Canoe Trip

Florida is for lovers!

So Nicole and I decided to enjoy some warm weather and sun down in Naples Florida.

The best part was canoeing with the whole family out to this amazing beach.

Playing with the kids and making a mad dash back to the airport.

My arms were burning on the way back.

 

Art and Sierra were the best hosts allowing us to steal their car for a day!

We went down to the everglades and enjoyed an amazing swamp boat tour. 

I was laughing the whole time as we raced toward a wall of bushes and 

would turn at the last moment down a small path just wide enough for the boat. 

The driver would seriously get us as close to branches as possible. Such a blast!

We ate lunch next to a gator pond and they were begging for some yummy PBJs. 

We also took out the Canoe and found a little cove of mangroves. 

The place was teaming with crabs and all kinds of wildlife.

This was the funniest moment ever! We get back to the dock to pull out the canoe and it is super slippery!

Colie gets out and cannot move an inch! I think i can do it so I get out and immediately slide onto my back!

So funny, we were laughing for hours and still are laughing about that moment.

We went out on a dock and watched the sunset with the family.

So fun as we raced back down the dock with the kids. 

Needless to say Colie won. She always does.

And when i am lucky to be with her, I win. 

Lucky Big Apple

I met a girl named Nicole Herway. She is heaven sent and she makes me happy. Our lucky first date and kiss was on the 17th of March, St Patricks' day and I swept her off her feet via a motorcycle tour of Salt Lake. So we decided to go on a few trips. First to New York to visit her brother and to see the Broadway play Mary Poppins. We found a nifty little park dedicated to Irish immigrants on the lower west side overlooking the Hudson because her brother was serving his mission in Jersey at the time, just across the river. We did a lot of walking and talking and even read a bit of the alchemist in central park. I dominated the subway system there and only got us off track once. Each day we had a few key points to see and visit and a few were specifically decided based on food. I found this restaurant online that had great reviews and so if you ever make it to central park in the morning you have to go to Good enough to eat.

 I had yummy egg salsa thing with tortillas mixed in and Nicole had pumpkin pecan french toast with homemade everything on it. She loves her french toast. We spent a day at the MET and picked out all the old furniture we would want to have someday.   On our way out there were tons of people assembled and so we waited a minute to see a parade of black limos cruise by with the president in one of them. 
Kinda cool, depending on your opinion of the president or maybe you affinity towards black limos or we could stretch it and say you enjoy just being in big crowds of people. So Broadway is not really all it is cracked up to be, probably just way cooler. Mary Poppins is practically perfect. Having performed in a number of plays throughout my own childhood I have learned to recognize talented acting and they did really well. 

    And we snuggled and we kissed and we laughed and it was great, I MEAN AMAZING!!!! Luckiest man EVER!!!

Zuni and friends

New Mexico

What a trip! Crazy fun times! Flew down to Albuquerque New Mexico, the land of enchantment!
And boy were we enchanted. Fun hikes with Telia and kids. Yummy dinners and warm nights at the Anderson's Zuni home. A trip of first to visit Grandma packer in Farmington. My first pedicure and waltz dance lessons. Love night drives into the starry skies, looking into starry eyes. The res dogs on long walks. The mini coup top down drive back to Albuquerque was legendary. A few minor delays at the airport and then back to school. I am lucky to have such an accomplished traveler to make such trips fun and exciting. Seriously, never a dull moment! Thank you Colie my love!