VIP

Saturday night my dad surprised me with VIP tickets to Tim McGraw! Sometimes through his work he can get tickets to concerts like this so all month I kept asking him and and at the last minute he pulled through. We went early and got VIP parking, the best part because you get out so fast, and then had dinner and sat in the suites. It was already a great view but then good ol Timmy surprised us by coming up on platform and singing two songs where he was literally less than ten feet away, it was awesome!

Good food, family, and Tim McGraw in his tight jeans with that amazing voice... It doesn't get much better than that!

Mountain Running: my new favorite hobby!

My whole life my father has been a major mountain runner! He ran the Wasatch 100 (100 miles through the mountains all by yourself) many times while I was growing up and continues to mountain run almost every day even though he claims he is too old and fat. While I was living in Canada my sisters also got into mountain running. My sister Whitney even trained and ran the Wasatch 100 as well (I know they are all crazy, we need medication).

Right when I moved back my dad and sisters mentioned that they were doing a mountain run relay race and wanted me to do it with them. I was a little hesistant seeing as how I had never run up and down mountains in my life, sure I had hiked and run on the road but never mountain run, but how was I to pass up a fun filled weekend with my dad and sisters, so I said I was in!!!

The relay race consisted of 6 team members who run a total of 140 miles. Besides a little dehydration and car sickness that reminded me way too much of being pregnant, it was one of my favorite races ever. I can't wait until next year.

 Me, Dad, Whit after my dad finished his last leg

Gorgeous views and some of the team members!

Last night my sisters and our friend Emily decided to escape away for a moonlight run up in Brighton, it was the perfect temperature, the most beautiful scenery and good company. The last 1/2 mile it became a torrential downpour on us. I couldn't ask for a better night! 

From the very first training run with my dad and sister Bekah I was hooked. You really can't describe how amazing it is until you do it. The mountins are steep but the views you take in and the smells of nature make it so worth it. I will not claim myself a real mountain runner yet and I will NEVER run the Wasatch 100, but I hope to continue to do much more mountain running, it is my new favorite hobby!

Piggies!

My little girl is growing up way too fast!!!

Never Ending Party!!!

The great thing about July in Utah is you get two holidays...the 4th of July and the 24th of July(Pioneer Day). In addition to those holidays I have a birthday, Hank has a birthday, and just to name a few more...my mom, cousin Annie, brother Judd, brother in law Jarom, Grandpa, and neice Kate also have birthdays! So to say it has been a non stop party might be an understatment.

This past weekend we celebrated Pioneer Day and it was an absolute blast! We started out Friday evening by going to the Bountiful Parade. This is a parade I grew up going to and being in with my dance company, as a cheerleader and also with my high school drill team. I was so excited to take Blakely to it and didn't know how she would react. To my excitement she LOVED it. She waved her little flag and clapped the whole time. She pointed out the horses and princesses. The only drawback would be the 105 degree weather. Literally we were sweating from every pore. My shirt was soaking wet with sweat ( I know you didn't need to know that).

After the parade we headed to the carnival where we took Blakely on the swings. Every kid was in heaven on the swings...we had to wait in line and the whole time Blakely kept saying my turn my turn. She could hardly wait. So of course I put her on and she screams the whole time. Everyone was laughing like that poor kid!!!

We put B to bed and went to the firework show (a plus of living with your parents, you can put the kid to bed and take off)

Saturday we headed down to my sister Adriens brand new beautiful home for a bbq and their neighborhood fireworks. I thought she meant little fireworks on the ground. To my surprise it was a full blown show set to music and a slideshow. This was Blakely's first firework show so I didn't know if she would freak out but she seemed to love it!!!

 She is girly but loves her balls!

 Who knew my child is obsessed with popcorn

 Adrien and Elle

The girls at fireworks

We finished off the celebration today with a family dinner at the cabin. It was hectic and fun all at the same time!

We're ALIVE!!!

I thought I would do a little post to let you all know we are alive and well in good old Bountiful UT!!! Since we have arrived things have been Hot, crazy and busy!!! Since I now have an IPHONE (can you tell how excited I am, beyond excited!!!!) I have taken a few pics on that! Our camera is in some box in a storage shed so that is the best you get! Here are a few things we have been up to!
-Playing with cousins
-Running the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay with my 3 sisters!
-Looking for houses
-Soaking in the heat (splash parks, fountains, and swimming pools)
-Bear Lake with the whole dam fam!!!

We haven't stopped for one second and I am basically still living out of boxes in my parents house because who has time to unpack when there is summer fun to be had! We may or may not have found a house but I will keep you posted!
The last couple days it has really hit me that I live in UT, before it felt like I was on vacation. I miss you all in Calgary and wish I could transport you here to play with me everyday. But I will say this feels like home, and we made the right decision. Blakely is in heaven!!! She loves her Papa and Suzy and can't get enough of all the action!!!

 Who needs clothes when its summer!

 Cousin Love!

 Her two favorite things, backpacks and her bottle!

SISTERS!!!

They Came

They Played

They Conquered

Two of my sisters (Whitney and Bekah) came up for a way too short three days to see Canada before I left and to help me pack up. Let's just say without them coming I would probably be freaking out right now, but they were so much help and did 90% of my packing. Even packed up my kitchen and sent Hank and I on a date to the movies (something we haven't done since Blakely was 5 weeks old and could sleep through movies)

The second they left I wanted to bawl my eyes out. Here are a few pics of us partying in Banff!

 So funny, doesn't it look like she is a celebrity..."No Pictures please"

Exact same hair....if mine were down you would see those same ripples in the back!

 Ater all the rain the river was insane...I have never seen it like that!

 Once again the love of backpack. She got mad when at dinner I tried to take her out!

 Sisterly love!

Survival Mode

Remember how I used to blog pretty regularly and then that just went away....well it is due to the fact that since I returned from Utah I am in full blown survival mode. I am just trying to survive my life without having a nervous breakdown. Therefore pictures and blogging have gone out the window. However, tonight I am finding that I have actually showered after class and eaten dinner by 9p.m. so we are on a roll!

This is a bit of what I have been up to lately. Teaching, teaching and more teaching. I bit off a little more than I can chew and have realized that I am invincible. For the last couple weeks I have been teaching two to three classes a day for a total of at least 15 a week. This is proving to be a little too much when in between you have to chase a 18month around. I was at least surviving when Hank was here now I am just trying not to die. Luckily I have wonderful friends here in Calgary that are taking my wild daughter for me and really helping me out. I honestly don't know what I would do without you all. In between classes I am trying to keep myself busy. If I am home alone I get lonely so I am trying to fill my days with activities for Blakely and my nights with mindless reality tv and packing. Can't wait to watch my SYTYCD tonight. My two sisters Bekah and Whitney came up this last weekend for a quick trip and saved me by packing up the majority of my house, despite the fact that my house is in boxes I don't know how I could have done it without them.

The countdown is on and I get more and more sad and yet more and more excited as the days go on (does that even make sense)!

Hank is in Utah and started his new job today...he also went house hunting with my wonderful realtor Aunt Mary. We are thinking of doing a bit of renovation on a house, lets hope I don't regret that later (right Amy?)

Anyhoo, sorry for the rambling...maybe it makes me feel like I am talking to someone other than Blakely!

I will leave you with a few random pics from my phone from the last couple weeks!!! Phone pics because I am too lazy to dig my camera cord out of a packed up box!

 Carter and Miss B

 The kid is obsessed with Backpacks thanks to Dora..."Backpack, Backpack" may be her favorite thing to say, hence the hello kitty backpack and the pic below where she made me put her in the backpack to watch a show while I made dinner!!! ha ha

Look at all those boxes...we are making progress!