Catch Up

It has come to my attention that I am not updating my blog enough, thus making it not interesting to potential viewers. Poor marketing on my part. I love to get on other people's blogs on Sunday afternoon and get all caught up. I'll sum up our last few months quickly:

• December was a fun month with family and the holidays. Right before Christmas Rick's sister graduated from BYU-Idaho, so we made the journey. Highlight: we forgot all our luggage for the weekend trip! I was not a happy camper. Christmas we spent at the Bear Lake Cabin with my family, and New Years in Brigham City with our ole pal Jay (back from PT school in Vegas).
• Rick started a new job working for Great Dane of Utah (sound familiar.. it's the family business). He likes it so far, especially the new company car and the chance to have a 9-5 job without being stuck to an office. Learning lots about semi-trailers! Dislikes: that he has to leave me to travel :(
• I'm still working away at my 1-2 grade split, nearing the end of the school year. Trying to decide what to do for a job next year? So many options... what we have learned?- choose wisely!
• We have loved watching the Olympics and even became inspired to go ice skating this last weekend. We strapped up our laces and Rick took off at top speed; I cautiously slid about the ice. I honestly thought I knew everything about Rick after all these years, but that night I discovered he was in childhood ice skating classes, earning snowflake badges for each new trick he mastered. He even recognized the harnesss hanging from the ceiling to practice the jumps. I want picture proof of our little snowflake, so I'll ask Carolyn for that. What was a comical fun date night has turned into two days of soar leg muscles for Rick. Guess we're not as spry as when we were earning snowflake badges!

Rick is an uncle!

Rick's best friend Bridger's baby was born in December, making Rick an "uncle," as he likes to call himself. We love hanging out with Bridger, Natasha and little baby Lincoln. Rick is the best babysitter I've ever seen. The best part about Lincoln: he comes to visit and we play with him and have so much fun, and then he goes home to wake somebody else up in the middle of the night! This night he came over to watch the Olympics with us so Mommy and Daddy to could go to dinner. This cute guy is always welcome at our house.

I know it's a little late, but better late than never. Rick and I started a tradition this year, and we plan to continue it on: We hiked into the snowy mountains and cut down our own Christmas tree. I like the tall skinny Christmas trees, so it took me awhile to find just the right skinny specimen. Rick got a little antsy with the chain saw in the process and had to "practice" on the tallest tree he could find. Tear... (yes you have to tilt your head to watch.. sorry!)

We enjoyed Thanksgiving in our swim suits on a Mexican Riviera Cruise this year with the White family. We visited a beach house in Mazatlan, shopped the mall in Cabo San Lucas, and zip-lined in Puerta Vallarta. It was a fun-filled week, and much warmer than the snowy Utah weather! If only I could lay out in my swim suit, have room-service and maid cleaning every day.. ah the life :)

For graduation, I gave Rick the book, Oh the Places You'll Go- Dr. Suess. On the page that has a hot air balloon, I put tickets for a hot air balloon ride in Park City. After our busy summer finally slowed down, we went up to Park City early one morning for our hot air balloon ride.

Preparing to launch:

The most memorable part was our crash landing. Just as our balloon pilot was preparing to gently set us down in the field, a gust of wind came up and tossed our basket across the fence and through a field we weren't intended to land in. Our basket was completely sideways, people were screaming and we were skipping like a pebble. Rick was laughing of course! We wish we had video of that mayhem, and of the unhappy patrons. Our balloon man even called us later that night to apologize for the rough ride. Rick assured him it added to our adventure.

We loved the "flow-rider" surf simulator on the top deck of the cruise ship. Whenever we had a free minute, we would head up there to watch people. Rick tried the stand up surfing and stayed up longer than most! I was only brave enough to try the boogy board version. Rick came home wanting to build one of these at his house!