Updates......finally

So, I guess you could say that I have been really really bad with updating my blog lately. I don't have internet at my house and I don't have the extra time at my new job to update my blog at work like I used to. Enough with the excuses though......Summer and fall have finally wrapped up in Jackson and we are getting ready for winter. Although the summer was absolutely amazing, surprisingly, I did greatly miss the warmth and humidity of the south. Most of you know that I have been dating a Wyoming boy since May and things have been going really well. The first weekend in November we flew to Atlanta to surprise my mom and to go to the Wyoming versus Tennessee football game in Knoxville, TN. It was a super short visit but was a ton of fun. I was back in Jackson for less then 2 weeks before I flew back to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, a good friends wedding, and the Georgia/Georgia Tech game. I flew in on Wednesday and Allen came down on that Saturday and spent the entire week in Atlanta and Athens with my family and friends. Below are a few pictures from our two trips.

Allen and me at the Tennessee/Wyoming game.

Allen and me at the Atlanta Aquarium

Allen's 'surprise' birthday dinner at Calico in Jackson

Allen's birthday cake....yes, I made it

Allen and I at my parents house after the Georgia versus Tech game
The girls at Jackie and Cleve's wedding reception
Allen & I in Athens, GA during our 'tour' of campus
Allen and I at the Georgia vs. GA Tech game
The view of the Teton's right before I came home for Thanksgiving......fall is gone and winter is well on it's way

TYLER'S VISIT TO JACKSON!

My brother finally got to come out to visit me in Jackson a couple weeks ago. He flew for the first time by himself and even had a non-stop flight from Atlanta to Jackson. I'm kinda pissed about that because I've flown out of Jackson a few times now and I have yet to have a non-stop flight either leaving or coming to Jackson. Regardless, he made it to Jackson with no problems and we had a great week. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, white water rafting, hiking, and "buffalo hunting" were just a few of the things we did. Luckily I was able to take off the whole time he was here which allowed for some great time together.....probably the most time we have ever spent together actually.

Also while Tyler was here Megan, Jenny, and I went paragliding in Teton Village. Basically we took the Gondola up to the top of the mountain, strapped on a parachute, and then ran and jumped off the side of the mountain. It was a pretty cool experience to just be hanging out in the air looking down at the Village but was way too short. Supposedly people that go paragliding on their own (not on a paid for trip) can stay up in the air for upwards of 5 hours and travel hundreds of miles.

Tyler and I at Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park

Tyler really loved seeing all the buffalo up close. I took him on multiple nights to an area that is a known feeding grounds for some of the buffalo herds in town and each night we were treated to seeing hundreds of buffalo right off the road. A ton of them actually crossed the road less then 10-20 feet from my car. I'm not going to lie there were a couple buffalo that did get to close for comfort.

Tyler and I hiking on the Ridgeline Trail

The wildflowers on the Ridgeline Trail hike

Me right before I went paragliding

I took this picture of Jenny when we were paragliding. She was just flying just below me.

Jenny just after she took off on her paragliding trip. She was the first one to leave the ground so I was able to take a couple pictures of her.

One of the geysers at Yellowstone National Park. I couldn't get over how clear the water was.

Fair and Summer Fun!!

The past couple weeks have absolutely flown by. The 4th of July we played out at the lake and then went to a friends house for a cook-out and fireworks. The week afterwards was Jenny's birthday so we threw our first party at our house and of course it had a Redneck theme. Two weekends ago I drove out to Denver with a carfull of girls for the Mile High Music festival which as two full days of music. We saw Gavin Degraw, Citizen Cope, Steve Winwood, Josh Ritter, O.A.R., Michael Franti, Moe, the Black Crowes, Leftover Salmon, John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, The Roots, Martin Sexton, Tom Petty, and Dave Matthews. Needless to say it was a pretty amazing weekend despite the 100 degree weather and no shade.
This past weekend one of my college roommates who now lives in Salt Lake City drove up to Jackson for a long weekend. As always, it was a ton of fun showing someone around town who has never been here. It never gets old seeing peoples expressions and reactions to seeing the Tetons and the surrounding area for the first time....words just don't do it justice. While Jen was here the Teton County Fair was going on which was a ton of fun. The fair grounds are directly behind my house so we were able to easily walk to everything. I never though that a pig wrestling event could be so big but it was.

At the golf course just south of Alpine, WY....Allen and his dad have been teaching me and I'm actually not half bad. The girls on the 4th of July

Sitting on the lakeshore on the 4th of July

View of the Tetons & Jackson Lake from Signal Mountain

Out on Allen's roommate's boat

Kelly (Allen's roommate) skiing.......The Grand is directly behind him
Becca & me getting ready to go tubing on Jackson Lake

View from Garnet Canyon. The Grand is almost directly behind us and we are facing the valley. What looks like water under the clouds in the distance is actually the neighboring mountain range.

Allen's neice (Cadence) participated in the pig wrestling event at the fair. Supposedly it is really popular to do and it was packed with people watching. There is a drawing to get in because so many people register. Teams of 4 have between 60 and 90 seconds depending on their age to get a greased up pig into a barrel in the center of the arena.

Jen & I on one of the rides at the fair

A car on fire at the Figure 8 Races at the fair

Some strange breed of long horn at the petting zoo at the fair. The spread was over 4 feet wide!!

Video from the figure 8 races at the fair

Where Has All The Time Gone???

I swear I went to sleep last night and it was May and I woke up this morning and it was July...I have no idea where the time went but I do know that I have had an amazing past couple weeks filled with tons of friends and family visiting. There is so much that has been going on lately that it would take hours to write about so I'll be brief and let the pictures do the talking. It started off with my mom's side of the family coming out to visit. Dinkie, Papa, Tomi, Ross, Mike, and Adam all came out over Memorial Day Weekend. It was cloudy and rainy everyday they were here but it still was a great trip just way too short. After they left I had about a week to try and catch my breath before my mom and her friend Sybil came out to visit. It was snowing the first two days they were here (thankfully that was the last time it has snowed) and then overnight Summer hit and we have had Sunny days and temps from the mid-70's to 90's everyday since. The day my mom and Sybil left I joined them at the airport and flew down to Austin to visit yet more family and finally get a taste of the humidity and 100+ degree temps I had been missing in Jackson. The day I got back to Jackson I started my new job with the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard club as their event manager....oh yeah, did I mention that I got a new job??? Check it out at http://www.jhskiclub.org/bio.php?id=1071
So that is a very very brief summary of what has been going out here in Jackson....doesn't do the past month justice by any means but I'm way to far behind in my blog to write in detail about everything....I'll be better this summer!!
Below are just a few of the wonderful pictures from the past month. If I can figure out how to put them all online I will.

Papa and me looking out over Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

The whole group at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park

Sybil, mom and me riding the Gondola up IN THE SNOW on their first day in Jackson.

Me, mom and Sybil outside the Church of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park

Church of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park

Horseback riding at the Heart 6 Ranch

Our Intramural kickball team before our first game

Getting ready to head down the Snake River on a scenic booze cruise

Atop Inspiration Point overlooking Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

At the start of our 9 mile day hike into Garnet Canyon in Grand Teton National Park

Looking up at the Grand from the meadows near Garnet Canyon
Jenny and I taking our lunch break before turning around to head back to the trailhead.....We are in Garnet Canyon and the Grand is directly behind us (or so we think)

CAMPING IN WARM WEATHER....FINALLY!!!!!!

Finally it happened...after months of freezing weather and serious doubts on my part about spring/summer existing in Jackson a warm weekend finally came. It was in the 70-80's all weekend and not a cloud in the sky.....absolutely amazing!!! Of course we decided to pack up our summer gear and try it out for a night of car camping out past slide lake. We could not have picked a better night as we were wearing short sleeves and flip flops until the sun went down and even then just a light jacket was fine. It was a nice taste of what is to come this summer and I can't wait for more!

Some sights driving to our campsite which was a little over 12 miles down a dirt road.

Alli, Jenny, and I hanging out around the campfire

Allen and I

Jenny and I in the tent getting ready to go to sleep.

View from our campfire....we couldn't have picked a better car camping site.