The Story So Far..

Christmas Decorations

2012-01-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

I took some pictures of the decorations around the house and forgot to post them! (It's also good for me to post them so I remember how to set up things for next year.)

The living room..

Barney's new stocking..
My Christmas village getting bigger..thanks mom!

Gingerbread house...it was so hard to make!

The tree I bought when Mike and I were dating..

So sad to put everything away!

Christmas Vacation 2011

2011-12-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, another successful Christmas is down in the books. These are a little out of order, but here we go!

Christmas Eve Eve with Barney. We ate corn beef and cabbage (I have this new obsession with cooking with the crockpot) and then went for a little bike ride.

Christmas Eve Dinner. Actually, more like Christmas Eve lunch. Mike had to work that night, which really stunk, so we had it a little earlier. I made the reindeer bottles courtesy of Jen and Pinterest.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Barney's Christmas present.

Mike with the Christmas tree. We need one more person in the house to take our picture.

My favorite gift to give this year. Mike didn't know he was getting these Smith Optic Sunglasses. He was so happy. He said his Christmas was complete.

We surprised Sue with a new TV. She loved it. It was cute on Christmas Eve when she sat down and read to us Christmas stories and then read out of the scriptures. It helped me be less homesick.

Oh yes, and we got some major snow! White Christmas engaged!

P.S. Notice that I put a lot of pictures of Mike on here because he told me that basically it should just be my blog because I seem to only post pictures of me. So here we are Mike. Hope this works! :)

Check This Out!

2011-12-20T14:14:00.001-08:00

http://www.redrockstudioslv.com/LasVegasPhotographyBlog/my-life/married-and-mountain-biking/

Our Family Motto

2011-12-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

This guy at church was talking about what his family motto was and I leaned over to Mike and asked him if we have a family motto. I forgot. We do have one! It's lame but we say it all the time:

"It is what it is."

Haha! Do you have a motto?

Toys For Tots Bike Parade!

2011-12-13T18:17:00.001-08:00

So Mike and I joined the local bike club and Mike joined he racing team called "Zia Velo". Every year they put on a Toyr For Tots fundraiser where they ride around town and then meet up and give toys. We had a police escort through Mesilla and then down Valley (which is a realy big street in town).

Here is a shot of me with the other Zia Velo folks t the front.

The beginning of the line of over 100 riders.

Right before the start sporting the new jersey.

Just Dance 3

2011-12-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to Just Dance 3. It is so much better than the second version. I think the songs are so much better!!

I totally recommend getting it!
P.S. I totally rock at "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO and "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado.

The Tour of Tucson

2011-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

I love it in Tucson so it was awesome that Mike wanted to do the century ride with Sam Kane and his brother in law Wayne. We made goals at the beginning of the year on a bulletin board for New Years and Mike's goal was to race in another state and do three century rides...and he did it!

The weather was gorgeous and it was great to go running with Debbie and Carolyn in the morning while they started the race. The night before we drove in and went to the convention center and saw all the booths set up with all the bike stuff. It was sweet.

This is Mike at the finish line. He did the 85 mile race. He came in with the first group of riders and was 3 seconds from first place!! He did so awesome!!

This was the final sprint to the finish line. Look how close it is!
The finish line kids!

Thanksgiving at Disneyland!

2011-11-30T18:16:00.001-08:00

So I have been bummed because I made a goal this year to go to Disneyland and the chances looked pretty slim. Then we got the bright idea to head over to California while we headed over to Vegas for Thanksgiving. So we decided to go Thanksgiving Day and then head over to Vegas for Friday and Saturday.

This is right before they let you in the park....so excited!

Jen and Sarah flew in the night before to join us!!

Mike's first ride on the Matterhorn since he rode it when he was four and had a concussion. This ride is SO much better at night!

I love all the Christmas decorations!!

The Cowboys played on Thanksgiving, so Mike watched while we waited in line.

We got to eat on Main Street at the Carnation Cafe. It was really good and I loved the setting. It was outdoors and a little cold but it was neat to be able to be AT Disneyland and have an old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner.

We rode the Tower of Terror seven times!! We love that ride! I was really bad at timing on the pictures!

This time we went we kept getting these girls in front of us that kept passing gas. So we thought to pose to mock. The culprits were the girls in the top right corner. Mike is so dramatic!

It was such a fun idea and fun trip. I am so glad we went!!

Barney's First Birthday!

2011-11-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

O.K. I admit. I love my dog way too much. Well, let's just say I have a major love-hate relationship with him. But he's so fun to humiliate and play frisbee with. Our daily runs at six in the morning are our bonding time too.

Anyway, October 27th was Barney's first birthday. Technically, we didn't get him until December, but we had to have a birthday party for him.

Here's his Halloween cow costume. Just a little too small..

Gotta have a birthday hat too.
Can I please just eat that cake?? (Don't worry, its dog proof. Courtesy of some website that taught me to make a cake out of carrots.)

We were taking a bunch of pictures and he got so frustrated. He he.

Finally he was able to dig in!

And then it was time to play with his cousin Trixie. He has such a smug look on his face in this picture. I love it.

Happy Birthday Cubs!

Mayfield Finally WON!

2011-11-12T20:12:00.001-08:00

Since I have known Mike I have never seen Mayfield win against Cruces...for once, they finally won!

P.S. This is the epitome of my husband. Dork.

Sweet Gesture...

2011-11-12T11:57:00.001-08:00

A friend of my mom's is riding the Bike MS thing in Las Vegas today. Mike's name was put on her number. I think that is so awesome! Here's to finding a cure!

Random Cell Phone Pictures October 2011

2011-10-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

So I think I have graduated from the stage of taking pictures of myself from arm length with my cell phone. Instead, as I was going through my cell phone pics, I notice that all I take pictures of is Barney. (I think we need to start having kids.)

So, here it goes. The collage of cell phone pics of the life of Barney.

Pure humiliation.

Grandma gave him this food and water bowl. He loves it.
He is such a good frisbee catcher.

At Caliche's. To get a poochie cone. (Where he spontaneously combusted and lost his license and rabies tags.)

The old lab face. Pondering life.

Yes. I know. I need a life.

Back to School Special

2011-10-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

We went up to Albuquerque to race for the University of New Mexico Back to School Special. Well...I''ll keep it short (cause we only have one cool pic of Mike at the starting line).

Description: rain, mud, flat tires, broken chains, more rain, more mud, three LONG laps, and more mud.

The end.

Horny Toad Hustle 2011

2011-10-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a long time since I have blogged! Things have been really hectic that I didn't even download pictures onto facebook until a few days ago. Well here we go.

The third weekend in September is always set aside for the Horny Toad Hustle. At this point in the series, it is race after race after race. We love this one because its local and we practice it a lot. So we have high expectations for eachother.

These are a bit out of order. This is Mike and I when we got our buckles. I think Horny Toad has the best prizes! I got new sunglasses too!

Mike got 2nd in 30-39 Cat 2 and I got 1st overall in the girls category. Mike and I both beat our times from last year. We were on fire!

Brad and Brent joined in on the shinanigans and did the Cat 2 coarse together. Brad had technical problems so Brent waited up for him. Here's how they came in together...dorks.
I came in after 2 hours and 7 minutes. It was hot!

Here is an awesome shot of Mike coming in.

I love this picture. This was right before the race.

In Honor Of All Of Those Who Died On September 11th.

2011-09-20T23:01:00.001-07:00

Red River, New Mexico

2011-09-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

We went up to Red River, NM for a race in the middle of August. We had never been there before. It was so pretty!

Look at how awesome the weather was!

This is definitely a place to rent a cabin.

Mike on the day of the race, getting ready to leave for the big day. Little did he know he was going to place first!

It was a HUGE hill climb. I could see the whole thing going down between Mike and the other racers because we all were climbing so slow up the hill.

Going down the trail afterwards.

When we got to the top, we had to ride a track three times around.

As I said, this was Mike's first ever FIRST PLACE. He rocked it. I was the only girl, so I had to race the other boys, which was fun. We would definitely come back to visit, but hated the coarse!

Sandia Peak Challenge 2011

2011-08-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our last race was up in Albuquerque at Sandia Peak. Because of the fires, they moved the state championships over to this coarse instead of Cedro Peak. Unfortunately for a lot of people, this is a major hill climb. Last year we all had to go up and down the peak. This year we had to goa third of the way up, come back down, and then all the way back up and down again.

This is Mike on the first lap. The weather was great.

After I finally realized Jessica was taking pictures.

The starting line with all the Cat 2 guys.

I was trying to get all the Cat 2 girls pumped!

I got second overall and first in my category. Mike got fourth place..so we did alright!

The Adventures of Barney Part Three

2011-08-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

We decided to take Barney to Cloudcroft a few weekends ago. He has so much energy so we wanted to wear him out! We decided to take the Rim Trail backwards and hit some rocky parts.

Barney and Mike on the long downhill.

He kept sprinting to keep up with Mike. That tongue was out!
Then he got a little tired and would go back and check on me.

Mike went ahead and had a big spill. You can't see it, but his thigh has a massive gouge in it too. I spared you guys the picture!

As soon as I took that pic of Mike, Barney and I took off in a different direction. The storm clouds started to roll in and all of a sudden some major lightning started striking. Barney and I took off for the main road, but we were five miles out. I rode my bike while Barney ran along side me for four miles. It was pouring rain!

This is what he looked like when we got back to the car.

The next couple days he was limping around and could barely walk. But he was a trooper!

Brad's Birthday At The Lake

2011-08-07T11:44:00.001-07:00

I've been dying to go to the lake all summer so Mike talked to Kimball so we could all go out for Brad's birthday and ride the waves.

It was so nice out and I love to just sit and ride in the boat! Mike does too. :)

Brad making one of his first jumps.

Abe and Kimball hanging out on the front of the boat.

Sporting the new bathing suit.

The keychain they were making fun of.

I love this pic. The boys decided to go cliff diving and I love the view. Kimball went first with a back flip, then Abe with a scary jump, and then Mike.

It was nice to get a boat trip in by the end of the summer.

Adventures in Babysitting

2011-07-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

This past week I have been babysitting for a family that had a bike accident on one of our races. They have four children from age 16 down to age 9. I stayed at their house most nights to make sure they were not getting into trouble. Can I tell you how hard it was?

After dealing with: boyfriends coming over, constant X Box playing, kids that hate showering, random pancake making while I was out of the house, high school drama, playing with stuffed animals, hybrid cats sneaking up on me in the middle of the night, driving around the neighborhood looking for kids that took off, shopping at the mall and being constantly asked to buy things, kids having to go to the bathroom during a movie, making sure the kids are fed, and many other adventures, I feel like I was given a Parenting 101 class.

It's been an eye opening experience into the world of parenting. Good times.

P.S. I lost weight this week though and got to my lowest weight in a while. Hmm...maybe that parenting thing won't be all that bad.

Frazier Mountain Madness 2011

2011-07-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Holy Hill Climb. Is all I have to say. This race is the hardest hill climb ever.

Alright, now on to the whole race. We raced the Frazier Mountain Madness in Taos Ski Valley this past weekend and had a great time. They switched the races around this year and had you do the cross country first. They also switched it from clockwise to counterclockwise. We thought it would make it easier, but it made it harder!

The second day was the hill climb. Here I am at the starting line with Karen Richel's Yeti. I wanted to try out a hard tail and this bike is really light so she graciously let me use it. I was able to shave off almost ten minutes from my time last year!

We got a really nice condo for a pretty good deal. Here is Mike posing with his air pump.
Mike got second place both days! He rocked it!

On top of Frazier Mountain...over 12,000 feet up in the air!

The view of the Taos Ski Valley behind Mike.
We made it! (It was getting cold because it was about to rain and we were all sweaty!)
Taking time to enjoy the scenery over 3000 feet above where we started!
Mike and I playing around on our way down after the race!
P.S. Our good friend Alan Rishel fell during the race and was airlifted to Santa Fe and is in stable condition. He has gone through two surgeries and is fighting hard after puncturing his lung, breaking his ribs and clavicle, and having an irregular heartbeat. Our prayers go out to him and his wife Karen.

Run Forrest Run!

2011-07-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

So I have a dog that is addicted to running, so now its gotten me to go for a short run every morning, just to get him off my back! I really enjoy it, once I get out there, and I'm excited that I started this routine with him. He comes back all tired and leaves me alone, and I feel awake and rejuvenated.

So seeing that I have the running bug again, I am thinking about running a couple races coming up. Next stop: Labor Day weekend. I think I am going to go up to Roswell and do the half marathon. A lady in our ward told me about it and she is going to do it. I thought it would be fun to run with her since she and I both did the Las Cruces Half Marathon last December. That brings me to the second big race. The Schramms (who are big runners) are coming down the first weekend in December to run the half with me again. This one is so easy because there are no hills and its extremely flat and it ends in a stadium with people standing around cheering for you. (Not to mention, it was just a walk back to my house, since its right next to my neighborhood!) Last year I did it in 2 hours and 6 minutes. This year's goal is to get under two hours!

We will see!

Liz's Favorite Things Summer 2011 Edition

2011-07-11T10:24:00.001-07:00

Its that time again for me to post some favorite things. Here are some things that have helped me out around the house this summer! If I were Oprah, I would have a show and give these things to my audience members!

A Hallmark Scrapbook Kit. Every year I scrapbook and it gets messy and expensive. I love the kits that are already premade.

A gift certificate to a salon. Man, it feels good to get your hair done!
Lowes has helped me with the house so much this summer! We now have new curtains on our back sliding door, new landscaping out front, and new light bulbs, etc. for fix-er-up-ers around the house.

Lavash bread from Trader Joe's is so great for quick meals. Mike and I really like making pizzas and these are easy to use. Lay them on a tray, put on your favorite toppings, and put in the oven for eight minutes.

P.S. Trader Joe's is AMAZING!

When I want to ride really well, I drink the Gatorade Prime. This stuff is legit. I swear I won a few races because of this stuff!

Petco frisbees have saved my house from being massacred by the dog. These are so cheap, but keep the dog busy!

I wish we had a DSW in Las Cruces. Every time I go there, I find a pair of shoes that last so long!

My Droid X. I use it for playing music, looking up EVERYTHING, watching NetFlix, playing Scrabble with family, keeping track of my workouts and eating habits, and so many more things.

Jen had me use this stuff when I went to Vegas. It's found at Target and its called Botanics Clay Mask. It was only 9 bucks, but it makes your skin so smooth!
I love my Babycakes cupcake maker and I'm jealous of the people who got the cake pop maker!

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

We had a really good time on the Fourth of July. Mike went for a ride with the brothers, while I hiked with my dad and Georgia at Aguirre Springs. Barney had to get into the festivities by wearing his star scarf.

Dad and Georgia came for the weekend to hang out and enjoy the Fourth of July! Barney did awesome on the trail.

The gang of dogs ready to drive down to the river for some swimming!

This picture is hilarious. They look like little kids getting out of the pool!

The leap!

Look how far he goes to get the stick!

The aftermath.

The night ended with watching the Las Cruces fireworks from a distance and then lighting some of our own. Wendy got some awesome fireworks. We were impressed!

We couldn't stop looking during pictures!

Barney ran away during the fireworks. He did not like them. We really thought we lost him until Uncle Brad went to look for him and Barney came right to him!

"I love my Uncle Brad!"

Adventures of Barney the Dog Part Two

2011-07-08T08:31:00.001-07:00

So we found out our dog is a swimmer! Mike was brave enough to take him down to the river and try it out. Barney got to spend some time with his cousins Riley, Molly, and Trixie for the fourth of July. They were able to have some good times in the water. (See our 4th of July post!)

Riley gets a little jealous of Barney. He is drowning him in this picture!

Atten-hut! (Love this picture!)
He looks like a little weasel coming in out of the water!

Mike compared them to a bunch of gators. I love everyone's shadows in the background!

24 Hours In The Enchanted Forest

2011-06-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

What an awesome race! This has got to be one of my favorite places to mountain bike so far. Anyway, this past weekend we went up to Gallup and raced on a four man duo team. Man it was hard, but so fun!

We had two new people that had never raced before, Ray Frias and Sam Kane, who totally rocked it. They road ride with Mike and are really fast!

We were neck and neck with first place, but unfortunately the first place team was from Gallup!

This was my final lap coming in. I was hurting so bad. My cables got knocked off on this lap and my chain fell too.

Waiting to go out in the morning without any sleep.
My first lap with Ray coming in.

Being lazy under the trees.

Resting the hind legs...

The winners! Yay! The girl I was up against was Mike's height!

Awesome mugs we got!

Song Shuffle Game

2011-06-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to music right now, waiting for Mike to get up so we can go riding, and well, I want to play the shuffle game. I've never played it. So I am:

The game is to shuffle your IPOD to each question:

1.How Are You Feeling Today? What Makes You Different -Backstreet Boys

2.Will I get Far In Life? Born This Way - Lady Gaga

3.What Is my Best Friend's Theme Song? Dirty Pop- NSYNC

4. What is/Was High School Like? Mine - Taylor Swift

5.What is The Best Thing About Me? Stronger - Kanye West (According to Brad, I have more testosterone than he does..)

6.How Was Yesterday? Never Know- Jack Johnson (You will never know..)

7.What is my Love Life Like? All The Right Moves - One Republic (Nice! Mike will appreciate this!)

8.What will my Parents Say To me? Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack J. (My parents want me to visit them so its fitting..)

9.What Song Will They Play On My Funeral? Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw

10.How Does The World See Me? Rock Star 101 - Rihanna (Nice.)

11. What do My Friends Really Think Of Me? The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars (Ya. It would make more sense for me if it was The Flaky Song.)

12.What is the World Keeping a Secret Of Me? Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls ( I love working out to this ok?)

13. How Do I make Myself Happy? Take Your Mama Out - Scissor Sisters (Haha...body pump song!)

14.What Should I Do With My Life? Poker Face - Lady Gaga (I have too many workout songs.)

15.Will I Have Children? Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack (Again!)

16. What is Good Advice? The Middle - Jimmy Eat World (Love this song!)

17.What does everyone Else Think Of My Current Life? I Don't Wanna Be - Gavin DeGraw

18.What Type Of Men/Women Do I like? California Gurls - Katy Perry

19.Where Will I Live? Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

20.What Will My Dying Words Be? Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw

Meh.. it wasn't all cracked up to what I thought it would be, but I'll post it anyway. Off to ride! Gotta 24 hour race this weekend!

Take Care Of Yourself!

2011-06-10T10:50:00.001-07:00

There have been a lot of medical problems running in our family the last month or so and its so scary! Surgeries, medical tests, and diagnosis visits have been keeping all of us on our toes.

The point I am getting is everything I did in my twenties is now going to catch up to me in my thirties. So this is MORE motivation to take care of myself and be healthy! I hope to be able to conquer any medical issues if I better my diet, exercise more, and drink lots of water!

Time to bust out with the books and get to that low fat, low sugar diet we've been working on!

Vote for Us!

2011-06-08T12:44:00.001-07:00

So I entered our backyard for the show HGTV'd...this just the side yard, but all its just DIRT!

Go and rate our yard and leave a comment:

http://my.hgtv.com/hgtvd/Yard/Barren-Wasteland-in-New-Mexico/detail.esi?oid=24493761

Oak Flats

2011-06-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

I found this picture and totally forgot to post about Oak Flats. Mike and I drove up to Albuquerque at the beginning of May to race Oak Flats. I was a little nervous because I rode it on beginner last year, which means it was only one short lap. This year in sport you have to ride two laps.

We loved this race! It was a good thing it was two laps because I did terrible on the first lap because I got stuck behind a really slow guy, but fortunately I passed him at the end of the first lap and was able to get in second place.

Mike had a bad case of optic neuritis during this race which means he was blind in one eye...and he got on the podium! CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!

California Here We Came!

2011-06-03T22:57:00.001-07:00

I love summer where I can actually sit and blog! Even better is that I can also go on vacations too! Mike and I took off for San Diego again to celebrate my 31st birthday and our 2nd wedding anniversary! (I feel so old!) Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

Awesome sushi bar! I'm not a fan of the raw stuff, but Mike was in heaven!

We have this Wahoo's thats right by our hotel and we can bike to it after a long day. Love their blackened fish tacos...yum!

Mike actually is reading! He really was sitting like this when we got back to the room!

Love love love the San Diego Temple! If I wasn't so partial to Las Vegas, I would have this temple at the top of my list of favorite temples. Mike and I actually got to do a session. I say "actually" because every time I have come it was either under construction, closed, or I had people with me that couldn't go.

Mike did some urban mountain biking and we found some cliffs in Torrey Pines. We biked about 20 miles north of San Diego this day, which was about 40 miles round trip. P.S. I had my eyes shut when I took this because I kept freaking out that he was going to go flying over the hill!

The workers at the temple were so nice. We got to tour the atrium, which was so pretty. The celestial room is two stories!

The view from Mount Soledad. (Yes, we rode our bikes to the top...phew!). If you look closely, you see the temple!

While we were urban mountain biking, we came across this little guy!

We really needed this trip and can't wait to go back!

Mindless Reading

2011-06-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

So I have a huge pile of books sitting next to my couch that I told myself I had to read this summer or else. I am having a blast reading them too!

So its really embarrassing to say, but my school librarian recommended I read a few books from our book fair (one being "Hunger Games", which I have yet to begin). They are all young adult riders, which is like I said, embarrasing.

Well anyway, I've been reading Sarah Dessen's books and actually enjoy the mindless reading. Most of them take place in high school, but I like the way she talks about her characters discovering themselves. Being that I am immature in my ways, it totally fits me to read these kind of books. Ha Ha. But anyway, I just thought I would throw it out there if you wanted to suggest to your teenager or even if you want to read a book thats clean, intriging, but also quick to read.

Next up, "These Is My Words" and "Hunger Games"....

Just Had To Tell You...

2011-05-22T16:52:00.001-07:00

I wish I had a camera for this incident today, but I thought I would blog about it since I am relaxing for a few. I took Barney to the dog park this morning as usual for our Sunday morning ritual. This time they were having their two year anniversary celebration.

As soon as I let him loose, he ran to the swimming pool and splashed around like a psycho. By then five other dogs were following in him in it, including two bull mastiffs. Then, he starts taking off in a dead run and the pack followed him!

Everyone was calling him a "wild child" and asking me how I put up with his energy...

I have no clue!

12 Hours In The Wild West

2011-05-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

All of us went up to Ruidoso for a 12 hour race. All of us included: Wayne, Brad, Brent, Jared, Mike, and me so that we could make up two teams. Wayne and Mike were a duo team. Brad, Jared, and I were a trio team. Brent came along to do one lap and hang out.

Here is the starting line. If you look closely, you can see Mike. (Some of these are professional pics by Brian Leddy.)

This is Jared. Kind of hard to tell but man he was flying!

Mike coming in on his first lap.

Brad coming in from his first lap.

Brad and I were trading laps. He tagged me and then I went. This was my fastest lap (58 minutes). None of the other girls on the four man teams hit under an hour. :)

Here comes Brent.

Mike and I joy riding the finish line. :)

We got second place as a 3 man team and was placed with a 4 man team category.

Mike and Wayne would have gotten third place but Wayne's derailer busted!

Dawn to Dusk--- Gallup, NM

2011-05-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last month Mike and I raced duo in Gallup, NM for 12 hours. We each would do a lap and then trade off a batan. The morning stated off really nice when we showed up at 7 am. Mike only had a few minutes to preride and then he had to take off to the starting line.

It begins with a really steep uphill climb! It was pretty hard for me but once you get through the tough parts, the rest of it is really fast downhill.

So. Guess what happens? Wind! Lots of wind! Then the temperature starts dropping. Then.....SNOW!

Here is what I looked like at the end when we were so tired we wanted to just go back to hotel and couldn't fit anything into the car!

At this point, I was out on my third lap and it was so muddy that I couldn't move at some parts.

It was so cold!

Mike was a trooper and did four laps. They even had to shut down the race at 5 because the weather got so bad.

We tried! :)

Barney -- The Teenager

2011-05-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

Barney is going through his teenage phase right now and sometimes it really tries our patience. Dirty rugs, hair on the couches, chewing up things, digging up the yard, etc. is an everyday occurance at our house.

The thing is we can't help but like the guy! (Also, knowing he is going to grow out of it helps!)

Plus, look what torture we put him through!

And look how happy he is!
Such a ham!

Jen's New Mexico Trip Pictures

2011-04-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

These are so out of order, but I love em! This trip was so much fun! Can't wait to hang out with them again!

Sliding down White Sands..

Mike showing Sarah the leopard geckos. Great pets. Angelina the bearded dragon.

Barney and Sarah playing...

He is getting so big!

Our favorite place! Taco Cabana.

It's a memory thing. :)

The Coyote Classic.

Sarah made us a sign for the race!

Inside Carlsbad Caverns...looks like outer space!

Such a cool place!

The opening entrance. It is sooo deep!

Love this shot with Sarah on the ground. Ha ha

Walking across the bridge in Carlsbad..

Jen and Sarah looking cute.

Road Tripper!

My lips were so burnt!

Playing at White Sands..

Cool shot of Sarah.

Carlsbad Caverns

2011-03-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Jen and Sarah came out for a fun girls weekend for my Spring Break! I had so much fun! Jen took a bunch of pictures but here is what I got from Carlsbad Caverns.

The entrance is so cool! I can't wait to show you the pics we got!

Inside the visitors center. We took the natural entrance tour and then the King's Palace tour where they turn off the lights. So cool.
Just a sneak peek at what it looks like!

My Classroom is a Zoo!

2011-03-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

I promised my kids I would have animals in the classroom, but it has gotten a little out of control! One of the parents of my students gave me a bunch of their animals and now its like a zoo!

This is Billy Bob the bearded dragon. He is really feisty!

I have four leopard geckos altogether. Two of them are albino!
This is Angelina. She is really mellow and very sweet. She loves to eat lettuce.

Not to mention I have to two turtles and fish.

Good times!

A Try at Bangs

2011-02-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hike at Aguirre Springs

2011-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Mike had an idea to go hiking over to Pine Tree Trail, where he used to go on father and son hikes back in the day. We decided to make a field trip of it and bring Barney along. He did so well! The hike is about five miles long and we were racing daylight, but we only had to use the flashlight for five minutes.

Barney stayed in between Mike and I while we hiked. He was good about staying on the trail.

He looks like he is choking!

The view. So beautiful.

Mike getting a little attention.

Such a beautiful hike. Totally recommend it.

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

2011-02-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

We went to Tucson to go to the 24 Hour race in the Old Pueblo. Its a race where a ton of people come to hang out and have some good old mountain biking fun!

Its pretty much a town that is made of RV's and tents and when its done, it disappears! Here is the poster from this year:

After the race, Mike had cholla barbs in his feet and they had to operate!
The end of the race!

Mike going down the hardest part and almost getting in trouble cause the person stopped in front of him!

I got to ride at night for another group! So fun!

The clouds roll in...it rained and was so cold!!

Mike's first lap.

There he goes!

Inside the tent about to go out on the first ride.

The "town". You can see me in blue at the bottom.

Overall such a fun race. Too bad it was so old and rainy or it would have been better!

Snow Day!

2011-02-02T15:03:00.001-08:00

We had a snow day today! It was really nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of work and actually be forced to stay inside. The only downside is cabin fever, but the dog helped to entertain!

Love the snow beard! He loved running in the snow!

His first check of the snow.
Let's dig in the snow!

Look at that face!

I know, I know...we act like crazy, proud parents. But how can you resist that face??

Bath Time!

2011-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

He's getting so big!

The El Paso Puzzler

2011-01-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

On January 16th, Mike and I raced the El Paso Puzzler. We had been looking forward to it because it was a really hard race: 35 miles, up and down a mountain twice, rocks, cactus, and downhill. Are we nuts or what?

Well, I didn't do very well. It took me 7 hours to get through it and a lot was spent running on foot. I had never gotten a flat and twice, my tire got a flat. Worst part was that I had handed Mike all my CO2s so I didn't have anything! So from mile 26-29, I was running.

Mike didn't have much luck either. He lasted an hour and a half in and split the side wall on his tire. He had to walk ALL the way back! Poor guy!

This is at the starting line. Little did we know...

Overall, we'll get em' next year! Haha!

Mt. Lemmon

2011-01-27T16:18:00.001-08:00

The first weekend in January, Mike and I drove to Tucson to ride Mt. Lemmon with his brother in law Wayne. We were there to pick up a road bike for Mike and test it out!

Here is the road at the beginning on the way up. Mike and Wayne were catching me after having to stop and fix the seat. I never saw them the rest of the ride.

Mike and his new bike.

The weird thing is that we were there on January 8th, the day the congresswoman was shot in Tucson. Even stranger, is that we were right across the street at a Starbucks when it happened. So strange that a national crisis could hit so close.

Overall, Mt. Lemmon is more than 20 miles uphill and very cold in January. The boys loved it. I thought I was going to die of hypothermia, but it felt good to burn some calories!

My First Half Marathon!

2011-01-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

Las Cruces held a half marathon so I had to jump on it! I wasn't planning on it but when I found out the route went right past our house, it was calling my name. Because school has been so busy, I hardly had time to get ready. Plus, it has been so cold out and it gets so dark early, I never had time to practice running outdoors.

So it was hitting the gym and the treadmill for a week and a half. Let's just say that the longest have run before is six miles! Ha Ha

Here is The Cub on the day of the race. He was a hit. When we walked up to the crowd, everyone was looking and I realized they were all staring at him. He is pretty cute.

My Catch Me If You Can shirt!
You got a medal at the end for finishing. I ran it in 2 hours and 6 minutes! Woot!

Running across the finish line at the Field of Dreams.

My running buddy for the last four miles. He was in the National Guard and we kept passing eachother and pacing the same time the whole time. So we made friends and chatted the last few miles to help us forget we were running. Even better, Mike rode his bike alongside me the last four miles and kept me motivated. (Hence the action shots!) What a good guy!

At the beginning. It started at the Rio Grande at La Llorona park.

I love this picture of Barney. So cute!

Christmas in Las Vegas!

2011-01-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas in Las Vegas again. This was our third Christmas together! :) We did a lot and had a great time with the family.

On Christmas day we went to the Bellagio to check out the gardens. Its a tradition to go there every time we go to Vegas.

The new hotel the Cosmopolitan opened so we had to check it out.
Sarah got the game "Just Dance", which was good exercise!

Mike got a McGhie's jersey from Mom, which was really nice.

Sarah and I decorated my gingerbread house. Her side was way better!

We had an awesome Christmas Eve dinner made by Jen and it was sooo good! She made a prime rib, veggies, stuffing, and homemade ice cream by Wayne. The appetizers were really good too!

Sarah all dressed up for dinner. The rule was that you had to wear green or red.

The dinner maker herself decked out in her gear!

We brought Barney along and he had a blast when we stopped at the Petsmart in Chandler.

Overall, it was very fun and great to see family. Here's to our third Christmas!

Our Pride And Joy.

2010-12-31T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have caught Mike staring at Barney's pictures and smiling. I think we kinda like him.

Christmas pictures coming soon....

Christmas Tree...Oh Christmas Tree!

2010-12-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

We finally got our puppy and what a great Christmas present he is! One second he is playing, one second he is sound asleep. We really like that he came this time of year because he really is so much fun! Here are the stockings...including the Christmas cub's.

We are trying to teach him to go down the stairs. He gets so scared!

Here is a close up of those sweet puppy eyes.

I got a mini tree for us. When I went to pick it out it called my name!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Look Who's Coming Into The Barrow Home...

2010-12-05T20:39:00.001-08:00

It's Thanksgiving Time!

2010-11-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year again...shorter daylight, cold, wind, days off work, etc. Unfortunately we hardly ever go out in the day time, but we are lucky to have time off to spend during the day!

On Thanksgiving day we went for a ride around the Dona Ana's. It was so cold and windy but fun to have a group of people riding.

Wayne, Joseph, Jared, Brad, Matt, Brent, Mike, and me

This was right before the camera was about to fall.
The boys on second triangle.

The Schramms joined us for the Turkey Trot 5k before our bike ride.

Mike and I riding on the trail.

The only picture of Thanksgiving dinner we got and its very obvious I have a cold!

Mary Beth Franta

2010-11-20T11:05:00.001-08:00

It is so sad that I have to post about two friends this month losing their lives. This Monday, my mom told me our friend Mary Beth was missing over the weekend. My mom was the last person to see her on Saturday night when they went to a wedding together and Mary Beth dropped her off. Unfortunately, Mary Beth went home to her drunk husband and well, things ended in a terrible way.

Needless to say, her life was ended and it was such a tragic way to die. Here is the news story about her:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/husband-on-store-videos-109158724.html?ref=724

I have such great memories with her when she, my mom, and I were all working sixth grade together. We had such a good team. She was such a great friend and listener. We went to Sea Camp together and were always going out to eat at BJ's or just hanging out shooting the breeze in our classrooms.

I was fortunate enough to see her one last time when I went back for Halloween a few weeks ago. She looked really good and we sat around and talked about old times.

I love you Mary Beth. We miss you!

Dana Lee Fox

2010-11-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write some for a friend named Dana Lee Fox. She passed away a couple of weeks ago at such a young age from complications with surgery. She was Jen's roommate at BYU and a great family friend. She always had so many funny things to say and we had such a great time when she came to Las Vegas for her birthday.

It's so sad to see someone so young die. It hit us really hard and we were so sad. I want to share this article with you on her amazing career and life. Rest in peace Dana Lee.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/11/11/794668/teacher-put-her-students-first.html

Coyote Challenge

2010-11-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

So our garage wall is getting a big collection of race numbers on it lately. We kind of like it even if it does look a little "white trash". :) Today we added another set of numbers, but this time, it was for a triatholon.

Mike was asked to be on a team for his work and I was asked to be on a team for Crossfit Las Cruces. It started out with a "ruck" , which is running four miles with a really heavy backpack. This was when the starting whistle went off.
Second, was the runners. They had to run a 5k without a backpack. :) Third,was a mountain bike race for 15 miles. This is me talking off after Cat came through on her 5k.

This is Mike preriding. I took off almost twenty minutes before him and he smoked me! He smoked everyone. He pulled his team from like 15th place to 4th place. They podiumed!

I love triatholons! Cat, Liz, and I were talking about doing one up in Farmington later on. We both had a blast!

A Halloween in Vegas.

2010-11-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

We went to Vegas over Halloween weekend. It was so fun! Here are some of the highlights of the weekend:

Sky Mania with the family!

I was trying to learn to fall on my back!

The trick or treating kids!

The Fluharty pumpkin. So sad.

Halloween decorations! Yay!

Visiting the Bellagio gardens..

Visiting the new bridge at Hoover Dam.

Bike riding in Blue Diamond.

We always have such a good time when we visit the family in Vegas. Plus, it was so nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle of work.

Happy Halloween!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-10-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

So I came across my old mp3 player from 2007 that has a ton of songs downloaded on it and I got it working! So I've been bringing it to work to listen to while I calm down at lunch and after school. I absolutely love it. There is something soothing about music and it also makes you feel so many emotions. I am really sentimental, so when I hear a song it reminds me of times in my life or people close to me.

These are some old school songs, but here are some I found on it:

Tim McGraw- Taylor Swift. This was way back when she first started and I would watch her reality on MTV when she was trying to make it big. Can you remember that?

Petey Pablo: Freak-A-Leak. Totally reminds me of Liesl and Hilary when we would go to parties and dance the night away! This used to be the ringtone on my phone.

Natasha Bedingfield: Unwritten. Back when I was obsessed with the Hills I would listen to this blasting in my car.

The Ataris: Boys of Summer. Reminds me of Kaycee when we would go DDR at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Beyonce: Irreplacable. Reminds me of when Michelle and I went to California and this song was constantly playing while we shopped with lindsey in the Fashion District. So fun.

Yellowcard: Way Away. Driving down the 101 from LA to San Diego. Awesome memory!

Jason Mraz: Remedy. Driving the backlots of Walt Disney World the summer I worked there and watching the fireworks from EPCOT in the sky.

Rob Thomas: Little Wonders. I just love that song!!!

Kanye West: Stronger. I would work out at the LVAC playing this while I was running. Such a good workout song.

Ingrid Michaelson: The Way I Am. Living at my dad's house while I would drive through the senior retirement home neighborhood.

Diamond Rio: Imagine That. Senior Year. High School.

Samantha Mumba: Gotta Tell You. Back when boy bands were big and girl bands too and when the girls and I would go to every concert imaginable.

Avril Lavigne: Complicated. Introducing the number one video on TRL.

12 Hours of El Paso

2010-10-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 23, the crew set out to do a 12 hour relay mountain bike race in El Paso. Jonny, Kimball, Brad, Jared, Lisa, Paul, Mike and I showed up to race for five different teams. Jonny, Kimball, and Brad were on one team. Jared joined another four man team. Mike was on a Crazy Cat four man team. Lisa and I were on a four girl team. And Paul raced on a duo team.

Lots of racing!

Here is Brad warming up for a lap.

The most crazy part is trying to rest in between laps. I tried to chill but I got too ancy!! Here is Lisa and I waiting for our girls to come. Her team beat mine.
Still waiting!

Abel coming in and Jared taking off!

Mike getting ready to go out on his night ride. Night riding was so hard cause everything is two dimensional. I added like ten minutes on my time because of how sloppy I was!

Going out for my fastest lap. I was trying to hurry cause our team was losing.

You had to make the exchange in the tent and as soon as you called out your number, you took off!

Overall it was a very fun and exciting day. I wish we got more pictures!

Century Race in Las Vegas

2010-10-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Mike and Wayne decided to head over to Las Vegas and try out the Viva Bike Vegas Century ride (115 miles!) through the Las Vegas Valley. The cool thing is that this race included a ride across the new Hoover Dam bridge. Unfortunately, Mike and Wayne were too late to sign up so they couldn't do the bridge, but they did everything else!

The guys at the starting line in downtown Vegas.

At the starting line and sitting with all the "faster" roadies.

Here we go!

The banners and set up. The riders got steaks from Outback when they returned. Nice!

Mike and Wayne made some good time. The first fifty miles only took them three hours and they were able to complete the whole thing in about six hours. Considering Mike was on his mountain bike (with road wheels), we consider this a major accomplishment.

Congrats to you both!

A Quick Day With The Family

2010-10-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

While Mike and Wayne did their century ride in Vegas, I had a whirlwind day with the family. It started out with Jen picking me up downtown and heading down to Henderson to meet with dad and the nephews to see Mike ride by.

We headed over to Mission Park and played for a little bit while we waited. We found this amazing slide and found out it was even better when you used Sarah's jacket to fly down.

But...there were some catastrophes.
But, it was fun.

The rest of the day consisted of passing off water and gatorades to the bikers, going to Dad's to play Sequence, shopping with Mom and Sarah, eating some amazing sushi, and having a late night chat with my dad at In and Out when he got off work.

Such a fun one day visit!

The Last Race-Road Apple Rally!

2010-10-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Farmington, New Mexico for our last race of the season! It is a 30 mile course full of lots of downhill and really fun whoop-de-doos!

Kimball, Brad, Brent and his girls, Mike and I headed up for a day of perfect weather and friendly rivalry.

Here are the highlights:

I'm hiding in the gackle of people at the starting line. We ALL started together, including the Cat 1 and Pro riders.

We got in late the night before, but our hotel was awesome compared to the usual Super 8.

Kimball wanted to take a picture next to this sign. He got a big kick out of it!

The whole gang after the race!

Brent won second place in his category!

I won first place in my category, even though this was not my best race. I had to walk on some of the downhills because they were VERY steep. People were screaming as they were flying down them.

Michael got second place! And fifth overall! He worked so hard and it paid off!

Brad and I battled it out on the road for a while. It got to the point where we were neck and neck and were taunting eachother. Brad was yelling "You can't let me beat you Liz!". When I started to pass him, he screamed "I hate you!". I was screaming just because it was funny. Meanwhile, there is a girl with us racing too and she was giving us the funniest look. Poor girl.

I made it. Even though my legs were cramping really bad!

It was a really fun roadtrip too. Even though I was the only girl, it was really funny to hang out with the guys and hear the things they had to say. We all had so much fun!

Squash Blossom: The High Desert Screamer!

2010-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

This race was way fun because we got Brad, Kimball, and Jonny to come along! We rode up Friday night and stayed at a sleazy Super 8, where some random Indian guy walked into Kimball's room at 3 in the morning, and then raced Saturday morning!

Here are the random highlights of the short, but fun trip:

The medals they gave you for winning!

The boys before the race. Such a nice day out! Couldn't have asked for better weather.
Michael in the hotel parking lot. (Notice our rental car since someone decided to slam into the Honda!)

Jonny got third place in his category! Right after the race with the whole crew!

The boys at the starting line.

Mike at the starting line checking his wheel. He rode up the road with the "cream of the crop" in his category. He was flying!!

Overall it was such a beautiful day and a VERY fun coarse. A favorite of Mike's. I liked it because after doing Horny Toad, it seemed so much easier and I was a lot more confident ont he technical parts. I was so proud of Brad cause his cassette screwed up, but he fixed it and went on and finished the race. Michael got seventh which was two steps up from last year (considering all the people ahead of him were from up north). I got second overall and first in my category! P.S. It felt good to beat the girl at Cedro who beat me there and Santa Fe. :)

Highlights of The Horny Toad Hustle

2010-09-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

Horny Toad Hustle is a race on our own home court, the Dona Ana Mountains. We have been practicing really hard because we wanted to make sure we "claimed" our home turf!

These are a little out of order, but here are the highlights of the race!

Jared came and took third in Cat 3 19-29, even with a blown out knee! Brad and Jared raced too in their categories but we never got any pictures of them! Brad has a sweet video clip if I can get it uploaded.

Michael got a great time of 1 hour and 49 minutes and got fifth overall in a VERY hard category!
Here I am coming in after a VERY HOT race. I drank like six cups of water after coming in! I ended up getting second in 30-39 SPORT and third out of all of the girls!

Mike getting ready for the race. P.S. We truly believe that Starbucks oatmeal is the best breakfast before a race!

Overall: A very hot race. The road up to the top of the mountain is the hardest uphill ever, but so worth it when coming down off of it.

Smokin' Ray gave me a Border Patrol jersey to wear, so during the race I had some guys yelling that they were illegal and running into the bushes.

Another thing about this race is that it is so random. At one point a guy in a grimreaper outfit stands at the hardest technical part and watches you. When I went by, he goes "Liiiizzz Baaarrroow". I was freaking out wondering how he knew my name! Come to find out it was Pablo from Outdoor Adventures.

What a fun race!

Dirt, Bruises, and Sport

2010-09-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

The last race I did was Cedro Peak. During the race, I hit a huge boulder and well, my front tire flew off! I hit the ground really hard. I hurried and made sure all of my bones weren't broken and threw my tire back on and took off.

I was riding sport, so I wanted to make sure none of the beginners would catch me because I had just decided last minute to switch to sport (which meant doing 15 miles instead of 6 miles). So I think my pride got the best of me when I decided to jump up without checking out my arm.

Well....this is what it looked like a few days later...

And well, I made it to the finish line! I did it in 1 hour and 50 minutes. I didn't win, but I did beat three sport girls.
I'll take it! Ha Ha

P.S. Horny Toad is coming up and it is so hard! I swear I'm going to fall again! I just pray to make it through without getting hurt. This one is 19 miles!

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts!

2010-09-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Again, this like a month late, but I wanted to put these pictures on so bad! So I finally got the guts to go to the Whaley house in San Diego. I've been many times to the outside and it freaked me out, but finally Mike went with me inside. According to Ghost Hunters, it is one of the most haunted houses in America. They have done stories on it and even did a ghost hunter show on it.

When we went inside, it was night time. The tour guide gave us historical accounts as well as stories of things that have happened to visitors as they walk around. For example, a shost dog will lick your leg, a little girl will pull your hair, a brush of your hand by a little boy, etc. The whole time I had my arms folded and straight faced.

This room was the freakiest for me. The dolls in the window were the scariest things in the house!

Mike was so nuts. After we left, he wanted to go check out the cemetary where all the people were buried. I was so nervous cause it was really dark out. People always say when you see little circles in your pictures that they are called "orbs" or energy you get from ghosts. Not a huge believer in that, but there are some orbs in this picture.
I hate creepy portraits. This room really got to me. Look on the left hand side of the room. It looks like a shadow!

I was sitting in the back of the theatre while the tour guide was talking. Honestly, I didn't feel freaked out at all during the tour. I think I mentally prepared myself not to be sensitive. BUT, at this point I kind of freaked myself out in this room and kept thinking someone was going to be sitting in this back corner.

I hate little carriages and they had marbles set up all ready to play with, just asking for the ghosts to play with them!

Overall, nothing happened. But it was fun to say we tried it out! :)

Signal Peak Challenge

2010-09-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

This was seriously like a month ago, but as you can tell, I am blogging everything at once to catch up on stuff going on around here.

First up, Signal Peak Challenge. Due to my crash in Cedro and the fact that I hadn't been to church in almost a month, I decided to sit out on the race and head home to church. BUT, I did camp with the crew before heading back to Cruces.

We had a good time riding around, making SMORES, looking at the stars, and best of all, enjoying the great outdoors. Signal Peak is really pretty. We want to camp out there sometime!

This was Mike taking off on the starting line....boy this was a hard race!

All of the racers.
Mike and company...including a dog. P.S. A yellow lab chased Mike's group all the way up to the top of the mountain!

Mike getting some wood for our campfire!

Lisa goofing off!

Thomas's son Matthew. Such a cute kid and has guts to ride through mud like that.

The nasty rain clouds on the way up. We were luck to miss it!

Overall, a VERY hard race. Some people did not finish. Mike finished in seventh. I hear its the hardest race of the season.

Cover Girl.

2010-08-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

We went and got the mail yesterday and there was a brochure for the Road Apple Rally and lo and behold, I was on the front! Ha Ha...

Random Post.

2010-08-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

So I keep thinking of random things I would love to share with the blogging world. Now that I have the time to sit down and share them, here are some things I have been thinking about lately:

Jen and I have been sending voice recorders back and forth for a while now. It's good because our schedules are way off so we don't get a lot of time to talk on the phone. I love it cause I can rant and add my comments to things as if she was right there and vice versa. Such a good idea for long distance. P.S. Jen and I did this way back in 2000 when she lived in NY. P.S.S. We got the idea off the show Felicity. Remember that show?

For lunch at school I have been eating these pizzas and they are so good. It really helps with portioning too!

I love my new phone. New apps! New features! And I love how fast it is!

If you could choose between Washington, Arizona, and Florida to live, what would you pick? Not saying why I'm asking...but you'll see....

Remember the song "Back Here" by BBMak. Mike and I were talking about that song the other day so I went in my stash and found all my cds from the boy band days. Needless to say we have been listening to that song. Mike Quote: "After listening to their whole cd, I have concluded that Back Here is the only good song and pretty much the rest of the cd is gay." Ha Ha.

Still trying to get through this book. Not that it is bad. Just that I have NO TIME to read!

I finally buckled down and got a curling iron so I can actually try to curl my hair for Sundays and some days when I actually want to dress up for work.

The Last Song is actually a pretty good movie!

I want to grow my hair long. I am officially starting NOW.

We had some ant issues a few weeks back. They were everywhere in our kitchen. These babies work wonders! NO MORE ANTS!

We found a dead bird in our side yard. Mike and I had to tag team and figure out a way to get rid of it. It was so sad!!

And last but not least, I have found that Hearts is on my work computer. Is it sad I pretend I am working on something and play it sometimes?

School Days!

2010-08-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

So school has started and I ended up switching classrooms this year. So I spent a few days this summer getting it all set up and here is what it looks like!

The silly grasshopper is back in action!

The brown wall I painted. I kept it neutral.

The desk set up...so much easier this year and a lot bigger!

Wish me luck on the 2010-2011 school year!

Fun In The Sun: San Diego

2010-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Mike and I wanted to take a trip to the beach, so we loaded up the car and drove to San Diego! Believe it or not, the car ride isn't too bad (especially when you have games on your cell phone) and it is totally worth the wait. Here are some pictures we got from our little vacation.

Mike and I rode the hills of La Jolla. These hills are monsterous. You know they are huge when people are clapping and cheering for you from their car as you ride up the hill.

This is called "Urban Mountain Biking". He He.
Mike's day of boogie boarding! Liz's day of getting sun burned..

Lil' Hen is a good luck charm I put in my camel back when I race. She wanted a vacation too.

We took a bike path from our hotel over to Mission Beach. It was so nice cause we didn't have to drive around and try to find parking spots. We were going faster than the cars on some parts!

We stayed at the King's Inn with this silly restaurant called the "Waffle Spot" with the "Waffle King"!

At La Jolla Cove where we saw a whole bunch of seals chilling on the rocks!

Love Wahoo's! We ate there a few times! I love this place and was so glad to share it with Mike!!

Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. So scary to drive the bridge over, but such a beautiful beach. One of the U.S.'s top ten beaches.

The first day we were there where we rode right on the beach.

Beach. Happiness.

Our first ride down the boardwalk on Mission Beach. So fun! Great people watching place too.

Overall, an awesome trip! We will definitely go back!

The Story Of Taos: Taos Highlights

2010-07-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

So these pictures are a little out of order, but I am going to try and give you the highlights of this past weekend in Taos. Taos is a little north of Santa Fe and has a small skiing village with mountains all around.

This is Mike after the second XC race. The second day we were told it was cross country but 90 percent of it was uphill. Of course, it started to rain and it got really muddy! Mike busted his chain but was still able to make it in safe and sound and pull off 6th place.

The end of the cross country race.....yes, a little dirty.
Mike crossing the finish line.

Our studio we stayed in. So cute and we got hooked up for a good price!

In the ski village. There was a creek that ran through it. We could hear it from our hotel.

In the ski village.

Mike and I got medals for the hill climb race!

The muddy bikes!

Mike after the hill climb.

Right after we got off the top of the mountain...

Crossing the finish line on the top of the mountain.

Mike at the top!

These races were the hardest races of the season and yet we still survived! It was a really fun and fulfilling weekend!

Sandia Peak Challenge

2010-07-22T09:39:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went and raced the Sandia Peak Challenge in Albuquerque. It had been a month since we raced so it seemed a little harder this time. Not to mention the fact that it is eight hills uphill, and it wasn't a smooth uphill either. Then when you got to the top, you had to go back down to the bottom!

This is the view when you hit the top! (Taken previously to the race. There was no stopping at the top when you were racing!)

What our legs looked like when you came down from all the dust flying!
Mike taking off on the starting line!

The beginner class taking off! (That's me!)

Cool shot of Mike on the trail, courtesy of Paul.

Right before you hit the top!

It was a good race. I got first and even beat a few sport girls, which means....I think I am going to be moving up to sport in the next two races!

Mike had no technical problems and still is holding first place in the NMORS series.

Play Ball!

2010-07-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

On the fourth of July, we went down to my dads to hang out and have some fun. We randomly starting playing some stickball. It started out with a few of us and then we got a good game going!

Thats me going for first base!

The outfield and Josh pitching.
Wayne being a nerd in the outfield.

Dad running for second...even when he should have stayed at first!

Jen hitting the ball!

Dad pitching for the team!

It was a lot of fun! Good times!

Sarah's Baptism

2010-07-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

I went back to Vegas for Sarah's Baptism on July 3rd. It was so nice to see the family and the baptism was so sweet.

My nephews Josh and Ryan all dressed up for the big day!

At Sarah's "after party" with Jen

I never get a picrure with my dad.

The baptism girl and her mom.

There she is! Congratulations Sarah on your choice to get baptized!

Sunday Lesson

2010-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we had a lesson on the

Atonement.

It was really nice because the teacher showed a video about Christ.

It was suggested to go on You Tube and watch this video.

I get so sad how mean and cruel people can be,

even when going on You Tube to look this up. I just really like how when

we do think of Christ that it can bring us back

to reality why we are here and

it helps me to stop worrying about the

petty things

in life.

We all need to be

reminded, especially me.

Just thought I would share this. I was really touched when I watched it.

Life's What You Make It.

2010-06-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

My friend Lisa and I were talking yesterday about how sometimes people (especially perfectionists) often are too busy looking at what they want rather than just enjoying the moment and what they have at that time. I am known for this "grass is greener" mentality and am guilty of wishing things away! It's fun to dream, but have fun while waiting for the dreams to come true!

So while I'm figuring out ways to pay bills, clean the house, go on vacation, fix house problems, fix bike problems, etc. I decided to take on some projects around the house that are actually turning out pretty fun and worthwhile.

I started recycling! It makes a difference with trash!

I decorated Mike's den with his mountain bike pics.

I'm starting a garden.

I'm digging a patio and building it myself.

I made my first loaf of homemade bread.

I love growing plants. These beauties are lasting a while!

I jump started Mike's truck, moved it, washed it, and now we only have two cars out front!

I gave up the battle with 100 degree weather killing my plants and put in fake plants!

I got the Lexus started and we are selling it!

Can I say I love summer??

NMORS- So Far!

2010-06-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

So we are seven races into the sixteen race season (which ends in October!) and we're not even halfway done yet! I was thinking about how each race is so different and all the cool places in New Mexico I have seen! Let's do a recap of the race season so far.

1. Coyote Classic (El Paso, TX): Technically not in NM but had the biggest show yet. There were over forty people in just Mike's category alone. Mike and I practiced a lot over the winter and it showed because a lot of people from northern New Mexico couldn't practice because of the snow! Mike podiumed for third and I got first!

2. Tour of Socorro (Socorro, NM): First day. Hill Climb. Raining like crazy and raging rivers to deal with along with cold. It was so cold they had to shorten the climb because the top of the mountain had snow on it! Mike got second! I got first. My best time out of all of my races. No clue what was in the air that day, but I liked it!

3. Tour of Socorro (Socorro, NM): Cross country. Personally, not a fan of this trail and the fact that expert and sport were passing me so I had to keep stopping. One part I actually had to lean because the trail was so narrow. The ending is a ton of hill climbs that kicked your butt! Mike did it twice, I only had to do it once..thank goodness!

4. La Tierra Torture (Santa Fe, NM): Short Track. Never had done a short track before. It basically is a mini race of going in circles on the mini-track a few times. I call it the "lung busting" race because of the altitude and how fast you have to push it! I was breathing so hard! I was first, but even better fourth overall out of guys and girls! It was fun being up with the guys. Mike rocked it and got third on this one. I loved seeing him creep up higher and higher on each loop. Our favorite race overall.

5. La Tierra Torture (Santa Fe, NM): One word. Snow. Boo! It was so weird because the day before was so nice! I seriously considered DNF on the starting line because I was so cold! It was terrible. Snow in the eyes. Mike fell. I fell. I got beat by a sport girl that was in my category. Not a good race.

6. Oak Flats (Albuquerque, NM): We didn't preride this one so we had no clue what we were getting into. Lots of trees! Beautiful scenery. I was getting pummeled on the downhill but managaed to get it together for the last two miles of uphill. Thank goodness for uphills. If not, I would not have placed first. Mike's brakes were gone but he still managed to finish!

7. Parajito Punishment (Los Alamos, NM): It's a punishment alright. Between the 10,000 ft altitude and the branches and rocks conspiculously placed on the trail, I took a major beating. (Let's just say my leg looked like a leopard after pre-riding this race.) I am so glad I wasn't sport. I'll be honest, I felt like I was not in good shape for this race. Could have been all the buffets and birthday cake and brownies. Still got a first by six minutes, but barely made it. Mike again had bike problems but finished. The best part was he was standing still for a good ten minutes and had a really good time. He would have easily placed if his chain hadn't weirded out. I really like that he went ahead and did the race and came in so quickly!

Next up: Sandia (Albuquerque, NM). My goal is two hours and thirty minutes. Everyone does the same race so I will be racing against sport too. I want to beat some sport people to see if I am ready to move up. It's a hill climb so I am preparing to kick some butt!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2010-06-16T03:43:00.000-07:00

My mom saved our wedding cake and froze it. When I drove back home, I had to put it in a cooler...and this was the result.

Pretty gross right?? The frosting kind of looked rotten but the cake looked normal when we cut it. So what do we do? We eat it anyway!

(Sidenote: Please ignore the lack of make up. Remember, I am on summer vacation, darn it!)

Mike and his very proud look.

Overall diagnosis: Cake=good. Frosting=not so good. (Mike said he got a sick feeling in his stomach later that night.)

Happy Anniversary to us!

A GNC Experiment

2010-06-16T03:20:00.001-07:00

For the last few days, Mike and I have tried out this kit from GNC. We both have different reasons for why we are using it. I mainly wanted to try it out because I have hit a weight plateau, even after the amount of biking and working out I do. I saw this in the store and looked up the reviews and found that most people lost about seven pounds in one week on this. I am not really doing it for the weight loss, more just to see if I can get below my plateau and try and get a routine of taking supplements (which is highly recommended by ALL the fitness magazines I read) as well as drinking some protein shakes (which should be done after a workout).

It is so good to get you in a routine! I am on day three right now and I haven't even weighed in but I can tell a few things. One, I love how it helps me to eat healthy all day (it comes with a meal plan). I really need someone to tell me when to eat and what to eat. I found I had a lot of this stuff already! Two, I have built muscle. I just looked in the mirror and could actually see my belly button. No joke, I have never seen my stomach like it has. Three, the shakes are really good and keep me full. The only thing that wigs me out a little are the supplements. I get really jittery and also can't sleep. (Hence, why I am blogging at the wee hours of the morning.)

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on our final results. This kit is supposed to "kick start" a balanced diet and really like how it prepares you to be healthy. It's fun to experiment and be a nerdy science teacher on myself. Ha ha.

It Makes You Think...

2010-06-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

I had a scare today. Last week I went to the doctor for a check up, just to make sure I was healthy and everything was ok. The doctor told me my results would be back in a week or two. So today, while I was at the gym, I got a call from the doctor's office. I didn't get a chance to answer it so I let it go to voice mail. No message. So I called them back and they told me they would call me back later to tell me who tried to call, etc.

While I was waiting, I started to think about all the things that could go wrong. It seemed like it was taking forever for them to get back to me, so I started to think it was bad news. I thought about what I was going to have to say to Mike if it was bad and then I started to think about how grateful I was for everything I had right now and how lucky we are to just make it through a day.

Long story short, it was a mistake that they called me and my results are not back yet. I thanked the lady for letting me have a peace of mind. Ha ha.

The point is...think about it. What if you got a phone call with bad news. What things would you want to be grateful for? What things would you regret?

P.S. Yes, I know I am crazy. He he.

Summer Ambitions

2010-06-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

I am so excited because I brought my computer home from school so I don't have to share with Mike anymore. :) I'm sure he appreciates that a lot too.

Anyway, I have so many summer projects that I am trying to take on and get done by August and if they are finished, boy will it be nice! (I live in a fantasy world.)

The first thing was that I was offered a job to teach for NASA and the stuff I make with my students will get flown up in a shuttle next April! There may be a chance I can't do it because I signed up for it last minute, but it will make up for disappointment that I didn't get to go to Space Camp with my coworkers this year. (I have wanted to go to space camp since I was in the Young Astronauts Club in elementary school. Can you believe how nerdy I was?)

I am working on our backyard too. It is my goal to put rocks in by the end of the summer. I already cleared out one of the side yards in the 100 degree heat!

I am decorating Mike's den with his mountain bike pictures. Since we are going all out this year (due to the fact that we plan on starting a family soon and feel like we need to go all out before I get pregnant), we have a ton of really nice pictures from the races and I am really excited to put them up.

I would like to start the whole cupcake thing, but it seems like every Wednesday and Saturday is booked til July. I really like the idea of cupcakes in a jar and tried it out and it actually looks really cool.

I'm very excited to sell the Lexus and get Mike's truck registered and put in the garage. That means we will no longer have four cars and have them all out front of our house! (So white trash. Haha.)

I have a huge list of books to read this summer and I'm starting with one that my sister got for me. It's called " These is My Words" by Nancy Turner. Any suggestions on other books?

First Anniversary!

2010-06-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

For my birthday and for our first anniversary, we decided to drive to Vegas with the bikes and have ourselves a good time!

There was a UFC fight going on and everyone looked exactly the same in their "Tapout" shirts. Here is Mike mocking...

We walked over to Citycenter and checked out the sites.

Including the tornado tubes!

We did A LOT of mountain biking!

And saw some cool views..

And pretty flowers..

I like this shot. The downhill was so fun!

Happy Birthday!

2010-05-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

This week is my thirtieth birthday! I made it! I am really excited for it now. I was kind of depressed about not being in my twenties anymore, but really age is just a number.

The plans go:

Birthday Dinner With Mike

Drive to Vegas and Have Sushi First Thing

Temple

A Buffet Birthday Lunch With The Family

Mount Charleston

Go To The Strip

Stay At Mandalay Bay Two Nights

Lay Out and Drink Pina Coladas

Play In The Lazy River

Hike/ Bike Ride Red Rock

Go See Lion King

Have a Girl's Day With My Sister

Drive Back to Cruces

Go To IKEA With My Mom

I am such a lucky girl! I am so glad I can spend my birthday with all my family and friends!

First Place Barrows!

2010-05-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Mike and I just realized that at this moment, we are the only husband and wife couple to have first place standings. We love our mountain biking! Ha Ha

In My Next Thirty Years...

2010-05-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

So my birthday is looming up on me and this one is a big deal to me. I will be turning 30 this year! No more 20's! It's bittersweet. I really can say that my life so far as been amazing. I really have had great opportunities and it gets me excited to see what the next thirty years will bring!

I hope in the next thirty years I can: 1) raise a family, 2) get a dog, 3) take more college classes, 4) go on amazing vacations with my husband, 4) retire from teaching and write books, 5) teach adults or become a nurse, 6) enjoy my family, 7) improve my mountain bike skills, 8) live near a beach, 9) keep my husband loving me, and 10) live happily ever after.

Next stop: 60 years old!

We Can Dream, Right?

2010-04-24T09:39:00.001-07:00

A girl can dream right? I keep thinking about things I want to do this summer, ways to make money so I can afford to pay off the bills, and then the "wishes" I want just for the sake of dreaming. The funny thing is, the things on my wish list are so random!

Here's some of the things that have popped in my head!

1. Having a successful cupcake business.

2. Somehow coaxing U-Swirl to open a place here in Las Cruces or possibly opening one.

3. Going on a shopping spree at Buckle.

4. Being motivated to do P90x for 90 days straight!

5. Get a facial!

6. Go to Florida and go to Disney World, Universal, show Mike my old stomping grounds when I lived there, Key West, and possibly taking a cruise out of there. I miss Florida. :(

7. Landscaping my backyard which will include a garden and my very own compost heap.

8. Finding a skin cream that will fight my wrinkles from all my years of being sunburned.

9. Ordering Wen Hair Products.

10. Weighing ten pounds less than I do now.

11. Go see Gavin DeGraw in concert.

12. Own an IPOD touch.

13. Totally random..but after cleaning the kitchen this morning, I want a Swiffer. Pronto.

Socorro, NM

2010-04-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was spent in good old Socorro, NM. A very small town between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. It was a two day race extravaganza which involved some river riding, rain, fog, heat, and lots of dust!

The first race was a hill climb at South Baldy Point. To get to the starting line, there was a flooded river to get across. People had to decide to carry their bikes or to just ride through it. When the race started, you had to cross the river two more times on the way up.

Because of the rain and snow, the race was shortened from 8 miles to 5.5 miles, which was a huge relief for all the beginners and not so great for people like Mike who actually enjoy the torture of long distance hill climbs.

Mike made it to the top in just under an hour. I made it up in an hour and nineteen minutes! It was a success. Mike got second in his really big sports category and I got first by twenty seconds.

The next day consisted of a cross country race down at a lower elevation, which means no snow or rain. The starting line is actually found on youtube.com. If you type in "Tour of Socorro 2010" you can see Mike starting right up front on the sports start and you can see me false start when the beginners take off. Haha.

Mike got fifth place and second place overall and I got first place beginner and first place overall.

It was a successful weekend!

Most Traumatic Day....Ever.

2010-04-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, Mike and Liz tried riding their bikes eight miles up the side of a mountain. Mike decided to use really small tires.

The ride was very smooth and steady and it took about an hour and half to reach the top (for Mike) and about an hour and forty five minutes to reach this point (for Liz).

We were so happy to reach the top!

As they took this picture...the wind picked up!

And Mike didn't have a jacket!

So they rushed down the hill as fast as they could! Wind blowing and all! It was so cold that their hands turned blue and they could hardly hit the brakes! Mike's skin was turning purple. Just a reminder: It is eight miles down! Half way down through the wind and the cold, Liz hits a sheet of ice and lands on her side. Holding back tears, frozen hands, singing to themselves, they finally make it to the car!

Five minutes sooner...they would have been diagnosed with hypothermia.

Unfortunately Liz got some bruised ribs out of the experience. :(

So Far..So Good.

2010-04-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

We've only had one race so far, but we've made some goals. Mike wants to podium this year, which means he wants to be in the top three in his category. I want to win the jersey for my category this year, which means I need to place first in my category.

Let's see what happens!

Spring Break

2010-03-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

1. I placed first in the Coyote Classic. (see previous blog).

2. I deweeded the front lawn and side yard and added some touches outside. I can't wait to do the back yard!

3. I BBQ'd a couple of times, inclding Mike's birthday shin dig after a Tuesday night ride. Success.

4. I finally got to get Christa out for a ride so I can officially now have another girl to ride with when Lisa has to work.

5. I went through my closet and got rid of clothes I don't wear and organized Mike's rummaged through mountain bike clothes.

6. I flew to Vegas to see my family.

7. I got to get a tour of my sister's gym and pretend like I was still living in Vegas so I could get a free week's pass. Afterwards I did an extremely hard Pilates class that kicked my butt.

8. I went shopping with my mom and sister just like old times.

9. I watched Sarah do her dance routine to "Fuego", which is really awesome by the way.

10. I got to go to a morning session at the Las Vegas Temple. I love that temple so much. I almost started crying when I walked in. It reminded me of all the after school sessions I would go to. Never take for granted having a temple in your home town. Living in Las Cruces has reminded me of how important the temple is to me and I can't wait til we get one closer to us!

11. I got to eat a sandwich with my dad.

12. I got to play a game of Guesstures with the whole family and see how talented Jen and Wayne are at charades.

13. I laughed really hard with my sister about silly things. It felt so good!

14. I got to sit and watch a BBC movie with my mom and enjoy chattering about England.

15. I got to sleep in A LOT!

16. I finished a book I have been trying to read for a long time!

17. I got to eat sushi with Jen, Wayne, Dave, and Laura and it was amazing!

I am so grateful to be a teacher and especially grateful for all the special people in my life!

Our First Race.

2010-03-25T13:17:00.001-07:00

We had our first race of the New Mexico mountain bike series. It was perfect weather and Mike and I were ready to kick some behind. We had been practicing a lot (Mike a lot more than I had been)!

Mike got podium! He won third place out of forty four riders.

I got first in my category. I bumped up to 30-39, since I am turning the big 3-0 this year.

At the finish line.

Mike's favorite part at the end, when he passed the winner of last year's race.

All of the riders!

At the starting line...

We hope to have a great season! Next Race: Socorro.

Coyote Classic

2010-03-20T09:25:00.001-07:00

Ten Reasons Why I Am Being A Slacker At Work...

2010-03-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

1. Daylight Savings time is kicking my butt....I can barely function today because of lack of sleep.

2. I am so nervous about this weekend's race. This is a very hard trail and I know I am going to biff it!

3. Spring Break officially starts tomorrow afternoon, therefore why do work?

4. I'm trying to plan out my Spring Break.

5. I'm too busy planning what to do for Mike for his birthday.

6. The kids are watching a video today, so its way easy.

7. I much rather be outside because the weather is GORGEOUS.

8. The only thing I should work on is grading papers and I hate doing that.

9. The other thing I could work on is bills and I hate doing that more than grading papers.

10. Because I don't feel like working. :)

What's Been Going On?

2010-03-15T16:33:00.001-07:00

We have been trying to fix the Lexus to sell it to pay off the bills...no luck yet, but we are still working on it.

Matt and Kandi moved to Colorado so we helped them pack up the truck and head off on their new adventure!

We have been preparing for the Coyote Classic on March 21st...lots of people have entered..wish us luck!

Brent got a new bike similar to Mike's..so they are both sporting an Intense!

Disneyland Silliness!

2010-02-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was a little nervous taking Mike to Disneyland because I ws hoping he would have a great time like I always do....judging by the pictures...I think the mission was a positive one.

Here are some clips of the trip!

Main Street!

Mike running with the crowd at California Adventure!

Mickey Fireworks!

On Toy Story Mania!

Splash Mountain....soaked!

Our castle picture. :)

My husband is one silly man...

The famous picture spot.

Eating at Bubba Gumps.

Mike's first time on the Tower of Terror.

The hotel we stayed at.

Huntington Beach. Surf City U.S.A.

2010-02-26T10:32:00.001-08:00

So Mike and I got to go to California last weekend and we loved it! :) It was nice to be able to get out of town and I really, really missed California. We flew into John Wayne Airport and then took off to Huntington first thing. Love that place!

We ran into Wee-man...Mike was so excited!

I was so happy to be at the beach!

The pier.

Surf City!

We had to have some Wahoo's fish tacos!

5K Mania!

2010-02-16T13:31:00.001-08:00

So Christa and I decided to run another 5k race this weekend. We made a goal to do it in less than 30 minutes and we made it!

I got first in my category so I got a medal...

And had to take a picture with some creepy guy.

We had matching outfits too.

Latest Happenings...

2010-02-10T19:07:00.001-08:00

So I have been a slacker with the blogging...so I thought I would get on here and update the blog. Here are some things we have been up to:

Christa and I ran a 5K this past weekend....we made our goal and didn't come in dead last. :)

Mike is preparing for his national race in Tucson this weekend. He has worked so hard and has a really good team. I am so excited for him!

Guess where we are going next weekend???? :)

Is it sad that at career day at school today, that I was the only person asking for information on nursing even though it was meant for my students. P.S. Is it also sad I wanted to do all of the careers they talked about?

And that, in a nutshell, is pretty much what has been going on.

Random Thoughts.

2010-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Since Mike started this 6pm to 2am shift, I have been home by myself....A LOT! I was excited to be able to sit down and watch TV and movies and read, but after a while...it gets old! Anyway, I seriously start talking to myself and want to talk to someone about random things. So here are some random things I would like to express, just for the sake of expression.

1. I really want to go on a shopping spree and buy fashionable things. I swear all I own are t-shirts and jeans. I need a change.

2. I thought I killed my other toad at school because I had not seen him for a week. He had somehow burrowed his way in the dirt, and I knew that, but I was thinking it was like his three legged brother who buried himself to die. So yesterday I got the guts to go check and used a paper towel roll to try and find him and lo and behold I saw breathing. So yes, he is still alive. Come to find out, they hibernate in winter. I know, very random...but I was so worried!

3. Thank goodness Subway brought back the Buffalo Chicken sandwich. Come to find out it is only in our region, according to the Subway manager.

4. I want to rent a condo in Huntington Beach during Spring Break. I miss the beach.

5. I want to mountain bike every day of my life, but have to choose between spending 45 minutes with Mike or immediately hitting the road to hit the trails before it gets dark. Not to mention it has been raining and windy all week, which makes me mad. I wish I could just ride by myself, but I don't want to ride alone in the dark!

6. I slept for twelve hours last night and don't regret it one bit.

7. Disneyland. February 20-22...I am so excited! It will be Mike's first time so I am really nervous.

8. It's almost February and we still don't have our Christmas lights down. I'm too scared to climb on the roof.

9. I overheard one of my students saying that sometimes I sound like a man. I always hear random things they say about me even though they think they are being all sneaky. Anyway, I told my second period about it, because I was telling them I can often hear things they say...and they were so mad! Anyway, yesterday the front office called and goes "Mr. Barrow? Can you send this student up?" and my students started laughing so hard. It was pretty funny.

10. I like teaching because of summer and pretty much its a job of service, but I must say...can we please switch it to six hours like in Vegas?? I just need more day time...I can't function at night!

11. Do not go to Walmart at ten o clock at night...the crazies are out. My dad and I had a discussion the other day on why weird people come out at night and where are they during the day?

12. I can't find frames that will stay on my wall. I have lost four frames now and our walls are looking so bare!

13. I was noticing this morning that my husband makes the bed better than I do.

THE END

Dad and Georgia's Drive Through Las Cruces!

2010-01-23T07:32:00.001-08:00

Dad and Georgia went on a road tip to San Antonio and decided to stop in and say hello for a few days! They watched Mike race, went to Cloudcroft, checked out White Sands, and ate some good food!

Georgia was a pro at going down the dunes on a sled!

So pretty out!

I love the view!

I thought this was a cool picture!

Dad watching for Mike at the Puzzler!