I've joined the ranks...

Wow... that is one good looking bike...

So I finally broke down and joined the ranks of the road bikers. I have been a huge fan of mountain biking for years now... (thanks to my brother Joe) and have wanted to get into road biking for some time. I finally did it! I found a steal of a deal on KSL.com. I got a 2009 Trek Madone, full carbon, full ultegra components, and bladed spokes. It is virtually brand new, but I got it for about a grand cheaper than it would have cost me in the stores. It felt like Christmas... I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. Now I just need to get used to the toe clip shoes... I've already got a few good trips planned!

Back to Westmore I will go...

So this year I took a new job as a TSA in the Research and Evaluation department for Alpine School District. I love who I work with and I have learned an amazing amount of things. However, from day one, I have missed the students. I have missed the school atmosphere. I have missed being up and moving around. Over Christmas break, I made the decision that I wanted to return to the classroom. However, with budget cuts and all of the changes taking place next year, the normal teacher placement protocol has been changed quite a bit. I have been in limbo for a while not knowing where I was going to be placed. However, I just got the news last weekend that I get to return to Westmore in the 4th grade! I couldn't be more pleased. This is the exact school and grade I wanted. Westmore is like a second home for me. I love it there. My boss John promised me that he would "take care of me" and he kept his part of the bargain. Teaching... here I come! :)

Ward Talent Show

Wow, for those of you who are now married and are no longer having the "single" experience, I thought I'd give you a little trip back to the days of ward talent shows in the single realm. It is quite an experience. I participated by playing a piano song that I composed at the age of 12. It's really quite a masterpiece entitled "Arabian Calico Cats." Yes, the title says it all. I have included a few videos showing some of the extreme talents. Good times.

This is a video of Brother Jacobs doing a lip-sinc... It was hilarious! Brother Jacobs was the director of the original Johnny Lingo. He is quite the guy!



This video is Kristy's boyfriend Ryan doing a squat with his roommate Ian on his shoulder... Ian is not a small boy...


This next video wasn't a part of the talent show, but after us having some fun afterwards... it shows that I am not a very talented dancer. The guy I am dancing with is actually a really good country dancer, but I have much to be desired. Check out the ending dip!

The most beautiful country on earth...

I finally got to bike the White Rim Bike Trail in Canyonlands this last weekend. I went with my brother Joe, my brother-in-law Troy, my dad and Geoffrey. Joe also brought three of his kids. This trip beat all. It was amazing in every way. There is nothing quite like San Juan County to make one smile. Some of the most breathtaking sights you've ever seen. I rode 65 miles of the loop and loved every moment of it... except maybe for the sore backside I have from not being on my bike since last October...


Geoffrey and I getting ready to start Day 2


Geoffrey and the bike that got a lot of attention from all who passed by...


A sweet view of Ashton descending down a hill


Geoffrey and I at a nice overlook


Ashton is up front with Geoffrey and I following behind... what a view aye?


Down inside a sweet slot canyon...


Joe and Geoffrey ascending the last hill of the trail


Look at that drop off... we are such adventurers!


Joe was a master chef. We ate so well...


More food... Dad showing off his "buffness" :)



Haley and I during lunch of Day 1.


Even Annemerie rode parts of the trail!


My favorite brother in law Troy. I'm so glad he flew in for the trip.

Never be surprised by the things you see in Provo on a Sunday afternoon... Part 2.

So I am very disappointed to say that I don't have a picture to display this time, but I was intrigued by another thing I saw today... another form of transportation that I can confidently say you wouldn't see anywhere outside of Provo Utah.

I was on my way to my friend Kim's house today and I saw a guy heading home from church. He wasn't in a car, and he wasn't walking... but he was in a full suit, with backpack on, riding a unicycle. Yes, that's right, a unicycle. Do people really own those? I guess the real questions, is do people really ride those? Apparently in Provo they do... He was trying to maneuver his way past a group of walkers as he went through the crosswalk. It was the funniest looking thing I've seen in a while. I probably could have gotten a picture even though I was driving, but I was laughing so hard I couldn't pull it out fast enough.

Utopia in Albuquerque...

Utopia is the name of the frisbee team I play with. Utopia is the BYU Women's traveling club team and our most recent tournament was in Albuquerque. This same tournament, also known as the "Green Chili Fest" was a favorite from last year because of the warm weather and lack of wind. This year however, we didn't luck out on either account. It was cold and the wind was ridiculous. It is funny to see that the main bids for the day were not to catch the frisbee in the air, but to keep the frisbee from rolling backwards after it had been pulled into the wind. Regardless, we had a great time and came home 2 and 2. We beat Flagstaff and another Arizona team and we lost to the Albuquerque Club team and Colorado College. We only lost by one point to Colorado for the record... we should have won.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with ultimate, or ultimate players, they are generally a really odd group. Come to any tournament and you can see what I mean. We add our own little spark of oddness as well with some of our cheers and traditions. See the video below. (When watching the video, listen to the wind in the background and imagine trying to throw a disk full field against the wind!)

Never be surprised by the things you see in Provo on a Sunday afternoon...

Last Sunday I took a trip down to Provo to visit with my friend Kim. We were sitting on the steps outside her door when we saw a most peculiar thing. Ironically, it really isn't very peculiar for Provo, but anywhere else in the world, it might be a little odd. Either way, Kim and I both got a great laugh.

There we are chatting and we see this young man pull into the parking lot on his little motor bike. But it being Sunday afternoon of course, he was still in his suit... a dark brown one at that. He gets off the bike and grabs the food he brought, located in a Macey's grocery store basket of course, and proceeded to the door of a young ladies apartment.

A few minutes later, the young man emerged again, but this time was accompanied by a nice young girl. Once again, being Sunday afternoon, she was also still in her Sunday attire; a knee length skirt and cardigan. We kept watching as they proceeded to both put on helmets. We kept wondering how she was going to get on the bike without exposing herself to the world. Never fear, instead of being a passenger, she just decided to drive to keep her modestly. However, this meant that she was unable to carry her large, pink, Sunday bag. Once again, never fear, the handsome boy in the brown suit would be more than happy to carry a large, pink, Sunday bag while his honey escorts him to the evening fireside.

It may sound kind of silly now, but Kim and I laughed through watching the entire thing. We did stop laughing long enough to get a quick photo just as the young man was heaving the large, pink, Sunday bag to his shoulder. What a guy. You never can be too surprised what you might see on a Sunday afternoon in Provo!

Cat and Mouse... The Good Old Days

So I sometimes wonder what happened to the good old days when I was younger... the days of being able to play for hours with merely the couch cushions or old day-planner pages for props. Yes, my cousins and I would spend hours making forts with blankets and couch cushions and I can't even count the times we played "office" using my dads old day planners and outdated checks. Jordan somehow always put himself in the role of president with my cousin Ryan being his Vice. Preston was the Treasurer and I was secretary. Being secretary, one of my jobs was to keep the other members of our "company" supplied with grandmas special red punch.

Suffice it to say, when we were younger, we didn't have the Wii or Nintendo and I-pods to occupy our time. We had to make our own fun and boy did we ever. I recall building a dam in my cousins back yard numerous summers and yes, we did go swimming in it.

Another time, with the help of our older cousins, we created some dance numbers and presented a large production for all parents and grandparents, costumes and all. One of my favorite past times was playing cops and robbers on our bikes. We didn't complain about what we didn't have and you would never hear us say we were bored. We just created our own fun where ever we went.

As I babysat my 8 nieces and nephews last weekend we resorted back to this type of "fun." All of us spent some time scouring the house for the following item: random pieces of string, wiffle balls, popcorn kernels, the lid to a pan and dice. It's amazing what games can be created with just a few random household items. Using our plethora of props, Geoffrey taught the kids to play a game called "Cat and Mouse."

The "cat" would roll the dice and all of the mice (wiffle balls) were put into the middle with the string attached. If the cat rolled a one or a six, then the mice had to scatter before being caught. However, if a mouse scattered without a one or six being rolled, then they had to give a popcorn kernel to the cat. If they got away from the cat however, they received an extra popcorn kernel. The one with the most popcorn kernels at the end was the winner.

If we could only all be as simple as little kids who can find fun in just about anything... check out the video below to get a glimpse into the fun. Geoffrey is the cat and all of the kids are the mice...

Homemade gift...

So my friend Rachel has a friend who makes incredible homemade gifts. This so called friend put up a blog offering something homemade to the first 5 people who responded with the catch that they too had to make the same offer. So I couldn't resist the chance for a homemade gift from Rachel. The last gift I received from Rach (also homemade) was a poem she wrote about me and nicely typed for my birthday. It's amazing that the seemingly simple gifts are the ones that mean the most.

However, due to my responding to her blob, I committed myself to providing the same service. So the first five people who respond will receive some sort of homemade gift. Now I don't claim to be like Rachel's friend who makes absolutely incredible things, but I have a few tricks up my sleeves. If you don't live near me, please include your address! If you do respond, don't forget that you need to provide the same offer for others! :) Happy serving!