I shouldn't complain about having too many pictures to choose from but, man oh man, did we manage to take some pictures during November and December. I intended for this to be part of the previous post, but it was just getting too long.
So, here goes with the actual end of 2010. It was a good one...
November was beautiful and the color of the leaves seemed to last. Living in the East I thought we had a monopoly on beautiful falls; I was so wrong. Fall in Utah is gorgeous.
Ran a 5k to Fight Cancer. It was the first competitive run (independent of a triathlon) that I had run since RAGNAR in February and since my arthritis diagnosis. It was alot of fun.
By Thanksgiving Andy I and were in need of some Howell-family style adventure, so we packed up and drove across the country to NC for Thanksgiving. We took more days to get there and back than we actually spent in NC, but saw some really cool stuff (National Parks, or course). *Disclaimer: please don't be offended if we didn't come to see you...we really were pushed for time. May I suggest that if you register with the National Park Service and offer a NPS Passport stamp at your home, we will make it a priority to stop by. :)
Somewhere in the midwest
Evy and Andy's favorite pastime...giving me a heart-attack
Doing yoga with mommy in our awesome motel...on second thought, maybe we shouldn't have been so close to that floor.
Becoming a Junior Ranger at Fort Smith, Arkansas
Terrorizing the gift shop
Next stop, Hot Springs National Park. What an awesomely strange place.
I got to take a "traditional bath" in the Buckstaff Bathhouse, while Andy and Evy clowned around outside.
Little Rock High School. NPS has a great visitors center with alot of historical information about desegregation. Absolutely fascinating.
At Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, we had some time before our tour, so Evy and I dug around in a stream to see what we could find. Only rocks and mud, frankly, I'm a bit grateful.
Evy's favorite part was riding in a school bus to the cave opening.
Throwing rocks into a stream at Lincoln's Boyhood home(?) Can't remember which site this was at because we visited his birthplace, childhood home and boyhood homes on this road trip.
Howell Family trivia: President Lincoln is our favorite US president.
visiting Uncle Brian
The New River Gorge Bridge in WV
Papaw and Granny Sue. We finally made it to NC!
Visiting Granny Strickland with Nana and cousin Amber (4 generation picture)
Went to the NC Zoo in Asheboro
The sea lions were the best. I think they were mating/flirting...we didn't see any superfluous body parts so it was a great, g-rated show.
Always a great time with my mama, but never enough of it.
Thanksgiving day the gifts started. Thanks for this lifesaver Papaw and Granny Sue!
definitely a perfect gift for this girl
me and my dad...so glad to have my dad and for my girl to have a great dad too.
Back on the road again...and back on our NPS hunt: President Truman's home
Nicodemus, KS--a historical freed slave town
Brown v. The Board of Education site
Watching the video at Ulysses S. Grant's home (at least 2 of us were learning intently).
Another Lincoln site (boyhood home?)
How we survived a total of 7 days in the car ...
and really, this was what 90% of the trip was like...
Back in Utah, December was white (except on Christmas Day, BOOOOO!)
Singing at the ward party with the primary children (Evan is still in Nursery, but she tried to sing along anyway)
decorating the tree...
& Evan (it was her idea.) This picture makes me laugh out loud!
The Grinch, or the most awesome cat ever!
Christmas Day dinner with the Howell crew
Christmas gifts: Andy in his new coat and Jon Stewart book, Evy with the best gift ever. Andy made her a map/travel log to keep track of everywhere she has been (28 states so far). Thanks to Aunt Mary for making Andy's vision for the cover a reality. And you can "RUDY" the pony in the corner, Evy's other very exciting gift to bounce around the house on. And can't forget the playdough from Nana and Poppy. It was a bountiful Christmas!
To keep all of her future Junior Ranger badges in (she got three on the Thanksgiving trip)
We even had a Christmas mouse (Todd) that we mouse-sat for three weeks.
As I finish up this blog I hope it doesn't come across as a brag-a-thon. We don't take pictures of our tragedies, failures or crummy days. Likewise, i try not to remember them or dwell on them. Life is good and the future is bright depending on what lens we choose to view things through.
My sincerest wishes for your health, happiness, prosperity, and national parking in 2011.
