Alana and Steve Are Married!

Alana and Steve Johnson got married on December 17, 2011 in the Los Angeles LDS Temple.  They make such a great couple and the day was wonderful.

Brielle, Gavin, Coco, and Ethan all dressed up.

I am so glad that I get to spend eternity with this man!

Thanksgiving in CO

Wow!  I just realized I haven't updated this blog since last November!  We spent Thanksgiving last year in Colorado with my family.  Ian and I bought our own smoker and smoked our first turkey.  It is a Finlay family tradition to smoke the Thanksgiving turkey and it is so delicious and moist.  Everyone loved it!  

It is an Anderson family tradition to go bowling on Thanksgiving day.  When we were little it was an effort to get all the kids out of the house so my mom could cook dinner.  Even though we are adults, we still continue this tradition.

 All my sisters.

During the weekend break, it dumped snow - and I mean dumped!  We took my niece, Kate, for her first real sledding adventure.  

Ian and the boys were showing off their skills on the jump they built.

The Sunshine State

Annie and I escaped the winter weather of Colorado with a quick trip to Florida. We enjoyed the some of the sights and sounds of the Orlando area. Our first stop was Epcot Center. We loved visiting the different countries, finding Nemo, and watching Illuminations.

Our final stops were along the coast. We learned about NASA and the space program on a trip to the Kennedy Space Center. The last stop of the trip was along the beach. Walking barefoot on the beach felt especially nice for two people that are used to wearing wool socks and boots.

Great trip overall. Even better, we get to put another pin on the map.

Latest Happenings

Here is some catch up on what we have been up to lately.

For Ian's birthday I got him tickets to the Rapids soccer game.  We sat very close to the field and he loved every minute of it!

Last weekend we flew to Los Angeles to spend some time with Ian's family.  Evan just got home from serving a two year church mission in Argentina.  We also went through the LDS Los Angeles Temple with his sister, Alana.  It was a great weekend with family.

On Friday we went with my Dad and brother Nathan to the Lion King in downtown Denver.  Because this was my Valentine's Day gift this year we have been waiting for a long time for this event!  The costumes and music were phenomenal.  

Birthday Weekend

We love having our birthdays so close together - we have yet another excuse to head to the mountains and enjoy a long weekend together. This year's birthday weekend took us to lovely Avon, Colorado where we enjoyed General Conference, biking, eating, and relaxing.

The fall colors were in their full splendor and we enjoyed the views as we biked down Vail Pass. This is an Anderson Family tradition so I was thrilled to join in the celebration of gravity as we tore down the mountain at speeds upwards to 35 MPH. We wore through our breaks quickly though with frequent stops to enjoy the beautiful leaves of the aspen trees.

Annie and I also enjoyed a fantastic meal at Avondale. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner and the HAPPY BIRTHDAY cupcake was a nice touch. However, the culinary highlight of the evening was dessert. Take a guess at what we ordered...

We capped off the weekend by enjoying General Conference (conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where the apostles and leaders speak to the world) and having a nice picnic outside. How we love birthday weekend.

Labor Day Weekend

For the Labor Day weekend we met Ian's parents in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a weekend of camping and outdoor adventure.  Ian and I took a day getting there by driving through Yosemite National Park.  This is our attempt at a self timer jumping picture trying to show our excitement of seeing the beautiful vistas.  

Outside of Yosemite is a gas station housing the famous Whoa Nellie Deli.  We enjoyed the steak caesar salad and grilled salmon with a nice view of Mono Lake.  A must try for any "foodies" out there.

We camped at the Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth.  

We enjoyed a lot of hiking in the Tuolemne Meadows...

 and hiking to Shadow Lake.

 Ian's sister Megan and her family met us at the end of the trip.  We enjoyed the hike to the Devil's Postpile.

Grandma and Grandpa (Ian's parents) helped Gavin and Coco get sworn in as Junior Rangers.

Mo Mountains

Since we did not get into the mountains enough early in the season, we have tried to make up for it during the latter part of the summer. Ian recently climbed San Luis Peak early in September with Bruce James. They quickly found out that this mountain truly is one of the least climbed 14ers in Colorado. Ian and Bruce were two of only six people that attempted to summit the mountain that day.

They were surprised to see a couple of inches of snow on the mountain that had fallen the night before, but this did not detour them from completing the 13-mile hike. However, the exhilaration and reward of standing on the summit was short lived - the temperature at the top of the mountain was a frigid 15 degrees. All in all, a great hike; only 48 more 14ers to go!

Our most recent mountain adventure involved enjoying the beautiful fall foliage and scenery that the Rocky Mountains offer. The aspen trees, in all their brightness and glory, were on display. We travelled with the Crumps (Dan, Helen, Allison) and some friends (Leah, Kim) to Kenosha Pass to hike along the Colorado Trail.

Great fall weather and great company made for a magnificent weekend. Only one more week of fall colors before the leaves will be no more.