Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Bella thought that life couldn't get better once she met Derek...then came Ashley! As our neighbor keeps commenting, "Bella hit the doggy jackpot" by being adopted into her new family. I actually think that all of us feel like we have hit the jackpot with the addition of Bella! She is an amazing dog and has shown that she has plenty of love for the whole family:)

Bella's heart expanded immediately when she met Ashley - they were girlfriends for life. Bella spent her days and nights wandering between the kids' rooms to nap. Having two new "siblings" who were always willing to give a tummy rub or go on a walk and play ball - Bella was in doggy heaven. Ashley adapted to training Bella right off the bat, so it made it easy for Bella to know just how to behave at all times! So many masters, but so much love & fun too. Bella did an amazing job listening to both Derek & Ashley.

Here are some pics of Ashley & Bella out & about in Jackson Hole:

Bella catching some air...and snowballs
with Ashley!

 



Two girls who love the snow!



Bella took the opportunity to sneak a kiss on Ashley
while we waited for the automatic timer to go off on the camera!

Ashley & Bella enjoyed a beautiful day on the levee on Christmas Day.
There were tons of dogs and people and even a family of four moose! And not
to mention picture perfect views of the Grand Teton Mountains.

Ashley had some special Christmas presents for Bella,
including her new TCU Horned Frogs collar!



Ashley took Bella on her first trip to the ski Village - she
was a very good pup & loved all the excitement and the skiers.
Bella hung out in the car while we enjoyed Apres Ski with Barry
and Derek at the Mangy Moose after their day of skiing.

 Life in Jackson Hole with the whole family together and the addition of Bella is a REALLY GOOD THING! We are truly blessed~

Oh, Christmas Tree!

There are many options for getting Christmas trees in Jackson Hole....

OPTION # 1

• National Forest Tree Permit - $5.00
• Hiking into the forest to find the perfect tree - invigorating
• Cutting down the perfect tree - exhilarating
• Sledding the tree out of the forest - breathtaking
• Over-the-top experience that brings over-the-top joy - PRICELESS



The choices are endless in the National Park



OPTION #2

• Driving to Smith's Grocery store - Easy (it's close by)
• Choosing the perfect Christmas Tree - Tricky (the tall ones were bound together with twine and frozen)
• Getting the tree on top of the car - Interesting (since the tree was much taller than Manny, who helped me get it on top of the car and "securely" tied down....$5 tip to guarantee it wouldn't fly off the top)
•  8-foot tree - $35.00 (plus tip)

Yes, you guessed it - the "city folks " from Kansas took option two! We figured that we would leave some adventures for next year. The lack of a saw, sled and knowledge of where to go to get the perfect tree led us to the Smith's parking lot!

 



Our half frozen tree (looks more like a torpedo)!

Amazingly enough there were over 1700 tree permits sold in the Bridger Teton National Forest this year! And there were over 400 trees sold at Smith's, lots of Christmas trees in this small town. I am happy to report that we have a beautiful tree that is from a tree farm in New Mexico or something, but it is really pretty. And the best news is that it is still standing - traditionally our tree falls over a few times (I shouldn't brag so soon, we haven't put the million ornaments on it yet)! We had to de-bug" it when we first brought it home, but all is good now. We are waiting to decorate it when Ashley arrives home. It is family tradition that Derek & Ashley vie for the "best branches" for their favorite ornaments!!

Oh Christmas Tree!

CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE!

Speaking of beautiful trees - the Capitol Christmas Tree arrived safely in Washington D.C. and was lit last Tuesday night for the season. It is an exquisite tree - how wonderful to have our "home state" of Wyoming in the spotlight this year!

The Capitol Christmas Tree - Washington D.C.

Hope that your holidays are merry and bright!

Buddies

The pictures say it all - Derek & Bella have become best buddies!
 

We took Bella on a walk on the levee today.
Both she & Derek had a great time!

  

Bella is doing a great job with her off-leash training.
She would follow Derek to the end of the Earth I think!

  

Life is GOOD in Jackson Hole!
Two winning smiles :)

Derek has been great at working with Bella on her training. She responds really well to him - the deep voice and towering stature are a bonus (along with  the fact that Derek is always available for a game of fetch and a tummy rub). Bella has taken up residence in Derek's room - or wherever he is at the time!

All of the hours of training are paying off for everyone. We have been working with a fabulous trainer in town named Thomas Mikelson (I want to give "props" to all those who have made our move JH a positive experience - maybe some of you will follow us out here and need a great dog trainer). Bella is really turning into a well-mannered, Jackson Hole dog (i.e. off leash trained). We even took her into town a few times this week to practice shopping on the Town Square. All of the stores welcome dogs, and many even have treats!  Next I need to teach her to carry my shopping bags :)


Sitting all the way down in the snow is too cold for Bella!

Bella can't wait to get Ashley home this weekend - Bella has LOTS of love and kisses waiting for her!

Keep your tails waggin' as the Holiday stress may try to creep up on you!

The Moose are Loose in Melody Ranch!

 Okay all my friends who are still questioning whether the pictures I post are real....THESE ARE REAL MOOSE...IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
We arrived home from skiing on Saturday and I took Bella on a walk while Barry & Derek went on a beer & propane run - gotta fuel the family (grill not covered in snow, so it was a good grilling night and everyone knows that grilling = beer). When Bella and I were near the end of our walk on the path behind our neighbors house (across the street) I looked up and saw two moose only two houses away! I was not only extremely surprised, but also a bit leery since I was not yet sure what Bella thought of wildlife (her only encounter so far has been with a dead elk). So we used my newly gained stamina from Mountain Athlete and hauled !%$# the opposite direction down the path, through my neighbor's snowy yard and into the safety of our garage. I am sure that if my neighbors saw me, they knew that I was not out getting Bella some exercise. Barry & Derek arrived home a few moments later and I pointed down the street to where the Moose were. They took Bella in the car, and the camera to get a closer look.
I stayed back in the garage to change out the car mats - it is officially winter, time for the heavy duty all weather stuff. As I finished vacuuming the car and was adjusting the mats, I heard a strange "munching" noise in our driveway. I looked up and the two moose were in our front yard, right next to the drive way eating our bushes - AAAHHHHHHHH! I threw the mats, tried to shut the garage door (no luck I pushed the light switch in my panic) and ran inside. I have never been so close to a moose in my life - and would be happy to not encounter them at that range again. I called Barry & Derek, they were out in the neighborhood looking for the moose that were now in our front yard! By the time they came home the moose had been startled by a few cars and had moved to our next door neighbor's front porch to continue dinner!

Moose eating dinner on my neighbor's front porch!

Momma Moose and calf eating the bushes in our backyard!



That is our backyard fence - moose on the loose!


 

 So our resident Mom & Calf Moose have moved into the neighborhood for the winter. According to neighbors this is quite common. The rule is to never get between the Mom & Calf and all will be good. Barry was out with Bella again yesterday after skiing and came upon the moose very unexpectedly on their walk too. It is something to now always be on the lookout for. AMAZING! The excitement never ends here!

We had a great weekend skiing with Derek. Barry & Derek went out on Friday, the weather was not perfect...call me a fair weather skier! I actually had lots to do around the house and also wanted to attend my neighbor's book signing. She has been published as the illustrator for the children's Christmas book, The Christmas Crown, by Maria Martin and illustrated by Kay Stratman (Kay is our neighbor, friend, and Bella's foster "mom"). If you have anyone to purchase a children's book for - it is beautiful!

We had a glorious day skiing on Saturday - sunshine, beautiful day, a bit cool, but the crispness felt great when we were skiing down our groomed blue runs!  Sunday was a different day; warmer temperatures brought a rain/snow mix and lots of fog. The weather here was warmer than in Kansas City and Chicago - we could  have used a bit more cold & snow! Never the less, a good day though - we are realizing that any day on the slopes is a good day. We are really enjoying the skiing out here and the restaurants on the mountain are fabulous as well (to me that is equally as important as good runs and no lift lines)! Having Derek home for an extended time has been fun for us - we can't wait to get Ashley home on Saturday (Good Luck on final exams in the meantime)!

How did he get so tall, or am I shrinking?

 

Hope everyone is having fun preparing  the holidays!

Mountain Athlete??

Another glorious day in Jackson Hole - some sun, reasonable temperatures, a fresh bit of snow and Derek is home!

As you know we completed our ski fitness last week, which proved to be beneficial on our first trip out to the mountain to ski last weekend. In an effort to keep myself in "mid season ski shape" (which it is questionable whether or not I really achieved that in 6 weeks), I took my ski fitness instructor's advice and attended her class that she teaches at another location. According to Crystal (the world class skier) this class wold be the "next level," but she felt that I was ready for it. WOW - what a boost to my ego...of course I would give it a try (and the first class was on her). My first indication that I may be in over my head was when I pulled up to the facility - it is called Mountain Athlete, and even the logo looks intimidating:

The first day of training was grueling, to say the least. But Crystal has a way of making you feel like you need to come back! The class ended with 10 glorious minutes of yoga - so I was relaxed and brainwashed before I left that "I can do this." And, Barry and I had been out with our neighbors to dinner the night before and enjoyed 2 bottles of wine, so I had an additional excuse for barely making it through the class. Note to self - no wine before next class.

Day two of training I will just title "Death by Sandbag." After somehow recuperating from day one's torture, I was ready to take on the class again (this time on my tab - so I better beat it). No wine the night before...I was prepared. I arrived ready to go, mentally and physically (so I thought) until I was welcomed with a 20lb. sandbag (the beginner bag - all others had 40 and 60lb bags). We had a 7-minute warm-up where you  held the bag on one shoulder then sat down, rolled all the way back onto your back and then shoulders (legs up) and then roll back up and stand up. Oh yes, very funny to even picture this move, with a sandbag, NOT FUNNY to try to do it - especially for 7-minutes straight. I was hoping that this class was the 7-minute express training, but no such luck - I guess she did say "warm up" before we started that fun. The hour-long class proceeded with varying torturous exercises including pulling a metal slab with  my "new friend," the 20-lb sandbag on it, attached to me with a heavy gauge chain and canvas strap, the length of the building forwards and then backwards for four grueling minutes. And a variety of other exercises that I would have never anticipated calling "exercises," I am going to be ready for the Marines if I am able to stick with this class! I completed the class, almost died a few times, and am sitting here blogging today instead of skiing with Barry & Derek so that I can recuperate. Oh and by the way, no yoga at the end of this session - others told me that was "unusual " to do (guess she used that tactic to get me back). Maybe I need to find some friends who like to shop and scrapbook, like in my good ol' life.

I have considered that if I stopped drinking wine every night I would see faster results. But then again the thought of having a glass of wine at night is what gets me through the fitness classes - so NOT HAPPENING! Life needs to be a balance of good and bad - especially if life includes lugging 20 lb. sand bags around! My previous fitness level always had me prepared for my regular activities - a jog down Antioch (4-miles of flat terrain), shopping and scrapbooking....Life was GOOD! Fitness at this altitude, and with the opportunities to ski/hike here is an  entirely different story. I will keep you posted if my story is a fairy tale or nightmare as I continue at Mountain Athlete.

I just looked at their website this morning (maybe something I should have done BEFORE attending class) and here is just a bit of what they  had to say:

FASTER FARTHER. STRONGER LONGER. MENTALLY TOUGHER"Mountain Athlete is the premier training gym in the world for mountaineers, climbers, big mountains skiers, adventure racers, snowboarders, professional snowmobile racers, explorers and alpinists (I don't fit into ANY of those categories). Our training is designed to increase the mountain athlete's horsepower (WHAT?? I am not a car!), stamina, durability and mental toughness. Our hybrid programming builds an elite level foundation of Base Fitness, on top of which we build blocks of sport-specific strength and conditioning.
Superior strength and conditioning achieved in the gym allows our athletes to be more efficient with their technical training on the mountain (I don't think that I have technical mountain ability). Time formerly spent on conditioning can now be used to further develop and improve technical proficiency. Not only are our athletes stronger and more powerful, they are smarter too (next time I am enrolling in a class at the local community college to get smarter)."

But, under "Frequently Asked Questions," I did find this:

"I'M NOT A MOUNTAIN ATHLETE. CAN I STILL TRAIN YOUR GYM?"
"Yes. Our programming and training will benefit any athlete. In addition to mountaineers, we've trained endurance runners, motocross racers, triathletes, nordic skiers, weekend warriors (still NOT ME) and house wives (well there you go - I am in a category here! Not sure where Barry will fit in if he starts attending!). You do not have to be an accomplished mountaineer, athlete or even in shape to train at our gym. But you do have to work hard."

So enough about fitness, endurance, etc. Enjoy a RELAXING weekend and balance the good & bad in your days!

I Survived JHMR!

The vacation continues...we spent the weekend conquering the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (or at least conquering a good portion of the intermediate terrain)! One thing that I realized this weekend is that maybe I  feel like I am on vacation all the time because I tote my camera with me everywhere! Try it out at home - have strangers snap your picture for you a few times and you will find they will start saying things like "enjoy your vacation/visit!" I think that Barry is starting to get a bit annoyed/embarrassed with it all, but what other way do I have to share the beauty and fun with you.

 

What an amazing ski destination Jackson Hole has proven to be - and to think that we have this available to us from now until April - yahoo! All I can say is that if you ever even remotely considered skiing - you better get your buns out here and visit us during ski season! Even if you don't think you want to ski - there is plenty to enjoy in the winter months in the valley. Bottom line - take advantage of the fact that we live out here:)

 

This weekend provided lots of fresh new snow, warm temperatures, and a mountain that we shared with just a few locals - no lift lines or crowds...just pure enjoyment. Since we are still learning our way around the mountain we certainly looked like tourists - so here are some of our best tourist snapshots:



The Gondola



 

Ready to go on the first run!

Happy to be on the slopes!

 

 

The Village



On Saturday there was a live band playing
at the base of the Gondola - fun times!

Smiling with all the gear is difficult!

Ready to go - Day Two!

The view of the Valley is beautiful!



I thought that it would be funny to get my picture with this snow creature. We ended up having to ski through "The Stash," which is a trick skiing park with jumps, rails, etc. The hardcore snowboarders/skiers were thrilled to see me in there - ha!

  After two days of skiing I can admit a few things:

• Ski fitness paid off - I felt better (physically)  than ever, after two days on the slopes
• I am getting older - even though ski fitness paid off, I am beat!
• I am glad that my Ski Pass is "Weekend Warrior," I need recuperation time
• Skiing in a helmet may not be the most flattering, but it is warm and comfy...and safe! I must admit that my helmet is my favorite new ski accessory! Try it if you haven't before.
• Being an empty nester is all but boring/sad - especially in JH! BUT, I can't wait to get the kids home for the holidays. Derek arrives on Tuesday already!

 While we have been busy skiing, Bella has been hanging out at home. She is not used to being left alone all day and is ready to play when we get home. All the snow tends to turn her ball into a snow ball - all the more fun as far as she is concerned!

 


















And last but not least, I will give you an update on the reason that we are actually able to be out here in the Wild West...Barry's job! The bank headquarters is well underway and construction is scheduled to be completed in February! Here are a few snapshots of the new building. It's off to work for Barry tomorrow - more skiing on the weekend!

Rocky Mountain Bank
Jackson Hole, WY

 




Have a fabulous week. Don't let holiday stress get to you...enjoy some chocolate instead!

Breaking more records!!

My apologies to those of you who actually look forward to my blog posts - I took a hiatus for many reasons. First, I found myself really struggling to create newsworthy & entertaining entries as we were "between seasons," here in Jackson Hole. I took some pictures that gave evidence of the impending winter season - but nothing that would really make you say AHHHHH!


Horses even get ready for the winter here!

 The colorful leaves finally did succumb to the wind and rain showers and the weather changed from beautiful to boring (not yet winter, but not fall either...I will just call it "blah").  I was fortunate to have planned an extended Thanksgiving visit to KC right when I started thinking that "blah" was not my kind of weather. Hence my second reason for not blogging - I was busy enjoying family and friends in KC! Thanksgiving was wonderful in every way - both kids came to KC; spent lots of fun time with family and friends; and I even spent some quality time at Nordstrom, Target, and the stores @ Town Center. And we also enjoyed some delicious KC BBQ (Oklahoma Joe's, of course)....the perfect cure for "blah!"

Derek & Ashley with a happy Grandma & Grandpa!

 Enjoying a night at the Country Club Plaza.


I LOVE my Mom - so much that I will even post
a terrible picture of myself with my eyes closed!!!!

We returned to Jackson Hole and it was like I had flown into a whole different world than I had left. In the 10 days that I was gone the entire town had been transformed into a winter wonderland. We flew in late at night and endured below zero temperatures as we trekked through the snow on the runway into the airport (no such thing as jet ways out here - go figure). But I woke up to a beautiful sunrise:

I'd like to somehow take responsibility for the record breaking weather that we have been enjoying since we moved here (call it coincidence if you like - but I am starting to feel somewhat responsible)! We experienced record-breaking warm weather throughout the fall. The unseasonably nice weather allowed Jackson Hole to post record breaking tourism numbers in the National Parks, hotels and restaurants throughout the fall - and more importantly, it allowed us to enjoy so much outdoor activity and experience things beyond our expectations. And now we are experiencing more record breaking news....I will just suffice to say that we are very lucky to have made the move west this record-breaking year and also give thanks to God for creating the perfect scenario for the "Nelson's Big Adventure!" Here is what the ski reports had to say about opening weekend last weekend:

Jackson Hole November 2010: Biggest Opening in History
In an unprecedented move Jackson Hole Mountain Resort announces the wall to wall, top to bottom opening of the mountain, this Saturday the 27th of November. Never before in the recorded history of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) has so much snow fallen so early with totals snowfall tipping the 118” mark. We are calling it Snowvember, to be followed by Deepcember. As one of the biggest storms in recent history continues to rage in Teton Village, the mountain is preparing to open all lifts including the Aerial Tram and the Gondola. This will be accompanied by the opening of all major runs including the Hobacks and Lower Faces. Jerry Blann, JHMR President adds “This is the beginning of a season without equal in Jackson Hole history. We anticipate being able to open the entire mountain in November—this has never been seen before.”

Some things for us to celebrate:

• We completed ski fitness last night - a feat beyond what you could imagine...please send Advil and ice packs! Looking forward to the reward of pain free skiing this weekend!
• Hanukkah! Yes, it is already here. We have not unpacked the Menorah as of yet, but we are celebrating none the less. Our gifts to each other - ski helmets :) Better safe than sorry. Bet you can't wait for the attractive pictures of us "en helmet" and then "helmet head!"
• Bella (our dog) got her first elk, albeit it was just a leg. She will surely be the only one in our family to do anything remotely close to conquering wildlife. Our neighbors were dog-sitting for us and took Bella into the National Park to cut down their Christmas tree. Bella ventured off and came back with an elk leg! They let her bring it home to show us. UGH, you should ave seen my face when my neighbor handed me the leg in a plastic bag. Unfortunately, I  "accidentally" mistook the bag for garbage and threw out Bella's prized possession on garbage day (at least that is the story that I told Bella).



Bella's big prize!

• Bella has also conquered cross country skiing - twice (our amazing neighbors took her while pet-sitting...they are wonderful). So now I HAVE to get out there & cross country ski soon! It is so cool to see people ski down our street and on the paths through the ranch - the weather doesn't keep anybody inside...it just brings them out in different forms! I must say that I don't look too adventurous taking my dog out for a walk on a leash!
• The weather is something that I keep mentioning, but it is worth celebrating! We came back to below zero temps, I thought that the thermometer was broken, but it has rebounded back into the mid 30's, which I now consider a "warm day"



Is this REALLY the temperature??



Warming up nicely!

Our weather here has been the same as Overland Park the past few days - we just have a bit more snow, mountains, skiing etc!

So we head out on Saturday for our first time skiing in Jackson Hole. Keep your fingers crossed that we come back in one piece (or at least capable of doing a blog entry)! It feels like we are going on vacation, from our vacation - I can't wait! The mountain has gotten a ton of snow this week and is supposed to get 8-16" more today - yahoo! This was the picture of the day on the Jackson Hole Mountain resort website today - I guess when they say they have powder skiing out here they really mean it:

AHHH, Life continues to be GOOD in Jackson Hole!