My Journey

Daxton

2012-02-04T10:15:00.001-08:00

The Best part of the fall was this little guy, Daxton James Doss.

Daxton was born on November 8, 2011 to my brother and sister in law. I was in love the moment I saw his first picture. I was in Denver when he was born and it was nearly 3 weeks before I met him in person.

I am so in love with my little nephew and can hardly wait to play soccer with him the first time, go hiking, read him books, etc.

The time I have spent with Daxton so far has consisted of him sleeping, sleeping and sleeping. I hear that he is now more alert, grinning and giggling up a storm. I can't wait till next month when I can see him again!

Update

2012-02-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently it's been awhile since I last posted. I am happy to say that I FINALLY installed internet service into my apartment last week so I should be back up and running with this blog.

This Fall flew by in a blur. In early November I traveled to Denver to visit my company's corporate office. It was a great trip; I learned a lot and made some great contacts. Within days of returning my Papa John passed away unexpectedly. My sister Heather and I quickly made our way to Taft, CA (well, as quickly as you can) and helped my Dad and Linda as much as we could. It was hard saying goodbye to him, but I will cherish the memories I have and am grateful I was able to spend some time in Taft and hear from the locals what a difference he made in their lives. Hot diggity dog! From Taft I returned to Boise for Thanksgiving before making my way back to Montana.

As winter settled in my Dad and brother moved Grandma Rene from Taft, CA to Boise, ID. She is staying in a great assisted living place that's basically right in between my parents and Adam. Although it has been a major adjustment I think she is doing good. I know she enjoys seeing everyone so often and being a part of their day to day lives.

Christmas was spent in Boise. Unfortunately my mother broke her wrist ice skating the day I got there. I spent time helping her as much as I could, chilling with the parents and Rocket and visiting Daxton. I loved having our first Christmas with Grandma Rene!

McCall, Idaho

2011-10-04T11:45:00.001-07:00

I spent the weekend before my birthday in McCall, Idaho with my mom and aunts. We had a place rented on Payette Lake had a wonderful time exploring town, soaking at Burgdorf Hot Springs, a little hike and sitting on the dock.

Montana Wanderings

2011-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my friends and I headed out towards Dillon, MT for some adventuring. Our first stop on Saturday was to Clark's Lookout State Park. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark party passed through this area of the Beaverhead Valley. On August 13, 1805 Captain Clark climbed this high bluff to get a sense of his surroundings and document the location. This monument, which sits on top of the bluff, shows the three compass readings that Captain Clark took that day. We just happened to be there on August 13th so we had to stop. I loved the fact that I stood, looking out across the valley, in the vary place Clark stood exactly 206 years prior.
After spending some time at Clark's Lookout State Park we head to the Dillon KOA where we were staying for the night in a Camper Cabin. It was a cute little cabin and we enjoyed the evening grilling hot dogs, swimming in the pool, roasting marshmallows and chatting the night away.

On Sunday we headed for Bannack State Park, which is a preserved Ghost Town, for a little exploring and touring. Bannack was founded in 1862 and was the first territorial capital in Montana.At its peak, Bannack had a population of about ten thousand. There were three hotels, three bakeries, three blacksmith shops, two stables, two meat markets, a grocery store, a restaurant, a brewery, a billiard hall, and four saloons.

This building housed the school in the bottom level and the masonic lodge in the top level. The masonic lodge is still active and masons from around the world can be members. They still hold annual meetings here. This was originally the courthouse and was then converted into the Hotel Meade. It was very cool to wander around inside the buildings and imagine what life would have been like if you were a guest there.

Some other buildings include the Methodist Church, the Gibson Hotel, the view of the gallows and what is left of the Governors house. After leaving Bannack, we drove the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway to get back to Butte and the freeway home. About halfway down the road we saw a sign to the Coolidge Ghost Town and took decided to go see it to. Coolidge is about a 5 mile drive down a dirt road and then a half mile walk back to the town site.
I loved Coolidge! It was just an abandoned town sitting in the middle of the forest in gorgeous surroundings. Coolidge just happened to be the site of the largest, and final, silver development. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the buildings and mine.

As always, I loved getting out for another Montana Adventure and learning a little about Montana's past. I can't wait for the next adventure!

The Apartment!!!!!!

2011-08-15T18:06:00.001-07:00

After 4 months of being homeless (don't worry I wasn't living in a box down by the river, just couch/spare bed surfing)I FINALLY found a decent place to rent and moved in! Welcome to my new digs.....
This is the view of my kitchen, looking towards the living room, from my front door.
More kitchen. Look at all that cupboard and counter space!
Living room and door to my back deck.
One of the two bedrooms, which are located in a small hallway off the kitchen.
The bathroom.

I am SO excited to finally have my own place and to start unpacking. At the moment I only have a futon, but eventually I will get a bed, kitchen table, chairs, bookcases, etc.

Butler Family Reunion

2011-07-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I traveled to Bliss, Idaho for the Butler Family Reunion. The reunion was held at the ranch and many cousins/aunts/uncles from all sides of the Butler family were in attendance. Due to a few things I was only able to attend Friday night and most of Saturday. On Saturday the whole clan ventured out for a family history tour up Clover Creek, where our family originally homesteaded. The day was enjoyable and it made me grateful that I grew up near the ranch. I had been out to Clover Creek several times growing up with Grandpa and hearing all his stories, for many people at the reunion this was their first trip out this way.

The first stop was at the location of the Clover Creek School. Aunt Frances told stories of teaching here when she was a young girl.

One of the next stops was the site of the Clover Creek Homestead, which was started by Pleasant Bassham Butler.

We had several other stops including the Natural Bridges.

Next up we headed to Clover Creek Cemetery where several of our family, including PB and Sarah, are buried.

Our last stop of the day was for lunch up near Dempsey Meadows, then a stop to see the petroglyphs.

After returning to the ranch after the tour we relaxed, played softball and then had a family bbq. It was an enjoyable weekend seeing everyone.

Another Weekend in Jackson

2011-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I headed down to Jackson again this weekend. Last weekend, as I tried to gather my things for camping, I realized all my gear was in my storage unit in Jackson. This weekend I went down to retrieve it all and have some fun too.

Saturday I drove straight into town, ran a couple errands and went to my storage unit. I was also very excited to grab lunch at Betty Rock, one of my favorite sandwich places ever. My 2 favorites are the Thai Chicken and the Turkey, Gouda and Roasted Red Pepper sandwiches. After I was done in town I headed back up to Blackrock. The Bridger-Teton National Forest Fire Crew was having a bon-fire, so I went to that Saturday evening. It was nice catching up with friends and meeting some new people as well.

Sunday my friend Ross and I headed over to Teton Village. The Jackson Hole Resort was offering free admission on the tram to locals and we couldn't pass that opportunity up, even if it was a rainy, foggy day!

The tram, which takes skiers to the top of Rendezvous Peak in the ski season, takes you from 6,311 ft to 10,450 in about 15 minutes. This day the top was socked in with fog so all you could see was fog and snow everywhere! The ride back down the mountain was a little clearer and I am really looking forward to returning on a clearer day.

On our way back home we took the Kelly road and saw this little pronghorn on the side of the road. It's always so nice when they pose for you. :)

Trail Creek Forest Service Cabin

2011-06-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I was invited to join my friends Mary, Laura and Kim for a little adventure. We were to hike into the Trail Creek Forest Service cabin off of Trail Creek Road (a dirt road between Emigrant and Bozeman, MT in the Gallatin National Forest). The adventure started out with us driving down Trail Creek looking for the proper road to turn off on. We eventually found it, drove until there was a large drop-off, parked our car and loaded our gear up.
From where we parked it was a short walk to the Trail Creek Trailhead where the hike began. I was very much under the wrong impression of what we were doing. I thought we were taking a 1.9 mile walk down an old road to this cabin. Instead it was a 3 mile hike on an actual trail. Needless to say I was a little un-prepared, as in I had on tennis shoes and was carrying food in a little cooler. (Still brings a smile to my face picturing me carrying a cooler around. Ha!)
The trail was a very nice one through the forest and paralleling a creek for most of the way. Well, I should say most of the trail was nice. There were many sections that were muddy. Very muddy. I was lucky enough to have only had one major fall, which resulted in mud from my knees down, and only lost my shoe 2 or 3 times. One of my friends, Kim, was not so lucky. At the start of the hike she sunk thigh deep!

After some speculation as to whether or not we were on the right trail, we finally found it! The Trail Creek cabin sits on the edge of a small cabin and was built in 1924 for the Bozeman Ranger District. There is a fold out table and 2 sets of bunk beds inside, a nice fire ring and an outhouse. Once at the cabin we all explored a bit, ate dinner and started a fire. I took the time to go relax in the meadow, got my paints out and drew a picture. (It felt great to be drawing/painting, even if the picture didn’t turn out great. For some reason I put my paints, pens and pencils down about 4 years ago and have not picked them up since. Ever since this winter I have had a strong desire to draw & paint again and was so excited I finally did it!)

As it started to get dark we gathered our stuff and headed inside the cabin for Boggle (which always reminds me of Grandma) and Kissmet (a game very similar to Yahtzee) before turning in for the night.

Sunday morning I awoke with the sun and took advantage of the morning peace and quiet. I sat on the front porch for awhile enjoying the mountain views and then took a small walk down one of the old roads which leads to a different trailhead. Eventually the rest of my friends woke up and we headed back out on the muddy trail. Funny how easy it is to walk through muddy trails when you are already muddy and don’t car if you get muddier. Lol! What a gorgeous day it was for a hike too, the sun came out and it was in the high 70s! Once back out to the car we drove back to Emigrant where I left in my car and the other 3 went out to breakfast.

I enjoyed my adventure, but will make sure to do my own research about where we are going next time.

Teton Weekend

2011-06-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

I had a nice, relaxing Memorial Day weekend in the Tetons. On Friday I drove through snowy roads to get out of the park. I met my friends Ross and Warren at Leeks Marina in the Tetons for pizza and then we headed to their cabin at Blackrock afterwards.

Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day. Ross and I drove through the Tetons. We stopped at Jenny Lake and were rewarded with a bull moose sighting! The moose was fairly close and I got several great shots. I love moose!

After the drive we went to the Bar J Chuckwagon to wait in line for our tickets and seat assignments for our group. Eventually the doors opened, the rest of our friends found us and we got ready for the dinner and show. Dinner was great and show was fantastic!

Babies

2011-06-11T16:44:00.001-07:00

This has been the week for babies! Baby Bison! What a natural ham.
Baby elk, hours after being born.
Baby bighorn sheep. I sure wish I could bounce and run over the mountain sides like this little guy.
Baby Doss! I can't wait to be an aunt!

Snow

2011-06-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

It’s almost June. Why is there still SO much snow? Here in Yellowstone, we continue to get dumped on almost daily. In fact most of the roads have closed at one point or another over Memorial Day weekend. On Friday I was driving to the Tetons and encountered a good 3-4 inches on the ground between Lake and West Thumb. Luckily here at Mammoth and Gardiner we are in a lower elevation and all of our snow is gone. I can’t imagine when we are even going to be able to hike and explore the park snow free. Come on summer!

New Job

2011-03-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time I let you all know that I have a new job and have moved. Again.

This week I started working back in Yellowstone as the Reservation Trainer. It was an amazing opportunity for me and I was so excited when I was offered the position. Teaching people about Yellowstone and getting paid for it? Perfect! It was with mixed emotions that I left the Tetons, but I know the career move will be perfect for me.

I'm still looking for a place to live in Gardiner, MT and am getting settled into the job. I am really looking forward to the roads in the park opening again so I can head down to the Tetons for visits again.

The Happenings.....

2011-03-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

So a few other things have been going on lately, although there is no photographic evidence. The highlights were Nacho Night at Signal Mountain Lodge (where practically the whole valley came out of our winter hibernation for an evening) and my mother visited. The weather was pretty bad when she was here so we stuck to town; shopping, visiting galleries and the Wildlife Art Museum.

These pictures were taken one night when Ross and I were returning to Blackrock from somewhere. We could not believe how gorgeous and bright the colors were. Amazing!

Jackson Winter Carnival

2011-03-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Jackson Winter Carnival occured in mid-February. About the only part of the weekend I was able to attend was the Snow Sculpture Competition. There were various snow sculptures set up in the town square.

Below was one of my favorites, even though it was not an actual snow sculpture. A moose ice sculpture!

International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race

2011-02-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

This last Friday I headed into town right after work to attend the exhibition start to the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Races. Beyond the cold temperatures, it was a lot of fun. Those dogs looked SO happy to be out running and doing what they do best. The race is the largest dog sled race in the lower 48 and the mushers race from Jackson to Park City, Utah over 8 days.

My friends and I got to the race a little early which allowed us time to get hot chocolate, some Pedigree dog goodies (which I mailed home to Rocket) and find a good spot to watch the race. The Jackson stage was the exhibition start where the teams races from Town Square to Snow King Resort. After finding my spot we waited and waited and waited. Finally the race began and here the mushers come, each about 2 minutes apart.

The races were a lot of fun and I loved getting to see the dog sled race.

Cross country skiing

2011-02-03T19:17:00.001-08:00

So far this winter I have only been out on my skis once. Most weekends I am either really busy with other things or the weather is horrible. Well, a few weekends ago we had just absolutely gorgeous weather. It was in the 30s and the sun was shining. Of course I was down in Jackson grocery shopping. Luckily the weather stayed nice most of the day and I drove back home as quick as I could. I ran into my place, threw my gear on, grabbed my skis and headed out. I figured the food would keep for an hour or so while I was skiing since it was cold enough outside. I drove to the Signal Mountain trailhead, about 5 minutes from where I live, and headed out. I skied as long as I could while the sun was still out and ended up back at my car just as it was setting. It was a great day to be out on skis and hopefully I will have more days like this soon.

Farnsworth Wedding

2011-01-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

A few weekends again I went to Boise for the wedding of my friends Cynthia and Alex. Cynthia and I lived together for almost a year when I last lived in Boise. Together with Marianne we all had a ton of fun and had a great experience being roommates and great friends. It's been since April since we were all 3 together so it was so nice to all be together again for Cynthia's big day. Congrats Farnsworths!

New Year's Eve Drive

2011-01-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ross and I took a drive up to Flagg Ranch (almost to the South gate of Yellowstone) on New Year's Eve. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Although it was COLD.
A rainbow over Mt. Moran. I have never seen a rainbow in the snow before.
Over the river near Flagg Ranch.
Sun setting
One last shot of me this year. Happy New Year!!!

Driving Home

2011-01-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what the drive between the Tetons and Boise is like? Well, I am about to show you. :) A few weeks ago I drove home to Boise for Christmas and took pictures of my drive along the way until the sun went down. I then took a few pictures on my drive back to Wyoming that I missed driving down due to the setting sun. Enjoy!
This is the road between Moran and Jackson. As you can tell we have been getting a lot of snow and the highway is often snowcovered.
Look! The Tetons were actually partially visible this day. :)
This is the view near Hoback Junction as you head into the canyon. Next stop Idaho!
Palisades Reservoir is always gorgeous.
Almost to Idaho Falls, out of the mountains and into the farm country.
In the Paul/Burley area.
Windmills above the canyon in Hagerman.
King Hill just past the ranch.
The view between Mountain Home and Boise.

So, that's my drive!

Moose out my window

2010-12-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

Occasionly we have animals wander by my office window. So far this winter it has just been a pine marten every so often, and one fox. Imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw a moose! (And this is why you should always carry a camera with you like I do.)

Winter

2010-12-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last post but that happens now and again. :) Things with me are going well. I have settled into life at Jackson Lake Lodge and the exciting news is that I have already been promoted! My new position is Reservations Supervisor and the position even comes with a free apartment. They are currently finishing putting in new floors and I should get to move in after the fist of the year. It's tiny, but it will be nice to have my own place (and not have to pay for it). Anyways here are just a couple of pictures for your viewing enjoyment. This was one night after work as the sun was just setting. We have had a ton of snow so far this winter. In fact the snow outside my door is currently hip deep. This weekend alone we had 16 inches fall. Crazy.

I'm heading home to Boise this afternoon for the holidays and am really looking forward to being back in Idaho for a bit and seeing all the family.

Sunset on Jackson Lake

2010-11-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Psalm 121: 1
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains.....

Last trip to Yellowstone

2010-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

This Sunday Ross and I headed into Yellowstone for one last tour of Yellowstone before the roads close for winter. We toured the Lower Loop stopping at Mud Volcano, Canyon, Norris Geyser Basin, Gibbon Falls, Firehole Lake drive and Old Faithful. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time, the only animals we saw were bison and coyotes though. Farewell Yellowstone. See you again in 6 months!

The 2010 Capital Christmas Tree

2010-11-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

This year the 2010 U.S. Capital Christmas Tree comes from the Bridger-Teton National Forest. More specifically it came from the Pacific Creek area which is about 5 miles from where I currently live. On Saturday the tree was cut down and then made it's way to Jackson for a send off celebration. The tree is now on its way touring the state of Wyoming before making it's journey to Washington D.C. where it will be lit in early December. It is an absolutely gorgeous tree and the fact that it comes from my backyard is exciting.

The First Snow and Dog sitting

2010-11-04T21:00:00.001-07:00

My first Monday here is snowed. Actually it started snowing on Sunday night and I think is stopped sometime on Tuesday. In all I think it snowed about a foot and a half! Oh my, I could be in for a crazy winter with lots of snow.

This week I also was pet-sitting for my friends the Robinsons who live in a house at Jackson Lake Dam. Let's just say it was quite an adventure. The three cats were actually not too much of a problem. The problem all laid with the deaf, half blind and VERY old dog. The dog barked almost 100% of the 4 days I was watching him. He was barking when I left for work, barking when I came home, barking the WHOLE night through. And by WHOLE night, I mean the ENTIRE night! Grrrr.... Then came the adventures of cleaning up after him, feeding him (he will only eat heart)and getting him to go to the bathroom. In most places letting your dog outside to go to the bathroom is hardly an adventure. In most places though you are not living in the woods, a few miles from the closest house, in over a foot of snow and trying to fight off a fox who just wants to eat the dog as a snack. Oh my! Needless to say I went into Jackson the day I finished pet-sitting and treated myself to dinner with a friend.

Moran, Wyoming

2010-11-04T20:53:00.001-07:00

The day after I left Yellowstone I started my new job at the Grand Teton Lodge Company. My office is located inside Jackson Lake Lodge and I live on the grounds there. The above picture is of my new place. And here is the view. I can still hardly believe I get to work here and can see the Grand every morning on my walk to work!

My new dorm is really nice, even though I still have a lot of unpacking to do. We each have our own room and bathroom. Then, in the center of the dorm building, there is a common living room and kitchen. I am BEYOND excited about the fact that I have my own kitchen again. The nice thing is that only a couple of us girls actually use the kitchen so it stays clean and we don't have to worry about other people taking our food.

As for my job I am working in the reservation office for GTLC. I already I know I love working in a reservation office and so far I am really liking working here. I think this is a great new change for me and I am really looking forward to everything that is to come.

Leaving Yellowstone

2010-11-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

The last day of my summer contract was October 20th. The above picture is of my view as I was leaving Mammoth, the hotel and my office in the rear view mirror. It was another fantastic 6 months working for Xanterra and I truly cherish all the new friends I made this year.

And with that, I have left Yellowstone. Again.

I'm Moving!

2010-10-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last time I have some news regarding where I'm off to next since my last day in Yellowstone is Wednesday. Well, I am happy to announce that I am moving south to Grand Teton National Park where I have accepted a position with the Grant Teton Lodging Company. I'll be living and working on the grounds of Jackson Lake Lodge. I am pretty excited about the change, being close to several good friends and being close to Jackson.

Catch-Up

2010-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been almost a month since my last post and I have been busy, busy, busy since then. Here’s a run down of what I have been up to since then:

Weekend of September 24-26
Once again I headed to Blackrock for the weekend after I got off work on Friday. (Since I don’t think I have mentioned it before Blackrock is the Forest Service compound where Ross lives, right across the street from the Blackrock Ranger Station which is about 12 East of Moran Junction) Ross’s brother Warren had a friend Sean staying with them at the house for a couple of weeks and the three of them had steaks grilling on the BBQ when I arrived at the house. Yum! After dinner we (Warren and I) opened birthday presents. Warren’s birthday was the week prior and mine was a few days away. It was the perfect ending to the week. I truly enjoy relaxing with good friends, good food and fantastic views at the end of the day.

On Saturday we all had plans to go see the Bar J Wranglers. I had never been before but had heard nothing but good things about them. The Bar J Wranglers is a dinner & cowboy show near Jackson, WY where they host about 700 people a night all summer long. You must make reservations but then seating is first come, first serve. Because of this it is often suggested you send part of your party down a couple hours before the gates open, this is the job Ross and I were selected for. We were not early enough to get the good bench seats under the covering, but we were not far away. We passed the time chatting, people watching and following football games on my phone. Finally the gates opened and we were in! After paying for our parties meals and getting our table assignment we made our way into the barn like building to get our seats. Even though you are assigned a table, seating at the table is still first come, first serve. Soon afterwards Sean and Warren arrived. We were then waiting again, passing the time chatting, getting drinks and fresh biscuits from the dutch oven. Before we knew it dinner was about to begin. They serve dinner buffet style and I was totally amazed they got everyone through the lines in less than a half hour. Now that takes practice and efficiency! For the meal you choose your main entrée, (I went for the pork ribs), and then everyone is served chuckwagon beans, applesauce, baked potato, cornbread and spice cake. All of it was very tasty. After awhile everyone starts clearing their tables and the wranglers get ready to start their show. The show includes 5 Bar J Wranglers who sing cowboy songs and put on a good show. They were all fantastic singers and pretty funny comedians as well. This was also the last night of the season so a few pranks were pulled. If you are ever in the Jackson area in the summer and looking for something to do I would highly recommend the Bar J.

On Sunday all 4 of us went into town to run a couple errands, eat lunch at Ocean City (the best Chinese/Thai restaurant) and then drove home through Grand Teton National Park. The fall colors were at their peak this weekend and I wanted to capture some of it’s beauty, not such an easy task with a point and shoot. I had a good time and ended up with some good pictures.

September 27th
My favorite day of the year, my birthday! I turned 33 this year and hopefully it will be as good a year as the rest of my 30s have been. The day itself was pretty un-eventful, as I had to work. After work I headed down to Blackrock though as I had an interview in Jackson the next morning. The evening was spent enjoying my delicious Strawberry Cake.

September 28th
This evening I went to Chico Hot Springs with my friends Laura and Delwyne to celebrate my birthday. We had a decent dinner at the grill and a good soak in the pool as the sun set. Unfortunately, it was a slightly warm day and they were pumping hot water into the pool, as opposed to the cool water they normally do, so we didn’t stay long. I normally love swimming in the Chico pool., it’s so relaxing nestled up against the mountains and under the stars.

Weekend of October 1st-3rd
Well, this weekend was a very laid back, relaxing one. I drove down to Blackrock on Friday and once again the guys had dinner ready, well almost ready, when I got there. This week Sean cooked Chicken Alfredo from scratch. Saturday we headed to Riverton where I got the oil changed in my car and we visited the casino again. The drive over was horrible based on the road construction, multiple delays and very slow construction vehicles. I enjoyed the trip to the casino again and did fairly well. I went in to the casino with $40 and left with $160, all in all a good day for me. Let’s just say Ross did not fair well, however. Nothing much else happened this weekend, except that I baked my 1st batch of pumpkin cookies for the season. Those always bring a smile to anyways face.

Weekend of October 8th – 11th
I took Columbus Day off this year in order to go home to Boise. It was a quick trip, but very enjoyable. Like normal I headed to Blackrock Friday after work. Saturday morning I hit the road early and drove to Boise. It was an enjoyable drive as I was in completely different scenery than normal on this drive until Idaho Falls. I also had an audio book playing which passes the time quickly for me. I rolled into Boise about 4pmish, stopped at the house long enough to say hi to the parents and Rocket and pickup Heather. By 5ish we were down at BSU stadium and ready for the game. BSU was playing Toledo and we won 59-14. While it was not the most exciting game it was fantastic for both of us to actually be at a home game. I also was excited to see my friends Ernest, Greg, Adam and Tom during the game.

Sunday I went over to my moms and we spent the afternoon together. First we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (Thai Lettuce Wraps are one of my favorite things to eat) and then did a little shopping at the mall and Target. It was great seeing her, I only wish we could have had more time together. Later that afternoon I headed over to my parents for Sunday dinner and to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. All 5 of us kids, 2 dogs and parents were there. Quite a change from their normal Sunday evenings I’m guessing. It was great to see everyone though, eat dinner, play games and draw names for Christmas.

Sunday I headed back to Wyoming after eating lunch with my old roommate Cynthia and her fiancé Alex. They just got engaged on Thursday and I am so happy for both of them, I love them both. Now to plan their wedding present, he he.

Well, now you are caught up with my happenings and whereabouts. My contract here in Yellowstone ends on October 20th and big news about where and when I am going next will be posted shortly. I have 2 definite job offers and a tentative one. The tentative one, which is of course the one I want, should be final this afternoon and then I’ll clue you all in.

Montana Governor's Cup Half Marathon

2010-09-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. Again. This weekend I ran and completed my 2nd half marathon of the summer. I still can hardly believe that I can run a half marathon, let alone 2 of them.

This race was the Montana Governor’s Cup in Billings, Montana. The race started SW of town on the road to Molt, Montana. It was pretty chilly in the morning, which made things interesting. Shortly after the race started it became VERY foggy, which did not help my already cold legs. Eventually the fog lifted and the sun came out. The majority of the race ran either along busy streets or through neighborhoods and then it ended at the high school track. It was an exhausting race but I am so glad to have another half marathon under my belt.

After my race, Ross and I drove through Red Lodge, MT and over the Beartooth Mountains on our way back to Mammoth. The Beartooth Mountains were gorgeous, especially with all the aspens turning bright yellow.

BBQs and Google Sky Map

2010-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

I had another great weekend full of BBQs and friends as fall has begun to descend on us. (Although you would never be able to tell from all the traffic we still have throughout both parks.)

Friday – As soon as 5pm rolled around I hit the road and zipped on down to Blackrock, pulling in just about 8pm. It was a chilly evening and Ross’s brother Warren had been cooking a pork roast in the crock pot all day. Ross and I got busy in the kitchen fixing up potatoes and corn to go along with the pork and we all set down to dinner. The pork was delicious and I loved being back “home” with my guys after a long, busy week at work. Later that evening we spent some time outside on the porch playing with Google Sky Maps on my phone. The app shows all the stars, constellations, planets and galaxies in the sky. Just point it to where you are looking and it will tell you what you are looking at. Definitely my favorite app. It was during this time that we noticed our friend Chris stumbling through the compound. In fact he was stuck up against some logs and couldn’t quite figure how to get around them. Well, Chris had had a few drinks and was trying to get home. He had lost his shoes and cell phone by the time we saw him. Ross ended up going and rescuing Chris and getting him to his cabin. (We saw Chris again on Sunday and he had found his cell phone, but still no clue where his shoes were. Lol.)

Saturday – Well, I was supposed to go into town this morning and run in a 5k race. When I woke up everything was covered in frost, it was 28 degrees and my shin splint was really hurting. Needless to say the couch, a cup of coffee and a relaxing morning with Ross were much more appealing to me. Eventually we, along with Warren, made our way into Jackson for some shopping and errands. It turned into a gorgeous, sunny day and we stopped several times to get pictures of us all and enjoy the sunshine. Later that afternoon I made a Peanut Butter Pie for a BBQ we were going to at our friends Larry and Judys. The pie turned out delicious; although it was too rich too eat more than a few bites at a time, at least for me. As evening rolled around we headed to Larry and Judy’s for the BBQ. The evening was spent playing horseshoes, chatting, eating, talking and enjoying the evening. Of course my phone and the Google Sky Map came out again. Did I mention how cool that app is?

Sunday – Sunday turned into another gorgeous day. Ross and I headed into the Tetons for a drive through the park and to visit the Moose Visitor Center, which was recently redone. After our Sunday drive we headed home to pick up Warren real quick and then headed to Moran for a town BBQ to benefit the fire department. The fire department puts on the annual BBQ with ribs, chicken, brownies, coleslaw and potato salad. It was all pretty good (at least I thought so) and the place was hopping. It was a fun afternoon chatting with friends, meeting new people and eating good food. After the BBQ we headed back home to relax a bit. Ross and I took a walk around the compound and down to the river, enjoying the warm sunshine. That evening we all headed out again for another BBQ at our friends Ken and Denise’s place with several other Forest Service people. It was a great evening meeting everyone. We had delicious tacos and just ate, drank and talked the night away. So much fun in fact that there was no way I could drive home that evening and ending up staying Sunday night at Blackrock as well.

It was once again another great weekend.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Are sunsets not just one the best joys on this Earth? I think I could sit and watch them for hours, luckily this weekend I was blessed with several gorgeous ones.

I had a very busy weekend, but enjoyed it all. The fun started on Thursday night when I went to Chico Hot Springs with my friend Delwyne. It was a perfect night and I loved soaking in the pool for awhile. Later that evening my cousin John met us there. John is doing his dental internship in MT this summer and it was great to spend a little time with him. Friday I had to work and John explored the park and fished some. When I got off work we met up again, went to dinner, baked brownies and chilled.

Saturday morning John and I said our good-byes and then I headed to Old Faithful where I had a date to meet Ross at noon on the Old Faithful Inn porch. As I drove into Old Faithful I noticed that Beehive indicator was going off. Beehive is one of my favorite geysers that I don't get to see that often. Ross and I sat for quite awhile waiting for Beehive to erupt, unfortunately it never erupted. (Apparently Beehive gave several false indicators that day.)After giving up on Beehive we went for lunch at the General Store grill and then headed out to the Fountain Lake Drive.

Great Fountain geyser was predicted to erupt that afternoon and we were determined to see it erupt. Great Fountain is a geyser that erupts about every 8-15 hours and I had only see it erupt once. We sat on the boardwalk and were not disappointed as the geyser erupted about 15 minutes after we got there! I was so excited, the eruption was fantastic!

After our afternoon Ross and I headed home to Blackrock. We rested for a little and then headed to Leek's Marina with Ross's brother Warren for pizza dinner. I love the pizza there but the views of Jackson Lake and the sunsets are even better.

Sunday Ross and I headed to Riverton for a little fun at the Wind River Indian Casino before running a few errands in town. I had a good time at the casino and even came out ahead, I went into the casino with $40 and left with $200! I had won a little bit more but we had fun playing on it for several hours. After the casino we ran errands, ate dinner and then headed back home. The sunset was again stunning and the stars were gorgeous when they came out later.

This week I was lucky and didn't have to be to work until noon on Monday so I was able to stay Sunday night at Blackrock as well. I enjoyed the extra time and am grateful I only have 3 days in between visits this week.

Brooks Lake

2010-08-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the weather turned. Saturday's weather included rain, hail, thunder, lightning and more rain, ALL DAY. It made for a restful day as I spent the morning shopping around Jackson with Warren, then we met up for lunch with Ross who had to work the fire that day, and then home to bake. I made lots of chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies and orange julius cookies. Yum! I love baking and the bug sure hit me this weekend, good thing it was a rainy day.

On Sunday we had planned to go rafting. The weather was originally predicted to be a repeat of Saturday so the trip was canceled. Wouldn't you know it, Saturday morning turned out to be gorgeous! Oh well. Instead Ross and I headed out for a little Sunday drive over Togwotee Pass and up to Brooks Lake. We then took the Turpin Meadows road home. I had never explored any of this area and it was GORGEOUS! This is part of Brooks Lake. There is a nice little campground on the lake and a lodge across from it. Hopefully we will make it back up there one day to hike and explore some more.

More weekend fun at Blackrock

2010-08-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

I just got home from another great weekend at Blackrock. I absolutely love spending my weekends down there with great friends, I just wish I lived a little closer.

Saturday
Saturday was our lazy day and it was wonderful. After slowly getting ready and enjoying our morning Ross and I headed into Jackson to run a couple errands. Ross got his haircut, I picked up a new shirt, we had lunch at Quizno's and we got a few groceries. After our errands were done we headed back home for naps and to get ready for the evening. Later that afternoon we met up with our good friends Larry and Judy and headed south to Granite Canyon where we were going to spend time in the hot springs and picnic. On our way out of town we had to stop at Smith's to grab a couple of things and Larry needed a snack. (Now let me just say that Larry is one of the funniest guys I know, yet he would do anything for you. He also has an appetite, and I don't mean that lightly. In fact I have never seen someone who can eat as much as he does.) When we got back out on the road Larry pulled out his "snack". It was a piece of chicken breast! It gets better though. As soon as he was done with the chicken breast he pulled out a drumstick! It had Ross and I in stitches we were laughing so much. Our goal for the evening was to head to Granite Hot Springs which is located up Granite Canyon in the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Well, this also happens to be an area where a large fire is burning. As we started up Granite Canyon we ran into some firefighters that Ross and Judy worked with and chatted with them a bit. We also watched as one of the helicopters stopped to fill up with water in the creek and head up to the fire again. It was cool to watch. We continued up the canyon to the hot springs and had a wonderful soak/swim (despite the tons of kids and very talkative old man). After about an hour in the pool we got out and headed down to the campground to grill our dinner. We had a delicious dinner of grilled steak, salad, pasta salad, bread & cheese and toasted s'mores. It was dark by the time we headed out of the canyon and we were able to see actual flames on the ridge. It was a perfect Saturday even though we got home and to bed very late.

Sunday
Sunday morning we got up and going early. It wasn't very easy since we stayed up late the night before. We got our stuff together and out the door in time to meet Larry and Judy, along with other friends Karl and Michael, at Signal Mountain Lodge for breakfast. We had a delicious breakfast, even though our waitress was lacking. With full tummies we headed out on our hike to Toppings Lake. It was a gorgeous hike, though most of it was straight up to the lake. The trail was also lined with huckleberries which thrilled me to death, I even filled up a sandwich bag full of them on the hike out! The lake was gorgeous and well worth the hike UP. The lake had some serious blow down around it from a storm a few years ago which made it very interesting for Judy and I to scramble over, under and around them. We're tough and managed though. After a break for lunch and some fishing by Michael we made our way out the lake via the other side from which we came in on. It was SO much easier, despite the mud Judy stepped into up to her ankles.
This is where we all separated. Michael and Karl took off for the trailhead while Ross and Larry climbed a spur trail which took you up to the top of the ridge above the lake. After Judy's shoe dried out we started hiking out but stopped at the trail junction where we were to wait for Larry and Ross. Well, the trail to the top was obviously a little longer/harder than the boys thought because Judy and I sat on a log chatting for close to an hour before they showed up again. Once the 4 of us were together again we headed down the trail. The hike out went pretty fast, despite our many stops to pick huckleberries. Once back out to the car we headed to a little cafe on the Buffalo Valley road for dinner. We sat outside on the porch. By the time our food came it was raining and I was freezing though. Brrr. After dinner we picked up my car and headed home to Blackrock where we packed my car up and I said good-bye until the following weekend.

August Visitors

2010-08-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

August started out with visitors the first 2 weeks of August. I love having people come from home and visit. The first weekend my friends Marie and Catherine came for a few days. We stayed at Madison Campground and had a great time traveling around the park, taking a small hike and just chatting. I loved have friends from home to hang around for a few days. The only thing we didn't see was a moose and a bear. (I neglected to tell them that I saw a moose driving down to meet them and a bear after I left them.)

The 2nd weekend in August my mom, brother and sister-in-law came to visit. It was Jessica's first time to Yellowstone and I was so excited to show here all around the park. We stayed the first night at Old Faithful and the second night at Roosevelt Lodge. We saw a lot, drove a lot and visited a lot. I really enjoyed having my family here. The other exciting part about their trip was my new "nephew" Jack. Jack is Adam and Jessica's new dog. He was 15 weeks old and is as big as my Nalgene bottle. Everywhere we went, everyone wanted to pet and play with him. I admit he is cute, but no where as cute as Rocket. :)

Cascade Canyon and Lake Solitude

2010-08-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

My latest Teton adventure was hiking the 14.5 miles round-trip up Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude. It was a GORGEOUS day, but HOT.

On Saturday morning Ross and I set out for Jenny Lake and took the boat across the lake to the trailhead. (Best $10 spent because you sure are not about to hike around the lake on the way out.) Once you leave the boat it is fairly packed on the trail as everyone heads to Hidden Falls. Past the falls the people slowly start to thin out as you climb up to Inspiration Point, shown below.
After the point, the trail starts to even out as you gradually climb back the canyon. At one point I finally looked behind me and realized we were actually climbing the canyon to the backside of the Grand. Words just can't explain how gorgeous it was. Words can explain how hot it was though. Yuck! Luckily there were several little streams coming out of the hillside that Ross dipped his shirt off and patted himself down with. I just dipped my hat in and let that cool me off.

Eventually the trail started climbing steeply up the mountain. The back on the canyon was in site and we knew what waited at the top; Lake Solitude! Lake Solitude sits at 9035' and is just gorgeous. After lunch I dipped my toes in the water to cool off. It was COLD, but felt great. We played around the lake a little, sat and enjoyed the silence and then started the hike down.

The hike down went quickly, could have been that we were tired, hot sick of the flies and trying to make sure we made the last boat across the lake. We did make the boat and it started raining just as we reached our car. Another great hike in the Tetons and another canyon crossed off our list.

Party like it's 1999

2010-08-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

This past week was my friend Holly's last day with us before she headed back home at the end of her contract. To celebrate/mourn we headed out on the town to 2 of our favorite places; Rosie's Roost and the Two Bit. First we, along with a few co-workers, headed to Rosie's Roost which is an outdoor bar on the roof of the Blue Goose. All summer Holly, Catherine and I have enjoyed sitting out on the porch, enjoying the views and talking the night away. (The picture above is the view. Not bad, huh?) This night we also brought along our friends Laura, Del, Jennifer and Elizabeth, none of which had been up there yet. We had a great time chatting, saying our good-byes and visiting with all the other people we ran into. Eventually we all made our way over to the Two Bit who does dance parties a couple evenings a week. Well, we partied and danced the night away into the wee hours of the morning. It was a blast and well worth the headaches/sleepiness I would endure the next morning.

Good-bye Holly! We'll miss you and think of you every time I have a Hawaiian Heidi on the roof.

Softball

2010-08-02T21:25:00.001-07:00

This summer I captained one of the teams in the Mammoth Softball League. We were called the Cutthroats and while we were not the best team in the league we had plenty of fun. I played 2nd Base for the most part and really enjoyed it. I made some great plays in the field. My batting needs some help, but I did get multiple RBI's. Our teams biggest thrill was winning our second to last game of the season! It was our first, and only, win and everyone was cheering for us (including all the other teams).

I also played in the annual Colter Classic Softball Tournament this summer on a NPS team that needed additional girls. The tournament went all day, we played in 6 different games and ended up taking 2nd place.

Grand Teton National Park

2010-07-14T21:10:00.001-07:00

This last weekend I went to Grand Teton National Park to visit an old friend of mine, Ross, who works in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. I got to the park on Saturday afternoon, got a campsite at Hatchet Campground, set up my tent and then called Ross to meet up with him. A few minutes later and we were on our way to Jackson to get a few groceries and food to grill that evening. It was so good to see Ross since it has been a few years since we had seen each other last. Once back at the Forest Service Compound our changes for the evening changed. The two of us and Ross's brother Warren were invited over to some friends, Judy & Larry, to ride bikes and grill at their place. So we loaded into the car and headed over to their place which happens to be the house at Jackson Lake Dam, which Larry runs. The bike path runs from Moose to Jenny Lake right now in the Tetons. It is a great path and it is so nice to be able to ride your bikes through the park without having to worry about being hit by cars and motorhomes. After a beautiful evening ride through the park we headed back to Judy & Larry's to grill steak, chicken and corn on the cob. We also had a yummy salad, biscuits, brownies and peanut butter ice cream. Warren, Ross and I eventually waddled our way home around midnight. It was an absolutely perfect first day in the Tetons.

Sunday morning Ross and I met up with Judy & Larry again and hiked Death Canyon, which is in the Southern part of GTNP. The hike was GORGEOUS. Plus we saw 1 grizzly, 1 moose and dozens of pikas. Before this trip I had never really done any hiking in the Tetons and I am so glad I finally did. The picture above is from the overlook of Phelps Lake. Me about halfway up the canyon. Larry & Judy coming up the trail. On the way back down the canyon I tripped and scraped my knee up pretty bad. Nothing like taking a chunk of skin! Ha Ha After the hike we returned home to wash up a bit, grab my stuff, car and Warren and then re-united with Judy & Larry for dinner at Leek's Marina. I had never been there before and they have good pizza and amazing views. After dinner I said my good-byes and started the long trek back to Mammoth. I had a great weekend and can't wait to get down there for another visit soon.

Hiking Cache Lake

2010-07-05T20:59:00.001-07:00

This last Saturday my friend Andrew and I hiked to Cache Lake. Cache Lake is about a 12 mile hike to a gorgeous lake sitting at the base of a gorgeous mountain.

The day started a little cloudy, with glimpses of sun peaking out every once in awhile. The day ended up being gorgeous, warm and sunny! Yeah!

After we got to the lake, looked around a little, did some bird watching and ate lunch we decided to take a little nap. There's nothing better than napping on a sunny day in a mountain meadow.

After napping for what we think was an hour or so we eventually headed back out on the trail after taking a few more pictures.

On the hike back out Andrew and I took our time. We spent times identifying trees and trying to teach me the difference between the pine trees, we saw and watched a black bear for awhile, came across a Great Grey owl and watched it for a long time and then saw beavers! It was like a National Geographic Day!

Cache lake has moved up to one of the top on my list of favorite hikes to do in Yellowstone. I love summer days like this one and can't wait for our next adventure.

My first Half Marathon!

2010-07-05T20:42:00.001-07:00

I did it! I ran and completed my 1st half marathon!

As many of you know last year I really got into racing and over the 2009 season I completed the following: 1 mile race, 4 5ks, 2 10ks, a 12k, a duathlon and a triathlon. For 2010 I set my eyes on completing a half marathon. I signed up months ago to run the Rock n Roll Seattle Half Marathon with my sister Heather. I trained for months and months doing nothing but Crossfit and Crossfit Endurance. Finally the weekend came and I flew up to Seattle, where Heather and I headed downtown to pickup our race packets.

Saturday was the big day and it started early. 4aqm early! Yikes. Anyways we headed downtown to catch the shuttle bus to the starting line. Anticipation was setting in and I was so excited/nervous to get this show on the road. Finally at 7am the race began! It was about 7:30ish or so when my wave finally started. My goal going into this race was to get as close to 3 hours as possible (I'm a slow runner). Well, I am happy to say that my finish time was 3 hours 4 min 59 sec! I did it! I felt great and was so excited to have accomplished this huge goal. I did great throughout the race too and it really wasn't until mile 12.5 that I started to hit that wall. Luckily the finish line was quickly in site and I pushed it out to the end.

Hiking Beaver Ponds

2010-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

One night after work my friend Laura and I hiked the Beaver Ponds Trail. Beaver Ponds is a 5 mile trail in the hills behind Mammoth. It's been a long time since I have hiked this trail and I was quickly reminded why I always loved it. It's an easy hike, convenient and has gorgeous views.

It was a really nice night and relatively warm, so we really lucked out. Along the hike we saw many deer, elk, one grouse and many gorgeous views. Oh and we even saw shooting stars, which are one of my favorite wildflowers.

Montana Race for the Cure

2010-05-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I headed to Helena, Montana to run in the Montana Race for the Cure 5k race. It was a gorgeous day, one of the first warm weekends we have had. As for the race itself, it went really well. I ran the entire things without walking, which I haven't done in awhile. More importantly I felt great and the end and easily could have gone further. Here I come Seattle!

Back in Yellowstone

2010-05-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, since I have been working in Yellowstone again for the last month I figured it was about time I updated the blog and let you all know where I am and how I am.

So, why am I here again you may ask? After 9 months of unemployment, and nothing hopeful on the horizon in Boise, I decided to return for a seasonal contract in Yellowstone. I am back in Mammoth Hot Springs, working in the reservation department and will be here until October. After that, who knows?

So far things are going good. It was exhausting to actually be working again, but things are settled down and I am keeping busy with lots of other things outside of work. (Mianly training for my half marathon at the end of June.

Seattle - March 13th - 22nd

2010-04-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Linda and I took advantage of a really cheap Southwest fare and headed to Seattle to visit Heather for the first time since she moved there. We had a lot of fun, had great weather and enjoyed seeing where Heather lives, is living now (she moved the week we left) and meeting her friends and boyfriend. We arrived on Thursday and took the light rail into the city where Heather picked us up and delivered us to her apartment. From there she went to work and Linda and I were left to be tourists for the day. We grabbed a bus downtown and from there took the monorail to the Spaceneedle where my cousin Jennifer joined us for the day. We went to the top of the Spaceneedle and took in the views, went to the Science Fiction museum (at Jennifer's pleading), the Experience Music Project and the Pacific Science Center. Whew! What a day! We were a little tired but had a really good time spending the day together and being tourists. We eventually made our way back to Heather's apartment where we met up with her and then went out to dinner at Bleu Bistro with Katie and John, Heather's best friend and boyfriend). They have the yummiest drinks (mixed from fresh ingredients there at the bar) and a delicious Wasabi grilled cheese sandwich. After dinner we went over to a friends house to meet more of Heathers friends and eat cake.

Heather took Friday off and continued to play tourist with us. We took a bus downtown and were greeted by a man with 2 ferret's in his suitcase. Odd. Anyways, we went to Ivar's for lunch, then took an Argosy cruise of the sound and then went to the aquarium. Another fun and gorgeous day. Oh! And we walked through Pike Place Market both going and coming to the waterfront. I love seeing all the sights and being near the water. Later that day we made our way back to Capitol Hill and joined some friends for dinner at Olympia Pizza. We then headed home for a low key night of relaxing and baking tiramisu.

Saturday turned out to be an AMAZING day! John just happens to be a pilot and took us flying for the afternoon to the San Juan Islands. It was a lot of fun and Linda was able to take the controls once we were in the air for a little while. I just sat back and enjoyed all the views. We landed in Friday Harbor for lunch and ate at a restaurant down on the waterfront. I had the best grilled salmon sandwich, yum! Once we returned to Seattle we went to play Bunco with Heather's monthly group. We had a lot of fun and I tied for the 2nd highest score.

Sunday was fairly low key. We went to Losers Lunch at Charlie's with a bunch of people. Jennifer also joined us. After lunch we went to Ikea and browsed around before Heather dropped Linda and I off at our hotel. We ended up swimming for awhile in the pool and then went out to dinner before coming back and relaxing the rest of the night. Monday morning we hopped on the shuttle to the airport and then were on our way back home. We had a great vacation and I can't wait until June when I will be back again.

Rocket sitting

2010-04-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that my parents have a dog and that he is the cutest thing EVER? Well, he is. I spent the first week of March Rocket sitting while my parents were gone to Vegas. We had a good time and survived the week well. I loved taking him on little jogs around the neighborhood and just chilling. And there is nothing better than coming home to someone who is beyond excited to see you again.

Crossfit for Crystal's Cure

2010-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

On February 27th I participated in Crossfit for Crystal's Cure at Crossfit Asylum with a few of the girls from my gym (Aimee, Mandee and Jess). We had a lot of fun, represented Refinery well and most of us hit new PR's!

January Cooking

2010-01-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

One of my 2010 resolutions was to cook 1-2 new recipes a month. Well, this month I've actually tried 5 new recipes!

1. First up was Pina Colada Chicken with Calypso Confetti Cauliflower. I got the recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl blog. She is a crossfitter in Texas and eats a paleo (Caveman) diet. This dish was so delicious, healthy and easy to make.

2. I also made a Faux Peanut sauce from the same website above. The sauce was faux because it uses sunbutter instead of peanut butter. Yum.

3. I made Beef Roulade one night for my mom and Ed using a recipe from The Food Network Magazine. It turned out good but I learned a few things for next time. Mostly I learned that I really did need to roast the peppers first (makes for easier rolling) and that I need to pound out the meat thinner. This recipe was the first time I had cooked with or ate leeks though. They were good, I never realized they were in the onion family.

4. Earlier this week I made Poblano Chicken with Verde Sauce. It was so good! The recipe was from Mark's Daily Apple and was real easy to make. I did make one variation though. Instead of making a verde sauce I just used bottled verde salsa. This summer when we have tomatoes I may try making the full version.

5. The last new recipe I tried this month was for Smore Cupcakes from Bakerella. They were delicious but didn't turn out well. They basically had to be eaten with a spoon. After some asking around I think the problem (the centers of the cupcakes completely dropped) was that I took them out of the over to early and the marshmallows themselves. I might experiment and try them again soon.

Winter fun

2010-01-31T16:50:00.000-08:00

This winter I have been cross country skiing several times. I love skiing and being out in the mountains and snow. A few weeks ago I took my friend Marie with me up to Ponderosa State Park. She had never been cross country skiing before so it was a learning experience for her. I think, and hope, she had a lot of fun. I think it was just the few downhill slopes that she didn't like. I loved it! It was a gorgeous day in McCall and they have great trails.

Well, this weekend I went snowshoeing with Marie. This is the winter activity that she usually participates in. So, since she tried cross country skiing I figured I could try snowshoeing. We headed up to Bogus Basin about noon-ish and had a great time. The trail starts at the Nordic Center and then heads off into the woods and the fresh powdery snow. I enjoyed it, of course it's basically hiking in the winter so what's not to love.

Goodbye 2009 - A year in review

2010-01-01T07:58:00.001-08:00

Wow, did this year go by fast. It has been a year of good and bad for me, but I am very ready to move on into 2010 and see what it has in store. As of now I have two goals for 2010. First is to run my first half marathon. The plan is to do it at the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon in June with my sister, brother and sister-in-law. Second is to cook 1 to 2 new recipes a month. Should be fun, and add to my normally same old routine. Now, for a look back at 2010:

We started 2009 off with a family hockey game. The ice wasn't great, but we still had fun.

This summer I went a little crazy and participated in 10 races and I loved every single one! The list includes the Malad Gorge State Park 3.5 mile St Patricks Day run (I even met the Idaho girls from the Biggest Loser), the Beat Pete 5k, Bloomsday 12k, the Famous Idaho Potato 10k, Camelsback Duathlon, y Not Triathlon, Main Street Mile, Idaho Womens Fitness Celebration 5k, Barber to Boise 10k, and the Christmas Run 5k.

Adam gets married! On June 13th Adam and Jessica got married here in Boise. We love Jessica and are so glad to have her here in the family.

In July I took a little vacation after I was laid off from Supervalu. The Butlers were having a reunion over the 4th near Pendelton, OR. After the reunion I headed west with my cousin Jennifer. We visited my aunt near Portland, toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory, stayed in Seaside, OR, went to Mount Saint Helens and ended up in Seattle. I had so much fun and loved seeing the ocean again.

Bechler Backpacking Trip! In August I headed to Yellowstone where I went on a backpacking trip in the SW corner of the park with my good friends Mark and Scott. We had a lot of fun and the trip was full of adventures to say the least.

WAC Champions again! I went to every home game but one this year and had a blast. Can't wait to see how we do in the Fiesta Bowl!

My dad and Linda got a dog this summer, shortly after Heather moved to Seattle. His name is Rocket and he is the cutest Yorkie I have ever seen. I am usually not a dog person, but this little guy has stole my heart.

A ranch Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving at the ranch this year, there was a ton of food and lots of family.

Christmas is not complete until we've had the family hockey game. This year the best ice was on a "puddle" in the corn field. It was some of the best ice we've had in a long time.

A Yellowstone Vacation

2009-08-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

I spent this past week in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks reuniting with old friends and taking a backpacking trip. It was a lot of fun and I loved spending time with Scott and Mark again.

I 1st arrived in the Tetons on the 15th. Scott was summiting the Grand that day and I was to meet him at 7pm at the windows in Jackson Lake Lodge. It was a cloudy, stormy, cold day but he made it. I was SO excited when he found me in the lodge, it had been 3 years since I saw him last. We spent the evening eating dinner and chatting before making our way back to the Colter Bay campground.

The next morning we spent driving the Grassy Lake Road which is a dirt road between the Tetons and Yellowstone that comes out near Ashton, Idaho. It was slow going and seemed to take forever. We did see a moose though! Eventually we found ourselves on the pavement of Idaho and then were off to find the Cave Falls road which leads to Cave Falls in the SW corner of Yellowstone. Well, we got lost (i.e. took a large detour) and with the help of the old guy at the Warm Springs trailer park were back on our way. Once getting to Cave Falls we left my car at the trailhead and headed out to get to West Yellowstone and eventually Mammoth Hot Springs. We would see my car again later in the week after hiking to it from Old Faithful.

We spent the next few days relaxing, catching up and exploring a little. We then headed to Old Faithful, where we had a room at the Inn, on Tuesday.

We had a great time enjoying sunset in the geyser basin and even saw Beehive Geyser erupt! The next morning we set out on our adventure. Mark's car was left at the Lone Star Geyser trailhead and we were off. We were very fortunate in that the Lone Star Geyser erupted right as we got there.

This first day of the backpacking trip consisted on 14 miles, which included two climbs up and over the Continental Divide. The day went well but I was more than ready to get rid of my pack once we reached our campsite. Our site was right along the Gregg Fork of the Bechler River and a nice little place to stop for an evening. This picture is just as we are leaving camp.

The 2nd day of the trip is one to remember. It was about 17 miles long, and even though we were going downhill and flat most of the time, it took FOREVER. The trail was very rocky and that along was exhausting. Not to mention the 16+ creek crossings on logs we encountered and the 4 river crossings we had to ford across. Not sure if you have noticed but I'm not very tall and those crossings all ended up beings at least crotch deep.

We saw many beautiful waterfalls this day as well. The Bechler Region is known for it's waterfalls and it did not disappoint.

As the day went on we realized we really needed to start pushing or we were going to run the danger of running out of daylight. Once we reached the meadows we took a short break and got ready to push on the remaining 7 miles to my car. At this point it was probably pushing 6pm. I didn't want to rest too long due to sore feet and hamstring so I decided to push on and the boys would catch up to me shortly. They agreed that was fine and reminded me to stay on the Bechler River Trail. Well, when I got to the junction I'm not sure what happened, frankly I just followed the sign that said Cave Falls 7.1 miles. You can guess what happened, I went on the wrong trail. Luckily I had only gone about a half mile and was waiting for them at a ford which they never to. After about 15 minutes I went and talked to a party who was camping nearby, looked at a map and was corrected on where I was. At this point the guide suggested I stay on the trail since it's shorter and easier and catch them at the next junction, just who knows if they'll be in front or behind me. Well, I decided to double back and hike on the trail I was supposed to be on and the one they were on (even though it was 7.8 miles long from the junction to my car). Well, that trail was horrible. Hills, rocks, brush as tall as me and more river crossings. I hiked as fast as I possibly could and never once freaked out. (Even though I should have been VERY freaked out, scared and worried). For some reason I just knew they were going to be at the Rocky Ford (a 200ft long ford)which was 4.5 miles from where I doubled back. Well, I got there and didn't see the guys. Oh well. I still have some daylight I said. Let's just get across this and push on. Well, you wouldn't believe it but I was only about halfway across the river when Scott popped out of the woods! Holy cow, I caught them! I was so excited I tipped over.

Just a little note here. When the guys didn't catch up to me within the first half mile they knew I wasn't on that trail and figured I had gone the shorter route. From there they pushed on as fast as they could in the hope of catching me at the junction which is right on the other side of the Rocky Ford. When I wasn't there they really got worried and were about to go talk to the campers nearby when they heard something crashing into the river. Imagine their surprise, excitement and relief when they saw that something was me! I have no idea how I caught them but was so happy I did. Shortly after our reunion we ran into a bear. Oh great, just what we needed. Luckily it quickly ran the other way and we were off again. At this time the sun was close to setting and we had about 3.5 miles left. Well, those miles passed quickly and made it to the trailhead right as it was too dark to see.

Of course we still had hours of driving to get back to Mark's house after this point but it was great to be out of the woods. The Bechler was gorgeous but always take 3 days to do it, not two. And always stay with your friends.

Y Not Tri

2009-08-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday I participated in my first triathlon, the Y Not Tri. The race was a 1/4 mile swim at Parkcenter Pond, a 6 mile bike ride and a 2 mile run. I finished in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 59 seconds. I was pleased with my time even if it was slow, just means I have lots of room for improvement for the next one.

The swim was what i was most worried about since I rarely swim. It went well though, I just stayed slow and steady the whole time. Now swimming while hitting other people and getting hit yourself was interesting. The bike portion did not go well at all because I had a flat tire. I went ahead and rode on it anyways because I was not about to quit the race. It made for some hard, slow cycling. The run was hard at first, getting your legs back under you, but from there it went fine.

Oh, and did I mention it had rained the whole day and throughout the race?

July

2009-08-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, where did the month go? I started the month by getting laid off from work. After that I went to Oregon for a family reunion followed by a trip to the Oregon Coast, Mount St. Helens and Seattle. Since then I have just been busy at home doing odd jobs for people, filling in at the YMCA and enjoying the warm summer weather.

Main Street Mile

2009-06-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday I participated in the Main Street Mile. The Main Street Mile is a 1 mile fun run through downtown Boise to benefit men's prostate cancer. Most of the family did the race last year, this year it was just Dad and I. My friend Dustin also came and ran again with me. (Well by that I mean we hung out before and after the race because he smokes me in the actual running).

I ran the mile in 10:19, which is about 30 seconds off my normal pace so I was happy with that. And it's about 3 1/2 minutes faster than last year. Dustin finished in 6:21 which was also a new personal best. We're proof Crossfit works! :) Dad also did great and finished the whole race this year. Way to go Dad!

Adam and Jessica Get Married!!!!!!!

2009-06-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, June 13th Adam and Jessica were married! I am so happy for Adam and Jessica and can't wait to see all that happens with these two. Jessica is a true blessing in Adam's life and we're so lucky to have her part of our family now. I also love the fact that there is another short person around.

After the ceremony and congratulations we took a lot of pictures out and about the temple grounds. The pictures seemed to go on forever but it will be nice to have them all. It was a perfect day for pictures too, just a little overcast. This picture is of Adam's side of the party, it includes family from both Mom's side and Dad's side of the family and some friends as well.

Adam being Adam. I love this picture of the two of us, and me in my new dress.

This is Andrew and Dustin, two of Adam's best friends and groomsmen. They also are two great friends of mine. I had a good time hanging out with them over the two days. They're the best!

And finally we have the quilt. This is a Butler Family tradition (my mom's side). People in both families get blank muslin blocks and are asked to create a quilt block to honor the newleyweds. It is fun to see all the blocks arrive at my mom's house and fit them together. The quilt turned out great!

Congratulations Adam and Jessica! I'm SO happy for you two!

I'm now a duathlete!

2009-05-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I participated in my first duathlon, the Camelsback Duathlon. I participated in the short course which was a 2k run, 15kbike, 2k run. My official time was 1hr, 30min, 57sec and I came in 2nd place for my age group in the Athena Division! It was SO much fun but very exhausting! The bike portion of the race included biking up Bogus Basin road for a ways. UP, UP and UP. It was killer but I survived it somehow, coming down was a lot of fun. :) Then the second run came and it took a little to convince those legs they could still run. Can't wait for the next race.

Famous Idaho Potato 10K

2009-05-22T09:06:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I participated in the Famous Idaho Potato race. The race itself has a marathon, half marathon, 10k & 5k option. I ran the 10k. Going into the race I set a goal to run it in 1 hour 15 minutes. I figured that was a pretty good goal and I'd have to work to get it. (Remember I had just done a 12K 2 weeks ago and finished in 1hr 37minutes). Well, the race was great. Not only did I finish in 1 hour 14 minutes and 27 seconds but I RAN the ENTIRE thing!!! I was SO proud of myself.

Be The Miracle Now

2009-05-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a fundraiser to raise money for families who are financially struggling with hospital costs due to chronic illness.

At the event, athletes will be doing a workout trying to do as many reps as possible in an effort to raise money for the struggling families. In the workout, the athletes move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The stations are:

1. Wall-ball: 12 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 55 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 55 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athletes must move to the next station immediately. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

The event is called "Be The Miracle" (www.bethemiraclenow.org) and it will be held at Boise CrossFit (11483 W. Fairview Ave. Boise, ID 83713) between 10am and 4pm this Saturday (May 9th).

If you are interested in donating towards this cause, or you have any questions about the event, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I will be participating in the event this weekend and if you are willing to sponsor me for this event you can either make a single donation or make a pledge for each rep performed. Again, please contact me if you can donate or pledge towards this cause.

*******Just to update the fundraiser was a big success. The money is still rolling in, but we did well for our first event. On a personal note I scored a 235 which placed me in the top 5 women category who completed the workout as prescrobed. I then had to compete for a 2nd time in the Top Dawg workout. This WOD was 3 rounds: run 400m, 21 35# kettlebell swings, 12 burpees. I placed 2nd overall and was beat!

Bloomsday

2009-05-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my mother and I flew up to Spokane, WA to participate in Bloomsday with my cousin, 2 aunts and an uncle. Bloomsday is an annual 12K race that takes place in Spokane. I'm very happy to announce that I finished the race in 1 hour 37 minutes and 20 seconds AND I even ran about 90% of it! I was SO excited and think I did great for that long of distance. (Especially because 3 miles was the longest I had ever ran before.) The weather for the race was perfect, overcast and a little chilly, and the rain held out till we were home. I really enjoyed myself and can't wait to set me sights on the next goal. Do I hear a half marathon calling my name?

Beat Coach Pete 5k

2009-04-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran in the Beat Coach Pete 5k race at Boise State. I am very please to announce that my time was 35:28 which is nearly 6 minutes off my last 5k race! I was SO excited. And to make it even better, I ran the ENTIRE race. I did not stop to walk a single time. I could hardly contain my excitement as I sprinted to the finish line and high fived Coach Pete. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Much thanks go out to Tyler, Kyle and Jason for all the coaching, tips and constant ribbing they've provided since the last race. Now do I hear a 30 minute 5k calling my name?

1 Year

2009-04-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, last week my trainer Ryan put me through a 1 year Crossfit Anniversary workout. The workout itslef was a collaboration between him and his buddy Kyle, who is my virtual trainer since he lives in Texas. Anyways here is what I went through:

4 rounds of:
10 x Overhead Squats at 45lbs
20 x Hang Cleans at 65lbs
10 x Burpee to Box Jumps
1 x Deadlift at 210lbs
200m Run

I finished the workout in 25:24 and was wiped. It was a hard workout and really pushed me. It is SO exciting to see how far I have come in the last year though.

Malad Gorge State Park St. Patricks Fun Run

2009-03-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I traveled down to Hagerman and participated in the Malad Gorge State Park St. Patrick's Day Fun Run. I ran in the 3.5 mile division while my mom, cousin Jennifer, and cousin-ettes Danica and Josiah walked in the 3.5 mile walk.

Overall, I finished the race is 41:11, which was 19th in my ago group. I was pleased with the time, especially since I have hardly ran in months unless it's come up in a workout. I also only walked about 200 yards of the total race, so that's good. I'm going to up my run training this week though so my next time will be even better (and hopefully no walking)!

The coolest part of the race was that I met Aubrey and Mandi from the current season of the Biggest Loser! I love that show and was SO excited when I noticed them warming up next to me before the race started. Mandi finished the race at 32:09 and Aubrey finished at 45:28. Mandi is looking great and kicked butt, Aubrey is also looking good and has made a lot of progress. There was one point in the race, at about the 2.5 mile mark, that I had slowed to a walk. It was at that point that Aubrey came jogging past me. That was all the motivation I needed, and I tok off again. I wasn't about to be beat by a Biggest Loser! :) After the race I got the chance to meet them. They signed my race number, took a picture (a horrible one thanks to my mom) and spent a little time talking to Aubrey. It was great!

Adam's engaged!!!!!!!!

2009-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's official, Adam and Jessica are engaged! The wedding is planned for June 13th and I am SO excited. I love Jess and they are perfect together. I haven't seen her since Wednesday so i don't have the full details on the proposal but will get details tonight hopefully.

Congrats you two!

Deadlifting

2009-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at the gym I set a new Personal Record (PR) and deadlifted 200lbs! I was SO excited. I did have witnesses but I need to make sure I bring my camera next time.

Also, I am going to try to keep a 2nd blog going that is more Crossfit specific. Check it out here http://lorigetsfit.blogspot.com/ if you want to see what I am up to fitness wise.

New Year's Day

2009-01-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little after the fact, but better late than never! New Year's Day Adam, Jessica and I drove down to Bliss where the rest of the family already was. It was great seeing everyone, it's been a long time since we were all together. In fact all but one of the cousins was there! The afternoon started when my mom called and said she was staring at a cougar about 5 miles away from the ranch. We all ran to the cars and sped down the highway towards Henderson Hill, but the cougar was gone when we got there. :( We drove around for awhile and saw pronghorn and elk, but no cougar. Oh well. After that we played hockey out on the resevior, ate, played cards and then ended the day with a Butler basketball tournament at the Bliss School gym. It was a good day, lot's of fun and a great way to start off 2009!

Snow again......

2008-12-27T16:40:00.001-08:00

It snowed another 4 inches today, and that on top of the probably 2 to 3 inches already here. It has been snowing for over a week, which here in Boise is just weird. It is like I never left Montana! In fact, I think there is more snow here than we had in Gardiner most of last year. One thing about this snow though, it is really making me miss Gardiner and the park. At least there I could ski right out my door!

Idaho Botanical Gardens

2008-12-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend a group of friends and I went out to the Idaho Botanical Gardens for their "Winter Garden A-Glow." The entire gardens are decked out in Christmas lights, There was also hot chocolate, bonfires and carolers. We all had a lot of fun looking at the lights and enjoying each others company. Afterwords we headed to Merritt's for scones! The picture is of my roomate, Marianne, and I at the gardens.

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party and other happenings

2008-12-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have stayed pretty busy as usual since Thanksgiving break. We had a nice time up in Yakima for Thanksgiving and spent the time playing games, watching football and cutting down a Christmas tree. It was nice to see everyone and I look forward to more family fun in a few weeks for Christmas.

Our co-ed soccer team is doing really well this session. In fact we are in first place! We have one game left this week and then we will play in the championship game the following week. We are all pretty excited and I absolutely love playing soccer all the time again.

My pull-up!

2008-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

So, this summer I set two, which then became three, goals for myself fitness wise. The first was to run a mile. It was hard at first, but I accomplished that goal during the Main Street Mile and now it is no sweat to run that little distance. Second was to run a 5K. I accomplished that in September at the Idaho Women's Fitness Celebration. That was a little harder but I still did it. And while I like to run I am not sure how much I enjoy running longer distances. Anyways, goal number three was to be able to do 1 un-assisted pull-up. This goal took a little longer to accomplish but as of this week I can do one, and sometimes two!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.
--Mary Fairchild

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember those things which you are greatful for this year. Below are just a few things I am thankful for this year.

1. My friends and family

2008-11-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

I could not have done many of the things I have accomplished this year without the love, help and support of my friends (both old and new) and family. I am very grateful to all of you.

To Adam - I am very grateful that you never lost faith and hope. Thank you for your missionary work with me. I am grateful for all of your love and support and always being there. I am thankful that you never gave up on me and thank you for making me go to the Y.

To Heather - It has been quite a year for you but I am grateful for you for always being true to who you are. Thank you for supporting me even if it is something you would never believe in yourself. Thank you for your frienship, I love getting closer to you as we become older.

To Dad, Linda and my mom - Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for letting my live with you for a month, for supporting me and my decisions and just being there.

To Jennifer - Thank you for being my best friend and always being just a phone call away.

2. Ryan Moody and CrossFit

2008-11-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

The most noticeable change you can see this year is my physical appearance. All of that is thanks to my trainer, Ryan Moody, and CrossFit. I am well on the path to having a healthy life and have never felt fitter. I have direction in my life, a new found passion and have become a gym rat. I enjoy seeing the pounds lost, but I more so love setting goals, accomplishing them and setting new ones.

I am very grateful for Ryan and all he has done for me. I am grateful that he believed in me, even when I didn't. I am grateful that he was patient with me. I am grateful that he encourages me and never lets me settle or give up. I am grateful that he sparked a fire within me and mentors me to help others.

50 pounds!

2008-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Just a little update, I have officially lost 50 pounds, 51 lbs actually, in the last 6 months! It has not been easy, but it has been worth it and I look forward to continuing the journey.

Halloween

2008-11-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, it seems as though I missed blogging the whole month of October. How did that happen? It has been a pretty busy, month where I have just been doing my normail routine things. I moved out of my apartment and have been living with my parents for the last 3 week or so. Later this week I am moving into a house with some friends. Other than that my month has just been work, the gym, church and soccer.

Halloween was a lot of fun this year and Stephen's party kicked things off right. As you can see I went as Supergirl. I went to 2 other parties and ended the evening watching a movie on an outdoor projection screen with some good friends.

40 pounds!

2008-09-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was weigh-in day and I am very excited and proud to announce that I have now lost a total of 41 pounds!

Out with the old, in with the new

2008-09-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

For my birthday I was given money to buy a new pair of running shoes, which were desperately needed. My old ones had served me well through many miles and workouts but were way past their life span. I was so excited to go down to a local running shop and purchase my new shoes. The paid I settled on was a paid of Asics. They are comfortable and will hopefully be broken in soon.

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday and I couldn't be happier with all the changes I have made since my last birthday. I started the day with a special b-day workout at the gym. Then in the afternoon I went to the stake center for church thing, the Relief Society General Broadcast. After the broadcast the guys brought us dessert. It was the first time I had had sugar in months, but I figured my birthday is one day it is allowed! After the treats Jamee and I went to the Majestic Theatre, where we met up with a bunch of my friends, to watch the movie Eagle Eye. I thought it was pretty good. After the movie we ended the night at Denny's for breakfast and hot chocolate. It was a good birthday and I am so grateful for all my wonderful friends I spent the day with. Tonight we are celebrating again with the family.

Stay tuned for Monday. It is my weekly weigh-in day and I should be hitting another major milestone.

Idaho Women's Fitness Celebration

2008-09-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the race was yesterday and I DID IT!!!!!!! It was pouring down rain, lightning and thundering but let up a little during the actual race. I ran the entire 3.1 miles and was very proud of myself. There were a couple sections, especially at the top of the huge hill, that I wanted to stop and walk. I never did though, usually that is when I would channel Stephen and Ryan into my head and their motivation and words of encouragement they are always giving helped me along. Hearing Heather cheering me on from the sideline as I sprinted the last few yeards helped a lot too. A year ago, when I walked this race, I would have never imagined I would be running the entire thing this year. Now it is time to start training for the next couple of events which are in April and May. These include a sprint triathalon in April, Bloomsday the start of May and a Crossfit Washington competion in mid-May.

The pictures above are of my sister Heather and I and the other picture is of my friend Jamee and I.

Ch..ch...ch...changes!

2008-07-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Changes are happening and I couldn't be happier! In April I set several goals in relation to my health, weight and fitness. If you read below you would know that my first fitness goal was to run a mile, which I accomplished and am now working towards running a 5k. Well, my first weight goal was to lose 25 lbs. I hit this mark about a week ago and before I got around to posting the news I lost more weight and have now lost 30 lbs total! THIRTY pounds! I couldn't be happier and more thrilled with my acomplishments. This week I have also really started to notice the changes in my shape (the fact that my clothes seem to fall off me could be a clue). It's crazy thinking back to the person I used to be and all the changes I have gone through since moving back here to Boise. For years I would read all the health and fitness magazines, read all the books, purchase the DVD's and start fitness plan after plan. Nothing ever lasted long and I would end up just dreaming of one day getting fit again. I am not sure how my switch finally got turned on, but it did, and I am more motivated and determined that I ever imagined I could be. I love setting goals for myself and working hard to accomplish them. I love going to the gym and working out hard. I love running. I love sweating. I love being able to play soccer agin and I love getting skinnier! I also love motivating other people through my own experiences and hard work.

I have a clear picture in my mind of how I am going to look and am excited to start working towards that next goal. In the words of Ali (Biggest Loser Season 5 winner) Believe It, Be It!

Fun on the 4th

2008-07-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. I sure did. I went with my friends Chad, Logan, Laurie and Logans family to Arrowrock Dam to boat. We stayed on the lake for about 6 hours and had so much fun. I am very sunburnt now though. (I forgot to keep re-applying the sunscreen. It should fade to a tan soon and then I should be set for the rest of the summer.) I attempted to wakeboard, but couldn't get up. I am going again in a couple of weeks and I will try again though. The majority of the day was spent tubing in this flat taco looking tube shown above. It was SO MUCH FUN! Logan's dad would drive the boat in cicles and then we would cut back into the wake which would send us flying into the air. I loved it! I even got the highest jump of all of us that sent me high above the boat. The landing was a little rough but still fun.

Comparison pictures

2008-07-06T21:37:00.001-07:00

Well, here are two pictures to see the changes that are underway with me. The first picture was taken in early Febuary in Miami. The second picture was taken about 2 weeks ago. I have to add that I can no longer wear the skirt, in fact I threw it out today. It has gotten so big that I had to hold it up while I walked or it would slide right off, and this is the same skirt that was tight on me in February!

I am so thrilled with my changes and am so excited to see them continue.

Main Street Mile

2008-06-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well, if you have been around me or talked to me recently you would know that I have completely changed my life around since moving back to Boise, and in more ways than one. One of those ways has been taking charge and getting fit and healthy again. I typically work out 6 days a week and am watching the pounds melt off and the muscles grow. I have also never felt better and LOVE being active again. Anyways, I have set several goals for my journey. The first of these goals to run 1 mile without walking. I set the date for last night which was the Main Street Mile in downtown Boise. The Main Street Mile is a 1 mile charity race for Mens Prostate Health. My family joined my Dad and the J105 team and my race day was set. Chad has been working me hard the last month or so, running a mile to half mile after each workout. I had never ran the entire mile, I usually would have to slow and walk part of it. But, I felt more than prepared for the race and was determined to complete the mile and my first goal.

Well, I am happy to say that I DID IT!!!!!!! I may have been the last person to finish in my heat (only b/c a few nameless people cheated!) but I never once slowed down and I never once gave up. I gave it my all and came across the finish line a winner in my eyes. Now on to the next goal.....

Rafting

2008-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my friend Charity invited me and our friend Logan to join her family in a rafting trip with Brother Swinkles from her family's ward. We rafted the Payette River from Banks to Beehive Bend. It is about a 7 mile stretch and is rated a Class III. It is an easy stretch of the river, but most of Charity's family has not been rafting before so it was a great place to get them out and introduce them to rafting. It was a perfect day out on the river, gorgeous blue skies and SUN! We all had so much fun, even though we are a little sunburned today, and can't wait to go again! Thank you so much Charity for inviting Logan and I along with you and your family!

Erinn

2008-04-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

This week is Hell Week at the gym. Basically it is a mark to see how far you have come and the sequence starts over again. Today we did Erinn again, which is described below. Well, last week I completed the workout with 33.5 sets. Today I did 37 sets!

Believing in Yourself

2008-04-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Each day I get a Healthy Reflections email and thought I would share today's because I liked it:

"Limitations can either define us or give us a challenge to outwit. When you look at your abilities, do you see boundaries and limits, or do you see possibilities and potential? Obsessing about weaknesses can blind us to the untapped abilities we already have. You have talent. Everyone does. The secret to success is to find that talent, develop it and push it as far as you can. Grandma Moses might have been a lousy bowler, Einstein probably couldn't sing a lick, Michelangelo could've been unable to speak well in public. So what? They knew what they were good at and rode that pony. Your talent might be right in front of you: where do you get the most compliments? What seems to come easily to you? What do people ask your advice for? Live there. Don't let the rest get in the way."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do" John Wooden

YMCA

2008-04-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I did once I moved to Boise was join the West Boise YMCA. I met with a trainer, started a routine that included pure cardio somedays with cardio and weights on other days. It was going great but I was yearning for something more. Enter Adam and the world of CrossFit. Adam had been going to the Homecourt YMCA for CrossFit classes with his friends. I must tell you that I was a little hesitant at first because I would hear his horror stories about how killer the workouts were. He assured me though that the trainers adjust each workout to the individual. So, I trusted him and my mom and I joined him one Friday (about 3 weeks ago). I was hooked right away. Ryan and Chad (the trainers) are both very encouraging, are great motivators and are great at kicking your butt, getting the most out of you each day. My routine has now changed and I attend the CrossFit class 3 days a week currently and am thinking of even pumping that up one more day.

So, what is CrossFit? Basically, it is a strength and conditioning program that pushed you to your max, getting you more fit and stronger each class. Each day when you get to the gym there is a Workout of the Day posted on a whiteboard. Each workout has a name like Helen, Erinn, Filthy Fifties, Murph, etc. Some of these are timed workouts, others are not. Well, for the last 2 weeks I was doing well, going longer and stronger with each class. On Monday however, Ryan showed several of us an article in Muscle and Fitness magazine about CrossFit. Here is the link if you would like to read an excerpt of the article: http://www.muscleandfitness.com/feature/189. I found the article very motivating and even went online to do more reading about the program. Here is my favorite saying from what I have read:

Rules of Perseverance:

Rule #1: Take one more step

Rule #2: When you don’t think you can take another step, refer to Rule #1.

Well, with these words in my head, and the motivation from the articles, I hit the class yesterday with a new found confidence. The Workout of the Day was Erinn, which is a timed workout. Erinn is comprised of completing as many series as you can in 30 minutes. The series are comprised of 5 push ups, 5 squats, 5 kettlebell swings and 5 mountain climbers. Well, I ROCKED the workout and completed 33.5 series! I finished with the same intensity as I started and never stopped the full workout. Chad was awesome and really pushed me at the end. As soon as the time was called I collapsed from exhaustion and was sweating like a pig. I felt amazing though! I was so proud of myself and am ready to attack each workout with the determination I did yesterday.

Back in Boise

2008-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been back in Boise for about a month now and am loving it. I have only had to wear a coat once since I left Montana and that is great! I have been so busy, I still don't have half of my things unpacked though. (Pictures of my apartment will be posted soon, I am waiting to have things unpacked first.) Most of my days involve working, the gym and homework. If I am lucky I squeeze in a TV show or two and unpacking.

Right now I am most looking forward to May. I will start a new job with Blue Cross of Idaho on the 5th. The following weekend I am heading to Hagerman to help the Knapps with the plant sale (and pick up hanging basket). Then the following weekend I am planning to run/walk a 10K in the Idaho Potato Marathon.

Has it really been that long?

2008-03-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe I have been away from my blog for almost a year. Crazy! The last year has been filled with many ups and downs but I think I am finally going in the right direction. I have given my notice at work and March 12th will be my last day. I am then planning on moving back to Boise. For once though I am moving because that is where I am feeling called to be and not because that is the only place I have to go. I think it will be good to be "home" again and near family. I can't wait to get an apartment and finally be out on my own.

This past year has not really been filled with much happenings in my life. I have mostly just been working and doing homework. 2008 started off great though, I just got back from a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise with my family. I love every minute and really miss the sun.

Job Promotion

2007-03-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was offered the position as Account Representative in the Group Reservations Department. This will be my second promotion since I have been here since January.

The position is a permanent, full-time job. (A rarity in the park) I will qualify for benefits almost immediately, my 2 weeks of vacation days will start in a year though. I am excited to be working in a new office within the reservations department.

Schwann's Day

2007-03-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

It was Schwann's day today!

Schwann Day always brings back many memories of my Grandma. I remember when I was little how exciting the Schwann Man Day was; looking through the catalog and picking out things we just hoped she would order. Then how exciting it was when she actually ordered the mini pizzas or the sausage breakfast sandwiches. And then there was the ice cream, the ice cream was everyone's favorite and Grandma always had it well stocked with all varieties.

Since moving into my own place I have become a Schwann Customer ordering a few favorites and deiscovering some new favorites as well. The unbreaded chicken breasts are at the top of my list. Not only do they come already trimmed of fat and ready to go, but they are eached individually wrapped as well. Perfect for making single servings. My most recent discovery is their Marinated Salmon. Yum! Yum!

First Signs of Spring

2007-03-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been gorgeous and it appears that we are giving way to spring, although I am sure that we will still get a couple more snow storms. Wednesday it was even 56!

I went for a little drive this afternoon and saw my first Bluebird of the season!

My Apartment

2007-02-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my apartment in Gardiner, MT. I have a great view out the front of the Gardiner River, Bunsen Peak, Sepulcher Mountain and Electric Peak.

The apartment is a 2 bedroom, with a large kitchen, and a washer and dryer.

I am really enjoying living in town, as opposed to inside the park, and especially enjoy getting to cook again.