Skiing in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

We met my mom and dad; brother, Jeff, and his family Gayle, Olivia, Gabby and Hannah; Gayle's brother and his family; JD and Chris and Chris' friend Brandon in Pagosa Springs for a fun weekend of skiing. It was great company, beautiful scenery, and couldn't ask for better weather, the skies were blue, sun was out, snow on the ground and the temperature was in the 50s and high 60s. Who could ask for more!!! The skiing was GREAT, we all had a wonderful time and no one got injured. The only bad thing was that all good things come to an end!

ReMax 100 takes a Ski Trip

A group of co-workers at ReMax 100 decided to take a ski trip to Liberty Mountain in Pennsylvania. To tell you the truth, I've only heard bad things about skiing on the east coast.....ice skiing and short runs! I love skiing but I don't like to fall down so therefore, I'm a cautious skier. Ice skiing was a little scarry for me but, it was a great chance to get to know some of the people in my office that I don't get to see much. I'm all for trying new things and was very glad that I went. It was a cold day but the sun was shining and the skies were blue. Our first run up the mountain I got quite a chuckle looking down (while on the chair lift) and seeing nothing but rocks and grass.....where is the snow? We saw the snow machines working hard and sure enough, on the top there it was....SNOW! It certainly isn't skiing like I know it, because I've only skied out West, but all in all... it wasn't bad. It didn't take long to get down the hill and there wasn't any lines to get on the chair lift. Some of my co-workers were kind enough to hang with me while I tested the snow on the green runs a few times and then we went to the back side of the mountain where the snow and the runs were much better. It was a GREAT day! I hear that the conditions aren't always as good as they were that day... we were lucky not to have too much ice on the slopes. All in all, if I want to go skiing and I can't get out West, I would certainly do it again!

Myrtle Beach Marathon - WE DID IT!!!

Ninon, Debra, Lisa and I have all been anxiously awaiting the Myrtle Beach Marathon. This was the first marathon for all but Lisa (who actually runs and has done 4 before). We decided to break into this easy and signed up to walk the half-marathon. We drove 8 hours on Friday to get there....great company and it was a nice drive. Got there just in time to get registered and pick up our packets, have a really late dinner and get to bed.

Just to give you a little background of why this is a big deal for me, Ninon and I were walking last week, the day of the "melting ice" and I somehow hurt my knee only 3 miles into the walk, probably not the smartest thing, but I continued to walk another 6 miles on this hurt knee because I wanted to get that longer walk in before the half-marathon. I let the knee heal the rest of the week and it felt pretty good the day of the marathon. I took my knee brace but felt that I could probably do it without it....big mistake!

The marathon started at 6:30 a.m. on February 14, Valentine's Day, and we were all excited for the race. The crowds were huge, I think I heard around 6,000 people and we all started at the same time, the runners and walkers, the half-marathoners and the marathoners, so it was a bit of a bottle neck at the beginning. We decided that we would at least run across the starting line and the finish line....just to say we ran a little :). We get about 3 miles into it and Lisa and Debra get the itch to pick up the pace. I didn't want to put more stress on my knee so I stayed back and Ninon, being the good friend that she is, decided to stay behind with me. It was soon after that that my knee gave out. I had to walk another 2 miles before I could find a first aid station to wrap my knee. The Dr. told me the wrap probably wouldn't help but I was determined to continue. We walked about 1/2 mile and I had to call Cliff to bring me my knee brace...by the time he found where we were (we didn't stop walking) it was another 2miles. The knee brace helped alot so we continued but not at the fastest pace. It was fun to have everyone on the sidelines cheer us on and I certainly wasn't going to stop after coming all that way. Since we had our cell phones, we found out that Lisa decided to run after about mile 4 and Debra continued her fast pace walk and found a nice family to walk with. Lisa made it in 2:46 hours, Debra in 3:20 and Ninon and I in 3:46 with still around 100 people behind us. I feel pretty good that 1, I finished and 2, I wasn't last!!! YEAH!!!! It started raining the last 3/4 of a mile so we were soaking wet, cold and by the time the race ended, my knee was killing me but I was still smiling and glad I could mark one more thing off my Bucket List.

Our husbands took us out for breakfast, shopping at the outlet mall and to a nice restaurant for dinner then we went back to the condo to play games. We had a wonderful Valentine's Day and one we will never forget! After we all went to church on Sunday, we drove the 8 hours back home. Next time, we will have to go a day or two early so we can see Myrtle Beach!

I can see how people get addicted to the marathons. We are already planning our next one!

A Whirlwind Trip to Utah!

The whole purpose of going to Utah was to attend the Miche Bag Conference... the nice thing about having family there is we always have many more people to see and places to go. Lisa went out on Wednesday and I arrived on Thursday. I got into town and we immediately went to see our Uncle Bob who has been very sick and in the hospital for over a month now. It was great to see both him and my Aunt Ruth and to see for myself that he is doing better. They are very special people and I love to visit them when I can. After we left there, we went to my cousin's(Peggy) house so we could meet up and go to dinner with her, Dixie and my Aunt Kathalee. She lives in a beautiful home that overlooks Bountiful and the valley. The sunset was beautiful as we stood on the back balcony and looked down into the valley. I wish I could have gotten a good picture.....they were all blurry!!! We went to a place called Iggy's for dinner, where they had big screen TV's and I got to see JD on TV at the Sun's game. We got to our hotel late and got up early to head to the conference.

Friday was the first day of the conference. It was a wonderful conference, very informative, they have a lot of new products coming on and have developed systems to make our lives easier. They took us to dinner at "The Roof" restaurant which overlooks the Salt Lake Temple and that was a beautiful site....the dinner was really good too!! The conference finished up early on Saturday afternoon. We were going to go skiing but both Lisa and I got a little stomach bug the night before and didn't dare! Besides that, we had alot of people to see. Lisa's daughter, Emily, is going to school at BYU so we went to Provo to pick her up and then met my other sister, Amber, and her family at the grand opening of a new bakery called "Sweet Tooth Fairy" (it was featured on Rachel Ray's show). I blew my diet and had to taste almost everything they had......very good!!! Another friend, Ruth, met us there too! I think we took up the whole store.

Sunday we went to the blessing of my Nephew's (Kyle) son. Morrison is sooooo cute and such a good baby. The blessing was at a spanish branch and we didn't understand a word they were speaking but it was a very special day. I even sang the hymns in Spanish! I think most of the congregation was family! Amber's parents were very kind to invite us to dinner with all the family and we spent a wonderful afternoon visiting.

The Superbowl came on and we still had alot to do so we saw a little of the first quarter and then headed for the hospital again to see Uncle Bob where we watched until half time. There were more of his family there so we got to visit a little with more family members....I love big families!! As soon as half time came on we left to drive to Springville to see Lisa's brother-in-law and I got to see a little more of the game. Only 8 minutes left when we left. I wish I could have seen the whole thing, it was an exciting game....the Cardinals did GREAT!!!! We took Emily back to Provo and headed back to our hotel in SL. It was an exhausting weekend but tons of fun! Everytime I go out there, I want to move back. The mountains are amazing and were so beautiful with all the snow on them.

Cruise Director Again!!!

We have certainly been blessed to have some wonderful opportunities, we get to go on another river cruise (thanks to my sister-in-law, Gayle, THANK YOU!). This time it is the "Tulip Time" cruise and will go from Amsterdam to Arnhem-Dordrect. Antwerp, Belgium. Ghent. Middelburg, Hollard-Veere-Delta Works. Rotterdam. and back to Amsterdam-Volendam and Edam.

I have been very busy getting everyone lined up to go, so far we have 10 rooms booked....I think I missed my calling, I should have been a cruise director because I sure enjoy planning and making sure everyone has fun! Something to look forward to when it is so cold and dreary outside!

This will mark one more thing off my bucket list.....before long I will have to add more to it!

Walking the Mall!

Maryland has so many beautiful parks to walk, run and bike around and I love to get out and enjoy the great outdoors but sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate!! Many of you know that Ninon and I have been walking and training for a half marathon in Myrtle Beach. (Don't get excited, we are walking it!) Well, she has been in Utah (her daughter is having a baby)and that has left me without a walking partner. I don't like walking around the park by myself but decided that I better continue our training or I will be sorry come marathon time. So, today (mainly because it has been raining and cold) I decided to walk the mall...there is always alot of people around and plenty of things to see so I don't get bored. It reminded me of when I lived in Phoenix and my girlfriend, Larett, and I use to go and then afterwards would treat ourselves to a diet root beer at A&W. Things I have learned from walking the mall.....NEVER TAKE MONEY WITH YOU!!!!! There seems to be alot of things that I would like to buy and the Cinnabons smell soooooo good!! I was sure glad that I didn't bring money with me this morning :) :)

Ninon, Debra and Lisa, I sure hope you are training, it is coming up on us fast and I am really looking forward to it! It sounds like my parents are going to come cheer us on (or just to see if we can really do it?)

Off to a Good Start!!!

JD and Shauna left to go home before the new year. It was sure fun having them here and we are excited about our new grandbaby that is due in June! While they were here we saw Marley and Me. It was a great movie but we all bawled like babies. After they left, I got the 24 hour flu and spent all Monday in bed sicker than a dog! So far it is just myself, Trey and Chris that has got it from Maryland. Then it was back to reality....we had to take down all the decorations and clean out the garage, and do laundry and clean the house. Of course we fit in our usual movies and games with friends and babysitting Trey!

Cliff and I decided to take a road trip to Lancaster, PA to exchange some presents and put the GPS on direct route (gotta love those GPS's)......it took us through the back country and it was beautiful. We got to see the Amish out working on their farms with horse drawn plows and spreading fertilizer. It seems like such a comforting life...I always think it would be fun to live like that and not have the hustle and bustle that we put ourselves through!

I started taking a geneology class at church and am excited to find out more about Cliff's family. I can see how this gets to be addicting. I have found info back to his great grandparents so far and looking forward to continuing.

We're trying to get organized so that this year will be a more productive and prosperous year for us... We are looking forward to a better year!!

REFLECTIONS.....OUR YEARLY NEWSLETTER

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! This past year just flew by....of course, it seems the older you get the faster time goes by! We were blessed with so many wonderful things this past year and were very busy.

Cliff is always busy at work, he is a workaholic and is always traveling up and down the east coast with a couple side trips to corporate offices in Scottsdale (an added benefit because he can see the kids and old friends.) He loves his job but is always glad to be home. His weekends are always taken up with working in the yard and doing the things that need to get done around the house. I still love doing real estate...the first of the year I was busy and like most other businesses things slowed down a bit toward the end, because of the economy, so I took up a part time sales job selling Miche handbags and really enjoy that too! I am very active in church as the Enrichment Counselor for Relief Society. We both enjoy the many dinners, movies and game nights with our friends, sightseeing (yes, still), taking drives to see the beautiful scenery, golfing when we can and going to Orioles and National games! Chica (our Chihuahua) scared us by getting bronchitis and then found out she has a heart murmur but is doing much better now. Ryan is still living in Avondale, AZ. JD married Shauna in the San Diego Temple this year and they live in Phoenix, AZ. Andy married Chelsea in Monterey, CA and that is where they are currently living. Jennifer lived with us for the first part of the year and then moved to Monterey to live with her mother. Julie lives in Chandler, AZ. Chris and his family, Ameerah and Trey, live in Columbia, MD. We get to see them often and babysit every once in a while. It is so much fun being grandparents….. Besides Trey, Chris has a daughter, Alexa that lives in Phoenix; Julie has a daughter, Ariana and JD and Shauna are expecting their first child in June 2009. We are growing!!!!!

We really enjoy it when family and friends come to visit. My sister, Lisa and her family, live close by and visit often or we visit them. Some of our other visitors included: Julie and Ariana, my Mom and Dad, JD and Shauna, my sister Jacqui with her family and their exchange student, Hannah, Stan (Cliff's brother), Teri Taggart (my brother-in-law's sister) with daughter and friend, Alexa, Andy and Chelsea, and Jennifer and Ariana. We love to tour everyone around our area. We live in such a wonderful spot to see all the historical places. We are so close to DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, NY...it is GREAT!!!

Every year I say that I am going to stay home more but opportunities come up and I get to go visit all my family and friends. I still love to travel, last year I went to Dallas to visit my parents and sisters, Jacqui and Leslie and their families; Malad, ID for our annual Bowen Family Reunion, which our family was in charge of this year; McCall, ID to visit some very good friends…it is a beautiful area and had a lot of fun; San Diego for JD and Shauna's wedding…beautiful day for a wedding and they were on top of the world. The San Diego Temple is beautiful and I went with Shauna’s family to Sea World, it was a great weekend; Branson,MO for a vacation with my parents, brother (Jeff), sister (Leslie) and their families; and Eden, UT for my annual Nieces Weekend which I always look forward to seeing all my aunts and cousins. Cliff and I both went to Costa Rica with Cliff's company for a conference (beautiful place and alot of fun). Cliff worked most of the time and I got to play and enjoy the area. Pebble Tec always does an excellent job with their conferences and makes sure we all enjoy the area. We joined my parents, Jacqui’s family, Lisa’s family and Chris’ family in Orlando, FL to go to Disney World. I decided at this stage in my life, I like Epcot Center better than Disney World but sure had a great time at both places. Then, in October, we went on a European river cruise from Paris to Prague with a group of friends… way too much fun was had there!!! Great friends, beautiful scenery and you can’t beat the accommodations! We both love Europe and can’t wait to go back.

Cliff's brother, Glenn, passed away, which was a big loss. He was such a jokester and always so thoughtful and loving. Cliff and his brothers got together every year to play golf and have fun but Glenn hasn’t been well for the last few years so he wasn’t able to play with Cliff and Stan. We will all miss Glenn deeply. Stan came to Maryland for their weekend of fun and golf and got me to start playing again. Cliff and Stan sure have a good time when they are together!!!

Holidays are when we really like to spend time with our family. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Maryland. My parents, Chris and his family, and Lisa and her family were here for Thanksgiving. I love when we all get together, no matter how old I am, I always learn something new from my parents and grateful for every minute we spend together. Mom, Dad and I went to Williamsburg while they were here and really enjoyed that area, can’t wait to go back when it is warmer! Mom, Lisa and I managed to still do our traditional Black Friday shopping. Christmas was suppose to be with all of Laurie's immediate family but it just didn't work out this year so Lisa's family, JD's family, and Chris' family all got together and was very grateful for our friends for allowing us to use their farmhouse to celebrate. It was a beautiful setting and gave us plenty of room to move around!! We all missed not being around the rest of the family but we had a wonderful Christmas. Christmas Eve we invited 8 other families to join us and had a wonderful time. New Years Eve we spent dining with friends and then playing games until the we celebrated the New Year!!!