BLURBITY-BLURBITY

This Blog Has Been Moved!

2010-12-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

From now on, please find us over at http://all4theadventure.wordpress.com/

Zach's Gear Room No More

2010-11-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

Remember this room? I do, vaugely. Zach remembers it more clearly, because he kind of misses it. I can't blame him.

But what's to miss when you think about all the fun that's bound to happen in this room? (The gear isn't gone... it's just been relocated to the garage)

Like the $25 Craigslist dresser? And yes, it was already painted this color. It's not perfect, but it will do the job, and it fits nicely into the closet.

I am lucky enough that someone in my family has a vinyl cutter and they let me steal it for a few weeks to get something done.

The simple art in the center is vinyl over spray painted canvas - I saw this idea at Craft Warehouse and it just doesn't get any easier this!

A $3 cardboard letter covered in robot scrapbook paper. It's "reversible" because I just couldn't decide which paper to use.

It took some creative rearranging to fit two cribs, a large changing table, dresser, rocking chair and either two bouncies seats or two swings... We hope this works!

A Quick Update

2010-11-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

The twins' room is getting close to being ready...it's not totally decorated, but the cribs and changing table are put together. I'll be sure to post pictures when it is finished! It's amazing how much stuff can fit into a small room when organized and arranged with some thought.

We still can't agree on middle names. And be "we" I mean "me." Max and Miles will for sure be their first names. (Unless the ultrasound techs have all made a terrible mistake but I highly doubt that.)

We got a Canon SLR camera that also takes 1080p video, but we both have to learn how to use it. It's a little intimidating, but yet exciting because we've been wanting an SLR for a long time.

We had a Baby "Celebration" (not a baby shower since guys don't do baby showers haha) with the Adams' family and several friends. Almost every single person invited was there... all the support really made us realize (again) how wonderful our family and friends are.

Zach has officially taken over the housework. I can't do the dishes because my belly is in the way, and I feel like sweeping/mopping/vacuuming is enough to send me into cardiac arrest. Our house is pretty clean and organized because Zach has just the perfect amount of OCD. We both know this. I'm not complaining about it either.

I had no idea this pregnancy would require such patience. I'm only 31 weeks, and I have to be honest... it's very frustrating at times, especially when I don't want to ask for or accept any help. But my pride is on it's way out the door, and I'm sure by the end there will be none left. Zach is being a good sport about taking on the extra responsibility.

I'm having plenty of contractions but our doctor isn't too concerned about it at this point. On Monday, they did some monitoring at Labor & Delivery and I was contracting every 5 minutes, but because I'm not "progressing" too much, seriously our doctor didn't even bat an eye. I'm learning that with a twin pregnancy, all symptoms and issues are considered "normal", so alot of times I don't even bother to ask. Unless Miles decides to flip into a better position soon, it looks like this will probably be a c-section delivery. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I will do whatever is required to bring this into world safely. I've never had surgery in my life!

We are so anxious to meet our little guys but know it's important they continue to bake as long as possible. Physically, I feel ready for their arrival, but mentally...not so much. Neither of us feel prepared for parenthood, but we keep telling ourselves that this is just part of the adventure!!

And... they still are boys :)

2010-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today was yet another ultrasound. August 10th was THE big day for a long time... when we would find out the twins' genders. But because we found out 10 days ago, I actually was able to sleep last night. So that was nice. A few things we learned today: they have gained a couple of ounces each in just 10 days. They are currently estimated at 9 and 10 ounces. And they are wiggle-iest little buggers ever with their twistin' and turnin' and trying to punch each other in the face. The brotherly love is starting early. I think this little guy has his dukes up... or maybe he's sucking his thumb. Zach says Adams' boys don't suck their thumbs so we'll assume this first picture is his fighting stance.

On another note, Blogger sucks and makes it ridiculously hard to post photos. I was gonna post some different ones but that just got postponed until a later date until my pregnant lady hormones have time to cool down a few degrees.

Oh Boy(s)!!!

2010-08-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

An impromptu ultrasound yesterday revealed the genders of our twins. Zach is on Cloud 9 and isn't coming down from there anytime soon... because we are having BOYS!! They were both cooperative for the tech and opened their legs nicely. They are 100% undeniably boys... and below is the proof. (this is the only time I will want to show my children's private parts, or be happy that their legs are wide open LOL!)

Baby A:

Baby B:

Why Craigslist Rules

2010-06-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Finding parents of twins via Craigslist is pretty much just awesome:

Two Fisher Price bouncers in pretty much perfect condition (with batteries) for $15 each. I just realized these are still sold at Target. I washed the covers and I seriously would not be able to tell that these aren't brand new.

2 Boppy brand swings for $20 each. (I know, bad picture) And these are still sold at Babies 'R Us. Of course I washed these covers too and they are in amazing condition. Between these two sets, buying used saved us about $125, plus we got a ton of free batteries!

This is going to be fun!

2010-06-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

I could have a heart-attack from the potential cute-ness!

Observations from a Never-Before Pregnant Person

2010-06-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Morning sickness is a lie. It is in no way restricted to the morning. Mine arrives promptly at 4pm and lasts until late at night. There are a number of extra nausea-inducing factors that make absolutely no sense. For me, it's the sight or smell of peanut butter, taking a hot shower, having my hands in hot water, or drinking warm water. The best remedy I have found for nausea is simply to get fresh air. Even better if there's a breeze.

The food groups get rearranged to your satisfaction. Mine are the String Cheese Group, the Cottage Cheese Group, the Toast Group, and The Milk Group. There was an Egg Group but I'm over that now. Before we even had a positive pregnancy test, I would have bet a $100 bill we were expecting, due to the fact I demanded eggs on toast for breakfast for 7 mornings straight. Weird.
Hungry feels different now than before pregnancy. If I were to wait for that old familar feeling of hungry, I would starve to death!

Garage sales, Craigslist and consignment stores quickly prove to be invaluable. A baby bathtub in perfect condition for $2? Sold. $50 for a gently used double stroller base that works with any two infant car seats, and it's so wildy popular you can't find one that's not back-ordered? Totally sold!

After seeing how much baby stuff costs, being crafty and more resourceful suddenly has it's appeal. Like making two matching crib bedding sets, rather than buying them. The only style of bedding I liked would cost $300 per set! (haha like $600 on bedding is even an option) Re-learning to sew with the help of my crafty mom can produce a similar result for $500 less, plus I have extra fabric for other fun projects - curtains, pillows, cute little mobiles, boppies, etc...

The plan is to make 2 blankets using a similar pattern/layout, but with our own gender neutral fabric. We'll do similar bumpers, but not quite so full and puffy.

A startling observation regarding diapers... I was never good at math, but I can do basic calculations. It's been said that newborns and infants can use upwards of 10 diapers a day. 10 diapers a day x 30 days = 300 diapers, x 2 babies = a whopping 600 diapers a month! For this reason Zach and I are accepting any Huggies or Pampers coupons you may want to send our direction. Coupons combined with sales and promotions have served us well so far.

{Pretend there is a photo here showing a mountain of Huggies and Pampers overtaking the Gear Room. I could have taken one but lack the energy required for such a photo. This one will have to do instead.}

Each package in this (imaginary) pile was either 66% off or 75% off, and we have around 1300 diapers total. That sounds great and all, until you realize that's just over a 2 month supply. I am just crossing my fingers there will be more diaper sales and it's not a seasonal thing of the past. Oh, and we got 31 boxes of Pampers wipes for the price of tax. :)

Our Ultrasound Story

2010-06-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Our first ultrasound experience went something like this:

We arrive at the doctor's office. There's some paperwork. We're excited to see our baby for the first time.

Belly lube time. I lay down on a reclined chair (much like at the dentist) and Zach sits beside me. A BSU intern goops up my belly with lube. I thought it would be freezing, but to my surprise, it was a decent temperature. A supervising ultrasound tech is also there in the room.

The BSU intern puts the instrument on my belly and Zach and I see something like this on the screen:

Me thinking to myself: Wow, that looks like TWO babies! (But I don't dare utter word because really what do I know and how stupid will I sound when I'm totally wrong)

Zach stands up and blurts out: Is that TWINS??

Ultrasound Tech: Well, I wasn't going to say it quite like this, but yes, that's twins!

Our jaws instantly hit the floor.

Ultrasound Tech to BSU intern: I should take over... would you mind stepping aside?

At this point, I have no recollection what the dialog was like, but I can tell you my thought process went something along these lines: panic, terror, can't breathe, light-headed, breathe in Rochelle.... now breathe out Rochelle, I see Zach's jaw still on the floor, he's speechless, I'm speechless, I try not to tear up but I'm going to anyway, Zach stabilizes himself against me because he's still standing and his legs are weak and I'm thankful to still be laying down. Wow, that's why I felt so INSANELY TIRED. I knew that wasn't normal, no matter the repeated "It's normal to be tired in the first trimester". Taking 3-4 naps a day in NOT normal, and don't care who says it is. Wow, that's why I'm showing more than I expected to be. How the heck are we going to handle TWO babies?? This is a mistake. Or a joke. Nope, there's still two little squirmy beans in two black compartments on the screen...

Zach is now vigorously rubbing my arm to either calm me down or himself down. Probably both.

The Ultrasound tech is poking and prodding, probably checking for a third baby. (although this was an afterthought, thank goodness) She's narrating what she's doing/seeing/discovering and I only pick up fragments of what she's saying. I hear things like "fraternal twins", "two placentas", and "nice dividing wall between the two babies". Zach must have recovered a little by now because he dubs it the Great Wall of China. That's funny to me, but I don't think I laugh. They take screenshot photos, labeling each one with "Baby A" and "Baby B". They are burnt on a CD for us to take home. I'm still in shock.

They call a doctor into the room. (not ours, but a different one) I think they called him in to "ease or minds" or something. It didn't work. I think he expected us to have a million questions, but he mostly just got two blank stares since we were both processing. We leave, with feelings of fear, nervousness, disbelief and excitement. We just looked at each other and laughed. I ask him what on earth he did this to me for. (Later I find out I am the responsible one, not him - in this scenario, twins came from my side of the family) We get in the car, and on the way home we call our parents. They were expecting the phone calls, just not the news of twins. Their reactions were truly priceless!! Donita thought Zach was pulling a prank and refused to believe there were twins unless she saw ultrasound pictures as proof! Hilarious!! My mom couldn't stop laughing and kept saying "This is going to be so much fun!!"

Now almost two weeks later, we feel a bit more grounded. (minus one late night meltdown on my part) We know this is not someone's sense of humor, nor a mistake... but a blessing, and have come to the conclusion that we wouldn't be given twins if we couldn't handle the challenge. It will surely be a different type of adventure than what we're used to! Zach is excited for my belly to grow to grand proportions but I'm dreading the idea of wearing maternity clothes. Zach's approach is to have fun now while we still can, but my approach is let's start preparing NOW. We are finding the balance!

Thanks to all of you for your excitement and support. Hearing your enthusiasm really makes it more special and more exciting for us! We will be sure to update you all in August when we find out if we are having two boys, two girls, or a girl and a boy!

Yes we are guilty

2010-04-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Forgive us Blogger, for we have sinned. It's only been, like, 11 months or so since we last posted. Had to post something before a whole YEAR passes. At least we know we suck. We could make up excuses for our blog slacking and give you a lengthy list of "whys" but we'd rather spare you. No worries though, we still have been stalking you on your blogs to remain updated. Now for a quick update on us... We've been climbing lately as the weather has warmed up. Had several days last week at City of Rocks, and hopefully we'll make it to Joshua Tree next week. If that happens, we'll be stoked about the nice southern California weather! Work is going well for both of us... for Zach, well, it's good because he still has a solid job {happy happy faces} and for Rochelle things are busy. Nothing too exciting is going on so we'll call this a wrap. Wouldn't want to get ahead of ourselves after 11 months of not blogging! :)

Old Hyndman Peak, Pioneer Mountains

2009-05-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Friday and Saturday we decided to get a gear test session in in the Pioneer Mountain Range just outside of Hailey, ID. From left to right Ed (The Sledge Hammer) Evan (Private Tough Guy) and Dave (Fast Freddy) at the trail head for our destination Old Hyndman Peak.

Ed Hammering his way down the trail.

Ed warned us that we would have to cross a creek of freezing snow melt and so we did... in our snow shoes. Yeah!

Evans turn

Fast Freddy is slowing down and making sure footed placements.

Looking into Big Basin... Idaho is beautiful!

Yes we all have the same sunglasses its because we are all experienced mountaineers! Julbo Explorer glacier glasses are the only way to climb.

The boys peering up the basin.

Finally found a campsite.

The EV2 and the EV3 in their glory!

Babbling brook where we got our COLD H20

The next morning heading up toward the summit of Old Hyndman.

1500' later where we decided to turn back because of white out conditions where we couldn't tell up from down or left from right because of the clouds and snow rolling in. We made the right decision and now we will have an opportunity to come back to climb in this beautiful area again during the summer months with slightly less snow.

Evan and Dave descending the mountain.

Ed leading the way back to camp.

The crew just before throwing the packs on and heading back to the car.

Trip to the Owyhee's

2009-04-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend Rochelle and I and 3 friends, Dave his girlfriend Toni, and Evan ventured out for a backpack overnighter in the Owyhee high desert of Idaho/Oregon. We got a late start and didn't really know where we were going to exactly go but we parked off a dirt road and headed north for about 2 miles and set up camp.

Sammy is an adventurous little backpacker here she is following me up a slightly unsafe rock outcropping... she is fearless!

If any of you have seen the animated movie open season 2 this should explain itself Dave is a clown.

The boys from left to right Evan, Dave, me.

Rochelle and Toni making the ascent.

Our camp site in the Owhyee desert.

Playing some frisbee

The girls got all bundled had some snacks and watched us play frisbee like little boys in the park.

The whole crew... Sammy was only interested in the frisbee.

Rochelle and I with the sun setting.

Sunset.

Packing up camp the next morning. Lots of dry grass and Sammy hair in the tent.

After we got back to the car we went into the Leslie Gulch area. This place looks just like Death Valley. Rock of all colors greens, purples, reds, and browns. Very pretty area.

Owyhee Reservoir

Some rock climbing anyone?

Rochelle down climbing. Dang she looks good!

So we had a great time on our trip to the Owyhee's I'm disappointed that something so beautiful has been so close my entire life and I've never been there to explore it. Rochelle and I love the rock formations and plan on heading back out to the Owyhee high desert again and again.

Gonna get brave!

2009-02-05T00:19:00.001-08:00

So Etsy.com has some creative stuff. These are actually necklace pendants made from scrabble tiles! I thought this would make a great gift for my niece, who's birthday is coming up on Valentines Day. I don't know what overcame me, but I went to Michael's and found most of the supplies, but only after lots of research. There's a cheap way to do these, then a real way. Thanks to some awesome guy on You Tube who makes resin jewelery for a living, I now know how to do this the real way. But only after watching 3 very lengthy, detailed videos.

COULD IT BE??

2009-02-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

So for once, here's a post that isn't about some adventure, or about some cleaning/organization project! (Although my office got a makeover... another time perhaps.) I was asked to put together an invitation for a baby shower, and I had so much fun doing it that I felt bad for charging. The green one was decided on, but, surprisingly I like the purple one the best. I don't even like purple, or pink for that matter. Maybe it's the color combination.

So now I'm inspired to consider a crafty kind of project. Have you noticed lately everywhere you look it's all about silhouettes, flowers and birds? Maybe not you, but I have. This stuff is everywhere, and I kind of like it. I have a closet full of square pillows, access to a vinyl cutter and a heat press.... now I just have to learn to sew. I do have the artwork though!

24-hour Makeover

2009-01-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ever since day one, I've been overcome with anxiety every time I entered the Gear Room. We enjoy alot of outdoor activities, but seriously, this is just ridiculous. I'm embarrassed of this picture - it can only be shown because this is the "before" to the "after."

First everything had to go to the living room, so we really looked like slobs. Then I painted one wall in the Gear Room green.

There are very few reasons I will get up at 5am, but going to IKEA with the intention of spending money is one of them. We got back at 7pm and began in on the real fun.

This closet amazes me. There are 12 drawers and 3 large bins. Everything is organized and has it's place.

All the backpacks now hang on the wall. There are 5 heavy duty shelves in the corner holding tents, boots and some other stuff. Zach has a 8 ft. long work station where he can pack up his gear.

And this is my favorite part! The pegboard was cheap and easy. And so practical.

All the sleeping bags are stored nicely underneath. This was a relatively inexpensive project, and worth every penny for our sanity. But I do hope the next IKEA trip is because we are going to buy a kitchen!! Or a bathroom... or even both!

Yurt Adventure

2009-01-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Well this last weekend was the long anticipated Couples Yurt Trip in the Idaho City back country. There was 9 of us on this trip we got on the snowshoeing trail at about noon and started our trek to the Banner Ridge Yurt. Rochelle and I at the trail head.
Vince and Randi... Their first Yurt Experience (please note the size and height of Vince’s pack it was gigantic)

Jimmy and Timia

Dave and Toni

L.L.E-Dawg (Little lonely Evan... His wife Jenni couldn't pull away from work but that wasn't going to keep E-Dawg from attending a Yurt Adventure)

Dave and I built ski pulk's which are sleds that you attach to yourself and pull your gear in when on snow expeditions. They worked great and doubled as entertainment when we got to the yurt.

The Crew in a snowstorm on the way into the yurt.

Double 00 Dave will protect us from the wild white tail snow bunny!

Finally the Yellow Blaze which indicates the Yurt!

Our sledding hill which the yurt deck overlooks.

A slightly crooked picture taken around 11:00 pm of the Banner Ridge Yurt.

A full moon helped the pictures really turn out good in the snowy night.

The Crew playing 99. A fun card game that Toni taught us.

The crew in front of the Yurt prior to heading out.

The short trip home. (There is a dead body in Dave's sled)

Here are a couple of video clips of the sledding fun we had. It was a wonderful trip with great friends. I can't wait for the next adventure!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

So we finished the 11 footer on New Years Day and later that afternoon Evan, Jenni, Rochelle, and I moved into our home away from home to welcome the 2009. The temp inside the igloo through the night only got down to 32 degrees. We all stayed warm and toasty except poor Jenni's toes... Which is crazy as she had the warmest sleeping bag rated to -20 degrees.

We rang in 2009 with some Roman Candles. I'm pretty happy with how these pictures turned out as I don't really know what the heck I'm doing with my camera. But for a sony point and shoot camera it really brought out what we experianced in the dark snowy night. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Wipeout!

Superman... I mean Evan belly sliding the sled hill.

Jenni hitting the hill.

Rochelle shooting the shoots.

Evan, Jenni, Rochelle and Zach at the mouth of the 11 foot Igloo.

Here are a couple of videos from our little trip. The first is of the inside of the igloo when we are packing up getting ready to head home. Then a clip of the sledding hill. The last video is me hitting the jump that we built next to the Igloo on my board. We had a great time ringing in the new year. We hope that this year brings happiness and adventure to all!

The Ice Box Igloo!

2008-12-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

So as many of you already know Rochelle and I are pretty much hard core outdoor enthusisits. Well.... ok actually I'm the hard core one, but Rochelle is really beginning to catch on and we are having a lot of fun. So this October I saw an add in an outdoor magizine about a web site called http://www.grandshelters.com/ which sells an igloo maker. So I was intrigued and researched the product, then purchased what is called the Ice Box Igloo Maker. It arrived in early November then we had to wait for the snow to fly. So last week the snow started to fall in Boise and the surrounding mountains!! So we (Rochelle, Evan, and I) headed up toward Bogus Basin Ski resort and put the Ice Box to work, and here is our 5 1/2 hour 8 foot igloo.

The 11 footer!

2008-12-27T19:15:00.001-08:00

The day after Christmas Vince, Evan, Keith, and I set out to build the 11 foot igloo. We found the perfect spot and began the process. The 11 footer was more than we were ready for as after 5 solid hours of building we still had a gaping hole in the top of our igloo. It was dark so we left with the plan for Evan and I to return the next day to finish the job. So Evan and I logged 4 more hours on the igloo and still have about a 3 foot hole in the very top. We ran out of time again. Next week we will return and finish the beast. Here are some Pictures of the 11 footer.

Fall Cleaning (The Garage Nightmare)

2008-11-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

So it's been time to clean and organize the garage since the day that Rochelle moved to Boise. Lots of her stuff moved into the garage at that time and all my stuff was a mess before she moved in, so give that situation about 8 months to fester and we have this picture here: Rochelle's stuff on the left and mine on the right.

So we pulled everything out of the cave and organized it in the front yard... Camping in one pile, lawn and garden equip in a pile, 4 wheeler over here, and sports equip over there. At the very mouth of the driveway we started the donation pile. Well this conglabaration in the front of the house was what passers by thaught to be a Yard Sale. So after telling about 15 people to "keep driving this isn't a sale" I got a piece of cardboard and wrote Not a Sale! There was still 5-10 people that stopped by thinking it was a yard sale...

So at the end of a long day we had our garage back!!! Here are the pics of the finished product. Now I have space to put the Quad back together!!! Heck yeah!

We then proceded to fill our car with the donation pile it took every square inch of our little civic to get that pile to the St. Vincent thrift store. At the end of the day we were sore and tired and now have a small tax write off and a garage back. Here is the donation pile!

2 New Posts read Both -- Black Cliffs -- Rock Climbing

2008-10-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

The last several weeks we have been logging some serious hours on the Basalt Columns of the Boise Black Cliffs. Rock climbing has several elements that make it fun and challenging the three that stick out to me are the Mental element, the Physical element and the Fear element. Ever since we've been rock climbing we have tried to take the Fear element out of the equation as much as possible by following the safest technique in rock climbing; "Top Rope Climbing". When top rope climbing (as seen in the below picture) the rope is always fixed above at the top of whatever you are trying to climb.

If one were to let go of the rock when top roping the climber wouldn't fall at all as the rope is always holding them from above! At first top roping has the element of "Fear" but it goes away quickly when you realize you aren't falling anywhere when you let go of the rock. So to add the Element of Fear back into our climbing we decided it was time to Lead Climb. When lead climbing the "Leader" ties the rope to his/her harness and starts to climb. As the leader climbs higher they fix protection in elevated increments using carabiners clipped to the rock then they clip the rope into the carabiners thus protecting themselves from a fall. The protection points are anywhere between 5-12 feet apart on most climbs, so if the leader is above the last protection he would fall double the distance from the last protection; possibly 24 feet at worst case. Below are some pictures of me leading for the first time on a climb called Sweet Adene a 5.8 difficulty. Luckily I didn't fall and had a great time with all 3 elements of rock climbing back together again!

Vince and Randi joined our climbing crew today... it was their first time climbing on rock, and they both did excellent! Here are some pics from our day out on the rock.

Vince Belaying

Before the Big Climb!

Vince making a leap... Nicely Done

Fighting the bulge to get on top!

"Easy"... He says

Randi half way up

Having a great time look No Hands

Randi fighting the bulge to get on top

Everyone is watching... Don't Screw Up!

No problem she says as she sits on top of Sweet Adene!

Extreme Adventures -The Movie- and a couch!

2008-10-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry, we are a little behind on our blogging... but when you get busy it happens so here goes, a little recap from the last several weeks. I (Zach) have been working on a little movie project for the last few months the movie entailed 4 Extreme Adventures from the past 3 years they included: Ship Island Lake Summer 2006, Mt. Borah Climb Summer 2006, 33 Lake Summer 2007, and Enos Lake Summer 2008. All these were trips guided by me with my group of friends. I had about 6 hours of video footage to compile into one extreme movie. Well to keep the story short and to the point I spent around 50-60 hours making the 45 minute movie! I know that seems like a long time but after you try and make a masterpiece movie you can criticize me. So once finished with the movie I took the DVD down to a local shop and had them burn 10 copies put a custom label on the DVDs print a cover for the cases and shrink wrap them. These DVDs look like they where purchased off the rack from any store. Rochelle designed the cover and the DVD label and they looked Awesome!!! (My talented Wife... So Hot!) Anyway back to my story... for the Premier of the movie titled, "Extreme Adventures -The Movie-" I decided to invite all the Cast Members and their Wives/Girlfriends for a proper premier. Since we were going to have 18-20 people in our tiny house we decided to take the plunge and get a new couch. It is beautiful, and the best part is Rochelle LOVES IT! The premier was an absolute hit! All the boys and their S.O.'s were laughing to tears! I must say the movie is really good, I have some funny friends and we have a great time when we get out into the wilderness.

Random Clips from Extreme Adventures the Movie:

Mt. Whitney and More!

2008-09-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

So there I was at work wishing I was somewhere else... somewhere Epic! So I sent out the invite to the boys to go on an adventure for Sept. After everyone else backed out Evan and I decided that going huge was what we are used to so we planned an Epic Adventure for the memorial of Sept. 11th. The plan was to stand on the top of the highest mountain in the lower 48 States on the morning of Setp. 11th. Mt. Whitney in CA, Standing at 14,494 would be 22 miles and 6,200 vertical feet.

We left Boise at 07:00 on Tuesday morning the 9th of Setp. and drove the 640 miles to Lone Pine Cali. It was 95 degrees and sunny skies; we were in for a temperature adjustment 10,000 feet higher. We were the 3rd group of people at the ranger station the morning of the 10th and got our overnight permits and bear canister and headed to the trail head...

Evan, just as last year brought his tiny backpack so I was stuck once again carrying the bear canister. Hence the difference in pack weight his 30 pounds and mine at 35. We started on the trail just after 09:15 with clouds covering the towering peaks of the high sierra mountains, Whitney wasn't in sight due to the cloud cover but we knew in less than 24 hours we would seeing it perfectly from the summit! See more through picture illustration...

Evan Proud of 30 pounds

Zach won't carry the bear canister again next year!

At 10,000' looking back at Lone Pine, CA

Extreme Tough Guys!

At 11,000' the hail and Snow began! We're prepared for the worst...

At Trail Camp 12,000' (the little community of climbers)

Looking toward the Mt. Whitney Spires from Trail Camp

Out of the Tent during the blizzard to assess the camp...

Small Puddle in our campsite, the REI Quarter Dome T3 performed perfectly not a drop in the tent... We got to sleep at 19:30 just after the snow stopped in preparation to arise at 02:00 for our summit bid.

About halfway up the 97 switchback ascending the ridge to Trail Crest 04:00, the snow was only about 3 inches deep on this side of the mountain...

13,600 feet, 05:00 Trail Crest the snow is getting deeper!!!

Back side at about 05:45 The summit is in site and the snow is 6-8 inches deep we are the first on the trail that day and are blazing the trail for all other climbers to use...

The sun rising on the East Facing Spires of the Whitney Range

Evan, blazing trail toward the top which is the far point in this picture

From the summit of Mt. Whitney at 07:20 on Setp. 11th. 14,494' the temp was 22 degrees and the sights are breath taking! The blanket of snow adds character to our Epic Whitney Adventure!

The stone shack on top

Picture taken straight off the East Face of Mt. Whitney shows (2) beautiful deep blue high mountain lakes...

Spire formations in the morning sunlight on the way back down to camp

The maze of switchbacks we traveled through that morning in the dark I believe there is 97 of them?

With the mountain conquered it is time to head down one last picture of the Extreme Tough Guys from Trail Camp looking west toward the Whitney Spires.

After conquering Whitney we headed for Big Pine CA to explore the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. These trees are the oldest living organisms on earth!Scientists have dated them as old as 4000+ years old! They look half dead but still they live! This is a shot of me standing on the ridge line overlooking the Grove of the Ancients!

Pictured below is the largest Bristlecone Pine tree on earth it is 38 feet in diameter, and is called the Patriarch

The oldest tree I'm guessing... They won't straight out tell you which tree is the oldest but this one looked the oldest to me it is called The Methuselah, well over 4000 years old and still going...

After our trip to the Bristlecone's we stopped off in Mammoth CA to see the Devil's Post pile, columns of rock that are perfectly shaped into hexagons and octagons they appear to have been chiseled by the devil himself!

Standing on the top of the columns you can see where a glacier from several thousand years ago sheared the columns off leaving a tiled surface to walk on... if you look close you can see groves left by the glacier as it slid by.

Well this is the end this Extreme Mt. Whitney Adventure... Don't worry about going out and exploring Epic places, just keep coming back to BlurbityBlurbity and I'll let you see all them. Seriously get out and see the beauty that god has created, I'm not saying pick up mountaineering, but at least turn off the TV grab the kids and the dog and get out of the house.

-AZA #1 Tough Guy and Extreme Billy B.A.

Vinyl Crazy

2008-08-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

My sister in law has a few vinyl cutters and last week I got to do a little project for my office.

I wasn't sure though what I wanted to do, so I poked around a bit finding ideas... these are my favorites!

Apparently there are several application surfaces out there. On the toilet anyone? The funny thing is this actually may be appropriate at our house!

These were too cute... must save for future.

No vinyl cutter? Most of these photos came from Etsy.com, one of my favorite sites.

Congrats to Andi & Mark

2008-08-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Andi's and Mark's wedding. I couldn't be happier for them. They had a nice reception in Grand View, and the family and community support was very obvious as it was a total packed house!

A little something about Andi... she's incredibly thoughtful. She called me on back in December of 2005, a phone call that wasn't exactly expected. We were friends in high school, but you know how it goes... you lose contact with your friends after awhile, especially as everyone moves around. I was living in Nevada at the time, which didn't help much for staying in contact with old friends.

The exact day was December 7th of 2005, a very sad day for my family because we lost our father to an accident. It was also a loss to Grand View ward because they lost their Bishop. Not an hour and a half after I had received the news, I get a call from Andi. She stated that she, along with her siblings and parents were all pitching in to buy me a plane ticket so I could fly home as soon as possible. I didn't need the plane ticket because I had already made arrangements for travel, but I just had to share how wonderful of a person she is!! I'm so happy for you Andi... you two totally deserve each other!!

"Man, it feels like I was running at full-speed, while blindfolded, and ran right into a tree!"

2008-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is how Zach describes the pain he is in. He isn't just giving an exaggerated, off-the-wall analogy of how he feels... sadly, this actually happened.

With the annual family camping trip to Lake Fork each year comes the Saturday afternoon of family games. This is my first year in attendance, and I was told the games are rather interesting and/or challenging each year. No breaks in tradition here, because this year's activities were about as interesting as they were challening.

Here's the play-by-play.

1. Blindfold is put on Partner 1 (Zach) by Partner 2 (Rochelle) so Partner 1 is now completely blind.

2. Partner 2 ties 8 ft. rope around waist, and steps up to the line for the relay race. Partner 1 steps up behind Partner 2 in order to hold onto the rope.

3. Rochelle is instructed by Zach to "run straight ahead as fast you can!"

4. Rochelle honors the wishes of her Partner by doing exactly as she is told.

5. Rochelle apparently runs Zach straight into a tree at full force, yeilding a shoulder that's black with bruises, an arm that's bloody with cuts and scratches, and a hand that's swollen and surely broken.

7. Partner 1 feels like poop... Partner 2 insists it's not her fault.

Time to Review

2008-08-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have a problem; I wake up and start my day with certain expectations for the amount of work I need to accomplish that day. Then at the end of every day, without fail, I realize that I once again set my expectations too high because there are several to-do items on the list that have NOT been crossed off. Sometimes the problem lies with my clients, but more often I think the problem lies with me. This irritates me to no end... yet I cannot break this cycle. I feel like this is the story of my life, especially lately.

Regardless of how I feel on this issue of mine, I've realized it pays to step back and review... just once in awhile, to see what I have actually accomplished. It's like I have to convince myself that I've actually been doing stuff even though it doesn't feel like it. So here's my review.

Big George Ventures - http://georgetownvillage.biggeorgeventures.com/
A website that was done in 5 working days. I wasn't even sure this was possible, but good thing it was because they needed it in a HURRY.

Topaz Lake RV Park - http://www.topazlakervpark.com/
The 95%-done-for-like-five-weeks-now website. Currently put on hold by client for reasons I'm not sure about. I JUST WANT TO CROSS IT OFF THE LIST. Criminy!

Then there's Sierra Scoop... this is my little baby. http://sierrascoop.com/ I get to do lots to this website on a monthly basis. I really enjoy this one. This company is predictable... they want changes to their site, I do them same day, then they pay. It's a wonderful cycle we have going. How I wish everyone was this pleasant to work with...

Hike to Hum Lake

2008-07-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

--Written by a guest author, Zach himself--

So here we are; Cowboy, and Rochellie loaded down with a collective 60 pounds in our packs headed to that small drop of water there in the backdrop of the picture...Hum Lake! The trip included Zach, Rochellie, Sam Bones, Ma and Pa. We meandered into the wilderness above McCall, ID for a 3 day 2 night "Extreme Adventure" and that is exactly what we got!

Once there we all fished starting with the Billy B.A. Cowboy!

Rochellie and Sam Bones Gave it a shot also!

So did Pa... but Ma sat in her lawn chair eating bonbons and reading her book!

We took several of the slippery little fish lives that day and had a wild Cut Throat Trout Feast with lemon pepper and I can't believe it's not butter real easy spray!! Delicious!

This was the pristine beauty we awoke to the first morning after a scary night of Sam Bones Growling and barking at Cougars, Bears, and Wolves in the dark woods... It was really just a few little mule deer but Rochellie thought the worst and got pretty scared. Good thing the cowboy was there to protect her!

We decided to take an extreme hike with no trail (bush whacking) over the ridge "1,200 vertical feet" to a no name lake that Pa and I had spotted the first time we went to Enos lake some 15 years back. The hike took us to the end of Hum Lake and up to the top of the ridge and then down into the little no name lake. (We had to navigate the log jam at the end of Hum Lake which was a balancing trick as some of the logs rolled and sunk when you stepped on them)

The shot of the hum Lake Valley from the top of the Ridge into the No Name Lake.

Pa and I looking down into the No Name Lake

This pictures shows the Enos Lake Ridge line on the horizon with South Loon Mt. the highest point in the picture and one of the highest peaks in this region at 9200 feet.

This is the drop we made into No Name Lake from the top of the ridge Very Steep!

Yes we did some fishing here also and were successful! We didn't take any of these fish's lives though we let them all back to see another day.

Ma and Pa hiking out of Hum Lake on a beautiful Saturday morning.

The Snow flowers are in full bloom right now which is about one month later than usual due to a late spring and summer and a good snow pack.

The Snow Flowers cover the forest floor!

Our little Family on our first McCall, ID Backpacking Adventure. All the gear held up great other than Sam Bones pack which will be exchanged at our favorite store tomorrow for a new one!! Enos Lake is this week so keep checking the site for an update on the most Extreme Adventure of the Summer!!!

Our Wedding Photo Gallery

2008-07-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

Our photos from the big day have arrived after much anticipation, and I've done my fair share of messing with them and editing them. Please choose one of the galleries:

Our basic html gallery
http://zachandrochelle.com/wedding

Or a fancier flash gallery if you have somewhat fast internet (same photos) http://zachandrochelle.com/wedding2

Enjoy! Also, we are a little short on photos from the reception. If anyone has photos they would like to share, we would truly appreciate it!

-Z + R

Folks, I need your help.

2008-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

I need your vote. Please see the poll to the top right. This is the situation:

Zach is going on an annual backpacking trip with the boys. Crazy facial hair is involved. They all do it. I'm not sure why.

In preparation for the trip, the goatee is now gone, replaced by a cowboy mustache. He must be satisfying an inner urge of sorts, to look like a cowboy. An urban cowboy, maybe...one that works at Micron and dresses skater/punk.

Obviously, he has more fun when his facial hair is like this...

...so why do this...

...when this looks like so much more fun??

What I'm saying is I'm much more in favor for this...

and this is good too,

...and I could live with this, with much effort,

But he's in favor of this. (Obviously)

Now go back up to the top of the page and vote. I urge you to please vote honestly. And carefully.

Proof of the crazy facial hair... "Summer 2007 Extreme Adventure" to Thirty-Three Lake. Ladies, let's all help our men make wise decisions regarding facial hair from this point forward.

A Guaranteed Smile

2008-07-11T19:06:00.001-07:00

This is my precious neice, little miss Kate or "Kater-Bug" as she has affectionately been called. See these curlers in her hair? She's getting ready for "Shelly's party," aka Aunt Shelly and Uncle Zach's wedding reception. Let me tell you... anticipation for weeks.

See? She's a guaranteed smile! And she knows how to rock the polka-dots.

Oh, and here's another very special little girl that has something special to share. Too cute Gracie!

Yes, more rocks and climbing

2008-07-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am aware that my previous post was also about our little rock climbing adventures. I know, 2 posts in a row... Quite frankly, this is the most exciting thing happening in life right now. Being newly married has been wonderful, but what's even better is doing stuff like this as a newlywed.

Here, Zach and Evan are analyzing the situation before decsending. More precisely, Zach is checking, then double-checking.

And triple-checking.

And lastly, he's quadruple-checking.

And this is a good thing... this means no one will get hurt or die today. No one gets hurt or dies on Zach's watch.

Evan has to go off the edge first again. Haha.

Thank goodness.

We graduated from the "Short Cliffs" to the "Medium Cliffs" this time. They are just a few feet taller.

I see this and wonder "Would I be doing this if I hadn't have met (and married) Zach?"

Ummm... That answer would be a "no."

Then, I see this and wonder "Should Zach really trust me with his life, as he is right now?"

I will ponder that one before answering.

(Pondering here...)

Does the expression on my face instill confidence in anyone?

I didn't think so.

Do I trust Zach or Evan when my life is in their hands?

Yes, I do. And strangely, that thought never enters my mind. Not sure why.

Well, it's been alot of fun, and I caution you that this little rock climbing activity is addicting. I probably won't be posting anymore rock climbing pictures until August. Why?? Well, there was a technicality with my insurance. As of today, until August 1st, I am not insured. The transition from my insurance to Zach's isn't as easy as one would guess. So we will save activities like this until after August 1st. Schucks. I will focus on working at my computer... that shouldn't ever require health insurance.

Rock Climbing

2008-07-05T11:21:00.001-07:00

My first time rock climbing turned out to be a great 4th of July activity. We started early in the morning at the Black Cliffs which is a convenient drive just 10 minutes from home. I finally got to try my sweet new gear - Ma & Pa Adams gave me the helmet for my bridal shower, Christina gave me my shoes (they are awesome) and we bought the harness. Everything else Zach already had of course. I wasn't scared at all (which actually scares me) and I can't wait to go again! So addicting!

View of East Boise from the Black Cliffs

Zach getting ready to repel down. He looks too calm for me.

Me at the top getting ready to repel down.

Hey, it's not too bad after all!

Half way there. This is fun!

Spider monkey Zach

Zach getting ready to go up with a harness he made himself... could be a little sketchy.

***Footnote here... only afterwards did we find out the harness could have been made a much better way. Ssshhhh...

Concentration... Or is that fear?

Dropping Evan would be bad.

Proud to show his battle wound. Afterall, his name is "Billy B.A."

He also goes by "Tough Guy #1." As you can imagine, that would leave Zach as "Tough Guy #2."

(But only because Evan did the bootcamp thing... with a broken foot.)

Not much of a reason if you ask me.

Evan on-belay for me

Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall...

Honeymoon Pictures posted

2008-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Coast turned out to be a great choice for our honeymoon. The coastline is so beautiful; there were simply too many pictures for me to upload and post on this blog (for my patience level) so I have them located at www.shellymerrick.com/gallery...

Zach and I can highly recommend the nothern Oregon Coastline, especially this time of year. We were surprised by the clear weather, which we thought was rather untypical of the area. Actually, I think we just lucked out with the weather.

Places we went: Seaside, Ecola State Park, Crescent Beach, Cape Mears Lighthouse, Tillamook Cheese Factory (yummy!) Cape Lookout State Park and Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City.

One HUGE Thank You!

2008-06-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Getting married is alot of work... or at least it can be. Everything just doesn't miraculously fall into place... unless you have wonderful people to help you with it all. This is where I have to give the BIGGEST thank-you of my life! First of all, to my amazing mother for making our day so magical and so memorable. She put an incredible amount of effort and time into every detail, especially the food and the decor. Seriously, it couldn't have been done without her.

Lots of family and friends said they wanted to be of assistance and asked what they could do. It just blows my mind how wonderful family is! Especially ours; we are so blessed. Zach and I have a lot of people to thank:

Lee and Katie for taking our pictures and being part of the joint wedding celebration, Ma and Pa Adams, Holli, Heidi, Char, Karen and possibly others I'm not aware of for assembling 300 steak and chicken kabobs, Bryce & Elaine for their help with all sorts of wedding tasks, Tony and Chris for being our Grill Masters, Donita, Aunt Charlotte and Aunt Char for helping in the kitchen along with Shaelyn, Grandma Merrick and Aunt Verla, and I'm sure so many others.

Allen, Carol, Austin, Ashley, Lee, Katie, Connor and Elaine for setting up and I'm sure they all helped take down as well. I know the Adams family did too! Grandma Steiner and Grandma Merrick for the delicious homeade rolls and Aunt Verla again for baking 800 snickerdoodle cookies! The entire Steiner gang for cutting up tons of fruit. Ashley and Carol (yet again) for lending us their awesome wedding decor. And Ashley (once more) for taking pictures during the reception!

We had so many people travel LONG distances - Mike & Heidi with kids, Joe & Holli, Vern & Yolanda, Bryce & Elaine, Koleen, Lisa & Richie, Rich & Sherry, and Alton and Tammy... just off the top of my head. There were MANY more that we were shocked to see because they traveled quite a ways!

Making the Bouquet

2008-06-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

Holli was a great help the night before the wedding in making my bouquet, the corasages and bouts. The girl has skills! And poor Joe was so patient while she helped me do this at last minute!

Vacation in Boston

2008-05-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park - my first MLB experience! Two grand slams in a single game! Apparently there are only 72 games in history that this has happened before... well since 1976. I was fortunate enough to see this at my first game!

Group shot at George's Island

Hunting for sea glass - possibly my favorite part of the trip!

It's very addicting!

The ferry we took to George's Island

Boston from the bay

Me and my handsome man

The Boston Temple

Downtown Boston

Overlooking Boston at Pinnacle Point

ZachandRochelle.com

2008-05-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

Our website is now up! We are taking our time getting the announcements sent out (we're about a month away from the wedding date) so I figured I could share the website address at least.

http://www.zachandrochelle.com/

Temple Day - May 8th

2008-05-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

Vacation

2008-04-29T14:48:00.001-07:00

This last week we had a wedding to go to in Sacramento so we took advantage of being in California to see some beautiful places. We visited my brother and his fiance in Menlo Park, spent some time at Muir Beach, did some hiking around the San Francisco area at Point Reyes National Seashore, had dinner at a great Thai restaurant in SF, went to a very interesting Russian wedding followed by some fantastic Russian food. We then spent my birthday at Lake Tahoe hiking around and enjoying the beautiful sights there, and also got to see Richie, Lisa, Gracie and Peyton. It was a great time!

I even got to introduce Zach to Ikea... and he liked it!!

Mt. Hood for June

2008-04-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

With my brother getting married in early June in Portland, Zach & I have been discussing flying vs. driving...and once we decided to drive, Zach just threw it out there that we could climb Mt. Hood before the wedding. He mentioned it and now I'm holding him to it! (Like I have to do that...)

There has been talk about snowboarding in the afternoon at Timberline Ski Resort on Mt. Hood, and at the end of the day ride the lift up just to continue hiking up a ways to set up camp. We would rest until about 3am and start climbing in order to reach the top in time for a beautiful sunrise. We would descend the same day, stop and pick up our camp site then have a quick snowboard ride down. Sounds easy in just 3 sentences but something tells me I'm about to be seriously humbled. Apparently to climb the last 500 vertical feet, you have to use a harness and be roped in. Never done this but we'll be practicing before hand. The stairclimber and I will be getting to know each other between now and then!

I'll post more on this as we figure it out. For now I need to start stocking up on the essential gear... Too bad the REI Garage Sale in nearby Hillsboro is after the climb!

Sweet gear at sweet prices

2008-04-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago, I discovered one of the finest things in life - the REI Garage Sale. Really it's just a used gear sale; REI stockpiles all of the returns (used or not) for several months just sell it at slashed prices on a single day. That day was April 12th. Zach and I left at 3:30am to get in line, expecting to be somewhere near the front, but that was not so... we actually were quite "late" and joined the end of the line which had already wrapped around to the back of the building. I guess that's what happens when there are awesome deals to be found by hard-core outdoor lovers who are happy to have any excuse they can get to sleep in their $300 tents and their $400 sleeping bags.

Even though we were "late" we snagged several key items that I've been wanting. I was in definite need of a few packs - a good pack for longer, overnight trips and also a lighter pack for day hikes. A few weeks ago Zach helped me try on countless packs to find the best fit; and the winners were the Women's REI Ridgline for the main pack and a super light-weight Osprey pack called the Aura 50 for shorter hikes. So glad we didn't make the move that day because we found BOTH packs at the sale for a FRACTION of the cost!! Amazing odds considering these were the only 2 women's packs I even saw there. Both were in new condition; used maybe once. Hence the reason for my huge smile. Sweet gear and sweet prices make me one HAPPY CHICA!

Even lil' Sammy got some sweet booties for hiking. She was galloping around like a pony when she had them on for the first time! It was the cutest & funniest thing I've ever seen! (notice all four legs are in the air.. seriously... she was galloping!)

Delicious!!

2008-03-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Potential centerpieces for the reception - the 4 delicious flavors of Henry Weinhard's in a bucket or bowl of ice. I love flowers, probably more than most people, but don't these beat the heck out of flowers??

Portfolio Completed....FINALLY

2008-03-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

So after sitting on the back burner for ages, I decided that getting my online portfolio finished was now a priority. You can take a look at http://www.rochellemerrick.com/ (http://www.shellymerrick.com/ goes to the same place...)

I've already had some visitors email me... didn't expect that so quickly!

Wedding colors decided

2008-03-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

I've had a few requests as to what the wedding colors will be. I'm not going to go crazy over colors, but this is just for the reference of those involved...

The colors are probably more fitting for fall than for summer but they will look great at the reception venue so we are rollin' with it. Chocolate brown is the main color, accented with various orange tones, and green (think sage more than lime) and of course I have to find a way to infuse some red since it's my favorite color. How I didn't end up with red, black and white is beyond me!! I guess it all started when I tried on a brown sash with my dress and fell in love!

Baby Peyton's Announcements

2008-03-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is my little gift to Lisa, Richie & Peyton... I love the ideas that Lisa & Richie came up with. Very fitting considering she has an Irish last name and was born this month! Great thinkin' guys!

Engaged!!

2008-03-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

So for those who don't already know, here is the news: I'm getting married in the Boise, ID temple on June 21st.

My Zachary proposed on Thursday, March 6th. It was a moment that couldn’t have been more perfect. Bended down on one knee, Zachary asked me to marry him. And in that moment when I saw him there holding the ring, and heard those words come from his mouth, it struck me: Is this moment REALLY TRULY here!? Is this my life?!? Am I REALLY being asked by the man of my dreams, by the man I couldn’t imagine being more deaply in love with, to be married in the temple for Time & Eternity?? I don’t think the true beauty of moments like these can be entirely realized…

For those who don't know him or haven't met him, I feel like I should make an introduction. The lucky guy's name is Zach Adams... (and I'm lucky because of his last name! It's a good one to have!) He's alot like a Merrick in the sense that he has been camping, hiking, fishing, snowboarding, etc. a lot of his life. He's loves mountaineering, snowshoeing, climbing and golf. He's also like a Merrick in that the TV isn't on much and he always wants to go and do and be outside, which is fine by me! I now have a consistent snowboarding partner when I want to go!

A few indications from the very beginning:
He dislikes country music and greatly dislikes video game consoles. (As do I) He always insisted on opening the car door for me since day one, and he warned me that he was a "gear-junkie." These are all things I can handle!!

As for a few of my upcoming challenges:
His mother is an amazing cook and because of that, expectations have to be revised. In addition, he's pretty skinny so I can't be making him bad food!

Fact Sheet:
- Raised in Emmett, ID
- Has lived in Boise since his mission
- Has worked at Micron for 7 years (3-4 day weekend every week is probably why)
- He has an actual "Gear Room" in his house. Although the computer sits in the same room, it's not a computer room, it's a "Gear Room."
- He's incredibly loving and supportive.

- He has a goal to climb the highest peak in every state... and he's got a great start!

In fact, we had to schedule our wedding date on top of an already scheduled trip he had for Mt. Hood and Mt. Ranier... Darn, he has to reschedule and I might just get to go now! :)

The Bling-Bling

Snowshoeing out from the Yurt

Late is better than never showing up!

2008-02-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

So I am just now joining in...blogging has only been popular on the web since 2001. (according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia) 2008 must be my year; not only can I now call myself a blogger, I'm also a proud first-time iPod owner...another devlopement from the year 2001. See a pattern here?? I'm slow to follow the trends but I've heard that being late is better than never showing up, so that is my official excuse. The bottom line is that life is good, and I believe the good things in life are worth sharing!