Barcelona

This has been a pretty tremendous year for us travel wise. After starting the year with our big anniversary trip to Costa Rica in March, we had several different opportunities come our way. Instead of wisely choosing between them, we chose to do all of them! Our pocketbook is hurting a little, but our passports sure like the attention. 

In September, we had the opportunity to go to Barcelona with Kent's brother Mark and his wife Amber, as well as our mutual friends Brian and Kim, and Matt and Raquel. For a few days we were also joined by Amber's brother Aaron and his wife Michelle. It was a fun little getaway, and notably Kents first trip to Europe!

I will let the pictures tell the story....

We found some fantastic sangria in Barcelona! And it was almost always served in these humungous glasses, with gigantic ice cubes!

Beautiful Barceloneta Beach

The Barcelona Arc de Triomf. Not to be confused with the Parisian Arc De Triomphe. 

Sagrada Familia, the most famous structure designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. His work influenced the architectural style of much of the city. He designed this church in the 1800's, and work continues on it today, even as tourists explore the building and churchgoers worship. Completion of the church is expected around 2030.  

Kent and I in front of Sagrada Familia

Michelle and Amber, in My Bar!

Walking down the streets of old town Barcelona we found modern graffiti marking the centuries old buildings.

One of our days in Barcelona we took the train northwest of the city to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. The monastery is very unique in that it is situated high up on a mountainside, accessible only by cable car.

The Central Square at Montserrat Monestary. 

The cable car you ride to get to the monastery. 

The BEST White Russians EvEr!!

Oddly enough... The BEST Pina Colada's EVER!

Me and my fella, hiking around the monastery 

Barceloneta Beach again!

Fountain of Mountjuic -- Kent and I made this our Grand Finale on the final night of the trip. It was Spectacular!

Fountain of Mountjuic

The beautiful fountain show at Mountjuic

Cable Car at Montsterrat

Riding the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus 

A deli like we just don't see here in America (and I'm kind of glad...Those ham hocks looked pretty nasty)

This is a cemetery in Barcelona. It was beautiful!

The most interesting thing... McDonalds in Spain serves Beer!

And we stumbled upon this cool place. Ocana Bar. Matt and Brian were in Heaven!!

Cheers! A fantastic little Irish Pub in downtown Barcelona, home of the Best White Russian  Ever!

Our local bar, Andrea's. Where we ended every night. Andrea and her minions sure poured a strong drink! And It sure seems like we have a lot of bar pictures. LOL. 

The Whole Gang, hiking up at Montserrat. But we are all looking up at the girl who almost fell down the mountainside. :(

Rainy Day in Barcelona

Mercado de La Boqueria

Me and Lil' Kim inside Sagrada Familia

I just couldn't get over the juxtaposition of the old town garage fronts, older than anything we have in America, painted with Modern graffiti. A bummer really. 

La Pedrera - a Residential building designed by Gaudi

Me, Amber, and Raquel, waiting for the Metro. Its hot down there!!

Torre Agbar -- We had a fantastic view from our hotel room at the Silken Diagonal. 

All in all, we had a pretty amazing trip. We headed out with no idea what to expect, and found a cultural delight in Barcelona. The interesting contrast of a modern city and old world European charm was pretty amazing. I'd definitely love to visit again someday!

Season Opener 2015

With a busy fall ahead of us, we were able to sneak in a quick weekend in Denver for the Season Opener against Baltimore. As per our usual routine these days, we flew in early Saturday morning so we could spend the day with our Colorado family. We drove straight down to the Springs to meet up with my grandpa, and go to Garden of the Gods. Despite living there for years, we had never been. It is a beautiful state park with lots of majestic rock formations. It reminds me a little of Moab, except with more foliage. 

The whole crew at Garden of the Gods

Daddy and Taylee "rock climbing" together

Sunday was a beautiful fall day, and we were determined to get to the stadium early and enjoy the pregame festivities. We actually managed (for once!) to get there by noon, and enjoyed drinks and watching the early games in the Rocky Mountain Mile High Village. Sadly, my mom and I had a little snafu with the concessions, and waited 20 minutes for a bratwurst. This caused us to miss the first F16 Flyover that they have done in years! Boo. :(
Luckily, the game was fantastic, and we quickly forgot our sorrows.
The Broncos started off the season with a win, and all was well in our world.

Thirty-Five and still alive!

Family Fun and lots of love! That's what this birthday was all about. Well, if we are being honest, that's what all my birthdays are about. :) As it turns out, my birthday kinda got squished between Taylee's birthday celebration, and our summer vacation to Yellowstone... Luckily, Kent was able to take the day off, and he and Taylee took me to Park City for the day to enjoy the outlet mall. One of my favorite birthday activities!

After we made it back home, we all had dinner at the Olive Garden. Another of my favorite cheesy birthday traditions!

I was extra special lucky this year, cuz we got to celebrate again during our trip to Yellowstone with Great Grandpa, Aunt Ginger, Aden, and Xavier. 

I have to say, getting older isn't my favorite thing, but it sure beats the alternative! And I am so lucky to be surrounded by my loving family. Happy Birthday to me!

It's hard to take a family selfie when your kid is choking you out!

Birthday Girl!

I know, I know, everybody is always stunned at how quickly their children grow up. But, seriously, how has this happened?! I am quite certain that it was only about two weeks ago that I held my precious newborn baby for the first time. But here we are, celebrating her sixth birthday!! Taylee has truly been the light of my life, and the most precious gift I have ever received. Our little family just wouldn't be complete without her spunky little attitude and her tender caring heart. 

We decided to take advantage of a bit of fantastic timing and take all Taylee's friends to see "The Minion Movie" for her birthday party. And it was a success! The girls loved the movie, and Kent only had to go back for refills on the popcorn twice. :0)

After the movie we headed home and kept up the theme with a Minion birthday cake, and opened lots of cool presents. Taylee is one spoiled cookie, and LOVES every one of her cute friends. 

L to R Lainee, Kate, Eryn, Kinsley, Daphne, Taylee, Aliza
(I think Sarah left for the potty. Oops!)

Minion Beach Party!!

Melty Beads!!

We took Taylee and her bestie Kate to dinner at The Cantina after the party. They definitely didn't mind helping themselves to the chips and salsa bar! All in all, a super fun day! 

We also had a small party for Taylee to celebrate with the family, without subjecting them to the immense joy of 3 fantastic hours with EIGHT 6 & 7 year olds! This year we were lucky enough to have the company of my cousins Denise, Damion, Zach, and baby (toddler!) Danny for Taylee's birthday. Everyone enjoyed playing on the waterslide and in the pool. Plus we had pizza, cake, ice cream, and cookies... It was all fun and games until we tried to blow up the neighborhood with our malfunctioning fireworks. Its official. No fireworks for Taylee's birthday EVER again! We convinced her that the first firework that flipped on its side and shot fireballs at our small crowd was a fluke, but when another (bigger) one did the same... Well, there is no coming back from that. I'm just grateful we don't have a lawsuit on our hands considering some of those rogue rockets went skittering into our neighbors lawns, patios, and backyards. I believe we even heard a child in the neighborhood tell his parents that we were trying to burn their house down. All in all, NOT a successful end to the birthday festivities!

Cutie Pie!

Taylee got to invite one friend to her family party. Can you guess who she picked?!

Minion Beach Party Cake Redux

Birthday Girl!

Bear World

Well, we didn't manage to see any bears while we were in Yellowstone, so on the way home, Nana, Taylee, and I stopped to find some. We picked a pretty obvious target this time. Bear World! Kent and I took Skyler here when he was 6, and he loved it. Well, it's sure changed a lot since then, but definitely still a kid pleaser! They've added lots of new animals to the petting zoo, increased their square footage by at least double, and added carnival rides. Nana and I had planned for a quick little side trip, but ended up with a full day's event! And one happy little girl. :0)

Nana and Taylee on the biggest bear of them all.

Bears in their, ahem, "natural" habitat. As seen from our car window.

Baby Bears in their little home.

I think we spent more time in the gift shop than anywhere else! Ugh!

The rides! Now included with the entry fee :(

Cutest girl ever... Except it took her FoReVeR to pick a stuffed animal.

Yellowstone 2015

 This summer we planned a family vacation to Yellowstone. We booked a fabulous cabin in Big Sky Montana, and off we went! Me, Kent, Taylee, Nana, Ginger, Aden, Xavier, and Great Grandpa all went up together on Thursday evening and got settled in our new home for the week. We spent all day Friday in the park, and met up with Poppi (who drove up on his own) that evening.  

The whole fam-damily in the area near Old Faithful

Me and Kent in front of a waterfall. We both really love the majesty of a waterfall.

Here I am toting my six year old around at Old Faithful.

Partial family photo in front of a waterfall

Great Grandpa giving Taylee a rest stop on his walker

Did I mention we love waterfalls?

One of the many, many hot pots we saw during our days in Yellowstone.

 During poppi's weekend with us we pretty much hibernated in our cozy cabin. It was rainy all day Saturday, so that worked out perfectly! We did Legos with the kids, painted crafts, and made dozens of melty bead designs. Our craft day was a big hit with young and old alike! We also played in the hot tub, watched movies, and ate home-cooked meals. 

On Sunday poppi headed back home after his very short visit, and the rest of us headed back into the park. More fun was had as we explored Yellowstone, along with the rest of the population of Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. It was madness! Lesson learned.... Yellowstone is better midweek! At least in August. 

On Monday we got up and took the kids hiking in Big Sky, then to the river bank for a refreshing dip. They had a blast, and we did not get eaten by any bears!! Phew!

Playing in the river

 We were sad to say goodbye to Kent that afternoon, but he had to head home to get back to work. Savvy roadtripper that he is, he stopped at the Park Entrance sign and grabbed a selfie so we could someday remember that we actually went to Yellowstone! 

Solo Selfie. Proof that we really did go to Yellowstone!

 All in all, this quiet family vacation was a darn good time. So glad we had the chance to be together for some good old family bonding. 

Summer of Lagoon

This summer we got season passes to Lagoon. We were able to go several times, and put our money to good use! We visited in the chilly days of April all the way through the chilly days of October for Frightmares! Of course during those warm summer months, Taylee was all about Lagoon-a-Beach. We had a lot of fun there, but man is the water cold!!!

That time we put her hair in a top bun so she would be tall enough to get on the swings!

That Friday afternoon where Taylee and I escaped the heat at Lagoon a Beach, AND got to fit in a few rides!

 That time it was just me and my water baby at Lagoon-a-Beach!

That time Taylee got to pose with the two stars of "Strawberry Fields." She LOVED this musical, and we saw it several times over the summer.

That time my kid looked like a devil because of her face paint. Also, the only photo of Kent at Lagoon this summer. And a priceless photo bomb! (did you spot him?)

That photo of my beautiful girl with her ice princess makeup. This time taken at a better angle!

That little cutie patootie showing off her style in daddy's hat.

Nurses without Orders

I've had this weird irky little thought in my mind for about five years now. I never really talked about it, and I only thought about it once in a while, but I think it was only a matter of time... What, you ask, was this persistent little nugget???

 Ragnar. Ragnar was the nugget. 

So, when I was approached last winter by some friends at work, I wasn't too tough to convince. The idea was there, just dwelling, waiting for its chance to shine. It actually seemed like it was just about designed for me. I mean, I run races, even marathons, so the running part seemed like it would be no problem... And I stay up all night at work twice a week, so sleep deprivation? I'm a pro at that. Put those together, and I could rock this! Hahaha! Wrong!

So, I took on my training regimen with zest, and had visions of two a day runs in my future. Well, that never became a reality, because unfortunately, I had a nagging right hamstring injury that got progressively worse as I ran more mileage. The discomfort was peaking just as race day approached.  I really began to think I couldn't do it. I was just about to throw in the towel when my own little miracle occurred! Due to changes to the overall race route, my individual relay legs changed from 8 miles/9 miles/5 miles, to 8 miles/2 miles/5 miles! My saving grace! I could definitely run a 2! 

Our race start day was beautiful. We all met up at Clelles' (our fantastic driver), and headed up to join the Van 1 half of the team in Huntsville. They had an early start at 5 am, which put us on target to take the baton (errr... bracelet) at about 1 pm.

Our Ragnarmobile, all decked out! (and with no pictures of the unfortunate bundled baby Emily tried to draw!)

Here we are at Exchange 6, our van's start. Just minus our token male member Mike, and our fab driver Clelles.

The first exchange went well, but we were almost an hour behind from the outset. Karen from Van 1 passed off to Katie, and we were off! After Katie, Jen was up, and then me! I headed out at around 3:30, and it was really freakin' hot!!! My race leg took me straight up the old Snowbasin road. An unsupported 7.8 mile run. Seems pretty doable, but it was the hardest 8 miles I have ever run! I pushed myself pretty hard considering my reduced training regimen, and finished right at my targeted time. I think I may have overdone it on this first run, which led to my difficulties later. But who knows?!

Sara and I commiserated for a minute over the hellishness of that run. She had started it about 10 minutes before me. And she agreed it was the hardest 8 miles ever!

After my leg was through I was able to relax and enjoy the Ragnar experience for a while. We ran all through the afternoon and into the evening, and Mike finished up his leg around 8:30 pm to hand off to Van 1. And, um, we lost Mike because we went to the wrong pickup location without his handy navigation skills in the front seat. Oops. Luckily, Van one grabbed him, and after some confusion we met up and got him back by  about 9:30. From there we made a very questionable decision to stop for a late night snack of fries, coke, and grilled cheese sandwiches. However, I think that little snack saved me! Of course, this was all time that we should have been trying to sleep, but who's counting? We finally made our way to Morgan, and got settled in our sleeping bags out under the stars. And boy was it cold!!! I can't imagine how it was so hot, and then so cold a few short hours later!

Emily giving Megan a little roller massage on the grass.

We laid down from about 12:15 to 1:45 am, then were up to send Katie off again! My mini 2 mile run was at about 4 am. It was dang cold, and I was oh so glad it was just a 2 mile run. Even that felt like a struggle.Those wee hours of the morning were painful, but I snagged a short nap in the back of the van, which really helped me I think.

Preparing to send Katie out into the night! I was definitely NOT a fan of running in the dark. Even with a headlamp.

Early morning selfie!

We finished up our second set of runners by about 8:30 that morning, and then we were in for what felt like an interminable wait while Van one finished their final legs.We were camped out at Park City H.S. waiting for Katie's final run. And it was sure to be a doozy! Known as "ragnar hill," it was 10 miles straight UP Guardsman's pass. She was very nervous, and we were all pretty anxious on her behalf.

Relaxation time! You'd think we would be sleeping, but it was so beautiful out, it was hard to sleep.

After hanging out for 5 hours, it was finally go time! We had Katie all prepped for her run with water, cool wet towels, and tons of moral support.

Here's Katie getting prepped and pep-talked!

The victorious culmination of Katie's massive 10 mile run! A few tears were shed.

After Katie's run, Jen endured a 4 mile straight down hill run, and lost a few toe nails. Owww!!! I followed her with my own 5 miles downhill, which was excruciating for my quads, but such a relief to be running downhill because my body was just utterly exhausted. Kent and Taylee were there to greet me during this last leg, and they were a fantastic sight for sore eyes. Kent has always been so good to me when I run these races, and I am so grateful for his support. 

It seemed like the longest day of my life, and we finally rolled into the finish about 8:00 pm, when our expected finish was around 4:00 pm. Many people thought the leg lengths were calculated improperly, and that almost all legs were longer than advertised. The total mileage was closer to 201, rather than the previously believed 189. That along with the heat and terrain made for a very tough race! All in all, it was a very memorable time, and I am so glad it's done!!!

I'm bummed Clelles didn't make it into this photo op! She was a fantastic driver! L-R Mike, Me, Emily, Jen, Karen, Katie, and Megan.