Santa is on his way

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!

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

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

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)

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.

The Last Triathlon of the Season.

Chris and I did our final triathon of the year. It was the first triathlon we did together when we were dating two years ago - The Telos Turkey Tri in Orem. The course was a little bit different than the year we had done it before so the run was just a tad longer than last time. It was still a reverse triathlon - Run, Bike, Swim. The day started out a little chilly, but we always warm up during the run...and then cool down again on the bike. I had cooled down enough on the bike that the pool water for the swim was amazingly warm. It felt more like a hot tub and I wanted to sit and relax in the warmth rather than push it on the swim. It's a strange feeling to swim after running and biking so hard that you feel like you're going to pass out or puke.

Chris was a superstar for the whole event and came in sixth in his age group. I got lucky and came in first in mine. It was a nice way to end the tri season. We joke about how Chris hates going up against the other men in his category who are 5'10" and 140lbs and have been runners their whole lives (yes, you Joe Wilson) so they fly on the run and his 6'4" super buff stature has to work a little harder to keep up. I have to say I am really impressed with how well he does in every event. (Not yet posted is a triathlon we did 3 weeks ago in St. George where Chris got second male overall and third finisher overall - what an amazing triathlete). It's not bad timing to have the last triathlon end just in time for the ski resorts to open. We have had a great year and are already making plans for next year. I'm already exhausted thinking about it.

It's a neeeeew caaaaar!

Think of the Price is Right when you read the headline.


After a late night phone call from Chris, who was leaving the clinic to come home after work, telling me his car was making a loud clunking noise, we decided to start looking at cars. The loud clunking noise was actually a drill bit stuck in the tire that, oddly enough, only made the clunking noise when going forward and was silent when going in reverse so he didn't think it was a flat tire (and the tire wasn't flat at the time - that would have been a dead give away). Chris had gotten some good use out of his previous subaru. There was a permanent layer of dog hair from Buddy and Maddie as well as plenty of dog-use reminders, a dent in the front right bumper, the key was stuck in the ignition and there was a mere 193-thousand miles on the odometer. We almost thought the dealership wasn't going to take it at all because it needed quite a bit of work. We got a great deal on a slightly used, but basically new subaru. Chris made it through residency with the trusty su-bee, but we figured it was time for an upgrade. Now Chris is dazzled by the power windows, heated seats and mirrors, and, his favorite feature of all, the screen that tells the current mile per gallon consumption. I think he looked at his current mileage more often than the road for the first little while.