Pre-wedding Beach Day

The day before Dana and Darren's wedding, Jeff and I were able to spend a little time relaxing on the beach. The picture with all white around us is a total mystery. We asked a lady to take a picture of us standing on the beach and this is what came from it. Kinda weird... The weather was beautiful, perfect for Jeff to swim and me to lay on the sand!

In Loving Memory

My Grandma, Marge Garrison, passed away on Saturday, August 16th. Although she will be missed beyond words, her passing made me reflect on so many aspects of my own life that I value, many of which can be attributed to her. Above all, I value my family and the values with which I have been raised. I often thank my own parents for their hard work and dedication to setting an example of how to live life as loving, compassionate, accepting people. I now realize these core values can be traced back generation after generation, leading to a family whose bond is unbreakable and whose love for each other overflows into everything they do. My grandma taught me to be confident in who I am and to be accepting of people of all races, religious backgrounds, social classes and sexual orientations. She taught me to stand up for what I believe in and to be proud of my accomplishments. Most importantly, she taught me to give love unconditionally to the people who are most important to me. She taught all of this by example; the best way to teach and also to learn. She loved her family, friends and all those she came in contact with in a way that could be felt just by being in the same room with her. I can only hope that I will be able to look back on my life with as much success in fulfilling those core values as she did. I love you, Grandma. Thank you for teaching me so much more than I could ever have asked for.

San Antonio

We recently spent four days in San Antonio with our good friends, Doug and Trisha. Like most trips we take, we managed to leave the camera in my purse the whole time, but did take this pic on great day we had, visiting the town of Wimberly. On the way back we stopped at this place. When Trisha asked what the name of it was the bartender responded, "Was Riley's". Trisha: "What's the name of it now?" Bartender: "Was Riley's." Hilarious! We had a great time on the whole trip but one of the highlights was sitting on the patio at Was Riley's, while the rain came down, chatting about Doug and Trisha's wedding plans. They got engaged last month! We can't wait for their wedding in March and look forward to many years of visits to San Antonio.

Just Kidding!!!!!

Jeff's cousin, Sarah and her friends threw a "Faux Party" to try our the new fake grass they had put in their backyard. The theme for the party was to wear or bring something fake. Jeff and I went as 'faux parents' with a 'faux baby'. We arrived around 9PM and there were people at the party who came up to me at midnight and told me they had just realized the baby was fake! Some parents they thought we were, taking our "baby" to a party til midnight. It was good for many laughs. And don't worry, the 'baby' was donated to Kristie's daughter, Lillie.

Happy 10 years Class of '98

We can't believe it has been ten years since high school! It seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye. We are so fortunate to have so many of the same friends we grew up with... and to still have each other!
























First Date!! (1994)


2008


Check out that creepy guy in the back!


Back in the Eldorado courtyard.


This is the message I wrote to our graduating class, back in '98.


Studs!



Babes!

Girls Day Out

One reason it was so nice to be in Albuquerque for so many days was the time I got to spend with my parents and friends. My mom, Kate, Lauren, Gracie, Gabby and I met up for a nice lunch at Flying Star. Gracie was hilarious and it was really nice for everyone to get to catch up. In my hectic schedule, I sometimes forget how nice it is to just relax and enjoy time with the people you love most.

La Luz... Here we come!

During my stay in Albuquerque, my dad invited me the hike to La Luz Trail with him. The trail is 7 miles long and stretches from the bottom to the top of the Sandia Mountains. Even though this is a very popular trail for New Mexico residents and visitors, I had never hiked it before. It is also a popular training ground for experienced runners looking for the ultimate challenge. My dad used to be one of them, back in his marathon days! Thanks for taking me, Dad!


We started hiking at about 6:45 AM to avoid the heat.


Just starting out.


Around mile 2, looking up.


We saw the most amazing shadow left from the flight path of an airplane. Look how the shadow appears to continue up into the sky.


A little break in the shade.


Crossing the rock slide.


Almost there... The tram station at the top was our destination.


The view from the top! Here comes our ride down.