Conference Runner

***Note, I was trying to be a good blogger and be on top of things so I wrote the blog on my laptop and just now added the pictures, so it was a few weeks ago!*** 

This week was a blast...

I guess we'll start our week off with Saturday. I had the pleasure of going to Wheeler Farm and celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa Beardshall. What was the ocasion? Their 60th wedding anniversary of course! As most of you know they like to do it up big at the Beardshalls, but we played it low key this year...pot luck style. Good times too. I think Grandma and Grandpa B are great examples of a truly loving relationship.

I am ashamed to say this, because I have taken pictures there before, but Wheeler Farm has some great shots. It was fun to walk around and see the animals with Katy and the kidos.

Every Sunday we go to dinner at Roger and Joanne's. It all started when we moved to Holladay. I think we moved in on a Saturday. And with all the craziness of the day, we forgot one key ingredient in our new home...FOOD! So we took the liberty of inviting ourselves over to dinner. Well it became some-what of a tradition. And even though it was closer when we were in Holladay, we have made the treck every week since we moved out to Riverton. Steve has been working Sundays for a while now. It's the only schedule that will work with our schedules...he can go to church and serve in his Young Mens calling.

Anywho it was our treat to have Steve join us last week. He went to critical incident training all last week and had extra time, so he opted to have Sunday off. I LOVE spending time with Steve it's a blast, so that was a great way to start the week off

Monday we did something that we have been talking about for years...we went on a tour of the conference center with Grandma and Grandpa B. They have been serving down there for 7 years. We finally made it on a tour and it was a blast!!! It was nice going on a tour with experts. We had a private tour too, we met them at the end of their shift.

Not the best time of day to take pictures, but you get the idea

I asked Steve to take Friday night off so he would get enough sleep to come up and see me run my second half marathon in Logan. We made the most of the night and had the Davis's over for Pizza on the BBQ. I don't know if there was much of a difference in the taste but it got the heat out of the kitchen and it seemed crispier. Good times!

I guess if you want to end your week with a bang you can run a half marathon. To be honest I think I was more prepared to run the Salt Lake Marathon although I only had 3 months total to train. Since Katy is getting mobile she is not so content sitting around looking cute while I run on the treadmill, and let me tell you that running with a jogging stroller is no picnic!!!

The Top of Utah Half was beautiful and I had the pleasure of running with my good friend Nicole. We had a blast and it was a BEAUTIFUL course.

Now I am going to take a minute to brag about my Love...Steve. Since he is the best!!! I had to wake up at the unseemly hour  of 3:45, if you can imagine. I woke up to a washed car, a charged iPod with a playlist (something I have been meaning to do for quite some time), bananas (we were totally out and I had mentioned that I was bummed since I like to eat one before I run), Steve had also hooked his police GPS up in my car and put our address in there for me. Lastly he had placed flowers in my car. There was also a note from Steve that said how proud of me he was and that he couldn't wait to see me at the finish line, and that I get my flowers now just in case he gets lost...since I had the GPS!

I can hear it now...the oooos and ahhhhs. I don't blame you either because this is not out of the ordinary for him. Yup...I am a lucky gal!!!

My family!!!

I think I told Nicole to look really tired here, because we were...that is why I look so cute!

We did it Nicole!!! It was a blast to run with you!

8 months-

Okay so Katy turned 9 months yesterday, but this was a picture of her when she was 8 months so I figured we could do an 8 month post!

Likes

• Loves to crawl around
• Loves to walk, with my help of course
• LOVES Chuck. Chuck . . . not so much!
• Loves to see herself in the mirror still
• Loves to eat "big girl food" 
• Loves to climb the stairs, help us all!
• Loves to chew on everything, even though she still has no teeth!
• Loves to eat dog food and tip over Chucks water

Dislikes 

• Hates not being able to walk on her own
• Hates being told what to do, not being able to eat Chuck's food
• Hates to be scared, has cried  several times when steve has jumped out and scared me!
• Hates to get her diaper changed. Won't hold still for the life of her!

Party City

Park City was a blast this year. Steve's parents have time share with Marriot, and they decided to go to Park City this year. We had one unit on Main Street and one unit at the Mountainside Resort. I always look forward to spending time with family. I don't feel that I took enough pictures at Snowbird so I tried to make up with that here, as you can see! (Plus I still have some more to post, but Blogger is being dumb right now)

Katy got her first taste of real shopping. We hit up the outlets and main street. I am pretty sure she had a good time!

Heidi and Kyle came up almost every night. They didn't spend the night with my new niece Brynne and all!

Steve was so proud that Katy got her first taste of diet Coke and all, not really! But it made for a pretty funny picture. She looks surprised that she got caught!

For some reason Katy was not diggin' uncle Steve! Maybe it was the facial hair?

Cute Mr. Blake

Cute Miss Page

Hayden seems to enjoy himself as well!

Cheeser Mr. Grayden

Joanne and Roger. We had a BBQ for Rogers Birthday! I won't tell you how old he is (59). People only get better with age I say!

A bit overexposed but I liked this picture of Joanne. We drove up in the mountains and had to stop here!

For whatever reason (probably the fact that there was no top on it) kids seem to be drawn to the Jeep, as you can see here!

We stayed on Main Street with Roger and Joanne, and Robyn and Wendy stayed in the Mountainside resort. Each night Roger and Joanne had one of the grandkids sleep over. This picture is proof that Jordyn stayed with us, she helped Katy get ready to go swimming!

We had a chance to go up and see the skiing museum at the olympic park. It was a good time. Uncle Rob even stopped and posed for a picture!

Katy even had a good time at the museum!

On the 24th of July Roger's whole family came up and we had a picnic in the park. Of course no picnic would be complete without Grandma and Grandpa Beardshall. They always love to get their hands on Katy. Katy said she had a great time!

Grandma with Katy

And to top off the night Jordyn and Carter helped to barry Grayden!!!

the BIRD the PIG and the CHUCK

THE BIRD

We have been going to snowbird pretty much since I was born. My Grandma and Grandpa Ferguson bought time share up in the Iron Blossam Lodge when there was only 4 floors. Since our family has gotten so big my mom and her siblings have been taking turns. Everyone in the family is welcome to come up, we just are the ones that get to sleep there. 

Its so fun to think that Katy will now been sharing in  some of the traditions that I had growing up. Even though she does not look too amused in most of my pictures (hence the sleeping), she told me that she had a great time!!!

Steve always laughs at me when I say that we are going to the "Plaza", but that is what Grandma Ida always called the Snowbird Center. Another Grandma Ida favorite phrase...."cold cuts", which we had plenty of!

A walk  up to the deck always calls for a good time. As you can see by the pictures Katy is en-trolled!

Again, way to much fun for her own good. I am going to have a hard time controlling this child, she is way too crazy for me!

Steve's lovely "CHEESE" face. What a looker, whoo!

Speaking of Cheesy, may I be for a moment and say that these pictures of Steve with Katy are some of my favorite. Catching some ZZZZs

The Barker clan minus Big Daddy AKA Josh. Lovely wind shot here!

THE PIG

Somehow I managed to catch the swine flu the week after we got home. I am pretty sure that I got it up at Snowbird, although I seem to be the only one that got it...weird! Any who, not as bad as anticipated. I did, however, catch a mild strand of it. All was well about 24 hours later. Plus, bonus Katy and Steve have been exposed now so our flu season this year shouldn't be as bad. Knock on wood. We will just have to see!

THE CHUCK

Lovely to say that a week before we went to Snowbird we had the experience of taking the Chuck in for surgery. We pretty much knew when he actually passed a kidney stone that something was not quite right. My adventure started at the Jordan River Animal Hospital (9000 S Redwood Road) and was quite a site Chuck and Katy in tow. After confirming that it was in fact kidney stones, how hard was that, I got the reasonably priced estimate of $1900.00-$2500.00 for surgery! I sure am glad that Steve was there, on the phone, to tell me NO WAY, in not so many words! When I told them that was too much money and I was going to go somewhere else it began. The immense pressure that I was not doing the right thing, and that if he didn't have emergency surgery that night he could die. I politely declined and was pretty much told that I was an awful dog owner and that anywhere else would not take very good care of him. I left Katy and Chuck still in tow with a bill for $300.00 for an XRay, Urinalysis, and Exam. Can we say rip off???

The next day I went to my father-in-laws recommendation, Forrest Hills Pet-care. When I handed the doctor the CD of the XRay he laughed and said he did not have the technology to look at that! He just took another one. We left that day with pain meds for Chuck (something the other doctor did not provide, although they "would have taken the best care of him") and an appointment for Chucks surgery. All in all he was there 3 days and left with a big bag of dog food for $515.00. Kind of a big difference in price! Oh and that included the XRay he had to take and the initial exam. I think the funniest thing was the fact that I missed Chuck so much that I called to check on him to see how he was doing. I was directed to the Doctor who pretty much told me that he was "doing fine" when all I really wanted to know was if he missed me and if he was getting along with the other dogs. I guess they don't get too many calls like that! I am happy to report that Chuck is pretty much back to normal! Good thing too, I was missing my best friend!!!

Team Beardshall

I sure am glad that I will have pictures like this to show to Katy when she is older, because this is what is going to be the most fun about looking back . . . . remembering how you have the coolest dad on the block!

Krazy Katy

I am not quite sure who she gets it from?