Sylvana & Matt (#1) are visiting!

Our friends from LA came to visit us this weekend and I took my first vacation day to show them around the Salty City. Apparently when you're a grown up you can have vacation days :) Soooo, on Friday we went to Snowbird and rode the tram. Here's what we looked like when we were walking through the parking lot:
The tram at Snowbird takes you up to 11,000 feet so that in the winter you can ski down or in the summer you can hike. You need tickets to ride though, so we got some :)

(notice the angelic like light shining down on us...that's because we're good people...)

Here are Sylvana & Matt demonstrating they can follow directions to the tram:
Here's what it looks like where you get on the tram:
The tram has windows on all sides so you can look out:
Once you get out at the top, you can look around...or try to push each other off the mountain (only if you're the best of friends though...)
Here's when Sylvana decided to be nice again:
Aaaaaand really nice?
So after we walked around up top, we took some more pictures:
And even made some shadow puppets:
Than Matt climbed some rocks:
After we climbed down a ways, we realized we would have to climb back up to get back to the tram...poor planning on our part :)

Anyway, after our walk (or hike as Sylvana called it) we traveled downtown to see the Temple:
There were a bunch of weddings going on, so we stood around a gawked for a while. Then, as I was trying to take a picture of Matt's ear, the Temple got in the way:
The end.

Hiking in Park City & LOTOJA

So...we've been pretty awful about posting anything lately...but we did just start residency a few months ago...GOSH! Yesterday and today we were busy with our ALSO course (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics)

and Matt was on call last night. In all, we've having a great time, but a busy time :) Anyway, since we've updated last we have managed to have a little fun :)

For example, we went hiking in Park City:

We climbed and climbed and then took the ski lift down to the base of the run...sweet view, isn't it? (I made Matt hold on to me so I wouldn't fall off and break into a million bits.) It was fun but FREEZING and raining for the last mile of the hike...luckly, our friends brought a poncho (which I stole and made my own):

Sweet :)

A few weekends later, Dana, Elliot and I made up the support vehicle for Frank & John to ride the LOTOJA (a bike race from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY). It all takes place in one LOOOOONG day, but there are some beautiful areas you drive through on your way to the Teton Mountains:

I'm pretty sure this would be an ideal place to live...mountains and water...who can beat that?!?! So, I called Matt and asked him to look for grown up jobs here :) I'll keep you updated!
Anyway, here's what Dana & I looked like when we were there:
So the other person in our car was John's son, Elliot. He's 7, so we had a lot of discussions of bugs and anything else I told him was gross (burping, vomiting, etc.) We also sang songs that we would make up to familiar tunes...mostly Indiana Jones. It was a pretty mature day for everyone involved :) Ooooh, and Elliot hated getting his pictures taken, so I did this:
He was so mad :) This is us waiting for Frank & John at the finish line. Here are some other race pictures from before, during and after the race:

The starting line
Frank getting ready to start

Elliot at one of the feeder stations...he made a new poster for his Dad at each one :)
John at the end...yay!

For Emily:

I just took this today from our balcony...

Everything is sunshine and rainbows here in Utah :) Now come visit!

Lake Blanche...but not Dorothy, Rose or Sophia

Soooooo, we hiked to Lake Blanche on Saturday and it was beautiful! Seriously! It took us about 4 hours (about a 6 mile hike). Anyway, here's what we looked like at the trail head:

(Matt's wondering if the guy that offered to take the picture is going to run off with the camera...)

So all along the first mile of the trail there are rapids/falls - so even though it was hot out...it wasn't so bad:

The trail really varied along the way. Sometimes there were a lot of leaves (almost smacking you in the face):
Other times there were clear and obvious signs to tell you where you were:
Then other times, there were flowers:
But then there would be a whole bunch of rocks you had to climb up and around to find the path:

(I'm not going to lie...it was a little scary at times!)

Anyway, during our hike, sometimes I would lead and sometimes Matt would lead. Here's what I did when Matt was leading:

(Matt had no idea :)

Other times, I took pictures of all of the flowers:

After a while, we reached a lookout point...and realized we really are very good at putting the camera on a rock and setting up the timer:

So we did it again when we finally got to the top (Lake Blanche, remember?:

The peak at the top is called Sun Dial Peak...apparently you can tell time using it. We brought our watches though, so we didn't need to:
So once we got up there, we walked around the lake, had a snack and skipped some rocks:
There was another lake too, just on the other side:

It's so ugly here, isn't it?

Finally, we took some pictures... just for good measure:

The end :)

4th of July BBQ!

Frank & Dana had a 4th of July BBQ...it was great...we had way to much food and a lot of fun. Here's what we looked like in their backyard:
So, they live in the Sugar House part of Salt Lake City...which is kinda like Ann Arbor. Lots of shops, restaurants, etc. all within walking distance. Lots of young people and perfect for dogs:
That's Copper...one of Frank & Dana's dogs :)

Anyway, Frank was our Master Chef:

And Dana ruled the kitchen...the rest of us just kinda got in her way:

After dinner, we played games in the backyard and waited for the fireworks:

And then they started: