ROCKTOBER

It started off with a beautiful scenic hike up Rocky Mouth Canyon to a waterfall with my brother Matthew and 2 of his children. The waterfall was really pretty and the kids loved hiking through the vibrant leaves! This fall was probably one of the all time prettiest that I have seen. 

Next it was an all day event making Apple Butter for the Holiday's. I have never made it before but I found a really yummy recipe and had to try it. We devoured our jar in 2 days and my home was left with the most incredible aroma!!!

Sweets and I took a gander up to Midway for an evening and brought the pups along. We hadn't been up there for awhile so we thought we would take a little night getaway. Tahoe and Telly ran all around the fields and were in heaven! I can't believe how big and fast Telly is getting. They are so funny when they play together.

Next, we headed down to SG and LV for a weekend trip with some friends to see Jimmy Buffet! This was incredible. First thing first, we had to race the go-cart around the 1/4 mile loop and my Sweets took first. It was so fun. We then drove down to Vegas to hit up the Pawnshop, Traders Joes, do a little shopping, and of course party at the "street party" before the concert. It seriously was a blast! The concert was the MGM and we sang and danced all night to the best island music. It was Sweets first concert so he was a little shy getting involved but he came around when Jimmy sang "fins". Afterwards, we headed to Mesquite for a little money "donation" until 5 am. It was quite the late night and quite a trip!

We rounded out the month with our tradition of Thriller at Kingsbury Hall. We go every year, and each time does not disappoint us. We are still in awe and shock and laugh just as hard as the first time we saw it many, many years ago together.

ROUND DOS!

I am back for some more of the game I like to call "catch up". This post is full of wonderful goodness. And as I type this, I am remembering other photos on my other computer...Shoot! Ok, so there will be another "catch up" but in the meantime, here goes nothin... 

UTAH 54, byU 10

I mean, do I even need to say anything? 

Yes, yes I do. What type of person would I be if I didn't? 

It was a total smackdown. 

A slaughter. 

An enjoyable embarrassment.

The UTES prevailed in the HOLY WAR once again!

Sweets and I invited some friends over to watch the "game". We ate touchdown chili, end zone desserts, halftime popcorn and 1st down chips and dips! It was really yummy and apparently I was too busy eating because I didn't take any pictures of the food of the decorations. (I tell ya, my mind is going!)  

My family and Sweets and our office, flew to Boise Idaho for an Announcement on a new project called 8th and Main in the heart of downtown. We made the announcement that Zion's Bank will now use this future building as their Idaho Headquarters. We have other tenants for this building but we are not yet releasing them. (Not that many of you care because I am pretty sure the 2 people that follow this blog live in Utah and not Idaho, however it is business and you know how it goes.) Anyway, Tommy Ahlquist, my pops, Christian, Michael Morris, Scott Anderson and the Boise Mayor all spoke a few words describing the project and the how excited everyone is to "fill the hole". We made the unveiling and the building looks fantastic!!!    

After the announcement was made, there was time for Q&A and some local news interviews. Afterwards, we went out to lunch with our Idaho office who is overseeing this project to Thaifoon. I got to meet everyone, officially, after talking on the phone with them everyday and then we all toured the other projects we have up there. It was fun to see the progress we are making on the other sites. We rented a 15 passenger van and crammed in there for the day. I can't complain though because we were lucky enough to fly private and I enjoyed not getting frisked before getting on the plane with my bottle of water!  

I did another craft. I know right? Amazing at my no-craft craft skills. 
I took a frame with matting,removed the glass, stuck some scrapbook paper behind it and glued on some mini gourds and pumpkins. VOILA! It isn't much, but I thought it was fun. I promise soon I'll post more on decorations. 

This handsome young man 

was honored at the 100th Anniversary Rotary Gala for the Service above Self award. It was such an incredible honor to receive. He was joined by 4 others some of which were President Thomas S. Monson and Jon Hunstman Sr. My father is an incredible business leader, a huge advocate for charity and service, and he is so community conscious. There is not a minute of conversation that goes by with out him trying to help others. He deserved this Service above Self award more than anybody in the whole world. I love him and I am very proud of all his good works.
The night was a great evening held at the Salt Palace. It was a black tie event so the pressure was on! 

Sweets and I have slacked in the mountain thing this year but we did managed to squeeze in some time for a little night hike up Dog Lake. This was Telly's first big hike/walk/run and he did awesome! He was so excited and was running all over the place. He just couldn't get enough of the smells from other dogs and the freedom of being off leash. He minded very well though. He came when he was supposed to and we never worried about him following other dogs back down the mountain. What a good boy he is. Tahoe, as usual was in Heaven and loving every minute of it!

SUNDAY DRIVES

Every Sunday after church, and of course after our naps, Sweets and I transition from the youthful vibrant newlywed couple we are, to an elderly slow sunday-driving couple! We pack up our car and drive aimlessly throughout the valley taking in the scenery and all the beauty that surrounds us. 

Last week, we took a drive up American Fork Canyon. I can't believe how green it still is up there! We moseyed up the canyon picking out a few spots along the way to take some nature walks with our pups and to let them run around in the mountains and rivers. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to take our drives when the leafs start changing. With the late season, I am sure the fall colors will be spectacular!

MY VERSION OF HEAVEN

I have spent the last few weeks in what I like to call, Heaven!
Sun Valley is my safe haven, my sanctuary where I can think, regain strength, and compose my life in the quiet altitudes of the mountains! My family goes there off and on through out the year but every August, we tend to just move up there. Literally. Although I couldn't stay as long as I wanted to or am used to, I did have a great time and look forward to another trip soon. 

The vacation started with a benefit concert from the Sun Valley Symphony Series with the 11 year old phenomenon Jackie Evancho! She is incredible and has such power. Her voice is pure, angelic and took our breaths away! If you don't know her music, please check her out. You will not be disappointed!
For the first 2 weeks of August they have other concerts almost every day. We loved walking over to the resort and sitting on the lawn and listening to the beautiful music at night.  

With so much time, we sure did lots of fun things throughout the weeks. Sweets drove up for a few days and we all headed over to Red Fish Lake. Andrew had his sailboat there and Matthew had his ski boat. Between the 2 boats, we had a blast cruising on the lake and watching all the kids fly off the tube together. The weather was great and the scenery was even better. We ate a little lunch at the grille and set up shop on the beach for the afternoon. It was definitely a good time!  

Tahoe stayed with me in Sun Valley and we went running, hiking and swimming every day. When Telly came up with Sweets we decided that we should take him swimming and see how it goes. It was Telly's first time in water and boy was he a kid in a candy store! He was nervous at first and followed Tahoe around but after that, he couldn't get enough of it and even started retrieving tennis balls and sticks!  

We had a BBQ with my Aunt and Uncle and their whole family at our house. It was so good to see my cousins and spend time with them. Dinner was fabulous and the stormy weather held out until after dark!

 After a hard day of exercising, heading to the pool, playing tennis, eating the most scrumptious meals, reading and knitting and doing puzzles, I have 2 awesome neices that would rub my feet! It felt great and the best part about it is they asked to do it!!!

I love Sun Valley and it is always a peaceful time for me! 

THE SHADES OF GOLD

tahoe. fenway. kashi. telly. 

A few weeks ago Sweets and I babysat our friends dog Kashi and my brother's dog Fenway. In addition to our two pups we had all the colors. It was so neat to see all the different shades of Golden Retrievers from dark to light. We loved watching them run around the yard and play together. It is not very often that you get to hang out with four beautiful Golden dogs.

SEVEN - POINT - FOUR

Last week I took my sweet namesake niece Julia on a hike up to Dog Lake in Millcreek Canyon.
It was such a beautiful day and it felt great to get into cooler weather and do some exploring!
We packed a little lunch equipped with PB&J sandwiches, fruit snacks, fiber one bars, string cheese and lots of water and headed out on our big adventure. We even packed a little lunch for our sidekicks Tahoe and Callie.  

After a few wrong turns later, we finally made it to the top! It took us about 2.3 miles longer to summit because I was not paying attention, but it was so pretty that we didn't even mind. Once we arrived at Dog Lake we sat down and ate our lunch while the dogs cooled off. They swam and ran all around the lake and had so much fun playing fetch in the cold water.  

After another wrong turn we finally made it down the mountain. I seriously don't know what my problem was. I have done that hike a gazillion times so how I missed the trail TWICE is beyond me!
We ended up hiking 7.4 miles and it was well worth it.
Thanks Jules for the awesome day hiking! 

LIKE ALL OF YOU!

Everyone posts about the "stats" of their children, so I thought I would join in on all the fun and post the "stats" of our furry kids. 

I am the proud mother of 2 beautiful fluffy boys and all I want to do is run to my porch like Rafiki in The Lion King holding them up to the neighborhood and proclaim their awesomeness! So here it is on the scale... 

Tahoe:

(t-hoe, taj, dorkface, big guy, luffer, buddy)

4 years and 6 days

81.1 pounds

golden fur

Tahoe no longer has his double ear infection. Poor guy would scratch all day and night trying to get some sort of relief but to no avail. When I took him to get checked out last month they told me to wash his ears out every 3 days with a special soap, administer ear drops daily and give him pills morning and night. The cause of the ear infections were from his allergies (hmmm, he must get that from me)! We have followed this regiment religiously and I am happy to report that he is doing AWESOME now. The vet doctor cleared him yesterday and said he no longer needs the ear cleaning or drops. The pills, she suggested, keep them going because they will help control his allergies. 

Also, he has lost 4 pounds and he is doing better with his weight. He is no longer in the "concerned" weight category. 

He loves sleeping on Sweets side of the bed, or on our bed at night. 

He sleeps through the night.

He can sit, lay down, come and shake.

(we are still working on him rolling over)

He knows and will do 'get in the car', 'get the leash' and treats.

He has the most infectious personality and makes us laugh constantly! 

Telly:

(shi-thead, lil' guy, rascal, runny-aroundy-thingy, satan's child)

3 months and 5 days

25.8 pounds

blonde fur

Our sweet new addition is doing fabulous! After his vet doctor appointment, he has gained almost 5 pounds since last month and is growing up beautifully. He received his second round of shots and a little benadryl to help ease the pain. His check up went well and he has nothing cautious to report. 

He sleeps on my side of the bed. 

He does not sleep through the night waking about twice for whiz time and play time.

He sits and lays down on his own and not by command.

He rolls over unintentionally.

     He loves going on walks and holding Tahoe's leash in his mouth. 

He has fangs as sharp as blades and chews on everything, especially Tahoe!

He gets really really ornery when he is tired and you try to touch him. 

He is our lil' guy and we love him dearly. He is so much fun and adds a whole new flair in our home!

HIP HIP HOORAY ...

IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!

We love you Tahoe!

Happy 4th Birthday!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

AND THERE'S YOUR SIGN...

Sweets and I are the proud new parents of TELLY! Yes, we got another dog!!!! A blonde Golden Retriever to be brothas (from anotha motha) with our Tahoe. We seriously could not be any more excited! OK- story time...but first enjoy these pics:

Ever since we were married I wanted to get another puppy so Tahoe could have a friend to play with. Sweets would remind me that our home was too small for 2 big dogs and said he would think about it when we moved. Well, we moved in November and I didn't let it go. I begged and pleaded for a new puppy for Christmas - I didn't get one, then I begged and pleaded for Valentines Day - I didn't get one either, then for President's Day, St. Patty's Day, my birthday, Easter, Mother's Day, for his birthday, Memorial Day - and still I didn't get one! But, late Friday night as we were laying in bed I found this really cute liter online and asked Sweets if we could just "look" at them (tehe). He agreed and we headed up to Kamas Saturday night after his work. The true intent was just to look. As soon as we arrived to the house, this little guy came barreling out of the house and straight into Sweets lap. (a sign indeed). All the other puppies just sniffed us and walked away. After Sweets played with him a bit I took over and he just gravitated to me too. (another sign). We mutually decided that we were interested in this little guy but we needed our secret weapon to seal the deal. We got Tahoe out of the car and let him meet the puppies. Once Tahoe stepped into the yard this little guy, again, came awkwardly pouncing over to Tahoe. (sign). He never left his side as Tahoe walked around the yard sniffing. (yet one more sign). The other puppies didn't pay any attention to Tahoe but this guy couldn't get enough of him! (a heck yes sign). Sweets and I both turned to each other, smiled and laughed. We hugged and in a whisper he said "go get the check book". I kissed my Sweets and ran to the car. We had been looking for puppies for awhile but nothing ever felt right until we met Telly. It was plain and simple that he had to be apart of our family! I grabbed the check book and headed into the house to finalize our newest addition to our family and the rest is history in the making...

Tahoe and Telly just love each other. They have so much fun playing, when it's convienent for Tahoe, and sleeping/cuddling together. Telly still follows Tahoe all around the house and yard and just can't get enough of him. We are so happy to be growing our little family...but our next addition we hope is a wee little human baby! 

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Lately, T and I have been "taking it the streets" and running on Wasatch. As you know, he and I usually spend our time at DD but, considering the weather we have been getting lately is all rainy, snowy and wet(!), Dimple Dell is an awful place to run. I mean you can go there, but you won't be running! You most likely will be slugging through the mud at a rate of no-pace and spend 1/2 of your time pulling out your filthy shoe that was swallowed up by the ground. Nonetheless, we have thoroughly enjoyed our new route on the streets and find much joy in spending this quality time together!   

running with a stick in his mouth

There is a perfectly routed loop by our home that equals 4.5 miles exactly. We tend to hit this up a couple times a week and we definitely feel tired afterwards. It ain't your flat, out and back run ... it's more of an up and down roller coaster, shoot me ten-times over, winding loop run! It's a doozy, but we love it!

catching some zzzz's

And typically this is how I find T afterwards! Curled in his bed, resting his exhausted body, yearning to take a snooze. He is just the cutest lil' button ever!

Thanks T for all the fun and great adventures that you take with me (and Sweets) on a daily basis. You bring us so many smiles and truly uplift our spirits!

UTAH SNOW!

This is what Sweets and I were driving in Monday night trying to get to our house! We could not believe just how much snow was falling and how wet the snow was. It was definitely a slick drive but we loved every minute of it. 

Tuesday morning we woke up to this massive pile of white! 

YAY! 

The snow literally blanketed the valley!

Happily, Sweets set his alarm super early so he and T could play with the "beast" in the snow. After snow blowing our driveway, Sweets made the rounds to the other houses on the street and did all the walks. What a trooper and a lover of his "manly" toys!

Seriously, look at the teeth on this Beast! It certainly does mean business! 

And of course, after running up and down all morning long with dad, T decided it was nap time. He made himself a comfy bed in the snow and laid down! He is such a funny dog... 

CATCH UP!

w.j.t. adams gulch

 Weston and I went to Sun Valley 1 week ago to celebrate our anniversary! It felt great to get away for a quick day and there is no other place on earth that I would rather be than in SV with my sweets! We went hiking with T, took a sleigh ride to a cabin for dinner and did a little shopping. Thanks for the get-away...Luffs sweets! 

j. sleigh 

w.j. trail creek cabin (sorry about the PDA)

We had a few friends over to our place for the fantastic game of the Super Bowl! We had so much fun catching up with each other, watching the game and commercials, eating yummy food and treats and playing buzz on the PS3 afterwards! Thanks peeps for the 'good times'! 

mark sian. bryn. ryan erin. lindsey dave. kerstin eric. sweets.

chili. chips/dip. veggies/fruit. desserts. 

Sweets and I went back on baby-sitting duty this past weekend and it was so fun! I just love all my nieces and nephews and so when I get asked to watch them, I always jump for joy! This time, we watched my brothers' 4 children for a few days. We took them to the aquarium and out to dinner, and the wonderful W took them by himself to the children's discovery while I had church meetings. Overall, we were sad to let them go, but happy to get some sleep again!  

charlie. j. 

james. abby. anna. j.

tahoe. bear.

Finally, sweets and I celebrated Valentine's Day! He surprised me with a wonderful gift(s) and fun-filled dinner in Park City. I am so lucky to have such an thoughtful husband! I on the other hand, couldn't grasp the concept this year of telling him how much I love him in a card and then getting a gift. For some reason, it wasn't doing justice in my head, so instead I decided to tell him why I love him. I made him a basket full of "love reasons why I love you" and included gifts to correlate.