More summer fun 2012

During the summer, we also went to Yellowstone and Lake Granby.  In Yellowstone, we stayed in Idaho Springs at a resort that was really nice, but we spent so much time (and money) driving back and forth to the park that I wouldn't do that again.  We always love seeing all of the natural beauty at Yellowstone, but it was a little more difficult to get excited about so much driving.  Rich and the girls went fishing a lot, and we went to see "Annie Get Your Gun" at the Playmill (excellent as usual)!
On the way out of the park, we finally saw a bear and were right next to a herd of buffalo.  I could have reached out the car window and touched one!

We went for a weekend to Lake Granby.  We saw a show which should have been edited (and wasn't) so we ended up walking out at intermission.  The resort is always a fun place to be and we enjoyed our weekend there though. 

Waiting for a Missionary Summer 2012

Last summer, the most exciting thing that happened was a missionary came home.  Kristina had written this missionary all of his mission and was so thrilled for him to come home.  Robert

had an excellent home coming talk and they went out for a few weeks on dates almost every day until it was time to go to BYU in the fall.  Shortly after school started, he decided he wanted to date around so that ended quickly.   

Hiking the Y

April 2012

During the summer of 2012 (writing this in 2013 summer), Rich picked Kristina up from school, then she finished her goal of going to see each of the Utah temples.  They stopped at Vernal, then went fishing on the Green.

She and Rich also made pinewood derby cars and entered in the ward competition.  Rich being a prize winning pinewood derby car racer "back in the day"; it wasn't too surprising that she won 1 of the heats.  The car turned out really cool too!

with Jessica Johnson

Christmas in Vienna

The week before Christmas, Rich and I took a weekend trip to Vienna.  It's a trip we have always dreamed of taking together since we first started dating.   Rich had been in Austria on his mission over 20 years ago and I had always wanted to see some of the places he went to while he was there.

Since we were in Vienna right before Christmas, there were lots of Christmas markets.  Our favorite was the GIANT one next to the Rathaus (city government building).  There were tons of people there especially at night.  It was very chilly and everyone was standing around drinking Gluhwein (heated fruit flavored wine)  and we found some Kinderpunsch (warm drink with all kinds of berries) and delicious hot chocolate with whipped cream.

We also went on the streetcars.  Rich was an expert at finding his way around Vienna (even after all of these years) and knew which metro or subway to take to get anywhere we needed to go.  I was pretty happy that I could talk in German with the people there (and they understood me!)  I even got help to find the streetcar when I got lost and found my way back to the hotel on my one day alone in the city while Rich was at his business meetings.  Plus, I ordered food at the grocery store deli.  I love the meats, cheeses and delicious rolls (Semmeln) they have there!  Perfect lunch & we did it one day we were on the go sightseeing.

He had a favorite restaurant for eating Viener Schnitzel and Cordon Bleu and we found it and it was as good as he remembered it (Isn't it nice when the good things in life are just as good as we remember them--they haven't changed?)  This restaurant served food European style so whenever there is an open spot at a table, they sit you in with whoever is at the table already.  I'd heard of European restaurants that do it, just had never experienced it myself.  I really enjoyed it--we ate dinner with two different groups--a father and son from Salzburg, and a couple from Germany.

We also went to two Mozart-Strauss concerts that were amazing!  One was in a Palace and the other in an old building that looked like a palace inside.  I've always loved Strauss so this was a treat for me!

Our trip to Austria was difficult at best--we had to wait outside in the freezing cold for a bus to take us to our terminal after one of the bumpiest, cramped flights I've ever been on.  I almost thought I would need a bag & I never get airsick!  Compared to our flight back on Austrian with more legroom and delicious Austrian food on the way back.  I know who I would want to fly with next time.

Can't wait to go back!  Rich is going in January, but I need to save a few more pennies before I tag along again.  We got the girls their own Adventshaus (Christmas houses) that they will love having in their own homes some day.

The Vienna Christmas Market at the Rathaus (city hall)

The markets were so crowded (especially at night) 

The Rathaus lit up at night--beautiful! 

Sidewalk art

I thought this bow is so pretty and at night all of the lights look so pretty on it!

I read so many Goethe poems; writings studying to get my German Major, I just had to get a picture with him!

This is the Hofburg Palace where we watched the Mozart Strauss concert

Schnitzelwirt for delicious Cordon Bleu!

They even had specially decorated Christmas street cars with a Saint Nicholas Inside

I love these type of steeples on the churches in Europe (this one is in the street next to our hotel).

We happened to see this little band while we were shopping one night playing Austrian carols wearing Traditional Austrian clothes

The Cathedral was lit with many colorful lights inside.

Large Christmas Tree in the main shopping area.

It was really pretty shopping there at night "Christmas in the City" (just like my Dicken's Village)!

Christmas Around the World 2011

Last weekend, we went to watch Kristina dance in Christmas Around the World.  She was amazing dancing the Polish and Russian dances.  I loved the scarf dance and all of the beautiful costumes!  The Polish costume has really thick material like the native Polish dancers wore (since all of the costumes are authentic to the countries).  My other favorite were the dances from Mexico--it brought me back to watching the dancers in Cancun last year do very similar dances while we were there last spring.  There also was a group invited to perform folk dances from Africa which were really amazing. Knowing now that this will be her last time performing in Christmas Around the World, we're especially grateful that we went over to see her dance in this incredible show.

We enjoyed having the family all come to see her perform and one of my good friends, Analane, who has been a supporter of Kristina's dancing come, too!  We went out to dinner afterwards to Terra Mia, which I had wanted to try, and the food was delicious and was served very quickly for such a large group--they even had gelato which the kids loved.

Another highlight of the weekend was getting to see friends of ours which we hadn't seen since we lived in Texas (the Janis') and catching up on our lives again and friendship.  I'm so glad we'll be able to see more of each other in the future!

Beautiful set decorated for the holidays

Congratulations hug from her cousins & sister

Polish costume

Always on the go, never can catch Matthew for a picture

Homecoming Trip

In October, I organized a group of Colorado Cougar fans to go cheer on the Cougars at the game against San Jose State.  It was a really fun weekend, but it didn't get off to a good start.  Our flight was delayed 6 hours and we finally left the Denver just before midnight.  We were really tired and a little cranky, but we got 2 good things out of it--seeing our good friend, Jamie Dunn, who we hadn't seen since we lived in Texas, and $100 vouchers.

Friday night we took some of Kristina's college friends out for pizza, and then we went to see the Homecoming Spectacular.  A terrific show with lots of the different performing groups--even the guest artist, Brian Stokes Mitchell--was impressed with BYU's talented performing groups.

Saturday, we went to the Homecoming Parade.  While we waited for the parade to start, we were hanging around with the folk dance team.  They had the music cranked up and were dancing some Israeli dances and it really was a PARTY.  We were glad Kristina is part of a fun group like that.  We started out getting ready to watch her from one place in the parade, but she was dancing on the opposite side, so we followed the parade.  We could hardly keep up with them as they ran between each stop (in character shoes!)

That afternoon, I had arranged a tour of the new broadcast facility which truly is amazing!  We saw the radio and website developers floor this time and the thousands of CD's of classical music they have for the Classical radio channel.

Katherine was a little nervous to stand next to a llama.

Most of the SPAC folk dance team

It was a chilly, misty day, but made for a cool "Y" picture!

Cougar Marching Band 

Cosmo

That night it was pretty chilly and an 8:15 pm game time start so we didn't make it for the whole game, but the highlight was getting to go on the field and shoot the cannon!  It was hard to pull, but finally it went off on the 3rd try.  So cool!  We even got a t-shirt that said, I shot George Q, and a picture with Cosmo!