My First Spill

The guys at Great Basin Bicycles (where I bought my bike), told me that its not a matter of IF I fall over on my bike because I couldnt clip out soon enough but WHEN I fall over on my bike.....well that happened today at a 4-way intersection! I was on my way back from a great ride. I was riding through the foothills in this fantastic area with lots of cows, horses, victorian houses, barns and large fields. As I came back "in to town" I was flying through this intersection trying to make the light, well I made the light, unclipped one foot- but my bike fell the other way- towards the still clipped in foot and I ate it! Francis, my bike, got a scrape on her handel-bar, which didn't bother me at all. She is now broken in. I will never own anything that I dont get good use out of. So to everyone at that four-way intersection of South Meadows and Double R, I hope I made your morning!

Baseball, Baptisms and a Bike

Last Monday we went to the Reno Aces baseball game! They are a minor league team so free tickets can come pretty easy, our friends Ben and Steph got the tickets from our pastor so the four of us and there two kids went.

A blurry and weird picture, but this is Stephanie, Hailey, Adam, Mackenzie, and me covering up Ben's face. The two girls are little tom-boys. Mackenzie wears a baseball hat EVERYWHERE, its really funny, so she brought her mit just in case one came into the stands.

While I was in Utah Adam went to our friends' baptisms in Lake Tahoe! This above is the Davis', the family we went to the Aces game with. the whole family got baptized together

And this is Jaun, another friend of ours

What a cool place to get baptized, talk about a public display of faith!

This is my new bike!!! I'm offically in the cycling dork club, I have a cycling jersey and all (thanks to uncle Ralph). To those that hate bikers- I understand and I try my hardest to not be that annoying biker in the road, but please be kind and have patience, were just trying to get some excercise.

SLC Smith Family Reunion

Last weekend was the Smith family reunion in Salt Lake City. I drove the 7hrs over there by myself. If you have ever wondered what the middle of Nevada looks like, here it is:

This is the town of Battle Mountain. The big brown mountain in the back with the letters "BM" crack me up....we all know BM stands for Bowel Movement which is a polite way of saying poop. hahaha

The first night was hanging out at Aunt Jans. I stole these next two pictures from Kara (thankyou)

Me with my cousins Ashley and Rachel and our Grandpa Smith, and Jans chickens.

Me, Haley and Jan. This was a fun night of reconnecting and just talking. Grandma and I talked about quilting and she told me a story about how her Dad I believe it was, named one of her twin sisters after an old girlfriend of his!

Grandpa and Grandma Smith

The next morning was family pictures at the Orson-Pratt trail in Draper. Jenny and I drove up with Uncle Tyler. Orson Pratt was a distant Grandpa of mine.


The theme per my Gma was red, white and blue

The picture isnt of good quality but this is Grandpa and Grandma with all their great grandkids (and cousin Marney keeping a little one happy)

After a large lunch at Chuck-o-Rama with all the fam and then a bike store shopping trip for Ralph and I, was hanging out and playing games at Gma and Gpa's condo. Grandma wanted us all to sing together "Getting to know you...." Grandma's funny like that!

My cousin Claire, her husband works as a firefighter for SLC. So after all the singing and game playing at Gma and Gpa's we went to visit the fire department. This was very exciting for the young kids especially Matthew and well as you can see the "big" kids were just as interested....especially my dad!!!

They even got to play with the big hose

Savannah
And dress up in the offical uniform (my dad and cousin Joel also put on the gear)

After dinner Jen and I went back to Gma and Gpa's. This is my dad trying on what Grandma thought was a sheet to put on his mattress. I'm not quite sure what it was, but it sure was funny to see my dad put it on.

Sunday morning was the "MoTab", Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The whole family at the visitors center on Temple Square.

My bunker buddy/sister Jenny and I at Temple Square

Soooo much fun!

Continuation of the Great Northwest

My good friend Terra had her Bachlorette party/weekend in Vancouver, CA. A very cool city, but rainy, even in August! It seemed like everyone there was from a different counrty- Germany, India, Ireland, etc.We did the traditional naughty decorations, dinner, dancing and just being girls.

This is me with Brittany and Terra, I have known them since I was a kid!

We had a fancy dinner, but unfortunatley I had bad allergies and couldn't taste anything!!

From CA, Brittany dropped me just across the border in the town of Blaine, WA, where I met up with Adam who was coming over from Friday Harbor. We met at our good friends house- Blake and Amy. This was a great end to a great vacation. Melissa, another good college friend drove up from Seabeck to hangout as well. We played rock band and just hung out. It was very relaxing.

Melissa (middle) had just had baby Kannon (shown on a previous blog). So us girls had fun talkin babies.

Adam and I flew home together on August 10th- Our 3yr Anniversary!!!! I couldn't even get into the house when he sent me off in the car to go get a massage he had schedueled for me. When I got to Massage Envy there was this giant bouquet of flowers waiting for me! We then dressed up and went out to dinner at a delicioius Italian restaraunt.

What a great vacation the last three blogs have been. After 10days away though, it's nice to be home! I wish I had more pictures of Adam's trip, but here's the only one I have- and I had to steal it off facebook.

Adam with his good buddies from his childhood. His vacation in short: a ton of golfing and hanging out with family and friends!

Fort Stevens

My family's annual Fort Stevens reunion has come and gone. This year I went by myself :( but still had a ton of fun! My brother-in-law's birthday was celebrated the first night I arrived.


Brett (bro in law), Jordan(bro) and I took the kids to the old Battery Pratt. Jordan and I spooked them out by slamming the old metal doors, making an eery sound.

The boys especially were obsessed with anything army.

Coffenbury Lake


The walk back to camp included the special care Danielle(sis) had to take of a giant bananna slug we had found. Harrison was very adiment about taking this slug back with us. Brave Danielle

Jenny, Jordan and Haley. After the kids bedtime, all the adults (my bro, sisters, husbands and mom) would sit around the camp fire and talk. This was very entertaining and usually consisted of many laughs. Haley and Savannah wanted to be adults one night and joined us, but only briefly- to them were weren't very fun

Harrison, Matthew and Blake- Cousins at play



All of my 11 nieces and nephews together!!!!!
From the top left: Blake, Jaclyn, Savannah, Tyson holding Adalyn, Matthew, Haley holding Cohen. Bottom Left: Cade, Luke and Harrison.

Visiting the Tilamook Cheese Factory (don't mind the sign on the window, we didnt)

Luke just hanging out like a big boy

Harrison

Harrison, Cade and Matthew- On the last day as I was taking down my tent, they asked if they could play in the tent together. They got in, zipped it up and then all you heard was laughing, screaming and the tent walls moving all over the place!

They were crackin me up! They were trying to move this tire cause thats what men do, and I could hear them saying things like "come guys, I know we can do it", so cute!

Twins Cohen and Adalyn playing with cousin Tyson. They loved his hat.

Our family has two sets of twins, these two and then their cousins Blake and Jaclyn.

Haley and Jaclyn being goofy

Looking out over the jetty

The Pacific Ocean meeting the Columbia River

So much fun, I love you all!