That puppy can swim!

I love this picture because both of us are squinting in it!


For the past few months, we have slowly been trying to teach Bindi how to swim. "Teach" probably isn't the best word since she can swim naturally, more like "getting Bindi accustomed to water". This dog was such a wimp when it came to swimming. We really wanted to get her to like swimming with us, especially since she's a little black dog in the hot Vegas heat. But finally yesterday, after a day of chasing dirt bikes, Bindi either knew she couldn't hide under the trailer any more or got tired of watching us have all the fun, because she voluntarily got in on her own! We were so excited and of course, like proud parents, took a ton of pictures. She's much nicer and cuddlier in the water and reminds me of a baby seal. She prefers to lounge around on the blue raft, but I'm sure once we remember to bring a tennis ball, she'll jump right in!

In other news, we're enjoying our 3 day 4th of July weekend, definitely needed! It was nice getting much needed relaxation in, and extra fun seeing people we haven't seen in forever (Mark and Katherine and their cute little boy, Jason and Cari and their awesome kids...geez, we're so behind...)

I think I have Judd convinced to watch the Jake/Vienna showdown tomorrow on The Bachelorette (what? They didn't work out? Unbelievable...not! Should have gone with Tenley!).

I got called as the Mia Maid adviser in our ward today. I'm excited, mainly because I've been wanting to teach Young Women's since we started going to family wards after getting married. I guess I just feel like I can relate to them so much more than Relief Society, but that's probably because I'm closer to age to them then RS! Should be interesting. I hope I can find the balance between being the girls' friend and their adviser, because I know when I was that age, I couldn't stand the leaders who were really pushy and I preferred the younger leaders that just seemed to "get it". It will be nice though, since Judd is in Young Men, so we'll get to do a lot of activities together, and of course, Mutual every Tuesday night!

Biker Chick

So now that I'm properly equipped with pink and black gear (ignore the dorky elbow pads), I feel much more confident and ready when I get on this beastly dirt bike! It wasn't as terrifying as I thought it was going to be. I can now get it in third gear, even though I still have this sense of "I'm going way fast and this would really hurt/suck if I fell" feeling, but the elating/adventurous part makes it all worth it! It's kind of like learning to ride a bike again, and while it took me (ah hem...embarrassing moment here...) two years as a kid to learn how to do that without training wheels, at least I could this in one afternoon!

Like the boots? TOTAL STEAL! I went into the store planning on buying the $80 boots, but they were out. Maybe Cycle Gear doesn't get in too many lady customers looking for pink-accented equipment, but the guy told me he'd match-price the boots I wanted with any other women-styled boots, including the really nice pair for $180! I asked if he was serious, and then he told me that if I bought gloves (which I needed anyways), he'd knock an additional $30 off the boots! So I got those $180 boots for $50! I don't know about you, but I love those good sales moments in life, so inspirational!

But anyways, since Judd says I should focus more on the bike instead of shopping for it, I've now been out four times, and it is a BLAST! Judd is a great teacher, and Bindi is a great chaser! Somehow this is supposed to be a workout, and while I'm not sure of the logistics of that, I do feel more in-shape after riding.

So if anyone ever wants to go, let us know!

The one where Judd gets Kristen a dirt bike...

(He wanted a hot biker-chick pose!)

So Judd has this pretty little dream he's been envisioning since before we got engaged: him and me riding dirt bikes out into the sunset, with a little dog chasing us. Anyone who knows Judd really well knows he's a REALLY GOOD rider, and anyone who knows me really well knows that I got hit by a motorcycle when I was sixteen and broke my leg. He loves them, I'm terrified. He goes on Moab trips, the one time I have been on a dirt bike was kind of a bad experience. So would the dream ever come true?

I finally gave in and let him buy me a dirt bike this past weekend. It helps that it's cute, has an electric start, and brand new meaning that no one has caused it to have an accident (yet!). Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you the make or model, but be assured that Judd says it's a great bike and he's kind of an expert on this sort of thing! He rode it a few times (I refuse to get on it until my shiny new pink helmet comes in the mail!) and says it's a smooth ride.

But as cynical and nervous as I probably sound writing this, I am really excited to try out my new bike. I just have to remind myself that it's like the first time I rode a bike without training wheels, it was scary at first but then it was fun! I really want to be included in Judd's favorite hobby so this was my way of showing that I'm interested in what he's interested in. After all, Judd goes shopping with me enough times and is going to Cape Cod with me, so it works out both ways. I bet it will be fun once I stop being a big chicken about it!

Memorial Day (a bit late, but whatever!)

So I'm almost a week late, but here's the Memorial Day Blog!
I had to work Monday morning, but getting off at 9:30 am is definitely a perk when it comes to holidays. We decided to go on a hike and chose this slot canyon called Anniversary Narrows by Lake Mead. We hadn't tried that one yet, plus we were dying to use all this hiking gear we got ourselves and our pup for Christmas (we've gone on plenty of hikes since then, we just keep forgetting to bring the stuff with us!).
Bindi was thrilled to try out her new backpack (no really, she was, look how happy she is!), and I was excited about my new Jansport Camelback!
It was a beautiful hike with the coolest rock formations this side of the lake. Bindi was our fearless leader, even if she tried to ditch us a couple of times to follow some other hikers. She also thought she was a pro hiker and attempted to climb some pretty steep cliffs, only to get stuck when she realized she couldn't just jump down! Afterwards, we BBQd at the lake. We have to find a better spot though, the one we went to was a bit crowded, but totally worth roasted hotdogs and S'Mores!
Of course, we remember why we have Memorial Day. I'm so thankful for those who have sacrificed so much for our country and those who continue to do so. I'm so proud of my little brother who joined The National Guard, and while I hope he stays out of danger's way, I'm glad he made such a strong commitment to our country!

The Lion King

Rafiki and the antelope dancers, can I just say how thrilled I am that Rafiki is played by a woman for the stage production?

Simba and Nala...look how detailed those costumes and makeup are!
The Circle of Life
Timon and Pumba, and below, Zazu, this is what I mean with the puppets and the actors who control them. It was mainly the comic relief characters that got this treatment, but the actors had to have the same facial expressions and motions as their puppets had. Plus, I love that Zazu is the one character that wasn't dressed in traditional African clothing, but more of a British feel.

Mandalay Bay has an awesome deal going on right now where college students can purchase up to two tickets at $25 each for The Lion King! I've been wanting to see this show ever since it first premiered on Broadway, and even more when it came to Vegas. But of course since I know that it's silly to pay full-price for show tickets in Vegas, I've just been waiting for a really good deal! Judd and I jumped on this one!

So I got choked up in the first 30 seconds with the first chords of "The Circle of Life", and was totally transfixed throughout the rest of the show. The costumes are completely amazing, particularly the ones with a puppet attached. Judd and I were trying to imagine how an audition for this show would go: the actors need to be able to act, sing, dance, and many need to be able to work a puppet at the same time they're doing the above actions. The kids were adorable as Simba and Nala, and their adult counterparts were superb. The actors who played Rafiki and Scar were particularly memorable.

The music was inspiring, and I liked the addition of African songs and dance throughout. Some of the characters had new songs. I enjoyed Nala's song towards the end where she must leave her family to find help. Nala was a much bigger character in this musical than the movie (although the Scar storyline where she is being pressured to marry him was kind of off). I totally just downloaded the sound track and I'm determined to memorize these awesome songs, even if half are in another language!

So I would recommend this show to anyone, even if you have to pay the full price (but seriously, find your old college ID or make a friend and see if you can go cheaper!). It brought back a piece of our childhoods for us, and it gives you a couple of hours to get lost in this beautiful story.

The Bachelorette Week 1!

It's back!
So I wasn't thrilled that Ali was chosen as the next Bachelorette, after all, she has a track record of acting like she's in junior high and choosing her "dream (Facebook) job" over hotties like Jake...but the show is too addicting. And it makes for a good Girls Night Out. So here's a recap of last night!

Ali is back, still blonde, at least 15 pounds heavier, and wearing the most ill-fitting/least flattering black drab of an evening gown. She is here for the right reasons! She gave up her job AND her apartment for TRUE LOVE! Chris Harrison refers to her as "America's Sweetheart", which totally threw me off since I assumed that was Gia or Tenley, but whatever.

The show cuts to bios of the more personable potential husbands for Ali:

Studs: Mountain Man/Josh Groban look-a-like Kyle warmed my heart as he ice-fished and played with his dog. Roberto is the Latin hottie who did the requisite teach-the-bachelorette-how-to-dance act, but he does seem pretty genuine. But 100 points and my vote go to Cape Cod hottie Chris L. Everyone knows Cape Cod men are true gentlemen. Plus he has a cottage on the beach ($), AND he's nice!

Duds: There's Frank who tries to pull off Adorable Nerd, but the fact that he lives with his parents writing screen plays made him loose a few points in my book. Lawyer Jay looks like he has a cute face, but his hair aged him about 20 years. I think he may have picked up on this as soon as he entered the sausage fest, therefore causing him to lose whatever confidence he had coming in. Rated R" came in with a broken foot, but I'm kind of wondering if he's playing the sympathy card and only pretending to have a broken foot. And anyone who goes by the name "Rated R" is too full of himself for me. The same for people who go by "Shooter".

Wild Cards: Johnathan got points from me for being a weatherman, but he looks like he's gonna get real obnoxious real quick. Craig M aka Wolverine gets points for being Hugh Jackman's long lost twin, but he makes me nervous when he gets angry and I fear he'll pull some claws out on Ali! "

Many of the guys tried to impress/buy Ali with heartfelt gifts. One guy made a scrapbook (WTH! Guys don't scrapbook! I'm sorry, but GUYS.DON'T.SCRAPBOOK.) Another gave her a yellow tennis shoe keychain...and of course he had the match so they could make a pair! Of course he gets a rose. The one gift I felt was really a neat one was from my dear mountain man friend Kyle who gave her a gold fish hook for good luck. AND SHE SENT HIM HOME!!!!!!!

The rest of the episode involved manly cat-fights, roses, eliminations, and teases for next week. Tune in here, I think I'll follow this season all the way through! And if you want to watch, our little Bachelorette group would love more girls to scream at the TV with!

St. George Awesomeness Part 3!

This is the creepy doll outside the general store in Pine Valley.
I want this house so bad, I'm obsessed with the wrap-around porch, the castle-like appearance, and the guest/carriage house right next to it. We drove by it about 8 times.
This was a really cool tree-house at the wedding. Of course we had to pose!

Our dog needed to burn off all that energy after the wedding!

Hey, it's my journal and it's for posterity, right? ;)
To sum up the rest of the trip, we camped after the wedding. We totally burnt the brats we were trying to roast over a fire, but I assured Judd that it was a cleansing to eat overly-charbroiled food (hey, we give charcoal to dogs to get poison out of them!) After that, we car-camped since it was too cold and we were too wimpy. The next day, we tried our hand at fishing, but once again, it was too cold and windy. We're so going again after all the poles and bait we bought! We were determined to have an awesome trip and not let the disappointing fishing trip get to us, so we went on a hike instead. It was right outside of St. George and I think it was called Turtle Peak or something like that. I'm so glad we have a dog that won't run away off-leash (bad, I know, but she's a good dog!). Bindi had fun chasing lizards, and we had fun trying to work off all those calories! We told ourselves we did 10 miles, but it was more like 5, but still pretty good!
After that, we headed home, crashed, took a 3 hour nap, and here we are now!