Catch up of the last year...I'm bad

I have been so bad at posting.  Everyone has probably seen many of these pictures on someone else's blog...but I have to do it for my own peace of mind.  So here is a quick rundown of fun adventures of the last year!

 We took a day trip to Rye, Colorado last fall (via Colorado Springs EARLY that morning to see a hot air balloon launch, but it was too windy to launch...)

 The water was beautiful for kayaking!

 We stopped to tour Bishop's Castle, built by Jim Bishop, rock by rock and still growing.  It now reaches 160' made of stone and ironwork.  "Built by One Man with the Help of God."

 You have to enlarge this and tell me who it is supposed to be...

 I was holding on for dear life!

We returned to Colorado Springs that evening to see "Night Glow" when they light up the hot air balloons but don't launch them.  It was very colorful!

We took a trip to Bartlesville OK in January 2012 for Morgan's baptism...

and lots of fun.

In Feb we went to see my mother in Mission Viejo, CA.  Steve painted walls while Mom and I played.

She finished what we didn't get to.  What a woman.  She mows her lawn for exercise!

And grows beautiful orchids

And tends to the swimming pool!

I got to try out my sister's new long arm quilting machine!  It was very special sister time!

Now I have a finished quilt...come see it!

In March we went to Raleigh NC for Dylan's baptism

and lots of fun!

 

  

Nathan, Leslie, Morgan, Emma, Talmage and Peter came to visit during their spring break.

 

We had an adventurous hike

  

  

  

And April was...tada!.. Carianne's graduation!

May found us in St. George to watch Jameson compete in the Ironman.

 

Wow, what wind and waves!  But he made it!

Its a marathon just watching!

But lots of fun memories.

June brought a huge rain and hailstorm at home and I could hear the water flowing that night in our usually dry creek bed.  It brought back memories of inflating the boat and "running the river" with the kids multiple times until the water became too low to paddle anymore...Steve was in Utah, so no one to paddle with.

Shavings of cedar siding left on the deck from the hailstorm.

We will need to stain the house...better stop traveling and get busy.

We enjoyed a weekend of horseback riding at The Beckstead's cabin in Cuchara.

Shooting clay pigeons off the Beckstead's deck.

 In July I went to see my mother and sister again.  It was the weekend of the San Clemente Ocean Festival so we walked on the pier and looked at the old "woodies".

 There was a 5K race on the beach.  Never done one before so I decided to try it.  It was worth it for the cute medal!  (Good thing I still have a job so we can keep visiting family!)

 Steve and Michal and I met in Utah and drove to Aberdeen ID for his father's funeral.  This is a photo of Max with his children at his 90th birthday celebration in 2010.

 It was so nice to have almost the entire family together to share memories and celebrate his life.

Ruth, Marilyn, Neil, Steve and David

Cousins!  And a new generation!

 Last weekend in Provo (we're now in August 2012 if you're lost), we supported Carianne in her first Half Ironman...and we expect many more!

 Yes!

 The only one smiling!

 

Unbeknownst to Carianne, she was getting us psyched up for our own triathlons the following Saturday...

 Before race...we look pretty fresh, huh?  It turned out very windy and rainy, but Steve passed 87 people on the bike!!! and took 4th place in his age group.  (No supporters to take pictures of him, and I was doing the Olympic length for my first time)

 Don't let that smile fool you...

 I was dying for the last 6 miles...oh wait, that's the whole run...

 I really thought there were 4 women in my age group ahead of me, until they called my name for 1st place while I was on the massage table!

Ok.  Now I'm done.  I'll try to stay caught up from now on...