Party Like a Rock Star

Visiting heaven again

2010-10-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have often said that Tuolomne Meadows is what I envision heaven to be like for me. In July, my friend Kari and I took a great day hike to check out the waterfalls. The weather was perfect, the company was great, and the hike was just long enough to be a great adventure without being exhausting.
And as usual, I was a pathological picture taker trying to capture my version of heaven.

The next day, we spent a relaxing day in Yosemite Valley taking pictures, leisurely strolling around, watching the families rafting down the river, and of course, sitting at the base of El Capitan searching for those crazy climbers.

I can't believe how lucky I am to live so close to this little piece of heaven! In fact, going through these pictures again makes me want to go back now!

Tuxedo t-shirts, hats, and kilts..... oh my!

2010-06-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

So what kind of event would I be going to, with this fantastic hat?
Easter Sunday?
A Saturday BBQ?

Nope.... it's a friend's wedding!

My fun friend John, is one of a kind. So, of course, his wedding had to be unique as well.

When I got my invitation in the mail, it said "Ladies, don your best hats. Gentlemen, wear your best tuxedo t-shirt." No joke! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I donned my hat and drove to the nuptuals.

The groom was in a traditional kilt, with an untraditional tuxedo t-shirt underneath. Not to be the only guy in a skirt on his wedding day, all of his groomsmen, including Andy, had to wear kilts too. Now I was really interested to see the bride....

Natalie was gorgeous!!!! She was escorted by her parents (note the powder blue tuxedo shirt) into the backyard ceremony while serenaded by beautiful harp music.

They make each other happy. What more could you ask for? Honestly, I think John scored big time! She is not only beautiful, but intelligent and kind to boot.
The ceremony overlooked the mountains behind John's parents home. Simple.

The happy couple after it was all a done deal. No going back now kids!
(and P.S. doesn't Natalie have a great sense of style? Kinda puts John's kilt to shame!)

The wedding was simple. Not alot of fanfare (but lots of guys with hairy legs in kilts!) What else was unique about the wedding, you may ask? Well.... let me tell you:

Mohawks.... as John said, if he had an avatar, it would have to have a mohawk to truly portray him.
The most decorative socks in the house belongs to a guy.

You gotta have "facilities". These port-a-potties and port-a-sink were shielded from the view of the party for privacy. That's one way to do it.

The watchdog to make sure no unsavory folks came to crash the party. Thanks Fido.

Who knew they were popular enough for ZZ Top to attend? Awesome!

A photo booth to pretend you are king or queen for the day. Even had real swords for props. Although, I was concerned about the swords combined with alcohol, but it seemed to go alright.
There were other fun things that I don't have pictures for, including a guy in a tuxedo t-shirt putting his shotgun away in the nearby truck before the wedding. Was this a true shotgun wedding??? (ha ha)

And I got to hang out with a couple of friends I don't see often.

A little dancing, some cake, and some great laughs! Congrats John and Natalie on finding each other, and then throwing a unique party to celebrate it all. Yeah!

Happiest Place on Earth

2010-06-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Why is Disneyland the happiest place on earth? Well let me tell you!!!

Happiness is having your very own hotel room key with your name and everything.

Happiness is smiling like a pretty princess at Snow White.

Happiness is using your astroblaster to help Buzz Lightyear save the world

Happiness is using Auntie Hoot's camera to take pictures during dinner.

Happiness is driving a fire truck that is just the right size.

Happiness is getting picked for Jedi Academy to fight the dark side.

Happiness is getting Darth Maul's autograph, and then showing him your best scowl.

Happiness is the new 3D Toy Story ride in California Adventures with Papa.

Happiness is flying high in Dumbo's ride.

Happiness is living in a make believe land where anything is possible.

Happiness is meeting friendly giant dogs.

Happiness is bedtime stories from Memor and Papa under a sky of fireworks.

Happiness is dancing to the beat of your own drum (and others drums too!)

Happiness is extra large and more frequent treats because it's Disneyland!

Happiness is defending Sleeping Beauty's castle, because you are now trained as a Jedi, and yes, you are that good!

Happiness is spending a Disneyland vacation with family, and seeing it through the eyes of a child once again.

(And, if you ask Nathan... happiness is not letting Auntie Hoot pick scary rides for you anymore!)

Naked Mondayz

2010-06-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

What can I say?
We rock, we laugh, We RULE!!

Dang, I love these girls.

Hogbjerg family get-together

2010-05-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, I LOVE my family! And since I love them so much, an opportunity to get together with them is definitely up there on my list of fun things to do.
My great aunt Jytte came to visit her son, Johs, in Los Angeles, and we were lucky enough to get a chance to see her while she was here. And Aunt Jytte was such a celebrity that she drew in my other cousins and aunts and uncles too. Lucky me got to see them all!

My cousin Johs was gracious enough to host us at their gorgeous home for an afternoon BBQ.

My mom and her siblings spent time with Aunt Jytte going over old pictures. Aunt Jytte's english is so good that she was able to tell us some great stories about growing up in Denmark, and my grandfather's antics. She makes me want to learn Danish! And, it also brings back my desire to continue my family history research on this great Danish ancestry I have!

I love my Danish heritage. I am so lucky to have relationships with my extended family. I truly appreciate them, and miss my other family members who weren't able to come share in the joy - that is exactly what it was... joy!

Jeg elske deg!

Third time is the charm!

2010-05-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

I ran my third half-marathon. I must admit that I felt unprepared, and kinda unmotivated this time. I had hoped to improve my time from the previous ones, but as the time got close, I began to lose hope.
I had two things going for me, though. The course was pretty much flat (always helpful), and I had friends to run with. And it worked! I cut 5 minutes off my time! It was because I was running with someone to motivate me to not stop. Thanks Suzy!

Will I do a full marathon? Doubtful.
Another half-marathon? You bet. Just not quite yet.

The love of a mother

2010-05-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

What a great idea to set aside a day to make sure we tell our moms how much we love them. Not that we aren't grateful, but sometimes I think we take them for granted, and don't tell them we love them as often as we should.

I have a wonderful mother. She is part Pollyanna, part strength, part cheerleader, part referee, part wise sage, part all-seeing eye, and part unconditional love. Put all those parts together, and I lucked out to have a wholely wonderful mom.

I love you Janna!

Hiking my way into Spring

2010-05-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

So Kari and I decided to take advantage of a day, about 3 weeks ago, where there was actually sunshine instead of all these days of rain. When in doubt... go outside!
We went to Marin county and picked 2 hikes. The first was a small peak, with wildflowers, and with a view of the City from the top. So great!

Then we hiked up Cataract Canyon. Steep, but not as dangerous as it sounds. And the best part - there were multiple waterfalls. Beautiful!

Great scenery, and got me excited for Spring to really get here!

Let the hunt begin...

2010-04-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

This Easter, the forecast was not looking good. Rain, rain, and more rain. So we moved the easter egg hunt to the morning. Luckily we were successful in beating the rain!

Nathan found his golden egg.

Hunted through all the bushes and flowers for the purple eggs.

Jason finding his blue eggs.

Memor and Papa did a great job on everything, and were big helps in finding those eggs.

And, of course, the sugar cookies were delicious... just ask Jason!

Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

And the winner is....

2010-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

ME!

My office manager (aka my mom) is so creative that she came up with giving us "awards" for Doctor's Week. And not only did we get the award.... we were the award.

Next year, stay tuned for the Kristins, airing right after the Oscars!

Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal....

Hooray for me being born!

2010-03-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to ME!
What a great birthday weekend I had. It started Saturday with dinner and an off-broadway show called "Shout" that was all 60's music. So entertaining! Thanks Mom and Dad. It was such a fun idea and great to spend time with family to celebrate!

That day was also Grandma's birthday, and true to form, it was sunny and gorgeous! Lucky for me, it carried over into the next day for my day. Calla lilies will always remind me of her.

Then Sunday night, friends came over for food and (drum roll please).......
The Leaning Cake of Kristin!!

Okay, so I decided I wanted to make my own cake. As a throwback to my childhood, I looked high and low, and found cherry chip cake mix. Love it! So I thought 3 layers would be in order to kick off a great year.
Look at exhibit A:

The cake looks straight, right?!? Well, I was in a hurry and decided not to make sure all the layers were flat, and it was a mistake!
It started to shift before I was even done! Too late now, because people are showing up in 10 minutes.... oh well! I put it in the fridge to hopefully slow the slide, and this was the final product....

A 3-layered, sugar bomb, leaning cake of Kristin! It was delicious! Next time, I will improve on my cake skills, for sure.

Good cake, wonderful friends and family to celebrate with, and gorgeous flowers. I couldn't ask for more!

This weekend had Heart!

2010-02-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

What did I love about this Valentine's weekend, you ask?

Gorgeous sunshine in the City. Absolutely beautiful, especially after the dreary winter days. Who wouldn't love that!?!

My toes loved the black sand at the beach.
And picnic on the beach in February.... Love it!

And love that I had great company to boot.... I am one lucky girl!

Happy Valentines Weekend to me!

Bowl 'em Cowboy!

2010-02-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

Yee Haw buckaroos!
It's Bruce's birthday, and time to celebrate with a little bowlin'!

Nothin' like dressing up as cowboys in order to do some serious bowling. Funny thing is that the bowlers next to us wondered what we were going to do with all those bandanas.... lucky for them we weren't planning on bowling blindfolded!!!

Don't lose that balloon! (also known as how to find a kid anywhere.... tie a balloon to him!)

Hey Pardners!

What a great way to spend the day celebrating a great person - my Dad!
Love you!

D.C. covered in snow!

2010-02-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

What does a California girl do in the winter?
Fly to a place where it snows and gets to a high of 32 degrees, of course! Yay!

I look a long weekend to hang with my good friend Camille in Washintgon D.C. The first day, the snow began. Good thing we got an early start and went to the Eastern Market for delicious french toast!

Camille, Ashley and I enjoying our breakfast immensely.

The rest of the day, the snow continued and for our own safety, we headed home. We ate good food, watched tv and waited for the clearing of the storm.

After church, we headed out again to see a couple monuments before dark.
The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was beautiful, especially covered in snow. I loved how the underside glows as it got dark.

We also went to the Iwo Jima Memorial. Gorgeous with the Washington skyline in the background.

The last full day, we bundled up, once again. Camille is such a good hostess that she went with me to walk through a bunch of the memorials (probably for the 20th time for her)! SO we braved the cold, and enjoyed the beauty of the whole city covered in snow against a blue sky. Perfect for photo opportunities! Check 'em out:

After the monuments, we went to the National Geographic museum to warm up, and see the Terra Cotta Warriors from Xian. Super cool!

Eleanor Roosevelt. Love this woman! I couldn't remember the quotes I had by her, but I found them now.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
"Women are like tea bags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water."

The last night, we went out for dinner, and decided to brave the below freezing weather for some final photo ops. And it payed off! The reflections and the moon....so worth the frozen fingers!

What a great weekend.
Thanks Camille! You are the bestest hostest ever!

Sing, sing a song...

2010-01-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

So, I do not have a "bucket list", or whatever you want to call it, but I just did something I have never done before.... singing Karaoke.
So this friend of mine runs a karaoke night. And he can sing! I love appreciating the arts, but don't feel comfortable participating. Oh well.... So my "Birdo friends choir" did a group song to help me work up to it (Living on A Prayer), and then I sang a duet with Eddie - "Cruisin'". So nerve racking! But I survived! Phew.

(As a side note, there is some seriously entertaining people watching at these things! Some people are really bad, and some are really good. I think I ended up in the middle.)

Sung karaoke..... check!

I am thankful for vacation!

2009-12-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there were 4 friends wanting a little rest and relaxation. So they planned a trip and went off to Mexico for Thanksgiving week! Gorgeous beautiful Riviera Maya.
We flew through Charlotte NC in the middle of the night. The airport was freezing cold! After trying to curl up in a ball (you know it is bad when you have dreams about being cold!), we were going to give up. But then we found them...beanbags! Those were genius! I was so tired that I forgot to be squeamish about the potential germ-factor, and promptly fell asleep much warmer. Smart idea!

But it was worth the discomfort to get here! What a gorgeous resort for relaxation. We layed by the pool. I read 4 books. Lovin' it!

And, of course, we had to throw some adventure in there too. We went to Xplor Adventure Park. There was driving amphibious vehicles, swimming through caves with stalactites, rafting through caves, and my favorite..... zip lines! We spent all day there doing everything (and the zip lines twice!) What a fun adventure, and not to mention flirting with all the cute guys working there (hee hee).

The next day we went to see the ruins of Tulum. What a gorgeous day! We walked around seeing as much as we could, and just enjoying everything, despite the crowds.

Then off to Akumal, a cute little town out of the way. We got there right before sunset. Just enough time to take a few pictures and do some walking on the beach while enjoying the view and the spectacular sunset. The pictures just don't do it justice!

We ate at Lol-Ha and had delicious food. It was a great end to a great vacation. Good times, great company, and great memories.

And this view of lighted palm trees was a great way to kick off my Christmas season too!

Is there a New Moon out tonight?

2009-12-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is a little belated, but I had to post about my "New Moon" experience....
My wonderful sister, a faithful Nordstrom shopper, was shopping one day, and ended up with 2 free tickets to a special preview on "New Moon". Since the vampire/werewolf saga is not her thing, she graciously gave them to me! Yay!
I was super excited to share the teeny-bopper madness with my fun sister-in-law (whose thing IS the vampire/werewolf saga)!
The night of the premier, my sis-in law got caught in horrible, awful traffic and she could't come.... sooo sad! But my good friend Kari happily jumped in to come experience this with me!
The theater was open only to people with these special lanyards given by Nordstrom. Every one of the 14 theaters was showing New Moon. They were very serious about us wearing the lanyards the WHOLE TIME. I must admit, it was kinda fun to be able to walk right in the to movie theater, not pay, and then go find a seat. Although, it was a little sad having to pass the die-hard fans already waiting outside for their show to start in 4 hours in freezing weather...wow!

I must say that watching the movie with a theater full of girls 10-30ish was worth it. I loved hearing the screams and gasps through the movie with every appearance of Edward or Jacob. I am "team Edward", but I must admit that this movie has temporarily made me waver to "team Jacob"--- hello hottie!

Volunteering

2009-11-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

In the season of Thanksgiving, we can show we are grateful through our actions.
One of my favorite quotes says, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
Our ward youth group went to MedShare to volunteer in sorting through donated medical supplies to send to other countries. We had a great time in serving others. We have so much, and it feels so good to give back!

Cute or spooky?

2009-11-01T17:51:00.001-08:00

When Halloween comes around, the burning question comes up....

Do I dress up as something cute or spooky?

This year, the answer was both. Since I had 2 parties, I did 2 different costumes... Yay!

Last weekend I went to my boss' party. They tend to be a little crazy in the costume department, so I stood out as the good girl that I am.

I am the Center of the Universe, of course!
(and no roller girl mishaps this year. Phew!)

Then last night I went the the "funeral" Halloween party. Everyone was supposed to come as something "dead". Not everyone took that to heart, so there were plenty of cute looking girls, but I ended up looking dead as a lightning strike victim.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Nathan and Auntie Hoot's Day of Fun!

2009-10-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a "special date" with my nephew Nathan. I gave him a gift certificate for his birthday, and he got to decide what he wanted to do.

We went to Rock City on Mt. Diablo to do some rock climbing and hiking. Perfect! Right up my alley!
So I drove to pick him up, and drove up to find him waiting on the sidewalk, sitting in his booster seat, and holding on to our sack lunches (which he packed himself). SO CUTE! I didn't get a picture of that because the minute I pulled up, he was up and gettin' in the car.

We went to Rock City, and true of any young boy, he just started scrambling around like it was no big deal. Loved it!!

Climbing into "caves"

Standing at the top of Boy Scout Rocks. He scrambled up there easily saying "This is good practice to be a good rock climber!"

Good times! We had great weather, good times, and ice cream to end it off. So great to spend time with a little boy who is growing up to be so fun to be with!

I will never do this again.... until now

2009-09-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

So, last weekend, I went to hike Half Dome in Yosemite.

Almost exactly 9 years ago, I hiked it the first time with a few people, including my sister Andrea. At the end of that adventure, I said I would never do it again.... Well, never say never!

This was my third time doing this hike. I loved the two girls I hiked with: Kari and Alicia. We really did enjoy each other's company, and thank goodness because it took us 14 hours to complete the adventure. Yikes!

We were on dusty switchbacks, natures granite stairmaster, and sucking serious wind as we climbed the major elevation.

It looks like a trail of ants. A trail of ants over 600 feet long!

Those cables are pretty steep...

I have never seen anything like this... I am standing in this line to get up those cables! It was just as packed as a ride at Disneyland! Was there an email sent out to get EVERYONE to hike Half Dome today? It was fine, it just delayed our hike by 2 HOURS and we ended up hiking part way down in the dark.

At the top and loving it! (Dad not loving that I was so close to the edge though!)

Now, will there be a fourth time? We shall see....

Someone else's trash is my treasure

2009-08-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

I have been needing a new dresser for a while. My old dresser is fine. I bought it at IKEA 8 years ago, and it was just starting to get old, and have issues. (maybe it is because I was CRAMMING the drawers full.... whatever!)
So I have been on the hunt for something new. I decided to browse the consignments stores too for treasures. And, guess what..... I found a treasure! I went in and saw a beautiful dresser, but then noticed it had a "hold" tag on it for someone else. (how dare they!) I put my name with the store just in case things changed.... and they did! I got a beautiful, solid, espresso dresser that hardly has a scratch. Score!

I don't really have a good before picture.... but my dresser was light like my bed.

And now.... check it out! New pictures (thanks to Sam Moons!), and gorgeous new dresser! Happiness!!!

Thank you to whoever got rid of this gem so that I can enjoy it! And a BIG thanks to my dad and Matt who helped heft this behemoth up the stairs and into my room! Not an easy task, but worth it!

Just around the riverbend....

2009-08-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a fun day down the lazy river with the youth in our ward.

Good times.... some girls don't like getting their pictures taken without makeup on! :)

My crew on my boat. Such cute girls. However they were much more interested in water fights and boys than rowing....Wow. I got my work-out for the day!

How y'all doin' down in Texas?!?

2009-08-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Aunties decided to go take a trip and see where our cute niece and nephew moved to. Welcome to Texas!
We immediately felt the heat and humidity, kinda like a tropical vacation. The heat didn't bother me too much, but then again, we spent most of our time indoors!
Our first night, we decided on an outing for dinner where the kids could be entertained too.

The food was great at this classy restaurant. A huge salt water fish tank, a view over the water....

That's right.... we ate at the Bass Pro Shop! Welcome to Texas!

There was a mini "beach" out back by the water. Lest you think we have left, you can see the sign in the background. Yep, still in Texas!

A little target practice for the girls. A great after dinner activity!

The best way to beat the heat... Swimming!!!

Love having the waterproof camera to catch cute moments at any time.

One of the great reasons to go for a visit was cute Rini-roo's 4th birthday!
Happy birthday cute girl! It was so fun being in Texas with family who I love so much. It was a fantastic trip. Good food, some great swimming time, and just being with family. Love you guys!

Campin' with the Girls!

2009-08-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ah, to be 16ish again....
Oh wait! I got to be 16 again at Girls Camp a couple weeks ago!

The outdoors. The great food cooked for you. The ponytails and pigtails. The fun and water fights. Lots of giggling. Late nights and cumulative sleep deprivation.
Yep. That's Girls Camp AND being 16ish again! Lucky me.

So, as usual, it was so great to have my Dad up there too. It is so great to have him there and also to see him being so much fun with all those teen girls that look up to him.

And I had the great experience of having a long time friend be up there too as a cook. We got a chance to hang out a little bit and found out that we are mean kayakers!

And then I also got to relive a little bit of the college days and be a roomie again with my old roomie. Look at us.... we don't look a day older! (or something like that...) So fun to have a good friend that has known me for a very long time, and still finds time to be a good friend inbetween being a great mom to 3 great kids. I loved catching up on the chit-chatting!

Good times! No wonder I love going every year!

Big climbing on a big wall!

2009-06-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am finally posting these pics.... About time!
Andy and I decided to attempt Washington Column in Yosemite one more time. We did it a year ago, and got 2/3 of the way up. We were on a mission to succeed!
The scenery was gorgeous and the weather was actually decent!

Climbing up the 6th pitch. Glad I didn't look down!
See my little red helmet at the bottom of the picture. Great pic Andy!

A more up close look at a sweaty and grimy climber on day 2 of the climb. We were working hard! Andy was a champ! Being the lead climber is hard work!

The kind of climbing we did is called aid climbing. It is labor intensive, gear intensive, and time consuming. Check out all the stuff Andy is carrying! I must admit that the climbing itself is not as fun as regular climbing, but it makes it worth it to get to the top of things that you can't get to otherwise.

This is the great view from out not-so-spacious sleeping spot. Spacious or not, I was tired and actually slept pretty decent!

Everytime I got a chance to hang on to a rock, I took it! I love rocks!

Unfortunately, we did not make it to the top this time either! But this was the highest point we reached. We made it 3/4 way up, so hey, at least we did better than last time!

I like this picture for 2 reasons. First, it looks cool. And second, when you compare it to the previous photo, you can tell how far up we climbed. Yeah!

Lookin' tough. Well.... we gotta carry all the stuff somehow! I actually put my backpack on over the top of the ropes even. Crazy!

Good climbin, and good times! I am not sure if I will do this kind of climbing again.... but it was a good experience anyway. All that effort is exhausting!

and another thought...

2009-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was looking at that sign in my previous post, and had another thought. I have been to 6 of the 9 places on there. Pretty good!
I saw Facebookers doing "how well do you know me" stuff, so here's a question (if you care to play...)

Which 3 places has Kristin not been?

Where there are stingrays, there are sharks....

2009-05-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

That is what my nephew said when we told him we were so excited to go to Grand Cayman Island and swim with the stingrays. He was very upset and told my mom she couldn't go unless she wore "a shield" because, where there are stingrays...there are sharks! (thanks Nemo!)

So off we went. Hello carribbean life! The humidity hits you like a wall when you step out of the plane (onto the tarmack, by the way), but it was fantastic!!! We stayed on the east end of the island, away from the cruise ships and stuff.
Life cannot be bad when you are on the beach 10-12 hours a day. Love it! reading. tanning. snorkeling.

And yes we did go to Stingray City and feed the stingrays. Wow! I must admit that it is a tad unsettling seeing this 3-4 foot wide dark spot coming at you, but we got used to it. They were very friendly and their bodies and undersides were so soft. It was awesome! What a cool experience.

That guy looks kinda big...

they were definitely not shy (especially when they smell squid!)

We took a catamaran out there. Gorgeous ride/sail!

Don't worry Alli.... I'll save you!

We snorkeled a couple days. Who needs to scuba when you can see all this in shallow water! Saw cool fish, spotted rays, even a nasty moray eel (eek!), and a group of squid... cool to watch them swim!

My Dad found a cool event. I don't know what it is offically called, but I'll call it Turbo Snorkeling. We had these motors that helped do the work for us. Not too shabby! And no... the picture below is not of aliens.

Believe it or not, there was one bad spot in the week. Hell. That's right we went to Hell! Who would name a town that? Apparently the Grand Caymanians! It was hot, but not unbearable, and the power was out while we were there. How appropriate! And now I can say " I have been to Hell and back to be here today...." Nice!

We stopped at this cute beach for a photo opportunity. The colors and everything were so great! They had these gazebo-like covered seats. We had to take pictures. We realized as we got closer that they were made for giants! Do you see how far off the ground my parents feet are? Seriously....made for super tall people!

The swing picture was cute in theory, but when we all sat down, my behind was almost on the ground! Hurry Dad... take the picture!

What a wonderful relaxing vacation! I would definitely go to an island like this again!

Where to next....

2009-05-17T16:42:00.001-07:00

Saw this sign on Grand Cayman island, and it got me thinking.... where am I going to go next?
Stay tuned for vacation pics. So beautiful!

Family Togetherness

2009-04-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Danes and the American-Danes came together for a wonderful day of good company and good times.

My mom had the great idea of going to eat and play bocce ball. It was entertaining for the little kids, allowed the "big kids" to visit. (and the "big kids" played some too!)

The Danish women.

Nicholas and Joshua... so cute!

Lovely ladies socializing

Me and my cousins!

It was so sweet that our cousins made the effort to come see us and bring Aunt Jytte while she was here in the states for a short visit. Oh how we love her!
Making time for my family is so important and it was well worth it. What a great time we had!

Run for your life!!!

2009-04-24T21:07:00.001-07:00

So I did another half marathon last weekend. Part of me wanted to do better (aka run faster) than last time, but part of me wasn't committing to that goal. Good thing!

So my wonderful friend Kari and I planned a nice weekend. We got a hotel room near the race in Santa Cruz. We relaxed at the beach, read books, shopped, and got ready for the big race. The race started at 8am. If any of you know Santa Cruz, it is always foggy or cool in the morning, and sometimes it takes until noon to start warming up - hence the appeal for the beautiful morning run along the coastline. Let's just say I was surprised when I was already feeling the sun beating on me at the start line.
We had record heat that day in Santa Cruz. Drat! But I did okay. I did have to stop and walk for a bit to douse myself with water and rehydrate. I was a little slower than my previous time, but I survived.
So the big question is... do 2 halves make a whole marathon??? :)

Easter Eggs-cellence

2009-04-12T21:47:00.001-07:00

How do you know if the Easter Bunny came to your house?
He leaves behind bunny prints and partially eaten carrots, of course!

And then comes the tradition of finding the eggs he left behind!

Count to make sure your found them all (don't want to find any rotten eggs later!)

"Whatcha talkin' about Willis?"

Cheese! Awwww... cousinly love.

Treats??? I'll take those!

What the adults looks like during the kid Easter-fest.

My parents had a couple great ideas. Not only were there treats in some of the eggs, there were also pictures of the aunts and uncles. When they got our picture, they would come to us, and we each told part of the story of Easter. They were good listeners!

The other fun idea was a race of Eater activities for the "big kids". It involved finding eggs, "pictionary" with the little kids guessing, and even a station where we ate a carrot and then had to say "I am a wascally wabbit" three times. Good times for all!!!

Enough pictures Aunt Ritz!

My most favorite picture of the day! Maybe I should enter into a contest....

The Easter-fest is over. I have eaten way more than my fair share of candy. It was wonderful. Until next year.....

My Peeps

2009-04-12T19:45:00.001-07:00

Quote of the day: "I don't like them. I only like my school peeps.... they're blue."

Full conversation
Me: Hey look! You got a Peep in your Easter Egg. I heard you like them.

A Pre-K smarty pants: I don't like them. I only like my school peeps... they're blue.

Me: But they taste the same...

Smarty pants: No... I just like my school peeps.

(I know they bought Peeps for the Preschool Easter Egg Hunt, but I just couldn't help thinking he was talking about "his peeps". Those hip 4 year olds....)

J Tree was Good Times???

2009-03-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

So, last week was the annual "Good Times Havin' Trip" to Joshua Tree. There were some good times, some bad times, and some story times... Let me explain:

The weather was gorgeous, even though the wind was torrential at times. Our tent was a 6 man tent for 2-3 of us (aptly nicknamed "the Hotel") The spaciousness was delightful, but it became a giant sail in the wind on the couple nights that the wind was just outrageous!

The skies were bluer and the food tasted better just spending more time outdoors.

I decided to do my first lead climb of the year on day 2. Psychin' myself up to do a whoppin' 5.4, yeah! (a 5.4 is not super hard, that is the whole reason for picking it). I got all my gear on, got my head on straight, and then started up the wall. I got a whole 12-15 feet up and hit a super tricky spot already. (Not normally a problem, but when lead climbing, this means that I am not yet hooked into the wall.) And, unluckily, I couldn't hold on and slipped. So, my Dad was right.... that wound on my leg was from a slipidus downrockidus! OUCH! and SO SCARY! Granite scraped me up pretty good, ripped thru the pants, and jolted my ankle to boot. I was done for the day. And, as a matter of fact, I was done for most of the trip - on DAY 2! Horrible.

The worst part about the whole thing is that it wasn't even a 5.4 - it was a 5.7! Way harder! That made me feel a little better, but then I looked at the name of the climb... wait for it....are you ready for this.... "I'm so embarrassed for you". We laughed sooo hard about that one! (Camille, I wish you had been there!)

So, I spent the rest of the time chatting it up with my good friend Karen, encouraging others' climbing, and getting a tan. It wasn't my most favorite year, but there were still some good times to be had, and a few good pictures to take. Yeah!

Photo Trivia

2009-03-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Okay... yes, I know it has been forever since I have posted! I do have some stuff to post, but as a teaser here is a pic. I give points to the person who guesses what did this to me! (p.s. it is about 4-5 inches long)

25 random things about me

2009-02-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

Since I did this for Facebook, I thought I would put it here for fun too!

Enjoy.

1. I feel like this list needs to be either amazing or witty or something…. It may be just boring. Oh the pressure!
2. I am the typical oldest child – responsible, perfectionist, and all that stuff.
3. I love trivia! I listen to a trivia thing on the radio every day on the way to work. I don’t know all the answers but love the challenge.
4. I am ½ Danish and proud of it.
5. I have texture issues with my food.
6. Peanut butter is gross. More than anything it is the texture.
7. I LOVE thunderstorms. Add lightning and heavy rain, and it is perfect snuggle-up-under-a-blanket-at-home weather.
8. I have 10 nicknames that I go by on a regular basis, and “Kris” isn’t one of them. Only 2 people have ever attempted it.
9. I have never been on a diet – no willpower to be strict about it.
10. I dream every night, and vividly. Sometimes I get answers to questions, and sometimes it is weird versions of Dr. Seuss.
11. I love my DVR. Unfortunately, I watch more TV than I should….but I love it!
12. Favorite color is orange.
13. I am definitely a night person…love to sleep in.
14. I have quite the random assortment of people as friends….and it makes my life exciting and fun!
15. I love to read, mostly for enjoyment, but occasionally for education and enlightenment too.
16. I am a sugar-a-holic. Not chocolate… just sugary stuff.
17. I am a low-tech girl with what I call a ‘ghetto’ cell phone.
18. I have only broken one bone… my freshman year in college, I broke my 5th metacarpal.
19. You know how some people can ‘get in the zone’ running… I can’t. That brain just keeps on thinking, even if it is unnecessary.
20. Snakes freak me out. It is partly the way they move, the whole biting you thing, and their wee-beady eyes…
21. Nothing like a little “punny” humor to make the day better.
22. I am a sappy romantic at heart. I can’t help myself.
23. Romantic movies have totally skewed my view of reality and relationships. I am screwed.
24. I love when I laugh so hard I cry. I need to do that more often!
25. I am relieved that I came up with 25 things. Yay! (now I can check it off my list of things to do…. Just kidding! I am not that bad at making lists.)

They ARE real!!!

2009-01-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

That is what my nephew said when the first dinosaurs appeared on stage.
One of our Christmas presents from the parents was tickets to "Walking with Dinosaurs". What a great show!

These dinosaurs were HUGE and were either powered by people moving or (as Nathan would say) a motor. Some dinosaurs were 30-40 feet tall! And they moved so fluidly that it was actually kinda convincing. Nathan was sold. He was so mesmerized that he just sat there staring. He never even put down his ticket!

Thanks for the great present Mom and Dad. Some of us even got to take a little dinosaur home with us too.... hee hee!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I thought that ice skating in San Francisco was super holiday-esque, but this event actually topped it!
Christmas caroling on a Christmas trolley in San Francisco! Fantastic!
The trolley was decked out in Christmas lights. My sister-in-law's family is wonderful and they set this whole thing up. (thanks Tom and Diane!)

My brother commandeered the microphone from our driver to organize singing of Christmas carols and also to tell us a few facts (and tall tales) about the things we were passing. I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary. I hope the other 30 people enjoyed the singing of Michelle and I in the microphone to lead the carols (scary but at least I had a great accomplice!)

We made a couple of stops along the way. This was at the Fairmont, we took advantage of photo ops all along the way!

These cousins are just too adorable! It's going to be hard to tell Audrey that she can't marry Nathan when she gets older.....

Doing all of this 3 days before Christmas made the whole week feel like one long Christmas event. We topped it off with a delicious dinner Christmas Eve, putting together a massive puzzle on Christmas Day, and exchanging gifts with my wonderful family. It's no wonder why I absolutely LOVE this time of year!

A classic Holiday activity

2008-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

I ask you, what could be more holiday and festive for a date than outdoor ice skating in the Embarcadero to Christmas music? Christmas lights on palm trees. Bundling up in the winter coats and gloves. Drinking hot chocolate. All the while, songs like 'Christmas by the Bay' playing.... But that's not all! For the full California experience though, there were a couple added details:

First, the people dressed in various outfits, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, a girl in a blue cape, and a couple of girls in short skirts (dangerous for skating!). Always good people watching in San Francisco!

Second, halfway through the 'skating session' the Christmas music changed to hip-hop. I must admit I was a tad bothered, but then they played New Edition...awesome! What a blast from the past.

And finally, what is a picture perfect ice skating event without the snow... Oh wait, we are in California. Translation for here - rain! That's right, it started with a little mist. I initally thought it was a cute little effect, like the mist from fog or something, but within 30 minutes, I looked like a drowned rat! (and I think the skating rink was melting too!)

Not quite the event out of the Christmas movies I am shamelessly addicted to, but it was a definite adventure, nonetheless!!!

Is the Force with you?

2008-12-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have no idea where I live, but check out my neighbors....
Some sort of Jedi training ground? Maybe Robin Hood is recruiting more Merry Men? Filming a training video? Maybe the latest YouTube addition?

Personally, I think it is fantastic that some kids still have an imagination and don't sit inside with the TV all day! (Did you check out the "helmets"... paper bags! Classic!)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

My house is looking like a winter wonderland.... and I LOVE IT!!!!

Our Christmas tree forest. Are you on the "nice" list? Maybe the gifts are for you...

I added my decorations to the already sentimental armoire. Do you see the Nissa men? (danish elves)

Of course, remembering the reason for this festive season.

It may be silly, but it just makes me happy to decorate and show my enthusiasm for the holiday season. Yahoo!

Delightfully delicious

2008-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

My adorable niece had her ballet "recital". A bunch of 3 years olds in tutus..... adorable no matter how well they do. Trying to leap in the air, or doing ribbon dances are not super technical, but are soooo fun for 3 year olds. (and fun for us big kids to watch!)

Don't believe me??? Check out the adorableness for yourself!

Not my niece, but this little chickie in the giant tutu was too cute to not capture in photos!

Ballet bar work.

Stretching and floor work.... workin' hard.

You were just too cute Rini-roo!

Gratitude is an attitude

2008-11-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

This was a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend. Nothing like good food, good family togetherness, and good friends. I truly have so much to be thankful for....

Cute girls in cute new aprons.

Delicious food for a Thanksgiving dinner (look at those candy potatoes!!!)

Dancing just because you can and you feel like it.

Dressing up like Pilgrims and Indians to tell the story of Thanksgiving. (that was sooo entertaining!)

And, topping it off with a day trip to beautiful Pinnacles State Park for a little climbing and hiking with Andy. Good times!

And my list could go on and on.... My mind keeps going back to the quote from Pres. Monson in the recent General Conference,
"Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend. When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."

I choose to see abundance, and there is so much of it!

Beautiful fall colors

2008-11-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

I went to Yosemite last weekend. Not only did I have great company, but I also had great weather and scenery. I love to try and capture all that beauty in just one picture... here are a couple of favorite attempts:

Thievery and Inequality for all

2008-11-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

(Or at least that's what I think their signs should say!)

Ok, so I decided to put up a couple Prop 8 signs in my neighborhood to offer the opposing view to the "No" signs popping up everywhere. Got a few at church today, and wasted no time in putting a couple up. And guess what.... within 3 hours, they were gone! Shameless!

Now that it gets dark so early, I felt so sneaky and stealthy going back out there to put another one right back up! You think stealing a sign will change my vote? Hah! I will just keep putting them back out. I have more where that sign came from!!!! Just try it, punk.... :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Mike!

2008-11-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have been dragging my feet for a while about getting our bathroom redone. It definitely needed it, but I was selfish in not wanting to be without a bathroom (since we only have 1 1/2). But I must say, it was so worth it!!!
Okay here is a before picture:

are you ready???

no really...

is the suspense killing you yet?

Okay, here it is....

Our cousin Mike is the greatest! Our bathroom now feels like a spa. :) You can't tell from the photo, but the tile goes all the way around the bathroom like a wainscoating (it that how you spell it?).

Heavenly...delightful...joyous!
(P.S. the shower curtain is not permanent. We are still searching for the one we like!)

What time of year is it?

2008-10-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

According to the tree outside my office window, it is offically Fall! I do love all the things about this time of year: the crisp air, the need to break out sweaters that I have missed wearing for a few months, feeling the need to snuggle under blankets and read books, and staying more indoors and doing projects.

However....I really dislike the fact that I get up when it is dark, and now leave work when it is almost dark. So depressing!

But on a happier note, fall means that it is one step closer to the holidays. I am a sucker for the holidays. Can't wait!

Run like a Girl....

2008-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

FOR 13.1 MILES!!!!
Yahoo! Yesterday I did the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. I have to thank my sister-in-law for convincing me to sign up, when I would have never done it on my own.
Was it hard? Yes
Were there hills? Yes (a few more than I expected!)
Was it still worth it? Heck yes!

We started at 00-dark-hundred. (7am but it was still dark when we got there at 630.)

My good friend Suzanne ran it with me. She totally helped me keep on going!

It was well-organized and super fun. There was even entertainment along the course like bagpipes, and a gospel choir, and a couple groups of cheerleaders. The time went by surprisingly fast. I will not lie, I was very tired at mile 11, but I hung in there. And I love my new specially-made Tiffany's necklace for the runners. Yeah!

Up in the air...

2008-10-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to San Francisco to see the airshow for Fleet Week. There were a few exhibitions flying through the air: Fat Albert, F-16's, a fighter plane from the Korean War, the Snowbirds, and the finale..... the Blue Angels!!!
It is really hard to take pictures when the planes are flying 120-600 miles an hour, but the show was fantastic! So amazing to see them flying in formation and so close together. Wow!
I think I love watching airshows even more because my dad loves airshows, and my grandpa loved airshows. Oh how sweet memories make current events more memorable.

I love, love, love Yosemite!

2008-10-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you don't already know.... I LOVE Yosemite!!! We had a fantastic getaway to Yosemite this last weekend for the last time before the weather might turn to winter.
We had a great cabin (thanks Melodee!) and went to spend a day in the Valley. We went up to Glacier Point for another beautiful view of Half Dome.

Suzy and I "went green" and all matchy-matchy for the 9 mile hike down and around to the Valley floor.

Beautiful views along the way.

Cool view of the side of Half Dome!

So the next day, my friend Andy and I planned to stay another day and play hooky to go climbing. This is the view we had as we pulled out to the first viewpoint... ummmm, looks like no climbing, but gorgeous picture opportunity! We changed our camping plans, crashed at the nearest friend's house, and climbed elsewhere the next day. It was still a better option than work!!! Yahoo!

Friends make the world go round

2008-09-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Or wait... is it love makes the world go round??? In any case, friends definitely make the world more fun. I have had lots of fun, and recently, I have remembered to take out my camera to capture some of the moments.

Take me very seriously in my sumo suit otherwise I will fall on you with my big self!

A group of us went to the Mid-Singles Conference in San Francisco. So fun! This was on Sunday at Oakland for church (and obviously a tad windy!)

Birthdays all need to be celebrated. Good food, and good friends for Andy's b-day were in order.

Old friends (not that WE are old, but our friendships are old) that know us the best are truly precious. Love hanging out and laughing with my friends that feel like sisters!

Off and Running

2008-09-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

These shoes are getting a lot of use lately. I have signed up for the Nike Women's half marathon in San Francisco in 5 weeks.
WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Well, too late now. It is time to suck it up and go for it. Feet don't fail me now!!!!

And, by the way... I have not gone vegetarian, I just didn't think anything resembling cannibalism should be done around infamous Donner Lake (hee hee).

Tag, I'm it???

2008-09-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

Alright Kate, here is my response to the tagging... (I am totally guessing at this so here is goes!)

My living room right now.

My favorite place in the house. A comfy seat, my computer, and I can either look out the window or watch tv. (of course, that is where I am sitting right now)

The bathroom. (by the way, consider this a "before" picture, since our bathroom is getting totally redone next week... yea!)

My lovely kitchen...

And me, after a long day at work.

Notice no picture of my bedroom.... that is the one place right now that is off-limits for pictures! Well, my motto is that everywhere else needs to be presentable, but no one else sees my room, so it gets cleaned last....

The beautiful out-of-doors

2008-09-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

What did you all do for Labor Day?
I went outside Lake Tahoe for a little camping and a little climbing. The view of Donner Lake was beautiful (as you can see). And no, there was no meat eaten of any kind! Fruits and veggies only :)

Happy Birthday Tami!

2008-08-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

For a birthday, we are supposed to do something special and different from any other day. So, for Tami's birthday, we went for afternoon tea at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Wow! Fancy and delicious! Bite-sized sandwiches and desserts- amazing how you can still feel full after bite-sized meals (well, I guess it depends on how many bites you have...)
All and all, a very fun experience. I highly recommend it. And next, time, we will dress for tea with our big Easter-type hats and speak with our English accents!

There is beauty all around...

2008-08-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

That is the phrase that came to mind, but I was not thinking of my home (which can tend to look cluttered sometimes, and not so beautiful)
I haven't taken any pictures lately, but thought I would share some past favorites that help me to remember when I have seen something beautiful.

The Delicate Arch

Buttonmallows. They're orange!

City by the Bay

Gate into Incan ruins

a serious, but cute, painted face

Yes, I am still here....

2008-08-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog....

Yes, I have been lazy about blogging.
Yes, I am still alive.
Yes, I am going to start blogging more (I think).

Can't believe summer is almost over. SO sad!

Girls Camp

2008-08-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Once again, I made my yearly pilgrimage to Camp Ritchie with the Pleasanton Stake for Girls Camp. I just LOVE that place! There is nowhere else like it.
I kept plenty busy all week. It was good and worthwhile stuff, but still exhausting! I was the assistant camp director, campfire coordinator, slideshow compiler, and all around havin-a-good-time girl. That was enough!
We sang tons of songs, had lots of laughs, and even managed to sneak away and climb a couple rocks... but no time for sleeping, until I crashed when I got home (I love my bed, I love my bed, I love my bed...)
I didn't take too many pictures, but here are a few for you too enjoy!

Look at the hotties in yellow!

Having church out in nature...so wonderful.

Getting a chance to spend time with my dad up there too. Yea!

The climbing wall at camp.... the source of a lot of fun!

hiking, ruins, and clinics in Peru

2008-07-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

How can I sum up 10 days of adventure and experiences??? Well I am not going to try, but I will give you a few highlights and fun photos.
Peru was wonderful. I can honestly say that I saw some places in Peru that no regular tourist has seen. We set up clinics in these little villages to serve people that rarely get medical care. So sad, but I loved getting the opportunity to try and help.

After 3 hours on winding dirt roads, we hit Sullemayo up at 14,000 feet. Gorgeous surroundings and beautiful people.

A family eating dinner before the long walk home.

Some of our patients had too far to walk, so they were picked up in a dump truck!?!?

A school out in the middle of nowhere was our clinic for the day.

Isn't she adorable!

Organic barbed wire fences to keep the animals in, and thieves out...

Peru's national flower at the ruins of Pisac

Of course we had a couple of down days to be tourists. We got to Macchu Picchu for sunrise. Gorgeous! It was green and just breathtaking.

Another view. I actually did some hiking there too. Fantastic!

Me at Sacsaywaman ruins - that's right, it sounds like "sexy woman", and that is the reason for the pose :)

What great memories!

Going to church in the mountains

2008-06-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

John Muir called it Cathedral Peak because it was the first time he had been to church in the peaks of Yosemite. And we went there too!
There was backpacking, sucking wind at 8000-10000 feet, heavy packs, gorgeous trails, still lots of snow, and great times!

Our campsite was gorgeous. Good thing we set it up when we did.... it downpoured, hailed, and gusted wind for 90 minutes! Good nap time.

The next morning we climbed the peak. What a challenge, and what amazing views!

Here are just a couple pictures to give you a taste of the beauty.

See that peak all the way up there... makes me tired just thinkin of it!

Let's climb that crazy thing!

Camping by a snow patch, and look at those clouds rollin' in!

Yeah.... we totally did that!

Crazy, terrifying, and fun?!?!?

2008-06-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

So last Saturday, my friend Andy and I embarked on yet another crazy adventure... that's right, another Big Wall climb. This time in beautiful Yosemite. The 'big wall' means that it takes more than a day to climb the beast, and it takes some advanced skills in some sections. No, we did not make it to the top this time either (aargh!!!), but we got a lot better and did some crazy stuff that ranks at the top of "Most terrifying things I have ever done" list. At least we are improving!?!?
Here are a few of the basics of the adventure:

Look at all the pretty gear! We love our gear, so it will stop us from falling (yea!)

Andy and the haul bag (appropriately named so we can haul up our food, water, sleeping bags...)

Taking a rest, and a snack (yes I am all safe and hooked in). This was a great seat, and check out the gorgeous view behind me. Part of Half Dome!

Me, jugging up a rope like a crazy person! But looking tough.. Yeah!

Andy hanging on the rope for a second. This was the terrifying and horribly difficult part of the climb. Pull yourself up the rope, and then over the ledge.... Twice!!! (the first day, and then came down, which means we had to go up again!!!) Talk about finding out what you are made of! (and bashing my leg in once over the edge too - ouch!)

Me hanging in mid-air under that horrific roof, and so I took a picture entitled "what the heck am I doing here? aaahhhhh!!!"

Andy and I at the highest point in our climb (gorgeous El Capitan in the background)

We actually had a little rock ledge to sleep on this time, instead of the scary port-a-ledge!

Me, just hangin' out.... literally hangin'!

Too cute!

2008-06-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

Noah and Rosie.... dang, I love you guys! (and I love this pic)
It is so fun to talk and laugh with you!

Family Gatherings

2008-06-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

As you know, I love my family. I also love just about any reason to get together. Even though my Grandpa Bird's funeral was not the happiest of reasons to gather, we found so many reasons to celebrate. We celebrated his life, his service to our country in the Army, and we celebrated being privileged to be his posterity. Blackfoot will not be the same to me when we don't stay at Grandpa's house. But I do have so many years of sweet memories with him and Grandma. Campouts and BBQs in the backyard, making fabulous chocolates, hearing stories of dry farming and the military, and the smell of coming home when you walked through that door. We were always welcome, and I will miss the phone calls to keep in touch when we couldn't visit as often as we like.

I had never been to a military funeral. It was beautiful, but "Taps" never sounded sooo sad!

The fam.

Adorable little cousins who are growing up so fast. I love you all!

Angela, Erika, and I. So good to get together and reminisce about the crazy teenage days, and make new memories too.

We had so much support and love from family and friends. Even my sweet great Aunts came!

Mom and Dad in front of the Homestead. So many memories revolved around that house for the last 50 years. Thanks for the memories!

And, thanks to my cute cousins and their sweet posts about Grandpa too. I loved reading your memories!

Cousins

2008-05-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Cousins....
Who else can make you laugh like crazy? It's like having more sisters!
I love you guys!
XOXO

Blayne Duffin Bird

2008-05-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Grandpa, I love you and will miss you.
I will miss the yearly travels to the huge metropolis of Blackfoot to visit you and Grandma in the summers. Some of my fondest childhood/family memories were in your basement or in your backyard around the fire pit.

This potato is a couple blocks from Grandpa's house. Great photo op for tourists!

You supported me in everything I did. You were at my high school and college graduations, and you were quick to tell me how proud you were of me.

I will miss your stories, your opinions about life, our phone calls, and your love for me. Thankfully, those sweet memories will continue to live on. I will treasure those memories forever. I will continue to try to be patient and flexible too. :)

Happiness is...

2008-05-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Happiness is not having to hop out of bed right when you wake up.
Happiness is a good surprise.
Happiness is a beautiful sunny day in Yosemite.
Happiness is Nathan calling and saying "Auntie Hoot, can you come over and play?"
Happiness is a good laugh (I mean the one that makes it hard to catch your breath and you are just crying it's so funny!)
Happiness is knowing that my grandparents are together and happy too.
Happiness is good sourdough bread.
And happiness is good friends sending amazing flowers to cheer me up. (just when I thought I might fire you and get new friends!) I really do love you guys!

It's that time of year again!

2008-05-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

That's right... it is the time for the outdoors and loving every minute of it!
I made my first trip to Yosemite for the year. It was fantastic! Great weather, good friends, and good climbing! I can't wait to go back again soon (4 weeks and counting!)
Happy outdoor season to you all!

First outdoor climbing experience! Yahoo!

Good friends and a good view of Half Dome

Is that a bear? No... check out that gorgeous view!

Where the men are...

2008-04-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so me and my homegirls went to a LDS MidSingles Conference in Huntington Beach. And why do we do things like this that has great potential to be depressing, humilitating, and damaging to the self esteem??? That's right, to find us some men! Some days I wonder if all the available single men (the non-crazy ones, of course) have fallen into a black hole in the middle of Kansas with Dorothy's house. So we get up our courage to go to things like this in the hopes that an email was sent to the black hole, and they might show up! (a girl can dream, right!?!)
So the 4 of us went, and it was great! I came back with a tan, feeling great from running on the beach, and a renewed hope in finding Mr. Right (no great stories to tell about that yet...)
But we look like total Hotties in the pics, and that is what counts. Yeah!

Beach Clean-up Activity

Mixin' and Minglin'

I am addicted to crack

2008-04-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

Kari, this is for you...

So, I make this mean dessert. They used to be called Congo Squares or Blond Brownies, but that is not an accurate name. Someone renamed them Crack Bars because they are sooooo addicting. I have unfortunately shared this recipe, and I apologize for any addicts I may have caused. :)
For those of you wanting to take your chances, here is the recipe. Good luck!!!

3/4 c butter
2 1/2 c brown sugar
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 c chocolate chips

Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Then add flour, baking powder, and salt. Add choc chips.

Bake at 350 in 9x13 pan for 25-30min.

Let the good times roll!

2008-04-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

The 5th Annual J Tree Good Times Havin' Trip lived up to its name! It was stinking fantastic!!!

It got off to a great start when I got to spend time with one of my favorite people, Karen! I am lucky enough to have her for a cousin and I miss hanging out with her more often. But.... we spent lots of time talking until the wee hours of the morning to try and catch up on our lives!!!

The next day, I was off to Joshua Tree National Park. Long drive, but sooo worth it! We pulled in around 5pm and set up camp. That night, I think a tornado was circling the camp. The gale-force winds were enough to blow everything around. It was too dangerous to even get close to the fire to get warm for fear of catching a rogue flame! At a couple points, I swear the tent was about to take flight!
Having survived the windy night, the next morning we went climbing. Super fun, but still cold.
I must admit that at this point, I was worried about the trip fulfilling the "good times" name due to the weather. BUT, by the next morning, the weather turned for the better. Game on!
We took a day off from climbing and went for a hike out to the Lost Horse Mine. We found the mine, and saw beautiful scenery. I think the desert is unique, but until this trip I didn't appreciate its beauty. The trees and wildflowers were in bloom and I loved it! This picture doesn't even do it justice.

We then went outside the park to take showers (gotta love those!) After the shower, I was looking across the dirt road, and I found something the world has been needing... the Worlds Famous Crochet Museum. That's right, you read that right. Its placement in the middle of a dirt road and double-wides made me convinced... NOT!

But, I digress from the climbing....

The next three days were full of climbing, climbing, climbing. Yahoo! I was in heaven. I climbed easy stuff and even a couple of insanely challenging routes (this is a 5.11a, if you know the lingo...Yeah!!).

I came home dirty, scraped up, tired, and happy. There is something so therapeutic for me about nature, a physical challenge and leaving all this technology behind. I returned with a clear head, cramped muscles, an appreciation for my bed, and a need to go climbing again real soon!

Thank you Easter Bunny... bock bock!

2008-04-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

Those Cadbury commercials still crack me up!

But, since I didn't see the cabury bunny commercial this year, let me talk about what I did see....
Stinkin' cute niece and nephews!

Nathan and Audrey did the traditional Easter egg hunt, and then the big kids had an egg hunt too. My favorite! I love that my Dad didn't just forget about us big kids. He is so creative is making different versions of egg hunts each year (must be exhausting to keep thinking of new ideas!). This year, we each had a color egg, and when we found one, we would open it up. When we found all the eggs, we unscrambled the letters to find Easter messages. So fun!! (Thanks Dad!)

Such cute family photos!

Nothing like a great family day!

Pretty Princesses

2008-03-23T19:53:00.001-07:00

Life with Rini-Roo is just one long Princess party. Even the stores have crowns for her to wear! So fun to be your aunt, cute girl! You are a princess to me.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2008-03-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had a fantastic birthday weekend!
For starters, I have wonderfully deceitful and lying friends who planned a surprise party for me on Friday! (Sneaky buggers talk about me behind my back too!) They had me totally fooled until the day of, and I started to catch on because of actions of others. But I wanted to enjoy it, so I pretended not to notice! We had great food, beautiful and delicious cakes, and RockBand!!! Thanks friends! You are the greatest!

Then on Saturday, my family organized a rousing round of Bocce Ball. Have you ever played? It was so much fun! Who knew a version of lawn bowling could be so exciting and competitive... There is a place nearby that is a restaurant/bocce ball place (great food too!) We are sooo going back there soon!

Get rollin' ladies!

Alli and Nathan cheesin' it up for the camera

Happy Birthday Mormor

2008-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to a beautiful woman!
Love you and miss you.

Remember the time I decided we should go mini golfing for our birthdays.... you were hilarious. I love that you never acted your age!

Run...Drive...Sleep...Repeat!

2008-03-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

12 people....
2 vans...
28 hours...
and 182 miles!!!

I just did an insanely fabulous relay race last weekend in and around Phoenix! Wow! I was exhausted but happy at the end of the 28 hours.

above: Team "Unnatural Selection - fighting DNA every step of the way!"

below: Van #2

I ran 11 of the miles (I was the wimpy girl in the group. others did up to 20!)
It was great....there were about 170 teams. The place was swarming with 15 passenger vans full of crazy runners. Some were dressed in costumes, but all of them were supportive and cheering everyone on, no matter what team they were on!
I must admit that running with a reflective vest and a headlamp at night was awkward, but who cares! What an adventure! I think I am just enjoying finding out what I am made of. Apparently, I can run crazy races!

I loved the challenge enough to sign up for another race next year. Anyone else up for an adventure???

The tattoo sleeve package said "will fool your friends 8 and up". What do you think?

What I got to look at while running. Gorgeous!!!

Wordy Wednesday

2008-02-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

So, my cousin sometimes has wordless Wednesdays, so I thougt I would do the opposite! (well kinda)
I love quotes. I think it is a talent when people can say profound things in a simple way. So, thought I would share a couple of my latest favorites:

1. "Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. Men are that they might have joy." Richard G. Scott

2. "Don't confuse temporary cloud cover with utter darkness." Neal A. Maxwell

3. "The good works that really matter require the help of heaven. And the help of heaven requires working past the point of fatigue so far that only the meek and lowly will keep going long enough. The Lord doesn't put us through this test just to give us a grade, He does it because the process will change us." Henry B. Eyring

Hope these give you a little lift and encouragement too!

Do you Tattoo?

2008-02-23T23:25:00.000-08:00

So, what do grown ups do when they get together? That's right, they do fake tattoos! So, in the last couple of weeks, a friend of mine was so excited about the new rock climbing muscles in her forearms, that she picked up some tattoos to help show them off. You know.... like Popeye and the anchor on the forearm.

So we did them one night. The next day, I went to work with this dragon on my forearm. And, wouldn't you know that a 3 year old girl came in with the exact same one on her arm! Well, who says I have to act my age!?!

So the other night we went out to dinner and decided to use up the last tattoos in the pack. We were quite the sight, rubbing on tattoos and posing for pictures... Classic craziness with friends!

That snarl doesn't fool me my friend!

Those tattoos are painful, right Alan?

Matching snake tattoos on our forearms.... yikes! (mine didn't last long, since snakes creep me out!)

Go tough girl!

What is that? A treasure chest? What a silly idea for such a serious tattoo! :)

And the reviews are in...

2008-02-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I thought I would give a couple of recommendations for those of you looking for new books to read or movies worth watching.
Books
1. 3 Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. This is an intriguing book about one man making a difference, and it also gives insight into life in the Middle East.
2. An American Life by Ronald Reagan. I actually listened to this book on tape actually read by him. (I still call audiobooks 'books on tape'. Does that date me or what???) It was great to hear him tell his story from childhood to President.
3. The Travelers Gift by Andy Andrews. A great story about what qualities we should acquire and what is really important in life.

Movies
1. 27 Dresses. Cute, pretty predicatable chick flick, but a few good laughs to make it entertaining.
2. Touching the Void. A harrowing true story of 2 guys ice climbing in Peru and barely living to tell the story. So well done that I was getting anxiety just watching it!

Just a couple ideas.... I will keep you posted if anything else fantastic comes my way. I have a few books here waiting to be read, so hopefully they will be worthwhile! Such a challenge to fill your spare time with things that are worthwhile and not just a space filler.

Let the good times roll...

2008-02-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

So I met this new guy. He is strong, and of few words, but hey...who am I to be picky? We have so much in common; he climbs trees and I climb rocks... The only problem is that he only wants to go out to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. That's okay, I'm sure I can change him and make him broaden his horizons as he learns that he can't live without me! Ah, the joy of new love...

But really, we had a great time celebrating Dad's birthday. We went to San Francisco and enjoyed the Exploratorium and then dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. After Audrey got over the scary monkeys that would move every-so-often, it was hard to keep her and Nathan in their chairs long enough to eat anything. I think it was a successful birthday party! Let's be honest, it was great because we were all together, and most importantly the grandkids were there!
Happy birthday Dad!

Nathan had a blast at the Exploratorium... I love this picture!

Yes, I am still here.... and happy!

2008-01-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

Happy 2008 everyone!
I wish I had great pictures to post or fantastic stories to tell.... but since I don't...
Let me first say that usually January is depressing to me. No more Christmas decorations, all the gifts are opened, no more family gatherings for days on end (All of that was FANTASTIC, by the way!), the weather is terrible. No wonder I am not a fan of January!
But, this year... I am happy! It's a shocker! So, here are a few reasons why:

1. January this year is the time to start new... anything can happen!

2. I have a feeling that 2008 is going to be a good year... the power of optimism (yeah!)

3. I am planning out my fun adventures/vacations for the year. How can I not be excited for more rock climbing, possibly a running relay, girls camp, and so much more?!?!?!

4. And, of course, knowing that Heavenly Father is aware of me and guiding my life is enough, all by itself, to make me happy with my life.

Stay tuned for the weeks ahead... I promise the pictures and adventures will have a place on this blog!!!

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas....

2007-12-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

The closest thing to a White Christmas for me is a trip last week to Tahoe. We Californians get rain, fog, and sometimes warm sunshine on Christmas but not snow. Going to the snow was fantastic! (except for driving in it, of course!) The place we stayed made us feel spoiled, and the weather cooperated with us to get plenty of snow to play in! It had been a long time since I had been in the snow, and it was my niece and nephew's first time.
So much fun!!!

Love eating snow, but snocones...even better!

Taking cover from the snow under the trees

So fun to make a snowman, but boys just love to demolish it after....
Take that Frosty!

Such a cute little snow bunny!

Say 'Hola' to vacation!

2007-12-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

Oh the relaxation I had...
I went with my parents and sister to Playa del Carmen for a week of R & R. And boy did I get it!!!
We started out with an excursion to the ruins in Coba. We even got to climb up the tallest pyramid. What a view from the top!
On another day we had a fanastic snorkeling adventure on a boat with a guy named Charlie Brown. Hilarious! He was all of 5' tall, in his late 60's, and full of spunk. He made it so much fun!

But most of the time, I spent doing the relaxing thing. Lounging by the pool, reading books, napping, ordering drinks by the pool, lounging in the palapa, walking on the beach, getting a massage....what could be better?!?!?
The weather was fantastic, and it was painful to come back to cold (and I do mean cold!) weather!

Walk down memory lane

2007-11-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't had anything cute or funny happen lately that is "blog-worthy". But I have been quite nostalgic, so I thought I would share some cute memories that have made me smile lately. And since I am so in the holiday spirit, a lot of those memories are of Christmastime!

Nothing like birthdays with the cousins (Laura, Mike and Kari!). Look how cute we are...especially those styling clothes!

The holiday season was so sweet with the homemade chocolates from Idaho. What a labor of love! (and better than See's to me!)

Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa. Oh the traditions we have continued...

And, just an average day of Dad and his girls. We are such a serious bunch! My family can sure make me laugh!

And I dressed up as a what???....

2007-11-03T20:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! Hope you all had a great time. I have pretty much been neutral about Halloween, but this year, I decided to try and come up with a cool costume. My boss has a party every year, and these people go all out. So I decided to go as an 80's roller skate girl (you know, like Crissy from Three's Company). I was so stoked to find a pair of skates on ebay, and then the leg warmers were 'awesome'! I went to the party (and let's just say, getting around on roller skates all night was challenging but no injuries. Laughed so hard sometimes I was crying!). I was loving it! I was SUPER tall and everyone kept saying "Hey Rollergirl!" Yeah, I still got some roller moves!

So here is the twist.... on Monday, I was describing my costume to someone else at work, and one of the doctors said, "Don't blush, but I thought you were Rollergirl." I blew it off, but then went into my office and called my sister, panicked. Andrea looked it up on line. Rollergirl was a character in "Boogie Nights" who was a porn star. Yeah, that's right...all the people at the party thought that's who I was! This good Mormon girl accidently dressed up as a porn star!!!! HILARIOUS!!! But come on... I don't think I look porn star-esque at all!

I've been tagged!

2007-10-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I guess it is my turn to share 7 random facts about myself. Ready or not, here it goes...

1. I have already started listening to Christmas music (I know, scary!) I just can't help myself!
2. Current favorite shows: Bones, America's Next Top Model, Dancing with The Stars, and Heroes.
3. I am a sugaraholic. It's official! And not chocolate... just straight sugary stuff like licorice, gummies, those mellowcreme pumpkins...mmmmm!
4. I clean the hair out of my brush after everytime I use it. Not sure if I have always done it, or if I picked it up from a roommate :)
5. I can't stand nail polish on my fingernails. I swear it feels like they are suffocating!
6. I believe everyone's feet are functional but NEVER pretty. I paint my toenails bright colors to make my feet look as good as they are going to get (and, no they don't suffocate like the fingernails!)
7. My middle name is Nannette. I was named after a girl my parents liked when they were in charge of the youth in Castro Valley.

Thanks for tagging me Crystal! The lucky people I am tagging are:
Michelle
Heidi
Megan
Becca
Elise
Melissa
Callie

Birthday Fun at the Oakland Zoo!

2007-10-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

I am safe and happy on the ground once again!

2007-10-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic week off! (Well, of course, why wouldn't it be...I wasn't at work!)
But really.... Our first stop was Bryce Canyon National Park. We stayed with a friend who is working as a ranger there. That canyon was gorgeous!!! We only stayed 24 hours, but was able to do a quick hike around the rim, and watch a climbing video on the visitor center's big screen. Cool to have connections!

Then our true adventure began. The whole reason for the trip.... the BIG WALL in Zion National Park.

Andy and I awoke before the crack of dawn, and loaded up all our gear (no small feat. There were 3 bags of stuff and together it probably weighed 100lbs! No joke!) We rode the shuttle with all our stuff. Pretty funny actually, because the only other 6 people on the bus were from Louisiana and were on the self-proclaimed "seeing-not-doing tour" and so we were very entertained by their comments.

Our first challenge was crossing the river. Thankfully the water was low. After putting back on the shoes, we hiked uphill with all this heavy gear to the base of our climb. I tell you, looking up at the climb at that point, I was quite overwhelmed. After 8 hours of climbing, we made it to our sleeping ledge. What a long day! There was a little ledge, kinda like a bench. Must say that it was quite a relief to sit instead of hang by my harness. Wait, I must also say that Andy made me the best belay seat ever! I will never do big wall climbs without it! :)

So, it was time to eat dinner (oh, did someone bring utensils?), bundle up against the chilly breeze, use the restroom (kind of a challenge!), and get into a bed suspended off the edge of the wall (yikes!). I conveniently waited until it was dark to get onto the port-a-ledge. Why, you ask? So I couldn't see that there was NOTHING BENEATH ME! I must say, it was like a comfortable hammock, with the constant reminder to not move too much. Yes, I did actually sleep, and I did prefer my spot to Andy's small rock ledge.

The second day of climbing brought challenges in route finding. We got a little "lost" and by the time we got back on track, we figured we would not be able to make it to the top by the end of the day. Being the safe people that we are, we decided to rappel down. We made it halfway up, and we did some really cool stuff, but it feels a little anti-climactic not make it to the top.

Shockingly enough, I think I will give this crazy type of adventure one more try. I gotta completely finish one of these climbs!!!!
The next day, I had to hike Angels Landing to actually make it to the top. The view was spectacular.
I also had to show off the battle wounds (the only time I would purposely take a picture of my thigh!). Yeah tough girl!!!!

This is the wall we were climbing. We are actually on the wall. The fact that you can't see us tells you how big this thing is!!! If you can pick out a white or red helmet in the middle-ish.... more power to ya!

Nothing like backyard camping...

2007-10-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was so lucky to have Nathan help me make sure my tent is ready for next week's adventure. He was so helpful! And of course, camping is about sleeping in a tent (we pretended), stories, flashlights, and scary monsters and bears!

Even Andrea and Jason got in on the fun!

Nathan as the scary monster outside my tent... just too cute to be scary!

I must be losing my mind...

2007-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

I am getting ready to do something I thought I would never do (I guess this teaches me to say never to say 'never'!)

I am heading to Zion National Park in 10 days to do a big wall climb. That means that I am going to climbing a wall large enough to take more than one day. (the Angel's Landing wall, if you know Zions) So guess what that means... that's right, I will be sleeping on one of those crazy port-a-ledge things off the side of the wall.

WHAT AM I THINKING??? I honestly don't know. Well, I figure you gotta try new things sometimes, and this is definitely a new thing. Be adventurous while I have good people to be adventurous with!

The scenery will be spectacular, the company will be good, and I will be workin' pretty hard so I might even lose some of this "30 fat" (always a great side benefit!).

Wish me luck! I'll post some great pics when I get back...

Happy Birthday Fireman Nathan!

2007-09-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Nathan, my adorable nephew, turned 3 and it was all about being a fireman. Who knew there could be so many fires to put out??? Everything was on fire for hours, and hours, and hours...(pretend fire, of course)

Who says you can only dress up on Halloween!?!

"I have a fire hat and fire clothes!"

Every fireman needs a fire engine... Auntie Hoot's car will have to do!

The party was a big success! Fire engines, bubbles, playing outside and even a fire engine cake (well done Andrea!). Good times!

Paint by numbers...

2007-09-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't use paint by numbers to paint my room, but it worked out anyway! It took so long for me to find an orange color to paint on my wall. Yes, I did say orange. (Not the most common color to use, but my current favorite anyway!) One was too sherbet, the next one bright pumpkin.. finally found a warm terra cotta like color. It makes me sooo happy! Almost like a warm italian place.

The picture is the best I have. Please ignore the edge up by the ceiling that still needs to be done. Ah, the homeowners jobs are never done...

Back to my potato roots

2007-09-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

I had a great weekend in Idaho visiting my wonderful Grandpa. My Dad and I enjoyed a weekend of doing odds and ends around the house, great stories of days gone by, and good company with family. Dad decided Grandpa needed a new flagpole. This wasn't any old flagpole either. We were on a mission....
we searched the East Idaho State Fair (so exciting!?!)for the right flagpole. I then supervised as we dug in Grandpa's yard and broke out the cement.
It looked so great! Dad has such a good eye for this stuff. Anyway, I really enjoyed getting back to those Idaho roots of mine and enjoying the more simple life with two great men....my Dad and Grandpa.

Fun Summer Memories....

2007-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Is it September already??? There were just too many fun things going on this summer. Since this is my first 'blog entry' I thought I would write my summer highlights....

I guess the first event was going to Marine World. I love the fact that we all took off on a Tuesday and played hookey! It was also Michelle's birthday, so we celebrated and just loved watching the 2 kids, Nathan and Audrey, have a blast! Mostly we spent time with the animals, but we big kids rode a couple rides too. Yahoo!

I got the greatest picture of my nephew Nathan making friends with a walrus. He was talking to him and the walrus was just staring back like he was listening. So cute!

I also got a chance to rock climb at Lover's Leap for the first time. The boys and I took off on our adventure, and soon became known as 'Midnight Train', 'Small town Boy', 'Shameless Desire', and 'Wildfire'. We climbed a fantastic and frightening (to me!)climb called Corrugation Corner. Great climbing, and I provided the entertainment by doing "the beached whale move" onto a ledge, getting my back pack stuck, and kicking my feet in the air to try and propel myself while laughing! I can say I have never done that move before! I have to give props to Andy for the fabulous lead! What a great view and,of course, the company couldn't have been better. Yet another experience that tells me how much I love climbing!

Hiking Half Dome in Yosemite was not on my list of things to ever do again...ever. But, never say never! Natalie and I embarked on a crazy day of adventure. We woke up early, drove to Yosemite, hiked Half Dome in 90+ degree weather, and drove home. What a day! We decided 3 days previous to suck it up and just go for it. We knew it would be hard, but the heat added a second level of difficulty.
Once I got close to the top, exhausted and a little lightheaded, I remembered why my sister Andrea and I vowed never to do this again. But, we succeeded and got to the top of that mountain! Spectacular view!! And who would have ever guessed that Natalie's cell phone would have worked up there??? (hi Daddy-O!) I wish I had a picture that could do this place justice, but these will have to do for now...

So much summertime fun. Can't wait to see what the fall will bring...