THE ADVENTURES OF THE SMITH'S

Summer . . . Where Have You Gone

2011-07-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have been slacking at updating the blog! We have been busy, doing what we do in the Summer. Climbing, rappelling, camping, and running in the Wasatch Back! All of which have been so fun, and we are sad to know that the summer is coming to an end! We also added a new member to the family, little Bowr!

Bowr

Most of our van

The whole team

Ellis taking a nap

Justin building the raft

Notice Sam on the raft, and the raft looks to be somewhat under water

When with the Chris and Ellis, plan on an adventure. We went up a big hill, which we almost slid down backwards, then went down a little road and ran into some obstacles . . .

Found a cool ranger station on the adventure

Little buddies

Snuggling little buddies

Kate loved Sam

The boys tried to kayak the river, and we found them with one boat tipped upside down, everyone was safe and sound

The boys doing dangerous things

Our surrogate son . . . Logan

COSTA RICA - DAY #7

2011-03-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come, time to go home! Today was our last day in beautiful Costa Rica! It has been quite the adventure, and has been so much fun. My new phrase for life is "Pura Vida" . . . no worries . . . life is "pure" . . . life is good! Today the boys went out for their last adventure, a little deep sea fishing! Chris kept asking me all morning what time it was, and if it was 6:15 AM yet! He was like a little kid, so excited to go fishing! So they headed out to sea in hopes of catching us dinner!

Chris fishing . . . or something

This explains how many fish they saw

The fellas

Pens and I went running, then did some shopping. We tried to find this beach in Los Suenos, and all we could find was a private beach resort for residence. So, we decided to pop our heads in to see if we could get to the beach. I will be honest, I was surprised that Pens was up for breaking some rules, because sometimes we get fines when we think we don't have to follow rules. So, we strolled in, pretending like we knew what we were doing, said "Buenos dias" to all the peeps and security guards. We found our way to the beach through the "private resort", and stumbled upon a crappy beach that didn't even have soft sand for us to lay in! So, we headed back to the house, to see if the fellas caught us some fish!

As the boys strolled into the house, we asked them if they had brought back any fish! They said they didn' t have any fish, nor did they have the "Galloper", the care we had borrowed from the guys house we are staying. Hmmm . . .thats interesting we thought, and as Mike told us the story of the Galloper, our minds thought the worst. I guess the belts had broken and the brakes didn't work, and the power steering went out! In the end the Galloper was fixed, for a small fee, and all was well in Costa Rica! Pura Vida!

To finish off the trip, we were able to watch the Bachelor Finale on TV . . . they had broadcasted ABC over here, we just happened to stumble across it while flipping through the channels! It has been an awesome trip, with great friends!! Until the next adventure!

Which bag is mine . . . which bag is Chris'

Last day . . . so sad

Watching the Bachelor . . . look at Chris ha ha . . he loves it

COSTA RICA - DAY #6

2011-03-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

The crew: Smiths, Bergerons, Seldons

Today was a more chill . . . Pura Vida kinda day! It is sad to know that it's almost time to leave Costa Rica. It feels like the week has gone so fast! Yesterday we met a guy who was talking about how "slow" life is in Quepos . . . I am going to miss the laid back lifestyle, waking up each day and wondering what bathing suit to wear, what adventure is next, no sense of time or day of the week . . . no stress!

The fellas and the crocodile

On the crocodile bridge

Look at all the crocs down below, good thing we didn't fall in

Today we got up, the boys had left earlier to go surfing, and the girls went for a little run to the beach. We met up with the fellas and had breakfast and watched the surf competition. Then we went to the beach and swam in the ocean and did some boogie boarding! We came back, ate our fresh fruit, swam in the pool and then headed out for one of our last meals in Costa Rica. We ate at little taco bar, it was really really good! It was a good day, and now we will soak in all that we can during our last day tomorrow! Pura Vida!

Our little friend that lives outside our house

Chris in his boogie board stuff

My sunburned belly button . . . seriously

My favorite picture of Mike

Dinner at the Taco Bar

Taco freaking bar

COSTA RICA - DAY #5

2011-03-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

Sunset on Playa Hermosa

Oh man . . . where do I start for todays adventure!!! Well, unfortunately I do not have any pictures to document today's activities, because they wouldn't let us take our camera, so we would buy their pictures, and then they had technical difficulties, so we are still waiting for some sick pictures of the river rafting trip of the day! We headed to Quepos this morning, to hit up our river rafting, what they said to be a class IV, class V river! Side note: driving here is crazy, like no rules, and people pass you going so fast, and just crazy . . . we have not seen any accidents since we have been here, until today . . . . it was a sign of what the day had in store :)

The big truck that crashed

We made it to Quepos, and signed a waiver, which we seem to do a lot of here, not even sure what they say. On the waiver it said that you have to swim a class III rapid to be able to go down the river. Everyone agreed and we got in the Turismo van and headed to the put in. We saw some really neat towns along the way, and learned a lot about life in Costa Rica from our river guides.

Long story short, we made it to the put in, we all swam the rapid, which was a little scary, I will admit, and then started down the river. I think we had gone through one rapid, and Chris and I had finished the second one and we were waiting down river. Next thing you know, I see Suzette, Penny's sister floating down the river, and then her husband John. We pulled them in, and in a panic Suzette tells us "I tried to save Penny, she was drowning". In her cute little Texan accent. So, we are concerned and confused, and not sure where Penny is. Little Pens was in a cave holding onto the rocks for dear life, waiting to be rescued. They had missed the route, and had been pushed into a cave where the boat had gotten stuck, and Pens head was submerged under water. As Pens tells the story, she had a lot of thoughts go through her head in those frightening minutes. All the guides were trying to figure out how to get her out of the cave. Their first two attempts had failed, and the were finally able to get her out and on the shore. I looked over at little Pens, and gave her a thumbs down, which she responded with a thumbs down.

By the way . . . the first rapid was called the "Dragons mouth", we were heading to the "Dragon's Tail", and Pens got caught up in the "Dragons back side".

At that moment Pens sister, Suzette got out of the boat and decided that she was done with the river. Pens was still shaken up, and so they decided to hike out of the river. Mike and Jon, being good husbands, decided to go with them! Which left Chris and I alone in our boat! Chris got out and went into the other boat, so it was just William, my guide, and myself in the boat. I was a little unsure if that was safe by myself, because lets be honest, I am not that strong, so how much help could I be when I had to paddle through the rapids! It ended up being just fine, and we had a great time! I am glad that Pens is safe and sound, and hopefully they will still want to be our friends after this trip :)

To top the night off, we watched a surf competition on Playa Hermosa, and then ordered some pizza so we could come back and watch the BYU game! Only 2 more days . . . so sad, we have come to appreciate and love this place! Until tomorrow . . . . Pura Vida!

At the surf competition

Pens and Mike

That is me, actual real scared face, that crab was trying to pinch me

Ha ha ha . . . this was so so funny! This girl chased that little dog forever, and it kept running into the ocean and jumping the waves, and then it got tired . . . it was so dirty! Ha ha!

Interesting . . . This is how Mike eats his watermelon

COSTA RICA - DAY #4

2011-03-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hiking to the waterfall

Wow . . . today was a great day! It started with a run to the beach, just to make sure the tsunami was not coming, and it wasn't. Then we decided to go on an ATV tour, which the man accidentally mis-quoted the price, so we got a heck of a deal on a 4-hour ride! We saw some pretty amazing stuff on our little adventure.

A whole bunch of red Elmo's in the tree

Pens on her ATV

Mike, Pens, Chris and me

Chris + ATV = Crazy

Our guide slipped in the mud and went off the road

We learned all about sugarcane and where it comes from and we got to suck the sugar out of the wood stick. Then we got to try the sugarcane that Chris and the boys had wrung from the stick. I must admit, it was a little weird, because they filtered it, yet there were still things floating in it and it was green. Never the less, it was really good!

Chris wringing out the sugar water

Me drinking the green sugar water and chewing on a piece of sugar cane

Pens and I slightly confused on how to suck all the sugar out of the sugar cane

We went through puddles and we got all dirty, of course, I would expect nothing less if Chris was driving. We saw a waterfall, and went for a little swim, then continued on our tour. We saw some awesome villages that were tucked away in the middle of nowhere!! I got to play soccer with a Costa Rican boy, well we juggled for a little bit! It was an awesome day!

Waterfall

Cool vines

Then to top it off, because lets be honest, can it get better than that? We had dinner right on the beach, so once again we could watch for the tsunami . . . . didn't see it! Then we went into Jaco where we found . . . a freaking DR. PEPPER!!!! I have not had one in almost a week, oh man it was a piece of heaven. . . . and we were able to get the BYU game streamed to our computers so we could watch Jimmer tear it up!!! All those things = a freaking great day!

Weird melons growing from the tree

Other waterfall

Dinner at the beach

Finally . . . Dr. Pepper

COSTA RICA - DAY #3

2011-03-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to go in the park

DAY #3:

Today we went to Manuel Antonio National Park. It was really cool, we saw a whole bunch of sloths, monkeys, and rare birds! We learned that sloths only come down once a week to do their business. They move so so slow, and are the laziest animals.

Sloth in the trees

Rare bird hawk thing

Sloth in the telescope

Look closely on the ground, it is a rare bird that nests on the ground

We also learned that you shouldn't leave your bags unattended at the beach because these little monkeys, who appear to be more human like than we thought, will jump from the trees and try and open your bags and take your food . . . true story, we watched the monkeys attempt some funny monkey business!

We also ate this sick fruit . . . looks like fish eggs :)

We also learned that the boys on the trip think they can surf, and continue to try each day to improve their skills . . . their surfing last for about 10 minutes in the water, and almost paddling out past the waves, and then they sure do talk a lot when they get out ha ha!

Chris trying to surf . . .

We also learned that animals are frequent visitors in restaurants . . . . weird!

Cats in the restaurant . . .

Thats for you Pops :)

COSTA RICA - DAY #2

2011-03-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

The girls: Suzette, Pens, and Me

It is day 2 here in Costa Rica . . . . the weather is awesome, the company is awesome, and Costa is awesome! Yesterday we tried to find our way to the house, through these windy backroads, and Penny and I almost got kidnapped, or tricked into getting into some "taxi". Of course Penny knew better, and said we couldn't go anywhere without our husbands, good work Penns! We ate some sick food yesterday, and were starting to wonder what we were going to eat for the next week. Last night at dinner we were on the beach, it was really pretty. It was so funny, during dinner, you would feel something moving under your feet, don't worry, it was just a dog. there were a few of them roaming the place!

A cow in the middle of the road . . . .

Dog where we were eating

Chris and I in our bunk beds

On the beach

The boys: John, Mike, and Chris

Today we went to the beach, watched to boys try to surf . . . it was funny, not sure they ever got up on their boards :) Then we went on the canopy tour where we zip lined through the jungle, on 12 different zip lines! It was amazing! My white skin has already burned, even through the 30 SPF! So far, so good, all is well in Costa! Tomorrow we are headed to the rainforest, National Park, place!

Zip Lining

Mike and Pens

COSTA RICA BABY!!!!

2011-03-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

WE ARE OFFICIALLY IN COSTA FREAKING RICA :) It is beautiful! I will post pictures and stuff tomorrow . . .

Medieval Chamber

2011-01-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

So it begins . . . . the first adventure of 2011! We got invited to go do Medieval Chamber with a friend from work and her group of friends! I was worried about the frigid, arctic temperatures, and how one would sleep while falling slowly into hypothermia, but we made it. It wasn't as cold as I thought, and it was a great group of people. It was really fun, and it was my first slot canyon in the snow, I loved it so much, I am ready for another adventure. During the night, the temperature got down below 10 degrees, and we encountered some obstacles along the way, some from our own doing, and others just from the canyon itself! It was great, can't wait for the next adventure!

Snow covered Moab

The snow was so weird looking, but pretty

Chris and the peeps in the canyon

One of my favorite moments of the day, fearless Nate, decided to slide down the rocks onto the ice. He took a step, didn't even hesitate, and he jumped and slid down hit the ice, and cracked open the big ole' pothole. Unfortunately, there were still a handful of us on the top waiting to come down, so the boys set up a zip line to help us across the frigid waters!

My second favorite part of the day, as the last man comes down the zip line, and all the fellas are on the ice, we hear a loud crack, and everyone is screaming, and the boys are left hanging for dear life on the zip line. Don't worry, nobody fell in, but if you look closely, you might wonder how did Chris avoid not falling it!

Chris and Toby at the top of the first rappel

Me attempting to get down the zip line

The boys wanted to rappel of the arch, so this the snow falling from the arch as they get ready to rappel

Chris dared me to lick the ice . . . .

The boys rappelling off the arch

Me on the last rappel

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

2010-12-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolution = Be better at blogging . . . . . more to come in 2011 :)

Drink to that . . . . .

HIDDEN CANYON = HELL

2010-04-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

WE THOUGHT THIS WAS THE TOP OF THE CANYON, OH NO, JUST THE FIRST ONE OF MANY WE WERE GOING TO HIKE

It all began almost 5 years ago to the weekend, in the same place, Zion's, looking for a slot canyon. Chris and I were set up by Bobbi while we were passing through St. George on a soccer trip. We talked on the phone for 3 weeks before we hung out, and our first hang out was with the Tillotson family. We headed to Zion's to hike the "Subway", and we hiked up mountains, and down mountains, through snow, and through bushes. Six hours later, we decided that it was to late to drop into the canyon, if we were to find it. On our way out, we saw the sign to the "Subway".

Here is our adventure 5 years later. It all started waking up to "Pappa-Bear" (Chris) snoring at the crack of dawn. I wanted to hurry and get up so we could go get a permit, just in case they were gone before we got there. We went to the backcountry desk, and asked for the permit. We asked the Ranger if it was a good slot canyon, and he laughed and said,"What do you mean by good?". We should have known at that moment what we were in for. We started our hike, and started ascending up, up, and up. We hiked, and hiked, and hiked some more. We never stopped hiking, and it was straight up the mountain. We hiked through snow, bushes and mud. For those of you that are familiar with Zion's, we started at the bottom, and hiked to the top. If you have ever done Angel's Landing, we were looking down on you. Seven miles later, we thought we were there! We had come to Cable Mountain, and Chris said, as we came around the bend, "Oh no, we went to far, it is on the other side of Cable Mountain". So, we turned around and hiked back a mile to where we thought the canyon could be. We were feeling good about our adventure so far, and so we sat down to enjoy our lunch. You are probably wondering why it was so hard to find, well we remembered the batteries to the GPS, but it didn't pull up the map, and we didn't print out a map, trusting that the GPS would work.

THIS IS CHRIS, ABOUT 5 HOURS IN, STILL SMILING

THIS IS CHRIS DROPPING INTO "HIDDEN CANYON", THE SNOW IS UP TO HIS WAIST, HE IS NOT SMILING ANYMORE

THIS IS THE SIDE OF "HIDDEN CANYON" THAT WE HIKED UP TO GET OUT OF THE DRAINAGE, IT IS STEEP

We started to drop into what we thought was Hidden Canyon, and it was a pretty treacherous decent. Chris fell into the snow and it came up to his waist. We went over trees, traversed across the side of the canyon, and started to head down to the first rappel. Chris got to where he could see down, and he said all he could see was snow, and then the cliff. He said he didn't feel safe about dropping in the canyon, and we needed to hiked out. Good thing, or you would probably hear about us being rescued on the news. So, we hiked some more, and decided to go straight up the side of the drainage. I was holding onto every bush, and digging my feet into the snow, so I wouldn't slide down the mountain. We came out, and started hiking the seven miles back to the car. By the way we were wearing our Chaco's, which made it even more exciting! We eventually made it back to the car, and we were so happy! We had a lot of bonding time, 9 hours to be exact. We had time to name all our children, that we don't have, and go through all of our friends and decide who would still be friends with us if we took them on this hike. Today has truly been a day of rest, since Chris and I are so sore from our 14 mile adventure. My feet have multiple blisters, cuts and scratches and a sick Chaco burn line. Chris walks like he is 80 years old! Lesson learned: Don't trust a GPS, print out a map, don't wear chacos in the snow, research the hike before going, we are not sure if we would have any friends if we invited anyone, and we still enjoy each others company after 3 years of marriage! And, HIDDEN CANYON WILL REMAIN HIDDEN FROM US FOREVER !

THIS IS SOMETHING PRETTY WE SAW, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE HIKE

THIS IS THE VIEW OF THE HIKE FROM THE BOTTOM, WHEN WE WERE ALL FINISHED

A Little Update

2010-01-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have not updated the blog in FOREVER! Here are a few things we have been up too lately. First, I gave Chris this awesome haircut on Christmas Eve. We used my grandpa's old clippers, and they were a little bit rusty, and sometimes Chris would flinch, because I guess the clippers were pulling his hair out, rather than cutting it. I think my mom was surprised that I could cut hair. I liked the new look, but Chris refused to go to church looking like that, so I buzzed it all off :(

The second thing that has happened recently was our poor little Sammy had ACL surgery. She has been limping for a few months, and come to find out she had torn her doggy ACL. So, Chris took her to the vet, and by the way, he was an awesome vet, to have her surgery. She had to stay overnight, and I was worried sick about her. Chris kept me updated through texts, and let me know that she was alive and well. She looked so sad and/or mad when she got home. Chris has been so sweet, and has let her sleep in the house since her surgery.

Finally, Chris and I went on a winter hike to Stewart Falls this past weekend. We were hoping the snow would be deep enough to show shoe, but no such luck. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was actually shining. We hiked to the waterfall, and it was awesome. I have never seen it in the summer, but it was pretty amazing in the winter. We stopped to watch some ice climbers, and of course my risky husband said he would live to do that. I am not so sure that it is safe, but when is Chris doing something safe :)

CONGRATULATIONS . . . .

2009-12-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-08-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-25T19:20:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

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 :)

SNOWBOARDING IN THE SUNSHINE . . . .

2009-03-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

I just had to post a little something about our newest snowboarding adventure, this time it was a beautiful day in the sunshine. No rain, no fog, and just sunshine and good company. We went with a crew of peeps! The Bergeron's, Aislinn, Matt, The Chambers, and Malise and her husband, it was so much fun!

Of course Chris had to take us down some Black Diamonds, and show us his fancy tricks! It was nice to ride the lift with the sunshine beating down on you, rather than constant rain! The snow wasn't too bad, and the best part about the trip to Sundance, is that it was FREE!

Helmets = Good Skier = Ski Backwards

Cabin Fever

2009-02-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

Chris and I on top of the mountain

We just got back from a great weekend at a beautiful cabin up at Strawberry Reservoir. We spent the weekend with Chris' family and some of our friends. We spent most of the weekend digging out the snowmobiles on our adventures. I will admit, I find it ironic that I struggle to trust Chris with the Camera, but I trust him with my life on the back of the snowmobile. It is true, he gets a little crazy when he gets on motorized vehicles. There were times where I was fearful for my life, and was glad that he was kneeling on the mobile and I couldn't see around him.

I just keep hearing "1 . . . 2 . . . 3" over and over in my head. Chris said it all day while we were digging and pulling out the mobiles! I got tired and spend most of the time lying in the snow. Penns worked hard taking pictures, and packing down the snow, and she hiked up the mountain when we kept getting stuck. We would dig out the mobile, just to be stuck again, but it's not fun if it's not an adventure.

Penns, Mike and Chris digging out the snowmobile

Penns and I

Mike, Penns, Chris and I

Let's be honest, it wouldn't be a trip without the Berg's if we didn't play a little Texas Hold 'Em. We taught Chris' dad how to play, and Sam was my good luck charm, I finally won a game. It was a great weekend, we had so much fun snowmobiling, and hanging out with the family and our friends the Bergeron's.

The poker crew

The beautiful cabin, Chris and I are down on the fireplace

SNOWBOARDING IN THE RAIN . . . .

2009-01-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Pens, Mike, Malise, and me

(Notice the fog, there is a ski lift right behind us, and look at the sign in the distance)

I can honestly say that I have never been snowboarding in the rain. I must say it was quite the adventure. It took us a while to get up to Sundance, and when we arrived we were greeted by a Sundance man that laughed and asked, "You going to try and ski today?" We eagerly jumped out of the car to find a river of water flowing through the parking lot. We got all of our crap on, and we all laughed and agreed on one run at least. We rode to the back side of the mountain, it was a long ride, and yes it rained the whole time we were on the lift. Before the day had begun we were soaking wet. The snow was pretty good, it was soft, not icy at all, and there was a lot of it on the backside. At the top it was so foggy we couldn't see a thing, I tried to stay close to someone, you could not see the person in front of you, and we had a hard time seeing the lift to get off. It just added to the adventure of the day.

We ended up snowboarding for a few hours, Chris even took us down some Black Diamonds, that was not necessary, but he had to show us his sweet snowboarding skills! By the time we finished snowboarding, we were soaked down to the last layer. We had a great time, rain, snow, it does not matter, all the same! Snowboarding, wake boarding, whatever, it was maybe a once in lifetime adventure.

Chris and I, yes my eyes are closed, could be due to the pelting rain that hit me in the face all day, or the snowball Chris threw at my eye!

The Polar Express

2008-12-19T21:26:00.001-08:00

Oh the blessed Polar Express! It has become a tradition the last 2 years to go to our friends, The Anderson's, and ride their little train. They used to give everyone rides, and had a website to schedule a time. Last year they had thousands of people ride the Polar Express. They take you around the property, they call "Stringtown", and you stop at the North Pole. Everyone gets off the train, and sits on Santa's lap. He gives us a Christmas message, and we sing some Christmas songs. Then back on the train, as it takes you through the Christmas story, and the beautiful lights. The Anderson's are so great, and we appreciate all they do for us, and for the soccer team. We went with our newly engaged friends, Feller and Bo, and we all had a great time. Yay for the Polar Express!

"The Mission"

2008-11-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

Chris and I just spent the evening as stealthy spies or stalkers in "Operation Hot Tamale". Chris' new North Face jacket had been missing for 24 hours, we examined all the possibilities of where it could be, did he leave it on the job site, did he leave the truck unlocked, did he leave it in vernal, where was the North Face. Chris was starting to get mad, and for those of you who know Chris, it is hard to make him mad, believe me, I have tried. So, after some investigation, and a few leads, we took off to a bon fire up Provo Canyon. We continued up the canyon after the bon fire, and did some more investigating. Looked at some registration tags, peeked inside cars, nothing, no North Face. I have done some spying in my day, on roommates when they were with boyfriends, on church roofs trying to capture the doorstep scene on camera, Farrah, I have done my share of spying. So, I asked Chris to let me try, so I snuck around the apartments for a bit, looked in some windows, and tried to figure out where the North Face was. Once again, no North Face. So, we loaded up in the car, and started to head home. I asked Chris if we could go back one more time, and let me shine my headlamp in the windows. Don't worry, everyone was home, so I snooped around, but once again nothing. I saw someone inside moving around, and I saw them exit the building, and as I pranced through the parking lot, low and freaking behold, there was his North Face, on someone. I sort of panicked, and ran to the street where Chris was in the get away car, I was yelling, " I found it, I found it". So, then we followed them, and they pulled into the grocery store, and Chris saw with his very own beady eyes, his beloved North Face. He jumped out of the car, and approached the suspects, and said, "I need my jacket back", they were confused, and so he said it again, "I need my jacket". Then he returned to the car, with North Face in hand. It was so much fun, and we laughed all the way home, and thought to ourselves how old are we? Good times, "Operation Hot Tamale", successful!

Oh Fishies . . . .

2008-11-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Chris and I took a little fishing trip with my Pops last weekend. We went out to a little place called Yuba Lake, but really we snuck onto some private property to fish in the spillway, don't worry, it is legal, my Pops has connections. We fished for a few hours, and we caught a lot of fishies. Chris caught this little one . . . .

And I caught this one . . . .

I don't know what it is, maybe I am just good at fishing! I really was surprised, I had so many fishies! Chris really struggled to hold onto the little buggers, and every time I tried to take a picture, it "slipped" out of his hands, seriously every time.

He did end up catching some big ones, and so did my pops. It was a great time, and sorry for losing all those "Domino Effect" spinners Pops, I will get you some new ones. We ended up having one die on us, so we had to take it home and eat it. But, believe me, my Pops and Chris did all they could to revive the little fishie, except mouth to mouth, I encouraged them, but they wouldn't do it. Chris cooked it up on the BBQ, and it was really, really good!

Thanks Pops for the good times!

NO BABIES!

2008-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

FOR EVERYONE WHO THINKS WE SHOULD HAVE A BABY, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY THINK LONG AND HARD, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO OUR COMPUTER IMAGE AT MAKEMEBABIES.COM, THIS IS WHAT HE WOULD LOOK LIKE! WE SHOULD PROBABLY NOT REPRODUCE IF THEY COME OUT HAVING MUSTACHES!

A Shout Out For Cory

2008-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to visit my dear friend Cory McFarland last Sunday. Cory was in a bad motorcycle accident at the end of July and he suffered significant trauma to the head and to his brain. He was in a coma for 16 days, and was taken out of ICU August 15. There are so many amazing things about his recovery, and even about his accident. Chris and I went up to visit a few days after the accident and his mom told us all the positive things about his accident, I know that sounds weird, but he was defiantly being taken care of.

He has been doing great in rehab, and on Sunday his mom had only good things to say about Cory and his recovery. He was so funny and you couldn't help but just love to be with him and hear him talk about all the soccer girls. I took up some BYU soccer stuff, and I had a signed picture of the team. Cory looked at it for a while, and then he started naming girls on the team, Katie Larkin, Kristy Dow, and Whitney Feller. It was really cool, he was remembering things we had done, and all sorts of things about the soccer girls. He loved the soccer girls, and he was and still is our faithful supporter. He remembers some things about his past, but not everything, so it was great that he could remember the soccer girls.

Just wanted to give you a shout out Cory, and let you know we all love you, and we are so proud of all the progress you have made, and keep working hard! You and our family are in our prayers! The soccer girls beat University of Utah last night for you, 5-0!

Seriously . . . The River In September

2008-09-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

The river was beautiful, so calm, and peaceful!

This is Pete, our fearless guide!

Chris and Pete and I took a 24 hour trip to Jackson Hole to run the river. I was slightly weary about the fact that it was September, but I thought the sun would be shining, and I could get a tan. I quickly found out, first of all, it was not sunny, second of all, the water is hypothermic, and third of all, I had to bundle up so even if there was sun, I wouldn't get a tan. We left on Friday night, and drove almost 2 hours, and we were spent. We stopped in Logan Canyon and spent the night, got up and back in the car. We arrived in Jackson around 12:00 PM, ran the river, and then back in the car around 5:00 PM. Then, homeward bound! So, we were gone a total of 24 hours, and it was great. We had a lot of fun, and although I was bundled up, I got a freezing cold splash of water from Big Kahuna! But, the great thing is, nobody fell out, and Pete did not flip us, or even come close to flipping us! Good work Pete, and it does not mater that there were only 2 rapids, there were a lot of rocks!

I made Chris take a picture of my sick wet suite. I was thinking, it is pretty tight, and snug, I was wondering if I could somehow wear that under my clothes to suck in all those extras!

Chris is crazy, he willingly jumped into the hyperthermic ice river!

Chris and I bundled up in our cold, supposed to keep you warm, but didn't, outfit!

A Little Place Called Montana

2008-08-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Chris and I took a little vacation to Montana! It was so much fun! We went with our friends Penns, and Mike and we stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Penns cabin. Grandma cooked dinner for us every night and we would sit around the dinner table and discuss how to solve the problems of the world. Grandma and Grandpa took good care of us! We would spend our evenings playing Skip-Bo, maybe for a good few hours, and I am pretty sure Grandma and Penns won every time, and not sure if they were just that good, or perhaps a little cheating going on! It was a good time! Grandma was always making us laugh!

Chris had hit every mud puddle, we were filthy!

The time we were not playing Skip-Bo we spent riding 4-wheelers and horses! It as so much fun! Penns and Mike were so much fun to hang out with, and kept us laughing the whole time. We were on a trail that took us to Abundance Lake, and Mike decided he wanted to race. It was a little bit scary, and I had to hold on super tight, so I didn't fall off the back! Chris decided to hit every freaking mud puddle on the way back, so we were soaked, and so dirty! The best part of the race was when Mike stopped to wait for us, and they were avoiding the mud puddles, they had stopped right next to one, and Chris saw an opportunity to share the mud, and hit the puddle and soaked them. It was pretty funny!

It is nice every once in a while to get away from the busy world and just enjoy nature. It is so relaxing, no cell phones or tv, just a little Skip-Bo, and good company! A special thanks to Penns and Mike for taking us to their cabin, and Grams and Gramps for taking care of us! Grandma's last words before I walked out the door where, " Make sure you start having babies," I reassured her one of these days!

This is the only fish we caught the whole time, lucky Chris!

Our friends Penns and Mike!

Summer Fun

2008-07-27T20:19:00.001-07:00

Last week was full of some good summer fun. I went to the American Idol concert, yes I am 28. I went with Ashley Smith, and we rocked out to American Idol, we might have even let out a few screams when our Utah boy made his entrance. It was crazy there, so many little girls and their parents. It was so much fun, and they were so good! For the record, I received some FREE tickets from a family that I was doing some personal soccer training for, so I had to go! I loved every minute of it!

We also spent last weekend in a little place called Lava Hotsprings! It was a little piece of heaven. We went with some of our friends, and it was so much fun. We floated this river, which I know you are thinking, little river, no big deal, but it was dangerous. Almost everyone came home with cuts and bruises. It was crazy, there were waterfalls, and then the current would drag you down river. Chris was skeptical of this "river", and thought it would be a relaxing float, he came home with the most cuts, mostly because he is crazy when it comes to rivers. He would climb back up and go down the waterfall over and over, sometimes with a tube, sometimes without, or even head first.

Don't worry, our friends Penny and Mike brought their poker table to play Texas Hold Em' around the camp fire. We were up until 2:00 AM playing. It was so fun, and I don't know how I did it, but managed to win both games, must be beginners luck :) Don't worry Pens, you will beat me one day! We had a great time, and we can't wait until our next adventure.

It Has Been Too Long . . .

2008-06-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I have not posted for over a month! That is crazy, maybe I am pregnant or something . . . no Bullock, I am not pregnant, just been crazy busy with my new job! I will let you know when I am, and you can teach me all your parenting skills, so that I am a good mom :)

We just got back from hiking a slot canyon called Leprechaun Canyon. We went with my brother Jayson, and his wife Danielle! It was really fun, there were some really tight spots and I was pretty sure my love handles would not be able to slide through. But, we all made it, with only a few scrapes on our elbows from wedging ourselves in little cracks and crevasses! There were a few rappels and one large nest of spiders that due to mine and Chris' short stature, we did not even notice them, but you better believe my brother let out a few screams as we were wedged in a part of the canyon that did not allow you to weasel through very quickly. It was a good time, and it was over 100 degrees, so I think I sweated enough to slim my love handles down to fit through the next slot canyon!

Chris has had his own adventure, and has conquered Provo Falls! It is 2 waterfalls up in the Uintah's and a well known attraction for many kayakers. I sent my brother Jayson to film him, because I did not want to witness his death, but thank goodness he did it and survived!

G-Nizzle . . .

2008-05-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Our little Grandma Knudson, known to us grandkids as G-nizzle, passed away on Friday, May 9, 2008. I headed off to Italy 2 weeks ago, and she was not expected to make it through the night, but I called home every night to check on her, and her health started to improve. I got home last Wednesday, and my grandma was doing pretty good. Friday morning she called me at 7:00 AM, and was all panicking, she was like, "I need help, I need help". I jumped from my bed, and was frantically looking for my shoes, and I replied, "what do you need, what is wrong", and she simply said, "I need a blender". I was confused and asked if she needed help before I got the blender, or after. She said, "I just need a blender". I laughed, and went over to the care center. I got there, and G-nizzle had applesauce and yogurt on her plate, I was not so sure what I was supposed to blend. It was really funny!

I will miss my cute Grandma, she was always so optimistic and happy, even when she was in pain. I never heard her complain, and she was one of the strongest people I know. I have had the opportunity to live next to her for the past year, and I have loved getting to know her better, and spending time with her. I will miss getting her breakfast in the mornings, and her soup at night. I will miss her concerning voice when she sent me off to school, I will miss our time spent at the grocery store, and the dollar store, where she purchased all of her "treasures". I will miss her sense of humor, and her cute little laugh, I will miss her love for life, and her desire to always make me a better person. Some of the things that remind me of my Grandma are: Oranges (she loved her oranges), flashlights (she always had to have one), popcorn and pickles (she always had a little stash), peacocks (she collected all their feathers), and "treasures" (she has so many nicknacks hidden in her house). I will miss my grandma, but I know that she is also running around without her oxygen tank in heaven, and loving life! Love you Grammy "K"!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today is mother's day, and I wanted to give a little shout out to my cute mom, Debs! I often think to myself, how can I be a mom, and do what mom's do! If you think about it, mom's can do anything, they know everything, they always take care of you, and love you no matter what! My mom is one of the greatest people in the world, she is truly amazing, and would do anything for anyone. We always had the greatest holidays. Easter was filled with hunting for our baskets, which sometimes was sort of tricky. St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's, and Christmas was always so eventful and so much fun. My mom just always knew what to say and to do to make us feel better about anything. Now that I am all grown up and responsible, I still love to spend time shopping and having lunch at the Olive Garden! Thanks for being such a great mom, Debs! Love you!

I would also like to give a shout out to my mother-in-law, Donna! She is great, and is always looking out for us, and making sure that we have had enough to eat. She is a wonderful cook, and always has a treat of some sort of treat when we go to Idaho to visit! We love playing hearts with the Smith's and it sometimes brings out our competitive side :) Thanks Donna for being so great and for all that you do! We love you!

We Are Back . . .

2008-05-09T09:28:00.001-07:00

We finally made it back from Europe! It is so good to be home! It is always nice to get away, and to Italy and France, but there is just something about America that I love, maybe it is the Dr. Pepper! We had so much fun, we saw everything, from the Eiffel Tower, to the Colosseum, to the Sistine Chapel! We started at the bottom of Italy and we made it to the top of Italy, in just a few days. It was amazing! We had a great anniversary, we spent it in Venice! I put the story on the soccer blog, but some of the girls wrote a wonderful poem for us, about having a baby! Chris was so embarrassed, but it was great! Then the team and the parents all pitched in to give us a Gondola ride in Venice. It was great, and we were so appreciative of Jen, the team, and the parents. We had so much fun in Italy, and it was good to spend some time with Chris, we might have spent more time together in the last 12 days, then we did all year! We also had to buy each other an anniversary present in the truck stop on our way to Venice! I bought Chris the baby bottle full of treats, just because I sometimes have to take care of him, only sometimes. We bought me that pig sucker, not sure what it means, but he said it was because I was as cute as a pig! Bless his heart! It is nice to be home, now back to real life, working and stuff!

2008-04-28T16:55:00.001-07:00

We are currently in Paris, France and will be in Italy until May 7th! Check this blog to see what we are up too :)

www.byuwomenssoccer.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Little Grammy "B"

2008-04-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Our little Grammy "B" passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. It was sort of unexpected, but I know she is frolicking in heaven, without her oxygen tank, with our dear sweet Spunky (our dog that Grammy used to love). We have some great memories with Grammy "B". She would cook us scrambled eggs every morning before school, and I think scrambled eggs when I came home from school. My older brother, Jayson, cut me a "rat tail" once, and my sweet grandma would braid it and curl it everyday before school. She was always smiling, and would always have some sort of treat for us when we came to visit. She was so little, and I could always pick her up and swing her around, I think she secretly loved it :) She was so great, and she will be greatly missed!

Memories . . .

2008-04-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

A bit of sad news to report, we lost our intramural championship soccer game the other day. It was traumatizing, and I am pretty sure it has affected my daily functioning the last couple of days. We took the title last year, after we made a come back from the losers bracket, to beat the defending champions 2 times in a row for the championship, and they had not lost for 2 years. But, this year it we could not pull off the victory. It was a hard fought battle, but in the end, we lost 4-3. I guess we will just have to try again next year. These pictures are of us in our championship shirts last year! We better start practicing for next year! I just needed a little memory of winning!

A Little Piece Of Heaven

2008-04-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Oh what a great day it was yesterday! I came home, and what to my beady eyes should appear, Chris' new kayak, I figured it went well in the bed because it is new little "baby". He was so excited, and has been telling me for days, when it was coming, and on numerous occasions shown me pictures on the internet, he has been so excited for this little treasure. I hope this does not take time away from our other "baby" Sophie, this will be a good lesson on spreading our love to all of our children. Thank you Darren for allowing Chris the opportunity to store that large raft in the garage, and make some money for a new kayak, it might be the second happiest day of his life, the first marrying me of course! Darren and Lisa, this means it is time for the Murtaugh! I can't wait, actually I can, but the season is approaching. Chris and I sat in this kayak together, and he was telling me that I could roll it on my own, don't worry, he was practicing in the room. I am not so sure I like the idea of a kayak, my legs all sutured down inside, having to roll to gasp for air, my head smacking on rocks when I get tipped over, that does not sound like a good time, but perhaps I will try! I am excited to see Chris in action in this new little piece of Heaven!

Misty Purdy Scivally and Friends

2008-03-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post something about our dear friend Misty. I know some of you have already posted some things about her, and I was reading Telisse's Blog, and what Shawn said really touched me. I really loved Misty, and she always put a smile on my face, especially with that wonderful laugh of hers. I also just wanted to tell the CC girls thanks for allowing Dari' and I to enter into their running lair in the mornings, because we came to love you guys, even though all you did was eat bread and cereal (Bullock). And you came to love us even though we were not runners :) It was great to see you guys the other night, and it was unfortunate that it was under those circumstances, but nevertheless, it was a good reunion. Love you guys! I just wanted to post what Shawn sent Telisse:

I just wanted to thank you all for showing your support and thinking about our family during this difficult time. Know that the girls and I are truly comforted as we better understand the gospel and better understand how Misty lived her life. As I have reflected back on her life over the past few years, thought they have been challenging for her/us, she has drawn closer and closer to the Lord. I can honestly say that she had been spiritually prepared for this time and there is no doubt in my mind where she is. She has qualified herself for every blessing and promise available to her. For those of you who were not aware, Misty had struggled with manic depression and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 5 years ago. We had quite a few scares through the years and have over come many obstacles. It eventually claimed her life. There was nothing that sparked it and I don't think anyone could have done anything else, it was just time. Similar to many ways to cancer, there is no cure and it can be life threatening. With cancer oftem times doctors can see the illness growing. On the other hand, mental illnesses are not so black and white and cannot be gauged. We had to live life day to day and continually reexamine our life to see what needed to be done. Know we had an amazing life together. We were given many opportunities of faith that led us closer not only to each other but to our Savior. We also started a lovely family which Misty truly sacrificed much for. Thank you again. Shawn

Almost Murtaugh Time

2008-03-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting to warm up, and you know what that means, it is almost time for spring, and you know what that means, it is almost time to run the Murtaugh! Chris has been talking about it non-stop, and we actually were trying to plan having children around the Murtaugh season. Don't be deceived, we are not having any children right now! I will post a picture of our experience last year, which was great, but it really pushes my boundaries of anxiety, and fear of dying. But, Chris and I did manage to not fall out of the raft! Bless our hearts! Darren and Lisa, it is almost time! We can't wait!

Our First Blog

2008-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are, we made it to the "Blog". I feel like you have to have kids to have a blog, but then I quickly remembered, that we have a lot of animals, and hawks and such, so maybe that counts. Welcome to the "Smith's Blog". I am sure we will have many adventures this summer to post up on the Blog, and near death experiences. A little update on life, we are still living on the farm, and Chris is still indulging himself in his Falconeering! He loves it, and he is always whispering sweet nothings to the newest member of our family, little "Sophie". She sits quietly on her perch, often eats sick, dirty, sparrows, and poops in a bucket. She is great, I hope our children are as well behaved. I am almost done with school, 2 months, it is crazy! Life is good, we are having a good time, and just got back from hiking Angels Landing, and we almost died. A quick little overview, it was snowy on top, and you hold onto the chains, the chains of life. But, alas there is no where to put your feet, because it is very snowy and icy. Therefore, you are pulling yourself up with the chain, one little slip, it is all over. Cliffs on both sides of you, thousands of feet, and a narrow little walkway, covered with snow. I had a lot of anxiety, and seriously thought I could possibly die. But, here I am! My little arms held on and persevered. I will post some pictures later on Angels Landing!