August 2011

This past month was filled with some major changes, tons of family time, and travel, which made for a very exciting month!

For starters, I received a call in early August letting me know that I had been offered a position with the State of Arizona's Department of Economic Security as a Rehabilitation Counselor for Vocational Rehabilitation. This was such a relief as this is what I was doing back in North Carolina and I have been ready to take on a new challenge for a little while now. I will miss all of the kids that I worked with through ACTS, but am very excited to start back with Vocational Rehabilitation right after Labor Day! This opportunity came at the perfect time as I have been able to take some time off in between jobs to travel and visit family.

For instance, Bill and I were able to travel up to Kalispell, Montana for his family reunion earlier this month. Due to Bill's involvement with the military, he has not been able to make a family reunion for the past 10 years, so it was nice for him to have the opportunity to catch up with family and for me to finally meet my new extended family! We both had a great time at the Reunion as we were able to squeeze in quite a few adventurous activities during the few days that we were there.



The Family at Haymoon Ranch 2011



Bill and his Cousins

Flat Head River

The first full day that we were in Montana, we went on a family white water rafting trip, which was awesome! We rafted Flathead River and conquered the well known "Bone Crusher" rapid. Our rafting guide informed us that the movie "The River Wild" with Kevin Bacon and Meryl Streep was filmed on this river, which I thought was pretty cool. The river itself was gorgeous and crystal clear, it made you want to go swimming. However, the water was 50 degrees, so that was a pretty big deterrent and motivator to stay in the boat! Even though we all managed to stay in the boat, we did all manage to get pretty wet! I was indoctrinated into the family as they made me sit on the bow of the boat, which was called "Riding the Bull" for the last rapid. I fortunately survived this escapade without hypothermia!

Also during the time that we were in Montana, we were able to visit Glacier National Park, which was breathtaking. We drove up to Logan's Pass, which offered a hiking trail. The trail offered lots of unique elements that included snow, mountain goats, and glacial lakes. Here are some of my favorite views and photos from this hike:



Goat on the Trail





Bill and I

Wallace Photo @ Logan's Pass



Hiker's through the snow





Our horses: Duke and Nick

 On our third and final day in Montana, Bill and I decided that we wanted to go horse back riding since there seemed to be no better or scenic place to try it! Bill and I also got Bill's brother, CJ, and his wife, Amber, to try it out with us. We chose to do the two hour trail, but it really ended up being an all day event by the time it was all said and done. We went through Swan Mountain Outfitters who did an excellent job. They took the time to pair us each up with a horse that seemed appropriate. That being said, I was paired up with Duke who was HUGE! I liked Duke, but he made me nervous, especially since he liked to walk along the edge of every cliff. Amber had a slight scare as her horse took off on a full speed gallop at one point! Either way, we all survived, but I think it is safe to say that we all experienced sore rear ends for a couple of days following our tour of the upper McDonald Creek.

The following day, we said our goodbye's, but we look forward to seeing everyone in 2013 for the next reunion! However, after leaving Haymoon Ranch, we still had one more stop. Bill decided to take the scenic route home and fly over his old stomping grounds. Thus, we flew over Power, Montana, (the town he was born in), his old house, and his Grandmother's Homestead. It was a pretty neat flight and we got some awesome pictures!

The Plains of Montana

Power, Montana

Close up of Power, Montana

Bill's Old House

Bill's Grandmother's Homestead

Once we arrived home from Montana, I had one day to turn around and pack back up to head home to New York for a few days. Unfortunately, due to the Fall WTI course quickly approaching, Bill was unable to make it home with me. My trip home was much like Montana in the way that it was a busy week and I could have used more time there! I guess time really does fly when you are having fun!

During my time home, my mom organized a neighborhood/family group to attend the Kenny Chesney concert since he was in town during the time that I was home. Therefore, we used the concert as an excuse to drink champagne and celebrate my cousin Stef's 21st Birthday and my upcoming Wedding Ceremony in Hawaii! As usual, Kenny put on a great show and we got to enjoy Billy Currington as an opening act who is also a great entertainer! Overall, it was a great time and I got to catch up with my cousins, neighbors, and an old friend from high school!

Some favorite photos from the concert:


On our way!

The cousins with our moms!

I'm not sure what Kristi said, but WOW this picture cracks me up!

Following the Kenny Chesney concert, I got to see much more of my cousins and additional family members as we traveled to Old Forge, NY, which is located right in the Adirondack Mountains for my cousin Rick's wedding. I definitely enjoyed being in the cooler temperature climate and being back around trees! I miss all of the greenery that you definately don't get in the desert as well as the lakes and water!

The wedding guests all stayed in the Northwood Resort, which were comprised of little cabins located right on Fourth Lake. My parents, brother and girlfriend, and I went up on Friday so we could make take advantage of the area before the wedding on Saturday.

Once in Old Forge, we went to lunch at a local spot called Daikers, which was pretty good and overlooked the lake. Then my brother, Cody, and his girlfriend, Kristina, and I decided to hike Bald Mountain. I have to give Kristina credit as she completed the whole hike in sandals and there were some tough parts to get around! Overall, it wasn't too long of a hike, but it did encompass some rock surface to climb over. Fortunately, we were rewarded with gorgeous lake views at the top! We also later rewarded ourself with some karaoke and drinks later that evening!!

Myself, Cody, and Kristina

Saturday was a perfect day for a wedding! I have to say, Rick and Katie couldn't have gotten any luckier considering Hurricane Irene was threatening to make her way up the coast! It was sunny and warm all day and their wedding was beautiful. The ceremony was held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church right on the lake. In fact, we had to take pontoon boats and/or a shuttle to the ceremony since there was such limited parking. It was the cutest church I have ever seen. It kind of reminded me of the Church in a Walk to Remember (I love that movie!).



St. Peter's by the Lake

  

Introducing Mr and Mrs Pappert, Congratulations!

Following the ceremony, we all pontooned it right back over to Northwoods Resort where the reception was held. Again, I can't say enough good things about the wedding as it was a great time and I couldn't be happier for both Rick and Katie!

Like I said previously, Rick and Katie couldn't have gotten any luckier with the weather they had for the day of their wedding as we ended up driving back to Rochester in hurricane conditions early Sunday morning!! Unfortunately, I later heard that their honeymoon had to be cancelled due to flights being cancelled in the major airports so I hope that they can manage to fit a honeymoon in later this year sometime! Best of luck!

It has been a full month for sure! On top of our travel, Bill and I were also able to catch up with Bill's brother, Mike, and his family as they were out here earlier in the month since Mike was out here for military training. We got to help them celebrate our niece, Avery's, 2nd birthday, which was a fun time. She is getting big so fast!

Also, we have continued to try and stay in shape. Actually, I was doing pretty good with working out daily to get ready for the Triathalon I signed up for in November, but have been kind of slacking the past two weeks. I need to get us both back on track since I have also convinced Bill to do the Triathalon with me in November :) Also, we have both signed up for the New Year's Eve Rock N Roll Half Marathon being held in Palm Desert in December (You guessed it, on New Year's Eve!).

Hopefully, since we are done traveling for a little while we can focus on getting back on some sort of routine! I will also be making a point of enjoying my last couple of days off before starting my new job next week!! Until next time...