A few highlights..

A few highlights from my last post.

Maui -
I have been fortunate enough to have been to Hawaii multiple times in the last 5 or so years though until recently I had never been to Maui. It did not disappoint. My dad has to work over on the Big Island and Oahu about every 6 months so occasionally I get the chance to go and hang with my mom while my dad works. We stayed at the Westin in Kaanapali and it was gorgeous. We had a few days of sight seeing and some great days of just lounging on the beach. We went snorkeling, zip lining, did a great hike, ate shrimp from the shrimp truck, went down to Lahaina, went to the top of the volcano, all in all had a wonderful time. Thanks Dad for giving me an excuse to go :)

Ragnar -
Prior to running the Wasatch back I had heard many stories of people who have had both wonderful and terrible experiences running Ragnar. I am happy to say that my experience was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. My van included 2 of my best friends, a girl I knew just a little bit, and 2 gals I had never met prior. I could not have had a better van of ladies to run with. They were all very positive and supportive of everyone. I ran the better part of two of my legs in the dark, 2 in the early morning and one in the later evening. Meaning for me....my first and last run were both pretty cold, at least the first half of both of those runs. I was runner #1 which meant that I was first to start and first to finish. I think I got the best deal. I had the most mileage of the 12 runners on our team but my runs were not the most technical by any means. They were rated hard, very hard, and easy...in that order---ideal. My first run was around 6 miles, my second about 11, and my last near 4. I would run it again in a heart beat, if you have the opportunity I would take it. It was something I had always wanted to do and am grateful I got the opportunity.

Costa Rica -
WOW! Costa Rica was like no where I have ever traveled before. The living conditions in Costa Rica were very humble in most places we visited. The roads are like nothing you have ever driven before. We rented a car and driving there is insane. Paved roads did not exist for a good portion of our driving, most were tiny dirt roads, super windy, tons of one lane bridges, giant holes in the road, uneven from the rain, and a lot of crazy drivers. You could get stuck behind a truck for long periods of time with no opportunity to get around them. Though driving was crazy the land was amazing. The landscape while you travel was beautiful.
We first drove to a town called La Fortuna which is right near Arenal. We rode horses up near the volcano and saw sloths, Toucans, falcons, snakes, gigantic spiders and bugs, armadillo, salamander, frogs, lots of wildlife. We also went canyoneering in this area. Repelling was one of my favorite parts of this trip.
The second place we went was to Monte Verde and the cloud forest. The drive to Monte Verde was probably one of our craziest driving experiences. The roads there were all dirt and it was a good solid 3 hours or so of crazy. Monte Verde was beautiful. We went zip lining at a place called Selvatura Park in the cloud forest. The lines were longer than any lines I have ever done and we did somewhere around 16 lines. The platforms at the top of the trees that they load you on are a bit nerve racking but the zip lining was awesome. We just stayed in Monte Verde for one night. The little bed and breakfast we stayed at was owned by the kindest German man but was something like a step below camp oakcrest. No windows, just slats you could shut with the wind blowing through, a good solid inch of space to outside around the door, no hot water, and a septic tank just to give a brief beginning to our little abode. The service and kindness of the man...incredible, would I change the experience...no, the room and such....something else.
The last place we visited was the Gulf of Papagayo near Guanacaste. The resort was beautiful and it was nice end of the trip to hang out at the beach and just relax by the pool. We went snorkeling (where I got stung by a jelly fish), kayaked, played volleyball, and just enjoyed. Loved every second of this trip...

Lake Powell -
It is still there and I still love it. I was not able to go to Lake Powell the first time my family went this past summer and so I was really excited to be able to go for the second summer visit. I love that place and I love spending time away from reality with my family. We did a lot of wake surfing, the kids as well as the adults enjoyed tubing, we played a lot of games, and did a lot swimming. Still love it, every time.

'Here' -
If you haven't been here.... you should go,
if you have... you should go again.
Best decision I have made yet.

uh..hum

The last few months have been kind of incredible.

Oh, Hawaii, how I love you

Ragnar - Wasatch Back

Costa Rica - absolutely beautiful

Lake Powell - perfect mixture of relaxation and plenty to do

I went here - nothing compares :)

LIFE IS GOOD

Christmas Meadows

For Christmas this year my parents gave all of the kids in my family a snowmobiling trip and we went this past weekend. I loved every minute of it. Pretty sure I have the best family around. Thanks Mom and Dad.Love them!!

Lake Powell

I went to Lake Powell with my fam for our first trip of the year! The weather was pretty darn good. We had some afternoon thunder and rain, but it did not last too long. I have 7 nieces and nephews and 6 of them are 3 and under which adds some excitement to it all! They are adorable! Nothing like a bit of hiking, playing on the beach, family fun, skiing, wake surfing, wave runners, tubing, fishing, games....gotta love it.

Lake Powell

Yep, still love it! Another successful and fun trip with the fam to Lake Powell. I somehow seem shocked when we go and have minimal problems, our trip went pretty smooth. We had a few days of wind and rain which put a bit of a damper on going out on the boat much but, provided a day or two that you did not feel like you were going to die of heat, which was nice. Me and my brothers had a great time trying to improve our wake surfing abilities. Natalie created a club for girls only, and her dad, like any good daughter would do. We didn't really get any fishing in and I was pretty bummed. Oh well what can ya do?! My family better step it up in the horse shoe tournament--me and my mom beat out all of the boys and played for the championship. It was a close game, but in the end I came up with the win (the second trip in a row). It is a little bit crazy with six little kids all on a houseboat for a week but, once again there is nothing like being with the fam. Love them more every time I am with them. Thanks for a great trip!

Bear Lake

Went on my yearly family trip to Bear Lake this past weekend. It was a wonderful weekend filled with family (that are for sure my friends), food, and fun. We stayed in a cabin with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins--- a bit chaotic but, great none the less. I think we had something like 13 kids that were 5 and under. Pretty much good times. It amazes me that you can know people your whole life and still learn more about and grow to love them more, the more time you spend with them. We had beautiful weather and as far as I could tell not too many problems. We went to the beach, played games, had a horseshoe tournament, ate raspberry shakes, I had a delicious lime ricky, played a little tetherball, and golfed...all in all a wonderful break with wonderful people!