Oh No, No Tracy...Baltimore and ME!

Ok, so I join the I heart Hairspray club!!! Sign me up! Today I had a day off and decided to do something I have never done before...go to the movies by myself! I saw Hairspray since Ryan did not want to see it (but i will make him now). Over all the experience was ok...except for the part about having a funny old lady in the theatre who laughed super loud and repeated all the funny lines and not having any one to laugh at her with. Don't worry though, I laughed at her all on my own anyway. :) But, I loved the movie. I too am now Link's biggest fan and Tracy has to be the cutest thing in America! I had a smile on my face throughout the entire movie! So, it has been determined...Hairspray is #1 in my book!

Feliz Anniversario!

My cute husband had a birthday this month! He turned 26 and will be only one year younger than me, by number, for two months. :) He had a good birthday...so he says. We went to Texas Road House to celebrate and then opened presents. He got a rack for the back of the car to carry his bike, a track for his bike and a bag to to with it (which didn't fit and went back), a head light for his bike, extra biking clothes...over all he had a bike birthday! And because of that it made it a good birthday!

I like birthdays...it is always fun to have a reason to celebrate each other! And sometimes just no reason at all!

Happy Birthday Honey! I love you!

The Great Outdoors!

We went camping at Pangwitch Lake this past week with my parents. We had a blast!!! One day we just relaxed and drove around to see the sights, the next day we drove ATV's all day, and the last day we spent at Bryce Canyon. We had a beautiful camp site with lots of trees and room for the dogs to run around. I had never driven ATV's before so that was super fun for all of us. When we were done our faces were so dirty we had to go in the rental place and wash them off. Also, I have not been to Bryce since I was a little kid and Ryan had never been so it was a really neat experience. There was a ton of people who did not speak English who were very rude. We kept a tally of how many people cut us off... it ended at 7! We were very surprised. It was very beautiful there. Ryan's new thing is that he wants to go back and do the 23 mile hike through the canyon...sounds like fun. It was fun to be with my parents and do the camping thing. We cooked and ate outside, stayed up late playing games, and had lots of time to read books. And the best part was that we were out of cell phone range and we got to turn our work phones off! :)

Chase came with us. He loved the outdoors. My parents brought and Gizmo, they were instant best friends. They were together all the time. We brought a big natural bone and Gizmo loved that thing, it was about the same size he was. Chase was depressed for the two days after we left, he just slept all the time and didn't want to play with us... which is crazy! He misses his friend and the wide open spaces.

We love the great outdoors!

"Wii" Be Boxing

The other night we fell in love. We fell in love with the Wii! Our friends have one and a few of us got together and played. This is a picture of me and James boxing. It was hilarious! I didn't give up with out a fight...he may have gotten the knock out but not without going five rounds first! I was laughing so hard I could barely punch. We also played a ton of tennis...so much that the next day my arm hurt. I am a little embarrassed to admit it. But one thing that I am not embarrassed about is that Ryan and I bowled and he got 76 while I got a whopping 191! Who's the Woman! :) We had so much fun!
Chase also had a good time. He had a play date with his friend Paisley. They ran each other out...well he was tuckered, Paisley was still a ball of energy. He was just happy to play with dogs! :)

Seriously, one day we will have a wii and you are all invited to play...just does expect Ryan to bowl.

The Funny World of Chase

Our little Chaser-bug is hilarious! and spoiled! Ryan thinks that Chase needs the biggest bone that Pet Smart has to offer. It looks like a little more than he can handle but, don't underestimate him... he pretty much ate the entire thing in one night. The bone to us is like a bottle to a newborn for parents. If finally gives us a minute to sit down and rest for a minute. :)

Chase loves to chew on our clothes. So, as Ryan was doing laundry he put a tee shirt on Chase and ran around the apartment eating it and running around in circles. He is often times our entrainment.

We love our little puppy!

James this is for You!

James we just wanted to give you a Para Beins Para Voce! It must feel good to be done with classes! Way to go... this is for you (because I am pretty sure you guys might be the only ones who read this, besides my parents)...

A _ -A- _O Y

S P A N C Y O

and

T A R _ _ R
_ _ NT R _ L
T _ _ T _ _ A ST_ _

R S N J UA TL

We know you will have a little time on your hands... good luck!

This Weeks General Conference Talk

The talk for this week is by Bonnie D Parkin, it is called. "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness". I thought this talk was pretty short compared to some of the others but, that made it short and sweet. Some of the things that stood out to me were: One, She said, "The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us". This statement kind of hit home because over the past few weeks Ryan and I have noticed that we have been complaining a lot. If it is not his job or mine or both, the heat, the commute, homesickness, or just whatever. It seems that for some reason or another we are complaining when usually we are the glass is half full kind of people. I didn't realize it then but after reading this talk it made me realize that is id effect the Spirit we felt in our home. Complaining just brings unhappiness and when you complain about one thing it seems like the flood gates are opened and the list of complaints gets bigger and bigger until you just go to bed because there is nothing good to be awake about. Not any more! The little light bulb came on and I realize that when life gets this way it is time to make a change. A change in attitude. A change in the way I feel about the things in my life and I need to be grateful for the little things...and make my thankfulness list get bigger and bigger.

The second thing that stuck out was just being grateful. She quotes, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things." And continues, "All things means just that: good things, difficult things -- not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love." I agree! When I was in high school I started a thankfulness journal. Each day I had to write three things I was grateful for and I couldn't repeat anything. It made me really look at each day with a grateful attitude and see that each day, even the bad ones, had something to be grateful for... even if it was the ink that was in my pen at that moment, I was grateful for it. I think that I have always had a attitude of gratefulness but remembering that journal made me think about how happy I was to have so many good things in my life even amongst things that were rotten. It makes me want to make changes in my like to recognize those things again...because I have SO MUCH to be grateful for. She also said, "Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgement of the Lord's hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith".

This next part really spoke to me because I have this aunt who I feel is very strong in her faith and even though she has been handed some really hard times she has appeared to always remain a rock. I have always been impressed with this and sometimes wonder how she does it. Well, I feel this next part may explain a little bit of how she remains to strong under such tough circumstances. Sister Parkin writes, "The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord -- even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be reveled. Then comes a sense of peace." I feel this statement is the reason why my aunt is able to with stand tribulation. Besides being grateful she has a broken heart and a contrite spirit, something we have all been asked to have but, in my opinion what few have accomplished. My aunt is a great example of this and I only hope that if she has not already she will soon feel that peace that comes only after being grateful for tribulations and having a understanding of why we have them. She is a great example to me as I continue to strive to be grateful for all things and having a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Cool videos

Here is a pretty sweet video of this years race. It happened the second week of the race, but it's pretty crazy. Watch the front wheel. Sweet huh. I'm sure that wheel was more expensive than my entire bike. Just click on the link to see it.

http://video.bicycling.com/item/6B7VTWB5HX54LKN1


This one's longer, but it is amazing. I'm not going to tell you what it is cause I think everyone should see this video to understand just how great Lance Armstrong really was. He is in the yellow jersey and you can't miss him. Keep in mind this is on a huge mountain stage during the tour on 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQDjqAkLUB0

This one happened this year. You will do a double take for sure on this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmIJjR1kdYw

Enjoy

More tragedy has struck the cycling world today

Two days ago a man who was counted out won an individual time trial in the Tour de France. And yesterday he won one of the hardest mountains stages of this year's tour. Two stage wins in three days. Just to give you an idea of how difficult it is to win a stage. There are over 170 riders in one race. If you win one stage of the Tour de Fance in your whole career, you will go down in history as a great cyclist. This riders name is Alexander Vinokourov. He was considered one of the top five contenders to win this year. For those of you that don't know, the race is three weeks long. One "race" everyday for all three weeks, minus two rest days. The winner is whoever has the best time out of all the "races". He is reffered to as Vino. His team, Astana, is gunning for number one in the team rankings too. Astana has two other riders who are contenders.

The first week of the race Vino crashed so bad he had stiches in his knees, elbows, and fingers. Everyone counted him out. The day after he looked like a man beaten. Swolen so bad that he could barely walk. Everyone wondered how he could even ride a bike. His team raced for him, the crowds cheered him on, and we all believed that there was something magical in him. He pushed through the pain and the doubters. He fell almost 8 minutes behind the leader in the Alps. In the Tour, that is alot of time to make up. Then after the Alps on the first flat stage, Vino, lead his team on the attack. Dropping some of the top contenders to battle a large gap all while pushing through a "nasty little head wind" as Phil Liggett would say. With a kilometer left Vino attacked all alone. He was caught by the sprinters, and did not win the stage but it showed everyone, I'm back, I'm here, Bring it.

A day later came the individual time trails. If Vino was to have a go at the yellow, he would have to gain major time on the leaders, still being almost 8 minutes behind the yellow jersey. Well, he did just that. Beat the yellow by almost 4 minutes and the second place that day was a whole 2 minutes behind Vino. He was back in it. I was extatic, just ask Nici I told her all about it for over half an hour that day. I was one of the believers, I wanted him to prove everyone wrong and come from behind and take it in the last few days of the tour. Vino was the man and everyone had his name on their lips that day.

Now, just three days after that amazing ride, he may never race again. Not because he crashed again so bad he cannot walk. Not because he decided to retire on a high note. Not because he had a life altering event. No he cheated. He doped as is the term in Pro cycling. His A sample tested positive for a blood transfusion after he won that individual time trial. It is an incredable feeling when a new found hero of yours is found cheating on a scale like this. I know no one is perfect. But I am speechless and almost cried when I read on Bicycling.com the latest dopping scandal. I am one who has fallen in love with the tour this year. I watch every stage start to finish, know all the big names, and love a sport that is so demanding on its participants. Cycling is a sport that takes athletes and makes them super-human. I am left watching everyday how do they do that? It is a sport where an average person can get out and do what the pros are actually doing. What I mean is go out, find a hill, and try to go up it as fast as you can on a bike. Then sit down, watch a stage with a cat 1 climb, and you will know what I mean. You will automatically know how insanly awesome these guys are and will be left wondering how on earth do they do it. Even if some dope, not all do, and it leaves me spellbound everyday.

On a more positive note, we have to wait for Vinos B sample test until we can be for sure. But if he is anything like Landis, who still hasn't been proven guilty from last year, Vino did something amazingly wrong and did hiself, his team, every other rider in the ProCircut, and any Tour fan a huge disservice. Now we all have to stick up for a sport so tainted by dopping, that it is loosing its crediblity as a serious, worldwide sport. (Just a note, his whole team of 9 riders pulled out of the tour. His sponsers left. Two of his team members were in the top ten contenders to win. Andreas Kloden is in fifth only four minutes from the leader and had a serious shot to win.) My greatest hope is he is not found guilty but that won't happen. I hope he can save face somehow someday, but at this point that may not happen either.

I will continue to love the Tour this July and every July to come. I know the sport can over come these scandals, and the new generation of riders will come through for all of us. The rest of the tour I am behind Discovery all the way. GO Levi and GO Contador!!!!

Letter to My Pets

If you have pets...you get it! If not you can't help but laugh...

Letter to My Pets:

When I say to move, it means to go someplace else, not to switch positions with each other so there are still two of you in my way.

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note that placing your paw print in the middle of MY plate and food does not stake a claim making it YOUR plate of food.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help your quest to reach the bottom first, because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats actually curl up in when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to one another stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, and try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge of the door and try to pull it open. I must exit though the same door I entered. Honest.

Also, I have been using the bathroom by myself for quite sometime -- canine or feline attendance is not mandatory!

I can't stress this enough -- kiss me, THEN go smell the other dog's/cat's behind.

To pacify you, my dear companions, I have posted the following notice on our front door:

Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and then Complain About Our Pets---

1. The pets live here. You don't!

2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture (that's why it is called "fur"niture).

3. To you, our pets are just animals. To us, they are an adopted son/daughter who happens to be hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

4. Dogs and cats are better than kids because:

-They don't ask for money all the time.

-They are easier to train.

-They usually come when called.

-They don't hang out with drug-using friends.

-They don't need a gazillion dollars for a college education, and if they get pregnant you can sell their children.

(Author unknown)