Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Creative Post Title Goes Here

Meet Erin...aka Dearing Dude...
Oooh yeah, 3rd grade. Playing with pound puppies. Notice the radical pink sweatsuit I am wearing too. Its awe-some

I have some awesome pictures of Erin and I. I know she has some good ones of me too. Black mail pics.

Erin and I go waaaaaaay back. All the way to age five when we shared cookies and Mrs. McDougals 1990 Kindergarten class

I'm standing right next to Mrs. McDougal and Erin is in the middle top row with the black and white shirt on
Erin and I will be friends always. Its just one of those friendships that never goes away. We're like Bert and Ernie (just less gay)
Erin had her first baby Ashton six months ago. He's a pretty cool little guy

We got together for some lunch and baby time at my parents house. Audrey just loves to give Ashton hugs

Then we tried to pictures of the four of us...except my hair sticking straight up kinda ruined the pictures...
Then Audrey demonstrated her musical talents...



But she wasn't too happy when I literally peeled her off the piano to try and take some more without my hair sticking up...so this is what we got! Somebody needed a nap!

 Thanks Erin for your lasting, fun friendship and all the memories we have shared!

Last week we got to go on a few hikes. I am sad that I may need to hang my snowshoes and resort back to my hiking boots here soon. I love not worrying about bug spray and overheating, but it will be nice to not have to worry about frostbite and layer layer layer. We went up Mill D to Dog Lake with Sharry, Janese and Jesica. It was such a nice, sunny day...
Audrey was such a good little Cheeserface. She slept most all the way up to the lake. The hike itself is over five miles long round trip and at the very end has a pretty good climb. Its a huge workout. I ate like a pig later that night. Well, I eat like a pig all the time really


Once we got to the lake we sat in the sun and had a bite. Audrey ate all of Janese's coconut m&m's
I totally love how its so easy to just get outside and get some fresh air. Its nice to have a good set of friends that all love it too and we can go together. The next morning we decided to hit up a new hike. Mt. Aire (dun dun dunnnn)
This trail is up Millcreek. Basically you hike 1.5 miles up the road that is a snow trail, get to Elbow Fork Trailhead and its 1.9 miles to Mt. Aire...with a 2000 ft elevation gain. Hole-ee...Shit...Balls...
I was going to take Audrey but she had a bunch of green snot. I figured it would be mean to take a sinus infection head up into the mountains. Instead, I took my mom...

And a few other friends...and Oreo, the dog that gets carsick all over the snow gear...

Its kinda hard to tell...but this trail was STEEP. We were pretty much super stars for getting to the top. At one point, I was surrounded by trees, climbing up to a ledge, and I got a panic feeling. I've never felt panicky on a hike. It was like I was afraid of heights at that moment. I felt like if I looked down I would roll right off the mountain. Not the best feeling in the world.
Once we got to the top it was totally worth it...

  We were a little sweaty and .5 mile the trail two of our cohikers had to turn around...

Next up, St. Patty's day and Cabin numero dos. March has been good to us this year...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Its all about the Pony 'Do

What in the world is wrong with this picture?
Notice that purse Audrey is holding? Yeah, the one that says 'SEXY' in big glittery letters. I just don't know how I feel about my 17 month old carrying around this purse. I can't seem to take it away from her. I got it as a gift a few years back with little lotions from Victoria's Secret. Its totally Audrey-sized and she loves it. What's a mom ta do...

Another thing. I was recently told that Audrey looks like Agnes, a character from the movie Despicable Me. So I looked Agnes up. Sure enough, I see the resemblence..

Yep..its the pony 'do

One of my friends little boys asked why Audrey's hair was like that..

Audrey and I got to go on a little overnight stay at a comfy cozy cabin up in Midway with my girlfriend Jesica and her boys. It was A-Mazing. Midway is near Heber and I decided that I will live there one day.
The cabin was huge. It was on the top of a hillside that overlooked the valley and had lots of entertainment for the kids
Audrey had so much fun playing in this cabin with all the boys. It was pretty amazing

Since we were kinda on a mini vaycay I let Audrey eat Cheetos. I learn the hard way apparently. Cheetos + 17 month old = orange stains on everything
Us ladies got to relax with an adult beverage

We then decided the kids would love to see the ice castles that were literally just down the road from where we were staying...it was really cold. And this is coming from the person that is never cold. I was complaining. It was a whiney Pamela moment.

The next morning was something straight out of a Folgers commercial where the coffee wakes you up and birds are chirping and shit..
So with matching pony do's we had to say goodbye to the nice little getaway home from home...

Until next time. Peace, Love and Grub

Friday, March 4, 2011

BIG TIME UPDATE YO

Wowsah! Gasp! I cant believe its been almost 2 months since my last post! Time to play some big catch-up. We've been some very busy people, Cheeserface and I. Audrey is by far the coolest little sidekick ever. We make a damn good team us two..
Hi Mommy!
Audrey has the finest, wimpiest hair I've ever touched. AKA Cotton Candy Head.  Up in pigtails it just sticks straight up like little horns. If I dont brush it, which it tangles pretty easily, she looks homeless (as pictured below)
When I was her age, I had mounds and mounds of dark thick hair. My mom would just pile it on top of my head like Cindi Lauper. Audrey's hair is, well, a little more difficult to manage

Below is a picture of me at exactly Audreys age...17months old...

I also was also off the charts fat and tall...
Then by age two, I had hair down past my back...I'm also as big as my four year old sister who is in the middle..



We've just been having too much damn fun, hiking almost every single day that I dont work, playing with Audrey, living my life...trying to do the best with what I got.  
So lets go over the past few months, I know I need a recap!

I got to take a month long snowboarding workshop with my girlriend Sharry up at Brighton. We had our very own instructor Gina aka G-String. Pretty sure we gave her lots of entertainment for those few weeks. It was just the two of us in the class, so we learned quite a bit...
Thank you Gina for teaching us our toe edge.  I actually fell so hard on my tail bone so many times that by the last class I was wearing biking shorts in hope that my ass would be spared (no such luck when you have no ass to begin with)...and the  minor whiplash I suffered was also well worth it to get to learn to board in some fresh pow pow...

Moving on...Look how big Audrey is getting!

Okay. She's actually pretty small for her age...(thanks Danni and Adeline for the tutu) 

Audrey loves to give me kisses, (she actually will kiss most things)

She also has mastered feeding me and brushing my teeth. Thanks honey!

We have been going on some awesome dot com snowshoe hikes. I LOVE the mountains. Its a pretty huge obsession right now...even if I'm at work I try to open the blinds to my patients rooms so I can stare at them..Oh Utah, how I love thee...Usually I try and gather some pretty fun groups to go with.   Below is the cave at Doughnut Falls. I didn't even know there was a cave there for the longest time. Its hidden

The hike itself isn't too hard, the last little bit is a climb to the cave. Take note of the picture where I am pointing at my neck warmer, standing right outside the entrance to the cave... I had left that there a few days back...


Below is the same trail, but starting at the Spruces. We went on that with my madre aka cool ass fourty something year old ;) 

My mom freaked out and wouldn't climb in the cave. She totally missed out!

Another hike through the Spruces to Green Basin with some friends. It was such a nice day


Next up, Amy, Jessica, Lucy and I up Mineral Fork in Big Cottonwood. Its one of my favorites. I've done it three times now. Its soo gorgeous.



I dont care what the weather is like. I'll go no matter what. Just dress accordingly if its a blizzard vs a sunny day

Someone needed to remind me to wear a freakin hat ...this is up the Spruces...yet again

You know, I had never been snowshoeing before this year. I love hiking, I love the exercise and I love the mountains. I just knew I would love snowshoeing so I bought my snowshoes before I ever even had gone. I just knew. I like to take people who have never gone so they can experience it and love it too. How could you live here and not take advantage of these mountains?! Baffles my mind how it took me so long.

 Anywhoo..The next picture is from a mommy and me hiking day where I took three other moms and all their kids on a snowshoe to the cave. The kids complained a bit (as they normally would) but once they got to the cave it was pretty much the coolest thing they had ever done. Audrey even got to try out her snowshoes for the first time...



So, my 21st birthday (eh..hem) was on the 31st of January. Of course, Wendolyn and I celebrate our birthdays together. So first we went and ate at Benihanas...

Notice our birthday heart shaped rice? Or the sake that I spilled and couldnt let go to waste..

Then over to the SkyBar for some dancing and Hookah...It was a pretty memorable 21st birthday for the both of us

I was completely sober the entire night...


I got Audrey the absolute CUTEST little snowshoes in the planet at REI...seriously. They're friggin adorable and she loves them. She screams when I take them off. (thats proof right there) They are little tiny Tubbs and they are not intended for use until age three...well, being the overacheiver that she is, she could walk in them immediately

We practiced in the backyard first and she got to decorate them in stickers

And what's a snowshoe without a sled day! I came across an awesome spot to do such a thing up above Alta. Its probably very dangerous, but with the proper equipment it can be a safe, good time. All ya need is a sled, some Tom Collins, good friends, snowshoes, some CT bibs, a headlamp and maybe some goggles if your smart.

This was amazingly fun. So fun that we are on our third time of doing such an activity!


Puerta, my good good friend, is a snow bunny as well. She enjoys hiking around in fluffy white stuff just as much as I do (okay, maybe not just as much) but you get my point. We try out a lot of new spots together and get lost a lot together! Its pretty amazing!
Here we are in Thaynes Canyon up Mill Creek.

So, the pack with everything in it weighs about 40 pounds. Add a sniffly, snorey, sometimes screamy toddler to the mix and you never know what you'll get! All part of the adventure.

Next up, Whoop my Butler Fork in Big Cottonwood. It was very steep at first (hence the 'Whoop my')...and half had to turn around early...but it was such a warm, sunny day, I believe we all enjoyed ourselves


So avalanche danger was way too high in the main canyons one day but Jesica, Sharry, Audrey and I still wanted to get out. We headed over to Ghost Falls in Draper and we didn't even need snowshoes...what a tease for the summer.

Sharry says this trail is good for mountain biking, which I fully intend on getting majorly obsessed with come this spring...

Next up, one of my favoritest trails in the summer, Willow Heights. Its an AWESOME snowshoe too (whoda thunk?) below, right, we are roasting our poles over Audrey's firecracker hairdo...

The Aspens look so amazing in the winter...and Puerta is demonstrating how to get up from a slippage (which is pretty difficult in snowshoes)


Alesha is the wife of my friend at work Ryan. They have an 8 month old, Hunter, and Alesha really wanted to take him out for the first time. Of course, it was a blizzard that day...but both babies did AWESOME. I think Audrey kept staring at him and thinking...'wow, another baby has to go through this too' haha. Its amazing how many other hikers stop to make good comments when you bring a baby...We went up Willow Heights.

 Take note of Jesica. This is exactly how she tripped, fell and landed. I promise, we thought she broke her legs. Good thing she was the one without the baby on her back. Also, take note that I was taking pictures of her in such position and not helping her up. What a good friend I am..

I wont lie. Sunny days are freakin awesome. Havilah, Puerta, Michelle and I took a trip up Desolation trail in Millcreek which leads to Salt Lake Overlook. Havilah brought her doggy Oliver. Let me tell you. Oliver was SO much fun for Audrey. She was screaming 'DOGGY' at the top of her lungs the entire time. It almost got dangerous since she was trying to shake out of the carrier to look at him and every time she saw him she started to dance...all while hiking on the edge of the mountain. It was so fun for her I even asked if I could use Oliver as a surrogate doggy for all our hikes.

Audrey has no problem sleeping at some point most every hike

Next up, my most favoritest holiday! Valentines day! *eye roll*...I actually decided that it is 'Celebrate Audrey Day' since I found out I was pregnant on Valentines Day. So Jessica came over, she gave me a Valentines Day Sucks card, we drank some wine, and made a celebrate Audrey cake.



So, I've never made frosting before. I dont think I ever will again. I made the damn stuff so runny by putting too much strawberries in it. The more powdered sugar I added didnt work. Oh well, Audrey loved it. She even helped stir the batter and put sprinkles on the cake.

Next up, GIRLS NIGHT! I dont get out much. Even if I go to sushi with the girls or go get pedicures, I bring Audrey along. I don't mind that at all, but damnit, when I do get out without her, its a pretty big deal.

We went to a lingerie masquerade ball at the Depot featuring DJ Irene...only my most favoritest (which I know is not a real word) DJ since High School. Of course Jessica is amazing and got us backstage. I had to work the next morning. What was I thinking...

Now for the latest and greatest snowshoe up Emigration Canyon. I'd never hiked there before and shit balls, I am glad Puerta and I found this trail! It was beyond beautiful! I've done it twice now (and suffered only slight sun damage to my retinas...whoops)

The trail is so open, we decided it must be how it feels to be walking on the moon. Great views and also leads to an overlook of Salt Lake. I got to hike in just my purple T...

So, that is a little bit of what we've been up to. I couldn't include pictures from every hike, but I chose my favorites.
Audrey also loves going to the Childrens Museum (she just loves to go and hug all the other kids) and play dates with my friends kids.
We have some fun stuff coming up...two weddings! One for Joelle and Kyle and one for Sharry and John. Audrey and I have the honor to be in them. She is going to make such a cute flower girl...I can hardly wait!!
Audrey and Azalea demonstrating their cute flower girl skills for Joelles wedding
And I am so in shock as I type this...Audrey is 17 months old!! Where is this time going?! Shit balls!