Nick and Tracey's Wedding

The newlyweds

My close friend Tracey got married this past August in Salt Lake City. Her wedding was abosolutely beautiful. And, it got me back in touch with a friend I hadn't seen in years. Casey was quite the trooper because he participated in the Utah Half Ironman earlier that day. He placed first in his age group and 5th overall so he was pretty sore by the evening. He was such a sweetie and danced a few songs with me even though he couldn't move his legs. We are so excited for Nick and Tracey to start their lives together:)

Tracey and I - she had a fairytale dress

He had to lean on me because his legs were so sore

The Utah Half Ironman

A few weeks ago Casey participated in the Utah Half Ironman and did exceptionally well. He was excited because not only has #1 fan (me) was there to cheer him on, but his dad (Ron) and brother (Patrick) came as well. They just happened to be in town that weekend. The weather was horrible that day so they considered cancelling the swim. I think they realized how many unsatisfied competitors they would have had so they let them do the swim anyway. It was pretty funny to watch because almost everyone started the swim and then about 200 yards into it most of them swam to the side of the bank. They made those individuals wait a certain amount of time before starting the bike.

We only saw Casey start and end on his bike because the course didn't permit spectators. Instead of sitting in the rain for 2 hours we went home and rested. We were back in enough time to cheer him on for the run. Casey told us aferwards that he and a few other competitors accidentally went off the course for about 2 miles. If he would have stayed on the course he would have finished in 3rd place instead of 5th. He wasn't that upset about it.

Here's Casey on his 2nd loop of the run. The next time we saw him he was coming toward the finish line. He is amazing when he runs. Secretly I wish I could run that fast!

Here's Casey almost crossing the finish line. It was the best picture I could get with where I was standing.

Casey and I after the race. If I remember correctly I had on about 5 layers of clothes because it was that cold outside.

Casey with his dad.

Casey pretending to be a Japanese tourist with Patrick pretending to be the winner of the race. Casey did finish 1st is his age group:)

Mr. and Mrs. Gleave

Casey's cousin, Jordan, married Jason in the Salt Lake City Temple and we were lucky enough to be able to attend. They had a beautiful ceremony followed by a formal reception. The whole day well actually the whole weekend was spent with family which was so much fun. We just love weddings!

Casey and I outside of the Salt Lake City Temple

Sue (Casey's mom), Casey, and I

Yes this picture is the same one as above except that it is from far away. And, to be completely honest I wanted this picture posted because I was in love with my dress that day. I found it on a sale rack and was so excited to wear it.

The Kootenai River

One hot afternoon Casey and I walked along the trail that is at the end of Kootenai River Road. Along the trail we saw about 5 deer grazing. They didn't move until we were about 10 feet away which was pretty cool. Since it was so hot we climbed down the bank and waded in the freezing cold river. Because my legs are so short I had to roll my shorts up so high that it looked like I had speedo's on. Not a pretty sight if you ask me.

Casey with the Kootenail River in the background

That same evening we hiked down to the Kootenai Falls and Swinging Bridge with my parents. We forgot to put bug spray on and got eaten alive by mosquitoes every time we stopped. So we didn't stay too long and look at the beautiful falls. And, just in case you are curious, the film "The River Wild" was filmed along this stretch of river. Does it look familiar now?

Casey and I on the swinging bridge.

This bridge used to be so much more scary. The railing used to be thin wires that were spaced out so that anyone could fall through them. There were always wood planks missing along the way so you had to be extra careful where you stepped. And, when the wind blew you felt like you needed to hang on for dear life because it would swing you so high in the air that you could very well fall right off. Now they have built a safer bridge so that everyone can cross without fear. Casey had a fun time running across it without using his hands to hold on. It was a pretty funny sight to see.

This picture shows more of how high it is off the ground.

My dad in Karen in front of the Kootenai Falls

Casey and I in front of the Falls.

Fly Fishing 101

While Casey was in Montana he got private fly fishing lessons from my dad, Scott. Since both of them are left-handed it made it real easy for them to understand each other. It didn't take Casey long to figure out the rythm of 10 and 2. Also, it didn't take him long to catch my neck instead of a fish. Because of the stormy weather we didn't catch any fish our first night out however; the second night on the river both Casey and I caught 2 fish each. I love the thrill of reeling in a fish!

Casey practicing his cast before we got in the boat

Me fishing out of the back of the boat. I have to admit that it was difficult for me to fish with another person in the boat. I'm used to going alone with my dad. Casey and I had to use our finest communication skills otherwise our lines got tangled. It's harder than it seems!

Casey waiting for a fish to jump into the boat

Casey with his very first catch on the Kootenai River. While he was reeling in his fish he started smacking his upper arm. My dad and I couldn't figure out what he was doing and kept telling him to focus on the fish. Once he got the fish close enough to the boat he showed us that a yellow jacket had bitten him while he was reeling the fish in.

Ouch! Yellow jacket bites never feel good.

Casey giving his fish a goodbye kiss!

Me unhooking my first fish

I'm pretty sure my fish was bigger than Casey's, but of coarse we didn't measure because we didn't want him to feel bad.

As you can tell it is pretty dark in these next couple of photos. I believe it was around 10:15 pm and we were getting close to the dock. I had already reeled in my line and was just enjoying the river, but Casey had yet reeled his line in. He finally decided to reel it in and as he was literally dragging his fly across the water a fish bit his line. So lucky! Still to this day he swears that he was still fishing. I don't believe it and most likely you wouldn't believe it either if you saw what he was doing with his line. Now he can say that he is a "true" fisherman because he has embellished stories to share.

Casey unhooking his own fish.

Casey with the final fish of the night. Great job, Sugar!

Leigh Lake Hike

After church Josh, Casey and I decided to hike to Leigh Lake. It’s only 1.5 miles to the lake, but the steep grade and rocky trail make it about an hour long trip. Along the way there was a beautiful waterfall (photo below) and delicious huckleberries. We didn't spend much time at the lake because the bugs were eating us alive. And, because there wasn't any snow to slide down - bummer! When we got home dinner (fish, smokies, steak, chicken, and beef kebab's) was ready for us to eat. Thanks dad:)

Casey and I in front of Leigh Lake

Casey and I at the waterfall on our way up.

Casey, me, and Josh
Leigh Lake and the Cabinet Mountains

The Yaak Wilderness Festival

While we were in Libby my brother, Josh, invited us to the Yaak Wilderness Festival. This event is put on by the Yaak Valley Forest Council and all the proceeds go towards restoration programs that focus specifically upon helping the valley’s wildlife habitat for the threatened and endangered species that inhabit the valley’s landscape. It was such a great cause that we decided to attend. Well, to be honest, we were excited to listen to the live blue-grass bands that were playing throughout the evening.

Casey and I at the festival

This band was amazing and the most amazing part was their lead guitar player only had one arm. You wouldn't have been able to tell this by the way he played. We were shocked at how excellent of a guitar player he was. It made us realize that anything is possible!