Rock Cliff Tri

We helped to create a monster!! Not really, but we have gotten our cousin and friend Tom McConnon into triathlon's and he did his first one this weekend, June 27, at the Jordanelle Reservoir near Park City. He did awesome!! The bike was pretty intense being uphill, and he finished in 1:17 something, with a fourth place in his age division! Way to go Tom, thanks for letting us come and watch!

Kristie, Nathan, and Tom overlooking the swim portion at Jordanelle Resevoir

Before the swim

Leaving on the bike, looking good!

Middle of the run, great finish, you did awesome!

Nursing and Needles

So, what a week for me! On Wednesday the 24th I took the NCLEX (the state board exam that licenses nurses), and man was that stressful. The test gives you a maximum of five hours, and a minimum of 85 questions to a max of 205. It is an adaptive test, so the more questions that you get right, the harder it gets, and it shows your competency. If you are on the border of competent, it keeps giving you questions. If you show competency at 85 questions, then your test automatically shuts off. However, if you got so many wrong that there would be no showing competency no matter how many questions it gave you, it also shuts off at 85 questions. Well, my test shut off at 85, and I felt pretty good about it, but I was still worried. I shouldn't have been because then two days later I found myself listed online as licensed, and I received my actual license the day after! YEAH!! I passed and now I'm a licensed practical nurse in Utah!!! The place probably fingerprinted me 8 times, patted me down as I went in the room, and wouldn't even allow a hairtie on my wrist during the exam. Pretty strict, but I'm glad that they are very serious about cheating on this. At this same time I took phlebotomy, and had volunteers come the last two days so that I could practice poking them. Tuesday, the 23rd Jenn, Kathy, Karissa, Cory, and Jason all volunteered. They must love me a lot to trust me to do that on them!! Then on Thursday the 25th Nathan and Tom came and volunteered. I only needed two successful arm and hand venipunctures to pass, and I got from them :) Kristie came for support. So now I'm a state certified phlebotomist and an LPN!

Kendra preforming a venipuncture on Nathan, he even watched, and he was actually very afraid of needles. It was all I could do to get him to come, but he did in the end :)

Tom and Nathan showing off where they were poked, and Tom holding his vial of blood

Friday we went to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my new license!

Thanks to all of my brave volunteers, I felt so loved that you would all come to help and support me in getting these licenses :)

Visitors

Nathan's little sister Jennifer moved in with us for summer term at BYU, and his mom Kathy, brought her up from AZ. It was lots of fun having her visit, we had family dinners and games many nights. Thanks again for coming up and staying with us :) We loved having you, come again any time!

Karissa and Jenn blowing gigantic dandilions while we went on a hike in the mountains

Jason, Nicole, Jenn, Kathy, Karissa, and Nathan having breakfast at our house

Salem and Provo Triathlons

Did the Provo Tri today, bringing the total number under my belt to 4 (2 olympics and 2 sprint). I had a pretty solid race coming in 14th out of the 164 people who entered the race, and 2nd in the Male 25-29 division (I got a medal! thought it would never happen)...

Next step: learn/train to run a 20min 5k. I think if I knew what it felt like to run a 6:00min mile I would know better how to make my body go faster during a race. Anyway, more detail and a recap on the Salem Tri (from May) and pics coming soon.

~Nathan

P.S. below are 2 pictures: 1st from the Salem Tri this year, 2nd from the Kokopelli tri last year (for comparison)

Sprint Run: Feeling good!

Olympic run.... very tired

Summer Denver Trip 09

I've now seen my family before the baby is born. My grams sold her home in Parker, CO, and I wanted to go and see it one last time. It was the best trip that I've had with my parents and sister, probably ever. We went to the zoo (yeah, I know, I'm really into zoo's lately, and now it is fun to compare them), haven't been there in at least 12 years, and it is STILL the best zoo in my opinion, it was perfect weather, and the animals were all out and active!

A few monkeys escaped from the monkey house :)

Kirstin said, "you know you haven't been to the zoo in a while when you know the animals in the statues". This is of Klondike and Snow, twin Polar Bear cubs born at the zoo when we were little.

Kirstin, Kendra (baby at 32 weeks), Mr. Lion, Mom, and Dad

Am I as big as this elephant? 32 week baby bump

Kirstin and I stopped by the Denver Temple. I LOVED the weather while there, nice in the day, and then it would get stormy in the afternoons, and it was nice and warm, but not ridiculously hot!!

Watching a huge storm outside at Grams's house. We did see a tornado, but off in the distance, illuminated by the lightning. We'll miss that window and view for sure!

Bye house on Wagon Wheel Way, I'll sure miss that place. There is a new walking trail by her house, and it was great hiking with my parents and sister on it. Next time I see my family, there will be a new member to welcome :)

Gruffy the Goat

Of course we love adventures, and the way home from Arizona was no exception. While traveling through the t Navajo Reservation we saved a baby goat from being squished on the highway. He almost wandered in front of our car, but luckily didn't, and we went back, caught him, and took him to the goat farmers we saw two miles back. The people recognized him, so we found his home, and he was safe, though we would have loved to keep him. He was so soft and cuddly. We were really glad that we were able to help this little guy out.

Were we found him, on the side of the road. As you can see, not much there.

Isn't he just the cutest? Kendra holding little Gruffy in the backseat as we made our way 2 miles back to his home. This little guy wondered far, and he had crossed the two lane highway already once!

Arizona Trip 09

We went down to Arizona to visit Nathan's side of the family, and wanted to go for two reasons: a) to see Nathan's brother Robert and our sister in law Kortney's new baby, and b) to visit before we had a baby. Though it takes awhile to get there, we sure had lots of fun, and it is always nice to talk in the car. The first night we had dinner with everyone, and the new baby Ryan sure is a cutie. Our niece Kaylee is one of the cutest, and so well behaved, it definitely a reflection on Robert and Kortney. Tuesday they had to leave to go to Franklin of all places to see one of Kortney's grandparents who is not doing well and it might be the last time they could see her. We did go the Phoenix Zoo that morning though, which we loved. We learned two things that morning: 1) 2 1/2 year olds are LOTS of fun at zoos because they are interested in everything, and 2) go to zoos EARLY in the morning because the animals are actually AWAKE!!

The lions, and check out how BIG the male is!!

Kendra at the monkey enclosure that you can walk through. Pretty neat, and look how close you can get to the monkeys!

Nathan giving Kaylee a ride at the zoo

We had a great time visiting family in AZ, and also got to go to the temple, play racket ball, play games, and enjoy each other's company. Love you guys and thanks again!

Nathan and his little sister Jenn at racket ball

Nathan, Kaylee, and Robert looking at stars in the backyard

Alan, Kathy, Nathan, and Jenn