Sundance Film Festival 2010

So after a very busy month, including the GRE and Robert starting scuba certification and classes at the U, we finally got a weekend together. One of the girls at work was even nice enough to change me shifts on Friday so that I could be off early so we to go away for the weekend. We even had a dog sitter. Yet, as our luck goes, the Titan's brakes went out on Thursday night and Robert had to take it to the shop Friday. What was suppose to be a 130 dollar brake job turned into 400 dollar brake job and new rotors in a blink of an eye...and there went our weekend away money. So we opted for a quiet weekend at home and around the area.

This weekend was the kick off for the Sundance Film Festival and I was dying to run into Kristen Stewart or some other cast members of Twilight, which were rumored to be in town this week. Stewart has a movie with Dakota Fanning that is premiering at the festival and is in town......we also had heard that Lady Antebellum was playing in Park City at a limited capacity venue which was open to the public as well as credential holders.....so we headed to Park City for the day in hopes of running into some celebrities and seeing Lady Antebellum.

While we got to the venue where Lady Antebellum was playing with hours to spare, they were not letting any more public people into the venue......they only let 10 people in at 10 in the morning. So we spent the day walking Main Street and catching a bite to eat. We were able to see Ben Afflack, but unfortunately did not get to see any other famous people. We had a nice warm lunch at the Eating Establishment before heading back home.

Merry Christmas 2009

So the GRE....Ya don't know what to say...I had to reschedule for the 12th of January because the computer I was signed up to take it on went down and I could not take the test. At least thats the short version not including the waiting all night long to find out if I for sure had to postpone the test. So after a long night and no completion of the GRE later....I spent most my day editing Robert American Institutions final paper and decided to alleviate some stress by taking pictures of the boys who are feeling mighty abused at the moment with the lack of attention over the past few crazy days.

We brought our Adirondack chairs a few weeks ago out of the snow and I thought they brightened up the living room with some Christmas colors. I have been dying to shove the boys onto them and get one perfect picture. Widgeon is the hardest thing to photograph.....he's all black and his facial features get washed out.....but despite their unwillingness to get photographed and them only wanting to do everything but what mom wants I got a few good ones....minus the big huge red rocket Drake was displaying just in time for me to snap a few....yes Drake decide he would add some perfectly festive (the color red) but inappropriate details to mom's picture....and people think dogs aren't like children.....how many of you have had your kids do something inappropriate doing Christmas pictures??? However, its hard to know whether this was deliberate or just happening....

Despite our crazy weekend of studying, the Titans battery dying and other weekend chores, we managed to get Robert his Christmas present. He has been wanting to get dive certified before we possibly head to St. Kitts.....so....we have singed him up for classes and his new, snorkel, fins, mask and diving boot are sitting under the tree with the other wrapped presents....mind you, i refuse to wrap them.....what a waste of paper....unfortunately there is no big Christmas surprise in what he is getting but its kind of hard to buy diving equipment with out the person trying it on. At least it motivated him to shave from a full beard back down to his cute goatee...he can't make a tight seal around his mask with scruff or even more so carpet on his face.

We are looking forward to Kate's parents and brother joining us in a few days for the holidays and hope to have some more great festive pictures...minus the red rocket...posted soon. Kind of sad to say this could be our last white Christmas for a while....but I would gladly trade it for sand in a heartbeat....if only we could get that pesky GRE taken and my apps submitted in a timely manner.......

Mouse Hunting Picture Maybe Published With Research Paper

I received a very exciting e-mail this week from the Dearing Lab mentioning that they were interested in using a picture of mine from mousing hunting last May for the cover photo of a paper that should be published soon. As many of you know I went with the Dearing Lab from the U of U for a week to help them trap and process mice for Hanta virus research last May and of course I took TONS of pictures. Besides taking pictures, I learned many valuable small animal handling skills and was able to be part of some great research!!! I am really excited to have a picture of mine published with their research....What an honor. The picture candidates are the 3 following....I also posted a few other great pictures from the trip. You can also check out "Month of May....How Fast it Went By" under the June tab to check out more on my mouse trapping experience.

Here are a few more great ones....

St. Kitts Pictures.....Our Trip From December 2008....

As most of you already know we went with Kate's family last Christmas to St. Kitts in the Caribbean to check out the island and the vet school there. Kate is in the process of applying to Ross University. Finally, got a few minutes to post a few favorite pictures from the trip

(Kate's favorite pics :) ). We have be so blessed with the places we have been, seen, and experienced and we can hardly believe that we may be living here for two and half years staring in May if Kate gets accepted.......lets keep our fingers crossed. Its now down to crunch time. Only three weeks away till the GRE.....

Kate on the beach at North Frigate Bay, Atlantic Ocean

More Wonderful Beaches: Left- N. Frigate Bay, Right-Sandy Point Black Sand Beach

Botanical Gardens, Nevis (St.Kitts Sister Island)

Green Vervet Monkey

New River Estate Plantation, Nevis. Very Cool Machinery

Us at a Beach Bar Drinking Carib

Rawling's Plantation Sugar Cane Fields

St. Thomas Anglican Church.....Thomas Waren and Samuel Jefferson are both famous people buried in the cemetery here. Thomas Warn was the first governor of St. Kitts and Samuel Jefferson is thought to be the great, great great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.

Romney Mannor Plantation

Outhouse at Shipwreck Beach South Friar's Bay.....this is so going in my future coffee table book of best outhouses of the world

Swan Hunting, Bear River Bird Refuge