Squamish - The Land of Scrapes and Bruises

Over Memorial Weekend, Nick and I took a trip to Squamish, BC. For those of you unfamiliar with said recreational heaven...keep your eyes peeled during your next trip to Whistler. It is a beautiful little town filled with hundreds of miles of single track biking, various hiking trails and of course about a ba-zillion rock climbing routes. You know you are in Squamish when you see "Big Chief "...a HUGE wall of granite begging to be climbed upon (I leave that to the professionals and just sit in awe of the massiveness and scariness of such a big rock).
Our main goal was to explore the bike trails and enjoy each other's company. I am proud to say we accomplished both tasks! After 2 days of vigorous riding (not to mention pushing our bikes UP black diamond trails - dang those maps are hard to read) and total body exhaustion (ummmm, black diamond trials are meant to be ridden DOWN, not hiked up with bikes on shoulders) we were pleased with our new little recreation heaven. We plan on returning to further explore the trails and even get a little chalky, climbing on some rock.

Unfortunately, we sucked it up when it came to taking photos this time around, but I would like to share what we have:

We camped at Alice Lake...a pristine and quiet campground, perfect for us. But prepare yourselves; flushing toilets are not a commodity.

Every one in Squamish seemed to ride bikes...from people with HUGE rigs with 6 bikes in the back to oh so cute smart car.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Nick and I are part of a Monday night couple's group. Six of us couples gather together once a week at alternating homes and read through various books based on enriching our marriage and growing closer to God as a couple. It is an awesome time to gather in fellowship and learn. When we are in transition from finishing one book and choosing another, we usually use one Monday inbetween to play a little. In the past, board games have been busted out...dinners have taken place. But this time, in honor of Mindy and Brian's birthday, Cinco De Mayo and the sunny May weather...we took our gathering outside for a little healthy competion in a photo scavenger hunt. We invited a few close friends to gather with us, split up into three teams and attempted to finish the list in half an hour. I thought it would be fun to share a few of the creative (and rediculous) shots that came about from our little game.

Photo #1: Make yourselves appear really small

Team #1 Tiny, tiny people.


Team #2 Jason definatley takes the cake for being the smallest looking.

Team #3 Now, that is a creative shot!

A few honorable mention shots:


Photo: "Picture with someone in a uniform"

Photo: "Being public art"

Photo: "Reflection"

Photo: "Posing for a catalog"

Photo#2: "Photo with an animal"



Team #1 - Is he actually touching that thing?



Team #2 - Can you see the fear in her eyes...he's about to snap your head off!

Team #3 - the things people do to win a game...

Photo #3: "Can you find us?"

Team #1 Behind the fense...tricky, tricky.

Team #2 Is that a finger I see at the top of the bush?

Team #3 They are behind the fense too...a ploy of distraction taking place.

Malibu Tool & Tackle 2008

Last week, Nick, Ami, Matt, Dad, Uncle Paul, Aunt Bettina and I headed up to a Young Life Camp in Canada called Malibu for a week of working, eating, fellowship, eating, recreating and did I mention eating? Tool & Tackle has been around for years...volunteers spending a week of their lives each year to de-winterize the camp, in preparation for summer campers. Jobs include, rebuilding docks, landscaping, plumbing, remodeling dorms, cleaning the pool...basically everything that needs to be fixed, gets fixed. It was a great time being at camp again...a place where God certainly dwells. We work hard, but they keep us going with our various meals:

8am - breakfast

10:30 - snack break
1pm - lunch
3:30pm - coffee break
6pm - dinner
8:30pm - coffee, tea and eating up all the treats that didn't get eaten during snack break.

We had "club" each night (time for song and a mini-sermon about God's love) and got to recreated a little each afternoon. It was an amazing time to serve the Lord...such scenery and lots of laughs with the family and new friends.

The ferry ride over:

How about that being your view from work? The outer dock team...gettin' it done:

A view from the top. A short, but steep scamper up lots of rocks puts you over the top of Malibu:
They even have disc golf! It really is the perfect place!

Texas

Last week, Nick and I had the pleasure of flying down to Texas to visit his family. There were a few familial business things to take care of, hense the last-minutedness of our trip, but it was time well spent none the less. We stayed at Nick's father and his wife's house on the farm. They have a fabulous chunk of land in Saint Hedwig (a little town outside of San Antonio) so we got to get the real "country" experinece.

Brother in law, Matt, and step mother in law, Leslie prepping the patio for a BBQ with friends and family that evening

Nick taking me on a ride on the wild side...when in Texas, drive tractors like the Texans!

A shot of their backyard...beautiful, expansive land.

Nick Sr. has an organic landscaping business. He keeps all his plants stored at the farm. It's a great place to wonder around.

Yeah...that's right...I'm blogging about our lawn mower

About 12 weeks ago, I joined a boot camp at my gym. We meet 3 times a week and do various cardio and weigh resistance workouts for an hour. My main motivation for signing up for boot camp in the beginning was to get motivated about exercising during the winter. Daily outdoor recreation is a bit on the shabbier side during the cooler winter months. Meaning my motivation to get outside an do anything was slim to none. I had a few days when getting the mail was a challenge…I like warmth. So back in February, when I signed up, it made sense. Boot camp has been a time well spent; I got into a regular exercise routine, I have met some great people and I even got weight lifting back into my routine.
Slight, yet related, subject change:
Today, I was working diligently in the office. After 5 hours of straight work (with the exception of bathroom breaks) I began to wig out. For me personally, my “wigging out” usually starts with a sporadic twitch. Then I can’t sit still. Then I get obsessed with movement of any kind…washing dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, pacing up and down the hallway…anything to release the inner movement bug. Anyways, I happened to glance outside and saw our lawn, realizing it was due time for a mow. I thought cutting the lawn would be a perfect way to release my energy and mix up my afternoon a little bit. Thanks to my wonderful sister and brother in law, Nick and I adopted a push mower. You know, one of those old school mowers that has circulating metal blades and moves by the sheer force of you pushing it. No gas. No pull chord. No loud whiny noise. Just grunting gets this baby going. As I began to push this mower, I realized two things: 1. I was going to get all my built up energy out in about 4 minutes and 2. Now I know why the gas mower was invented. They are WAY easier…they actually push themselves and, as a bonus feature, they pick up the grass clippings that were just mowed. Therefore, a nice crisp clean looking lawn is left over. But, no, no…the Vann’s chose not to roll with one of those. We are doing it the old fashion way (also less polluting. For your environmental tip of the day: Did you know that mowing the average American size lawn puts the same a CO2 emissions into the air as driving 100 miles in a car??? Yikes!) Anyways, back on topic…half way through the lawn cutting, I realized I was sweating harder than I had been in weeks…boot camp workouts included. I just kept on shedding layers and shedding layers (it is still only 55 degrees outside you know). Then it all clicked: I let the perfect business opportunity pass me by. For the past 3 months I have been spending time and gas money on driving to the gym, then paying someone to tell me how to exercise, then spending more time and gas money to drive home….When really I could have started up some sort of “Natural Lawn Cutting” business around my neighbor hood, which would have made me money, gotten me into better shape, and saved the earth from a few more car emission pounds! Ah well, lesson learned; maybe next winter. For the time being, I will continue to mow our yard…and for any of you who want to skip the gym too, feel free to swing by and borrow our push mower. You will get an hour long “treadmill” experience for sure!

There she is...puuuurrrrs like a kitten

As I am posting this last picture, I am realizing that I am a huge NERD. Who blogs about their lawn mower? Ah well, blogs are for expression and that is what I am doing. So here's another shot of my freshly clean cut lawn (fence will be painted when it stops snow/raining all day!)

Disc Golf Fun

Lately Nick and I have really been digging Disc Golf. For those of you foreign to said sport, let me sum it up: It is a combination of golf (as in following those guidelines) and Frisbee (so instead of using a club and ball, shooting for a hole in the ground, you use a Frisbee-esk disc and aim for a metal basket). There is a 9 "hole" Disc Golf course about a mile from our home at Cornwall Park. We have enjoyed many of sunny afternoons there, trying to work on our skills or in other words: trying not to make dents in the trees. We recently took a trip up to Glacier to check out their 36 "hole" course. This course is no walk in the park...it's more like a high endurance hike. The entire course is laid out in a heavily forested area. It is common to "tee off" on one side of a ravine, aiming for the basket on the other side. Or shooting from the base of a huge hill side with the basket at the top (invisible from your starting point). The most challenging task is trying to configure the best toss through a maze of trees. Unless of course you had a really bad shot and end up searching for your disc through the muddy marsh or piles of tree trunks, branches and sticks...that is way more tough. Word to the wise...never buy a green disc. Mother Earth will adopt it rapidly.

Now I wouldn't say that Nick and I will be signing up for the Sunday afternoon tournaments that they have at Cornwall, but we have come to be great fans of this activity. It's a great way to add a little diversity to the common walk in the park, reestablishing that feeling of dirt under your feet after a long winter. We have recently started setting bets and a reward is given to the person with the best (lowest) score. Let's just say that Nick owes me many Mallards Ice Cream cones. Wanna join us??? We would love play with you!

Oops! Nick had to do a little hunting to find his disk...Get out of the woods!

I'm working on using my torso for extra power. Cousin Matthew taught me that...

Do you see how beautiful nature is??? Can you find Nick in the photo?

Crystal Mountain Gett-a-Way

This weekend, Nick and I met up with the Lopez clan at my parent's cabin at Crystal Mountain. We really enjoy our time up there during all seasons because of the vast scenery changes. Currently, there is about 1.5 feet of snow still sitting around the property from the huge winter snow dump. We use this time to tromp around in the snow, knowing that the next time we'll be up there, the warm spring sunshine will be shining on us.

On Saturday, all 6 of us headed to the ski resort area for a few miles of snow shoeing (snowshoes were new Christmas gifts for the Lewis and Vann households this year). This was my big day back to expelling energy since the whole week before I was laid out on my sick bed. Needless to say it was a HARD little jont with the fam. My sister having the energy of horse, pushed me up the steepest hills we ventured up. Matt, brother in law, and his long legs did laps around the rest of us on our assent. Thankfully, my family is beyond understanding and were willing to slow down a bit for me. Yet after too many deep breaths and slight pangs of dizziness, I waived my flag and turned around. Nick joined me in the lodge where I laid across 3 chairs and passed out...waiting until the rest of the family was done with their oh-so-energy-sucking adventure. I must say, even though I had to bag out early, it was beyond wonderful to be up there and breath the fresh mountain air. It was a surprisingly clear day and embraced the fact that our cheeks would get a little pink...nothing like spring sun!

Mom's bringing up the rear...dad next...then me. The rest of the crew are frolicking ahead of us...

Ami pushing me up the Hills...

Sunday was yet another day up at Crystal Ski Resort for Dad, Nick and myself (Ami and Matt headed back south, while mom and Brea stayed at the cabin to relax and make cookies - yummm). We hit the slopes hard and had many Thanks to God for blessing us with yet another amazingly sunny day! This was the first time back on the slopes for dad in 6 years! Due an accident on the mountain resulting in two shoulder surgeries...he decided to take some time off. He even sold his skis! But alas, Nick talked him into it and so he ventured up with us (and Nick's new A-Line Arbor board). This was by far one of the best days skiing I have ever had. Certainly not skill wise, but weather wise! There were hardly any people up there, we wore light clothing, ate lunch outside and had a crystal clear view of mountain ranges from the top, Mt. Rainer and Mt. Adams included. The snow was a bit slushy towards the end of the day, but really didn't affect us at all. Dad had a blast and already started talking about his next trip up for next weekend. Best of all, we came home to a huge batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies! Ahh, I love weekends!

Check out the view!