alpine visitors center, rocky mountain national park

this is a very high place. this visitors center is at 11,796 feet above sea level. this is the view from the top of the nearest mountain top, which is obviously quite near.

makayla insisted on coming with us instead of staying at the bottom with grandma. but she made it all the way to the top all by herself. and then i carried her down on my back after she said, "oh, my feet are so tired."
laura and kasey also made the trek, which is impressive considering laura's diminshed lung capacity. (she's pregnant)
makayla looking cute in a little candid shot. it was really windy up at the top.
makayla looking cute while being obstinate and not looking at the camera.

free baseball

shawn, my sister's fiance, is really great with people. he know how to work the system, so much so that he scored us some free tickets to the rockies game on july 3rd. not only were the seats great for the game, but they were amazing for the fireworks afterward.

charlie, me, katie, shawn, kasey (l-r)
charlie being adorable, just like we knew he could. me being me when someone takes too long to take the picture (dad, you know who you are)
the view from the not-so-cheap seats (unless free is cheap, in which case these are the cheap seats.)

a couple of my better fireworks shots. sponsored by lockheed martin. your tax dollars at work.

the denver zoo

i've put off posting some pictures for long enough. now that it's been 2 weeks since i got home, i'm finally making some time for these posts. my next vacation is coming up in just 3 days, so i have to get these ones up or it will never happen. that's just the way life goes. as the title would suggest, these are my favorite pictures from the denver zoo.

this was by far my favorite picture from the zoo. i just wish i would have waited a second longer to get the bear's back leg all the way in the frame. oh well, it's still a good shot.

it's funny how unnaturally blue nature can be.

we saw this gorilla taking a nap in the same position that my dad sometimes takes a nap. to which he responded, "and where do you think your genes come from?" touche.

another unnaturally natural color in nature. pink birds. they do make a nice lawn ornament, though, don't they.

a brief distraction, hoping you'll forgive me.

i've kinda fallen off the blogging bandwagon, i'll admit it. i've been busy being on vacation and then this past week i've been sucked into reading "the shining", which was great. so until i get up the energy and drive to make a real post, here are some funnies that my friend beth showed me. it's from http://www.manbabies.com/, in case you have some time on your hands and need a good laugh. here are some of my favorites

GET MORE AT ManBabies.com!

GET MORE AT ManBabies.com!

GET MORE AT ManBabies.com!

look at all the cool things i've done :)

i found this on a blog that i frequent and liked it and am now just getting around to posting it. bold items are haves, not bold are have nots.

200 Have and Have nots!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (in may 2009)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a professional sports game
17. Been to the top of the Sears Tower
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day (today, for example)
51. Gone snorkling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Sung on a CD
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Seen the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to see someone you love in hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four (define high)
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play on Broadway
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant (is it possible to ride a giraffe?)
127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo's David (in may 2009)
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone's life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to sew

178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had chicken pox
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter's Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik's cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Gotten a professional massage

best weekend EVER!! (part 2)

after the concert i went up to ogden to watch my sister sarah's boys while she went and had a baby. that's always a good time. so here's some pictures from that. emery loves baby marlee, but evan was just trying to ignore the 2-ton elephant in the room, so to speak. here's some pics of that.

i'm not sure what kind of face emery is pulling here, but it's kinda funny.

told ya, emery loves his baby sister.

these two pictures with evan took a lot of coersion of some sort. he did NOT want to get his picture taken. he was too busy trying to ignore the baby and pretty much everything else. but he did smile, and he is so stinkin' cute when he does. i dare you to argue with me on that one.
the story with this picture is what makes it cute. i was laying on the couch with my legs hanging off the end. evan climbed up and sat on one of my leg and started bouncing and saying things like "giddyup" and "yee haw." so funny.

best weekend EVER!! (part 1)

it's been a week since i last posted, so i guess it's about time to write some more. so last saturday i went to the ani difranco concert here in salt lake. i was first introduced to her music 8 years ago when i worked in yellowstone, and have wanted to see her live ever since. it was SOO worth the $32 for the ticket. i went with my friend sarah from my ward, and we had a great time. we got in just before the opening act started (his name is martyn joseph, a welch singer, worth the time to listen to.) and since it was just the two of us, we didn't have much trouble getting right up close in between the blankets of people who had been there for 2 hours already. i don't know how happy they were with us, but after the concert started, it didn't really matter anyway. once everyone stood up and pressed forward, there were only 3 rows of people standing in front of us. it was AMAZING!! i loved it. i can't belive i had denied myself of such an awesome concert going experience for so long. i could have done without the smells that accompanied it (pot, patchouli, BO, beer, etc) but it kinda comes with that particular crowd. i was so happy with the set list for the concert, too. if i had to write the set list for my ideal ani concert, it wouldn't have been much different.

(here's a list of some of titles she played for all you ani lovers out there. you know who you are :) -- 32 flavors, anticipate, two little girls, as is, not a pretty girl, evolve, both hands, shameless, untouchable face, 78% h2o, manhole, smiling underneath, the atom, done wrong)

anyway, i just spent some time on you tube finding some clips of my favorite new songs from the concert. i will warn you that the video is not very good on either one because it's just from some concert goer who smuggled in their camera and then tried to keep it semi-hidden while filming to avoid confiscation. but the sound is good, and really, that's what matters. but just the same, you can really tell that she loves what she does and that she's writing from the heart.











and here's some pictures. since i couldn't take my camera with me, we took some pictures afterward. this is me and sarah after the concert in what could very possibly be the best self portrait i have ever taken.

and no concert would be complete without some concert gear, so i bought a tank top that i really liked. okay, so i didn't like the tank top that much. i can't really wear one alone, and it was kinda small and very ribbed, which means that it hugged all the curves that i don't want hugged. so with a little ingenuity on my part and a little help from old navy, i recreated the tank top into the most original (and possibly the coolest) concert t-shirt ever. my roommate was so fooled by it that she though that i bought it that way. but she was wrong. i'm just incredibly clever and talented when it comes to a sewing machine if i do say so myself.

(the shirt says "someone call the girl police" which is a lyric from ani's song "little plastic castle" which is one of my faves.)