Banff Honeymoon

After a wonderful wedding it seemed hard to follow up with anything else but we had a great time on our honeymoon! Zach and I decided to do a road trip to Canada for a week with our dog, Lucy.

We started out with a night at the Nickums cabin at Fisher Creek near Stanley. The day after the wedding I was EXHAUSTED from all the activities of the wedding and could barely keep my eyes open. Luckily, Zach and Lucy had energy for our drive to Montana and we really enjoyed ourselves on the way.

Our first night camping at Swan Lake near Flathead Lake in Montana is gorgeous! I kept thinking it was just like a smaller Tahoe. The water temperature of Swan lake was unexpectedly warmer then Tahoe though. Then it was off to Glacier National Park via Whitefish, MT the next day. We enjoyed a long hike up Big Mountain, well aware of any grizzly bears that may be snacking on huckleberries or hiding in the lush wildflowers. Driving through Glacier National Park later along the "Going to the Sun" road, we devoured the views of snow covered peaks, high-mountain meadows, and local mountain goats. Amazing views! I think Zach took a picture of every inch of the park and our tour through it. That night camping was a lot more crowded then the previous night but we nestled in and were off the next morning to Canada!

Crossing the continental divide the day before the landscape was noticeably dryer on the road to Calgary. Suddenly our math skills were tested as well when we had to follow speed limit signs in kilometers and not miles...but don't worry mom we figured it out! Turning west from Calgary we headed towards the Canadian Rockies and into Banff National Park. Again the mountain peaks were outstanding and more grand then anything I have seen before. Who knew all this wonder and beauty was so close to home? We checked into our little hotel, the Juniper, which luckily allows dogs so Lucy-Lu could sleep happily next to us. They even provided a doggie bed and treats for Lucy to feel right at home. It was time for more hiking and again we warned constantly on the threat of grizzly bears. We tied jingle bells to Lucy and set out making sure to be as loud as possible so the bears were well aware of our presence. Elk, deer, big horn sheep, and large eagles crossed our paths but no bears. Obviously our bear alarm (Lucy) was effective!

Later Zach and I headed out from the historical Banff Hotel on our mountain bikes and moved along the Bow River. Lightly raining we had a good time (despite my forward roll down one section). We managed to make a short drive North to Lake Louise and visit the gorgeous glacial lakes. The water was such a magnificent Whipple blue I kept taking off my sunglasses to make sure that it wasn't them that were distorting the color. We hiked up to the tea house and enjoyed refreshments before our way back down. We followed up that hike by visiting the Banff Hot Springs that is open to the public and definitely used by many people. It was like sharing a bath tub with 50 of your closest friends. Wasn't sure about that at first but when in Rome....

Heading back from Banff we took an alternative route through British Columbia (again enjoying more lakes, streams, rivers, and mountain peaks). Crossing the border we headed down through Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, and just before reaching Couer D'Alene we stopped at Farragut State Park and camped near Lake Pend Orielle. This camp spot was anything but quiet but we still managed to enjoy the beautiful lake.

After Lucy and I took a dip in the lake we headed down to Moscow to visit Zach's cousin, Lauren, and catch up over lunch. She filled us in on her new college life and even gave us a tour of the sorority house she lived in. Lucy was a big fan after about 15 girls managed to pet her non-stop. We headed farther south to camp at McCall that evening and enjoy our final night of our honeymoon under the stars.

To see our honeymoon route you can go here to see the map.

Wedding Day

We had such a wonderful wedding and really want to thank all that made it special!

Nick, Jean, Bob, Sherri, Jeannie & Ben-First I want to thank our parents. We are so lucky to have your love and support and we really couldn't have done anything with out you!

Tom, "the pope" did an amazing job for his first officiant role and we were so impressed with the entire ceremony. He discussed the "the knot" and it's meaning in a marriage. He presented us with a bronzed knot for us to remember. It was perfect!

The bridesmaids & flower girl- Addie, Erin, Katherine, Ali, Mariah, and little Callie were so beautiful and sweet to together.

The groomsmen- Matt W., Grant, Wes, and Matt M. did a stellar job in supporting Zach and wow the toasts were so special!

DanO- the ManO- thanks for coming through with the music and cheer during the ceremony your such a great friend.

Helen and Rachel the flowers were so special and the amount of work and care you put into their growing is so appreciated we hardly know what to say! The centerpieces were gorgeous and I know everyone that took them home have really enjoyed them.

Megan, Katherine, Brett (and fellow helpers) the pies were a HUGE success! I've heard nothing but great remarks from everyone and can't thank you enough for putting up with me and making this thing happen.

Addie- thank you, thank you, for the beautiful stationery, thank you cards, save-the-dates, programs, menu's and table cards! You really made everything look beautiful and I know it was hard timing with Avery and we appreciate all your work!

Darleen- thank you for the beautiful jewelry! All the girls loved the earrings and I couldn't have been happier with mine.

Christian- you really helped us out with so many details, thank you, thank you, for the rings and the horseshoes! They really made our wedding special.

Galena Lodge (Erin & Don)- Thank you! Thank you! for making our wedding such a wonderful event. Your help and consideration for all the details really made this happen. The food was outstanding (as always) and the organization was superb!

To all our family & friends- Our day was made special with your presence and we are so happy you were able to join us. Thank you for making the long journey to celebrate with us!

I'm dying to get the pictures but luckily my friend, Davina, passed along a few that she took. Aahh, Jenna I just found some from your blog as well! Thank you girls for these!

Bachlorette Bash!

Wow! It feels like it took me all week to recover from the fun we had in Stanley for my bachlorette party. We started out with a day hike near Alturas Lake up to beautiful Alpine lakes on Saturday. Megan, Kat, and I talked about everything we could think of and enjoyed the beautiful wildflowers, conversation, and scenery. Then it was off to Megan's cabin to meet up with ten other girlfriends to make sushi. By the end of the evening we were getting good at making new roll creations including wasabi potato chips, tuna, ginger, and rice. Yummy! More fun when we caravaned to the Sawtooth Music Festival. People dancing everywhere, including yours truly that managed to take the stage in a tu-tu, veil, and with my large blow-up doll (that we nicknamed "Pro-Zac"). I am still getting compliments on my running man ;-) The music was good everywhere in town so we continued on to the Kasino Club in Stanely, the traditional hang out spot for locals, and enjoyed more bluesgrass music by the Jeremiah Jones Band. Needless to say we had a lot of fun! Thank you Megan, Kat, Brett, Rachel, Janet, Jen, Jenna, Lacie, Lisa, and Davina for making me feel like I was in college again!

29th Birthday

I barely had time to remember my birthday let alone celebrate it! But it was a great birthday thanks to my dear girlfriends, my office, and my loving fiancee. First, I was treated to a pedicure from my friend, Jen. Then the girls and I went to a little place in Ketchum for fresh Chinese chicken salad and catching up on each other's summer activities. Back to the office for the remainder of the day and then celebrating with a few beers. Finally, it was out to dinner with Zach for a little recap of all the activities we have been enjoying this summer, the wedding (of course), and this weekend's events. So far 29 is turning out to be a great year!

Reno Garden Shower

I can't believe a week has already gone by since I was in Reno/Tahoe but I guess that is because we have been so busy with all the events going on this summer. I did make a quick trip to Reno to do some business in Tahoe, and attend a bridal shower at my aunt Carolyn's house. It was so great to have my cousins and relatives there that I haven't seen in awhile. My aunt and uncle have a great little house on Hunter Creek that flows into the Truckee river. The shower was a garden theme and it was a perfect setting. We had fun sharing questions and answers about Zach and I while eating delicous food. My uncle Bob made great fresh mojitos and a delicious peach cake from Whole Foods to wrap it up.

Wine Shower

This past weekend, Zach and I, were so lucky to have dear friends host a wonderful wine shower for us with family and friends. We ate, drank, laughed, toasted and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening at a friends home in North Hailey. We were treated to salmon and local Idaho lamb, lemon-drop martinis, and chocolate cake for dessert. It was really a sign that we are getting closer to our big day and it seems that every weekend now we have one event or another to attend for the wedding. We are so excited to and seem to be growing closer knowing that we are experiencing this new chapter in our lives together. Thank you Margo & Patsy for kicking off the celebration!

Salmon River Trip 2008

The Salmon River trip was smaller than usual in crew members but we still had a wonderful time traveling 81 miles across Idaho this past week. Nick, Jean, Erin, Gabe, Zach, and I managed to stay upright while rafting through some very high water and rapids along the main Salmon River. There are too MANY pictures to share but I painstakingly picked through all the great shots that Zach and Gabe took for a snip-it of the fun!



Big Horn Sheep, elk, deer, bald eagles, yellow-belly marmots (love that name), a wolf cub (or coyote without it's mama ;-( , and a variety of birds were a bit of the wild life we viewed from across river or many times in our own camp sites. Lasagna, jambalaya, steaks, chicken taki marsala, and enchiladas helped us all stay full and happy! Amazing historical sites to visit of old time pioneers (men and women) that have roughed it out amongst the river long before rafters/kayakers enjoyed it. My favorite is probably the tale of a Chinese immigrant during the mid 1800's- sold by her parents for seed in China, shipped to San Francisco as a slave, won in a gambling match, and then moving to the Salmon River with her husband, she was a friend to many passers by- Polly Bemis. There is an interesting book about her life called, "A Thousand Pieces of Gold" if anyone is interested. Her small cabin and large garden are still cared for to this day and interesting to visit.

Thank you, thank you, Nick and Jean for making this trip happen and sharing your wonderful stories and years of experience with us newbies! We were sad not to have our dear friends the Nickum's and Ziegler's families along for this years journey but know they will be along again for the inevitable trip next summer. Can't wait!

Poppies

When we moved into our house (we lovingly call MoLo) we were lucky to have been left these gorgeous 4ft tall poppies that bloom at the beginning of every summer. No maintenance required because I should have killed them by know with my gardening skills. They are a beautiful new sign to summer...

Cross Country Cowgirls

The Sawtooth Relay was this past weekend and my five fellow cowgirls and I decided to take up the challenge. We ran a total of 60+ miles from Stanely to Ketchum, Idaho. It took us around 8 hours to complete in different legs ranging from 4-6 miles in distance. We each completed around 12 miles when all said and done. With a start time of 5am and wake-up at 3:30am we all felt a little delirious when it came time to hit the road but it sure was worth it. Gorgeous weather and surroundings made the time go by quickly. Van 'shinan-i-gans' and roadside cheering were some of the highlights. Everyone seemed to be getting faster and faster as the day went on. Thank you MegO for use of the 'cab-ansion' and the Rocky Mountain Van. Giddy-up cowgirls!

Texas Family Gathering

It was a bitter sweet visit to Greenville, Texas to say goodbye to my grandmother Dorothy with family last weekend. I love seeing all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant relatives that I only see on special occasions. They are all so unique but still the same quality people I have known all my life. We gathered to say goodbye to our matriach with laughter and tears and it went so appropriately with her life. I don't think I will ever be able to think of her without a smile on my face. Such a wonderful and loving woman! It was probably a last visit to Texas and childhood memories on Lake Tawakoni as well. What wonderful times of mischief and adventure. It will always hold a special place in my heart!