23rd Birthday Bash

I had such a wonderful birthday this year! It was actually an entire weekend of fun! We started the celebrations on Saturday when Bob, my parents, Rachel, and Savannah took me snowboarding at Sundance. It was the first time in over a decade that my parents had been on ski's and the first time Rachel and Savannah had ever been snowboarding. However, everyone picked it up rather quickly. Rachel stood up and was making it down good portions of the mountain without a problem at the very beginning of her first run. Savannah struggled at first because her coat was too small and her gloves weren't keeping her hands warm, but after a coat and glove change she hit the slopes again and showed us all that she was a natural. My mom and dad took charge of the mountain on their ski's like they had never left. I even accomplished my goal of getting off the ski lift by myself without falling, and making it all the way down the mountain without falling once as well! After spending the entire day on the mountain, we headed home for some pizza, cake and ice cream. All in all it was a great day with even better company, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

My attempt to take a picture of myself in the reflection on
Rachel's glasses

The three amigos

We are all posers!

The parents getting ready to hit the slopes.

Savannah enjoying the powder

The whole family taking a mid-mountain break
(except Bob, he was taking the pictures!)

A picture of me making my way down the mountain

Rachel and Savannah both acting like old pros their first time!

Savannah after a fall or "stop", she would just sit down to
stop, so they looked very similar

The family that shreds powder together, stays together!

Another picture of me snowboarding

This pic is my mom on the ski's, me in blue and Rachel in the
white coat

Best picture of Rachel's snowboarding!

 

On Sunday it was my bestie Sarah's turn to spend the day with me. After watching walking dead with my cousin Shelby, and Brandi while eating more birthday cake, it was off to Sarah's house where she made me delicious raspberry lemon drops, and we ate popcorn, chips, cake and ice cream while watching funny TV shows. It was very low key, but it was fun to spend some one on one time together, just the two of us....and Renee lol. Later after Renee left, Bob and Kyle joined us for more TV, snacks, and fun. It was another fun night.

 

Sarah and I with our delicious lemon drops!

Finally on Monday, my actual birthday, it was Bob's turn to spoil me (even though he had been a part of both of the other days, I wanted a special day for just the two of us!) Bob left shortly after I woke up in the morning and came back with my present, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, my favorite soup and salad from Zupas and the great news that he had gotten the day off of work and could spend it with me! After eating our lunch and lounging around the house enjoying each other's company for a couple hours, we went downtown to pay my speeding ticket (Oops! Those sneaky little motorcycle cops!). While we were there, we browsed a couple little shops and got shakes and curly fries before heading to my dough girl for some amazing birthday cookies. I had a coupon for a free cookie, but since I couldn't decide between two different kinds, the sweet girl at the register gave me both of them for free, saying it was my birthday after all. The cookies were delicious! After a quick stop at home we went to the movie theatre to see the Great and Powerful Oz. It was okay, but not as good as I was hoping it would be... Oh well, the popcorn was still great! Finally we went out and spent the night on the town together. It was another low key but still wonderful day spent in the great company of my hubby!

The top view of my beautiful birthday flowers

The side view of my beautiful birthday bouquet

My dough girl birthday cookies. BEST COOKIES EVER!!

RIP Selene

We had another sad loss in the Loose household today. On October 3th 2011 we adopted a ball python that we later named Selene. She had a sad back story, and Bob and I wanted to give her a happy home to live out the rest of her days in. See when Selene was a younger snake she got herself stuck on a glue trap in some one's home. The person who found her didn't know how to get her off, so he just ripped the glue trap from her belly, pulling off the scales as well. When we got Selene she had a lot of scaring, and occasionally an infection would get in between the scales, and we would have to treat her with antibiotics until the infection cleared up. However when we checked on her infections this latest time, we noticed instead of healing, it was spreading to areas that had never been infected before. Her scales were also falling out, and some of them were still attached to muscle. We knew there was nothing that we or a vet could do for her, and that she was in a lot of pain. Rather than drag out the inevitable and let her suffer, we decided it was time to put her down.

Selene - I know that your life wasn't the easiest, but I hope that Bob and I were able to relieve some of your suffering and that you were able to live a happy last year and a half with us. You were such a sweet snake, one that could change some one's heart about snakes in a heartbeat and make them realize just what great pets snakes can make. I wish we could have done more for you, but I know that you are in a better place now. One where you don't have to feel pain, or worry about infections anymore. RIP Selene. You will be missed!

Selene's final resting spot.

Selene in her tank

Selene

Holding Selene

Rachel's Birthday

So this year I decided to spoil my sister Rachel for her birthday and take her somewhere special, to do something I knew she had always wanted to do.... I took her indoor skydiving, indoor surfing and rock climbing! I picked her up Saturday morning and we headed up to ifly and flowrider in Ogden. It was an interesting drive due to my phone's bad directions and Rachel's bad instructions... She isn't the best GPS controller! We finally made it just before our appointment to skydive. It was a fun experience. They give you 2 times to go and you are in the tube for about a minute. You basically fall into a tube that is blasting air at extremely high speeds and it makes you feel like you are free falling. As an experienced skydiver I have to say it was fun, but nothing compared to the real thing! Then again it's not as expensive as the real thing either!



My ifly certificate from indoor skydiving

Rachel's ifly certificate after indoor skydiving

Next we went to flowrider for an hour of surfing and boogie boarding. This was probably the most fun part of the day. Although we wiped out a lot, it didn't really hurt as long as you didn't crash into the grates at the top of the wave after you fell. The lifeguard would hold a rope for you so that you could get your balance before surfing on your own. However by the end of the hour Rachel and I were both able to get up and stay up without the help of the rope (Rachel was better than me, I only stayed up on my own for a couple seconds, but she managed close to a minute!)

After a brief lunch at Costa Vida, Rachel and I went to our last activity of the day, Rock climbing. This was the only activity we actually got pictures of since we weren't wet or being thrown around a wind tunnel. Rock climbing was fun. Rachel didn't do too much because she was tired from the other activities and rock climbing takes a lot of energy as well as strong muscles. I was so excited to rock climb, that I forced myself to climb anyway. I only made it to the top on the easy wall, but I made it pretty high on the medium wall and I made it past the first big ledge on the hard wall. There was also a little rock in the middle of the room that you could climb and sit on top of, and I did that just fine without the help of the safety rope!

Rock climbing

I made it up the first ledge on the "hard" wall



Trying to figure out where to go next...



Sorry it sideways! This is Rachel beginning a climb

Again, sorry it's sideways! Here's an action shot of Rachel
climbing

climbing the little rock without the safety lines

I made it to the top!

Feeling rather accomplished after my climbs!

Once again, it's sideways, sorry! Rachel and I enjoying
some sisterly bonding

After all of the excitement we went back to the house for some dinner and of course Rachel's cake and ice cream. It was a really fun and exciting day (as well as exhausting!) and I'm sure we will remember it for years to come!

Rachel waiting to blow out her candles while we all sing
Happy Birthday to her!

Make a wish!

There's always that one tricky candle!