Hey Everyone,
We have made it to Shuzhou and have seen the famous Tiger Hill and leaning tower. This has been an amazing trip even though we barely have time to sit down and take it all in. We are off this morning to see the Silk factories and the Lingering Garden. Tonight we will be in yet another city and will try to do some real posting there.

Hello from China

Beijing has been wonderful, but the tour group is very fast paced and we are exhausted at the end of each day. We have seen all the temples and tombs here as well as walked on the Great China Wall. It has all be so amazing and we have some really great pictures. But the Internet has not been easy to access so we'll have to try and post some while in Shanghai.
Stay posted...

Powder Day

Well, I decided I'd better enjoy the snow while it's still fall'n. Working in Park City has it's perks to say the least! At the Jack Johnson Company there's a fresh powder day rule so I have to take advantage even though Tyler can't come with me. Actually, I think we have only boarded twice together this season. I have gone 3 or 4 times with co-works and I have to say I'm really improving! I can't wait to go with Tyler before the season ends so I can show off my mad skills!

Spring Fever!

I've been fighting the urge of spring fever this past weekend but with 50 degree weather in Park City today it’s all I can do to resist a bike ride. Tyler got to sneak a ride in yesterday after his exam and I’m a little jealous but it was a nice release for his body and brain from the long hours of studying all weekend.
I know it will still be another month or so but I am really excited to see our daffodils and tulips come up… I just love to watch our flowers grow! I think it’s time to change the house décor to spring to help me through the next month of Utah’s crazy March weather.

Sundance

This was our first year of participation in the Sundance Film Festival and I have to say, it definitely made the week of heavy tourism here in our ski town a little more tolerable. You see typically we'll find any excuse to get out of town while Sundance is going on. But this year we planned ahead, registered for the locals ticket sales, and made it to 3 films.

The first film we caught was Sergio, here's a taste of the films Bio: Based on the biography Chasing the Flame by Samantha Power, Sergio is the story of the United Nation’s go-to guy. A cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy, Sergio Vieira de Mello could descend into the most dangerous places, charm the worst war criminals, and somehow protect the lives of the ordinary people to whom he'd devoted his life. After a string of doomed relationships, he was about to finally settle down with the woman he loved. And then came the call: another crisis, and Sergio was the only man for the job. Persuaded by Kofi Anaan, Condoleezza Rice, and Tony Blair, Sergio reluctantly took up his post as U.N. ambassador to Iraq.On August 19, 2003, a bomb struck the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, marking a watershed moment in history. For the first time, the U.N. had become the target of terrorism. The news shocked the world.

The film was very well done, mostly from old footage that the film editors pooled together to tell this mans story. I found it very educational and well done.

The second film was Earth Day, which is a documentary on the US Environmental Movement. This film was also very well done. There was a lot of old footage again and it really laid out the progress and then collapse of the environmental movement that began in the 70's. It included a lot of different perspectives including the presidential involvement, the hippies, and the scientist which made it an easy watch without heavy political undertones. This film will be aired on Earth Day, April 22, this year so if you have a chance to TiVo it I would definitely recommend it!

The last film was called Against the Current, the bio: Paul Thompson, a financial writer struggling with a tragic past, decides to do something special and unique to distinguish himself. Having always wanted to swim the 150 miles of the lower Hudson River, he recruits his best friend, Jeff, and new acquaintance, Liz, to accompany him on a physical and emotional journey exploring friendship, grief, and how we cope when what we lose is greater than what life has to offer.

I think we all like this film for it's "one-liners" it's worth seeing if you get the chance!

If your interested about more of the Sundance films you can check out their site at festival.sundance.org

On another note, in Park City it is tradition to leave your Christmas lights on through the winter. For some, that means right after Sundance, but for a lot of others it can be into March or April as long as the snow hangs around. We have had a few beautiful nights with the fine ice particles in the air this past week. The other night as I was driving home I was amazed at the site of colored beams of light aspiring toward the night sky, I have never seen anything like it... I only wish I had a decent camera that could have captured the scene. The beams were create by the reflection of lights through tiny particles of ice floating in the air... it was simply breath taking! The next night we got hit with heavy snow so I ventured out to take some pictures. Again I don't really have a great camera for night time photos so most of them turned out blurry but this one kind of gives you the feel of a cozy winter night in Park City!

A new year!

Well this year is no different from the past 2 years with our annual "I think I'll run the Ogden Marathon this year" goal. It's a good one to set even if we don't always go through with it... for us it's more about keeping life in balance, and there's no better way to clear the head and body than a little exercise!!! The fact that we can both participate and enjoy the athletic activities has been a real blessing in our lives. I'll still admit that most of our "together time" is catching a few of our favorite shows on TV, but the lasting memories will always be the crazy stories from races and the good conversation during our long runs together.

Here's to 2009!