Colorado Rocky Mountain High

Yeah, I was really high…elevation wise that is.

The drive from Utah to Castle Rock, Colorado where my friend Cassie lives was a steep one. I don't know exact elevation…but I was up there. I passed through some really pretty ski resort towns. All the condos looked kinda weird all surrounded by luscious green grass. It must be super crowded in the winter.

But I got to Castle Rock with no problems. My friend Cassie has a little boy Jacob who is 18 months and just starting to talk. His favorite word is aff, short for giraffe …but he replaces the f sounds with s's…yeah, it was pretty funny. Once he pointed at his mom and said it…hehe.

We had a nice visit. I spent 2 nights there and one full day. On that day, I utilized Mandie and Cassie's superior fashion skills and got a dress and a skirt. They're super cute! Thanks girls! The Elders came over for dinner on my second night there. Cassie made pizza--I helped. I squished the dough all over the pan…She had one regular pizza and one deep dish, Chicago style, which she baked in a dutch oven. It was really good. I loved it. Later that night we painted our toes. Jacob was studying us so intently that Mandie decided to paint his too. He now has metallic blue toes!

Camille's Dance Performance

This is of Camille's performance, but the whole show had a lot of different groups performing, such as various hip hop groups. The coolest were teeny little kids dancing hip hop. They were the Mini Squad and the Kid Squad. The boys in the Kid Squad, the second half of the video were great!

Now these videos are actually of Camille, singing with the group and by herself...eventually. I can't get it uploaded yet.

Jurassic Park--Ogden Style

The second stop on our free Tuesday was the Eccles Dinosaur Park also in Ogden. It had a small museum indoors...

This little furry beast is a Wooly Rhino, ain't he a beauty?

Then we went outside to the garden area where all the model dinosaurs are, the Jurassic Park area...

I really liked how birds would be just chillin' out on the dinosaurs. It made them seem less ferocious.

And then Rashel and I did a prehistoric rodeo!

And then we had some additional fun...

Christmas in June

My aunt Rashel and I had a wonderful day of free activities a couple of Tuesdays ago. What started it all was the train tour of Disney's upcoming movie The Christmas Carol that had a stop at Union Station in Ogden.

Rashel and I drove up and got there right as it opened and didn't have to wait in line long. We got to see all kinds of fun stuff about the movie, like all the different techniques that were used to make it.

They also had some actual items from a Charles Dickens museum! I thought that was neat, kinda risky...but whatever
And then we got to enjoy some Christmas cheer and decorations. There were some carolers and snow even! It was the soapy, light stuff.
And then we got to watch a clip of the movie in an inflatable theater! It was like a bouncy house, without the bouncing.

Mr.Potato Head!

Whenever I go and babysit my little cousins Ruby and Gabrielle, we usually end up playing "Tayto Head" or sometimes called "Tomato Head". Ruby loves creating...

while Gaby loves destroying. Sometimes things end in tears, but lately I've been making one and giving it to Gaby for her to take apart.

This video is cute, you can hear Ruby chattering away about her creation and you can see the concentration on Gaby's face. It was a fun time!

Upcoming Adventure

I am so excited for my trip to Costa Rica in August! My friend Molly and I are going down for two weeks to work at Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary. They have a really good, informative website here.

As volunteers, we'll be working with the sloths, but also with the site itself, maintaining the trails, and helping out with tours and such. We'll work from 6am until 3pm, and have the rest of the day to do whatever.

Some of you are probably thinking that's weird to go somewhere and pay to work. But it's part of the new eco-tourism thing that has been becoming more and more popular over the years. The price was really reasonable, so we'll get to see a foreign country, while doing something good and meaningful.

Molly is from Wyoming, so we'll meet in San Jose, Costa Rica and spend a few days there. Then we're getting a shuttle to take us the 4 or so hours southwest to the Carribbean coast where the sanctuary is located. I'm really looking forward to it!

Enjoy some slothy media:

Here's a cute video I found with baby sloths at the sanctuary.

Thank you BBC

Oh how I love thee...let me count the ways...


1) Pride and Prejudice-this is where it all started. I don't remember who first introduced me to this mini series...it might have been the lady I babysat for in high school...anyway, this is the must see rendition of Pride and Prejudice. I use this version as a measuring stick for all other versions. The new movie is good in some respects, but this version covers the whole book so well. And the actors ARE the characters, they are just so perfect. I think that's why Colin Firth seems to always be in Mr. Darcy type roles in all of his latest movies.

2) Robin Hood-this show is awesome. It follows Robin and his adventures, but makes him all hip and sexy. It's kinda like the movie A Knights Tale, and how they bring in modern elements...like all the clothes and stuff look authentic, but with a modern twist. PLUS there are some good lookin' guys on here, which always makes watching anything more bearable.

3) North and South-Netflix had recommended this for me for a while before I actually watched it. I thought it was about the Civil War...but it's not. It's about this family from refined Southern England who has to move up North, to the industrial area of England. Intrigue and romance ensue. I totally love this show and the characters...it's one of those that ends and leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy.

4) Doctor Who-There was an older show, from the 70's and 80's...but this is the new series, starting in 2004 I think. So this show is about the Doctor who is a Time Lord, he travels through time and to different planets. Him and his sidekick get into all kinds of interesting situations. At first I didn't like the whole Sci-Fi aspect of this show, but just enjoyed the time travel part. I've gotten more into it now and really like the actor who plays the Doctor. He's just so fun, quirky and cute. He definitely makes the show fun.

5) Monarch of the Glen-this show is about this guy who has to go back the Highlands of Scotland to help save the family estate. The plots for each show can sometimes seem a bit silly and predictable at times, but the characters really make up for it. You come to love them. I really love the guy's dad. He's this fun old man stuck in the aristocratic traditions of his time. The spectacular views of the Highlands also make it worth watching, it's gorgeous!

So this is just the beginning of my top BBC productions list, I'm sure more will be added as time goes on. But I definitely encourage you to see these ones, they are great. Are there any suggestions for me?