Up Up and Away in Park City!

As this summer has been crazy for us and Sydney hadn't had a real vacation, I decided that we would go to Park City for a few days to do our school shopping and just spend some time together before she heads back to school.

I rented a three bedroom condo and invited my sisters and nieces to come spend a couple days with us. It was really great to get away and to have some girl bonding time.

On Monday Sydney and I went on a hot air baloon ride. It was amazing, breathtaking, peaceful, exhilarating, and more... We launched from the parking lot of the the shopping center next to our condo, went up 4,000 feet, floated across the valley and landed near Jordanelle. Here are some pics...


Laying the baloon out at the launch site... (it's over 90 feet tall)


Those are some big fans they use to blow up the baloon


Almost there (this is the top of the baloon see how small Sydney looks next to it)


Don't look down...


Is that blue sky I see? Yes it is, this is looking up at the top of baloon from inside the basket after we have landed and they are letting the air out of the baloon.


Safely back on the ground...what a ride!

On Tuesday, we all went and rode the Alping slide (well almost all Peggy said she would go if she could walk to the top of the mountain, but there was no way she was riding the ski lift...so she was the official picture taker)


Tuesday night we went to dinner at Cafe Rio (my favorite) and went to the movie Mama Mia I haven't laughed that much in a long time.

Wednesday we got ready to come home, but Sydney wanted to ride the coaster at the ski resort so we did that just before we left.


I want to thank everyone who came up and spend some time with us. I hope you all had fun, I know we did!

3 years later...

So after 3 years Ted finally delivered on a mother's day gift...we have a new vinyl fence for the backyard.

Ever since we moved in to this house I have wanted some type of designation between the actual back yard and the lot in back that Ted uses to store everything imaginable. I do have to say that Ted really has worked at cleaning up the lot and keeping it looking nice---but I just wanted that feeling of a back yard and not a back parking lot. So this project has been on the "to do" list for a long time. It was even promised as a mother's day present about three years ago. And we have measured for the fence at least 8 times. So early this spring Ted said again we really need to get going on that fence don't we---and I'm telling you miracles still happen---we have a fence!
Before...

After...


So now we need to plan another family BBQ so you can all enjoy the fence with me.

Polaris Dealer Meeting

This year the Polaris Dealer meeting was held in Las Vegas, yes Las Vegas in July! Since it was so close to us Derrick and Monica decided to go with us. So Sydney stayed at their house and Monica's nieces and her sister and her mom watched all of the kids.

Polaris has several awesome new models for the '09 year. Lots of changes to the high performance, heavy duty machines. I don't understand a lot of the technical stuff of why or how it works, but the end product is always an awesome machine!

We drove down on Wednesday, most of the meeting were held at the new Palazzo Resort. It just opened last December and it was very nice. Wednesday night was the big reveal show and Polaris puts on quite a show! After the show they opened up the display room.



Thursday was more meetings, etc. and then we had a free night. We had tickets to the Cirque dul Soleil show O held at the Belagio. We had decided to walk and it was quite a bit farther than what it appeared it would be on the map, but we got to see the sights of Vegas including the water show at the Belagio.

Friday was the demo ride for Derrick and Ted and shopping for Monica and me, our order session, and the final dinner. The regional representative for our area was inducted into the "Polaris Hall of Fame" so it was neat to be there for that. Friday after the dinner we walked over and watched the Pirate Show at Treasure Island, it had changed a lot since I saw it last, and I really didn't like it as much as before.

Saturday morning we drove home with a stop in St. George to eat at In-and-Out Burger (my first time). It was a really quick trip, but we had a good time. Next year the show is in St. Paul, MN, so I finally get to go the the Mall of America! (yes I'm already making plans)

Our little fishergirl

This weekend we went camping at Rex's Reservoir. It is near Gooseberry in the Fishlake National Forrest.


This picture is from Rex's Reservoir looking up the mountain.

This picture is from the top of the mountain looking down at Rex's Reservoir (it was smokey that day)

We left on Friday after work and drove there (about 2 hours). After we set up camp, we went for a short ATV ride.

Saturday morning Ted and Sydney fished while I cooked breakfast, then after breakfast we went on an ATV ride to the top of the mountain. It was so pretty and cool. There were several lakes and the wildflowers were still in bloom. We stopped for lunch at Salina Reservoir and Sydney fished some more. Then Saturday night Ted & Sydney fished while I cooked dinner, well this is when Sydney caught the only fish of the trip. (It was actually on Ted's line but it got tangled with Sydney's so she reeled it in).


Sunday morning Ted and Sydney fished while I cooked breakfast (do you see a pattern here?) After breakfast we went on another ATV ride and ended up a Koosharem Reservoir for some more fishing, we then rode back, loaded up and headed for home.

It was really great to get away for the weekend!

These are pictures of the wildflowers.

New ATV!

We went camping over the weekend and I got to try out my new ATV! It's a Sportsman 500 with the two-up seat. So it's great for taking Sydney riding with me.

When Ted and I were first married I would just use whatever machine we had available at the time, which for me was like learning to ride all over again each time we went out. I finally told Ted that I needed just one bike that I could get used to riding. So in 2004 I got the anniversary edition Sportsman 500 which I loved! I would also say that my riding skills have improved over the years. There is definently a comfort level that comes with being on a familiar machine. Well at our last ATV club ride/camping trip (April or May) we got ready to unload on Saturday morning and my ATV would not start (some electrical problem). Needless to say Ted took a lot of crap that day for not being able to keep his wife's machine running. So I guess he decided it was time for a new one.

Now I'm back to learning how to ride a new machine, I only hope it will be as good as my last one and from my first ride it was great!

This picture was taken aafter the camping trip and Ted even washed it. I wanted a picture on the trail, but by the time we got there it was so dusty you couldn't tell what color it was.

Where does the time go? (a quick update)

Okay can anyone tell me where all the time goes? I really need about 6 more hours a day to get all the things done that I want to do...I would even take 2 more hours to do the things I need to.

It seems like school just got out, but now that the 4th is over I find myself starting to think about needing to get all the back to school gear and yes to start Christmas shopping. I have nothing yet and for those of you who know me know that I usually have a good share of it done before now.

We have decided to go camping this weekend. We really don't have the time (I should stay home and get the house in order for company next week) but we looked at the calendar and it's this weekend or not until Labor Day because next week we have the reunion, then Vegas, then the Ride For Life, then the fair, then school starts again.

I have decided to take the playroom/spare bedroom downstairs and turn it into a craft room, so that in all my spare time I can do some of the things that I want to do. I thought this would be a great idea except that I have no spare time so by the time I get down there it's usually after 11 and then once I start I don't want to stop so I have been staying up way too late this week. Again where does the time go?

Well that's my update for now.

Rose Colored Glasses

I just had to share some pictures of my roses. This spring I was a slacker and did not get them pruned as early as I should have so I was really late in getting bloomsoms this year, but they are so pretty now.

One of my favorite things to do is get up early in the morning and spend time in the rose garden. It seems as if the whole world is still asleep and I am just there with the beauty of the roses and there is not a care in the world. I wish I had time to start everyday like that. I would have to guess that feeling is what the saying "rose colored glasses" is meant to portray.

We're dancing (again)

After taking a year off (our dance instructor had a baby) Sydney is back dancing again. The studio is now called "Dance Break Studios" and they had a summer camp this week, with a short performance this evening at the park.

In this picture Sydney (standing) and her friend Brinley (kneeling) are on the right.

Sydney loves dance and was is so excited to be dancing again. I love that she is having fun and getting some exercise. In fact after tonights program she said "I forgot how much work it is to dance." But she says she wants to do it this fall so I'm sure we will have a lot more posts about dance.