thickened and pale. Blend oil and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture.

-In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in zucchini and chopped nuts. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon batter into 24 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling the cups 2/3 full.

-Bake for 20 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted in a cupcake's center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Let cool completely. Spread with chocolate frosting and garnish with pecan halves.

*The instructions and ingredients are what the recipe asks for, but as per suggestions here is what else I did:

-double the chocolate and add 2 extra TBS brown sugar

-Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-Add 1 tsp cinnamon

It's A....

2010-10-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

GIRL!!!!!

We are excited to announce that the future Baby Bell is an adorable little girl. We are thrilled and are looking forward to all of the cute and wonderful things that come along with having a girl. We had originally supposed a girl and Chris was glad to have his sonogram findings validated to show that he is still pretty handy with the obstetrical ultrasound. The due date is still March 9th. Two more weeks and I am half way there.

Health

2010-10-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. - Mark Twain

So it is...especially when swallowing my prenatal pills that smell like horse poo and taste like it, too.

San Dimas High School Football Rules!

2010-09-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone familiar with the ever so well scripted and played out movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure will have a fondness for Sand Dimas High School. Chris is doing the medical coverage for a high school football team that played against San Dimas. They sell t-shirts that say 'San Dimas High School Football Rules!', only you have to buy them at the spirit store when the school is open. I was pretty bummed about not being able to pick up some paraphernalia with the famous line on it.

Photography 101

2010-09-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Like many women who 'stay at home' and have a nice new camera, I decided to take a class on how to use that camera. It's just a short 4 week course where we meet one day a week. Each week we learn about a camera setting other than Auto and then have to take a picture in it. The first week was Program Mode (which is pretty much almost Auto mode anyway). Chris and I usually cart our camera with us everywhere but never actually make the effort to take it out and take a picture. I think our iphones get more photo action than our camera.

Anyway, here is week number one in Program Mode.

Next week is aperture. We'll see what happens.

Always remember to lock up your bike

2010-09-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't want it to get stolen...

Say hello to Baby Bell

2010-09-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

As many mothers to be know and will agree, once you are pregnant things seem to take longer than ever to get done. Thus, this post about our upcoming addition is long overdue.

Baby Bell is due March 9th and we are super excited. I am now 15 weeks along and enjoying the lack of nausea that allows me to get a few more things done. Baby Bell has had an exciting life in-utero with vacations, moving, traveling, bike accidents, racing, etc. Things are starting to slow down and we are settling in to life in California. I am working at home on some projects that keep me plenty busy while Chris is absorbed in his fellowship.

Baby Bell appears to be healthy and vibrant. No definite conclusion as to the sex, (but I guess that's never really for certain until the baby arrives). We are open to any name suggestions, especially girls. We are glad we have 6 more months to figure that part out since the kid is going to be stuck with whatever we decide. In a way it seems like a big responsibility to give something a name. We have 4 weeks until we have the 'official' ultrasound and then we'll start buying pink or blue.

Mount Baldy Ski Shack

2010-08-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

We hiked up to the Mount Baldy Ski shack which is just over half-way to the top of Mount Baldy. We were so excited to get out above the smog and be in the mountains. Though we have enjoyed our visits to the beach we feel we are more at home in the mountains. Like any where else in California, there were plenty of people to keep the trails full while hiking, but great to see people out and moving.

See the little green hut in the middle of all of the trees that are also green? That is where we hiked to.

A Ratt'ler that snaked right by us while we stopped to eat lunch.

I thought these giant spikey bals were amazing. They can grow straight out of the rock walls.

Maui Jim Surf Monkey

2010-08-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Chris had a conference in Carlsbad, just on the coast. Our hotel was really nice and had a direct link with Legoland. We didn't go, but Legoland sure looks fun. We did a little 5k that Saturday. We haven't done any races in a while and it's taken longer than we thought to get in our groove here in Cali, so we were glad to have a little competition, even though it was small and we didn't win anything. Those who did win won a giant surfing monkey as a trophy. Along with the 5k run people could compete in the one mile swim - with or without a wetsuit, and/or a 3 or 6 mile paddleboard competition. Those who did all three sports competed for the Giant Banana. It was fun to be there and see it all happen.

My Favorite Part of Easy Mac

2010-08-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is gross, but I like Easy Mac. I only eat it once in a while, but I think it is so cool how the noodles stand straight up after you take them out of the microwave.

Malibu

2010-07-28T15:56:00.001-07:00

Chris and I skipped over to Malibu to check out the area. Neither of us had been there so we thought we would check out the beaches. We came across a surf competition that we watched for most of the time we were there. It was a long boarding comp so it was more of being able to 'hang ten' than dropping huge waves. The beach we were at was a surfing only beach - no swimming, kayaks, boats allowed. Maybe we'll have to take up a new sport. This looks like something we could do.

California Dreamin'

2010-07-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

So, we finally made it to California. Our apartment is pretty nice. We have a pool so I think we should be okay since the weather since we have been here is a toasty 100-plus degrees but feels closer to being within the suns atmosphere. I can literally feel the asphalt melting my leg hairs when I walk across the parking lot. Like most of you, you would think California would be the ideal place to go biking, I too was fooled. Chris and I are still in the search for a bike ride with these requirements: Lightly trafficked, wide shoulder (or any shoulder at all), and no stop signs or signals every block. The population is so dense here it's hard to find any sort of biking haven. Plus, unless we go at 6 am I think our tires would melt.

We're working on adjusting to California life. We have already had a couple of visitors in the short time we have been here. My dad was in LA for a conference the first weekend we were here so we had dinner with him. Alex's wife Marty had a college reunion so we toured her old college and had yogurt with her. We are looking forward to many more visitors in the next year.

Chris is super excited to finally be learning what he is passionate about. It will be great for him to work in what he enjoys. I am trying to get settled and have a few projects of my own that I am working on. I'm still not sure if I am going to get a job and if I do what kind of job it will be. It would just be nice to have someplace I need to be. I have a hard time being at home most of the time so to prevent craziness I just might have to buckle down and be responsible.

In the meantime, we made the most of our visitors and went to Universal Studios with Mom and Jan.

Oscar

2010-07-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

The Jim Bell family comes to Utah

2010-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Chris' oldest brother Jim brought his family, Tracey, Stoughton, Chamberlain, and Julian, for a short and packed 3 days. They stayed with us at my parents horse property. To sum things up, there was a lot of 4-wheeling, pollywog catching, jumping on the trampoline, feeding the goats, horse riding, more jumping in the trampoline, good food, and a day of Park City. Somehow we only have pictures of the horses so you'll just have to believe me about the rest.

Lake Powell

2010-07-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Although my parents swore of Lake Powell before July, they picked a week in late June just so Chris and I could go. We had so much fun with our family, the Fullmers, Austins and Tensmeyers - the same crew since I can remember

. We took the long boat ride to Rainbow Bridge which we hadn't seen in years. Such an amazing and beautiful natural arch.

Bear Lake on the 4th

2010-07-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

An unusually cold 4th of July at Bear Lake. It seemed more like Memorial Day weather. Nonetheless we had a fabulous time with the family and were glad that we could have one last hurrah before heading to California.

Little Red

2010-06-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

I always love to get my family out to do something active and to stretch them a little. This weekend my mom and sister Jan and I rode the Little Red Ridinghood. It is an all women bike ride with distances to fit anyone. We did 33 miles. This is the most my mom had ever ridden, and was both Jan and my mom's first organized bike ride. They did awesome and looked super chic in their Big Daddy jerseys and shorts. We only had a couple of hang ups when my mom couldn't clip out fast enough and fell over still attached to her bike and Jan got a flat tire after going over a gnarly set of railroad tracks.

26.2!

2010-05-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we ran the Ogden marathon, a first for the both of us. Our training started out great over the latter part of the winter but faded towards the end, leaving us with 18.5 miles as the longest training run. We battled some overuse type injuries and upper respiratory infections but for the most part made it through without any major mishaps. Vacations and such got in the way as well, but at the same time allowed us to rest and recover. Paige's parents came to see us finish and took some pictures, but unfortunately there was no memory card in the camera so we have no official documentation. Because of this, I have picked out some representations of the race from Google:

Me (I managed a 3:55, reaching my goal of beating 4 hours):

I tried to find pictures from Ace Ventura (part 2 or 3, I can't remember which) when he has a spear in both thighs but for some reason could not. But that would have expressed my pain so well....

Paige ran a great race, finished in 3:38 and qualified for Boston! We have yet to decide if we'll be able to make it out there next year. Here is my impression of how Paige looked:

We loved being able to do this and we are grateful to have the ability (physical but also time, energy, monetary, etc) to do these fun but punishing things. How else do we discover our limits? How else do we reach our full potential? We have definitely been walking funny these last few days, but as the soreness and fatigue fades the experience becomes more enjoyable in our memory. Funny how that works....

For Kim...

2010-05-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

We haven't written anything in a bit. Partly due to laziness and partly due to busy-ness. Chris had a Sports Medicine conference in Cancun, Mexico. So, of course, we had to go so Chris could fulfill his work duties. Chris did actually spend the first half of the trip going to lectures and presentations, but we made sure we found time for fun. We toured Chichen-Itza, swam in a cenote, snorkeled and played in Xel-Ha, got really sunburned, healed and then sunburned again. I had my first fish taco - which always sounded gross but was actually very yummy. I read 3 books, almost passed out from heat stroke while running, and totally gave up on trying to speak any spanish. When Garth Brooks sings the song "Pina Coladas" and he says that 'heartaches are healed by the sea' I really think he means that Cancun cures snoring... well, in Chris' case it cures colds which equals no more snoring. Few things can beat sleeping in and then walking out on your balcony to look at the ocean.

This is a fun and innovative bike seat for giving someone a ride

WARNING!

2010-03-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ingestion of one or more of these may result in ingestion of at least two or three more.

Introduced to us by our friends, we were given an almost full jar of these to take home. Notice that the jar is now very empty. I hear you can get them at Costco.

How's about a little....

2010-03-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

TRAPPERS LOOP ROAD

For the first time this year I rode my bike to the top of Trapper's Loop. This is a picture of my shadow and the sign at the top just before turning off to Snowbasin. This is a popular, short, but worthwhile ride for those in the area. Most people do this ride when they don't have much time but they still want to sweat a lot. I'm just glad to finally be getting the bike out. I guess this means I am officially done with winter and ready for the spring to come.

Feelin' a little Yurty

2010-02-19T17:28:00.001-08:00

Chris and I spent a few days backcountry skiing in Wyoming with Uncle Steve and Aunt Karen and a couple of friends of theirs, Steve and Sean. It was a great group with lots of good snow, great skiing, and beautiful scenery.

Here we are starting out. Check out the size of our packs. Chris and I really have to figure out how to drop some weight.

A contstant task while yurting is to get snow to melt for water.

Check out this view. In the background are the Tetons.

Sunny California here we come!

2010-02-12T14:31:00.001-08:00

Congratulations, Chris, on getting a spot in the Kaiser Permanente Fontana California Sports Medicine Fellowship. (a little late)

There is a bit of a story that accompanies the decision to take a hiatus to California. Chris' original plan following residency was to get one more year of training specializing in Sports Medicine. At the time hings were complicated and he decided to stay here and marry me. Good decision in my mind... However, after a couple of years of doing straight family practice Chris realized that his passion for the sports medicine world was still there. We went through the application and interview process and are lucky to be going to Fontana California for a year while Chris makes this great career move. Kaiser Permanente is a much larger version of Intermountain Healthcare and the program Chris will be attending in based out of a Kaiser Permanente hospital.

Where is Fontana, you ask?... Fontana is one hour inland from L.A., Long Beach, and Santa Monica near the San Bernadino area. We are about a half an hour from Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort and just over an hour from Disneyland. (So if anyone is going to Disneyland anytime from June 2010 to June 2011 let me know and we will meet you there. I will even go on the tea cups with your kids).

Some interesting tidbits of Fontana history:
-Some famous people that have lived or are natives of Fontana include Al Capone, who lived in Fontana, and whose house still stands and Bill Faberbakke who does the voice of SpongeBob Square Pants.

-The steel mill scene in Terminator 2 was filmed in an old Fontana steel mill.

-The Hells Angels motorcycle club was founded in Fontana in 1948. The founding charter is known as the Berdoo Charter, in reference to the slang name for San Bernardino County

-Pigmy Love Circus has a song called Drug run to Fontana on the album The Power of Beef.

-The city motto is "City of Action"

- Fontana is home to the World's fastest half marathon course (June 5, 2010 if you're interested).

-Fontana is home to a new NASCAR raceway. Yee haw!

We are very excited for this next move. I have never been outside of Utah so I look forward to getting a taste of another state. Chris will have many opportunities following this specialization and will be able to do more with what he loves.

So...surf's up!

Snowhawk

2010-01-31T08:22:00.000-08:00

Dew Tour

2010-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was the Dew Tour at Snowbasin. Chris and I went up for two of the four days that the events were taking place to get a close up view of some of the best skiiers and snowboarders out there. Chris gave me a new camera with a zoom lens so we tested out our photography skills trying to catch some sick air on the superpipe.

The best thing about this picture it that Chris took it with his iphone. That is some good stuff.

Snowbasin at sunrise

2009-12-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

Paige and I have discovered a new playtime activity: skinning up Snowbasin before they open. You are allowed to do this since it is Forest Service land; you only need to be off the mountain before they start the lifts at 9am. However it's not recommended on powder days when they are doing avy control. But, on most days you get to access the creamy corduroy goodness on wide open trails before it gets too crowded and skied out. This past Saturday we went up with Seth Wallace and it was a beautiful morning.

It's a great way to start the day!

Cali

2009-11-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

We spent some time with Chris' brother, Joe, his wife, Andrea, and their 4 month old, Stoddard. It was really nice spending the day in the sun at the beach when it was snowing back home. We were there over Halloween so we had round two of the pumpkin carving.

The other half.

2009-10-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

Chris and I finally went to Michigan to meet his sister Barbie her husband John and thier family - a.k.a the Other Half. I say this because they have six kids with one more on the way, which doubles the nieces and nephews from the rest of the siblings.

We had a great time with everyone carving pumpkins and getting to know everyone. From the odlest to youngest is Holly, Jack, Michael, Sally, Markee and Jimmy.

Is it strange that I like to run in cemeteries?

2009-10-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Look at these pictures from a cemetery in AnnArbor Michigan, can you blame me? If you can handle the eeriness give it a try - it's peaceful, very few cars, and only the occasional person. Is it creepy that the squirrels in this cemetery are the biggest and fattest squirrels I have ever seen.

Someone spilled the powdered sugar

2009-10-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

No, not powdered sugar over our entire backyard...SNOW! We couldn't believe that the white stuff hit so early.

Where to begin...

2009-09-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

We have finished off the summer in typical "Bell" style doing races and hanging on to the good weather as long as it will last. Here is a roll - not in any particular order - of some of our final races and activities (and yes, I know they all look the same). Go Roosters!

SNOWBASIN 50K

SNOWBASIN WEDNESDAY RACE

THE SPUDMAN

BEAR LAKE CLASSIC TRIATHLON

All I have to say is why doesn't Chris do this for me?

XTERRA

POWDER MOUNTAIN HILL CLIMB

The Most Brutal Race EVER (Leadville 100)

2009-08-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ben Wallace, Paige's uncle Steve Hunt, and I naively signed up for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race and actually were picked in the lottery to participate. Mike Scheuller was also on the team but we unfortunately did not get any pictures of him.

On our way to Leadville we had Steve and Ben's bikes loaded on the rear bike rack and when we stopped for lunch we discovered that Steve's bike was hanging precariously off the back, only attached to the rack with 2 bungee cords:

Gotta love the bungee cords. Otherwise Steve would have either not ridden or would have had a new bike just for the race. He was actually hoping that the bike would fall off so he would have an excuse to get that new carbon-fiber, full suspension 29'er. Alas, we discovered the problem and securely fashioned it back to the rack, and it survived the rest of the trip (and the race).

On our way we drove over Independence Pass east of Aspen; it tops out at over 12,000 feet.

Here we are at the top of the pass:

We stayed at a former brothel in Twin Lakes, a beautiful little hamlet on the other side of Independence Pass from Aspen. Such gorgeous surroundings. Check it out:

Registering for the race:

We had to get there early to get our bikes in line for the start:

Some pics before the start:

We had some Lance sightings as well:

While waiting for us to get to the feed zone Paige took some stunning pictures of rainbows:

Some pictures during the race:

Ben wins the award for best facial expressions:

Some pictures of the finish:

If you finish the race under 12 hours, you get a hoodie with your name and finishing time on it and also a silver belt buckle. We all met our overall goal of finishing under 12 and here we are with our just rewards:

Paige was a rock star one-woman support crew, supporting all 3 of us and taking all these great pictures. It was one long-a## day for her and we appreciated it so much. She was especially great at the finish when we were all dazed and hypoxic and worthless.

It was such an ridiculously difficult race and everyone we talked to said it was the hardest thing any of us had ever done. And many thanks again to my wonderful wife for all her hard work and patience not only for supporting us during the race but also for all the time i spent away training for it. You rock!!

At the Cape

2009-08-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Our house on the cape. It was actually two houses put together to make one big house that could fit the whole family. The owner told us that there are cannon ball holes in the attic from the Revolutionary war.

The kids can't get enough of the Nintendo DS

One sunny day was spent at Mayflower Beach, one of the outside beaches. An outside beach means that the water is a lot colder, but the sand is better. Hmmmm...take your pick. Wherever you go the water is plenty salty.

Ruby was the best lookin' babe on the beach with her cute sunhats and tweeny-weeny-polka-dot-bikini (not seen here).

So here is what the beach looked like when we got there in the morning...

...and then a really fat guy did a cannonball and emptied all of the water out of the bay so it looked like this. Actually this is what it looks like when the tide goes out. It doesn't even look like the same beach.

I tried to get a before and after picture of Chris' tan line but the reflection from the white part was so bright that you can't see the biker-tan very well. The after picture was never taken, but lets just say Chris went from tan and white to tan and pink.

We took a rainy day retreat to Martha's Vineyard since we couldn't go to the beach and the Bell family spent all of their years on Nantucket and most hadn't ventured to the Vineyard. Everyone voted hands down that Nantucket has more to offer. Despite the vote, we had fun seeing part of the island (mostly from the bus - as seen below).

We ate at a popular restaurant called The Black Dog and visited all of the four souvenier shops found in that area of Martha's. Although it is called The Black Dog, Paulie and Stoughton bought brown dogs. The girls were true to the name and got black puppies that they carried around tucked in their coats to keep them from getting wet.

We were able to catch a beautiful beach sunset one of the first nights there.

Still active, Lala (Grandma Bell) is tearing it up on Isabelle's bike.

NH (the motherland)

2009-07-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago we returned from a tour of sorts through my old stomping grounds. We arrived in Manchester (pronounced "Manchestah"), NH, and visited my brother Jim and his family the first day. We then traveled out to Greenland, NH, near Portsmouth on the coast, to visit my little sister and her husband Ryan and their new daughter Ruby. Here's Molly and Ryan on the beach:

Here's Ryan and cute little Ruby:

While in NH I dragged Paige to what I consider is my hometown, Hancock, NH. We moved there from Massachusetts when I was about 4, and lived there for 7 or 8 years. It's a great old farmhouse, built originally in the 1700's. It's a tiny town, and my dad likes to boast that when we moved there, we increased the enrollment in the town's elementary school by 10% (there are 6 kids in my family).

Here's a picture of where I went to elementary school:

And yes, it's now the town hall.

Here's a pic of the local pond where we would take swimming lessons:

And here's the house:

Here's a picture of the barn where my mom would send us to play on rainy days:

And for those who are aware, EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports--yes, there are mountains out east) is an outdoor recreation store much like REI that is now nationwide. Well, fewer may know that it was started in NH in a town next to Hancock. We started going there when I was little and as it grew and expanded I have been amazed to see it in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and even Fort Collins, Colorado. Here's a pic of the original store:

Check it out at www.ems.com

We were only able to spend 2 days in NH before we moved on to Cape Cod where my family gathered for a reunion. But this has already been a long post so we'll save that for later. We had a great time, it was neat for me to go back and see the town and the house and relive those years, and I think Paige enjoyed seeing where I spent my formative years.

Death Ride 2009

2009-07-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

yesterday we managed to survive another Death Ride, one of the more masochistic rides out there. it's out in california, south of lake tahoe. the scenery is stunning, especially when you're hallucinating from the exertion....

it was paige and i, mike scheuller (2nd from the right in the picture below), and mike's brother-in-law josh (far right). this was paige's 3rd, mike's and my second, and josh's first. this is the gang before we started:

it was an early morning start, and mike was trying to catch some last-minute z's:

...still sleeping....

below is the course map and elevation profile:

paige was very proud of her (mostly) white get-up, including white bike, white handle bar tape, white seat, and white shoes. here she is in all her celestial glory arriving at the top of carson pass:

here we are posing in front of the poster that all the "5 pass finishers" get to sign at the top of carson pass:

we survived!

here's the whole gang at the bottom of carson pass:

scheuller of course was the strongest of the day, no one was able to hang with him all the way to the top of any of the passes. paige was incredible, not far behind us the whole way and we were able to eat lunch together and start the last climb together as well. it was a lot of fun (despite the suffering--which i think you selectively forget because of the lack of oxygen), and we were glad to have friends there to share it with us.

Independence Day at 'The Lake'

2009-07-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

It just wouldn't be a summer holiday if it wasn't spent with the Sonntag clan up at beautiful Bear Lake. We were surrounded by great people, mounds of yummy food, and enough cotton floating through the air that you would think it was snowing. At least neither of us have cotton allergies. Typical for Bear Lake, the water was a little chilly and it made sure to rain at least a little bit. We did some tie-dying with the entire family that made our hands turn out as colorful as our shirts. On Sunday we went to Bloomington Lake and played on the glacier. It was strange walking on snow in July. The guys were super crazy sliding from a high point on the glacier into the water. I think my brother Richard got the speed record. It was great to see the younger kids be a little daring and take their turn.

Boise Half Iron(wo)man

2009-06-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

(so this is chris. as the dutiful husband proud of his amazing wife, i feel i need to clarify some things because paige is too modest at times. first of all, she signed up for this 2 months before the race. 2 months people. and the last week was all taper, so really only 7 weeks. sure she had been running a little on the treadmill and riding on the trainer, but 2 months is not very long. second of all, before she signed up, she had run a half-marathon only once, 12 months before (and got 1:48). she managed to squeeze one more in at the ogden half-marathon (1:47) a month before the race. then in the race she ran it in 1:49, and this is after swimming 1.2 miles in near-whitecap conditions and biking 56 hilly miles in some pretty nasty rain and wind. also, since the majority of the racers had tri-bikes/aerobars and tri-helmets, the fact that paige had a bike time near the top in her age category on a road bike without aero bars is incredible as well. anyway, after all this, paige got 7th in her age group out of 47. not bad for your first half-ironman and only 2 months to prepare.)

Well, here we go with another race. This one is the biggest triathlons I have done yet and after all of my suffering, I believe, it deserves some posting. Chris and I travelled to lovely Boise, Idaho, for the Boise Half Ironman. I had been training for the half for a while and was glad to finally get the event over with. I was filled with that nervous anticipation where you're not sure if you're excited or if you just need to puke. We went out a couple of days early to check in and survey the course - which gave me just that much more time to stew about the upcoming race.

But finally, the day came...

I was in the purple group, as denoted by my purple swim cap. It included all of the women ages 18 to 34.

The water temperature, they claimed, was 64 degrees, but felt more like I was swimming in glacier run off. Chris was just taking random pictures, but we actually found me in the picture. I'm in the right lower corner with my head and left arm out of the water. I wanted to make sure that I didn't get kicked in the face right when the swim started.

After swallowing a portion of the reservoir while making it through the swim and taking my time in the transition area I took off on the bike. There was a little bit of a tail wind to start out with, which turned into a side wind, which turned into a torrrential downpour. I didn't know Boise had a monsoon season. The last part of the bike was tough as it was a strong headwind with lots of rain. Notice I don't even have aerobars on my bike - a tri bike is next on my list of wants.

Coming into the second transition area I couldn't believe I actually had to run a half marathon. I made sure to change my socks and then tried to get my legs to go from biking mode to running mode. My legs felt like I was trying to run with my feet on backwards. Chris gave me some good advice for the race that came in especially handy on the run. He told me to treat everyone in front of me like carrots (like when you hang a carrot in front of a horse to get it to walk) and to just catch the person in front of me. This gave me the motivation to make it through the two laps of the run and feel better than I expected.

The last mile was painful, though. I was about ready to regurgitate all of the packets of GU I had swallowed, especially if I had to force another one down, and there were no carrots close enough to catch. I think my body started to give up before I was through. I came to the finish thrilled to be done and to have completed my first half ironman. They wrapped all the finishers in those silver space blankets you have in your emergency kits (they really do keep you warm) give you a bottle of water, a finishers medal and a half ironman hat, take your picture and then send you on your way to a recovery area filled with pizza, bagels, gatorade (barf if I had to drink another ounce) and water. A little disoriented it took me a while to realize I was cold, wet and tired and I couldn't wait to take a hot shower back at the hotel room.

What is an event without recognizing the immense support behind my accomplishments. Chris is the BEST race manager and husband. When it comes to telling me I've had enough peanut M&M's, he's the guy. In all of my anxieties he was there rubbing my legs and back telling me how great I was going to do and he made sure he was right there when I needed him. I think he got just as worn out standing in the rain and making sure he was at the transitions cheering me on. The picture is a little fuzzy and my lips are purple, but I could't leave it out.

Riding as a Rooster

2009-04-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Our first mountain bike race, the Cholla Challenge in Hurricane, was also our first race as part of the Roosters team. We were able to sport our Roosters gear and do our best to make the team look good. I'm not much of a mountain biker so I was pretty nervous just thinking about the race. We watched the kids race and some of the other groups go before I started. I was in the Beginner Women's group. Those beginner chicks were tough. I got my butt kicked by a 45 year old woman and rolled in second. I realized that women who have given birth have some extra power that childless women don't have.

I was especially excited to see Chris let loose and tear up the competition. He raced the Men's Sport 35-39 category. Sport is the next step up from beginner so Chris had to do two laps where I did only one. Half way through the first lap Chris got a flat which took some time to fix and as all of the other racers rolled through the start/finish to start their second lap Chris had to pump up his tire. He made up some ground on the second lap but only enough to finish at the end of the pack.

A post race picture of Chris and Parker. It was also Parker's first mountain bike race and he did great. In the end Roosters was well represented and we all had a lot of fun. Even though at some points I felt like my heart as going to jump out of my chest which made me realize that I'm not in as good as I should have been. I guess that going mountain biking once prior to the race doesn't amount to much.

We ran into Josh, Stacey and Sadie Carter. It was fun to hang with Stacey while the guys raced. Josh held strong and finished 3rd in the the Expert 25-29 group. That is some tough competition.

The next day we took a leisurely ride through St. George before heading home. Snow Canyon is always beautiful.

Kiss it goodbye

2009-04-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Chris and I want to officially say adios to the skiing season. Apparently the snow wants to stick around a little bit longer, but we are more than ready to get the bikes out for good and hang up the two-planks. We took some photos of our last day of skiing together at Snowbasin.

The Hole

2009-03-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

We took a long weekend and headed out with Ben and Megan Wallace, their 2+ month old daughter, Maria, Megan's younger brother Mark and his friend Justin. We found some beautiful bluebird skies in Jackson Hole. Ben's grandma owns a condo at an ideal location at the base of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. (Ben and Megan know all the right people in all the right places). It was my first time skiing at a resort outside of Utah and I loved it. It was Megan's first time on the slopes after giving birth. It was as though she had skied all season.

It's a squishy ride up on the tram. Megan and my shoulder got really close.

Chris gets to breathe fresh air being tall enough to actually see out the windows.

Megan and I look pretty flashy in our new ski pants. Megan got a record number of compliments from a large number of fashion-conscious men.

Maria was our test run baby for part of the time. We had a lot of fun babysitting while Ben and Megan went out for half a ski day. Maria is such a fun baby. In this picture she was getting such a kick out of simply going up and down.

Chris and I in a somewhat awkward looking position at the top of the tram just before we take our first run. You can see how beautiful the mountains are in the background. We liked the steep pitches so much we look forward to getting back when there is fresh snow.

Sweet Yurt Trip

2009-03-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Paige and I went on a 3-day yurt trip in the Tetons a few miles from Grand Targhee resort in early February. We have been anxiously awaiting the CD with the pictures since our camera malfunctioned on the first day, and it finally arrived! So now we can share this adventure as well.....

Here's a picture of the yurt:

We went with Paige's uncle Steve, one of his coworkers Pete, and Pete's brother-in-law Dan. Here's a shot of the group (me, Paige, Dan, Pete, and Steve):

All of us were freeheelers as well (the only way to ski!).

We couldn't have picked a better time to go. The snowpack had been very unstable for most of the winter, but it stabilized nicely the couple of weeks leading up to our trip. Plus, the snow! Hero snow for sure. Every turn was buttery smooth, knee to thigh high turns, lots of cold smoke, face shots, the whole bit. Some shots were even snorkle-worthy.

Here are a few select photos:

Hiking up the ridge to Beard Mtn:

Steve, Paige and I:

Paige rippin' it up!

Here I am getting my share:

Steve sampling the goods:

Dan had some great shots too:

Pete was the selfless photographer but on one run I tried to catch him but the shots were a little blurry:

Look at the cold smoke!

Halfway through the trip the heel lifter on one of my skis broke and so we had to rig an alternative:

It actually worked perfectly and saved the trip for me!

The snow was perfect, the quads got worked big time, we got very dirty and smelly (no showers or baths), but we survived and had a blast! We would recommend this to anyone!

Here's a parting shot of Grand Teton in the background (the clouds parted one afternoon and allowed us the view):

St. George Weekend

2009-03-02T12:35:00.001-08:00

Chris and I wanted to get some early season riding in without having to wear 3 layers of clothes. We were going to ride an organized ride in Zion, but one of Chris' partners has a place in St. George and knows some great places to ride and offered to guide us on some fun loops. The weekend started off a little rough, though. Before arriving in St. George we made a long trek through Hurricane to get to the start of a mountain bike trail we wanted to ride. We are going to be racing the same trail in a few weeks and wanted to get an idea of what the trail was like. It was supposed to be Chris' debut ride on his new mountain bike, but that was cut short when the front brake pads fell off and we couldn't get them back on.

Here we are, all ready to go...

This is as far as we got.

We took the bike to a shop to get it fixed and found that the front disc was bent and the handle bars were too tight and caused stopping points. That started our trip off with a $100 dollars less in our pocket. While we were waiting for repairs Chris and I took out our road bikes and went down to the temple thinking that maybe we would osmotically absorb some spirituality to brighten our moods since we had both because somewhat testy. Didn't work. Later we found that the cure was a spicy mexican burrito for the both of us.

The next day we woke up and took Mike Nielsen's favorite mountain bike trail. It's a short, not very technical course (when I say not very technical it means I only had to get off my bike 5 or 6 times, instead of those 'technical' trails where I walk my bike more than ride). There were some great overlooks and beautiful scenery.

We took a lunch break and then headed out on the road bikes. We rode a beautiful loop that took us up Snow Canyon (unfortunately we didn't take any pictures of the road bike ride even though the camera took the whole trip). We looped over to Veyo, and through some great back roads to Gunlock Reservoir. Just when we were getting tired of the yellow walls framing the road leading from the reservoir it opened up and we could see the beautiful red cliffs again. By the end of the ride my rear end had had enough and we all took a sitz bath in a nice warm hot tub.

Before heading home we went to Pioneer Park and played on the rocks, along with the rest of St. George. We found some great places to crawl around in and on and through.

Mike Neilsen's son Aidan and I were the only two to fit through 'Fat Man's Worry', a slit in the rock where if you ate to much just before coming you might not make it through. Chris just looked at the space and said 'No, I think I'll pass'. It had been a while since I had tried it and realized it was much easier back in highschool. Aidan ran through the space face forward and kept saying 'This is so easy, because I'm skinny'. As I sucked in and squeezed through left side first, I just thought to myself, 'Enjoy it now, six-year old!'

President's Day

2009-02-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we've updated anything. We've been busy, but mostly lazy. We had a great Christmas (that's how long ago it was) and New Years. We have spent plenty of time kicking up the snow in our tele skis. Over President's Day weekend we went to Bear Lake to relax and spend time with the family. Monday morning we had a great time tubing and actually caught a few pictures of the event. The goal was to see who could go the furthest. The distance marker was an orange cone found in the back of someone's car. We tried various combinations to see what worked the best. Piling as many people on as possible in hopes the weight would carry further... Tubes full of just girls... An 'older' (but wiser) person, a younger person, and a much younger person... Or, we tried families to see if one family could beat the other. This is a picture of the carnage from a load that didn't make it very far. In the end, the winner was Jeff who barreled past the original record with ease. Ezra and Keith brought their four wheelers which made the trip up much easier, though I think we burned the engine out with such large loads. It was great to see Tyler in his miniature stay puff marshmallow suit. He wasn't a huge fan of the sled, but had a great time going down a small hill on his back.

Santa is on his way

2008-12-13T21:03:00.001-08:00

Chris and I have spent some time getting our house ready for Christmas. We just put up the last of the outside Christmas lights so I think we can relax and enjoy the Christmas season from here on out.

Although I do remember the first year my family started using fake Christmas trees, I can't ever remember that I noticed having a real one. Chris really likes having a live tree so that's what we use. Last year we cut down our own tree and it looked alright, but sure didn't smell so pine-ey and evergreen-ey like everyone talks about. And decorating the tree left us looking like a small cat had mawled our arms in our sleep. This year I think we got it right because our tree smells great and the branches are soft enough you don't feel like you are going to lose an eye.

Chris is going to be working at the Snowbasin Medical Clinic again this winter so we are looking forward to a lot of fun days on the slopes this year. We had a very cold and windy, but, thankfully, also very snowy day today. It was so cold and windy that after our first run our faces were painfully frozen so we went to the ski shop and bought some face warmers. I'm struggling to keep up with Chris on the telly skis, and having fun at the same time. One of my goals this year is to be able to put on my telly skis faster than Chris does. I think I have about 3 minutes to lose before I get there.

A very nice treat that was waiting for us in our garage after our ski day today was an early Christmas present from my parents. Something we were very much in need of and will probably wear out in the first year of having it is a brand new snowblower with a gas tank. We are so grateful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of my parents. They gave it to us early knowing that we were probably going to be needing it soon. And, if the forecasters are right, we will have loads of snow in no time.

We hope everyone enjoys the holidays because they are going to be here and gone far too quickly.

Viva Santa Fe!

2008-12-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

So Paige and I visited my parents in Santa Fe for Thanksgiving this past weekend. This is a picture of their house with the view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background. They are part of the southern tip of the rockies. Here is another shot of the view:

This place is a photographer's dream every sunrise and sunset, especially when there are clouds around. The colors can be stunning.

We had a great time visiting. We were hoping they'd have more snow to try out the local ski hills, but it was not to be. We're planning on returning a little later in the winter to sample them.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Wedding cake

2008-11-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

So Paige and I brought out the wedding cake from the freezer the other day (we forgot to get it on our anniversary). It was suprisingly soft and tasty after thawing.

Here's Paige enjoying a bite. Yummy goodness!

Assault on Lewis Peak

2008-11-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

So a couple of weeks ago I persuaded Paige into joining Ben and his friend Tim and I for a mtn bike ride up the Southern Skyline trail starting at Pineview Reservoir and going up to Lewis Peak. I had attempted it a couple of yrs ago with Dave Tullis but because of time constraints we had to stop about halfway and turn around. So from what I remembered (you know how certain unpleasant memories tend to fade away)it wasn't too bad, and this is what I told Paige.

It was a long grind up, relentless one might say, but after more than 2 hours we made it to the top. Here are a couple of pictures from the peak. Paige was a rock star; not too many females mtn bike up to the top of Lewis Peak (as far as I know). So cheers to Paige for that accomplishment. We thought maybe it would be the last mtn bike ride of the yr, but as we can all see recent weather proves otherwise. But here's hoping for snow!!

One Year Anniversary (Nov 10th)

2008-11-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's a few days late, but I wanted to mention that Chris and I made it to the one year mark! Whew, it's been one heck of a year. Here is just a little recap of what we have done to make the year go by so quickly. We were married in Salt Lake and then headed out for a relaxing honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We moved into our home that we had owned together since before we were engaged. Chris worked at the Snowbasin medical clinic for what was one of the best ski seasons we had experienced in a few years. Thanks to Chris I converted from a snowboarder to a telemarker. One of my least favorite moments of the year took place in March when we had the bright idea to do the Winter Xterra Championship and found we were very, very ill prepared. We started out the spring with our first half marathon finishing faster than we had even planned. We kept on with the athletic theme for the entire summer doing bike races and rides, the Wasatch Back Relay, triathlons, duathlons, and mountain biking. One of our most epic rides was completing the LOTOJA together. We somehow fit in a couple of vacations, some to Bear Lake, and Lake Powell with the family. Chris found he has a knack for the Sky Ski. We managed to get our yard done (with the help of a landscaper) and even did a little bit on the interior of our house). We have had a lot of ups, a few downs and plenty of adventures. We both count ourselves very lucky to be with each other and look forward to the years to come.