Hendrix- Now I get a Husband and a Boyfriend

Ok, I was going to wait to post this but I just can't. He is sooo cute!

For our wedding gift to ourselves, Ashley and I adpoted a dog. I know, I know. Anyone who knows me well knows I am not much of an animal person and I am definitely not much of a big dog person- too much hair and too much jumping. After visiting the Humane Society to look for a small dog, and seeing nothing but Chihuahuas that barked their heads off, I asked if we could walk through the big dog section. Hendrix was the first dog that we saw. He never barked and after running with him by my side (something we have now had to work on at home) and sitting and shaking at the humane society, Ash and I decided that we needed him and he needed us. He is a Boxer/Great Dane mix but actually quite small for his breed.

Can I say, love at first sight?

Married

Some photos of my new hubby and me.

Photos courtesy of John Whetten

Home Again

I just got back from a Backpacking trip to Zion National Park. Neither Ash nor I have ever been in the backcountry there so we got to see something new. I have a few of my favorite pics below. Enjoy!

I had my first hitch-hiking experience on this trip. We were picked up by an 18-yr. old from Ogden on his way to check out U of Arizona for school next year.

I have been obsessed with the texture of old wood lately. We camped near an old cable for lowering timber to the canyon floor. It was beautiful!

I went backpacking as a field-trip for my wilderness nutrition course at school. I had to photograph all of my food before I went. This is my favorite meal and my favorite pic.

This is the old, opened seed pod of a yucca plant. The color inside was so fun and it was so fragile, I had to take a second look after I walked past.

A Hot Chocolate, Good Morning Cheers! always puts a smile on a cold face.

We camped with this view during sunset, full-moon rise, and sunrise. It was truly one of the most spectacular camping spots of my life.

Oh, Tannenbaum!

A couple of years ago, I was chosen as employee of the year and given a christmas tree as my prize. This is the first year that I am setting the tree up and it looks so beautiful in our home. Some people are better at taking great pictures of stuff but that is not my expertise so if you want to know what it really looks like, you will have to stop by my house for a cup of hot cocoa and a bit of christmas cheer! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Will It Blend? Now I Will Know!

Ash and I have been shopping at Costco lately and the last time we went, they were selling Blendtec blenders. For the last year, I have been shaking, hitting, poking, and stirring the contents of my blender trying to make my morning smoothie so this purchase has been coming for a long time. Now, with a simple push of a button, I have a protein smoothie creation, a juice of the day, ice cream, chip dip, or any other fun blender treat. Even though my mom suggested I try blending golf balls, I haven't tried anything too silly yet. However, when I get brave enough to try, I will let you know.

Backpacking in the Uintahs

Over the 24th of July (notice my patriotic handkerchief), Ash and I went backpacking with one of our favorite couples. We aren't great at taking pictures and we just got the CD of the pictures that the other couple took. Here are some of my favorites.

Look at my big fish! This one was a keeper and it was a very satisfying meal!

Even though it looks like big sky country, this beautiful scenery is in our own backyard!

The beautiful sunset where we camped at Dead Horse Lake. All day and night long, we heard the most amazng rock slides going down those chutes. Some of them lasted so long that we could see the dust coume out of them and see exactly where they were going on.

I spy with my little eye a Momma Moose and a Baby Moose! This was the second of two moose couples that we saw. Although they look distant in this picture this duo was only about a football field away, across the meadow. The picture is a little fuzzy because we were hiking through some crazy rain!

The Past is Now

Yesterday, my fiance got some bad news from home. He had a friend that passed away on Thursday night from a pain pill overdose. I had the day off as did he, so we spent the morning getting arrangements made for him to go home for the funeral. After that, we decided to get out of town and head to the Uintahs for a hike.

I am always amazed by the thoughts and conversations you have with yourself when you are hiking in silence in a beautiful place. It has been said that, "Mountains speak, and wise men listen." Yesterday, I realized that the past, not the future, is now. The choices we make, the people we decide to spend time with, the things we learn, all have a way of catching back up with us.

As I was hiking, I thought about the state of the union and how the past is effecting the future. I thought about the stock market and how this punishment has been coming ever since Pres. Clinton's second term when deregulation was established and then Pres. Bush with his hope for every American to acheive the American Dream. Global warming has also been a long time coming, and we are just starting to reap the benefits of our lack of environmental ethics and wastefulness. Yesterday, we realized that the two of us are reaping the benefits of him choosing to come to Utah. We get to spend time in the mountains we love and he spend time with people that have the same ideas about life that we do. We are reaping the benefits of being raised by parents that value the outdoors and were excited and willing to help us learn to share that love.

So ask you, ladies and gentlemen, please, choose wisely because the past is now.