Nine

Well, Katy's in the ninth month. It's like "4th and Goal". I wish I watched more sports, so I knew what that meant.

Zion

A couple weeks ago we went on the annual Blommer Family Zion trip, and, as usual, we had a great time! We go every year with Mike's family during the month of November because the family photographers (Eric & Mike) like to capture the fall colors. This year we had a larger group than normal because some special guests joined our trip! We were joined by Mike's grandma's (Judy) brother, Gene, his girlfriend Katrina, and her son Liam.

Here are some pictures Mike took of the trip:



We rented special waterproof pants and boots that allowed us to walk up the Narrows without freezing to death. They worked great, and we all had a blast walking up the Narrows to Orderville Canyon.

Here are Mike and me in the Narrows. Notice that my belly is so big my jacket won't zip anymore! And the giant lump on my tummy is not my belly button! It's the tie to the crazy river walking pants. I got some strange looks from people thinking it was my belly button though.

One of the many beautiful colored walls in the Narrows.

Here's Kathy ready to get back on the trail after lunch.

Amy & Liam doing some river walking stick kung fu!



Nate at lunch looking kind of like a little kid!

Here's Katrina looking happy on her way up the Narrows.



Gene taking a break from his waterproof pants at lunch. Don't worry those are leggings he's wearing underneath!!

Becky at the beginning of the trip smiling because she's not cold yet.

Eric having a good time too.



We saw more of these mountain goats/sheep this year than we've ever seen before.

Sunset just inside the park entrance.



Here's my fearless hiking partner, Grandma Judy, making her way to the last steep climb out of the canyon on the way back from the Subway.



This was one of the amazing waterfalls on the trail leading to the Subway.



Speaking of the Subway, this year we finally made it! We've been wanting to see this for a few years, but the permits are hard to get because they only let 20 people go in each day. This year we were there on a Monday, which is less popular, so we were able to get permits. I debated with myself the day and night before the hike whether or not my 8 month pregnant body could make it 4.5 miles in to see the best part (which is at the very end), and then back again. In the end I decided to give it a try and turn around if I got too tired. Well, thanks to a lot of help from Mike, and a VERY patient group (thanks again guys for putting up with my slow pace) I made it!! It was definitely worth it too! I also have to thank my awesome hiking partner, Grandma Judy, who did a great job on the 9 mile hike too!

There are a few more pictures here: www.blommerphotography.com/Friends/Zion08.html

It's Finally Here!

No, not the baby, silly. Even better! The ski season!

So it was off to Alta with Todd to enjoy some early season goodness. Ah, winter!

We hiked up to Germania pass under a bluebird sky. Some beautiful tracks had already been laid, but there was plenty of untouched feathery snow still waiting for us in the trees.

At the top, we snapped a few shots and then prepared to plunder some fine Wasatch powder. Here I am, ready to go. Yes, those are ladies sunglasses. No, I don't have a good reason for wearing ladies sunglasses. What are you going to do about it, wiseguy?

Enough with the fashion critique, this is it! The very first run of the season! A moment that is anxiously awaited all year by every self-respecting ski addict! Three feet of new snow, 2,000 vertical feet of frozen delight, and it's mine, all mine! Here we go, the inaugural turn of the season... feel that, the snow's so soft and wonderful... almost through the very first turn of the season...

Hey! What the...?!?! Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

And so, not even through one full turn, this happens:

Yep, broken binding. And correspondingly, broken heart. So sad.

I tried skiing on just one leg, and while it was suprisingly doable for a while (10 feet), it became apparent that something else would have to be done. Fortunately, Todd was a Boy Scout, and so he knows to always be prepared. In this case, he had some handy cord, which I used to tie my boot to my ski.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking: "That doesn't look very sturdy." And you're right - it wasn't. If I put any sort of torque on the ski at all, it came right off. But, if I kept a bunch of weight on my right foot, and leaned way back to keep my toe in the bail, I could link turns.

Back in business! Time to go ski some trees!

Total binding failure! Head plant!

So, I would turn a little, fall a lot, and slowly made my way down. Todd ripped it up next to me.

When we finally got down to the bottom, this is what my binding looked like. What a cluster.

Still, it was great. The first day of the season is always magical, and this one had sunny skies and soft snow, even if it also had mechanical failures. Here's to a long, snowy winter!

Three Things...

1. Our dog Gus has also created a blog! Check out his first entry by clicking on his picture in the top right hand corner above.

2. If anyone likes Mary Kay products and needs something new or wants to start some early Christmas shopping, I'm placing an order on November 15th (assuming I get enough people interested). I'm offering 35% off all items, so you can't get a better deal than that!! If you want to order go to http://www.marykay.com/ to view the products. You'll see the full prices listed there, so take the 35% off of those to get your total (I will also add tax and $3.00 for shipping). Send me the exact product description, and I'll place your order! You can email orders to me at katyblommer@hotmail.com.

3.

Pregnant Pics Procrastinator

Okay, okay, I know I told everyone I would start a blog when I got pregnant, and technically, I never said when during the pregnancy I would start it. Well, it turns out I'm fast approaching my 8th month (CRAZY), so I decided I better get on top of things because I know I'm not going to want to do all this formatting crap when I'm trying to handle a newborn.

So far the pregnancy has been GREAT!! Aside from the weight gain and the teenage acne I've been loving every minute of it.

We're having a boy, and he's due January 4th. We don't have a name picked out yet, so any suggestions anyone has would be helpful.

Mike took some pictures of my large, pregnant self last week, and because everyone keeps asking for pics I've decided (after much contemplation over whether or not I want everyone to see how much weight I've gained) to post them here. He is an amazing photographer, so of course, the pictures are great. He did, however, make me stand in a giant, creature-infested wheat field to get the shot. I didn't like it one bit, but of course he was right, and the pics turned out great!