MY FIRST Mountain Bike Race (and Maybe Last)

So first off, I've always wanted to do a mountian bike race...lets just say it's on the bucket list. Well there was one in town that I signed up for. I thought "Hey, I'm in pretty good shape and I love Mountain Biking....I can do this." So here we are at the start. I was in the first line to go with the novice/sport women catergory...lets just say one of these things is not like the other. These women were machines. They were Super nice and supportive and said that I was "Brave" for doing it...like that's not intimidating. These people wear spandex not to be fast....but because they ARE fast. All in all it was a great learning experience...would I do it again...maybe...

Climbing...

more climbing....

Spent at the finish...

The one injury. I wiped out in a bunch of cactus's. I had about a 100 needles in my leg. 4 hours in the ER room and a tetanus shot later.....4 days later I'm still digging needles out!

A few recent pictures

This is Nali and I riding the chairlift at Castle Mountain.
Probably one of my all time favorite pictures of her.

Look at those two...Same Jammies, same bunnies.

Ella's 2nd Birthday!

This is Ella's second Birthday Party. She was born on Valentines Day! This is at about 11:30 at night she LOVED her kitchen and didn't want to go to bed!
She also LOVED her tea set from Papa Lloyd.

She was such a charmer for sure. She'd open every gift show everyone then go to the next one!

I adore this little one!

She likes to pose for pictures as well. She was trying to pose with her friend Isla!

Eating Cake like a big girl!

Taste testing the icing.

Trying to blow out the candles. She did manage one.

Catching Up!

Every Thursday for 5 weeks Nali's kindergarten class went skating. I was lucky enough to go with her on these mornings! She had a great time!
In January we took Nali to her first Flames game! She LOVED it! When we walked in she was giggling! She couldn't wait to get to her seat! Flames won as well!

We went to the game with my younger brother.

Ella's 2 year old pictures....Happy...

Not so much....

BOSTON!

On Boxing Day Sam and I flew to Boston to buy a truck. We drove the truck back to Canada. We were able to spend a few days in Boston and also spend some time in Palmyra.
In

Sam and I at Fenway Park.

You know you're married to an Engineer when...you have to take a picture over the big dig...he knows this is the largest suspension bridge of this type in north america...

Me and Jen Jackson in Boston! We were able to visit the Jacksons and spend a couple nights at their house! THANKS GUYS!!!

Christmas

Here's a few pictures from our Christmas. I didn't take Ella long to get into her stocking and start unwrapping!
Happy girls Christmas morning. Ella woke Nali up. Nali's NEVER woken up on her own Christmas morning.

The Tree Christmas Eve. You can barely see it but there's a bike there for Nali from Sanata.

We bouGT Christmas Eve to go sleding with. The girls were ready to go. Ella LOVED it!

A little update!

My cutie pie Ella Bella...she gets such a concerned look on her face sometimes.

Nali under the table at the ward Christmas Party. She still doesn't care for Santa.

Nali giving her sister a ride.

This was her birthday get up...wranglers with a belt buckle and all.

One of her birthday cakes!

ADDRESSES

If any of you who read this have moved in the past year PLEASE send me your new address! Or if you;d like a Christmas card please send me your address! Thanks!!

TOO Long! New York

So back in September I went to NYC for 3 days with some friends. Almost two months late I still haven't blogged about it. I won't go on and on like I could BUT let it be known that I LOVE NYC! Seriously I LOVED it!! All of it and can't wait to go back.
Saturday night before Hairspray. It was AMAZING!! Norm from Cheers played Edna Turnblad! It was GREAT!
The 3 shows I saw. Jersey Boys! Incredible! Wicked! Was Wicked and Hairpray so COOL!

At the Museum of Modern Art in front of Jackson Pollocks No. 1. I LOVED the MOMA. So cool to see Monet's, Van Gough's, Picasso's, Dali's all right there in front of you for 20 buckS!

Waiting for the Museum of Natural History to open. I told Nali Iwas going to see where the filmed Night at the Museum. She was SO exited. I bought a dinosaur book for Ella here.

Couldn't pass up this photo op!

Seriously, when in NYC where do 9 girls from Canada go shopping??? Lulu Lemon! I got the COOLEst coat here!

Pumpkin Run 2008

The "Run for the Pumpkin" has been happening in Lethbridge for over 20 years. It is a cross-country run. It's a lot of fun and caters to kids. At the end of the run you get to pick out a pumpkin. This was Nali's first year as well as her cousin Hailey's first year. My brother and I ran the 2 km race with the girls, then we did the 5 km race.
Nali took a little bit of encouragment about 1/2 in. She was SO excited during the beginning and just ran with it. As she'd start to struggle I'd point out people along the course that were cheering her on.
She'd get SO excited when she'd see them.
It was a lot of fun running it with her! I can't wait to do it next year!
Finishing strong. My little runner. 17 minutes for 2 km's!