Tubing the Oneida Narrows!!

For the last few years we have gathered a group of people (25 this year.. wow!!!) to go to Idaho north of Preston and tube down the Oneida narrows! It has water falls and a lot of rapids! AMAZING fun it was! It took about two hours to float but well worth it. After the float, we met at top at the camp ground to eat hot dogs and celebrate Ann Marie's Birthday. She was surprised and happy to get a flat iron and some shorts for her up coming marathon!! We had fun and enjoyed ourselves immensely!! Even Leisa and Andrews baby cole was chilin' and enjoying the outdoors!!

Fifth Water Hot Springs!!

This weekend my friend Dustin and I decided to do some hiking. It being his last weekend in the states before he leaves for overseas to Bejing China to coach the Paralympics and my weekend to relax and enjoy the outdoors before winter sets in! YUCK! Dustin had been on this awesome trail up Diamond Fork Canyon off of the Spanish Fork Highway that leads to some hot springs that many people enjoy relaxing in. There are pools that overflow into a small stream that runs beside them, so it is very warm too. You could just find yourself a nice cozy spot and relax there. Every little pool of water provides a soaking opportunity. The hike was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and its associated vegetation. After chatting with friends of Dustin that we randomly ran into on the trail, we finally came to the hot pots where we would be able to enjoy the water and cool off from the heat of the day. I didn't notice right away, but Dustin turned around telling me lets keep going further ahead on the trail. I could not understand why until I glanced down at the hot pots. I truly believed I was on a beach in Europe but quickly realized I was still in the western rocky mountains. Down at the hot pots was a man in his birthday suit standing up out of the water. NAKED AS A JAY BIRD! I saw it all! YIKES! I then was thankful I had my sunglasses on so the the expression in my eyes were not visible and that Dustin suggested we keep on hiking. We went further ahead and there were two more hot pots. One with another naked man in it but at least covering himself. We had no intentions of not utilizing the hot pots, so Dustin and I went into the hot pot separate from the Nudey. I kept my back towards him the entire time and did not speak a word to him. Dustin made small talk to help release the tension and awkwardness we were feeling. The hike and hot pots were worth it, the nudity.... I guess a first time for everything!!

MOCKTAIL IT IS!!

DRINKS ON THE HOUSE!!

Last night was my first "MOCKTAIL" party. Ann Marie is the most clever and creative gal this side of the Mason Dixon Line I have ever met. This is obviously not her first time entertaining by serving mixed drinks. Non alcoholic of course! But she has taken time to research the different types of mixed drinks and the associated lingo and substituted other ingredients to make AMAZING beverages! I now know what straight up and on the rocks means! I definitely feel enlightened! I tried every drink that she made and my FAVORITE was what she called the DUY! It was extremely tasty. So tasty I had to make another one for myself. Needless to say, after trying all those drinks, I had to use the powder room. I think Ann put a diuretic in them. Her secret to keep everyone visiting the powder room.

I have to admit, I enjoyed the evening immensely!! These pictures are before the others go to the party. Denet and I were VIP! Drinks on the HOUSE!

Just FRESH from the SALON!

Monday night, Ann and I went to the salon to get a quick freshner on our appearance and look what our Cosmetologist did! Its amazing what a little curl can do to a couple o' girls!!

The GRAHAM FAMILY REUNION!!

HERE WE COME!!!

This past weekend my immediate family had our annual reunion in the beautiful and scenic Cache Valley. We booked hotel rooms at the University Inn on Utah States Campus,USU being me and my siblings almamater. We brought our bikes for biking, our shoes for hiking, our BBQ for eating, and our smiles for 'LIVIN' THE DREAM" and enjoying life.

We took our family photos (attached below) at the American West Heritage Center which is a center designed to discover a century of the past at this 160-acre living history center. Each day is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history of the Old West from 1820 to 1920. The site ended up being a beautiful back drop for our photos. Theses photos mark my father's 79th birthday. We enjoyed ourselves and time we spend with one another!

CITY OF ROCKS!! AS STEVE WOULD SAY" WE ROCKED!!"

Last weekend me and a few friends of mine traveled to the far off desert land in Idaho called the City of Rocks! This unique geologic area became a landmark in 1843 for California-bound emigrants. They left wagon ruts across the landscape and their signatures in axle grease on Register Rock, Camp Rock and many others. A few granite pinnacles and monoliths are in excess of sixty stories tall and 2.5 billion years old. The smooth granite faces offer exceptional rock climbing which our group decided it was time to conquer! The below photos are almost step for step of my climb. The only item the photos do not show is the terror in my eyes. I was so scared I thought I was going to "poop my panties"!! I did made it up 3/4 of the way, 3/4 of the way might be pushing it but it makes me sound tougher than I really am. So everyone, please look the other way and pretend I made it to the top.

Those in attendance: (Left to Right; The upside down pretzle maker Kade Turner, The Cougar RAR Ann Marino Wallace, The hippity hipster Stephen Merrigan, No Fear Matt Williams, I conquer my Fear of Heights Becky Thompson, I will try anything for the first time Marryann Durrant, Nothings going to stop me, I am a monkey Dustin Williams, and I hope I don't Poop my Panties Tiffany Graham)

We also bouldered to the top of bathtub rock which includes holding onto metal handle bars that some pioneer before us installed into the granite rock. I don't remember bathtub being so high. But we all made it to the top. When you are at the top, you look down and below is a parking lot. It looked as if we could take the cars with our hands and start pushing them along the road. We were THAT far off the ground. It was trippy but awesome!