Dirty Dash

Every year around January, Rebecca makes me set goals for myself.  I usually make some sort of fitness-related goal that I am perfectly ok with failing.   This year though, I had an idea for a fitness goal that I might actually accomplish and not have to work too hard for: complete an obstacle race.  (Yes, I know.  It's very underwhelming, but I did actually have to train for it).

Rebecca finally convinced me I should start jogging around June or so.  I was pretty pathetic when I started, but after a few months of slight dedication and irregular training...I was still pretty pathetic.  I didn't start looking for races until August, so the only easy one I found nearby was the Dirty Dash.  The whole 'get-super-dirty-while-running' thing wasn't really what I was after; I was more interested in the obstacles to break up the running.  The dirty dash was ok as far as obstacles go but none of them were really that exciting or strenuous.  The huge slide was the funnest and the hardest one was actually the cold shower after the finish line! 

Anyway, here are some photos of the race.

Trip to California

My brother Daniel got married on August 31st at the Sacramento Temple.  We drove to Folsom on Thursday with Max and Simon Johnson.  There were several family events over the weekend. Friday night we all went to a park and had dinner then took family portraits since this was the first time all of my siblings were together with all of their children as well.  Austin had a lot of fun in the water and just a little fun on the swing.   (he got scared a little).

Saturday morning was the wedding. Daniel and Tania both looked very happy.  We haven't gotten any copies of the photographer's pictures but here's some of us.

Austin not caring about pictures anymore

Between the wedding and reception, we went to a luncheon at one of Tania's relatives' house, and we went back to Jonathan's house to finish the wedding cake we were helping him make for the cake contest.  It was a white and black checkered cake with cocoa-crumbs on the tops and coconut on the sides.  The filling also alternated between a chocolate ganache and a coconut cream.  As you can see, it didn't look that good, but it tasted really good.

Rice Crispy cloud "cake" with fog!

Tania is from Mexico so the reception had a lot of traditional Mexican decorations and games and food.  We didn't stay for the whole thing because Austin needed some sleep, but it sounded like it was an all-night party!

Congratulations Daniel and Tania!

Allan's Wedding

My brother Allan got married in the Houston, Texas Temple on August 24 to Kathryn Christiansen.

Just out of the temple

Ben and Gramp

Bride & Groom with my immediate family

Bride & Groom with the Groom's Parents

 

Bride & Groom with our aunts

Allan is the first of my siblings to get married. He had a very short engagement of about a month and a half, and I really don't know his bride very well. Having him married now will take some getting used to, but I am glad he is happy and hope for the best for him and his new wife.

A reception was held for the newly weds that evening at a church. They had a nice looking wedding cake, but I was a particular fan of how the "groom's cake" was dressed up!

Wedding Cake

"Groom's Cake"

Cutting the cake

 As close family, Nate and Ben were groomsmen and I was a bridesmaid.

Allan with the groomsmen

(The picture of Katie and the bridesmaids we took didn't turn out that great; I may add one here later if I find someone else with a better one.)

First Dance

We liked this street lamp sign that was used for decoration

We actually flew into Texas Friday and left Sunday afternoon. In many respects, I wish I had had a little more time there to try seeing old friends and visiting places I loved when we lived there. We did manage to squeeze in a couple visits though. After arriving Friday we stopped by to see my old friend Angela.

Angela & me with her two children Bradley and Kayla

Saturday between the sealing and the reception, we drove down to Sugar Land to just drive through the old neighborhood we used to live in. We stopped at our old house and talked to the Hyatts, who once were our neighbors across the street. They still live in the same house they did years ago while we were there.

My parents with the Hyatts

There are a lot of things I miss about Texas, and it was fun to be back there again, even if only briefly.

Allan's Graduation

Allan graduated with his Masters in Mechanical Engineering this summer. I was able to attend the convocation ceremony with Austin on August 16th.

Congratulations Allan!

Horsetail Falls

We have had so much going on for the last while, we haven't had any time to update our blog at all. So, this is a catch-up post, and there will be more to follow.

On August 10th, we went hiking with my dad and with my brothers Allan and Ben. We didn't have time for a long hike, unfortunately, so we just went to Horsetail Falls instead. This was only about a 4.5 mile hike round trip for us.

From the view point along the way, horsetail falls looks like this:

Actually, that picture is really zoomed in; the falls really is quite tiny from the view point. It can be seen above Nate's head in this picture:

After hiking on, we reached the top of the falls. It turns out that the water does not fall very vertically; it just pours down at a steep angle. The views from here were really nice.

We hiked a little past the main falls and found some other smaller falls too. It was really a beautiful area; the pictures I took don't really do it justice.