Two years of more love and joy then I ever thought possible! I can't wait for an eternity more!
5 months ago
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
So in love!
Happy Anniversary Honey! I just wanted everyone to know how extremely in love I am with this man...
Two years of more love and joy then I ever thought possible! I can't wait for an eternity more!
Two years of more love and joy then I ever thought possible! I can't wait for an eternity more!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Lions and tigers and BEARS! Oh my!
While we were in Jackson we had a lot of fun seeing all the wildlife. We then got a little too close for comfort with a few grizzlies! It was totally awesome! Ok, scary at the time but since we survived, pretty dang awesome!
So each night we took the kayaks out just before dusk and did a river run. One night, just after pulling the kayaks out and heading back to camp, we noticed a lot of people pulled off to the side of the road looking at something. Of course we pulled off to look, we didn't want to miss out on anything exciting. So we pull off and Kathrina (Derek's sister) and I hop out to walk up the road and ask what everyone is looking at. As we are walking up the road I see something out of the corner of my eye running across the street, and honestly not that far from where all the group was standing. It was large, brown, and furry! Luckily everyone was looking the other direction or I'm sure panic would have followed. Kathrina and I immediately turn to each other and go, "that's a bear!" So we head up to the group of about 8 or so people, all gathered around talking and they are all looking out over this field at a second bear. Then you see the first bear (that we saw heading across the road) running full speed out of the bushes to where the second bear is. The 2 of them are out in the field, I'd say about 250 yards away, just playing with each other. They are chasing and rolling around and teasing each other. While all of us tourists are standing on the side of the road taking pictures and discussing how awesome this sight is. Well, it was getting dark and my camera was having a hard time focusing with very little light and no tripod, plus it broke a few days later so that probably factored in, so unfortunately I have only blurry pictures.
Suddenly the two of them turn and start running full speed at the road where all of us are standing! I know the one who crossed the road was like "Bro check out all those dang tourists, lets really give them something to talk about!" Suddenly Kim (Derek's step-mom) screams, "Run! Everyone get in your cars!" So the entire group scatters, my car is closer to where they are running than where I'm standing but I don't want to be there all by myself. The adrenaline is pumping so I run toward the car. Next thing I know, Kim is hopping in someone else's car - we don't know these people at all! It was pretty funny, she just hopped right in. So I'm running to our car run around the back of Wade's (Derek's dad) car (parked directly in front of ours) and suddenly I freeze between our car and Wade's. I can't see the bears any more! I don't know where they are because our car is blocking my view. I'm standing there trying to figure out if I should keep running to our car and hop in then I see Derek motioning frantically to me to get in Wade's car! I hop in the car and turn around just in time to see the bears come bounding around the back bumper of our car and turn to head in the bushes we are parked next to!! If I hadn't of stopped I would have run into them face-to-face!! Holy crap!
Now these bears weren't after anyone, just playing around, but still, if I had run into them and startled them or whatever I could have been a goner! IT WAS AWESOME! Hahaha trust me, I know I'm lucky and had someone watching over me but I survived and have a dang awesome story to tell now! Well, we watched them for a while longer (from the safety of the car) as they crossed the road one more time and headed down to the river. We found out from the ranger that those 2 are brother Grizzlies and their mom had just turned them out the year before. So they are young enough that they still tolerate each other and share the "turf", But give it another year and that encounter wouldn't have been as "playful." To see to Grizzlies play together and run around like that is not something many people ever see.
The next night we saw a black bear, but after the Grizzly encounter, this wasn't as big a deal (but they're much cuter, more like the kind you'd want to cuddle with). We saw moose and elk and eagles and all sorts of wildlife! Went up to Old Faithful one morning and the entire 6 hours we spent in Yellowstone we didn't see ANYTHING! Seriously, the only bird we even saw was dead. Hot pots were cool and all but nothing compared to running from a grizzly! It was an awesome and much needed vacation! Thanks Wade and Kim!
So each night we took the kayaks out just before dusk and did a river run. One night, just after pulling the kayaks out and heading back to camp, we noticed a lot of people pulled off to the side of the road looking at something. Of course we pulled off to look, we didn't want to miss out on anything exciting. So we pull off and Kathrina (Derek's sister) and I hop out to walk up the road and ask what everyone is looking at. As we are walking up the road I see something out of the corner of my eye running across the street, and honestly not that far from where all the group was standing. It was large, brown, and furry! Luckily everyone was looking the other direction or I'm sure panic would have followed. Kathrina and I immediately turn to each other and go, "that's a bear!" So we head up to the group of about 8 or so people, all gathered around talking and they are all looking out over this field at a second bear. Then you see the first bear (that we saw heading across the road) running full speed out of the bushes to where the second bear is. The 2 of them are out in the field, I'd say about 250 yards away, just playing with each other. They are chasing and rolling around and teasing each other. While all of us tourists are standing on the side of the road taking pictures and discussing how awesome this sight is. Well, it was getting dark and my camera was having a hard time focusing with very little light and no tripod, plus it broke a few days later so that probably factored in, so unfortunately I have only blurry pictures.
Suddenly the two of them turn and start running full speed at the road where all of us are standing! I know the one who crossed the road was like "Bro check out all those dang tourists, lets really give them something to talk about!" Suddenly Kim (Derek's step-mom) screams, "Run! Everyone get in your cars!" So the entire group scatters, my car is closer to where they are running than where I'm standing but I don't want to be there all by myself. The adrenaline is pumping so I run toward the car. Next thing I know, Kim is hopping in someone else's car - we don't know these people at all! It was pretty funny, she just hopped right in. So I'm running to our car run around the back of Wade's (Derek's dad) car (parked directly in front of ours) and suddenly I freeze between our car and Wade's. I can't see the bears any more! I don't know where they are because our car is blocking my view. I'm standing there trying to figure out if I should keep running to our car and hop in then I see Derek motioning frantically to me to get in Wade's car! I hop in the car and turn around just in time to see the bears come bounding around the back bumper of our car and turn to head in the bushes we are parked next to!! If I hadn't of stopped I would have run into them face-to-face!! Holy crap!
Now these bears weren't after anyone, just playing around, but still, if I had run into them and startled them or whatever I could have been a goner! IT WAS AWESOME! Hahaha trust me, I know I'm lucky and had someone watching over me but I survived and have a dang awesome story to tell now! Well, we watched them for a while longer (from the safety of the car) as they crossed the road one more time and headed down to the river. We found out from the ranger that those 2 are brother Grizzlies and their mom had just turned them out the year before. So they are young enough that they still tolerate each other and share the "turf", But give it another year and that encounter wouldn't have been as "playful." To see to Grizzlies play together and run around like that is not something many people ever see.
The next night we saw a black bear, but after the Grizzly encounter, this wasn't as big a deal (but they're much cuter, more like the kind you'd want to cuddle with). We saw moose and elk and eagles and all sorts of wildlife! Went up to Old Faithful one morning and the entire 6 hours we spent in Yellowstone we didn't see ANYTHING! Seriously, the only bird we even saw was dead. Hot pots were cool and all but nothing compared to running from a grizzly! It was an awesome and much needed vacation! Thanks Wade and Kim!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Jackson Lake
And this is the beautiful lake where we spent the next week. Don't worry that I was SUPER sunburned after only the first day, and I was wearing sunscreen the entire time! Even Derek got red. Guess we haven't been spending enough (or any) time at the pool this summer-dang school and work!
Vacation part one...
So before Jackson we headed up to Idaho and visited Grandma Esplin and few of the cousins...
Then it was back to the road on Monday for the rest of our trip into Wyoming.
This X-terra sure is coming in handy :)
We got slightly distracted when we saw signs for the National Oregon trail center and stopped by and ended up spending an hour checking out all the fun historical artifacts. Hey it was educational and appropriate for Pioneer week. Any one wonder why it took us like 7 hours to get to Jackson?!
Home sweet home
Ok so getting unpacked and situated in the new place took a while but its finally coming together! Here are a few shots of the front room. This is the first time I've had the guts to hang my own art work on the walls so we'll see how that goes. I'd post a few more pics (like of my beautiful flowers out front which I had oh so much fun planting) but my camera is on the fritz and so we are sending in the lens for repairs, yet again :(
Still a few touches needing to be made, like repainting the hutch and coffee table. But it's starting to look like a home. Feel free to come by and visit anytime!
Trimmed and hemmed those curtains all by myself-aren't you proud?
Still a few touches needing to be made, like repainting the hutch and coffee table. But it's starting to look like a home. Feel free to come by and visit anytime!
Trimmed and hemmed those curtains all by myself-aren't you proud?Sunday, August 2, 2009
Vacation
Hello everyone (if there is anyone who still checks our blog), sorry we haven't updated in a while. We haven't really had anything exciting to write about... until now... Once we get the pictures, we'll put up a new post, but thought we should give you a preview of things to come. Keep checking back for stories and pictures of our nightly meetings with beavers, escaping death on the snake river, hugging black bears, and running from grizzly bears!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Moving time!
Well I know I haven't posted much lately but I keep saying that I'll get my pictures from our Arizona trip all ready and post some (but I took hundreds, literally, I think I had over 300 pics!), and pictures of this and that because that's how I best express myself, Derek is the one who is good with the words. But that sure hasn't happened, its been a super busy few weeks! So hopefully someone still checks our blog!
Well our lease on our first married couple apartment came up at the end of April. We started looking for a place in March and tried and tried for 2 solid months! I was about ready to sign another lease- Dreading another year of hearing our neighbors blow their noses and the "elephant" who stomps around upstairs at all hours of the night, not to mention no one can ever get ahold of me cause there is zero reception in our place! But then just 3 weeks ago we found the perfect place! Ok maybe not perfect but as close as you can get and still be renting. It's a duplex in the Milcreek area where we have a TON more room and no one above or below us! We are so excited and will have everyone over as soon as things are put together. So after two years in the basement and a tearful good bye with my Young Women and ward we are moving on to bigger and better. Pictures to come soon.
Also wanted to remind everyone about RELAY FOR LIFE! Its this Friday night (12th) and into Saturday morning at This Is the Place State Park. We have put together a work team and will be there all night so come down to support donate and have some fun and food for a good cause. All funds raised go 100% to the American Cancer Society to help fight cancer. Please come down and support us if you can, or donations are still being collected online (see post below) Appreciate it!
Well our lease on our first married couple apartment came up at the end of April. We started looking for a place in March and tried and tried for 2 solid months! I was about ready to sign another lease- Dreading another year of hearing our neighbors blow their noses and the "elephant" who stomps around upstairs at all hours of the night, not to mention no one can ever get ahold of me cause there is zero reception in our place! But then just 3 weeks ago we found the perfect place! Ok maybe not perfect but as close as you can get and still be renting. It's a duplex in the Milcreek area where we have a TON more room and no one above or below us! We are so excited and will have everyone over as soon as things are put together. So after two years in the basement and a tearful good bye with my Young Women and ward we are moving on to bigger and better. Pictures to come soon.
Also wanted to remind everyone about RELAY FOR LIFE! Its this Friday night (12th) and into Saturday morning at This Is the Place State Park. We have put together a work team and will be there all night so come down to support donate and have some fun and food for a good cause. All funds raised go 100% to the American Cancer Society to help fight cancer. Please come down and support us if you can, or donations are still being collected online (see post below) Appreciate it!
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