Larsen Family Reunion or BUST!

Though this is coming to you a few weeks late due to my camera incident (RIP), here are some pictures of our trip to Monticello and Moab, Utah for the Larsen Family Reunion. The family has been working hard the past few months to prepare family names for the temple so we could go as a group. To learn more about temples, click here. Although I wasn't very excited about being in Moab in August, we all stayed at a cabin near Blanding and Monticello, Utah. It was actually pretty nice weather.

Though not documented here, we also went on a super fun rafting trip on the Colorado River

Okay. So it wasn't quite this wild, but it was a lot of fun!

We had heard about this hike that is not in any of the parks. We crossed a stream several times and ended at a natural spring from these rocks.

This is also the hike that we lost our camera. It happened to be in Tim's back left pocket-the one he fell on :( Documented below:
We said hello to Mater

Ate lots of good food. Rod and Cory had a little too much fun making scones and experimented with "fried s'mores"
I had one. They were actually pretty good!
We saw petroglyphs at "Newspaper Rock"
And did a few scenic walks around Canyonlands National Park. Below we are trying to make it look like we're in space.
This was us trying to get a picture of us all jumping at the same time. It now looks like we're all in need of a restroom!

Afterwards, Tim's parents spent some time in Colorado. They were able to ride the Georgetown Loop Railway and take a tour of the mine.

Denver Oyster Adventures!

Last Saturday, 2 friends from work and I were on a team for the Denver Oyster Adventure Race! The race involves running and biking to destinations to do secret tasks. The tasks are unknown ahead of time. Here is a taste of our adventure:
First stop: Taking pictures of things (from a bridge, in yoga poses, eating a donut, etc)
2nd Stop: Doing a puzzle to figure out the Chipotle location (across Denver) to guess the names and ingredients of salsas.
Stop 2B: Tossing this ginormous fish-YUCK! I ran away from it the first time it came hurdling through the air at me. Monica and Cassi were more brave than me.
Above: Monica, Below: Cassi
Stop 3: To Coors Field for some more puzzle searching/solving and on to the roof of a local bar for some lemonade vodka and fingerpainting
(I did the fingerpainting while they drank the vodka)
Stop 4: Colorado Athletic Club for some swimming. By now it was getting hot. We took a break while climbing stairs on the way back.
Stops 5 and 6 involved Biking to other restaurants in town to learn how to square dance and do a little movie clip trivia.

Our final task was an obstacle course in the parking lot of the Pepsi Center. Cassie and Monica volunteered to jump in the dumpsters
I walked on keg-stilts
And we finished in 4 hours, 40 minutes. What a day!

Here are our actual distances:
Passport 1 - Hoardenger - Foot, .5 miles
Passport 2 - Chipotle/Whole Foods - Bike, 10.6 miles
Passport 3 - Coors Field & Sports Column - Foot, 3.4 miles
Passport 4 - Colorado Athletic Club - Foot, 2.7 miles
Passport 5 - Stoney's Bar & Grill - Bike, 5 miles
Passport 6 - Highland Tap and Burger - Bike, 2.1 miles
Passport 7 - Pepsi Center - Foot, 1.7 miles

Total Bike - 17.7 miles
Total Foot - 8.3 miles
Total Fun - Immeasurable!

I've been doing a lot of active things with co-workers. We also participated in the Step Up for Cancer. We had to go up and down stairs of a soccer stadium. It was tough!

Why I haven't been posting...

This happened while I was here:

More pictures to come when I can bum them off of other people.

Rocky Mountain High

Our ward campout was held at Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend. I am training someone at work, so we didn't get to do the camping part (sarcastic "bummer"), but Tim and I left early on Saturday morning to make it there for breakfast and a scenic hike:

Alberta Falls
Zach, Natalie, and Jane Olsen, Kristin and Nate Woods, and us:
Lake Haiyaha:

Above: Nate and Kristin chilling by the FREEZING water
Below: a CRAZY guy swimming in it (note the SNOW the water is coming from)

For some reason, I think its cool to get yoga poses with beautiful views.
This hike, we all gave it a try.

Dream Lake:

Nymph Lake:
(Look closely to see ducklings!)

My Mom

Janean Rich Lotz
December 30, 1955-July 15, 2011
Tim and I helped write the Eulogy

We were very blessed to live so much closer this year and see everyone more. This past weekend was filled with support from friends and family. We appreciate all of your prayers.

I think I'll probably remember her best like this...

Just happy to be outside, care free, and waiting to see us again.

Rocky Mountain Recreation

Although we still have many activities on our Do in Colorado List due to school and work, we try to get out when we can. Here are some things we've kept ourselves busy with lately...

Hiking

Tim got me a Boulder Area Hiking Guide for Christmas and we tried it out a few weeks ago with this hike called Mount Sanitas. It said it was a moderate hike that could be up and back or a loop. It turns out that a lot of people don't take the back side of the loop. It is really steep trails with lose dirt and overgrown weeds, so it was kind of scary. It ended up being really hot and Tim was sick, so it ended up being a pretty rough hike.

Here is a cool picture of Boulder we took though:

Swimming

I was at the grocery store one day and the girl at the check out told me about this old pool called Eldorado Springs--it's up in the mountains and fed by spring water. Tim and I decided to try it on my day off. It is hidden on a dirt road up in a little canyon. We felt like we were in Costa Rica again, but we had a pretty view. We really enjoyed the slide!

And Grilling.
Unfortunately, we had to finish our salmon in the oven.

It was raining so hard, I couldn't even open our back door!
Happy Summer!