Thursday, July 23, 2009

Camping at the Zoo!!


Last Saturday night we camped at the Henson Robinson Zoo with Blayne's Cub Scout troop. I was considering not going because I am not the easiest of campers, but the weather was going to be cool, so I decided I would give it a shot. It was a lot of fun. We got to see some "behind the scenes" stuff at the Zoo like the freezers they keep the food in for the animals. We got to see some of the reptiles that they don't have on display everyday and got a lesson on frogs. The lady who runs the Zoo (not sure what her title is, but her name is Jackie) knew everything about every animal. She was so informative. She has worked with various Zoo's throughout her career, including in Africa and Europe. She fixed us supper and breakfast and fed us under the pavillion they have there in the park. She told us that often times when she shows up in the morning people will have taken their household pets they don't want and tie them to the door outside of the Zoo or they throw them over the fence. She said she has had goats, snakes, turtles, etc out there in the morning.
On a less positive note, trying to sleep in that Zoo was quite a challenge. The wolves began howling and I am pretty sure they set off all the other animals there because they all began going crazy after that. I also woke up at one point with a terrible pain in my hip and realized that all of the air had seeped out of my air mattress and I was lying on the ground. Ouch! My hip was really hurting. And, hello, why was I freezing in mid-July? I wore flannel pants, a hooded sweatshirt and was wrapped up in a fleece blanket and I was freezing cold. Don't get me wrong though, I would have much rather been cold than hot all night! I sleep good Sunday night after all of that, but it was a good time and Blayne was so excited to be able to sleep in the Zoo.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore!

Having a picnic in South Dakota on the way
The Teton Mountains at night

The Teton Mountains at dusk


Old Faithful



The town square in Jackson, WY




The boys and I in front of Morning Glory Pool





A grizzly bear that jumped on the road and Blayne took off running the opposite direction as quick as he could run.







We had to hike to this waterfall down the side of the mountain. Going down was fine. Coming back up equaled Aunt Jessica throwing up about 75 feet from the top.






A huge buffalo that was next to our car








After so much driving, and leaving at 2:30 in the morning we made it to Mount Rushmore the first day
We had an amazing time on our vacation. I am not really a nature person, but I loved the trip. We ended up seeing 8 bears, 3 wolves, about 30 mountain goats, 3 moose, and hundreds of elk, deer, and buffalo. Brayden and Blayne did not want to come home at all. They really had a great time. I loved hearing them complain about having to leave. I think this was the first vacation I probably lost weight on. The weather was amazing there. The temp ranged between 42 and 91, with very little humidity. On one of the mountain ranges people were skiing because there was still enough snow there that was possible to do. I thought the variations in temperature would make me sick, but I felt great the whole time, except for the hike up the mountain that got me. I also got an occasional headache from the elevation. I had 485 pictures of the trip, but these were a few of the good ones that I wanted to share.










Saturday, June 20, 2009

Vacation!!!


Leaving tomorrow night for Yellowstone National Park with Jeremy, Brayden, and Blayne. See you when we get back!
Pics to follow!!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Update from Jeremy

Some time ago I posted that I decided to make some lifestyle changes, etc. and provide updates along the way. I'm not exactly sure how long I've been at it, but I can say thusfar I've lost 16 pounds and several inches around the waist. Dietwise, I've tried to eliminate fast food, eat more fruit, and eat everything else in moderation. Exercise has been important as well - I jog anywhere from 2 to 3.3 miles, depending on how I feel any given day. If the legs/shins are too sore from running, I'll jump on the bike and ride anywhere from 8-12 miles (sounds like a lot, but its not bad at all on a bike).

In another month or so, I'll post another update. Until then, take care all.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

1...2...3...4!!!!!!!!!


Today, Jeremy and I have been married four years! It has gone by so quickly, and has been such a great four years. I can't even imagine my life without him. He is my everything!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Beef Teriyaki

I believe that this recipe was my Grandma's. My mom has always made it and it is one of very few Asian dishes that my family prepares.

1 beef roast or stew meat pack that equal the size of a roast
½ bottle soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
meat tenderizer as desired
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cooking oil

If you buy roast, cut the meat into squares. If you buy stew meat then you can skip this step. Combine the above-mentioned ingredients and pour over the meat. Marinate for atleast five hours and bake at 350 degrees until it cooked all the way through.