Life, Love & Laughter

4 months old

2011-10-16T22:55:00.002-06:00

This sweet little things is 4 months old already. He weighed in at 12.9 lbs and is getting more handsome every day.

3 months old

2011-09-28T16:17:00.002-06:00

We are SOOOOO spoiled with this little guy! This is the face I see every morning. He has the happiest, sweetest personality. I might be bragging but all he does is smile, sleep and eat. Love him.

Silver King Coffee Co

2011-09-02T16:22:00.002-06:00

2 weeks old...

2011-08-17T06:42:00.019-06:00

Some of my favorites from Bear's newborn photo's. He was 2 weeks old and not quite back to 5 lbs. He is so TINY!

Forks Over Knives

2011-07-10T18:08:00.004-06:00

www.forksoverknives.com
I am the local ambassador for this great documentary. If you are in Utah it will be playing at the Holiday Village Cinema, 1776 Park Ave., Park City, UT starting on Friday July 15th. I will be there that night. Get out and see it if you can!

Educate yourself!

Family Time..

2011-07-09T22:32:00.001-06:00

New Cousins

2011-07-09T21:32:00.009-06:00

Coco was in heaven playing with her Grandma and Grandpa Hirschi. It was so great to have them at our house for a few days after we came home from the hospital. Lots of laughs and good food. My sister Stephanie and her new baby boy Bronson were able to come out too. It was so fun to have the two babies together.

This is why the newborn photographers make the big $$$!! Ben's attempt to take the babies pictures was hilarious!

Bronson 4 weeks old and about 8.5 lbs

Bear 5 days old and almost 5 lbs

1st day home.. 4 lbs 8 oz

2011-07-09T20:53:00.007-06:00

My baby brother...

2011-07-08T16:59:00.017-06:00

Coco has been a big helper from the first day she meet her baby brother. Such a great big sister!

Blessings from heaven..

2011-06-22T22:10:00.004-06:00

There is nothing like a healthy newborn baby, especially if they come extra early, to remind you of all you are grateful for and to immediately put life in perspective.

Bear Benjamin Paul Buehner
Born June 3rd (4 weeks early), around 1:30 p.m ( it happened so fast that I honestly don't know what the exact time was, probably should find out : ))
5 lbs 18.5 inches long

Here's the story:

This pregnancy was fairly easy, except for lots of contractions and a couple hours of hospital time on a few different days to stop the contractions and monitor the baby, other than that everything was fine.
Ben and I planned a mini staycation here in Park City over Memorial Day weekend and had a fun night with a couple of our dear friends. Monday the 30th, I woke up feeling a bit off. I just felt weird and had a bit of anxiety. I called home to check on Coco and she was fine. Then I realized that my baby hadn't been wiggling around as much as he normal was. I monitored his movements through out the rest of the day and something just wasn't feeling right. When we got home later that night I called my awesome doctor and she said I should head to the hospital and just get hooked up to the monitors and make sure everything was ok. I took her advice and drove myself to the hospital at 10:00 p.m. that night. He looked fine on the monitors and they sent me home 2 hours later. I had an ultrasound at my doctors office the next morning and again he looked fine. My fluid was a little low but not low enough for them to be too concerned. I still felt a little off and knew this baby was just acting different. The next 2 days were similar, just light movement and felt off. Looking back I'm sure my intuition was in high gear because in 2 days I had all the loose ends finished up and was pretty much ready to welcome this new baby if he showed up early. On Friday morning, the 3rd, he was not moving at all unless I really poked him. I had a regular doctors appointment that afternoon but called to see if I could come in earlier. My doctor suggested I just head down to the hospital and get monitored again. I took a little bit of time that morning and put a baby bag and my hospital bag together to keep in the car just in case. I headed down the canyon around 10:30 a.m., called Ben on my way and just told him I was going to stop by the hospital before I went to the office to make sure everything was ok with the babes.
I got to the hospital and was hooked up to the monitor by 11:30 a.m., I had only been hooked up for 2 minutes when I had a contraction (that I hardly even felt) and the babies heart rate dropped to the floor and recovered very slowly. I was on the phone with Ben telling him that everything seemed fine etc when the nurse literally came running back into the room with the IV kit in hand. She said, is that your husband on the phone? I said yes, she said tell him to get in the car and get down here asap because you will most likely be having this baby within the hour if not sooner!
That was a bit of a shock to say the least! Ben was totally in shock and said to me "just tell her its to early to have this baby" I had to make it very clear that he needed to get in the car asap get down here. They were not messing around and said this little babes was in trouble and needed to come out via emergency c-section. My doctor was in Park City as well so she and Ben were chasing each other down the canyon running people off the road to get to the hospital in Salt Lake. They arrived within minutes of each other and we were in the operating room 5 minutes later. It was pretty surreal, we barely had time to tell anyone we were even in the hospital. Ben was able to get ahold of my parents right before we entered the OR and I had been texting a few close friends and trying to stay calm. I was just praying that our babes would be healthy and at least 5 lbs. I made Ben say it with me over and over, healthy and 5 lbs, healthy and 5 lbs. They had him out 20 minutes after entering the OR and he was healthy and 5 lbs exactly. Prayers answered.

He was breathing on his own and looked great, Ben was able to hold him for a few minutes before the NICU team took him away to double check that everything was ok.

The whole experience was so surreal and SO different from our experience when Coco was born. Bear spent the next 2 1/2 days in the NICU. His lungs were a bit premature and they needed to push some air through them to expand the lower section, he needed to be under the lights as well. The nurses and doctor in the NICU are amazing people and we felt very blessed to have a healthy baby that just needed a bit of TLC. There were 43 babies in the NICU when we were there, its pretty amazing to see the 2-3 pound little babies and all they can do for them. They made our little 5 pounder look like a big bully!

I was disappointed by having to have a c-section but I would have done anything to have a healthy baby so a c-section is minor in the scheme of things.

Bear and I spent 4 days in the hospital and were able to come home together on the 7th. He weighed 4 lbs 8 oz when we brought him home. Coco said he looked like a baby bird, Ben said he looked like a frog. He actually looks like an angel. We are so grateful to have him home and feel like a real family.

Lesson: don't doubt your intuition, your angels are sending you nudges all the time all we have to do is listen.

Life is beautiful.

Happy Girl...

2011-02-17T07:57:00.003-07:00

These videos are from September but better late than never right! Can't believe how much she has grown up since then. I better get caught up so you can see!!

Almost 2...

2011-02-16T23:04:00.002-07:00

This is a little long but so sweet... Mostly a grandparent video. Coco showing off her sign language and a little Spanish before bed.

I'm 2!

2011-02-16T22:26:00.009-07:00

Our sweet little girl turned 2 on September 4th. We had her music teacher come to the ranch for a fun "music together" party. The weather was ideal and we all had a lot of fun with the kids, singing and dancing. Coco was so happy to have her grandparents, friends, aunts and uncles all there for her special day! Happy Birthday sweet Coco!

August 2010

2011-02-16T21:25:00.008-07:00

Donovan Frankenreiter, one of my all-time favorites

Hiking at the Hi-Ute

Our new friends, this mama and 2 babies stayed in our yard for 3 days. Our trees barely survived!

Pool party with the cousins at Grandpa Buehners

July 2010

2011-02-16T16:37:00.020-07:00

Highlights from July 2010

Coco, 22 months old. Still not a lot of hair but sweet as can be.

Hot tub time with daddy

Fun Lake Powell trip with some great friends. Even though it was 110 the whole time we were there we were able to cool off and have a lot of fun. We found an awesome camping spot that gave us a little afternoon shade, a spot for badminton, swimming, and a beach... Perfect! We had fun on the stand ups exploring the canyons too.

Here are a couple pictures of releasing the first batch of turkeys into the wild!

A couple pictures of us at the Kamas rodeo on the 4th of July weekend.

We had a fun 4th of July this year. We woke up early and ran the 5k together as a family in the stoller division. We actually took 2nd place which was a bit of a surprise but awesome! Then we meet up with some of our favorite friends to enjoy Park City's parade on main street and then headed to the Hi-Ute to BBQ and chill. A little fire, good company and a great night.

Coco posing with her 2nd place medal from the 4th of July 5k!

June 2010

2011-02-16T12:59:00.016-07:00

Here are some highlights from June 2010.

We had a wet spring but by the time the sun came out everything in Park City was so green and beautiful. Coco and I stopped at the ranch on the way home from the zoo one day to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine.

Coco at the ZOO.. she fit right in with the monkeys : )

Island Park with the Hirschi's

We did another fun stand up paddle down Warm Springs. We had 2 teenage moose come running full speed across a meadow and into the river right in front of us. They were both pretty agressive, splashing and snorting. We weren't sure if we were going to make it past them. Luckily they crossed over to the other side and let us by!

See the moose in the grass ahead of us?? He had just crossed the river... awesome!

Playing at the cabin on Henry's

Welcoming our new baby turkeys to the ranch. We got 200 wild turkeys this summer. We had to incubate them for several weeks and then gradually move them outside. It was really fun watching them grow and change. We released a few batches higher up but we think they may have become coyote and mountain lion gourmet dinner : (. Hopefully we will see a few this spring!

Catch up!!

2010-09-14T23:09:00.008-06:00

I have SOOOO much catching up to do on this blog. Summer has cruised by with no time to keep up but I will try and post a few things this week. Here are a few Pics of Coco in the meantime...

CatalinaNewPortBalboa

2010-09-14T22:41:00.003-06:00

In June we headed to California for a little getaway with our friends the Carlsons and Hewletts. First stop was Catalina Island... We rode around the island on our cruisers, ate LOTS of treats, laughed and laughed. The boys and I went diving the next morning. I had never been on a cold water dive and it was COLD but so beautiful! We headed back to the mainland the next day and went to Newport and Balboa for a little shopping. Courtney put together a movie of our little adventure. Good times!

a little getaway...a little work..

2010-06-22T16:42:00.009-06:00

Back in April I had a convention in San Fran so Ben and I decided to make it a great excuse to get away for a couple of days. I hadn't been to this part of California in years! We went across the Golden Gate to beautiful Sausalito to stay for a couple of nights and we weren't disappointed. Sausalito is a fun, romantic little town right on the waters edge. It was very romantic and we lucked out with beautiful sunny weather which we heard is hard to come by that time of year! Marin county is really stunning with the lush greenery, redwoods and the bay. It is also the acclaimed birthplace of mountain biking so we needed to pay our dues and go for a ride while we were there. We rented bikes and road from Saualito all the way to the top of Mount Tamalpais, around 2500 vertical feet! It may have been a bit more than we wanted to do but the views around every corner keept us going all the way to the top where we were greeted with stunning views of the ocean, bay, city, bridges, rocky outcrops, dense forests, and the beach! I pictures didn't come close to capturing the view :(

I would love to make this trip one we do every year, we didn't even touch the surface of all the great things to do. We did have a little time for the farmers market, and some shopping in the city too before it was time for the work part of the trip to start... good times!

Beautiful Sausalito

Mount Tamalpais

15 minutes before the TOP

Muir Woods National Monument

Biking through the redwoods and a view of the ocean from 2500 feet!

COMMITMENT

2010-05-26T12:15:00.005-06:00

The word commitment often brings out mixed emotions for people. At a time when we are presented with endless options, making a commitment to something or someone can appear to be a challenge.

Often people resist fully committing to an idea because they want to minimise their risks. The only hitch is that, when it comes to life, a partial commitment usually returns only partial results and partial joy.

It is fear that often holds us back from going after our heart’s desire. First there is the fear of people seeing us fail, or at the very least struggle as we stretch ourselves to reach out for something new. We also fear success and the new responsibilities that success always brings.

I like to compare the process of making a commitment to the process of surfing. When you see a wave coming that you want to ride, you launch yourself forward into action preparing to ‘catch’ the wave. This is the same as the first steps you take when you want to achieve a goal or make a vision a reality.

Then comes the point when the wave ‘catches’ you! Sweeping you up, it starts to pull you forward with it’s own momentum. It is at this moment the crucial decision has to be made. Do I want to catch this wave or not? It is a decision that relies on gut level instinct.

You can either pull back, and let the wave roll on by, or throw your whole being into it. You know that a half hearted commitment will have you being dumped in the white wash, tossed unceremoniously around like a wet rag.However, if you throw every bit of your being at the wave you can have the chance to experience a wild and joyous ride.

Life is very much like the ocean. There are endless options to choose from, just as there are always new waves. But to experience the sense of triumph and satisfaction that comes from fully realising our dreams, we have to commit to that vision, person or goal; just the same as we need to commit to the wave we want to ride.

Commitment requires not only action, but a sense of purpose that is unwavering even in the face of challenges.

Surfing...

2010-05-18T17:42:00.004-06:00

This was in my email box this morning from Ben. I loved it and even though it is written about surfing I think it can apply to many other parts of life...

Playa Guiones, Costa Rica 5/2/10

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.

If you fall, it’s just water. If you aren’t falling, you aren’t learning.

These simple rules dance in my head as a code for life. They remind me to be light-hearted during every surf session—on the beach before paddling out, as I’m gliding carelessly down the wave, and when I ride the last one in. They say to me that surfing can be unique, spiritual, and that I’ll never stop learning from our Mother Ocean.

There are particular moments, dream-like glimpses of other events in life, that I’ll never forget. They are the milestones, epiphanies, and pillars of my surfing career. Whether they are the wise words of mentors or the visual memories forever etched in my mind, they provide me with the encouragement and inspiration that has kept my passion for teaching, surfing, and adventure alive for nearly a decade.

So you want to try surfing? You’ve had dreams about it since you were a young girl? You have a subscription to Surfer magazine and seen Blue Crush a hundred times? You live in Washington DC, but wear surf attire year round? Well, what’s stopping you? Afraid?

Make a move, you’ll never regret it, promise. How could you possibly regret something so fresh and exciting, a new challenge that gives you a unique perspective into yourself and your capabilities?

You have fears and that’s healthy, so let‘s talk about how to relieve those pre-surf jitters. Here are a few simple pieces of advice for stepping out of your safety net.

First Things First. Pick a place you’ve never been, a destination you’ve always dreamed about. Of course, make sure there is surf. Next, take a lesson with someone qualified. I’m a firm believer in hiring the right person for the job. Utilize your teacher’s well of knowledge. Ask all your questions. Share your anxieties. It’ll help when you know exactly what you’re up against and what you can expect while in the water. Believe me, I’ve been there and can understand how you feel.

My Golden Rule: Relax. Remember it’s just water and you aren’t learning unless you’re falling.

Let Go of Preconceived Notions. Don’t think about what surfing should look like and what it should feel like. Lose the idea that there’s a specific place you need to go. Trust yourself and your instructor. Literally, go with the flow. Play. Surfing will always offer something new every time you paddle out.

Don’t Sugar Coat It. I’ve kiteboarded, windsurfed, skied, and mountain biked, but surfing is the most challenging sport I’ve ever done. It’s also offers the most liberating, healthy, and rewarding lifestyle, and a joyful and free-spirited community.

Get Out There. There’s a whole ocean to discover and a lifestyle to embrace. ‘Hang loose’, ‘get stoked’ and grab what’s there for you. The sea is a magnificent place, so share the experience with someone who has the same love of the ocean, your surf instructor.

by Morag Sewell

Morag began her surfing career in the chilly waters of Northern California. While earning a bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of California Santa Cruz, she was able to also study surfing under the tutelage of world-class longboarders. Today, she holds a senior position as California State Lifeguard on the busy beaches of Malibu. To learn more about Morag and the Las Olas crew, visit http://www.surflasolas.com/.

P.S. Let me know if anyone wants to come with me to http://www.surflasolas.com/ or better yet http://www.surfgoddessretreats.com/ one of these days I will make it there.

Easter in Zion

2010-05-18T16:34:00.016-06:00

Coco, Angels Landing Zions

Trying to escape the never ending winter we headed down south to spend Easter weekend in Zion. Ben's sister Sara and family were spending the week camping just outside of Springdale and we couldn't pass up the chance at warm weather and the opportunity to hang with the Slatters. It wasn't a balmy 80 degrees or anything but it was LOTS better than the 2 feet of snow Park City was getting. We did a few hikes including Angels Landing with Coco in tow, she did great and just loves being part of the crew. The Desert Pearl, where we were staying put on a really cute Easter Egg hunt on the back of their property along the Virgin River, it was really a beautiful morning. Coco had fun at her first real Easter egg hunt and very generously opened all her eggs and dumped out the candy for the other kids to enjoy while she collected the empty plastic eggs. I wonder if that will change next year : )

Easter Egg hunt along the Virgin River
Coco, Clara and Camilla

Hiking angels landing with the Slatters

Coco... 18 months

2010-04-07T23:54:00.004-06:00

I took Coco to her 18month Dr. appt and she has finally hit 20lb's!! Yippie! Finally time to have a forward facing car seat. She is so much happier in the car and actually made a car noise for the first 15 minutes of her first ride. I think she thought she was driving because she had never been able to look out the front window before. She is still in the 5th percentile for weight and is just a small little thing but she is a healthy happy little toddler. She is so sweet and gives lots of kisses and loves to all her animals and mommy and dadda. She understands both English and Spanish very well and has a couple words that she only says in Spanish. It is really amazing to see. She is talking a LOT and can even name a few letters in the alphabet. She has been such a joy to have in our home. I absolutely love being her mommy. We are so blessed.

Presidents Weekend

2010-04-07T23:20:00.007-06:00

We had a fun weekend away in Island Park over Presidents weekend this year. We snowmobiled through Yellowstone on a beautiful sunny day. It was so beautiful and I was so glad we had good weather because it was still pretty cold. There's nothing better than a warm cabin, great food and fun friends on a winter weekend!

Coco Rica

2010-04-06T22:38:00.014-06:00

Costa Rica is now called Coco Rica in our family, thanks to Auntie Jennifer. We had such a great time in January on our trip to CR. Ben's sister Jennifer and her kids had the pleasure of an extended 3+ month stay this winter and Ben's brother Paul and his family have lived there for 3 years now so we had lots of family to enjoy. Lots of sunsets, potlucks and game nights. Ben took his mountain bike down and was able to do a couple long rides and even a race. We went to the fiesta to see the crazy bull riding and had lots of surf and beach time with Coco. She LOVED all the attention from her cousins and aunts & uncles. I can't believe it has been 3 months since this trip, as I was getting these pictures together it was crazy to see how much she has grown up since then. She is such a great little traveler.

Sites from Ben's mountain bike ride to Avellanas including a poisonous coral snake!

Coco enjoying the fresh air and flowers at the house

Coco playing with her cousins

Sweet Berklee

Coco showing her love for the beach

Ben enjoying the seen from Lola's at Avellanas beach

Coco posing for a picture, this seems to happen a lot...

Lola's at Avellanas

Hunting for cool shells and rocks in Marbella

Coco enjoying some daddy time, sunsets and surfing

The beautiful Varley's: Jen, Thea and Wyatt

Beautiful Buehner girls: Jodie, Berklee and Bella

Coco y Momma

Cousins

The girls

Turn off the TV and Improve Married Life

2010-03-15T13:34:00.002-06:00

I Loved this article I read on a great site that I frequent http://www.zenfamilyhabits.net/

“I think we watch too much TV” stated my wife.

“Er, uh, what?” As I hit pause on the Tivo. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Nothing” she replied.

This is a conversation we’ve had several times throughout the course of our 16 years together. We’ve had times of limiting our television watching, a period of going without cable in order to cut costs and save money, and we’ve had a couple of times where we went a week without turning on the TV.

This time, we went an entire month without the TV on once. No favorite shows, no sports, no cartoons (it took a couple of weeks for the kids to stop asking).

At first, it was tough. I realized that veg time with the TV was a way I would unwind and relax at the end of the day. I noticed my stress level was a bit higher. I was shorter with the kids.

But after a week or so, I began to like the idea more. We spent time playing as a family. The kids played puzzles and up’d their imaginative play (which I love watching). We would eat dinners and breakfasts outside on the deck. And after the kids went to bed, rather than my wife and I zoning out in front of the TV, we’d sit outside and talk, work on little projects around the house, read, or spend our time in other pursuits (wink, wink).

When the month was over, we kept the experiment going, only with a couple alterations. The kids now watch a couple of cartoons in the morning, and we catch a game at times (I married a woman who likes watching sports … yep, I’m a lucky man).

We still talk about doing away with the whole thing, and then we come back to the other side and enjoy TV in short bursts. But one thing is for sure – the times we have gone without (or dramatically less) TV, there has been an improvement in the quality of our marriage.
Here’s what we discovered:

1. Get more sleep. I’m a night owl. I would regularly be up until midnight, usually watching TV. Now I find myself in bed reading by 10 or so. I’ve picked up around 2 hours more sleep per night by simply turning off the TV.

2. Talk more. Without the mindlessness of TV in the way, we began taking more, and we already had a relationship where talking to each other is not really a problem. We sit in the living room and talk. Hang out with each other and read. The point is, we connect more.

3. Live life rather than watching others live theirs. This seems to be a growing issue in our world. Reality shows (if you can call them that) are everywhere. This has led to more and more people watching others live rather than getting up off the couch and living themselves. Plan an adventure. Work on things together. Start a business. We have good friends who 8 months ago did away with their TV completely. They are now planning on how they are going to fulfill one of their dreams of living overseas. They head out in a year, with a 5 and 2 year old.

4. Less consumerism, more contentment. Without the constant bombardment of ads and must haves, you really do become more content with what you have. You can then focus on what you need, which isn’t all that much, rather than what other people say you need or want.

5. A better outlook on life. Granted, the world we live in is rough at times, and times are hard currently, but when you disconnect from the mainstream news sources, you’ll probably discover that things are not as bad as they led you to believe. My wife and I have been on a news media fast for 2 years now – and we have no plans of going back.

Post written by Zen Family Habits contributor Corey Allan. Follow him on Twitter.

Ready or not .... 2010

2010-03-07T23:28:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas 2009

2010-03-07T23:07:00.007-07:00

We had been traveling over Christmas the past few years, so since we were going to be home this year we wanted to have a Christmas with all the trimmings! We picked a beautiful tree, decorated the house, invited friends and family to join us and celebrated!

Coco picking our tree

Christmas morning with Grandma and Grandpa Hirschi

Coco being spoiled by uncle devin and Christmas dinner

Surprise!!

2010-03-07T22:55:00.002-07:00

Who knew turning 34 would be so fun!?? My sweet husband some how pulled together an actual surprise birthday party for me. I still have no idea how he did it but I was SURPRISED! He had arranged dear friends, great food, a festive house,babysitter and a very fun party agenda... Seriously so sweet and very organized! I think everyone should experience a surprise party in there lifetime. I will cross it off my list. Thanks Babe!

My birthday was December 10th.. a little late on the post : )

See you soon...

2010-03-07T22:37:00.004-07:00

Goodbye Bali, I will be dreaming of you until we return!

Coco enjoying our last days at the villa

Biking through Ubud

This is the sweet Balinese woman that helped us with Coco while we were there.

Padang Padang

2010-02-09T22:49:00.012-07:00

Padang Padang is just one of the famous surf breaks in Bali, it is also one of the most beautiful and unique beaches. There was no swell the day we went so people were just sunning on the beach and enjoying the calm waters. You have to hike down this crazy narrow stairway through the cliffs to get to the beach. Its a little adventure!

We heard about this new restaurant/bar called the Rock bar at the Ayana resort which happens to be close to Padang Padang. If you have reservations for dinner they will let you go enjoy sunset on their private beach and we took full advantage of that. We ended up going back a second night with Coco because we had such a great time. The perfect place to enjoy a sunset. Beautiful!

The Ayana Resort
Exploring the rocks and cliffs on the private beach

Sunset & the Rock bar at night as we were leaving

Hiking down to Padang Padang through the narrow cliffs

Coco making friends where ever she goes

Back to the Ayana for the second night, perfect place for sunset

Surfing Canggu

2010-02-09T21:56:00.004-07:00

Table with a view?

2010-02-09T21:12:00.010-07:00

We heard this little restaurant had a great view but you would have never known it from the street entrance! We ate lunch and sipped fresh watermelon juice that looked like art itself while watching this hardworking man in bare feet, hand trim the grass/weeds on the terrace to feed his livestock. This man had to be in his mid to late 60's and Ben wanted to see how heavy his baskets were.... probably 50-75 lbs. Impressive.

The REAL Bali...

2009-12-31T14:10:00.020-07:00

I am so behind on our blog but I feel like I have to finish a couple posts about our Bali trip before I can move on!

Ben LOVES riding his mountain bike and he searched high and low to find a tour company or bike company in Bali to take him on a REAL mountain bike ride. There are lots of tour groups claiming to offer bike rides through the "real Bali" but with names like "Happy Bike" offering bikes with baskets on the front, they weren't going to cut it. Ben found a group that had actual mountain bikes and sounded like they had scouted out some amazing single track trails so we decided to give it a shot and were not disappointed! It was one of the coolest things I have done and a highlight of this trip for sure. It took us 1 1/2 hours to get to the starting point, a remote village high up in the mountains, these villagers rarely see tourists and were very interested in who and what we were doing. I was sitting in the truck trying to braid my hair before we started and had 3 villagers right next to my open window watching my every move, all smiles and they would say "hello" (the only english word they knew) every time I looked up. These were not kids, they were grown men and women, native Balinese. We were at around 10,000 feet elevation and it was nice and cool when we started riding. Over the next 4 hours we traversed down these amazing foot paths that have been used for centuries to get from village to village. We rode through fields of flowers grown to be used in the offerings the Balinese make and give several times a day. We rode through the most amazing bamboo forests, the villagers were hard at work harvesting the bamboo to sell for building material. We came upon a group of villagers roasting a pig, they were all sitting around chatting and watching their soon to be feast cook to perfection. We saw women hard at work beating their rice and brushing it onto tarps to dry in the sun. We rode through the rice paddies and watched a group of villagers dressed in there best clothes going to a ceremony at their local temple. These women of all ages were beautiful and carrying a huge assortment of food in amazing arrangements balanced on their heads, again offerings for the ceremony. Our final destination, a serene white sand beach of course.

I won the bet...

2009-12-23T12:58:00.007-07:00

Ben thought Coco would LOVE Santa.... he was wrong. At least not this day!

More Ubud

2009-12-09T23:34:00.008-07:00

Ubud's Dirty Duck Diner... I sampled the specialty. Probaby won't try it again :)
This restaurant is surrounded by rice fields and lotus ponds, beautiful!

Taking a frozen yogurt break on a very hot day in Ubud

Ubud

2009-12-09T22:15:00.012-07:00

Ubud is an amazing town in the middle of the island of Bali. For more than a century, it has been the island’s preeminent centre for fine arts, dance and music. Ubud is arguably the best place to use as a base if you’re visiting Bali; if you’re looking for culture, comfort, nature and inspiration. Ubud is surrounded by most of the things that bring people to Bali – scenic rice fields, small villages, art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces, rivers, cheap accommodation and unique luxury hotels. And it’s central location makes it easy to get from Ubud to the mountains, beaches, and major towns.

I LOVE Ubud. It is really everything I love about Bali. I tried to talk Ben into staying here for a week of our trip but since it's an hour drive to the surf it was a tough sell! So I settled for 3-4 day trips instead.

We took Coco with us this first day and went to the Sacred Monkey Forest. It is an ancient temple in the village of Padangegal. It is really a beautiful forest but I find it a little creepy! There are HUNDREDS of monkeys (long-tailed macaques) running around. Old Grandpa monkeys, brand new baby monkeys, naughty teenage monkeys, so many! The village people sell you a bunch of bananas for a few cents when you enter and you better beware if you are holding them because the monkeys are not shy! They will climb you, look in your bag, take your hat, glasses etc until you give them the food! Ben thinks it's a great game and loves to tease them. When we visited 3 years ago we laughed so hard. This time was similar. I wasn't sure how Coco would react but she felt more like me and wanted to see the monkeys from a distance. Coco was a star here too and we were stopped a few times by some Chinese tourists and Indian tourists that all wanted to take her picture! So funny, but those blue eyes are pretty amazing!

Home Sweet Home

2009-12-09T21:42:00.003-07:00

Yes, we are home and have been for a week now. We flew in at midnight on the 28th and have spent the past week trying to get back on UTAH time. It was probably the most challenging thing about this adventure! Poor Coco was up at 3:00 a.m. running around and WIDE awake for two nights after we got home, wondering why it was dark outside and why we couldn't go play in the wa wa (pool). It is amazing how much she has grown up since we have been gone. She is taller and running around, talking and so much fun!

I am not done posting about our trip, it was just to much to try and do it while we were there. So, expect several more to come...

New surroundings

2009-11-23T06:14:00.011-07:00

Over the past few years the Seminyak area has evolved dramatically catching up with the Kuta and Legian areas and playing host to some of the best boutique shopping and restaurants in Bali, offering a diverse range of products that crosses from artifacts, clothing to gourmet foods. If you enjoy shopping, dining and nightlife Seminyak is now the place to go. As well, Seminyak is becoming well known for a number of luxurious holiday villas. The Seminyak beach is now also popular amongst surfers looking for a less crowded area to surf and to enjoy the sun drench beach. A quieter more relax area, Seminyak is charming and quite chic.

Coco and I walking to the beach

Ben and Coco walking down the banana tree lined villa entrance

Lunch!

Ben enjoying a drink of blended avocado and chocolate... me, enjoying a beach pedicure from a couple of very persistent sales women!

Manta Point

2009-11-23T05:45:00.008-07:00

Despite having a caught a little tropical cold, we booked a dive trip and hoped for the best. Last time we were here we went diving twice and both times the dives were just OK, nothing spectacular. This time we totally lucked out! There were just 2 other divers with us and we were able to go over toward one of the little islands surrounding Bali. We dove just off the coast of Nusa Penida in Crystal Bay. This area is know to see the Mula Mula or Sun fish and has a lot of beautiful soft coral and lots of fish on a steep reef wall. The dive was nice and warm and very relaxing. They anchored the boat just off shore and we were able to swim into a secluded beach to eat lunch and relax before the drive to the second dive spot. The second dive was going to be at Manta Point. Obviously by it's name you can probably guess what we were looking for here, we were hoping to see a Manta Ray feeding on the plankton. After a beautiful 30 min ride to the dive site, we were right off a rocky shoreline and were told to only go down about 7 to 10 meters. We were following the dive master and swimming toward the coastline when out of the dark I saw the first Manta. Wow! It was incredible and a little creepy. All of the sudden they were everywhere! Swimming above, below and all around us. They were very big, the smallest one probably had a 10 foot wingspan and the largest, maybe 16 feet. They were very graceful for being such a large animals, were were all in awe. My sinuses were hurting from having a cold so I surfaced and let the rest of the divers finish without me. When I got back to the boat I could see the Manta Ray's from the surface and if I had seen that before I may have been to freaked out to dive. They were just so big and dark! Even for Ben who has been on hundreds, maybe thousands of dives, this one was special. I posted two videos, the first one is from the dive company that we went with and is a good example of what we experienced, the second is Ben's amature video of the boat ride back.

Eat, Pray, Love

2009-11-19T20:58:00.002-07:00

We were excited to hear that Julia Roberts is here filming the Bali scenes for the movie version of Eat, Pray, Love. I absolutely loved this book and would call it a very entertaining must read! We have seen her security a few times but no sightings of her yet..

Bali Fun Facts

2009-11-19T20:13:00.002-07:00

Population: 3,151,000
Average Winter Temperature: 80° F
Average Summer Temperature: 80 °F
Most Precipitation: 28 inches
Highest point: Mount Agung at 10,308 feet
Bali is one of 17,508 islands that make up Indonesia
The island of Bali is home to six volcanoes and lies on two tectonic plates
There are more temples than there are homes
More than 80% of population in Bali are Hindu

In Bali there are spa's everywhere. You can get an hour massage for between $4-$18 dollars depending on how fancy the spa is. If you aren't taking advantage of that on a daily basis you are crazy!

Goodbye Jimbaran

2009-11-19T19:37:00.004-07:00

Day 5 we say goodbye to Jimbaran bay and the very friendly staff at our villa. Heading a bit north to Villa Blubambu, our home for the remainder of our stay. This villa is in the hip metropolitan area called Seminyak.

Into the groove

2009-11-19T06:23:00.015-07:00

Finally by day four we are feeling pretty good and adjusting to all the new sights, sounds and smells! Ben has been surfing everyday and since we are staying at the south end of the island we wanted to take advantage of a couple of the surf/beach spots that are close. Uluwatu is a beautiful small white sand beach with a famous wave that breaks on the reef that can be easily seen from the beach. You park at the top of a 200 foot cliff and walk down these crazy paths they have built into the rock. There are warungs and little shops along the way, its pretty cool. Climbing down with a baby was interesting but once you get down to the beach it is so worth it!

Have I mentioned that traveling around Bali with Coco is like being with a celebrity?? We get stopped and surrounded by Balinese people, both men and women, all of them wanting to hold her and ask about her. They love babies here very much and Coco ham's it up when she is getting attention like that. She smiles and says "hi" to everyone. It is really cute, she is definitely not shy.

Coco and her fan club :)

That night we went back up to Uluwatu, this time to the temple to see the famous Kecak and Fire Dance. This temple is one of the most famous and spectacularly placed temples in Bali. It was built in the 10th century and stands atop a sheer cliff rising 200 feet above the Indian Ocean. It commands an amazing view of the ocean breaking against the base of the cliffs below, and a totally unforgettable sunset. At night they perform this special dance, they are basically acting out the Hindu Ramayana epic story. There are no instruments used, instead there are about 30 bare chested men sitting in a circle chanting, almost beat-boxing. It is trance-inducing and very cool. Coco was enthralled along with the rest of us. She watched the entire show and didn't even get scared when the bad guys came out with their crazy masks or when they started kicking around the fire and ash. It was so much fun and very entertaining.

Official Tourist Activity

2009-11-18T07:04:00.005-07:00

Day three we still wake up at the crack of dawn and are all ready for a nap by 8:00 a.m.! We decided to get one really touristy (is that a word) activity out of the way and go to the Bali Safari Park. It was actually really fun, they had a baby orangutan and baby tigers there. You could actually hold both and have your pictures taken with them for a fee. It was good to venture out a bit and see more of the island.

Things I had forgotten about Bali:

How crazy HOT it is here

How wonderfully kind and sweet the Bali people are

How many scooters there are and how crazy the traffic can be

What the rains are like... total DOWNPOUR

Mosquitoes :(

Time change...

2009-11-17T06:34:00.005-07:00

So as I'm typing this it is 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday here in Bali and 6:35 a.m. on Tuesday in Utah. That is a HUGE time difference especially for a 14 month old to figure out. It did take us a good 3-4 days to really adjust. The first night we (well Coco followed by Ben and I) were up at 3:30 a.m. looking at each other wondering what to do until the sun came up! We decided to walk down to the fish market since it opens at sunrise. What a site! So many interesting fish and people.
For the first 4 days we were staying in Jimbaran Bay, a beautiful community set in a small bay on the very south end of the island. Several of the fancy hotels are located here (Four Seasons etc.) taking advantage of the beautiful white sand beaches, calm water and great fresh seafood. Jimbaran is actually know for the fishing and seafood restaurants on the beach. There are probably 50-100 warung's ( local cafe, usually family owned and operated) set up along the beach with tables right on the sand. They have all kinds of live fish, crab, lobster, shrimp etc inside the cafe. They have you choose the actual fish you want before they cook it up for you & serve you ocean side. Its such a perfect set up to enjoy sunset and dinner and a great place for us to ease into Bali (if that's possible)!

Pool time after dinner... Trying to cool off!

Walking on water

Whirlwind Adventure!

2009-11-17T05:22:00.010-07:00

Venturing down to the beach to catch sunset on the day we arrived

Sorry I have taken so long to post anything!! It has been a crazy first week full of all kinds of adventures for our little family. First things first, the flights were better than I was expecting... Our itineary was SLC-San Fran (2 hrs) depart 9:30 p.m. San Fran-Taipei (16 hrs) depart at 12:05 a.m. Taipei-Bali (5.5 hrs) depart at 9:30 a.m. Arrive in Bali 2:30 p.m. Saturday the 7th. We almost had to post-pone our trip when Ben realized the day before we were supposed to be leaving that his passport was going to expire in January 2010! They won't even let you on the flight, let alone into Indonesia unless you have 6 months or more left on your passport. We were both in a panic and Ben ended up taking the first flight out in the morning to San Fran and was at the passport office when it opened to beg for a rush passport renewal so we could catch our midnight flight. Well, anyone that knows Ben knows he can talk his way into almost anything and this was no exception, he had a new passport in hand by 3:00 p.m. that day! Coco and I jumped on the SLC-San Fran flight alone and meet him at the airport. We were feeling very lucky that it all worked out. Coco stayed awake until we got on the flight in San Fran and then feel fast asleep in her car seat. It was definitely a very long 24 hours of travel but for the most part it was fine & Coco did great.

We arrived on time, with all of our luggage and most importantly our sanity! We were tired but very excited to start our adventure!

Jimbaran Bay Villa

These cute boys were surfing/body boarding on pieces of styrofoam. They were following us yelling "Hello Baby" to Coco :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-04T11:48:00.001-07:00

After all the snow and cold weather in October, Halloween day ended up being a gorgeous and pretty warm fall day. We took our beautiful Snow White down to the Cottonwood Club to meet up with her Witchy cousins for some Halloween fun. Without planning... Grandma Pat, Jodie, Bella, Berkley and I were all Witches! I'm not going to read into that at all! I was the Wicked Witch giving Snow White her poison apple of course! At the Cottonwood Club they put on a fun little carnival complete with games, a few bouncy houses, lunch etc. It was actually really fun, we enjoyed spending a little more time with the Buehners since they were heading back to Costa Rica the next day. We all went over to see Nanna Buehner later in the afternoon & she spoiled Coco with a few fun gifts for the holiday!

Coco carried an apple around with her ALL day!

BALI

2009-11-02T16:07:00.001-07:00

Lapped the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Bali is but one of 17,500 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, yet even among its colorful neighbors-and even after decades of tourism development-it stands alone in its lushness and incomparable beauty. Long, sugary beaches lead inland to hillsides terraced with jewel-green rice paddies; forests dotted with ancient temples abound. These centuries-old shrines-there are thousands scattered across the island-are evidence of Bali’s deep, enduring spirituality. For the island’s three million, mostly Hindu residents, daily routines are punctuated by prayer, blessings, and rituals-and it’s these traditions, even more than the spectacular landscapes, that make Bali such a compelling, authentic, and utterly singular destination.

Counting down the days.... 5 more to be exact!!

2009-10-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

Growing up SOOO fast!

2009-10-23T15:39:00.000-06:00

Coco's 1 year photo's turned out so cute! Since her birthday she has just sprouted. She is walking and talking in both english and spanish and seems to pick up a word or two a day. She is the happiest little girl and we just can't get enough of her! Sorry about posting so many pictures, I really did edit them down but there are so many cute ones and its my blog so you will just have to deal with it :)

Sundance...

2009-10-23T15:35:00.000-06:00

4 YEARS LATER... Happy Anniversary! 10-14-09

2009-10-23T15:05:00.000-06:00

Liquid Nation Ball

2009-10-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

We have attended this charity event 5 of the 6 years it has been in existance. We missed it last year since Coco was born the same weekend! It is an amazing charity and was founded by the brothers that started Reef. It is always fun to mingle with the pro surfers and big wigs that turn out for the event. Thanks to our dear friends the Carlsons for watching Coco so we could attend this year!

Surf Industry Raises Record Amount of Funds for Humanitarian Organizations9/15/2009La Jolla, Calif. (September 15, 2009) – A sold-out crowd of more than 450 surf industry executives, surf stars, and VIPs gathered together on Friday, September 11, 2009, to raise an all time record amount at Liquid Nation Ball 6, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Humanitarian Fund’s annual fundraiser. Over the past six years, the SIMA Humanitarian Fund has raised more than $1.25 million dollars for global medical relief, urban youth outreach, injury prevention and assistance, and health education and awareness. The evening honored Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as the SIMA Humanitarian of the Year as well as raised a record-shattering net amount of more than $270,000, which will go directly to 12 very deserving surf-related humanitarian organizations. “The huge success of this year’s Liquid Nation Ball proves the surf industry’s core values and resiliency when it comes down to reaching out for a better world,” said Fernando Aguerre, Liquid Nation Ball chairman and host. “To not only surpass our 2009 fundraising goal, but to also raise more than we ever have in this tough economic environment, is unbelievable. On behalf of the SIMA Humanitarian Fund and the 12 amazing beneficiaries, I would like to thank all of those who supported Liquid Nation Ball 6. Giving is the key to a full life.” One of the highlights of the night came during the live auction when Aguerre went to auction off Flea’s very own, one-of-a-kind, signature FLEABASS. Flea ran up on stage with his bass and rocked out to the ground in an impromptu performance for the cheering crowd. The bidding war for the bass finally peaked at $16,000. “Anything that I have ever done that is good, that is kind, you know, that is helpful, or gone out of my way to devote a lot of energy to helping other people – it’s just what you’re supposed to do,” explained Flea as he addressed the crowd after receiving his SIMA Humanitarian of the Year award. “And really, I applaud the surf industry this evening for coming together like this and using their energy for the variety of charities they support.” Flea’s Humanitarian of the Year award was presented by pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and Surfers Healing’s Izzy Paskowitz. Well-known as arguably one of the greatest rock bass players of all time, Flea is also known for making his mark on the world through his humanitarian efforts. Flea has a selfless heart, especially for children in need, as demonstrated by his active support and volunteerism for Surfer’s Healing, where he helps autistic children experience the joy and calming effects of the ocean and surfing. In addition to surf-related activities, Flea uses his love of music to benefit children. Flea co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music school providing scholarships and affordable music lessons to children in the community, with Keith Barry in 2001. While classmates at Bancroft Junior High School and Fairfax High School, their involvement in their schools’ music departments impacted them positively. After witnessing the decline in music education at schools, Flea and Keith decided to fill the void by establishing the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. For more information on the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, please visit www.silverlakeconservatory.com. The event, held at the ocean-front home of Aguerre where one of the world’s best private surfboard collections is located, also included a live auction of one-of-a-kind items, dancing, a silent auction sponsored by Riviera Magazine and live music. Always a highlight, the live auction featured items such as a “Portal” surfboard sculpture shaped by Greg and Jed Noll, which was auctioned off for $22,500. A private dinning experience for 10 by Zenbu Sushi was bid on so competitively, that the package was doubled creating two winners for $13,000 each. The “Evolution of Boardsports,” a compilation display of miniature boards done by master modeler Malcolm Wilson, was also a popular item on the auction floor, resulting in two packages being sold for $15,000 each. As has been the tradition for the past five years, the bidding at Liquid Nation Ball 6 concluded with Aguerre auctioning off his pants and shirt - which this year were tiger print pants and a Jean Paul Gautier velvet shirt - which he sold for the sake of humanity. In addition to money raised during the live auction, earlier that day at the ASR trade show, the Billabong Art of Shaping auctioned off boards that raised a net amount of $36,000 with proceeds going directly to the SIMA Humanitarian Fund. Liquid Nation Ball was originally created by Santiago and Fernando Aguerre to support the humanitarian efforts of SurfAid. In 2006 the brothers donated the Ball to the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. The event now serves as the official fundraising event for the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, and continues to be presided over by Fernando Aguerre. All proceeds from Liquid Nation Ball 6 will benefit 12 surf-related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations selected by the SIMA Humanitarian Fund Board of Directors for their efforts focusing on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people. The 2009 Liquid Nation Ball beneficiaries include Keep a Breast, Boarding for Breast Cancer, Surfer’s Healing, Jimmy Miller Foundation, AccesSurf Hawaii, Outdoor Outreach, Stoked Mentoring, Life Rolls On, Mauli Ola Foundation, Project Wipeout, SurfAid International and the Sumba Foundation. For more information on Liquid Nation Ball or the beneficiaries, please visit www.liquid-nation.com.

First Steps

2009-10-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

Coco started walking a few weeks ago. This was on 9/26/09. She is getting really good I will have to post a new one soon to show the progress!! To cute!

San Diego

2009-10-01T13:47:00.000-06:00

Sun

sand

1 cheerio and a handful of sand

bikes on the boardwalk

sunsets

good friends

laughter

frozen yogurt

San Diego

Laguna

Balboa

Coronado

surf

So Much Fun!

Turning 1...

2009-09-21T15:31:00.000-06:00

Reflecting on a year gone by can be quite eye opening. My pregnancy with Coco was easy, until the day I stopped by the hospital for a quick test before going to the gym & was admitted 15 minutes later.... I was in labor and was contracting every 2-3 minutes! What! How could I not know... Well, I think somewhere in my subconscious I did know that something was wrong. I was getting nudges from angels to get some help before this little baby was born WAY too early. Too many things fell into place too easily to protect this baby for it to be a coincidence. That week I spent in the hospital, doing all we could to convince this beautiful baby to stay put changed me. I couldn't grasp the seriousness of having a preemie since this was my first baby but now looking back, I know how blessed we are to have dodged that bullet. During that week I felt angels around us, we were being taken care of. My parents had been planning to spend the 4th of July holiday with us in Park City, so I was lucky to have them there while I was in the hospital. My dad was able to give me a blessing, a very special blessing. I knew we would be ok. After a touch and go couple of days I was released 7 days after being admitted and sent home on bed rest.... my worst nightmare! But, I would do anything to have a healthy baby. I was able to carry her full term and she was born on September 4th 2008 in the afternoon. She surprised us in so many ways, wanting to come early then going full term, being a GIRL (Ben and I were convinced we were having a boy but were waiting to find out), those big blue eyes... Reflecting back to that experience makes me realize again how blessed we are to have such a sweet, beautiful, healthy baby and such a great family that loves and supports us.

We LOVE you Coco!! Happy Birthday sweet girl.

We had a fun party for Coco on September 5th at the Hi-Ute Cabin. My Parents, brothers and sister Kami and her kids were able to come down to celebrate with us. We were also so excited to have Ben's sister Sara and her family surprise us by making the drive from their new home in Boise to help us celebrate. Grandma's and Grandpa's, Aunties and lots of cousins along with a few great friends. Thanks for joining us for the fun! Coco loved every minute of all the attention!

The Carlsons

Coco with her Grandpa's and pushing her friend Saylor in her new wagon..

Getting ready for her CAKE!

August Evenings...

2009-09-21T14:43:00.000-06:00

Steph's Wedding

2009-09-21T14:00:00.001-06:00

My sister Stephanie married Cameron Orr on August 15th. They had a very beautiful wedding at the Rim River Ranch in Teton Valley. The location was ideal, it was only a 15 minute drive from my parents house and the views of the Tetons were amazing. This is a Greg Norman signature golf course and residential community. The wedding and reception were held at the beautiful overlook lodge. The morning and afternoon were cool but sunny and they were able to make it through the entire ceremony before the rain & thunder came in. It was actually really amazing to watch the storm roll in through the ceremony and made for some pretty spectacular pictures. Steph looked Gorgeous! We were just glad she was feeling good since she was in the hospital with a mysterious illness only days before. It was nice to see a lot of people from my childhood and spend time with my family. When we were driving back to my parents that night there was a full rainbow in the sky. I took that was a good omen for the days events :)

Mommys little helper..

2009-09-03T14:36:00.001-06:00

Buehners in Utah!!

2009-08-26T17:22:00.000-06:00

It was a pretty quick weekend get together but a whirlwind none the less! Lagoon, lake day, time at the ranch, Park City dinners... I only have a couple pictures since I didn't have my camera but here are a few... Always so much fun to spend time together!

Ancestors?

2009-08-26T17:12:00.000-06:00

We found this old family photo the other day. It was so fun to see the resemblance in our relatives from the old west...

Schwendiman Family Reunion: July 31-Aug 2

2009-08-26T14:08:00.000-06:00

It is definitely a family tradition for us! This year we rented the Squirrel Creek Ranch just outside of Ashton Idaho, on the way to Island Park. It was a lot of fun to see everyone, especially the kids. We did have a pretty good turn out but missed the ones who weren't able to make it this year!
We went a day early and spent the night at the cabin on Henry's. Coco had fun climbing the stairs and exploring new territiory! Ben was able to paddle on the lake and almost got blown away. At one point I was on the deck frantically searching the lake for Ben after I realized the wind had picked up (it was blowing so hard the patio furniture was getting turned over) I was holding Coco and saying "where's daddy" and everytime I said that she would say "ah ohhh" If I wasn't so worried about Ben it would have been pretty funny! He ended up getting to shore and walked back with his board & paddle on his head and bare feet. Crazy guy! Squirrel Creek is really close to the southwest corner of yellowstone and Cave Falls. I went to girls camp just a few miles from her as well. It is a really beautiful area, we were able to hike around Cave Falls and up to Bechler Falls, the trail goes right along the river. It was an easy hike but really cool. We will look forward to getting together next year!

10 months old & full of mischief already!

2009-08-19T22:02:00.000-06:00

Summer at the Hi-Ute...

2009-08-19T21:44:00.000-06:00

Fun night spent at the beautiful Hi-Ute with the Harts! Aren't their boys the cutest things ever??

Coco & Bean Dog

2009-07-27T22:28:00.000-06:00

Ahh Ohhh!

2009-07-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

Warning! This is very high pitched... she was on one that morning :)

DAISIES!

2009-07-26T22:24:00.000-06:00

SUP 4th of July

2009-07-26T21:52:00.001-06:00

We had a fun 4th in Park City this year. We rode our bikes into main street to watch the parade and take part in all the festivites at the park. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that part of the day but Coco was hilarious and loved to clap and yell at the funny people on the floats. Then we headed to the lake to meet up with a bunch of our friends. We bbq'd and took the stand up's out. Everyone got a turn including Coco and Bean! Ben is really into stand up paddling lately and we have seemed to aquire a BUNCH of boards.... I don't know how he sneaks these huge 11 ft long surf boards into the garage but somehow he does : )
Good Times...Good Friends.

Read me a Story...

2009-07-09T19:17:00.000-06:00

Coco's new favorite place to hang out while I put away her laundry... She LOVES books. So cute.

Playground Time and Cheers...

2009-06-29T16:36:00.000-06:00

Sorry! We're new parents and we think everything is sooo cute! These are mostly for the Grandparents... She is pretty cute though...

Hiking, Biking Zion Style. Happy Father's Day.

2009-06-29T13:20:00.000-06:00

Ben said what he wanted for Father's Day was an active weekend together...for those of you who know Ben, you know how dangerous that can be for me! :-) Luckily, I escaped with only a few bruises. We actually had a great weekend, we both love Zion's and the weather actually cooperated for once. We biked the Gooseberry Mesa (well, I mostly walked my bike) and then rested for a couple hours and headed to Angels Landing. We made it to the top in 45 minutes and caught the sunset. It was beautiful. We woke up the next morning and hiked the narrows. Besides missing Coco like crazy, we had a pretty perfect couple of days... Happy Father's Day!

Fish Face :)

2009-06-29T12:49:00.000-06:00

Just one of the funny faces this little girl makes!

Pool Time

2009-06-29T12:39:00.000-06:00

We have finally been able to go to the pool a couple of times! Yeah! Coco loves it, of course... We have been battling a pretty bad case of eczema too, so I was a little worried that the pool would make it worse but it has actually helped a little. She is such a happy baby, we are so lucky. I love summer!

9 months = Crawling

2009-06-11T10:23:00.000-06:00

It finally happened. Coco turned 9 months old and she figured out how to crawl! She has been moving around in every way but the traditional crawl for the past month but she was having a hard time figuring out how to go forward. She is so cute! She is using her foot to push her along but at least she's going forward! We had to take her downstairs to practice because the hardwood upstairs is a little tough on her knees...

Her 9 month appointment went good but she is still a little runt. She only weighs 15 lbs 10 oz and is in the 5th percentile for weight. She is a good eater so I guess it must be in the genes. My Grandma Schwendiman told me that my Aunt Wendy only weighed 32 pounds when she started 1st grade!

This is such a fun age and she is learning all kinds of new tricks. She plays peek a boo all by herself and is constantly hiding her eyes and waiting for someone to say "where's Coco". She recently learned how to clap and has been waving bye bye on command for the past 3 weeks. I need to get those tricks on film too.. Stay tuned.

Island Park

2009-06-08T12:49:00.000-06:00

We spent last weekend celebrating my dad's 60th birthday. It was really fun to get together with my entire family at the cabin on Henry's. Steph put together a really cool slideshow of pictures from my dad's life so far, including dating my mom back in high school. It was really fun to watch and made us laugh and cry. Coco got lots of attention from everyone...cousins, aunts & uncle's and grandparents too! She was in heaven. Ben and I were able to go on a couple of rides while grandma watched Coco. It is so nice to be able to leave her with someone you trust so much! Thanks grandma! We also stopped in Jackson on the way to Island Park and Ben and Coco posed under the antler's. They are getting really good at their little balancing trick. Besides a few mosquito bites it was a perfect weekend!

Love this...

2009-06-03T13:57:00.001-06:00

You have probably all seen this already but I love it and thought I would post it anyway...

Summer is here!

2009-05-20T16:24:00.000-06:00

We have finally had a few great days in a row... I think I can say that summer is officially here! We went up to the Hi-Ute on Sunday for a little hike. It is so beautiful up there right now and there is a ton of water flowing, the waterfalls are amazing, the pictures don't do it justice.

Loves

2009-05-20T16:15:00.000-06:00

Aunt Jodie made a quick trip to Utah and we were lucky enough to see her for a little bit. Coco was so excited and gave her a big love. She doesn't do that very often so she must have missed her!

This picture is from Mother's Day. I thought it was so cute because you can see Ben grinning from ear to ear trying to get Coco to smile. Cute. You can also see the beautiful Lily's that Ben got me in the background...

Mothers Day

2009-05-11T13:21:00.001-06:00

My first Mother's Day... It was so special. Ben really put some effort into making it a very nice day. He had a beautiful bouque of Lily's for me and surprised me and his mom with reservations for brunch at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. We spent a good two hours trying everything they had to offer... Strawberry Crepes to crab legs, creme brulee to prime rib. It was awesome! Coco had fun too and was able to try a few things from the buffet as well. She was a big girl and sat in the high chair at the table the whole two hours. A couple hours after brunch I was able to go on a mountain bike ride with my brother Devin and burn a few extra calories I aquired from the dessert table : ). When I got home Ben, Coco and I planted a few more flowers together and then finished the night with a candlelit bubble bath, again a surprise from Ben. It was a perfect day. Thanks sweets, I love you.

Happy Mother's day to my mom too! Thank you for being such a good mother to me and a wonderful Grandmother to Coco. We love you! I hope all the mothers in my life had a great day and were spoiled by their families. You all deserve it!

I know I haven't been a very good blogger lately but I will try and post a little more often. I have a couple of videos from this weekend that I can share for now...

Cutest Baby Award?

2009-04-16T15:44:00.000-06:00

She was such a good girl at the photo shoot... These are just a few of my favorite, she took so many cute ones!

Daddy, do you miss me??

2009-04-14T20:50:00.001-06:00

7 Months old...

2009-04-04T14:19:00.000-06:00

Coco is 7 months old today... It makes me so happy and a little sad. She is growing up! She is such an absolute joy to have around and is such a good baby. Every baby sitter that I have had watch her (yes I have had a few! hoping to solve that problem soon) tells me how much fun she is and how easy it is to take care of her. She is finally growing a little more & she LOVES her baby food. She is a power eater... I will try to take a video to post because its hilarious! She opens her mouth as wide as it will possibly go between bites and if you are not shoveling the food in at her pace she gets mad. She loves all vegtables but isn't so thrilled about most fruits. Almost every fruit I have had her try makes her gag... weird. Hopefully she grows out of that soon. She is trying to crawl, I don't think it will be long until she figures it out. She loves to hold onto your fingers and stand herself up. She is so pround of herself after that trick, its pretty cute. She says Mama and bahbah, I am trying to get her to say dada before Ben gets home... We'll see if she cooperates!

Costa Rica Traverse...

2009-04-04T13:52:00.000-06:00

An adventure high on the wish list of active adventurers keen to take on the challenge of traversing Costa Rica under their own steam. Our crossing takes us on bike, foot, raft and kayak across this spectacular natural wilderness through farmlands, foothills and mountainous regions reaching the peaks of the Central Highlands. The trails are often slippery and poorly defined, with several river crossings. We encounter indigenous settlements deep in the cloud forest and hope to glimpse rare wildlife and birdlife in this pristine tropical rainforest. The views and terrain vary greatly as we traverse the mountainous backbone of Costa Rica, which culminates in a trek to 'The Hidden Valleys' above the Pacuare River. The Pacuare is one of the world's classic whitewater experiences, where we undertake an exhilarating rafting trip with class 2-5 rapids through a series of spectacular canyons. In between the powerful rapids there is time to absorb your superb surroundings and the tropical rainforest. We leave the rapids and gorges behind as we ease our way by sea kayak along a much slower moving section of the river, through banana plantations to our final goal, the Caribbean coast.

Yep.. We dropped Ben off at the airport on Monday and to be honest, I couldn't hold back the tears. I have dropped him of at the airport for all kinds of adventures but when it came down to him actually leaving on this one we were both pretty emotional. Leaving Coco and me for 18 days was hitting him pretty hard. But...its been a few days and he is now hikeing, bikeing, etc his way from one ocean to the other. This is a trip he has wanted to do for a while and I am glad he got to actually go! We are missing him like crazy and I now have had a taste of how it feels to be a single working mom... Wow! Its tough! I have a new found respect for those women. 6 days down... a lot more to go.

I took a few pictures of Ben and Coco before we left for the airport... We miss you Daddy!

Coco Bean

2009-03-24T15:26:00.001-06:00

How funny! My sister Steph just told me about this cafe that is named after Coco (not really but it could be!)

And it's in...of all places... Rexburg, ID. Click the link to check out "The Cocoa Bean Cafe"

http://www.thecocoabeancupcakecafe.blogspot.com/

Random tidbits...

2009-03-20T11:41:00.001-06:00

Whats going on in our world....

spending time together..
working..
spring fever..
avoiding catching colds..
watching the snow melt..
lots of movies at home..
kombucha tea..
hoping to find a good sitter for Coco..
nervous about Bens big trip..
missing family..
laughing at goofy Coco..
getting more sleep at night..
being surprised by a new fancy camera from my sweet husband..
more yoga..
avoiding negative energy..
watching Coco grow (13lbs 5 oz)
walks..
sunshine..
dreaming about Bali..
needing a massage..

Update coming soon...

2009-03-18T14:37:00.001-06:00

Be Maui Valentine

2009-03-06T12:20:00.001-07:00

Valentine’s Day was very special for us this year. Being in such a beautiful, peaceful place with the two people that I love the very most is more than anyone could ask for. We were also able to spend some quality time with a couple of great friends, the Harts, they were able to join us for a few days, as well as Ben’s dad Paul & Pat. Coco got some great bonding time with her Grandpa… He took her for walks on the beach and for a little dip in the ocean, Ben said he was a little jealous when we came back to the house one day to find Coco asleep on her Grandpa’s chest, she hasn’t done that since she was tiny.

Coco LOVED Maui…(of course! Who doesn’t) I don’t know if it was the ocean breeze or what but she had a little growth spurt while we were there. By the time we left to come home she had her first 2 teeth coming through, learned to sit up all by herself and was saying ma ma ma ma! She is seriously SO cute! She is still really petite so it just makes all the new things she does so much more fun because she seriously looks like a little doll.

I hope you all were able to spend time with those you love and told them that you love them! Click on the picture below to see a few pics of our trip…

View PhotatoBug Slideshow

Coco & Max, a playdate...

2009-02-06T11:05:00.001-07:00

Right before this picture Coco grabed Max's binkie
out of his mouth!

Coco is so good at sharing. She let Max suck

on her favorite toy... her FINGERS!

Coco practicing her "Blue Steel" pose

Fun playdate with Coco's friend Max. They are

1 month apart. Coco just turned 5 months and Max

is 4 months. Sweet...

Best friend

2009-01-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day. Its the day that my sweet husband and best friend was born. I am so grateful to have found such an amazing partner to go through life with. We have such a blessed and fun life and Ben makes sure we always have something exciting to look forward to. He has always supported me in my career, to stay healthy and in shape, to challenge myself in so many other ways. He has opened my world to lots of new things and we do them TOGETHER! He doesn't leave me behind if I can't ride as fast as him on a mountain bike, or if I want to descend a little slower if we are scuba diving. He tells me he knows I can do it and pushes me out in the ocean on a 12 foot stand up paddle board when my heart is racing and I'm not sure that I want to go... We feel the same excitement when we get on a plane bound for a new destination that we have never been to before. I love his enthusiasm for life and for the energy he brings into our home. My love for him grows deeper when he sings a silly song to our baby girl, smooches her and so obviously melts when she smiles and coo's at him. I love him for being such a good papa. He is so much more than a husband to me. I love you Ben. Happy Birthday.

Bamboo Forest Hike Maui, HI

Guiones beach, Costa Rica

Makena, Maui, HI

Island Park, ID

Wedding Day Makena, Maui, HI

Venice, Italy

New Years Eve Bangkok, Thailand

Bali, Indonesia

Angels Landing, Zions

Scuba Diving, Fiji

Fishing, Namotu Fiji

Sea Kayaking, San Juan Islands

Sky Diving, North Shore Oahu, HI

Top of Ajax Mountain, Aspen Colorado

New York, New York

Portofino, Italy

Coco 4 months old

2009-01-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Coco is actually almost 5 months now but I didn't post any pictures at her 4 month mark... I guess Costa Rica pics were close to when she turned 4 months but anyway I thought I would post a couple more. She is still pretty small for her age she was only in the 25th percentile for height and head size and 5th percentile for weight. She is gaining a little more now and we are taking her in at 5 months for a weight check just to be sure but she is so happy healthy and alert. She is just like a real life doll! We are having so much fun... She still doesn't have much hair, except for the long patch in the back that she was born with LOL! Ben's friends tease her that he gave her his hair cut... She is laughing and always smiles at her parents and pretty much anyone else that smiles at her. She can roll over, does lots of tummy time and is really strong, I swear her eyelashes grow longer everyday. She loves to read books and play with her toys. She smiles and giggles when I change her diaper, even at 3:00 in the morning! We will have to post some video of her giggling soon...

Blessing Day

2009-01-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

We finally got it together and were able to bless Coco the first weekend in January... We had tried to do it after Thanksgiving but it just didn't come together. Very last minute my parents offered to come to Utah, we were also able to get Ben's friends Beau and Schaffor and Uncle David to come as well. My dad blessed her. It was a very beautiful day and she was an angel in her little white dress that fit her perfectly. She is pretty small for her age so it worked out to have waited a few months, at least for the dress! Thanks again to all of you who took time out of your Saturday to support us and a special thank you to my dad Neil for blessing our baby girl...

We were also finally able to meet Beau and Courtney's new baby girl Saylor Blue. I'm sure she and Coco will be dear friends. She is beautiful and it was so fun to finally meet her.

Snow Baby

2009-01-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Being born to parents living in Park City, Coco is learning quickly to be a snow baby... Coco and Ben love to go on walks together and she can still fit inside his coat, nice and cozy! We took her out cross country skiing with us when our friends Zach and Erin were in town. She got to ride in the chariot while her dad pulled her. She was in heaven! I haven't gotten brave enough to hook the chariot up to me yet!

Christmas in Costa Rica... Seems like so long ago!

2009-01-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been so long since I have posted an update! Time is seriously flying by. We have done a lot since the last post in mid December. Christmas in Costa Rica was amazing. Lots of family time and enjoying the sunshine. It was really fun to show Coco off to the rest of the family that hadn't meet her yet. She got LOTS of attention! We missed my family on Christmas and will hopefully make it up to Idaho in the next little bit to see everyone. Here are a few photos of our trip.

NO EXCUSES!!

2009-01-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

I promise I am going to update our blog SOON!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-18T14:45:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

2008-12-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

December 7th and still no snow! We went on a quick hike in Thaynes Canyon (right next to Park City mountain) on Sunday. It was 40+ degrees and very bare. Everyone in Park City is praying it will snow soon!

She gets it all from her DAD!

2008-12-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Coco showing a little attitude after a long Thanksgiving day!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. It was the first time we had an actual Thanksgiving dinner at our house and I was so grateful that both my mom and Grandma were there to help out in the kitchen! We had a really fun day together it was so nice to have everyone there. Coco kept her 3 grandmothers (Hirschi, Buehner, Schwendiman) occupied by taking turns holding her. We ate dinner and then played some fun games. Coco puts her hands on her head when she gets tired or frustrated, it is so funny, we were talking about her doing that when we looked over and she was giving us a finger gesture. I guess she didn't like us talking about her. It was hilarious! She takes after her dad for sure!

Mark Schwendiman 1921-2008

2008-12-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Mark Schwendiman, 87, died Nov. 18, 2008, surrounded by his loving family. Mark was born Sept. 8, 1921, in Newdale the son of John and Emma Lanz Schwendiman. He grew up in the Newdale area, graduating from Sugar-Salem High School. He also attended Ag. School in Logan, Utah. Mark served his first LDS mission to the Western States Mission from 1941 to 1943. During WWII he served on the front lines in Germany. He was a prisoner of war for a short time and received the Silver and Bronze Stars. Mark married Ellen Louise Clark on Sept. 25, 1946, in the Salt Lake Temple. They made their home in Newdale where they raised their children. He was active in the LDS Church serving in many positions over the years. He and his wife served two missions, one in Nauvoo and one in Salt Lake City. He also did genealogy name extractions for 20 years until his eye sight failed. He enjoyed farming and served on the Madison Co-op board for 18 years. He was a devoted husband and father and enjoyed playing games with his family and watching sports. He is revered and loved as an example of faith, patriotism and service. He is survived by his wife, Louise; children Loretta (Brent) Peterson of Hurricane, Utah, Kathryn (Neil) Hirschi of Newdale, Ilene (David) Lewis of Murray, Utah, Larry (Suzanne) Schwendiman of Clovis, Calif. and Wendy (Trent) Twiggs of Phoenix, Ariz.; 22 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by three brothers, Alvin, Glenn and John L. Schwendiman; one sister, Milda Smith; one son, Mark Lynn; a daughter, Ellen Huskinson, and two grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, at 10 a.m. in the Newdale LDS Ward chapel with Bishop Larid Robinson officiating. Friends may call at the Newdale LDS church Friday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and again Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of services. Burial will be in the Teton-Newdale Cemetery where Military rites will be performed by the Madison Co. Burial Team. Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.bidwellfuneralhome.com/. The family wishes to thank Homestead Assisted Living and Hospice Alliance for their help and good care.

We are all going to miss Grandpa Schwendiman so much. It was such a privilage to get to grow up next door to my Grandparents. My grandpa was the ultimate teach by example kind of person. He was such a hard worker and loved and provided for his family. I learned so much from him. A few weeks before he passed away I was able to take Coco up to Newdale to see him and my family. We were celebrating my Grandma Schwendiman's 80th birthday. I am so glad that he was able to meet Coco and that we were able to get a few pictures.

Life, Love & Laughter

4 months old

3 months old

Silver King Coffee Co

2 weeks old...

Forks Over Knives

Family Time..

New Cousins

1st day home.. 4 lbs 8 oz

My baby brother...

Blessings from heaven..

Happy Girl...

Almost 2...

I'm 2!

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

Catch up!!

Catalina*NewPort*Balboa

a little getaway...a little work..

COMMITMENT

Surfing...

Easter in Zion

Coco... 18 months

Presidents Weekend

Coco Rica

Turn off the TV and Improve Married Life

Ready or not .... 2010

Merry Christmas 2009

Surprise!!

See you soon...

Padang Padang

Surfing Canggu

Table with a view?

The REAL Bali...

I won the bet...

More Ubud

Ubud

Home Sweet Home

New surroundings

Manta Point

Eat, Pray, Love

Bali Fun Facts

Goodbye Jimbaran

Into the groove

Official Tourist Activity

Time change...

Whirlwind Adventure!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

BALI

Counting down the days.... 5 more to be exact!!

Growing up SOOO fast!

Sundance...

4 YEARS LATER... Happy Anniversary! 10-14-09

Liquid Nation Ball

First Steps

San Diego

Turning 1...

August Evenings...

Steph's Wedding

Mommys little helper..

Buehners in Utah!!

Ancestors?

Schwendiman Family Reunion: July 31-Aug 2

10 months old & full of mischief already!

Summer at the Hi-Ute...

Coco & Bean Dog

Ahh Ohhh!

DAISIES!

SUP 4th of July

Read me a Story...

Playground Time and Cheers...

Hiking, Biking Zion Style. Happy Father's Day.

Fish Face :)

Pool Time

9 months = Crawling

Island Park

Love this...

Summer is here!

Loves

CatalinaNewPortBalboa