I'm Back!

Alright, all you blog stalkers readers, I'm back. Y'all have been hounding me to update the blog (really, you really read it?!) and so I'm getting to it today. I've been busy, you know and haven't had the time to update regularly for your reading pleasures.There has been a lot going on this month, so I'll start from the beginning and work my way to now so that it goes in order. Like to keep things organized!

We had our third wedding anniversary on Sept. 1 and (just like past years) celebrated relatively small. I keep saying I want to take a trip, or at least go somewhere fun for the weekend, but it has yet to happen. I'm crossing my fingers for next year. Or next month, next spring. Whenever really!

We celebrated by going downtown (Whoo, Party!!) and trying the Kooky Canuck restaurant and taking in a Memphis Redbirds game (baseball). The Kooky Canuck is a burger restaurant downtown Memphis that is owned by a Canadian (apparently). They have a couple Canadian food items on the menu (such as nasty Poutine and yummy Naniamo bars!), but mostly it is hamburgers and a few sandwiches. They could use some help defining their brand. Maybe they should hire me.

This was only half my burger!

We each ordered a hamburger and planned on getting dessert to share. Scott has this thing where he has to have an appetizer when we go out to eat or else he feels like the whole dining out experience was a waste and we should have stayed home. On this particular night I convinced him to forgo the appetizer and get the dessert. Sounds like a great plan, right? No. To my disappointment, the burgers were HUGE and there was no way we could have had dessert. I was planning on getting a giant peanut butter cookie baked in its own skillet topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Delish. We keep saying we're going to go back and share a burger so we can get it....but that has yet to happen. It would be a great date. Hint, hint.

Man vs. Food (on the Food Network) was at the Kooky Canuck once because they are famous for their 7 lb. burger. A large party at the table next to us ordered one for everyone to share and we (along with others) snapped a quick cell-phone picture. It was huge (insert beer bottle for scale) and the size of it kinda turned off my appetite. But...in a large group its very cost efficient. Way to go guys!

After dinner we walked the blog or so down to Autozone Park for the Redbirds game. It was good game (as far as baseball goes) and we stayed until the end of the 5th inning or so. It was getting late, we were tired and lets face it, baseball is pretty slow. And boring. (Sorry Horace, Adam and any others I may have just offended).

All in all it was a fun night with great weather and we enjoyed it. Here's to another year....

Big Mountain

While in Whitefish, grandma, grandpa and I decided to take an afternoon and hike down Big Mountain...which I think is now called Whitefish Mountain (maybe...I don't really know). Here are some shots from the hike. There will be more pictures coming that Grandpa took...many a moment grandma and I would stop and look behind us and wonder where the heck grandpa was. It wouldn't take long to realize he was waaay behind taking pictures!! They turned out great though. For now you will have to settle with my photographs.

The trail we took and the story on how Danny died/why it was named after him. Don't ask me- I don't remember! Also a little info about the bears. We didn't see any though.

The trail close up, in case you wanted to see it in detail...It's the thick dotted line that starts at the top and wraps to the right and down the mountain. It took about 2 or so hours. Next time we are there I would love to hike up as well!

We rode the chair up the mountain. It got colder and colder the farther we went, and it was FREEZING at the top!! (at about 2pm). This is looking from our chair behind us, down onto the other mountains, ski resort and Whitefish Lake.

A view looking out over the mountain/trail...

One of the several waterfalls we saw coming down the mountain.

Grandpa taking pictures...

Looking down the mountain as we got closer to finishing the trail. You can see the ski resort/roads leading up to and around it.

There are some great pictures of Gma/Gpa and I , but you will have to wait until I put Gpa's pictures up!

Montana 2010

This year we had a "family reunion". We don't do them often, nor do we plan them as such, but this year everyone ended up at the family condo just outside Whitefish, Montana. From July 31-August 7 we played on the lake, in the pool, at the condo and on the golf course (some of us). All were in attendance except for Chad and the kids, and we missed them.

First, the getting there. We had a 3 hour or so layover in Minneapolis so Scott decided it would be a good time-killer to ride the tram. It was stinky like sweat but it did the job of killing time. 

The Minneapolis Airport is fully stocked with shopping and eating. I had amazing garlic knots and Stromboli at a pizza place for lunch (fresh garlic!) and then we walked the "mall" (before our tram riding, that is). When Scott saw the Boss store he said "just in case Jared decided to travel to Minneapolis". Jared does wear a lot of Hugo Boss....

Speaking of Jared and Hugo..here they are, all ready to go to Church. 

We spend almost all days out at the lake, about 20 miles or so from the condo. The condo has a large cabin/beach area on the lake for its residents, so it was a nice place to hang out. The weather was great the whole time, only raining/being cold on a couple mornings and late evenings when we were inside anyways.

Kira loved playing at the lake and pool!

There is a Dairy Queen just a min or two from the condo that closes at 10. We went most nights at 9:45. It's tradition and they (DQ) hate it. 

One night we went after being at the lake. They wouldn't let Jordan in without a shirt and all we had in the car was a towel. Apparently that's enough for DQ!

Scott, dad, Jordan, Jared and Grandpa did some golfing. This is the view of the golf course our the back patio door. They golfed this course a few times and another one in town.

It was so fun to have everyone together and back at the condo. We used to go all the time when we were younger, but we have been going elsewhere in the past several summers. It was so fun to get back there!

Grandma, Grandpa and I hiked down Big Mountain (Whitefish Mountain) while we were there. Those pictures will come in another post!

Oregon 2010

A few weeks ago we took a (quick) trip to Oregon for Brent and Bethany's wedding. We flew out of Memphis on Thursday, August 12th, and I returned on the 13th (for work) while Scott stayed the weekend and returned Sunday. I was only in Portland for the wedding, but after the wedding everyone else went back to Eugene. Scott went "Crawdad Fishing" with aunt/uncle Lisa and Gregg and cousins Adam and Kelsey. Here are some pictures from their adventure...it looks like they had fun!

There is always something crazy going on when Gregg is around...so that might explain the third picture!

Lisa, Kelsey, Adam and Scott 

Scott wanted to know if I would go do this, even though its in a river. Yes, Scott, I would. I can handle this river.