pool time, a must for summer time fun!

my cousin is moving away!

Well, it's really not my cousin moving but my SISTER who I have called "cousin" since childhood. "Cousin Terry" to be exact. I know, weird. In a few days Erika and her family will be moving to Virginia for Medical School. I am sad to say goodbye since we have lived near each other for 5 1/2 years now but I'm excited for their adventure on the east coast! They will have to start new, in a new home, new schools, new friends. This is an opportunity for all of them to travel and learn and grow closer as a family! I have learned so much from their incredible patience, sacrifice (sold dream home which Ryan built for a rented farm house with one tiny bathroom, quit job, Erika working from home...etc.) and faith. They have 4 children and Ryan has been in the bishopric for the past 5 years! How they have done it, I don't know! That's where the patience and faith comes in. I love the fact that this was a decision "later" in life when Ryan knew what he really wanted. You guys are going to flourish out there! I can't wait to go out there to visit! I love you guys! Happy trails!

Nada, I love you!!!!!!

Nada!

Cooking class at my house.

Cher!

Amber!

Some of my new purchases from the Asian market!

Debbie and Loren!

Panang Curry with chicken and shrimp

My new sticky rice cooker. Works like a dream!

Beef salad with cucumber

Pad See Ew stir fry

I made it all for Kelly including the sticky rice with mango and he LOVED it! It was fun to make these dishes on my own and have them turn out! What a feast!

I have a new best friend. Yes, I love you Brooke, but your mother-in-law ROCKS! She came over Tues. night and taught me and a few food lovin friends how to cook Thai, (the authentic way!) Nada is from Thailand and she cooks like the best Thai restaurants around here! I went to the Asia Market in SLC with her and she showed me all the best brands, the essentials, and the best prices! Coconut milk, $1.00! I spent a good amount but now I'm ready to rock and roll! So, we cooked, we were instructed and then...best part...we ate! We made Pad See Ew (a stir fry with yummy, fat noodles), Panang Curry with chicken and shrimp, Beef Salad, and sticky rice with coconut milk and mango for dessert. Oh my! I had to make it again tonight, just to make sure I remembered everything! Next week we are making Spring Rolls and a Coconut milk soup (can't remember the names.) Nada is a dream. I love learning from her! What a great way to spend time in the kitchen! Thank you!!! Loren, white girls CAN cook Thai! You underestimate my dull knives and old pots. So there.

Ragnar, Ragnarley, Choose the Ragnar

For my 18.4 miles!!!

Heidi-2nd run

Personal Trainer Heidi (the one responsible for getting this thing started, Driver Kristen, Nurse Misty, Birthday Girl Lauretta and Power house Ally!

Out for a birthday run!

Our college girl! Nice to have some young blood! This is Lauretta's daughter-can't you tell?

Misty coming through her last exchange!!!!! They threw in a hill at the end of her run which we didn't know about...she still did awesome!

We supply support, water, cheering, and toilet tissue...just in case!!!!!

Kristen and her friend Chucky!!!!!!

One of the prettiest areas! Sorry I wasn't better with the pictures. Misty, you'll have to fill in where I'm short! I did better remembering pictures last year!

Last year I was talked into doing the Vegas Ragnar and LOVED it enough to turn around and sign up for the Wasatch Back Ragnar. This Ragnar relay was tougher, longer, higher elevation, climbs, more heat, more people! It wasn't an easy race! We had a great team this year. We had our friends and neighbors collaborate to make a 12 women team. This race went from Logan, UT to Park City, UT. It was 188 miles in gorgeous back country. We ran past small, cute, country towns with enthusiastic citizens and residents who hosed us off, gave us drinks, cheered us on. We ran on dirt roads alone bubbling brooks, green wilderness with snow capped mountains in the distance, and many bodies of water-lakes and reservoirs. It was spectacular scenery! Our team was "van #1" so we started at 5:45 a.m. on Friday. We ran long runs. We were lucky enough to have the luxury of friends and family with homes in the area where we could shower, eat and rest before our next run! This is HUGE when you could be camped out in a parking lot with a hundred other tired runners, in the sun, with porto potties! We had some hot late afternoon runs which I felt was my hardest run (not my shortest distance). The heat is NOT a runner's friend! It was draining! The only thing that kept me going was Kayley pouring cold water over my head every 1/2 mile! Also, I had a little help from the neighbors who happily left their sprinklers going for the hot runners! Late that night we went to our friend's cabin and crashed for 3 hours. We got up at 3:00 a.m. to go again. This was NOT fun! We were so tired and it was freezing cold! I ran my last run at 6:00 a.m. I was nervous and cold. My last run was a hard run 8 miles long up a mountainside near Jordan L. My knees were killing at the start but slowly warmed up and I was able to have a pleasant, cool, shady run! I felt good like I was finally getting that second wind! It felt so good to be DONE DONE DONE! Our team pushed hard and never gave up! We had good time (beating our predicted time!) We had a blast together as always! Our driver, Kristen who drove us last year was entertaining as usual. Our favorite line for her was "Could you put the van in park?" (Mini vans...can't get out the door without the van in park...safety first!!!!) I loved this race and we are already planning the next one! I hope to do many more...for now though, it's nice to know I can take a break and relax for a bit. We are all tired and worn out, sore. I slept like a baby last night and have been drinking so much water I feel like a camel! I'm so proud of our 12 ladies! They all did awesome! One of the best parts of Ragnar is the people, the vans, the costumes, the team spirit! I had many other teams give me sprays of water, or cheers as I ran. Everyone is so happy and friendly and the van decorations are so clever and fun. Our team was Run, Walk, Crawl. We decorated our van for Lauretta's birthday which was the day Ragnar stared. We had a pinata, a blow up birthday cake, streamers etc. It was fun to surprise her and make her day fun! Her daughter got married the night before so she was really a trooper!!!! And her daughter Kayley filled in for us at the last minute! She did great! They had more reason to be wiped out than the rest of us! I think we all dreaded the hard runs but when it was all over, it felt so good! We had runner's high! It felt great to have that medal around our necks! To my lovely team, I love you! This has been a great experience for me! RAAAAGNAR!!!!!!!!!

Highlights:

-Kristen "Wooo, Hooooo" (out the window to say hi to runners)

"Kenneth!!!!!" Oh wait, that's not Kenneth. Oh. Ok, well go Kenneth! You rock! Lookin good Kenneth!!!!"

-Ally and her mullet wearing, denim cut off's running buddy/boyfriend!
-Heidi running behind Mr. short shorts. (Too short!)
-Finding an extra Jiff Peanut butter single to eat after thinking we ate them all!
-The once beautiful brownies eaten smashed, soggy, and very warm.
-Finally eating real food after snacking for two days!
-Seeing the other half of our team!
-Seeing the "one mile left" sign
-high fiving kids along the street
-using a gas station toilet verses the "honey bucket"
-girl talk, girl time!
-Chucky, the clown! (Our pinata) He'd frighten any kid or adult for that matter!
-Misty's amazing supply of remedies, pills, heating pads, massage sticks, icy hot...we all smelled and tasted the menthol! I felt like I was minty fresh without brushing! You should always run with a nurse! Thanks Misty!!!!!!!
-running through the finish line with our WHOLE team!!!

*BTW, if anyone finds a blow up cake on the freeway, it's ours. Luckily we still have Chucky!

Yellowstone

This photo was taken at the BEGINNING of the long car ride, NOT the end. That would be a picture too scary for this blog!

Mesa Falls

Oh, small towns!

I thought of the movie "2012" while at this place.

This is what desolation looks like! Not a good place for a picnic.

Old Faithful

Jenna loved crossing the logs and boards over and over again! She made me very nervous!

A partial view of Henry Lake.

Virginia City, Montana

Circa 1967

The old American west!

How clean can clothes get in one minute?

My favorite store! Look at that wallpaper on the ceiling!

Couldn't resist the old gas station!

This was mine and the kid's first trip to Yellowstone. Kelly had been before when he was young. We stayed in Island park at a bed and breakfast on Henry's Lake. What a perfect place to view nature, have peace and quiet and enjoy only a 30 minute drive to the attractions of West Yellowstone! We loved paddle boating out on the lake, fishing, and hot tubbing with the sun setting over the lake! Judy made us a hardy breakfast every morning which was really a brunch! We saw many animals and birds: bison (babies too!), antelope, elk, a BEAR, bald eagle (babies too in a nest!), muskrat, hawks. We watched Old Faithful go off, walked the hot, smelly, geyser pots, and saw a few waterfalls. It was supposed to rain all weekend and I was very discouraged. We packed warm clothes, rain gear, winter coats and sweaters. Luckily it didn't rain and we enjoyed very cold but dry weather! On Saturday we went to the fishing derby at a pond in Island Park. It was windy and cold but sunny. We didn't catch a thing but the kids really loved the pond and had a great time! We went to a play at a little playhouse that served dinner too. The play got us all laughing and the food wasn't bad either! We visited the grizzly bear/wolf observatory in West Yellowstone and saw a male and female grizzly in the middle of a playful yet aggressive fight! They got up on their hind legs, a sight to behold! The wolves were cool too. There were some soft little pups with their moms! Our last jaunt was to Virginia City in Montana. It is a little "ghost town" built for gold mining in 1860's and then left when the gold ran out! It was left with many "treasures" from that time. (My dad would LOVE this place!) If you look in the windows you can see the stores and businesses as they were! It is so well preserved and untouched! I loved the grocery store, the tailor, and the cobbler's shop. There was a telegraph building, a blacksmith, a hotel , a Masonic Temple, a toy store! I had so much fun in my little "Somewhere in Time world". They had one shop that wasn't part of the historic buildings that made homemade ice cream that was made in an old ice cream maker! It was incredible! We had huckleberry ice cream 3 times! (Not all at this one store but that one was our favorite!) Good bye rural America! Time to take off the boots and put up my feet! Hello bed!!!!!