heading to yellowstone

we're in cody right now. not sure when i will have enough service to post pics. hopefully we will camp at yellowstone or gardiner tonight. we were thinking it would be nice and frozen and snowy here....i just changed into short sleeves. apparently winter is late this year.

i've been reading today. here's a poem to share:

The Invitation
Oriah Mountain Dreamer Canadian Teacher and Author

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,"Yes."
It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

casper, wyoming

we'll be here for a couple nights. it's a nice stopping point before we head closer to yellowstone. so far there hasn't been much to see around here. which is good, we can get some work done!
spent the last two days in rocky mountain national park and the estes park/loveland area. GORGEOUS!! pics to post soon. my connection sucks right now.
do i have any readers out there? leave me some comments!

the great outdoors

garden of the gods park

colorado treehouse

ancient cliff dwellings

the only time the kids have been to colorado was last december in durango. so they were disappointed to drive into colorado and not see any snow this time. kind of a nice present to wake up to....

a desperate snow angel

mini snow man

top 20 things oprah knows for sure

got this in my e-mail and really liked it:

1. What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what. (This is my creed.)
2. You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.
3. Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.
4. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. (A lesson from Maya Angelou.)
5. Worrying is wasted time. Use the same energy for doing something about whatever worries you.
6. What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for. You become what you believe.
7. If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough. (From the German theologian and humanist Meister Eckhart.)
8. The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.
9. Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.
10. If you make a choice that goes against what everyone else thinks, the world will not fall apart.
11. Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn't lie.
12. Love yourself and then learn to extend that love to others in every encounter.
13. Let passion drive your profession.
14. Find a way to get paid for doing what you love. Then every paycheck will be a bonus.
15. Love doesn't hurt. It feels really good.
16. Every day brings a chance to start over.
17. Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. Women everywhere must declare it so.
18. Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward.
19. When you don't know what to do, get still. The answer will come.
20. "Trouble don't last always." (A line from a Negro spiritual, which calls to mind another favorite: This, too, shall pass.)

pike's peak

it was scary, cold, amazing and exhilarating. LOVED pike's peak. breathtakingly beautiful...also a bit of a white knuckle driving experience. thank god johnny has better nerves than i do.
also drove thru the adorable and quaint town of manitou springs. have to go back tomorrow to walk around and take in the sites. it is postcard pretty. cant wait!
oh the kids loved the mountain too...too cold for them for very long though. park ranger mentioned it was 5 degrees with 40 mile per hour wind gusts. eeek!
manitou springs
manitou springs

pics from the summit

on the way up

a bear shittin' in the woods...wait a minute that's no bear!

colorado springs

we are settled into a crummy rv park for the night. glad to be off the road though. should be getting cold tonight. at least this place has enough reception for posting pics!!
pretty much drove all day today. will be nice to chill and watch tv tonight and stay warm.

i just really liked this tree






























take five!













































huntin' smoky the bear











































the squirrels are HUGE in new mexico!















































found a bit of snow at sandia crest


















mule dear at sandia. they werent shy at all.

















the kids at petroglyph monument. if you look to the left you can see some drawings.






trying out our new waterproof camera
waterbaby!
old town albuquerque
historic route 66

enjoying albuquerque

we have only been here for two days, but we have been busy sightseeing and enjoying the outdoors. the weather is perfect. so far this has probably been our best stop.
yesterday we went to the rattlesnake museum in old town albuquerque. walked around a bit as well and drove down route 66. then we drove up to sandia crest, elevation 10,678 feet. gorgeous views!
today we headed to petroglyph national monument and hiked along rinconada canyon. the kids were a bit tired and hungry so we didnt make the whole trail, but we did see a few drawings in the rocks. then we stumbled upon mimmos pizzeria for lunch...YUM!
we wrapped up the day by heading back up the sandia mountains and hiked the three mile tecolote trail. even better views than from sandia crest! i think we will all sleep good tonight. tomorrow...colorado!!

kodak moments

apologies for taking so long to update. my excuse is a combination of laziness, busyness and bad reception...oh and the dog ate my power cord. no, really he did.
anyway, here are some pics to get you all updated.


the guys checking out the auto show at the big texas fair in dallas
the view from the the ridiculously high and scary dallas ferris wheel
enjoying the heights
view from below
the tattoos we got in college station. we never wear rings anymore. we can't lose these and we don't have to insure them. :-)

yes, i let my children act like this in public.
fun house at the fair
carnival coaster
first time me and the kids have been. it was really cool.
shot by aidan, our budding photographer

checking out the outdoors in austin
our 2.7 mile hike. we all made it and the kids LOVED it!


i seem to attract these creeps everywhere i go

getting ready for our tattoos

emma long park in austin. highly recommend it!
gorgeous view of austin
lakeside picnic lunch