Before and After

Remember Hailey's new bed? The bed that was supposed to give her a place to put her things, a bed that had shelves and drawers for organizing her precious items, a bed that had a desk where Hailey could do homework and school projects. What Happened???

SLC Bike Tour 2009

It all started last year when mom started giving me bike accessories. First she got me some bike shorts because they were on sale. Next came a bike jersey because it was "so cheap". Soon gloves and a helmet... Next thing I know, I'm riding mom's road bike.
So, this all lead me to riding 26 miles in the Salt Lake City Bike Tour/ Marathon.

We started out in the dark, early morning hour of 6:00 a.m. in the midst of 1,500 fellow bikers. As the sky began to lighten we were already 10 miles into the mostly downhill route from the Legacy Bridge by the University to the Gateway Plaza downtown. Me and mom rode the last 15 miles together to the finish. It was an easy course until I was humiliated by a runner passing me by on the way up State Street....

The Finish Line

Dad and Jared finishing it up
(Dad was the 2nd oldest rider out of 1,500 applicants)

The early morning start

Should he watch the food or watch the ball game?

Is dinner ready?, What's on TV?, Is dinner ready?, What's on TV?, Is dinner ready?, What's on TV?

Costa Rica 2009

BEST OF COSTA RICA
---Beach House!!
---Lush Greenery, Blue Ocean
---Monkeys and Sloths
---Black Sand Beach (all to ourselves)

---Casadas (tender chicken, beans and rice, cabbage salad)


WORST OF COSTA RICA
---Taxi Rides/Bus Rides
---Sand Rub Blisters
---Mosquito Bites ( 53 on Wendy, nobody else got touched)
---Sweaty all the time

Never in my life have I been on a vacation and thought "I wouldn't mind just going back to the hotel to relax. Well, this time our hotel was a 3 bedroom beach house with a huge open-air deck , hammocks and comfy lounge chairs. What a great place to just hang out.


We spent every evening hanging out and talking on the deck at the beach house.
Every morning we cut up fresh fruit, cooked fresh brown eggs and sat at the open-
air breakfast table.



This is the beach right in front of our house, 50 yds. away


Most days we walked into Puerto Viejo along this beautiful black sand beach



One of the National Reserves in Costa Rica had scenic rock formations formed
by the pounding of the surf


The lush jungle and the Caribbean Sea were often separated by just a small beach
of sand

White faced capuchin monkeys climbed the trees nearby, some even venturing
down onto the path

At the Sloth Sanctuary we saw these elusive, hairy creatures up close. This is a baby sloth. We also saw tiny infant sloths and some big, long-armed adult sloths.
These are the strangest creatures I've ever seen!


The weirdest thing we saw were these crazy sand covered creatures on the beach in front of our house.