Our Big Sky Vacation - Part II

The last day of our vacation we decided to relax on the sking and go for a leisurely stroll to Osula Falls. 1.8 miles there and back of switch backs, icy patches, falls on our bum, beautiful views and frozen falls. It was awesome.
(just warning you that the commentary sucks but the pictures are cool.)

Sierra and I walked most of the way together. It was steep and icy in places and she just wasn't a fan of the long walk.

Near the beginning of the trail Si Si took a breather to enjoy the scenic...rocks. She was all decked out in her warm gear. It was about 40 degrees and trekking all over the place made it a bit warmer. She did a great job walking with her Mommy but let's be serious, we carried her almost the entire way.



It was beatiful and we took TONS of pics so here are the highlights:.

Joe's brothers, Aaron and Brian, came up from Provo for the weekend so they were with us. Good times.

This isn't Ousla Falls however it was the coolest thing that we saw on the hike. Isn't that amazing!?!?!

You could walk all the way inside of it and it was just completely frozen. The boys took a look inside while Sierra and I enjoyed the scenic views. We ventured over after we realized it was completely safe and we took a look inside.

Sierra didn't really know what to make of it other that is was really cold and SO COOL, can you tell from the look on her face?

Our little Tree Hugger. So cutie!

Here are my attempts at a photography career. Everything was just so beautiful. Snow everywhere you looked and everything was just covered.

Can you see Brian and Aaron on the bridge?

Sierra stopped along the trail for a breather. Walking on those short, little legs is such hard work! Thankfully, her Uncle Aaron was there to lend a hand.

Joe helped along the way as well. Cutest little picture of my better halves trekking along the trail.

When we were finally ALMOST over with the walk, Si Si stopped to strike a pose. This is her new smile...yikes!

Where are pics of Osula Falls do you ask...yeah, when we got to the top it was a frozen mess and not nearly as cool as we were hoping. Good thing we saw the other frozen cascade or we would have had fun but been disappointed.

Our Big Sky Vacation (don't be jealous!)

Eight Blissful Days in Montana

Our vacation started with a drugged out baby (ain't no shame). She slept almost the entire flight and chilled for the rest of it. It was great.

And this is what we saw flying in, and we weren't even on the "good" side of the plane.

Lost bags, a huge grocery bill, and a beautiful drive into Big Sky ensued as we started out long awaited, anticipated, and prepared for ski vaca.

We took Sierra out the first day before we hit the slopes just to see what she thought.

I'm thrilled to report that she is a snow lover, as long as those gloves are on. She loved being buried in the snow and watching her legs disappear. She thought it was hilarious.

Taking a walk with her buddy Emma was so cutie. They are quite the pair.

We geared up for the first big day of snowboarding by trying on our goggles the day before. Daddy and Sierra, James, and Dan and Emma were really excited. Joe has been wanting/waiting to take me snowboarding forever and although a little (ok...ALOT) scared, I was looking forward to it. He's been outfitting us for months now getting deals on the internet for jackets, pants, boots, gloves, baclavas (what do you call those things?) and everything else imaginable.

And the big day FINALLY arrived. (we are sexy aren't we) Joe says that we might not be the best snowboarders on the hill but we certainly are the best looking! Joe had not boarded in forever and of course I haven't done anything on snow since I was like 12 so needless to say, this was an adventure. We were nervous that we wouldn't pick it up, that we would be eating snow all day, and that we would come home busted, bruised, and wanting to die. The good news is we picked it up quickly and we did green runs all day but the bad news is that we ate snow all day and came home busted, bruised, and wanting to die. We had so much fun. Thank goodness for helmets because we both took some video worthy falls. I smacked the back of my head HARD on one of our first runs right under the ski lift. Embarrassing? No way. At least I got back up but talk about headache when I got home. My last run of the day started with a smack to the front of my head and I cried all the way day the mountain and ended up walking like 50 yards at the bottom because I didn't have enought momentum to take me to the bottom of the hill. My husband was so proud of me though and I am proud of me too! I'm a snowboarder!!!! Well, at least I was on Monday.

Tuesday was a breather day. Aches, pains, nausea, and more aches. Wednesday we were snow bladers! Hot ones too! Joe started the day without me because I was waiting for the babysitter to get off school so I could hit the slopes. Look what I missed!!!!

My hotty husband posing for the camera with his BFF Dan. They are getting pumped up for the grind park and the tricks they are about to do.

Here is my honey gearing up for his first trick...

This is our stellar photographer Dan with the great action shot (yeah, WTF is right)...

And here is the landing...

Here is me doing the same trick. I'm a pimp! (so what if I was a little more cautious at a slow speed, I DID IT!)

We had a fantastic day snow blading. I didn't wipe out once but I'm still glad I had my helmet.
It may look dorky but it kept we warm and had built in headphones. It was Brittney and PCD all day long baby.

Look at how beautiful this place is. That is Lone Peak behind us.

We weren't as sore on Wednesday as we were on Monday. The day actually made me want to go out and do it again. Snowboarding kicked my booty but I did pretty dang good for never having one lesson. =)

Thursday (today) has been our R&R day. We took Sierra out again for a romp in the snow.

She is so cute in her snow gear. It's a wonder she can even walk in all of that.

She's not a fan of the gloves that's for sure and if she flaps long enough they come off. She's just so cute all bundled up.

We made snow angels, which our little angel did not really go for.

We sledded too! We had a great time. She's such a trooper. We took endless videos outside today and tons of pictures. She liked eating snow, flapping her mittens off, burying herself in the snow, and getting snow thrown at her. She is so silly. We even got a few good shots of her actually smiling at the camera. What a cute little face.

"It's Brocolli"

My baby is just the cutiest little thing!

Happy Halloween!

So I'm a little slow on the blogging...big deal.
Check out the cutest baby in the world!

Hillcrest Orchards

Our favorite family outing in October, a first time for us, and hopefully a tradition for years to come. We packed up the kid, a few other couples, and a few other kids and off we went to Elijay for a little apples, a little country, and a lot of good 'ole country fun!

Sierra learned how to...


milk a Cow,










weigh her fatness on a cattle scale,
drive a tractor,








the difference between a LIVE animal...and a CONCRETE one,















that she's not fast enough to catch her
own dinner just yet,

and that Daddy routinely displays a lack of good sense.

Anticipating Things to Come

So we've been abscent for like 6 months, so what. We know you missed us, we're back. Here's a preview of things to come.

Hippo Walk

This little guy has been sitting in our living room lonely and waiting ever so patiently for Sierra to give him a whirl. She's finally stable enough to go with it instead of tumbling to her death when he speeds away from her.

Gosh she's cute.

First Steps

Sierra has been trying to be mobile for a couple of weeks now. She'll take steps here and there. We think her first real, major, honest to goodness step was July 7. We were in our living room and Joe said,"I think that was her 1st step..." Whether we are right or not is a different story but that's what we are going with.

So here's a video in all her glory on July 20 after we celebrated her birthday showing off for the camera. (mom, this is for you!)

Uh-Oh!

Oh my gosh, she is the cutest thing ever!

Happy Birthday to ME! I'm 1! I'm 1! I'm 1!

Today I am 1! I'm a big girl! I'm a big girl! Let me tell you all about my day...

I got woke up by my favorite Mommy and I got to have my breakfast bottle with my favorite Daddy! It was awesome! He snuggled me and loved me and I never snuggle and love (i'm not the cuddly type), but I thought since it was my birthday I would snuggle my Daddy while I had my bottle.

Next I got all dressed up in my "Fun to be One" birthday hat and my pink dress and then the most awful thing happened...Momma took me to the doctor! Everyone thought I was SO CUTE and everyone told me "Happy Birthday" but then I had to get 3, count them 1-2-3 shots in my legs! AND they took blood out of my foot! Can you believe that?! On my birthday! It was sucky!
Then I got to spend the WHOLE day with my Uncle Josh! I slept A LOT because I was exhausted from my trip to Las Vegas (that Mommy probably won't blog about for like 3 months) but we played a lot too! I LOVE playing withUncle Josh!

When Mommy FINALLY got home from work we got the party started...ok, let's be real, everyone is out of town and Daddy goes to school at night so I'm having a month long birthday celebration and today was just the beginning. I didn't get any presents (that will come later) but I did get to go to dinner with Mommy and Papa Ron!

I got my own highchair with a special birthday balloon on it and I got to order all by myself! I ordered beans and rice. (my Daddy is going to love my diapers tomorrow!)

I got to eat all the chips and salsa that I wanted. I LOVE chips and salsa! They are so delicious! I sort of made a mess on the floor but the muchachos didn't mind because I am so dang cute!


Since it is my special day Mommy and Papa Ron were at my beck and call. Everything I pointed at they gave me. See...that's my pointing...mostly at Momma's water because I love, Love, LOVE water out of a straw. But I pointed (and grunted, of course) at other things like Momma's food, chips, and salsa. Oh, and the lemons in the water of course! I LOVE lemons. They taste silly on my tongue!

In the middle of dinner Grandma called and I got to talk to her! I miss her. She's in Nauvoo for 6 whole weeks and she can't see me but she called me to wish me a happy birthday! It was a great surprise! -Excuse the food on my chin! I was so excited I forgot to wipe it off! How rude of me!



I got a little excited at dinner and started acting really, really silly as you can see. I started sticking my tongue out at everything, even the ceiling fan! I was so silly that I even started laughing at myself.
I don't know how I got so funny...probably from my Mommy? (at least that's what Daddy would say)





The best part of the dinner was the sopapilla! The head muchacho brought it to me and I even got a candle and everything! I'll learn, someday, that candles are for blowing out and not for touching. I almost got hurt as I was making my wish but Mommy saved the day! She's the best! And boy was this stuff d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! I ate and ate and ate! Yummy!





I'm so glad Papa Ron could hang out with me today! He's the best Papa Ron in the whole world and I love him!




I really had a great birthday! When I got home there was a HUGE bouquet of Happy Birthday to me balloons and I was so excited about that! I LOVE BALLOONS! They are so tight!

I finished off the night by reading one of my favorite books with Mommy. Well, she kind of sings some words out of the book while I look at the pictures...see, I told you we are silly!


Soon I will have my party and some cake and open the presents from everyone! Now that's a story worth waiting for...

Happy Birthday to ME! I'm 1! I'm 1! I'm 1!