Hoover Dam

During our trek down to Scottsdale we decided to stop last minute to see the Hoover Dam. What a mammoth man-made structure. It is incredible. On one side of the Bridge you can see Lake Powell and the Dam itself. On the other side of the bridge you can look down the cliffs to see the Colorado river at the bottom. The pictures hardly do it justice. However, I think the pictures capture quite nicely the fact that we have spent a mind-numbing and disheveling 9 hrs in the car with the kids. We were so tempted to pull out our suits and jump in Lake Powell.

Interesting facts on Hoover Dam:

-726 feet tall

-Maximum water pressure at base of Dam is 45,000 pounds per sq foot

-Three and one-quarter million cubic yards of concrete, which would be enough to pave a standard highway 16 feet wide from San Francisco to New York City

Moving is no small feat!

Last Tuesday we left our home in Salt Lake City to move to our new home in Scottsdale. The Masters of Real Estate Development at ASU brought Nate and our family to a balmy 110 degree climate. Although it is sweltering now, I faithfully believe we will be loving life come winter. We look out the window to see a landscape of cacti (yes I had to look up the plural form in the dictionary) and lizards, but the sunsets here are beautiful; orange, purple and pink. Megan helped us drive our second car down here, which was a life-saver. When we arrived the thermostat in the house said 95 degrees. The first day was hot to say the least, we were nearly 100% unpacked by the time she left on Friday. She kept us all going. Thanks Meg! Since our arrival we have been to the pool nearly every day, but even the water is warm. The pool or inside a building is the only place to cool off. I think my favorite moment of our whole move was with Eliza the day after we moved in...she had already thoroughly explored the house and played in the backyard the day before, and seemed a little bored. I asked her, "Eliza, do you want to go play in the backyard today?" Totally confused at what I was referring to, I had to point out to her where the backyard was located. She looked out the patio door and said, "Oh, there IS a backyard!" A bunch of rocks isn't much of a backyard to a 2 yr old! (Pic of Eliza in the backyard)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Nothing like bringing in the New year than with a tasty buffet, live band and fireworks on the beach. What a fabulous night! 2009 was a great year! Thanks to my sweet husband and my darling Eliza! Love you guys!

Helicopter Tour of the Big Island

This is one of the coolest things I have done in Hawaii. The helicopter fits seven people including the pilot which was the perfect fit. Sweet Julie stayed back with the grandkiddies and they had a blast with grandma! It was a 2 hr tour and the pilot showed us the active volcanos, the beautiful waterfalls just up the coast from Hilo, and then rounded off the trip with some whale watching. What an incredible view! The last photo is a pick of the back-up Air Force One. That was our close encounter with the Obamas! Okay, not really, but they were vacationing on the island of Oahu, the next island over, and I guess they were parking their back-up in Hilo on the Big Island. So of course we had to take a picture since that was the closest we'll probably ever get to the President!

Golfing at Mauna Kea

There is something about golf that just puts a smile on Nate's face! The course was gorgeous and it was fun to be with just my hubby!

After the Temple we went to dinner at the Kona Inn and it was delicious-Jonathan really knows how to scout out the best cuisine!

Hawaii

The Big Island

The day after Christmas we flew to the Big Island with the Bullen family! What a fun trip it was and definitely one of our favorites. Eliza loved spending time with her Nana and Papa. The first day we were there she wasn't a huge fan of the sand or the endless waves that catch you by surprise, but by day 2 she couldn't get enough of it. She had so much sand on her face she looked like a little racoon with only her eyes visible. Squishing the sand between her fingers and toes and letting the waves run up over her legs was a thrill. We went golfing, snorkeling, Helicopter tour of the island and volcanoes, delicious food, Kona temple, New Year's Eve party and of course plenty of beach and sunshine. The one thing I love about Hawaii is when you're there you can't help but slow down to the pace of the island and truly relax. Thanks Juji and Bear for a splendid week!

Happy Halloween

Eliza was a Leopard for Halloween. It was kind of a battle with the hood, but when she had it on she looked like a little East High Mascot!

Eliza 4 & 5 Month Vignette

Surprise Birthday party for Nate!

I planned a surprise birthday party for Nate and I totally pulled it off! I couldn't believe that i was actually able to surprise him! I arranged for all of his friends and spouses to meet up at his parents' Park City house and then we arrived soon after. Surprise!! It was fun too to see all the babies together-all of them born in 2008! In the bottom picture, Eliza and Elle Teerlink are just a month a part! So fun!