Wednesday, July 21, 2010
DORITO
When we went to South Dakota a few months ago I mentioned our friend Dorito, the donkey. Mandy captured the friendliness of Dorito with a short video clip. You can click HERE if you would like a little chuckle. :)
Friday, July 2, 2010
Babymoon
At the end of June we made it to Kauai to celebrate our "babymoon," one last get away for just the two of us until...hmm..well, I guess that is why we went! I think our carefree days of traveling might be slightly more numbered in a few months! I absolutely loved Kauai. We found adventures, beautiful places, romantic beaches and delicious food (I'm prego-I have to include something about the yummy food!).
A rope swing that enticed anyone that found it. Bryan demonstrated his Tarzan skills in the jungles of Kauai. I have to admit, I was a little sad that I had to sit this one out.
Our favorite hike of this trip was the Nepali Coast Trail (Kalalua Trail). The majority of the Nepali Coast can only be seen by taking a helicopter/boat tour or hiking it. Maybe that is why it stays beautiful. We only did the first 2 miles of the 11 mile trail, but still enjoyed what we did see. Hopefully, we'll be able to return and do the full trail at some point in the future. The views that this hike offered were amazing.
On the trail, we overlooked one of our favorite beaches, Ke'e. We saw nearly a dozen sea turtles when we snorkeled there!
The Nepali Coast
The turn-around point was Hanakapaia Beach. As picturesque as it appears, one could easily be deceived by the dangerous tides, refer to the picture after this one.
We stayed nice and dry at this beach, not wanting to become another mark on the board.
We found the hike below in the "adventures" section of our guide book. It was quite the hike, can you spot my hand below? The trail was a little rough and thick in places. The best part of the hike was when we reached the look out spot and realized the view from our car, 2+ miles back, was better than our current view-awesome. There were some laughs about this one, just not in that particular moment.
We were slightly unprepared for that demanding trail-my flip flops didn't quite cut it and my poor feet suffered. Time to find the beaches and waterfalls... :)
Some of our favorite waterfalls and beaches...
Hideaway Beach
Wailua Falls
Donkey Beach
I am sure that there are some of you that are curious how being pregnant and lying on the beaches go together. Let me show you what it looks like...I would be the one laying on a towel. :)
While there, we ate quite a bit of fish. I'm sure I ate more than my allotted 12 oz, but I think that baby boy understands and he enjoyed it as well.
The absolute best fish wrap (and biggest-maybe they go hand in hand) I've ever laid my hands on.
A nice, romantic dinner...
I realize that this post is quite lengthy. I had a hard time cutting things out! It was a wonderful week that we spent together. Our last day there we took a helicopter tour. Bryan thought the only thing missing on our helicopter were some guns...almost the complete vacation. As we made our way out to the helicopter, I couldn't stop singing the M*A*S*H theme song. I was maybe a little over excited. However, I was also quite nervous that between my pregnant body and being prone to motion sickness I might not be able to enjoy the ride or views. Bryan teases me that I get sick when he backs out of the driveway--just sometimes. Needless to say, I was relieved that I didn't have to use the "aloha bag" while enjoying our view of the island.
I'll leave this post with pictures that Bryan snapped from the helicopter. I'm very appreciative of his photography skills and his ability to capture the beauty we saw.
Nepali Coast
Nepali Coast, couldn't get enough of this place!
Recognize this waterfall? Hint: Jurassic Park.
Leaving Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.
Aloha Kauai.
A rope swing that enticed anyone that found it. Bryan demonstrated his Tarzan skills in the jungles of Kauai. I have to admit, I was a little sad that I had to sit this one out.
Our favorite hike of this trip was the Nepali Coast Trail (Kalalua Trail). The majority of the Nepali Coast can only be seen by taking a helicopter/boat tour or hiking it. Maybe that is why it stays beautiful. We only did the first 2 miles of the 11 mile trail, but still enjoyed what we did see. Hopefully, we'll be able to return and do the full trail at some point in the future. The views that this hike offered were amazing.
On the trail, we overlooked one of our favorite beaches, Ke'e. We saw nearly a dozen sea turtles when we snorkeled there!
The Nepali Coast
The turn-around point was Hanakapaia Beach. As picturesque as it appears, one could easily be deceived by the dangerous tides, refer to the picture after this one.
We stayed nice and dry at this beach, not wanting to become another mark on the board.
We found the hike below in the "adventures" section of our guide book. It was quite the hike, can you spot my hand below? The trail was a little rough and thick in places. The best part of the hike was when we reached the look out spot and realized the view from our car, 2+ miles back, was better than our current view-awesome. There were some laughs about this one, just not in that particular moment.
We were slightly unprepared for that demanding trail-my flip flops didn't quite cut it and my poor feet suffered. Time to find the beaches and waterfalls... :)
Some of our favorite waterfalls and beaches...
Hideaway Beach
Wailua Falls
Donkey Beach
I am sure that there are some of you that are curious how being pregnant and lying on the beaches go together. Let me show you what it looks like...I would be the one laying on a towel. :)
While there, we ate quite a bit of fish. I'm sure I ate more than my allotted 12 oz, but I think that baby boy understands and he enjoyed it as well.
The absolute best fish wrap (and biggest-maybe they go hand in hand) I've ever laid my hands on.
A nice, romantic dinner...
I realize that this post is quite lengthy. I had a hard time cutting things out! It was a wonderful week that we spent together. Our last day there we took a helicopter tour. Bryan thought the only thing missing on our helicopter were some guns...almost the complete vacation. As we made our way out to the helicopter, I couldn't stop singing the M*A*S*H theme song. I was maybe a little over excited. However, I was also quite nervous that between my pregnant body and being prone to motion sickness I might not be able to enjoy the ride or views. Bryan teases me that I get sick when he backs out of the driveway--just sometimes. Needless to say, I was relieved that I didn't have to use the "aloha bag" while enjoying our view of the island.
I'll leave this post with pictures that Bryan snapped from the helicopter. I'm very appreciative of his photography skills and his ability to capture the beauty we saw.
Nepali Coast
Nepali Coast, couldn't get enough of this place!
Recognize this waterfall? Hint: Jurassic Park.
Leaving Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.
Aloha Kauai.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Mt. Rushmore
For Memorial weekend we drove up to Mt. Rushmore. It's only about 5.5-6 hours from our place, not too shabby. My cousin Paul, his wife, Mandy, Stan and Lindsay all joined in for the patriotic weekend.
We started the trip by taking a tour of Custer State Park. Don't be deceived by the name, this is not the place of Custer's Last Stand, that is actually located in Montana-about 500 miles away. However, the park did offer a lot of wild life and life not so wild. We met my favorite animal of the trip in Custer Park.
Introducing....Dorito! Why the name? Dorito liked to eat Dorito chips, it was all over his breath, no joke. Have you ever met a donkey that eats doritos??? He was very friendly and I think he was curious if we had any doritos in our car. We were all smiles and giggles until Dorito became a little too friendly and tried to "nibble" Mandy. It wasn't quite the episode of "When Animals Attack," but Mandy's blood-curdling scream let Dorito and us know that it was time to go.
On to the real wild life...
such as buffalo, deer, sheep, antelope and bunny rabbits-of course.
I believe these are called "The Needles," but I'm not sure, Bryan isn't here to correct me. So, for now, "The Needles" were beautiful.
Mt. Rushmore--little bit smaller than we had anticipated, but still very incredible.
The entire gang at the "Badlands" of South Dakota.
Also, a great profile shot of me at roughly 6 months pregnant-wowzers, this boy might be a linebacker. :)
Another shot of the Badlands. Overall, we thought that the Black Hills of South Dakota and the surrounding area that we made it to was very pretty country.
Thanks to the men and women that make it possible for us to enjoy such scenery and our every day freedom.
We started the trip by taking a tour of Custer State Park. Don't be deceived by the name, this is not the place of Custer's Last Stand, that is actually located in Montana-about 500 miles away. However, the park did offer a lot of wild life and life not so wild. We met my favorite animal of the trip in Custer Park.
Introducing....Dorito! Why the name? Dorito liked to eat Dorito chips, it was all over his breath, no joke. Have you ever met a donkey that eats doritos??? He was very friendly and I think he was curious if we had any doritos in our car. We were all smiles and giggles until Dorito became a little too friendly and tried to "nibble" Mandy. It wasn't quite the episode of "When Animals Attack," but Mandy's blood-curdling scream let Dorito and us know that it was time to go.
On to the real wild life...
such as buffalo, deer, sheep, antelope and bunny rabbits-of course.
I believe these are called "The Needles," but I'm not sure, Bryan isn't here to correct me. So, for now, "The Needles" were beautiful.
Mt. Rushmore--little bit smaller than we had anticipated, but still very incredible.
The entire gang at the "Badlands" of South Dakota.
Also, a great profile shot of me at roughly 6 months pregnant-wowzers, this boy might be a linebacker. :)
Another shot of the Badlands. Overall, we thought that the Black Hills of South Dakota and the surrounding area that we made it to was very pretty country.
Thanks to the men and women that make it possible for us to enjoy such scenery and our every day freedom.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Visitors
Lately, we have enjoyed quite a few family and friend visitors that have made it out our way for one reason or another.
Bryan's brother, Scott, was here for work but managed to squeeze in a little time for us! He treated us to a nice dinner and we enjoyed visiting with him. We're looking forward to July when all of his family will be in Colorado for a visit.
For my birthday, my mom was able to fly out. We had a great time shopping, exploring a few of the local sites, cooking and most of all, just chatting.
For my birthday dinner, she made one of my favorite recipes-New England Boiled Dinner. Oh, sooo good.
In late April my good friend from nursing school, Katie, was out for her brother's wedding and we were lucky enough to be right in the middle of all the action! I still give Katie the credit for my completion of nursing school, she kept me sane through all of the insanity at the time.
Katie and her husband David
They have 2 adorable kiddos, this is Michael...
he is doing a breathing treatment-I was obviously a little behind on the dusting in our house. :)
It has been so fun to see everyone, we love having visitors!
Bryan's brother, Scott, was here for work but managed to squeeze in a little time for us! He treated us to a nice dinner and we enjoyed visiting with him. We're looking forward to July when all of his family will be in Colorado for a visit.
For my birthday, my mom was able to fly out. We had a great time shopping, exploring a few of the local sites, cooking and most of all, just chatting.
For my birthday dinner, she made one of my favorite recipes-New England Boiled Dinner. Oh, sooo good.
In late April my good friend from nursing school, Katie, was out for her brother's wedding and we were lucky enough to be right in the middle of all the action! I still give Katie the credit for my completion of nursing school, she kept me sane through all of the insanity at the time.
Katie and her husband David
They have 2 adorable kiddos, this is Michael...
he is doing a breathing treatment-I was obviously a little behind on the dusting in our house. :)
It has been so fun to see everyone, we love having visitors!
CiNcO DE mAYo
Our friends/neighbors just a few doors down the street invited us over to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with them. She made a delicious Mexican dinner accompanied by pina coladas, guacamole and tres leches-what a great holiday to celebrate. We brought a pinata for a little entertainment, and entertained were we.
Getting geared up for the festivities-no peeking!
Elizabeth, locating the target. She had an awesome swing-the pinata didn't stand a chance.
Steven (the father) and Charlie. Steven demonstrating, rather well, the intensity of breaking a pinata. Charlie wasn't so sure about all of it...no one was hurt in the taking of this picture. :)
Bryan, the closer.
Getting geared up for the festivities-no peeking!
Elizabeth, locating the target. She had an awesome swing-the pinata didn't stand a chance.
Steven (the father) and Charlie. Steven demonstrating, rather well, the intensity of breaking a pinata. Charlie wasn't so sure about all of it...no one was hurt in the taking of this picture. :)
Bryan, the closer.
Home Improvements
Bryan is definitely motivated with getting things done around the house. He is always looking and ready for the next project. Since moving in, Bryan has found quite a few things to turn this house into our home.
Only after a few days after we moved in we visited the local paint store. I tend to think things over quite a bit-compare hues, prices, brands, etc. Bryan is very good at knowing what he wants and moving forward, so after about 5 minutes of paint discussion, "latte" was being spread onto the white walls of our home...
even in those really hard to get places!
I believe that Bryan has installed 4 ceiling fans, 2 of which we kept. I have great ideas of what things "should" look like, and he has a great deal of patience. A perfect match!
I realized that I have only shown Bryan doing the home improvements, and that I should include a picture of my contributions...
Any decent project needs an outstanding supervisor, right? :)
Only after a few days after we moved in we visited the local paint store. I tend to think things over quite a bit-compare hues, prices, brands, etc. Bryan is very good at knowing what he wants and moving forward, so after about 5 minutes of paint discussion, "latte" was being spread onto the white walls of our home...
even in those really hard to get places!
I believe that Bryan has installed 4 ceiling fans, 2 of which we kept. I have great ideas of what things "should" look like, and he has a great deal of patience. A perfect match!
I realized that I have only shown Bryan doing the home improvements, and that I should include a picture of my contributions...
Any decent project needs an outstanding supervisor, right? :)
MARCH MADNESS
Almost 2 months later, I'm finally getting around to updating about our new home! We seem to be fond of moving in March, it was almost this exact time last year when we moved from Salt Lake City to Broomfield. One year ago we had professional movers, this year we became the professional movers. I think I will stay with my chosen profession of nursing, but Bryan might be changing his career plans after driving this "little" gem below.
Bryan found us the largest size one could rent without having a CDL. Bryan was living large and loving cruising the roads with this moving van.
Thankfully, we received much help from our ward in packing up this monster.
We loved our ward in Broomfield and will definitely miss the people there. A few notes from the ward members. (I LOVE candy cards.)
We did close on March 15th, as planned. YAHOO!
(This was taken about a week before we closed.)
We celebrated our closing briefly with a good "stiff" drink from Sonic and then quickly went to work ripping out the floors and carpet of our new home. I cannot say enough kind things about happy hour from Sonic.
The Demolition and muscles behind it all...
We moved in about 1 week later once the "final touches" to the floors of our home were done. Here are some pictures to show the final product.
We have loved being in our home. We have really enjoyed--for the most part :)--being able to decorate, paint, and make the house feel like our home. It is definitely a work in progress, more pictures to follow of the rest of the home...maybe in another 2 months!
Bryan found us the largest size one could rent without having a CDL. Bryan was living large and loving cruising the roads with this moving van.
Thankfully, we received much help from our ward in packing up this monster.
We loved our ward in Broomfield and will definitely miss the people there. A few notes from the ward members. (I LOVE candy cards.)
We did close on March 15th, as planned. YAHOO!
(This was taken about a week before we closed.)
We celebrated our closing briefly with a good "stiff" drink from Sonic and then quickly went to work ripping out the floors and carpet of our new home. I cannot say enough kind things about happy hour from Sonic.
The Demolition and muscles behind it all...
We moved in about 1 week later once the "final touches" to the floors of our home were done. Here are some pictures to show the final product.
We have loved being in our home. We have really enjoyed--for the most part :)--being able to decorate, paint, and make the house feel like our home. It is definitely a work in progress, more pictures to follow of the rest of the home...maybe in another 2 months!
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