This Week's TOP TEN!!

10. There was a fatality on the Upper Animas Friday and there was rumor that it was Allison's (who works for me) mom. Fortunately, it was not. However, my heart goes out to the family, guides and the boating community.

9. It has been easier to "house train" Emma than "potty train". Earlier this week, she pooped on the back porch. The next morning she peed in the grass with the dog.


8. The rain finally let up enough on Saturday so Emma and I could run all of our errands on our bike!


7. Aaron's client on Friday landed a HUGE fish...in fact, one of the biggest of the season. In Aaron's words "BOOYEAH!"


6. Jaymee and Kids are finally returning from California after a month long trip. Emma is excited to have her buddies back in town.


5. The statue of St. Joseph has arrived and will be promptly buried in the yard to ensure a quick sale of the house. Thank you Beth!


4. Aaron and I played our first round of golf this summer while Emma painted toe nails with Aunt Birdwell.


3. We were lucky enough to hang out with BJ & Dan Stangby for dinner on Wednesday while BJ was in town. It was fun to see them with Emma. The next night, BJ, Dan and Aaron fished the San Juan and tried to stay dry.


2. Good News - They gave me more pain killers. Bad News - My mouth hurts worse now than it did after surgery.


1. We had a successful "DIAPER FREE" weekend. Going diaper free meant Emma peed in the grass outside of Steamworks AND outside of Blockbuster because we couldn't find a bathroom. Hmmm...I think I have peed in those same spots at one point in my life.

Day Out with Thomas

Conductor Dan and The Hyders

Favorite Weekend of the Year

(Sorry...I can't rotate the video)

It's my favorite weekend of the year. I start thinking about it in December. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is always on the summer solstice weekend and I love this festival. I have been to the festival 5 times now, varying from the whole 4 days to just 1 day of fun. Aaron, Emma and I hit up our 2nd family Telluride pilgrimage this weekend for the Saturday event. Saturday had a great line up featuring Punch Brothers, Jerry Douglas, Yonder Mountain String. There's nothing better than listening to great music in warm weather with great friends drinking good beer. The music was great. Instead of warm weather it rained, threatened to snow and our sunshade quickly was turned into a rain shelter. We were surrounded by friends. Aaron drank good beer - I ate good pain killers. Here's some pics of a great day:

Jerry Douglas & Band

This Week's TOP TEN!!

10. We actually spent an entire weekend with all 3 of us together. Looking back at the calendar - this hasn't happened since May 23rd!

9. I had my wisdom teeth removed with a relatively smooth recovery and minimum pain and swelling. Thank you Lortab! But have I ever told anyone that I can't eat that much dairy....and I am kinda over the yogurt and ice cream.

8. Aaron had 6 trips this week (2 return clients) and slayed it.

7. For the next 3 weeks, Aaron is already booked for 17 days. We are very grateful for men's need to fish....and for business to change drastically since May.

6. Watching Emma shake her little groove thing at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Barefoot. In a hippie dress. With face paint smeared all over her face.

5. Happy Father's Day to Aaron!! Emma is very lucky to have such a loving daddy! I love you Ward and so does Emma.

4. Cubs are on a 4 game win streak.

3. I told our realtor what I really thought most realtors in town. It made me feel good. Hopefully, people still come look at it.

2. We rode "Thomas the Train" today, which in my opinion, is the best way to ride the train - it's 25 minutes...total.

1. Emma has been trained to get cold beer out of the fridge. However, she has taken it to an all new level on her own. She'll walk around, pick up your beer and if it is less than full, she'll say " Wanna beer?". It's okay to be jealous.....or think we are total dirtballs.

Fishing the Caddis Hatch

Emma's an Accessory Girl....

Although Emma seems like a little dirtball, hippie child....she is really girl at heart as accessories are her favorite thing. She is very particular and if she is looking for a certain accessory, she'll let us know. Here are Emma's favorite things just as Emma would say them:

Pack Pack - Minnie Mouse backpack

Flop Flops - bright green flip flops

Neck - Necklaces, specifically Mardi Gras beads

Mack - it - Basket that carries her crap around in

Chacket - fleece jackets

Schzooos - shoes

Star - anything with stars

Eyes - sunglasses

Rings - earrings

More colors - nail polish

Taaaaat Toos - stickon tattoos...I think she currently has 5! Aaron and I both have a bunch, too.

Dauggie - Jackson (I think she thinks he is her accessory)

Pest - fleece vest

It's Festival Season...

This past weekend was a blast, even though the weather continued to be crappy. Angie arrived into town on Friday night and started the weekend off with dinner at Griego's. It is a guarantee to go to Griego's every time Angie or Buck & Jen are in town. I love Griego's, too and I even ordered something different this time. After dinner, Angie challenged us to a little bit of Scrabble. Some of you may know that Aaron and I no longer can play recreational games by ourselves, as one of us ends of crying in the end. So it was nice to have someone else to play against.....even if she beat both of us!

Aaron was working on the river on Saturday, so we had a leisurely day in town - breakfast at Carver's with Sarah, Farmer's Market, and Emma and I went to a baby shower in the afternoon.

On Sunday, Aaron was sick, so Emma and I headed up to the Silverton Jamboree. It is a smaller bluegrass festival and we hung out with our friends Chris, Shelly and Otto. At one point, it was hailing and you could see it snowing in the mountains, but Emma and I had fun shakin' it.

Shelly, Otto, Erin & Dink

Yes, her shoes are on the wrong feet.

Otto going in for the kill

Long-time Festival friends, Erin & Chris

THIS WEEK'S TOP TEN!!

10. Aaron built garden boxes and planted us a small garden AND the plants lived through the frost/freeze.

9. Emma and I watched the Little Mermaid 3 times since last night. I love that movie and I always get anxious when Ursula tries to foul everything up.

8. Angie is in town and staying with us for the weekend - we can't wait to see her.

7. Aaron's phone has been ringing off the "hook" for trips AND the fishing has been great! Aaron has had 5 trips in 10 days with great clients.

6. I have finally figured out how to take Emma down the big, tube slide at the pool without drowning her.

5. The Cardinals lost all 4 games to the Rockies...and the Rockies suck!

4. It's starting to warm up again, just in time for the weekend. AND this weekend is Animas River Days - so hopefully we will some carnage at the river parade.

3. The ant fall happened on the San Juan River yesterday while Aaron was there. Apparently, this is big news.

2. Jackson is a big wimp. He also does not like to get wet. During the rainstorm on Saturday afternoon, he ate through 3 panels of the fence to get onto the front porch. And its already fixed.

1. Emma does not like it when her hair blows in her face. So - when we're driving places she'll yell " Mama - no...hair!" when the windows are down. However, this week she has "allowed" me to roll down the windows with no backseat comments. I hope this isn't a phase and we can continue to drive with the hair flowing freely in the wind.

It's Summer in the Rockies....

Here's a little history on the weather in Durango - The whole month of April was windy and cold. In fact, it was windy enough that we lost the majority of our snowpack due to dust storms instead of the spring melt due to heat. The whole month of May was hot and we lost the remaining snowpack to the spring melt. We spent the last week of May in Mexico and enjoyed the average daily temperature of 95 degrees with a slight breeze. Our way home from Mexico, we landed in Durango to rain and 60 degree weather. It has been nothing but cold and gray since we have returned - so much for my nice tan that I had. Anyways, not that I am trying to complain about the weather....but it snowed at work today. It's June 10th!!! If the clouds/rain/snow clear sometime today, we're going to try to get a picture of Engineer and the Needles.

Cabo San Lucas - Random Pictures

Here are some other pictures that didn't necessarily fit in the previous posts that we especially like:

Cabo San Lucas - June 1

June 1

This was our last day in Cabo and we were headed towards the beach. Unfortunately, the current was so strong, the beach directly in front of the hotel was too unsafe to swim. So Aaron, Emma, Dave and Erica Brand and I walked about a 1/2 mile up the beach to a roped off area. Emma loved every minute of the ocean and was a sad, sad toddler when we started to walk back.

Later that afternoon, Aaron went snorkeling with a whole bunch of people over at Lover's Beach and the snorkeling was unbelievable. We're bummed that we don't have any pictures! Emma and I napped and of course, hit up the pool one last time.

We had an amazing trip in Cabo and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lounge at the pool and beach with our family and friends.

Cabo San Lucas - May 31

May 31 - More Speedo Action!!

Cabo San Lucas - May 31

May 31 - Horseback Riding!!

Cabo San Lucas - May 30

May 30 - Amy & Jimmy's Wedding

Saturday was Amy & Jimmy's wedding, so it was definitely a big day. All 3 of us were in the wedding - Erin as a bridesmaid, Aaron as a groomsman, and Emma as the flowergirl. However, I was lucky and got to be a bridesmaid AND the flower girl. More on that later...

Aaron and I were super stoked to be a part of the wedding and even though we and everyone else told Emma that she was going to be the flowergirl - she did not know what she really signed up for. Look cute, throw flowers, walk 25 yards......well 1 out of 3 is not a bad batting average!

It all started with getting her into her dress. For some reason, she has never liked that dress. Amy and I had her try it on about 1 month ago to make sure it fit, and we had to wrestle her to get it on her. Well.....this time..for game time....it took 3 of us to get the dress on...and she successfully ripped the top of my dress off in the process. Once we got her in the dress - it was pure toddler tantrum for about 15 minutes. Then it stopped - until we had to put her shoes on. The funny thing about the shoes is that she walks around our house in those shoes and she wore them in Mexico because she loves them. I'm glad that I didn't have to fight Aaron to get him to get dressed and not wear the speedo!

The wedding was beautiful and we all did our respected jobs. Congratulations to Amy & Jimmy! We love you both (but not IN love with you) and we're here for you!

Here are some pics of the wonderful day:

Cabo San Lucas - May 29

May 29

Friday was our 3rd day in Mexico and it was going to be a good one. Aaron barely recovered from his speedo hangover by the time he, Jace, Jeff & Matt went deep-sea fishing for the afternoon. The Hyder boys were able to land a rock cod and a snapper and only saw a marlin off in the distance. Meanwhile, Emma and I spent the afternoon at the pool, which seemed never to get boring to either one of us! We met the guys at the marina after their fishing adventure and we all went out on a sunset, dinner cruise. I was slightly worried about going out on the boat with Emma only because I am deathly afraid of being in open water AND Emma has no fear of water. So the combination of the two made me worried. However, Aaron did a great job of hanging out with Emma on the cruise, so I just had to take care of myself...and there was plenty of beer. The cruise went out to Lover's Rock and the arch at the end of the baja, so the scenery was beautiful. It was amazing how much the water changed when we went around the baja tip into the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Cortez. At the end of the cruise, Emma even drove the boat!

The fam at the marina

Amy & Jace

Emma driving the boat

Cabo San Lucas - May 28

May 28 BEWARE - SPEEDO PICTURES BELOW

The next day, Aaron and Jace rented a kayak and took a water taxi over to lover's beach. The plan was to kayak back to hotel along the shoreline and fish along the way. Although the fishing wasn't great, it was truly an adventure. They ended up tipping the boat and Aaron and Jace became 2 sea-men! They were able to right the boat and decided to fish off of the shore for awhile. I think Aaron said he had 1 one on, but it got off before he was able to land it.

Emma and I spent the morning walking down the beach to pet the horses and then we played in the sand with 2 little kids from Mexico City. The rough morning was followed up with an afternoon of napping and then, of course, back to the pool.

Great-Grandma Nat & Emma at breakfast

Emma and Erin on the beach

Then, Aaron returned from fishing....and the speedos came out! Later that afternoon, I slightly remember Aaron trying to tell me not to show anyone these pictures....Sorry - this is called "Tequila PAYBACK".

Jimmy, Jeff & Aaron with some pre-pool stretching...

No he's not wearing white spandex...yes - the speedo is from the thriftstore!

Later that night, we went to the rehearsal dinner with everyone from the group and once again, the food was great. Emma started realized that was extremely photographic....and from then on, she had a funny face for almost every picture.

Jimmy & Amy

Cabo San Lucas - May 27

MAY 27 - JUNE 2

We spent the last week of May in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to celebrate Amy & Jimmy's wedding and it was AWESOME! This was the Hyder family's first time to Mexico and it was great to spend it with the entire immediate Hyder family and tons of Amy & Jimmy's friends. It was sad to see the effect of the swine flu fears on the Mexican businesses and people, but on the upside, it made it easy to find a beach chair.

MAY 27

We arrived to our hotel in the early afternoon after making our way through the hundreds of vendors at the airport! They are slightly ruthless! Anyways, Emma being the water baby that she is, gravitated right to the pool. Within minutes of arriving, we were all in the pool and this is Emma swimming with Aunt Amy!

Aaron & Erin at the pool

And one tired toddler!

THIS WEEK'S TOP TEN!!

10. Emma played in the ocean for the first time.

9. Jackson survived the week at Bonnie and Josh's house.

8. A week without crappy Albuquerque news..although it seems like a lot went on the last week.

7. Emma and Aaron rode horses on the beach in Mexico.

6. Emma was wandering during Amy and Jimmy's wedding ceremony and was watching the ocean...She then yelled out "FISH!" when there were fish jumping - A very proud moment for Aaron!

5. I am currently having a drink-free moment...and although it feels odd - it is much needed after a week at an all-inclusive resort.

4. Spent the past 5 of 7 days at the pool or ocean.

3. Aaron was able to fish twice in Mexico (one day from a kayak in the Sea of Cortez with Jace, one day of deep sea fishing/puking with Jace, Jeff & Matt, and a little bit from shore - but that doesn't really count!)

2. We celebrated and witnessed Amy and Jimmy's beautiful wedding with many of their friends and family!

1. Aaron and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!

I will post pictures and some stories about our Mexico adventure as soon as I can. Glad to be back!