Sun Valley

Jess went to Sun Valley with his family to snowboard and celebrate his Birthday!

Look at Adell! Learning to ski and doing so well! Fun Fun!!

Christmas Craft

I made these cute little reindeer to give to friends for Christmas. They are wrapped around giant candy bars! YUMMY!!!

Snow in Mississippi

Yep that's right! It snowed in Mississippi. It was really fun to watch it coming down. Got us into the Christmas Spirit. It melted by the next afternoon, but there was enough to make the worlds smallest snowman!

Easely Amused

painted by Jess (above) painted by Stacie (below)

Jess and I went to Easely Amused and painted these really fun paintings. It is an instructor led painting class. I am not artistic at all but they claimed I didn't need to have any artistic ability. It was really fun, I can't wait to go again!

Labor Day weekend in Utah

We went to Utah for Labor day, had a great time hanging out with family and got to see almost everyone except Mike who was in LA fighting fires, got to play some golf, swim at Kraig's and go to a world cup qualifier. Matt and Jenny were down from Idaho and Karen and Jerry came up from St. George and of course everyone was hanging out at the Michels playing Wii and cheering on the Bingham vollyball team.. GO Kensie...., as aways the trip was too short and we cant wait to go back!!

Bob, Kathie, Jess and Stacie at the USA vs. El Salvador soccer game

Jess walking into Rio Tinto Stadium

Kathie and Stacie going into the Stadium

Gentry gave me a wonderful pedicure!

Haleigh and Baby Ray

Matt, Jenny and Maisy at Denny's

Matt and Jenny

Grandma and Maisy

it is hard to see but this was the first goal we were trying to get video of everyone chanting USA and then...USA scores!!

DESTIN

Destin is definitely the best part of the south that we have experienced yet. Triathlons are great excuses to vacation and that's pretty much what this was. We stayed in a condo that Heidi found for a good deal with her husband(Randy) daughter(Pacee), sister (Shelley) and brother in law ( Shaden). the Smiths Spencer and Sonya were also down for the tri but stayed at a Friends house (Diane). we didn't do much other than the tri, a little shopping at the outlets, as much beach time as possible and 14 holes of golf at twilight.

playing in the beach

Shelley, Randy, Shaden

the wharf

the Russels
Pacee, Heidi and randy in the background


blue herring at the wharf
that's real even though it looks fake


Pacee loving the beach

the Tri

530 comes early, pumping up the tire, proper psi is crucial

spencer and jess awaiting the start

swimmers

a few jelly fish stings and 21ish min later 1/3 the way done

jess and a guy from the second wave passing him

still early but great tri weather

jess going out on the bike

transition to the run a little over an hour later

Jess on the final stretch

final time 2hrs 9min lots of room for improvement.

the best cheering section at the event

Shelley, Heidi, Spencer, Sonia, Jess, Diane

the six triathletes