Can you say: "Big Sky!"

Yes it is time of year for the eventful Ski/Snowboard trip with willing friends and family! We once again went to Big Sky, Montana from December 16-19. All in attendance: Derek and his girlfriend Jen, Jordan, Blake, and I.
The top picture is of our hotel room in the Huntley Lodge. There are two queens on the first floor and the stairs lead to another bed upstairs. There is also a little couch area/ eating area with a huge window view of the ski slope. The Huntley Lodge is at the base of the ski lifts, so we just walk right out the doors to the lifts.

Now let me remind you that Big Sky is the largest resort in America. It is huge and there are more than 19 different lifts with more than 3,812 acres! It is a skiers dream come true!

This is the view from our window!

Blake is so HOT!

It is so beautiful here! As we were driving to Big Sky, temperatures reached negative 19 degrees in Island Park. It was a pretty cold week but Blake has prepared me for the cold weather. There are lots of pictures so be prepared.

More Big Sky Love

The mass load of stuff we had! (The pictures are out of order, sorry)
This is outside the hotel. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!!

This picture of Blake cracks me up!

Jen and I are CRAZY!

Blake and I by the main fire place in the Hotel. Also, very romantic. When I wasn't boarding I was reading or cross-stitching. Ha... I love this picture... Derek reminds me of Derek Zoolander

The crew eating at Chet's Bar and Grill. We were there for the end of the crazy Austrian brother's performance. Good times!

Jen was so kind to make me a surprise chocolate crock pot cake for my birthday! How sweet is that?!

This is Blake and I at the restaurant. This was the cheapest place we could find to eat. We made sandwiches for all the lunches and we made dinners for the first two nights. It was scrum-didly-umscious.

We all got to ski for three days while relaxing at night, playing games, and watching movies (courtesy of Events Services).
The snow was pretty good with powder stashes to find.

Of course we had to hot tub it up as much as we could. Being out on the slopes, we got sore and tired.

This is Blake and I on top of Lone Peak Triple Lift. I am so glad I have been taking snowboarding lessons so that I can stay up with Blake. Blake got a new get up for tele-ing and the skis worked out great.

We also took a ride up in the Lobe Peak Tram but we didn't have our camera with us. We only looked around at the top. There is no way I could ski the top of Lone Peak (its super rocky, double blacks). Blake, Derek, and Jordan can ski down it but I still value my life.

Thursday morning Blake, Derek, and I were out on the slopes. We decided to go farther east to some other lifts. We were going to meet at the bottom of Challenger from the run we were currently at. Derrek got ahead of us and was not in our eye sight. Blake and I got to the bottom of Challenger and waited 20 minutes for Derek because we thought he might have made a wrong turn. We talked to the ski lifty and he told us were our friend might have gone. Blake and I took off toward Moonlight Basin (a joint ski resort with Big Sky) to see if Derek went down there. The trail down to the Pony Express lift (in Moonlight Basin) was a pretty flat cat-trail so I had to skate my way down (definitely a negative for snowboarding). When we got there, Derek was not there and we realize that the lift is not open. A guy walks out from a building right by the lift and asks us if we were meant to come down this way. Well, to make a long story short, they got a shuttle to come pick us up to take us back to Big Sky. Blake and I thought we coud hike it but it is a 4 mile hike back to the base area... we were on the other side of the mountain.
We got to Big Sky probabely 45 minutes later and still no call from Derek. Blake had his phone but Derek didn't. Blake and I hit the trails hoping we would run into Derek. But as big as the resort is we knew we had little chance of running into him. Come to find out later that Derek had gone back to the Base Area but went back to where he thought we were at. It was pretty funny.

Graham Cracker Houses

Making gingerbread houses is one of my favorite traditions to do every year. It's not just the fact that there is a ton of different candy to eat (it's like a second halloween) but that I can become as creative as I want to be. Brett, Liz, and little Avery (almost 2 months) came over for the extravaganza.
I made a cathedral with a bell tower.

Brett made... a real big house thingy with lots of rooms. Pretty cool wreath huh?

Blake always makes the most creative house. He made a barn with a rooster, a lion, and a horse. That is pretty dang sweet!

Baby Avery is so stinkin CUTE!

Liz made a cute house with a bow tied-wreath. Now that is pretty creative!

Mullet Man

Mullet Man stopped by my house tonight for a surprise visit.

His hair was like "business in the front and a party in the back." I was super impressed.

(This was the before shot of his hair before mullet man appeared. The length of his hair kept him warm while working outside all day in the freezing cold.)

The Departure of Mullet Man

I am so sad to see him go... Goodbye my one true love...

22 Birthday Fun!

Thanksgiving Week!

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More pictures to come soon...

Stockmans Restaurant

Daris and Lorraine took Blake and I out on Friday night for a little pre-Birthday dinner. We had awesome stake and salmon! It is amazing food!

HOwdy Doody

Well school is still going and there are only three more weeks left of it! I cannot believe how fast it has gone! I am so busy with school assignments, being a wife, callings, ect. Everyday just zooms by so quick. I wish I had more time to blog but I find myself extremely tired by the end of the day.

I only have one more core semester of classes before I student teach! I am so excited to be a biology (and/or possibly a health) teacher. I know that sounds nerdy, but let's face it, I am a nerd bomber. I am going to be a crazy, weird science teacher that is going to make school fun everyday.

The other day Blake was registering for winter semester classes. We were looking at the required classes he needs to take for his mechanical engineering major. Well, he has 2-3 years of attending BYU-I to get his undergrade. He is doing so well in school and I am very proud of him. He is still working at the Cenntennial Grain Elevator and comes home a very dirty man from his hard labor job. He is extremely ready to come back to school and study hard.

This last Friday we went to the Warren Miller film at Westwood Theatre to watch "Children of Winter." Boy was it good! That movie makes me wanna jump on board and go riding. I am excited for the snow to come. We are going skiing/snowboarding in one more month.

On Saturday, we meet up with our friends Joe and Jacque for dinner and a movie. Blake and I hardly ever go to a new released movie, we are way too poor ro fork out that kind of dough. We saw "Quantum of Solace." The movie fufilled all James Bond's expectations for adventure and love. Daniel Craig is by far my favorite actor for James Bond; he is very talented.

I hope you are all having a wonderful joyous Sabbath.

Romantic

This is Saturday evening where I took Blake on a surprise date. We went on a carriage ride (through a business class at BYUI) around town and by the temple at sunset. Ya it was pretty romantic...This is the carriage ride. I managed to close my eyes at the right moment for the one picture we took in front of it.