Timpanogos Cave Outing

My older sister Ann came down on Monday, and brought my nephew Tanner who is nine (they were off track), and we went hiking up to Timpanogos Cave! I've never done it before, and it was so much fun! My calves ache today though, so I know that I got a work out. The mountains are just beautiful this time of year, and the cave was really neat. I've never been in one, so I was a little scared, but it was mainly just cold. They are living caves (still growing), so there was lots of water, and it was neat to see the different formations from the water coming in. I was "kissed" by the cave when it dripped on me. It is supposed to be good luck, so we'll see. Thanks guys, it was tons of fun!

Tanner and Ann in front of the "Heart of Timpanogos"

Going down deeper into the cave! Looks like the head of a dinosaur

Tanner and I in front of a huge flowstone, backbacks in front so they don't touch anything

From the cave mouth, beautiful colors of fall

Women's Conference

Later on Saturday I was privileged to get tickets to the Conference Center for the woman's part of general conference. It was great! I absolutely loved Elder Uchdorf's talk at the end, it was probably one of the best talks I've ever heard. I highly encourage everyone to read it when it comes out in the Ensign in a month or two. Nicole was going to go with me, but then ended up having tons of homework to finish (missed you!!!) and no one else could/wanted to go last minute, so I went by myself, but it was a nice time to reflect on what I had just heard.

Inside the Conference Center, President Monson is on the bottom left hand side in the grey suit.

The Salt Lake Temple at twilight

Alpine Loop Drive

This last Saturday we went with our good friends, Ryan and Michelle, to drive the scenic Alpine Loop and see all the beautiful fall colors before they were gone. Last year we missed it by a week or two, so we decided to go right now! It was just gorgeous. We also stopped to walk across a log across the river, but turns out I was the only one to do it:) Actually to everyone's credit I was the crazy one as the log was really very narrow, and I was the crazy one. Oh well, what can I say. Thanks out to Ryan and Michelle for going with us!

Crossing the log, and I didn't fall!

Hiking with Michelle and Ryan

Beautiful mountains with gold

Nathan and I on a log in the middle of the river

Kirstin's Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my little sister Kirstin, she turned 20 on the 21st! I cannot believe that she is no longer a teenager, holy moly. We had cake and ice cream here at our place, where her boyfriend Trevor came, and our older sister Ann and our nephew's Tyler and Tanner. My brother-in-law Mike stayed home with our niece Kira who was sick. We got her some running shoes (of course we did everyone is thinking, just see last post!). Happy B-day Kirstie Kat! We love you:)

Three sisters, Ann, Kendra, and Kirstin

Eating cake! Chocolate and Buttercream frosting:)

Kokopelli Triathlon

We have now completed our second triathlon, and we loved it! Nathan ended up working at the office all day Thursday night, and didn't come back home until 2:15pm on Friday, and we left at about 3:45 for St. George. He did get to sleep on the way down, but poor guy all the same:(We got to St. George to check in on Friday evening, and then the next morning we raced. This time we got there early to set up to have plenty of room, and it was a much larger race than Provo was, over a thousand people, however, also much more organized! It was also a much harder course as well, which we found out as we were competing. The swim part was great, I could see, not nearly as murky of water as Utah Lake, and I rented a wetsuit, and that made all the difference regarding buoyancy. It was awesome, I stayed with the pack the entire way! The biking had a lot of long hills, one that lasted for about five miles (I was keeping track on my bike speedometer), and then at the bottom of the hill was a cattle guard! Yikes! My max speed was 32.5 miles/hour, Nathan's was 35.7 miles/hour. Pretty fun. The run was the hardest, and it was all trail running through the red sand down there. Wasn't ready for that one, I was ready for road running. Running through sand just saps your energy. The last part of the race was road, and that was fine, so for the next one we'll be prepared for either. And it was hot, so I was grateful I had just started running during the day so that I was a little more ready for the hot weather. Overall it was great, and we are hooked! It is the day after and we feel great, and I can't wait to keep training for another!

The St. George Temple, we walked the grounds the night before the race.

Nathan is in the water, somewhere in there....

We finished another one!!!

On the way back we decided to take a scenic byway through Zions National Park and Kolob Canyon, and that was absolutely gorgeous! We stopped many times to take pictures and enjoy the views of the spectacular rock formations. Our road though became dirt though for about 40miles, and we got lost since the road split, we took one option, and it ended up becoming impassable unless you were going serious fourwheeling. Going down had taken about 4 1/2 hours, taking the scenic byway that spit us back at the I-15 at Cedar City took 4 hours! It was pretty, but we did get back latter than we thought. But you know us, always up for an adventure. We just had to laugh when we were lost and had to ask an older couple that was walking by Kolob Reservior where we were. It was the right road, just not maintained, especially for a sedan:) Very beautiful down that way though, and we were blessed to be able to spend the time together.

In beautiful Kolob Canyon in Zion's National Park. Right before the road turned to dirt!

Asking an older couple "Where are we?", the road after this point was not maintained at all and became impassable. At least we were reading the map right.

Fall Hiking

After the BYU vs. UCLA game we went on a hike with Jason and Nicole up Big Springs National Park, just a little ways up the canyon. The leaves are changing, and it just breathtaking. We brought our pups, and let them off leash to run around, and little Dolly didn't bolt! I think she is all tough when on a leash, but when off, she realizes Lady is much bigger than her! We found a beaver dam, Lady fell in which was funny, and we all had a really good time hiking. Thanks for going with us guys!

Lady fell in a beaver pond! I don't think she knew it was a drop off right off the bank.

BYU vs. UCLA

BYU is dominating the football scene! I had wanted to go to this game, but come to find out through all our connections to get tickets, they were all sold out:( So on Saturday we went with my little sister Kirstin and her boyfriend Trevor to a dog show in Farmington to show the boys the ins and outs of the dog show world. It probably was still more interesting to Kirstin and I because we knew what we were looking for, and about the politics that were playing into the show, but the boys did have fun watching the agility. Nathan now wants me to train Lady to do that, so I have a task and permission, yeah! On the way home we miraculously got tickets for the game from Trevor's brother who had one them an hour before game time from his work, yet he couldn't go. Nathan and I jumped at the chance, and our bikes and headed over to the stadium. What a great game, BYU just kicked UCLA's trash. After the close call they had with Washington I was worried, but I didn't need to be, for as I was buying an Icee Snowcone, BYU scored as I left my seat, and as I was in line, and it really didn't take me long to get the cool treat. We also got to see Tom and Kristie McConnon at the game! That was fun. A big thanks out to Brandon and Meghan Gardner for the tickets! As a side note, always take bikes to a game, because: (a) no hassel with parking, and (b) you are passing the cars and the pedestrians on the way in and out! There is no better way to travel there we think:)

Great day for a football game:)

Much needed cool treat on a hot day

Final score, awesome....

Labor Day Weekend Fun

Well, this Labor Day sure was eventful! First on Friday night we went up Payson Canyon to the BYU 103rd Ward Campout, where we stayed for dinner and games. We have great ward, and we are so lucky to have lots of friends here. The next morning we left for Pocatello for the Manwaring Family Reunion. Now this reunion was the farthest back reunion that I've ever been to. All family from Nathan's great-grandparents, Authur and Teresa Manwaring, were invited. That was a lot of people, and I am the worst at that side of the family tree, so it was neat to meet lots of new people, and have a great lunch catered by our own mom, Kathy Manwaring. I'm sure glad that we went to see everyone! From there we went to Franklin, where we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Haworth, and played with Mike, Misty, and Tate Porter. The weather unfortunately did not corroporate as much as we'd hoped, but we did get to go on a four-wheel ride, our saddles are now in the barn up there ready for use, we helped Tate catch frogs and see a Great Horned Owl in the barn, and we got to see Grandpa's mission slides, from his mission to the Navajo people. What a little piece of heaven that farm is. Lady came too, and was such a good dog during the reunion, and as always, had a blast on the farm. She came too for a while on the four wheel ride, but then looked at us, and went back. We watched her from this hill, and she was the size of an ant, that's how far, but little did we know that she was covered from head to tail in burrs, so went back to the farmhouse to start pulling them out. What a smart little puppy.

Nathan with Mike's little kitten, it is an adorable kitten that just loves people:)

Going on a fourwheeler ride, it had rained earlier, and at the bottom of the big hill is the farm, so for Lady to turn around was kind of scary, I was worried she'd get lost.

The Great Horned Owl in Grandpa's Barn, pretty neat eh?