Weekends

The last few weekends we have been trying to enjoy some time as a family before Luke leaves to Seattle for a month. We went to Rigby to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Allred. While there we were able to play at the Riot Zone. Brylee had so much fun. We took a few rides on the go carts, played a round of miniature golf, and then Brynlee spent 2 hours playing on the huge blow up toys. She ran non-stop for nearly 2 hours, climbing and sliding and jumping. It was so funny to watch her just run and run. She always likes to tell me that she is a "running girl." Thanks mom and dad for a fun weekend!

We spent last weekend up at my parents cabin. It was rainy and cold, but we were able to relax and enjoy the beautiful green mountains. This past weekend we went to Utah and supported Luke in the Wasatch Steeple Chase race. This is his third year running the 17 mile trail race and he did awesome. He won the race and nearly beat the record. He ran 17 miles half of which was running up a huge steep mountain and then back down again. His time was 2 hours and 16 min! He only missed beating the record by 36 seconds. It has been fun watching him at his races. This year he has done really well. He placed first at the Menan Butte race, setting a new course record, then third at the Pocatello 50 which was cut short due to the snow over memorial day weekend, and then first again this weekend. Way to go LUKE!

Kitchen Updates

For mother's day this year Luke told me that he would make remodeling our kitchen a priority. Yeah! I have been waiting for us to be able to do this so I was very excited. Luke with the help of my brother Jake pulled up the flooring, well...as much as we could. Our original plan was to lay tile down, but after seeing hard wood floors under the linoleum flooring we did not have the heart to cut it out. We refinished the hardwood in a really nice walnut color and then were lucky enough to have a friend install granite. Never in my wildest dreams would I have granite, but we could not pass up the price. Next, we will move to updating the cabinets. Not sure yet what we are doing, but I will post photos when we get it done.

This is how it looks today. We are looking at doing a tile back splash and are just waiting for the tile. I love how it has turned out. The darker flooring and and counters really warms up the kitchen. Plus, my favorite part is no more old yucky WHITE linoleum that showed everything on the floor.

Brynlee Turned Three

Brynlee turned three clear back on May 1st. She had requested a Dora Party with Rice and Beans, so we had a little fiesta. We had friends and family come over, we were a little crowded but we were happy to have everyone together for her birthday. We were crossing our fingers for good weather, but as you know we did not have a good spring. We did get a break in the weather and were able to have the little girls go outside for a pinata. Brynlee had a lot of fun and I can't believe she is three years old.

Spring Updates

This spring we attended Baby animal days in Logan, Utah again. This time we had more company. My parents came along with Jake, Brandi, and Aliza. Brynlee still wasn't sure of what to think of the animals. I was hoping that having one year to grow up would have helped her to be less afraid of touching little harmless baby animals, but this was not the case. Again, even with grandma and grandpa she was too afraid to touch anything. She decided just looking was good enough. Her favorite part ended up being a little train ride. While it doesn't look like it on her face she really liked this part. Hopefully one of these days we will move past this part. At the end of the day they had a candy canon that went off and all the kids could get little goodies. I was surprised how well she did. She actually got quite a few pieces of candy even though there were so many kids. She ended up picking up the candy that was closest to us while all of the other kids ran for the middle. Overall it was a nice day to be out with the family.

While we were in Logan my parents, Casey, Brynlee, and I ran another 5K race. It was good to have my parents out and running again. My dad pushed Brynlee in the Chariot and was able to get third place in his age division. Way to go Dad. It was fun to be able to get out as a family and see them be active and do well. Even my mom ran/walked and had a very good time. Now we just need to find a few more for them, thank goodness for the Pocatello Fun Run Series.

Easter was nice. We didn't have the best weather but we did get out for a little Easter egg hunt.Brynlee enjoyed finding her eggs and helping her little cousin Aliza find eggs as well. It ended up being a quiet Easter because Luke had to ski patrol so Brynlee and I watched conference and stayed in side.

Since Easter our weather has been up and down, normal for Idaho spring but I always have high hopes for something better. Brynlee has been dying to get out side ever since last weekend when the weather was way too nice and has been talking about going to the pool nearly every day. She can not wait, and I have to admit I am a ready to sit at the pool as well.

Over spring break Luke went to Peru with Idaho Condor. It is a group made up of medical and dental professionals and students that go to small villages out side of Cusco Pero and offer services to the indigenous people. He was gone for 12 days and had an amazing trip and is already planning on the next trip back to Peru.

Right now I am enjoying not working full time. I have completed the spring semester with the hygiene students so I have a few weeks off unit I work a few days in summer clinic. It is nice to have this part completed, and knowing that summer is around the corner and that Luke will be graduating soon makes me very very happy.

Brynlee's birthday is coming up this weekend. She has been excited for a Dora Party for nearly 6 months now, so we can't let her down. She has been very excited for her Dora Party and has been talking about the different aspects of this party. We will be having a Dora cake and several different dora themed games. Luke and I talked to her about what kind of food she wanted for her birthday, we told her that she could choose her most favorite type of food to have with her friends and family, and guess what she chose?? She said she wanted Rice and Beans..... Rice and Beans is a three year old's favorite food! Funny huh, I love it! (I am not sure if this girl knows what a Happy Meal is...) So needless to say we will be having a fiesta! Dora Party here we come!!!

Bad Blogger Award

Sorry Family and Friends,

I have done a really really bad job these last few months of keeping up with posting what has been happening with our family. I missed posting any information on Christmas and the New Year, not to mention many other small and fun Holidays that I didn't have to work. So now is the time to get motivated and feel like I can do more than I have been for the past three months.

Here is a rough summary of what we have been up to.

Work and School.

Ha ha.... sad right, but true. We have had some fun in there and have gotten out as a family and done a few things, I won't lie.

Christmas was fun. We spent Christmas at the Cabin with my family. It was nice to be in the mountains, it was quiet, simple, and nearly perfect. It was one to remember for a long time.

After Christmas, I have forgotten things. We went cross-country skiing for Martin Luther King day and then last month went night skiing with our friends at Pebble. Their little girl and Brynlee had a great time. It was so fun to see them enjoy the cold evening on the hill skiing with one and other. I hope it will be something the both of them will still enjoy as they get bigger. Grandpa and Grandma Allred (aka my parents) came down and brought the snowmobiles. We went riding up Mink Creek. It was a lot of fun and Brynlee discovered how to ride her "kitty Kat" by her self. It was a bit scary for us but she survived. I will make sure to post the video of her riding it, it is hillarious. Well other than that, we have been busy with work and school. It will soon come to an end, I have a month and a half of working full time and then I will only work 2 days a week after the university is closed for spring semester. I am looking forward to the break, and after yesterdays snow and today's cold tempetures I am really looking forward to spring and summer with warm days, flowers, gardens, running in the sun, playing at the pool, walking around the zoo, and only working 2 days a week. HERE IS TO Summer!

Spring Fairy

Brynlee and Grace "high five" before racing each other down the hill

Night Skiing at Pebble Creek

Brynlee and Papa Allred Snowmobiling at Cabin

Brynlee and cousin Aliza sledding down the road at the cabin

Weekend at Cabin

Luke finished the last day of his third rotation. I am happy to report that we only have 5 more rotations left until graduation. (Can you tell we are counting down?) To celebrate his "last" Christmas break we headed up to Palisades with my parents to their cabin. We had a great weekend of relaxing and playing in the snow. We were excited to see all the snow that came down. It snowed consistently the two days that we were up there. We did a lot of playing in the snow and Brynlee enjoyed riding the snowmobile again. She also did a little skiing with her Sad and Papa Allred.

The biggest excitement/work came when my dad's truck got stuck in the snow and then slipped down to the side of the mountain. The snow gods must have been mad at us for driving the truck to the cabin on the 11th of December and got back at us. It took 4-5 hours of work, along with a chain wench, and lots of digging to get the darn thing off the mountain, but at least we are all home safe and will be driving the snowmobiles to the cabin through the rest of winter.

Trying to pull the truck off the side of the road. There is a steep slope on the right side of the truck.

This is my dad's truck stuck on the side of the road leaning down the mountain.

Luke throwing Brynlee up.

Papa Allred, Luke, and Brynlee getting ready to go skiing

Brynlee pulling funny faces on the "kitty cat"

Brynlee getting rides on the sled. Lucky girl.

SNOW

We here happy and a little surprised to wake up to snow on Saturday morning. Brynlee and I decided that we would go out and have a little fun. We went over to my brother Jake's house and played in the snow. He has a little artic cat snowmobile. Last year Brynlee wanted nothing to do with it, but this year she was fine. Here are a few photos of us in the snow. Brynlee liked eating it as much as playing in it. She also attempted a snow angel, which was funny to watch.