Super Angie...Ice Climbing 101

Rick hiking back to the car...isn't he cute?

The guys from IME...LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Yesterday we went ice climbing. We met Nate and Michael up there. Little Cottonwood was closed for several hours because of Avalanche danger, so our morning was delayed. But eventually we started our hike around noon. The fresh snow made it quite difficult for us all to hike up to THE GREAT WHITE, but Nate broke trail and we all followed as best we could. It was total post holing though with me sinking up to my waist in someplaces. It was extremely cold--18 degrees, but mid way through the 20-30 minute hike, Rick and I were totally sweating.

It was at this point that I started to notice extreme discomfort in my first toes, particularly my two middle toes. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

Nate free soloed the first pitch, set up a rope and then Michael top roped it. It was his very first time, but being an extremely accomplished rock climber, and having trained dry tooling with us earlier this year, he was a pro. He did an awesome job and we were all so proud of him. Then it was supposed to be my turn, but all I wanted to do was lay down in the snow and cry. Now, I have watched enough documentaries and reality shows about Mt. Everest to know that its bad news when someone wants to sit down or sleep in the snow. I mentioned this to Rick and we decided to bail. So sadly, calling myself a looser the whole time, we walked back down to the car. While driving away, Rick mentioned that I had the first symtoms of Hyperthermia. I took off my boots and my toes started to thaw--OUCH! Let me tell ya, its NOT a pleasant experience.

Rick and I talked about my boots and different reasons this could have happened. Yes it was cold, but my boots should have been able to handle this weather. So, something else must have been wrong. After discussing many things, including my future goals for Rainier and future goals to ice climb more. We decided to go to IME and take a look at other boots.

IME ROCKS!!! We love the guys who work there (compared with Mountainworks in Provo--yikes! They totally suck. I don't think I will shop at Mountainworks anymore. Just plain rude folks). IME is the premiere rock climbing/ice climbing/mountaineering shop in Utah. Actually I think you'd be hard pressed to find an equal in surrounding states as well. They have everything you could need and they are so knowledgeable. One of the best parts--they are genuinely nice people.

I didn't find the size boots I needed (we actually found out my feet are half a size off from each other and that my current boots were cutting off the cirulation to my poor little toes!) , but we might have them order some later, just so I can try on other brands besides La Sportiva. Rick bought a new pair of boots and I got some warmer gloves (yea! my hands had been so cold!!). Again the IME guys were so kind that they gave me a MAMMUT beanie as a gift! These guys are just so awesome. I am forever a customer. (bah humbug to the grumpy guys down at Mountainworks!)

So, that was our first adventure of ice climbing this season. Ice Climbing 101...dress warm dress warm and wear the right size boot! But not all was bad...it was a great hike, good exercise, beautiful surroundings, peaceful and nice to spend time with my honey!

Michael's first day on ice!

more Michael

Nice swing!

Like a pro!

I love hiking through the woods in winter...I love the silence.

Michael, Nate, and Rick

Go NATE Go!

free solo!

--Super Angie

Super Angie..THE TEN CLUB

I saw the TEN CLUB talked about on Studio Five on KSL and was planning to start my own in January, but I just found out someone else in my neighborhood is starting on. All are invited.

Click the link below to learn what a TEN CLUB is and how you can join. I'm so excited to be apart of such a good service club instead of just a regular girls night out type of thing.

http://housewivesoftheuc.blogspot.com/2008/12/introducing-ten-club.html

--Super Angie
PS...No info has been posted yet about what day etc they are starting the TEN CLUB, but you can leave a comment here or at the link above and someone will let you know...

Super Angie...outdoor fun

We bundled all up and headed outside to take advantage of the fact that it had stopped snowing. Our dear friends, Julie and Jake had given us a snowman kit and we wanted to use it, so we rolled and patted and rolled and patted and WA-LA! We had two very nice looking snowmen.

The boys were ingenious when they realized sledding down the snow banks on either side of the driveway worked just as well as going off to a big hill somewhere (our yard and area of the neighborhood is totally flat). They had a blast sledding.

Yea for a White Christmas!

--Super Angie

Super Angie...a baptism day

Dallin's friend Gabriel was baptized last Saturday and was so kind as to invite Dallin to come. We had a wonderful time witnessing this blessed event. Thanks Gabriel for your friendship and for allowing us to come to your special day. Congrats!!!!

--Super Angie

Super Angie...let them eat cake!

While on the phone with my Lieblings Vater (favorite father...aka my dad) this morning, Tanith helped her self to some cake that I had laid out for the boys to eat (the last remaining slice from my beautiful birthday cake). Rick captured it on film.

--Super Angie

Super Angie...A White Christmas

We knew we'd have a white Christmas, but I didn't realize it would snow the whole day! Heres a pic of our neighbor across the street. She completely shoveled her driveway, down to bare cement and now look!

The Hummer was all cleared off too and now its loaded!

Yesterday, the boys played in the backyard and there were tons of tracks from them...now, NO TRACKS!

Yea! We love Snow!

--Super Angie

Super Angie...feeling a bit more chipper

Okay, now that my venting post about a certain un-grateful 8 yr old is done, I have gotten a bit more chipper. Heres some fun pics.

it took us so many tries to take this self portrait.

a dark pic of Dallin really into his new Wii game

My new Burburry purfume

Brennan is really REALLY enjoying his lincoln logs

Tan's enjoying his lincoln logs too...and her new baby. "I made it!" she yells and then "Baby's poopy! Baby's stinky mama!"

--Super Angie

Super Angie...its the most horrible time of the year

Its the most horrible time of the year...
The time of the year when children are so ungrateful. The time of the year when the idea of sharing the new sled is out of the question. Actually when sharing ANYTHING is out of the question.

Dallin has spent a total of 30 minutes down stairs this morning. Oh, except for the time during the middle of the night where he broke all the rules and came down stairs to get something. So, when he came down with everyone else this morning, we had to put up with him faking his excitement over everything he saw. The rest of the time was spent in time out for being whiny and grumpy. Apparently, the idea of sharing the new trampoline, the new sled and a ben 10 action figure didn't settle well with him.

Brennan on the other hand was thankful for every single thing in his stocking--even the new pencils. He did have a mis-hap where, after just 1 minute of playing with a new toy, he broke it. So goes anything Brennan touches. Brennan even wanted to see the boxes that Santa left in the garage with the new tramp in it--Santa left a note saying that because of the snow, he had to leave the tramp in the garage for us to put up later. Brennan was thrilled to get two books--one about the Mormon Trail and one about the Oregon trail--he is my little history buff.

Tanith was a joy to watch. She didn't know there would be stockings but when she saw her new dolly, she grabed her quick and held her lovingly. It was so sweet. She loved the animal magnets in her stocking and without anyone saying a word, she recognized they were magnets and she said, "Go put on fridge". She is such a smart cookie.

The funniest thing that happened was when I realized Santa gave me things I already had sitting around the house--like a box of Frangos I had bought Rick last year. He did treat me to two new things-- eye liner and Burburry purfume. Thanks Santa!

Okay, after writing all this, I have seen that things really aren't so horrible. I just wish Dallin wouldn't whine and complain quite so much.

--Super Angie

Super Angie...If you want to play with Jesus, you need to eat your "num num "first.

Our Christmas eve was interesting.
First, as par German tradition, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, so we had our Kase Spetzle, but, well, I totally over cooked it and it burnt. Usually its yummy burnt, but I cooked it WAY TOO LONG. So thats how we started the evening....burnt dinner. (On an up note though, Rick was able to finally get our table to open, so we could put in our leaf, so now our table is Oval instead of round and its so much nicer and bigger. Brennan actually noticed it was oval. I'm proud of him for knowing his shapes so well".

Dinner was a bit irreverent with people farting and burping while discussing Christ's birth. I brought out a small nativity for Tan too look at as she ate, but instead of looking at, she wanted to play with it. So Rick told her, "If you want to play with Jesus, you need to eat your num num first". So, there you have it. If you want to play with Jesus, you know what you have to do!

I tried again in vain to bring the spirit of Christmas into our Christmas eve by reading a children's book about Christ's birth, but Brennan only had one thing on his mind--"When do I get to open a gift?". Every minute or so he would ask and it seriously drove me NUTS! Dallin ended up reading the book to all of us and it was really nice. He is turning out to be such a great reader!

Then it was time to open gifts. Again, since we celebrate it the German way, we opened all the gifts, except for the ones my mom had mailed. My brother and sister in law Laura picked just the right gifts for everyone. Rick got a book off his wish list (I gave him some books too), Dallin got a DS game with monster trucks and ATVs, Brennan got Lincoln Logs, I got a really darling sign to hang in my kitchen that says, " STRENGTH. The capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands...and then eat just one of the pieces." LOL Of course, Jeff and Laura know me and know my fondness for Seattle chocolates, so they sent me some bars as well as FRANGOS. We have some great memories of frangos and they pretty much hook me up each year. THANKS YOU GUYS!!!

The cutest gift was the bag of fake food they gave Tan. She ate bananas, pickles, chips and had us all licking ice cream cones. She just played and played all evening. It was great!

Dallin got a lot of gifts tonight that I bought him in China--some things he had forgotten about and was excited to see again. Brennan was thrilled with his Buffelo Bill book and Tan liked her many coloring books and My Little Pony books.

Dallin and Brennan also both got some BEN 10 stuff, which of course was a hit.

Rick surprised me with a LAMB watch by Gwen Steffani. Thanks so much sweetheart. Also, since I have committed to climbing Mt. Rainier this summer, he bought me my summit coat and I'm syked...its red!!! So dang cool.. Thanks so much honey. The kids got me a fun day by day calender that looks like it will be fun for the whole family.

We ended our evening by talking to Jeff and Laura who were enjoying the evening with my parents. It was fun to catch up and I miss them all so much. MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU GUYS!!!

Now, Rick is getting syked and ready. On Friday we are going ice climbing with Micheal and Nate. YEA! Its our first outing of the season and I'm so excited. So we are watching an ice climbing DVD and I'm so excited. :)

--super angie

Super Angie....Super Friends Part 3

I am SOOOO blessed to have such wonderful friends. Just a minute ago, My darling friend SUPER JENNY came by and brought me a gorgeously wrapped, totally fabulous Christmas gift. She brought me Evergreen scented room spray...ahh, my fake tree already smells like it was just cut down. She had it wrapped in a GORGEOUS green gift bag with bright pink tissue...talk about CUTE! And of course, being the crafy gal she is, she stamped a card for me...ah the talent. This girl just rocks!!!!

Thanks Super Jenny...I love you so much and am so thankful we live close and are in the same ward. And thanks for forgiving me for you know what--what a lame friend I was. I'm thankful we are close and let me tell ya...BA-GAWK!

--Super Angie
PS....I wasn't smart enough to take a pic of my darling friend when she came over, so I stole this one from her blog...isn't it adorable?! I love this pic so much!!!

Super Angie..Super Friends part 2

What a surprise this morning! Tiff, Tyler and baby Aspen (Tiff is our long time super babysitter) stopped by to bring us some Christmas Joy. Aspen picked out just the right gifts for all the kids--a panda for Dallin, a dino for Brennan and a "Neigh neigh" for Tan. Tyler included his favorite candy--chocolate covered marshmallows--what is better than that???, and Tiff packaged it all together in darling red Christmas stockings complete with each child's name embroidered on it. (the boys hung them up right away with their big stockings...does this mean Santa needs to fill them up too?? hmmmm)

They also brought us some YUMMY homemade carmels. I'm impressed. Homemade carmels! WHOA!

THANKS TIFF, TYLER AND ASPEN! You guys really surprised us and we are so thankful to have you in our life! Lets go hiking and climbing and have some fun! (wanna go to Keystone again??)

Love you guys!
--Super Angie