CONGRATULATIONS . . . .

A congratulations is in order, to our dear friends Ashley and Trinity! We celebrated with the most expensive, but one of the most fun 15 minutes of our lives! We went to FastKarts in Salt Lake, where you have to where a hairnet, and a helmet to ride in the Go Karts, I guess it's that dangerous :) You can go up to 35 mph, and it was so fun! Chris did end up winning the race, with the fastest time, but I managed to maneuver around him right at the last minute! Sorry Ashley, I did pass you a few times, but you gave it a worthy effort :) We are saving all our money so we can go and celebrate something else, soon!

Sick Hairnets

LIned Up Ready To Go

Chris, Me, Trinity, Wayner, Ashley, Levi, Danny

A Few Sloty-Slots

Well, our summer has been full of adventures, and I have been slacking on my blogging again!  We recently went to do 2 slot canyons.  We first went to Leprechaun Canyon, down by Lake Powell.  We were really, really worried that it was going to be flaming hot!  I turned out to be perfect weather.  We headed down with Brandon, and Nicole Gilliam, Matt, and our nephew "Little Blakey".  As soon as we got all nestled in our sleeping bags, well first of all I was checking to make sure I had all my goods in my sleeping bag, and low and behold, the sickest, biggest, beetle was on me.  It took me a few swipes to get it off, and yes I screamed like a little girl.  But, it started to rain, of course we don't have a tent, so Chris slept under the truck, and Blake and I slept out in the rain!  It was awesome!  It was a great adventure, and the Gilliam's first slot canyon, they did great!   

Then last weekend, we were headed out for our last adventure of the summer, and Blakey's last adventure with us!  We got permits to do Behunin Canyon, down in Zions.  As we were walking out the door, we learned that there was a fire on top of Behunin, so we couldn't go.  But, we packed up our stuff, and headed South!  All the other canyons were closed or we couldn't get to them, so we ended up doing Birch Canyon. It is a beautiful canyon.  I did have a bad attitude about it, and then as soon as I got out of the car, I stepped in some fresh cow pooh, I figured that was my punishment.  It was great, and we are sad that it will be our last adventure with Blakey for a while.  We had a great time with Blakey, and we will miss him!  

Chris is so hardcore :)  

Chris coming down a 110 foot rappel 

Blakey rappelling down "Flutey"

Montana and The Sawtooth's

I have been slacking on my blogging responsibilities.  Chris threatened to take over the blog if I didn't start blogging our summer adventures.  We have been all over the place this summer, have to get in all the adventures we can before soccer season!  Bobbi invited us up to their ranch in Montana over the 4th of July.  She doubted us, but we made the trek, and it was totally worth the long drive, it was so beautiful.  Of course the Tillotson's want to go for a run, and they don't just go for a run.  Up a mountain, down a mountain, jogging, sprinting, whatever you want to call it.  The hill was so steep at one point, we had to hold onto the horse's tail to pull us up.  

They put on an awesome firework show, I felt like I was at Stadium of Fire.  We had a great time, 4-wheeling, tubing, horseback riding, and spending time with the Tillotson's.  We appreciate their hospitality, and letting us hang out with them.  

We also went on our annual trip to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho with Chris' family. Every year it is a good time.  We did have some fiesta music that played all night long, the same tune, all night long.  We swam, hit all of our favorite spots, and even built a raft this year. They tied Sam to the log, and tried to get her to pull it, it was sort of mean.  But, in the end the raft worked, and Sam even wanted a ride.  She did chase after a duck, and Brady and Blake had to save her.  One of the greatest things about this trip, is my little Sammy learned how to swim.  She is growing up right before my eyes.  Chris taught her how to swim, and play catch with a fish.  Every time she was missing from camp she was down in the water.  She was just such a princess, and now a mountain/water dog!  We had a great time, and can't wait until next year,

hopefully no fiesta music :)  

 

Chris' new pastime, body surfing 

Blake out spear fishing, almost caught one :)

Blake and Brady on their "raft"

Sammy with her little fishie

WASATCH FREAKING BACK

Team Mezmerizers

Our first race is over, we did it, we finished it, and we are all still alive to tell about it.  We got together with 10 of our friends and we did the Wasatch Back, aka the Ragnar.  It was so much fun! We started on Friday morning at 7:20 AM, because we are a little bit slower than the rest of the teams, and we set our goal high, finish the race in under 30 hours.  Chris and I rode in van 1, with Mike, Derdle, Danny and Heather.  We started out the race strong, and everyone finished their legs with great times.  Heather killed the 7.4 mile hill, and didn't even look like she was tired after.

  

Heather running up the big hill

We spent a lot of time in these, and talking about these

At one point on my last leg, I was running up this hill, it felt like a really big hill, and I told the van to meet me at the top for water.  As I am trudging up the hill I see our van pulled over, and I can't see anyone inside.  Come to find out they were all sleeping in the car, and I ran right past them.  I was worried hey might not wake up until the end of the race.  Good thing they met me at the bottom of the hill, I didn't need any water then.  

Chris, look at his good running form

I was so proud of Chris, he ran the whole race without even a lick of training!  Seriously amazing, and ever since the race, he has been looking up other races to run this summer!  

We slept in the car a little bit, and then had the awesome opportunity to sleep in a high school gym with a million other people.  Derdle found a "secret spot" to sleep upstairs, and we were all alone.  About an hour later, after everyone had blown up their air mattresses, and arranged all their stuff, and wedged their way in between us, we woke up and the whole place was packed with people, seriously like sardines.  I am not sure how long we slept, but before you knew it we were back in the car.  Team Mezmerizers did awesome, we finished under 30 hours, our final time was 29 hours and 40 minutes.  I am so proud of the team!  Good work guys, I can't wait to to do it again next year, and this time Penns, you won't be pregnant, so you can't get out of it :) 

 

The race was almost over, the weather was awesome, rain, that's weird!

Chris and I, so proud of our medals

Team Mezmerizers, done with the race!

TREASURE HUNTING

So, we have a new hobby to fill our spare time, yes it is treasure hunting.  Well, it is really called "Geo Caching", but I like to think of it as treasure hunting.  I am not sure if I would call the things we find treasures, but if you were to ask my sweet Grammy K, aka Gnizzle, she would tell you the toys and trinkets in these cashes, are truly treasures.  

Today we took our friends Brandon, and Nicole on an adventure to the top of a mountain to find one of our "treasures".  The best part of the hunt is holding the GPS, so we let Nicole lead the way, it was her first treasure hunt.  We headed up the mountain to find our treasure, if you notice in the picture, we look like we might have been lost.  That is because adventurous Chris was convinced if the GPS pointed off the trail, we should go off the trail.  So, we headed down into the gully, which come to find out was full of stinging newdow.  As we were tumbling down the hill, we were all yelping out every time the newdow hit our legs.  Our mountain dog Sam was frolicking through the newdow, and running up and down the sides of the gully.  We got down in the gully, and started to make our way back up the other side, and decided the treasure might not be worth all the hassle.  Come to find out, the trail actually wrapped around the other side, and led us to the treasure, but it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't an adventure.  

Our fearless leader Chris leading us through the gully

We kept hiking, and Brandon and Nicole found their first treasure!  They were so excited, can't you tell!  We had a good time, and I can't wait for our next treasure hunt!  I know some of you are laughing right now, but don't knock it until you try it :)  

The Crew Back Together Again

Oh the soccer girls

The weather in Utah is SO unpredictable!  We had made plans to get together and go up American Fork Canyon, and have tinfoil dinners and s'mores.  But, the weird thing is, a few days before, it snowed seriously like 12 inches, so we had to improvise.  It was great, just like old times, best friends back together for a night full of laughs and good times.

I think Farrah is "testing" the tinfoils, she is the Master tinfoil maker

We all made tinfoil dinners, maybe one of the best I have ever have made, and packed the BBQ and oven full of all of our dinners. Jen, Jen the mother hen (Jen Rockwood), let us borrow her little fire-pit so we could have our own little campfire.  Farrah brought her little ones, Raegan, and Evan, and they loved poking around in the fire-pit and playing with all the animals on our "farm".  

Raegan and Evan

Cute Little Raegan

It was so fun to have Aydre, Ashley, Farrah, Shawn, the little ones, Trinity and friends over to hang out and eat tinfoils and s'mores.  It brought back good memories of our glory days, tinfoils, camping, soggy-balling, spying and late nights in the "Blue Beaut". Thanks you guys, can't wait for the next adventure!

 

The crew around the "campfire"

Angel's Landing = Danger

The "crew" on the road to find the slot canyon

It has been FOREVER since we posted.  So, I thought it is about time I posted a little something.  We took off to St. George a few weeks ago with some of our friends in hopes of treking through a a slot canyon.  My sweet husband forgot one minor detail, to make sure there wasn't any snow on top, so we could get to the trail.  We drove through Zions, to find a road full of snow.  So, we drove for a while, fearful that we would slide off the side of the mountain, or get stuck in the mud.  We finally decided it might not be the smartest idea to continue to persevere to the trail, so we changed our plans. 

Angel's Freaking Landing

Some members of our party thought it would be SO fun to climb to the top of Angel's Landing.  I don't know if I would use the word "FUN", but an adventure indeed. At the top, there are chains along the mountain to hold onto, just in case you slip and need something to save your life. There are steep, very steep cliffs on both sides of you, once again, not sure if I would say "FUN". But, we made it to the top, and then to the bottom, safe and sound, and now that we are all alive, perhaps I can say that it was a fun adventure.  

Holding onto the chain for dear life

If you look really close you can see Penns on the rocks below, she was the smart one

The top of Angel's

It was a trip full of memories, beginning with Penns, Mike, and Aislinn's first rappel.  It was fun, they all did an awesome job, even if one of them flipped around and slightly upside down.  We had a chance to go to "Murry-town", where we learned some valuable life lessons, and spent our money and our time wisely.  Thanks to the Bergeron's and Aislinn for coming on a crazy, unorganized, Smith adventure and hanging in there, even though it was slightly dangerous :)