First Site of Snow

This morning we woke up to the first snow fall of the season. It was a little exciting. Rake Up Boise was postponed because it was so cold. So I called up my sister, Kelsey, to see if she would like to take a brisk run up to Table Rock. We dressed real warm! The hills were beautifully covered in a light layer of snow. We got to the top and enjoyed the view of Boise. Our faces were freezing, but it felt great to be outside and get the heart pumping.

Our Yellowstone/Grand Tetons Adventure

Curt has been working really hard this past summer in his summer school courses. I understand how burnt out that can feel. Though we were able to get away to Sun Valley and McCall, Curt really wanted to get out there and do something fun and adventurous before the fall semester started. He had a three week break and decided to take me to Yellowstone for much exploration! We went from the 7th to the 11th of August.

On the way northeast we stopped by the Idaho Falls Temple for a quick picture and then we visited my bestest friend since high school, Amy, and her beautiful family in Rexburg! It was so good to see Amy and her husband. In the morning we had a delicious breakfast and played with their cute, little boys. We then headed up to Wyoming.

(if you double-click on the pictures, you can get a closer look)

We kept our eyes peeled the entire time, looking for different animals and discovering the natural beauties and smells of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. We saw a lot of elk and buffalo, american pelicans, bald eagles, pronghorns, coyote, deer, a moose with its baby; even black bears, brown bears and grizzly bears!

The first day we spent driving the northern loop and stayed at Canyon Campground. We cooked hot dogs over our campfire for dinner. A couple minutes after our hot dogs were done cooking, a huge hail storm came through. It was crazy. So we went to bed around eight. The second day we drove north up towards highway 212 and back south, staying at Bridge Bay Campground. We passed through buffalo-ville. They came so close to our vehicle. They made low belching growls. The buffalo were so cool at first, but then we saw them everywhere! During the middle of that second night we were woken up by howling coyotes. It kinda freaked me out! The third day we drove the southern loop to Old Faithful and stayed at Gros Ventre Campground. We found a side road where a landslide happened twenty-five years ago that traveled miles south. The natural disaster cut off a river and ended up constructing a lake. Before we got to the Grand Tetons, we walked around for a few hours and looked at all the geysers until Old Faithful erupted. It was pretty neat. Curtis and I had a lot of fun exploring, and loved using all of our sweet camping stuff. I really enjoyed taking photos too; especially landscapes.

'Fall' Cleaning

Yes, yes, Spring Cleaning is not only for the Spring. That is what I've come to find. Now, I'm not going back to school (woo), but I am getting excited for the idea of everyone going back, for the Fall colors to start changing, and to set a few goals for myself before the 2009 year ends. It at least helps me get into a better routine.

We have a white board here at home. Curtis wrote a list of things for me to do, and I did the same for him. Then we wrote a list of things we could get done together. It actually has been really fun. I've been taking this week to thoroughly clean up and out each room. Our living room and kitchen are spotless! Yesterday, Curtis and I went out to the yard and sprayed down the house, cleaned the windows, and weeded. (There is still another good Saturday morning of finishing up the weeding and organizing the garage). Even if our neighbors don't notice, we know it's clean, and it feels great!

Good job Curtis!

Curtis just finished his summer school courses, getting a B in Finance and a A in Calculus! I got him a little gift for his good grades in school and putting in the hours at work. He really didn't get much of a summer at all. But there is a three week break from now until the fall semester begins for him. Since Curtis didn't have much a summer, he told me he wanted to really get out of Boise and road trip! I was all for it. Yellowstone was the place he was thinking. I have never been before, and both of us were able to get time off work! We are really excited to go this coming up weekend!

3rd Annual Ketchum Classic

The Ketchum Classic is here once again! -An outdoor men's and women's soccer tournament-

There were a couple firsts this year though: It was the first year the tournament was held in Hailey, Idaho. It was the first year we camped instead of getting a hotel = awesome! It was the first year I was able to play on one of the women's teams! Even my little sister, Kelsey, was able to join us on this enjoyable weekend!

Curtis' older sister, Shauna, invited me to play on her team; which I gladly accepted. We headed up to the Hailey area on Friday evening and camped at the Riverside Campground in Bellevue. Curtis' soccer team reserved the area and it was nice camping with them. Our tent was extra cozy with the three of us and our queen sized air mattress (thanks Lynn and Diane)!

Curtis' team, Boise United, did extremely well with a tie 1-1 against Seattle, a win 1-0 against Boise Blast, another win 4-3 against Jackson Hole and a championship victory against Boise Jedi 2-1! Curtis was able to score their first (header) goal in the first game. It's always a treat to watch Curt play soccer. Our team, Paula's Angels, tied our first game 1-1 against Pocatello, a win 2-0 against Sun Valley and also had a championship victory against the other Boise team 3-1! I was able to score the first goal, and Shauna scored the second goal in the championship game. It felt good!

Curtis' family; Neil, Denice and kids, and Kent, Haylee and Cragun, were able to come watch us play too! We all got a lot of sun and had a great time!

Our 1st Camping Trip

For my birthday Curtis had given me a tent and a mummy sleeping bag because I wanted to do some camping this summer.

Our home ward was having a summer party at Camp Morrison's beach front, in McCall. So we decided to camp the night before. We left right after I got off of work on Friday evening. We took a different scenic route towards McCall (through Weiser, up US-95). Everything was so beautiful and green.

We stayed at the McCall campground. Curtis and I set up our tent, and started a fire before dark. Then we roasted marshmallows and enjoyed the starry night.

On Saturday morning, we got up and passed on a campfire breakfast because the Pancake House sounded so much yummier! Curtis and I then headed to Camp Morrison to play with the Liberty Ward. We played Bouls (French version of Bocce Ball), campfire hot dogs, and canoed.

I was able to spend some time with one of my Beehives, Valerie. We swam, laid out on the dock and made a sand castle, which I had never done. Curtis was able to go out on the boat with some of the young men to wakeboard and surf. We got a lot of sun and had a great time!

Lorraine Geisler Fairchild - Curtis' Grandmother

Lorraine (Geisler) Fairchild 1925 - 2009 Lorraine Fairchild, 83, a long-time resident of Nampa, Idaho, died suddenly Thursday, July 09, 2009 in Nampa of causes related to age. Lorraine was born September 1, 1925 to Lester Fredrick Geisler and Ada Andersen, in Central, Bannock (now Caribou), Idaho. She moved with her family to Nampa in May 1929. While attending Nampa High School, she met her future husband, Wayne Oliver Fairchild. They married on June 20, 1942. Their marriage was later sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on October 8, 1959. The focus of Lorraine's life was her husband Wayne and their children: Terry Wayne (Nancy) Fairchild of Nampa, Diane (Lynn) Christiansen of Boise, Loanne (Terry) Adler of Caldwell, and Kevin Jon Fairchild of Nampa; their 17 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. A life long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lorraine held various callings including Relief Society President, Primary President, and Temple Worker in the Boise Idaho Temple. She served a full-time mission with her husband in the Denver Colorado Mission from 1986 - 1987 primarily serving in Fort Collins, Colorado and Guymon, Oklahoma where they made many friends. She spent her last years providing service for LDS Humanitarian efforts and LDS Family History Indexing. Her talents were many, but remembered most by her family will be her pot roasts, homemade chicken & noodles and potato salad; the many wedding quilts that adorned her children and grandchildren's beds; the canned fruits, jams and jellies, pickles and other assorted vegetables, much of which came from her large garden; the personally monogrammed baby towels that greeted each new descendent; the birthday cards she sent on each child, grandchild and great-grandchild's birthday; the many and various family histories and stories of her progenitors and descendants alike. Besides her parents, Lorraine was preceded in death by a daughter Judy Ann, a son Darwin G, her brothers Keith Lester and Lyle Andrew Geisler, her sister Maxine (Geisler) Bristow and one great-grandchild, Jessica Dawn Fairchild. Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 15 in the Nampa 33rd Ward LDS Chapel, 6111 Birch Lane, Nampa. A viewing will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N. Midland Blvd. Nampa, and at the church on Wednesday from 12-12:45 p.m. prior to services. Bishop Shawn Adams will preside. Interment will follow at Kohlerlawn Cemetery, Nampa.

Cleaning Out the Closet

I've been cleaning our second bedroom for the last two days.  It feels soo good to get rid of stuff we don't need or use anymore!  While going through a crate of my things, I came across a notebook.  It was used on the trip Curtis and I took to southern California two years ago, today!  (What a coincidence!)  We had been dating for 5 months then.  This particular entry cracked me up and I had to share it.  

* Munched on sandwiches at the Boise Airport before our flight.  

* Got front row seats on the way to Oakland, CA.

* Browsed through old photos on the laptop.

* Shared a set of headphones while listening to music.

* It is 64 degrees here in Oakland.

* Our flight to Los Angeles is delayed by 35 minutes.

* Curtis speaks extremely loud while on the phone.

* The smell of fruit is too strong as it opens from a plastic container.

* It would be obvious to say that I love Curtis.

* The Shins new album is making me daydream.

* Curtis keeps losing at Minesweeper.

* I'm thinking I'm going to have good kids.

* Curtis is explaining the game Hearts to me, but I still don't understand it.

* Sam and Terri are getting married in three days!

* Curtis let me have the last Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  

* Love when Curtis turns his hat to the side...cuz I know that I'm about to get a kiss!

* Had our 'first kiss in California' on 06.20.07 in the Oakland Airport.  

It's True...I'm 25

Our 1 Year Anniversary!

We can't believe it has been a year since we were sharing our special day with family and friends! We had a great first year of marriage.  Most say the first year is the hardest.  Both Curtis and I could not agree, at least when it came to us.  We kept it fairly simple; with work, school and staying active.  We've loved every moment!  

Yesterday - I got ready for the day when... Curtis

told me of the plans for the day ahead.  So all I pretty much packed was our tooth brushes and off we went.  We started with going to Moon's Cafe for a late breakfast.  Curt and I both had an omelette.  So good!  We took a stroll around the Saturday market afterwards.  We then took a short drive and checked-in to the Oxford Suites. What a beautiful hotel.  We got the romantic suite.  Tra-la!  

Curt then took me to the movie 'Up.'  It was such a sweet and fun film.  And as we left the theater, the ushers handed us balloons.  I felt like a kid, it was great!  We then went back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner...which was just a few steps from the hotel.  Yep, we went to Tucanos!  It was neat to try all the different items at the salad "festival." Even all the different types of meats the servers came around with were delicious.  It was a fun concept.  

When we got back to the hotel there was a package waiting for us with sparkling cider, cheesecake, a yummy set from The Body Shop, and Oxford suite favors.  

Our celebration was a great way to end our first year of marriage and to start another!!  It was a nice little romantic getaway from our home minutes away.  :)