Its movin time - again

We are so excited because Aaron and I found an appartment to rent in Alamosa. This means - 1 mile to the gym, Aarons work, Walmart, Family History Center, Library, $1 bowling, Subway and a tonn of other places. We love Monte Vista, but the driving in and out of town twice a day is driving us nuts. Also, the fact that its going to be snowing VERY soon and for what seems like eternity, its probably best we live in town....the petrol and wear and tear on a car we want to sell and other reasons. The appartment is in a pretty good area, its just a little tiny bit smaller (not a big deal) then our current place, and a little more expensive, but we feel like its a good decision - so we are excited. We should be moving next week :) We will miss our ward, and we know it will come as a shock to them that we are moving next week...especially at the fact that they could now be called into one or two (or three) of the 7 callings between Aaron and I. So yeah, we are excited :)

And I wonder why..

I NEVER LOSE WEIGHT!!! After camping in the mountains with the family for the long weekend, Aaron and I have been sick with head colds/flu type stuff...so I havnt been to the gym. Ahhhhhhhh just when you get in the swing of going for a few weeks, something comes along and you cant. So yesterday and Today - Aaron and I have JUNKED IT UP bad. Skittles, Twix, Werthers, Soft Drink, Cheese crackers...and the list goes on. Think I put on the few pounds I lost? haha probably 10x the amount I lost in 3 weeks. Why is it SO hard to work off, yet so EASY and DELISH to put on?? Anyways...today we slept in till 10am!! YES - 10am. It was amazing...usually - I am the only one sleeping in until 10am while Aaron is at work...haha j/k. We then drove up by Creede. We are heading into Autum and its SO pretty here in the "fall". (Do I sound American?) All the leaves are starting to change and its just awesome views driving through the mountains. We ended up stopping on the way home at a small restaurant in the mountains and it was an awesome meal. We had beautiful views from the table we were sitting at too - it was drizzling and cold and the fog in amongst the trees and the river across the road looked awesome!

It hailed while we were up there - kinda looks like it snowed
My Lunch - curly fries and a gourmet grilled sandwich - it was SO good!!

So - a quick update on the last few weeks....hmmm....what the heck HAVE we been doing? We went camping for the long weekend last weekend with Aarons extended family. It was heaps of fun - so many people there. Aaron shot a grouse - which is like a small chicken. He was busting to shoot one all weekend, and finally saw one and killed it on Monday morning. He brought it back to camp, cleaned it and then his Aunt Nelda (one of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet) cooked it up for us. We all had a try and in all honesty despite my doubts - it tasted REALLY good.

Aarons dead grouse

All clean

cutting the meat off

Cooking

Our Tent

Trying Grouse

Campfire fun haha

Aunt Nelda and Uncle Mickey

Aarons Cousins Husband - Eric

Some of the kids, Aarons Cousins Kyle and Julie

Aarons cousins Kyle and Julie again - playing cards - by this time - IM OUT of the game :(

Aarons cousin Sarahs little boy - Brodey

Uncle Mickey, cousin Jeff (who is also Aarons boss at work), and Julies husband, Scott. Playing Horseshoes

Aarons cousins Shauna and her 2 girls - four wheeling

At the moment - he is cooking us dinner....what a sweetie! Ummmm what else? A couple of weeks ago, I went with a friend in the ward up to Denver. She is pregnant with TWINS and due in about 1 1/2 months - so she asked me to go with her, because she didnt want to drive all the way there and back on her own - incase something happens. HAHA to think she trusted me to be with her - I have never had a kid...dont know my way ANYWHERE and would be a complete freak if something started happening. Anyways - so the reason she had to go up was to pick her 11 yr old daughter up from the airport as she was returning home from visiting her dad up in washington. She had her 9 yr old son, and wanted me to stay at the cabin we were staying in with him while she went to go and pick her daughter up from the airport at 12 at night. On the way home the next day we stoped at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Its pretty much the coolest zoo I have ever been to (which isnt hard considering I have only been to Australia Zoo and Taronga Zoo). We spent the whole day hiking (yes - HIKING - its all up hill - they say its like climbing 10 stories - dont ask me how she did it pregnant with twins) around looking at all the exotic animals. It was so much fun. I was obsessed with the Gorillas and Bears. So massive and extremely interesting just to sit and watch. I kinda felt rude staring at the huge male gorilla (the guy in charge) because he would turn and it was like he looked right through me. Kinda like when you get caught staring at another human. They are amazing animals - so like us its crazy.

Ok so the other day, Aaron was dancing around the house, like he does alot, and so I got my camera out. Ladies - I have to warn you - he has the moves, so dont get jealous!! (sorry its sideways...i cant figure out how to flip it either...sorry)

Told you he was good!!!

Anyways - that is about it...Im sure alot of little details that would bore you to death. I've probably already had you reach the boredom point. Anyways - Aaron just made really good steak...and you know me and steak - so I gotta go.

$2.50 Fun!!

After Aaron finished work he went to Walmart to find some cheap water shoes we could wear in the river that he swam in yesterday so that the rocks didnt hurt our feet today. Well he couldn't find any - but ended up buying 2 floats that you lay on (meant for the pool). Anyways..we thought we would give it a go. It was over-cast and raining today but decided to go for it. Aaron got in first and it was FREEZING!!! We got out of the car and the temperature was 58F which is 12 degrees C!!! Then the water was about 35F which is about 1 degree Celcius!! So yeah - cold. Anyways..it was so much fun. The water has gotten pretty low over the past 2 weeks, but its still high enough for us to float down and the current is really strong. Its hard to stop yourself - its really hard to walk through the water - you get knocked over by the current alot and its hard to get up. At one point we decided to go down the river further then we had - where it was more rapid - but started hitting rocks pretty hard on our butts - so we tried to stop, but werent so successful. Haha - I got up and just keep falling and getting pushed down the river on the rocks - which HURT - and at one point when I got standing up, Aaron was pushed down and rammed into the back of my legs which made me fall again, completely loosing grip on my float bed. So Aaron SOMEHOW ran down the river (how he didnt slip on the slippery, uneven rocks with the rapids pushing him I'll never know) and got ahold of my float bed. Crazy. It was so much fun.

Blowing up our float beds for rafting

Got some photos on the way home

So pretty

Just float'n

Aaron when he first got in - crazy cold

Being goofy - one friend from the mission made a comment the he looked like he was a "special needs child".

Washing Machine, Dryer, Buelah, Food, Family, Photography...ahh what more could I ask for?

So lets just say this past week has been great!! Aarons dad and his wife Connie - drove all the way down to bring us a washing machine and dryer!! I am so excited that I can actually do washing and drying here at home now...NO MORE LAUNDROMAT!! Woohoo!! I now understand why Dad hated us drying so much at home, and leaving the lights on. I am a nazi about it all now and trying to use as little as possible just to save money haha. Also, this past weekend we went and stayed with Aarons dad and Connie in Buelah (which is about another 1/2 hour from Rye). This is the first time we have really spent any time with his dad and Connie - we went up Friday night and stayed till Saturday night. It was really nice to get to know them...a little weird for Aaron to see similarities between him and his dad - having never been around him growing up. So on Saturday morning we all went into Pueblo and went to a sporting goods place and Aaron went to buy a fishing pole/reel because we accidently left his at the lake for 4th of July - and when we went to pay for it, his Dad took it from him and payed for it. Then after, I wanted to just go and look at Ross (clothing store that is really cheap - its lik where all the big brands send their stuff and you get it way cheap) and Aarons dad hands me $20 and Connie says - its for your birthday, so when it comes around you've already got it. So I was stoked!! I bought 3 tops with that money and then used $10 of Aarons and mine to get the 4th top!!! Wooohooo!! Then they took us to lunch at THE BEST chinese buffet I have ever been to. They had so much variety and it was just all such good food - I ate till I was so sick...but man it was good. They really spoiled us...and we loved it haha. So then that night, stephanie came and we all had dinner at their house and it was fun.

Last night, for FHE, Aaron and I went straight after he finished work to Creede. Its our new favourite place I think. I made a pasta dish for dinner and fruit salad and we took it and went and had dinner along the river, and then aaron went swimming haha. I didnt go only because I did my hair and make-up because we went into Creede after dinner and went to a photo presentation by Michael Lewis - a National Geographic photographer. He presented his photos from the 7 years worth of time he spent in Africa!! How awesome - I love photography, and have ALWAYS wanted to go to Africa, so this was perfect. He had amazing shots, and amazing stories and comments to go with it - it was so much fun. He is also doing a 5 day photography course up in Creede soon...and I really want to go, but dont want to go on my own because Im so amature its rediculous. I know nothing about photography and I suck cause I let my shyness get in the way of doing stuff like that. Anyways - I am going to check-out the price, and Aaron is really trying to get me to go to it too. I will put some photos up from yesterday - but unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to Aarons dads, so dont have photos from that - I kicked myself everytime I saw pictures in my mind I could be taking haha.







Aaron getting in the river

Trying to get out - the current was really strong and his feet were killing from all the rocks haha

"Oh say can you seeeeeeee"

Gotta love 4th of July weekend. Im just glad that Aaron had a day off work!! Seems like even if there is a public holiday here - only certain people get it off work, like bankers etc. So lame!! So I was excited that Aaron finally got a public holiday. Australia has so many more days off haha so think yourselves lucky!! Anyways - Aaron ended up taking an extra day off work so we could add an extra night to our camping trip. Every year, Aarons extended family all go up to some land they all own up in the Greenhorn Mountain (the mountains right there in Rye). Its so pretty and we're really lucky that they all own some land there. Aaron and I drove up Wednesday after Aaron finished work. Lucky it doesnt get dark until about 9pm...gave us plenty of daylight to drive up the top of the mountain and set up our little camp. The rest of Aarons family werent getting up there until Thursday night or Friday afternoon, but we figured if we were going to the hassel of setting up tents/blow-up beds and campfires and taking all the food, we might as well go for 3 nights. So we made it up the mountain and set up our tent RIGHT before it started to rain. The wood was all wet and Aaron spent A LONG time to start a fire....he actually got one started - which was amazing....though...I just made turkey, lettuce and cheese sandwiches for dinner because we figured it would be near impossible to actually cook something on the fire. We went to bed pretty early...because it was dark and raining a tonn and no one else was at camp yet. Aaron and I were more prepared this year then last.....we had a blow-up bed, a sheet on it, with a warm blanket on that...then we had 2 blankets and a really awesome sleeping bag that Aaron bought last year...so we kept warm!!

Our breakfast mmmmmmm

The next morning was nice - the sun was out and it was perfect. For breakfast, Aaron and I had yoghurt and dipped cinnamon graham crackers in milk..mmmmm. We then left to go fishing in Blue Lakes up in the mountain. The Department of Wildlife I guess "stock" it every year with fish. In the winter, the fish all die, so in the summer - alot of people fish for them and I've always heard it was good fishing. It was AWESOME - there was not a soul there...(because it was the day before the public holiday) and we were seriously pulling in rainbow trout every other cast. I caught 7 and Aaron caught 5...the limit was 4 each, so we just kept 8. Aaron gutted the fish at the lake ready for us to cook them for lunch when we got back to camp! Back at camp...we met up with Jeri who just came up for a couple of hours because she had to work ALL of 4th of July weeknd. Aaron got another fire started and it started to rain again - lucky we had a tarp and some rope - and we were able to tie up a tarp in the trees about the fire so we could cook some lunch. Haha - always wanted to be on survivor...well this was close enough for now. I cut up some lemon and crushed some garlic and put it in the fish along with onion salt, salt, pepper and butter. Then wrapped the fish up in aluminium foil and put them in the coals of the fire. Then I cut up potatoe and onion and added some pepper and salt and onion salt and herbs and put them in the fire in aluminium foil too. When it was cooked we all had some - it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! I was relieved that the rainbow trout was good (because pike..the last fish we cooked that Aaron caught was the nastiest tasting fish I had ever had). The seasonings helped Im sure. After lunch it was still raining and hailing...and it looked pretty set-in....so Jeri went home and Aaron had a nap and I layed and read a book that I bought in Fiji on my way over here. Later in the afternoon, nobody had showed up yet...and it was still raining...so we decided to drive down the mountain and go and get some more ice for the esky and take a quick shower at Jeris house (cheaters haha). On the way down...we passed Aarons cousin and her husband and children and then Aarons Uncle...so we were glad some others were going to be up there. That night, we drove back up the mountain to camp.

"Blue Lakes" (although Aaron and I think its more "Green Pond")

Camp Fire with our genius tarp idea

Aaron gutting/cleaning the fish

all clean :)

perfectly cooked!!

the fish fell right off the bones

Friday morning rained a tiny bit, but pretty soon cleared up. Aaron and I shot some clay pidgeons....it was the first time I actually shot a moving target. There is a machine that when you pull the rope, it shoots the clay pidgeons (just like clay disks) into the air - well I actually ended up shooting 2...so I was happy - its not that easy!! It was also just good to hang out and get to know Aarons cousins more. The rest of Aarons family started showing up and there ended up being a tonn of us. We stayed up talking around the fire and making "smores"....though I just roasted marshmellows because...you know how much I love HERSHEYS ... blahahhhh!!!

So there is a huge barn in the background and outhouse, and there were alot more tents to the right of the photo, and then to the left

Saturday morning Aarons home ward in Rye has a "Pancake Breakfast" every 4th of July...so he wanted me to "experience" that. So we drove down the mountain and went to that and then we went and had another shower...then went back up the mountain and tried fishing again. This time we didnt get a single bite..and there were alot of people camping around the lake, and some stupid kids throwing huge rocks in the water .... so there is no way the fish are going to be there biting. We went back to camp and decided to start packing up because it looked like rain agian. Billy and Nicole and their family were having Deer Stew for lunch, and invited us to eat with them...so we did since all our stuff was packed up. It tasted SO GOOD...just tasted like beef, so that was a relief to me haha. We hung out for a little longer...and then said goodbye to everyone and went back down the hill. Aarons really good friends (practically family) were having a huge 4th July party, so we went to their house, and then after, we went to Sarah and T.J.'s house and they all let off a tonn of fireworks.

Sarah and T.J have a 4 Wheeler...so Aaron got a bit of a drive

(Sarah and one of her twins on the back)

Then we went back to Jeris and stayed the night there. Sunday was church.....and late Sunday, Steff and Cody and the kids came and stayed at Jeris house the night too. They are in the middle of moving - so stay at Jeris house or a friends house in Pueblo while they look for a house in Denver. Steff is going to pharmacy school up in Denver...its so expensive up there...and she doesnt start school until August I think...so they are living in between places for now. So they came over and Jeri had to work, but we all watched Bugs Life with the kids. Monday morning Aaron and I left early so Aaron could get back to work. So that was our long long weekend camping and stuff. It really was alot of fun - I love camping!!!!

Another weekend at home :)

Friday I got a call from Aarons cousin Julie. Her and her family were all at the Sand Dunes not far from here for the day - so she invited me up to hang out for a bit. Its so weird because in the middle of the mountains are these huge sand dunes...go figure?! Anyways...its really pretty out there, so after the gym, I took a shower and headed out there. After having lunch with everyone and hanging out for a bit - I drove back home.

Sand Dunes against the Mountains

Jeri met Aaron at his work and they came home. Its the first time that Jeri has been to our house since we have been married. We had dinner, and decided to head into Alamosa again because they had seen tonns of tents and stuff set up in the Alamosa Park on their way home. It was "Summerfest" - so they basically had a fair type thing set up in the park. There was a mechanical bull and Aaron decided he wanted a go - he had never done it before and got a bit nervous because there were tonns of people around watching, but he worked up the nerve and did it anyways. He stayed on for way longer then he thought he would - and really did awesome for someone who had never been on before!! He let himself kind of fall off in the end because he said he was getting sick from spinning around and around...echiohasdfpoih - I just get sick at the thought of it haha.

Aaron getting pumped to ride the bull

Aaron riding

Oh - they also had fairy floss there and so Aaron bought me some..mmmm - Im pretty sure they had every flavour under the sun there - so I ended up getting Bubble Gum flavour - it was SO AWESOME...Im pretty sure I ate the whole huge bag of it within 4 minutes. Saturday we had a ward activity and it was a fishing day at a place called Lake Meadows up at Wolf Creek Pass. It was really pretty, but such a windy day and so it was freezing. We made our way around the lake to try and get out of the wind...and so we didnt end up seeing anyone from the ward - but I guess they all found eachother and fished some place out. BUT the best thing is that I caught 2 rainbow trout and Aaron caught 1. We were going to keep my second one - we even strung him through the gills with fishing line attached to a branch that we put in the middle of some rocks on shore and had him sitting in the water - we thought he was dead - but he fooled us because we turned around 10 mins later and he swam off really quick...so we were ticked about that. Oh well - I guess we really didnt feel like gutting it and all the rest of it. Just sucks because now the poor fish is going to swim around and die soon because he is swimming around with line through his gills and a branch attached to it.

Im wearing Aarons snowboarding jacket - haha it still has a tag on it from when he went last - IT WAS COLD ok

The first fish I caught...the second that we were going to keep was bigger

While we were at the lake, Aaron was messaging back and forth with his Cousin Kyle. He lives about 3 hours away and was trying to move. So Jeri, Aaron and I decided to go and help him because he had a tonn to do by Sunday night. We got there about 3pm and we left at about 9:30pm....so we got home by about 12:30am. We were glad we could go help him. Sunday was church and Aaron and I bore our testimonies - well, Aaron is good and bares his testimony every fast Sunday - and last month he wanted me to, but I chickened out and said I would this month...so I did. I then taught Sunday school and we learnt about the Saviors Second Coming - turned out to be a really good lesson - the kids in my class are really good and participate and ask questions and are just awesome - so it makes my calling really nice. After church we went home and cooked some dinner before Jeri took off and made the 2 hour drive back to her place. It was a really good weekend and we're glad she came for the visit. Aaron and I then took a nap and then decided to drop in and see Helle and Kent Brimhall - our friends in the ward that are just awesome and always invite us to do stuff with them. It was crazy because we got there about 6:30pm and by the time we looked at the clock, it was 9:30pm haha - time went so fast. Anyways, so that was our weekend :)