more colorado adventures...

It turns out that there is quite a bit to do in the middle of nowhere!....Thanks to our tour guides (Jerrica and Cameron) we got to maximise what we did and saw including Indiana Jones' house, Great Sand Dunes, Rockies and Grand canyon.

(I'm holding Anthony's hand not in affection but in protection! he always tries to play tricks as the photo is taken!)

We took a walk up to a water fall and it turned out it was still frozen...but we did drink the freshest water from a natural spring. As it was melting we filled our bottles and it was as crystal clear, and ice cold fresh as you can get! lovely.

Blog catch up......Colorado Gators

The Barrs told us about some things we could do while we where there, When we heard about the aligator farm we knew we had to do it. But this wasnt ya usual tourist attraction. Health and saftey had certianly never paid a visit. It seemed some farmer had started his own makeshift aligator farm and we broke all the rules when we visited! Anthony however was a massive scardy cat....in fact on seeing the above sign as we drove in he didnt want to get out of the car, telling me (his pregnant love of his life wife, and mother of his son),"you go check it out make sure its safe and the aligators are behind bars etc". We'd parked up next to a body of water which made him nervous!!!! Ha....Any way it was a brilliant day and I got to hold snakes, tarantulas (shivver....this was the scariest part for me), and sit on a gator! Whilst anthony stood far back and watched!.....And this from the man who has sky dived??!

Blog catch up....Sanford Colorado

DOWN ON THE FUNNY FARM!

This place is one of my fave places in the world....opposite to everything I'm used to, out in the sticks in a small town of a couple of hundred people, but this house is a home from home.

This was a wonderful chilled out week at The Barr's. Tom Barr was one of the missionaries who taught my mum and dad about the church.....that was about 30 years ago now. Our families have remained close, and enjoyed the unique special relationship we share.

The Barr's are my American family. And Tom is our hero!

Adele made me laugh all week. I loved sitting up chatting and sharing stories and catchin up on all the goss!
Cameron and Jerrica took us to lots of places as well as showing us all the ins and outs of farm life! William loved the animals and the tractors. And i loved havin Jerrica and Cameron give William so much of their energy (something i was lacking in my first trimester).

We got to see the best sheep shearer in all the land.

Below Tom tells Anthony about his work....and no doubt a few cheeky rude jokes!

Cameron took us to a dairy.....not to long now and I'l be a dairy queen too!

We drank the freshest milk iv ever had.

William meets a calf only hours old!

I loved our week at the funny farm and was sad to leave. Miss 'em.

Blog catch up...utah cont...

SIGHT SEEING N' STUFF

Water fountains and William are a disaster. Getting into the water is always his main prerogative!

The weather went from 70-80 degrees one day, to 4 inches of snow the next - not quite my idea of spring......

We went to conference and loved it.

We got papped by what i assume was the ensign (church mag) photographers, So when that issue came through i scanned through the pages looking at all the photos....but we didn't make the cut. Turns out our teeth are not white enough and we were not looking cheesy 'in love' enough.....or in other words, we're British!!! ha. The couples that made the cut were looking dreamingly into each others eyes. I told Anthony he needed to look dreamily into my eyes like those people...he laughed of course. And rightly so!

TIN TIN!

After a week in Mormon ville it was time to leave the snow topped mountains and make our way to Colorado.........

We went via Moab, a landscape of red rock sculpted by the elements....not the scenery we see every day! We enjoyed that diversion!

Because this blanket deserves a post of its own!!

Loved spending time with the Hauths and meeting the whole family. Their girls have HUGE personalities but its not surprising knowing their parents. Before leaving Utah they presented us with this AMAZING blanket for William. Made by the SUPER talented Coleen, photographer and all round creative genius! I have serious talent envy for this woman!

And while we are on it i want to vent because she is one of those 'moms' who can do it all!!!! and i so badly wish i was but 'doing it all' just doesn't come naturally to me, it turns out I'm not a multi-tasker, and i like to think of myself as creative but i haven't done anything creative since 1992 so i don't qualify as a cool creative mum who can sow, knit, bake, be a whiz on the computer and have a creative side business........but they will always be my best intentions..(as soon as I'm motivated enough to put some time into em!)

Anyway i keep meeting these types of mums and its just not good for me! vent over.

Back to the Hauths......

Its true that the home made things are always the most loved and treasured and this is already incredibly loved and treasured (as much by me as William)...in fact this treasure is a family heirloom already!!

So a huge THANK YOU for the blood, sweat and tears that went into making this. The craftsmanship is impeccable and well if you didn't know already i love LOVE it.....i find it really hard to find 'boy things' that have a bit more goin on!

BLOG catch up......UTAH

FRIENDS......

We both had plenty of friends in Utah to catch up with...so much so that we felt spread quite thin and wish we had had more time....but loved the time we had..........

We stayed with Scot and Marj and there two cute kids. Felt very relaxed in their company and enjoyed the space their basement flat gave us. Scot is Anthony's best mate, best man at his wedding and Scot even named his son Dixon! Anthony loved being there, just enjoying sitting up late chattin to Scot. I enjoyed getting to know them better and enjoyed how chilled it was in their home. Im sorry the 'bromance' had to end but I'm sure Marj was happy to have her hubs back!! haha (Thank You Dunaways!)

And here is a pic of Dixon and Dixon.

I only got a few precious hours with The Abneys (Below), Hayley is an original Barr (you will hear more of this spesh family in a later post), But I'm so glad I got those few hours to see her and meet her hubs. Love that girl! Thanks Hayley for the travel treats!

Eating out with friends from my mission in Scotland.......

.....including Emma (below, middle), who is from Edinburgh but we meet up thousands of miles across the ocean in Utah ha. She was coincidentally there at the same time!

And I had yet another surprise meeting when eating out a few days earlier Ali Malin (above right, one of my comps and good friend from the mish) walks past me and gets my surprised super scouse 'ALI MALIN!' reaction. She hadn't expected to have been in Utah (Provo) and only got there the day before so it was brilliant to catch up with her and her little fam (cutest little girl who would sit on your knee and talk in all her wise baby language to you!). But again what are the chances? really? We had lots of little blessed happenings all along our trip!

Catching up with Melissa Bradley, The last time this trio was together was a very special December 2005!

We also spent time with The Hauths and The Mathews. Anthony met up with friend Garret Door too. It seems like it was all me and my friends but Anthony just isn't as trigger happy as me with the camera!

Blog catch up......VEGAS!

After California we headed to Utah via Vegas............That place is mental, an adults playground in the middle of the desert. Anthony loves Vegas....I on the other hand prefer more....erm authentic holiday destinations but i enjoyed the novelty of the florescent plastic town for the two days we where there (two days was enough for me).

Mel and Steve came with us, Mel had a time share just off the main strip that we stayed at (right next to the classy 'Hooters'!).

We did have fun in Vegas, ate some GOOD food and was still adjusting to the mammoth size portions they give you in America.

We had another surprise meeting (1st bein Steve on plane), when we ran into Scot and Marjory (Anthony's BF and his wife), at The Cheese Cake Factory. It was quite incredible really. We arrived shortly after them and they where just waiting to be seated so we got to gate crash there romantic gettaway and eat together. Anthony new Scot would be in Vegas at the same time but thought he would leave them to it since they were away to get away together. But we all embraced the impeccably timed chance meeting and we had a fun evening catching up with friends (who we'd be staying with in a couple of days but still..what are the chances?!)

I Wander what William is Thinking here (Below)..........'Papa Joey!?!'

I enjoyed lounging by the pool, whilst William enjoyed running and jumping into the pool, no fear what so ever, luckily Anthony was there to catch him each time!

Spot the pastie English kid in the middle of the HOT desert! I was not taking any chances!

Kids in sun glasses make me laugh every time.....Mr Cool here espesh!

Oh and Thank You Auntie Mel for baby sitting so we could have a night out on the town!