Don't mess with Texas

This week I went to Texas to visit Emily and her family. I have to admit that being the mom helper can be an exhausting job. It was imperative that I take a nap every day just to keep up. Zach is doing great getting potty trained and is a good little talker. In fact, Zach would be a great asset to any first date because he never runs out of things to talk about. He has a great collection of cars and trains that he is happy to share with others. Quinn has been working on resisting daylight saving time. Poor little guy, it's him versus the rest of the world, but he's giving it a solid fight.

While I was in Texas we got to go to the trunk-or-treat with the ward. Zach and Quinn were both very nice to share their candy with us. Really, we were obligated to protect their teeth from cavities.

We also went to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. It was fun to see all the ice cream getting squeezed into the containers, but the best part was the free scoop of ice cream at the end. This trip has inspired Ryan to review alchol flavors with me so that I don't make any more mistakes. I tried a birthday cake flavor with amaretto cream cheese frosting. I couldn't remember if amaretto was a nut or a liquor, so I decided on the first and took a bite. Clearly I was wrong. It reminds me of an incident with a rum ball... Live and learn.

Fall Leaves & A Mystery!

Last weekend Michelle & I did a little hiking among the hills and trees of Zaleski State Forest, an hour and a half south east of Columbus. The fall colors were near their peak, and the sun came out a few times to give us some really dazzling sights. The trail we took went over old Ohio roads abandoned in the 1870's, through deserted mining towns and railway stops, and past an Indian ceramonial mound. Mostly we read about those things in our guide map and saw only trees and beautiful leaves. See more photos in the album to the left if you'd like.

Now for the mystery . . . About 2 weeks ago, I came home after a day at the hospital and was met with the view you see in the photo to the right. If you had been in my shoes, what would you guess Michelle was doing? Please vote for your favorite answer in the poll to the right. After you vote, check the comments for the true story.

Philadelphia

Michelle traveled to Philadelphia last weekend for a national nutrition conference and expo where she presented a poster on her latest research and was enriched as she attended presentations from leaders in her field - or at least that's what she claims she did! I submit the photos below as evidence to the contrary. You be the judge. -- Ryan
Michelle with Ben Franklin and Charlie Tuna.

Michelle with Rocky Balboa. Michelle presenting her poster.

In my defense, I just took those pictures for Ryan's benefit. I spent most of my time taste-testing an assortment of state-of-the-art ultrafortified food (high fiber, high protein, gluten free, high omega-3, low taste, tough on the bowels). It was not an easy job. -- Michelle

Put On Your Dancin' Shoes

In anticipation of our upcoming visit to India, Ryan and I think that we all (this includes Hannah, Craig, Mom and Dad) should prepare a special musical performance. Before we can start rehearsals, we need your help choosing the best number. Click on the videos below to view our favorites and then cast your vote over on the right. We admit that Mom and Dad have an unfair advantage with the songs we're considering, since they saw these moves when they were brand new, but with a little practice we'll catch right up. We especially encourage Hannah and Craig to view the videos and choose wisely - since their future stage careers may hang in the balance. And now, in no particular order, we present Gladys Knight & The Pips, the Carpenters, The Temptations, and the Jackson Five . . . (You may have to click on the videos twice to open them, and you'll have to click on the little sound button on each video player and increase the volume to hear the sweet music.)

Down by the Bay

Time's a flyin' and we're packing in all the fun we can before leaving sunny California. This week we visited UC Davis, the Oakland Temple, the Jelly Belly Factory, and downtown San Francisco. Highlights: free samples (both jelly beans & chocolate!) at the factory, walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, the roses and botanical gardens at Golden Gate Park, and fresh sourdough bread. We took lots of pictures - including lots of skyscrapers for Hannah. Click on any picture below to see the whole album. Enjoy!

Travis Air Force Base

It has been exciting for me to be on base. I am learning all about how the military works. In fact, this experience may teach me responsibility. It turns out that I need my ID to get anywhere. I have been turned away from the grocery store already. I might learn yet to carry my identification (this coming from the woman who almost got thrown into a Colombian slammer for not having her passport on her person and who was also denied a bathroom break in Washington DC because she had no ID).

Views Around Travis AFB

These next pictures we would like to dedicate to Douglas Rene Johnson who made me go to many a distant airplane museum as a teenager. It is a lot more fun to look at planes now. :) Especially the old fighters.

Travis Air Museum

Yosemite National Park

Yesterday we left bright and early (not so bright because it was 5 am) for Yosemite National Park. Our first hike was a 2 mile round trip to Tuolumne Sequia Grove. The trees kept getting bigger and bigger the farther down we went. At one point we measured a tree with a 4 Hackett and 1/2 Ryan diameter. (This is a validated measurement methodology we developed in Smoky Mountain National Park). Little did we know that was a little brother to the Big Berthas we saw. We weren't allowed to measure the biggest ones though because standing on the roots close to the base hurts the plants - at least that's what the sign said. I am willing to bet that hundreds of deer, bears, bobcats et cetera have wondered on the roots in the past 3000 years. Maybe even dinosaurs.

Tuolumne Grove - Giant Sequoias

Our next hike was up to Yosemite Upper Falls. When we got to the trail head Ryan said "There is no where to go but up the cliffs." I thought that couldn't be possible because then it would be a rock climbing route. But it was pretty close, we had 60 switchbacks within the first mile to Columbia Rock. This was a very picturesque hike but very challenging at 7.2 miles with a 2,700 feet elevation gain. My favorite part was climbing all over the boulders at the top, just like it has been since we went goat backpacking as kids. Ryan's favorite part was enjoying the views from the top sitting on said rocks. Just so you know, Yosemite Falls does not exist in August, but there's a really nice river bed. I figure that most people people go up and wonder what is under all the water, but we know.

Yosemite

Sunny California

This weekend Ryan spent a whirlwind 36 hours at home and then left for Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. All week he has been adjusting to the different climate and culture out there. Luckily, he can listen to some pop Latin music on the radio to remind him of me. Hopefully he will be able to put some pictures up shortly to give you a feel for this base.

I have been coping with Ryan's away rotations by making various types of jam. This week I made strawberry-rhubarb and blackberry-raspberry-strawberry. It has been very therapeutic and keeps me busy at nights. During the day I alternate between statistical analyses, paper writing, dissertation writing and swimming. I prefer the last option.

Great Smoky Mountains

Michelle and I spent 4 days in June hiking up and down (mostly up) the trails of Great Smoky National Park. We saw green mountains, deep vallies, mountain streams with moss-covered rocks, enough rhododendron to last a lifetime, lots of snails, salamanders, and even a bear. It rained on us at least once day, and one time we were lucky enough to pitch our tent in an area that turned into a lake. We learned that critters are more of a threat to bear bags than bears: ours was chewed into every night, no matter where we hung the bag. We are considering buying a steel plated bag to protect our peanuts on future trips. Our legs and shoulders aren't sure they'll ever forgive us, but we can't wait to throw on the packs again! Click on the pictures if you want to see more photos at Shutterfly.com.

3...2...1...Liftoff!

Michelle's in Bristol, TN, and I'm in Omaha, NE, -- a perfect time to start a blog for keeping in touch with each other and everyone else we love! Here are a few photo albums of pictures I've taken while in Omaha. You can watch the slide shows here or click on the "View Album" links for larger viewing and downloading. Stay tuned for more posts and pictures as we get our blogging skills up to par. Enjoy!

ALBUM: Offutt - On Base

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Get your own

ALBUM: Offutt - Off Base

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Get your own

ALBUM: Winter Quarters Temple & Pioneer Cemetery

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Get your own

ALBUM: Mormon Trail Museum & Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit

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Get your own

Here's a map of Omaha for anyone who wants to see where I've been in this fine city. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111529931791622035249.000435551b286f2684fc4&ll=41.23806,-95.935364&spn=0.230288,0.462799&z=11&om=1