Happy Birthday at the Lake

Last weekend we went camping at Yuba Lake for my best friend Kimba's 27th birthday. Only a few pics here, but tons of fun. It rained off and on, but we were able to hide in one trailer or another and played cards and ate and laughed. Luckily, mine and Wes' tent made it through the worst of the rain and wind, after he and the boys anchored it down with ginormous boulders - and it never did rain at night while we were actually in the tent :) We sat by the fire and went toad hunting by night. Happy Birthday, Kimba!

Air Show

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” - Henry Ford

Wes and I went to the Air Show at Hill Air Force Base. I remember when we first started dating, one of the things I realized he was fascinated with was airplanes. All kinds of planes, which is funny because he's not a huge fan of flying. Even to this day, any time we're outside and hear a plane overhead, he stops what he's doing to look up and gawk. Even if he's driving at the time (gulp).

We were able to score some VIP tickets to the show via and old school friend (Thanks Erin!) and it was an awesome view. Freezing cold and raining most of the time, but still super cool. Those Thunderbird Jets were SO loud and fast, you could feel them from the vibrating in your body before you knew they were coming. Fun day!

No Floaties here!

Wes' dad and step mom invited us to go watch one of his little sister's early morning swim meets about two weeks ago. It was a cold, crisp morning and we weren't jealous of those swimmers in their suits at all!

As you can see, Erika was freezing in between her swims, but when she got out their and got moving it was worth it. She beat her best time in the backstroke by five seconds. That might not sound like much, but it's a huge accomplishment. I'm glad we were there to see it happen. I don't know much about competitive swimming, but I respect the dedication and strength it takes.

In the last picture, she's actually writing down her number for her next heat on her arm, but doesn't it look more like she's signing an autograph? Keep it up, Erika!

Congratulations, brother.

On June 5th, my family attended Doug's High School Graduation. Being the big sap that I am, I totally teared up when he received his diploma. It's been an incredibly hard year for Doug and the rest of my family, but he pulled through and made it happen. So proud of you, brother!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.” - Dr. Seuss

Happy Birthday Dougie Balooga!

The whole family (except for brothers-in-law) made it out to Buffet City for my brother Doug's 18th birthday. I'm not a huge fan of buffets, but they're Doug's favorite and I guess the birthday boy wins. It's amazing Wes and I ever agree on anywhere to eat when we go out, because he's a huge fan of the buffets, too. All in all, the food was pretty good and it was fun (and not TOO hectic) hanging out with the whole family.











Masen sleeping...





And finally eating



Avery



Rylee



Lina and her cheese beard



Almost everyone

Happy Birthday Cherill!

We celebrated Wes' sister Cherill's 26th birthday at the end of May. First, an amazing sushi dinner at Sushi 4 You, followed by dancing and fun at Club Habits. Tons of fun, but only a few pictures from the night here. Hope your 26th year is the best, Cherill!

Up the Copper Creek

Okay, so I've been meaning to update for weeks now, but it just hasn't happened. I guess it's a good thing when one is out doing too many fun things and enjoying time with family and friends to update the blog, right?

Just a quick one here...a few weeks ago, Wes and I went to a late lunch with my sister Lisa. She suggested this little pub I'd never heard of, that's tucked away in a strip mall that I pass on my way to and from work every day. I'm always for trying a new place, and I was so pleasantly surprised by Copper Creek Pub and Grub in West Valley. I highly recommend it when you're craving heavy, fried food, or one of many amazing different burgers and fries. Also a great place to grab a quick, cold one - where there aren't many places to do so on the west side. Delicious!

We journeyed, we conquered

Last Sunday we decided to get some fresh air with some of my family and hike the Timpanogos Trail up to the caves. Little did we know, that the 30% chance of rain in the evening would actually end up being about a 90% chance during our mid-morning hike up the mountain.

We trucked on through the rain and it was absolutely amazing. Such pretty views! Surprisingly, our best trooper of all was my niece Rylee, who happened to be the youngest hiker.

The hike was more than worth walking through the cold, wet, beautiful caves. We had a great time.