Project Life

Kyle and I decided we needed to take more pictures this year.  I thought an easy way to help me do that would be Project Life.  I am off to a somewhat good start, I got all 3 weeks finished today and ready to post.

2013 Project Life Title Page

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Hawaii Pages

Last day off until May.... I finally have some free time to sit down and take a look at the pictures from Hawaii. We have so many pictures it is actually really hard to keep them in order. I was able to get a title page and a few other pages done today. Kyle leaves for a week next Saturday so I am sure I'll have some more scrapbook time in the near future.


Hawaii 2011 Family Trip


Boulder, CO


Red Rocks

Thai Restaurant near Volcano Lodge

Is Summer Here Yet?

It has gotten so cold the past few days in NC. This morning it was in the 30's when I woke up, yuck. It's not even the middle of November and I already wish summer was here.
I haven't posted in a while, so here are a few pictures.


NC State vs. Central Michigan Game with the Day/Barnhart Families


Halloween Night - I was the Easy A character but it was too cold to take my jacket off so you could see the scarlet letter

One Year Later...

Nala was diagnosed with cancer almost exactly a year ago. October 2010 we were given the diagnosis that she would most likely only live until Christmas. Christmas has come and gone! Nala is still her normal crazy self, she just gets tired faster and takes medicine everyday. Last week I left work a little early to take some pictures of Nala on a beautiful day. She is the best dog in the whole wide world.

Laundry....

We got back from Hawaii on Tuesday night at 11:30pm and I've worked late every night since. Today is laundry day because tomorrow I have our welcome back event, RecFest, at work.

Hawaii was fun, relaxing on some days and very different than I expected. The first 4 days we stayed at Volcano National Park at the lodge. It was freezing and we had to turn on the fire place in the room to stay warm at night. We did escape the cold for one day and went to Hilo for some sightseeing and relaxing.

Restaurant and Lobby at Volcano Lodge

Orchid Museum and Shop

Very cool Orchid, I had one as cool but a little different shipped home

Macadamia Nut Factory

Big Island Candy in Hilo - Lisa wanted chocolate covered shortbread cookies

Nasty chocolate dipped dried squid. I had to spit it out and felt sick to my stomach for the next few hours every time I thought about it. YUCK.

I have a ton more pictures and stories to come.

Hawaii Bound

Today is my last day of work for 12 days! We leave for Hawaii on Monday. I'll try to post a few pictures while in paradise.

Here is our itinerary.

July 26, Flight from Denver International Airport to Kona Airport at Kailua-Kona, drive to Volcano National Park via Hamakua Coast, stop at Akaka Falls and Laupahoehoe

July 27, Morning hike of Kilauea Crater floor. Visit Thurston Lava Tube, Devastation Trail, Halema’uma’u Crater, afternoon Kilauea Iki hike

July 28, Hike to view of Puu Oo eruption site all day hiking

July 29, Visit Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens, Lava Tree State Park, Afternoon options, Night lava into the ocean hike.

July 30, Morning drive to Kailua-Kona via Black Sands Beach, City of Refuge, afternoon snorkeling.

July 31, Morning, Beach- coral reef study: snorkel and/or optional scuba diving (afternoon dive and night manta ray dive), underwater photography.
Aug 1, Option day, visit the Natural Energy Lab, The OTEC Plant, optional kayak to Captain Cook Monument (snorkeling), Green Sand Beach hike.

Aug 2, 4-wheel drive day: morning at Mauna Kea Observatory to visit Keck, Canada-France and Kellogg Submillimeter observatories, Afternoon visit to Mauna Loa for hike to top or Waipio Valley
Aug 3, Drive Kohala Coast Area: Pu’ukahola Mailekini, Lapakahi State Park and the Moo Kini temple.

Aug 4, Morning flight to Kauai, drive to hotel via the spouting horn, salt onds.

Aug 5, Drive to Waimea (fault) Valley- hike in Waimea Canyon and Kokee Swamp Trail, visit Barking Sands Beach

Aug 6, Morning kayaking trip on the Hanalei River, Kilauea Lighthouse and Bird Santuary, and afternoon snorkeling

Aug 7, Morning Na Pali Coast trail- soil, coastline, erosion study. Afternoon snorkeling on Ke’e Beach

Aug 8, Late evening flight to Denver

Aug 9, Arrive morning Denver International Airport and head to Raleigh

Hot Weekend

This weekend was again very warm. Nala loves to be outside but she gets so hot she has to either lay in her pool or go inside. Here is a picture of her enjoying the day.

Photo Shoot part 2

Award Photo Shoot

By winning the University Award for Excellence Award with Student Affairs a photographer came and did a quick photo shoot for the banquet. Here are some of the photos taken.

Memorial Day Fun

On Saturday we headed to Wilmington to buy some food and get ready for a pool party celebration on Sunday. The neighbors got to Wilmington on Sunday around 11am and we played in the pool until 5pm that day. We had a blast playing water volleyball, racing and snorkeling. Nala must have jumped in the pool over 100 times and has slept for 2 days since we've been back. Anyone up for a 4th of July pool party?


Dad trying on his new snorkeling gear for Hawaii


Nala swimming back and forth chasing the volleyball


Me and Mack drying off after a swim....good thing the camera is waterproof (see the water spots)


Mom and Dad...and more water spots

Olivia playing with the camera

Award Winner

On Wednesday I was honored with the Division of Student Affairs EPA for Excellence Award. The award is given to 1 EPA staff/faculty member within our division. I received a framed certificate, $250, and a day off with pay! Next week I have a photo shoot with the University Recreation team and in 2 weeks I compete at the NC State level. Wish me luck.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to the best mom and friend!

New Orleans

April 13-17 we headed to New Orleans for the 2011 NIRSA (National Intramural Recreation Sports Association) conference. It was my first time to New Orleans and I had received mixed reviews. I am back and able to say that each persons review held some merit of truth. New Orleans is interesting....it is slow southerners meets beautiful garden district with dirty streets in the background.

I now understand why they call southerners stupid. It is because they work in reverse and everything they do is so incredibly slow. You have to be patient if you go to a restaurant because service will be slow and they will not split your bill. I don't think I got used to this for the 4 days we were there.

Lunch with Leia, Aaron, and Kriss (Student Directors in Campus Recreation)

We did have the opportunity to take a trolly to the garden district which reminded me a lot of Charleston, SC. Beautiful homes with amazing landscaping. But we also headed to Borboun Street which smells like vomit and urine mixed together. It did make for an interesting evening as I saw multiple large women show their breasts, not for beads but for attention. I tasted a hurricane mixed drink at Pat O'Brien's. It was good but too sweet to drink more than one.

Natalie, me & Leia at Howlin Wolf Bar

Beer menu at Howlin Wolf (Abita is the popular beer)

The most exciting event was going to the warehouse district and getting to see the floats that they use for mardi gras and holding a 1 year old alligator.

Dragon Float

Alligator (1 1/2 years old but the size of a wild 4 year old gator - they don't let them hibernate in captivity so they grow faster)

New Orleans was fun but it was not a place that I would want to visit often. The partying is out of control and I am getting too old.

Colombia Page

Happy Birthday Page

Here is another page from Nala's birthday.

Pages

Today was absolutely gorgeous at 70 plus degrees and we spent most of the day outside. I didn't get any pages made but did finally take pictures of these pages. Nala's birthday and Halloween. Enjoy.