IDAHO SAFARI

December. Lonely Idaho highway. Raging blizzard. 

One unforgettable sight.

We are on our way to Sun Valley when we notice a small herd of antelope grazing on one side of the road. With no cars coming in either direction, we skid the truck to a stop to enjoy them.

{This wasn't the unforgettable sight. I haven't gotten to that part yet.}

As we sit there, we seem to gradually take in the fact that this is a lot more than a happy, little gathering of antelope. They are scattered, camouflaged by whirling snow, as far as the eye can see!

We do a lot of ooohing and ahhing and pointing...{but I still haven't reached the truly unforgettable part. Just hold on to your hats a second; I'll get there!}

After a few minutes, Andrew, glancing at the rear view mirror, announces that a semi truck is coming and we had better move on. Turning in my seat to locate the semi heading in our direction, something else catches my eye instead, and all I can do is gasp.

{This is the really incredible part, by the way. In case you were wonderin'.}

Over the white plains, on the other side of the road, swarm more antelope, thicker and more numerous than I ever would have expected to see in real life. Running full speed ahead, they snake behind us and course across the highway in a solid, steady stream. Think Discovery Channel. Planet Earth. African Serengeti. PBS special.

I'm talking hundreds and hundreds and hundreds!

And hundreds.

{I looked it up, and it is not uncommon for the wintering herds in this area to reach 1,000 strong.}

Snow-packed roads make it near impossible for the semi truck to stop in time....its front bumper sliding within a couple feet of the stampede. It is an intense couple of seconds.

Antelope are North America's fastest running land animal, and it still takes a long time before they all reach the other side. What a view that trucker must have! I watch with my mouth hanging open for some time, before I come to my senses and realize three key things:

Number one. My name is Rachel Ashmore.
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Number two. There is a camera sitting in my lap.
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Number three. I am an obsessive-compulsive picture taker, who literally dreams of photo capturing opportunities such as this.


By the time my camera is frantically pointing in the right direction, all I have to show for it is an unfocused trickle of the last antelope scampering away.

Bah, Humbug.

And of course, Andrew's only regret is that he doesn't have his hunting rifle...


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SUN VALLEY INN

Back in December, in celebration of Andrew's graduation and our 4th wedding anniversary, we took a vacation to Sun Valley Ski Resort. 

We checked in to the hotel amidst crazy snowfall. There were seventy-something inches on that mountain we'd be boarding on. 

The resort is insanely ritzy. We never could have gone were it not for a gift card given to help shoulder the cost. It felt like the kind of place you'd expect to see a movie star come around the corner at any moment. It was all very surreal. 

Finding our room.

Here was the cozy, happy, yellow stripe-ed bedroom. I loved it. 

Somehow, we ended up in one of the few rooms with a private balcony. 

The view was beautiful and forest-y and mountain-y. And as you can see from the accumulation on the railing...snowy. 

That first night, we relaxed, watched a movie, and drank hot chocolate next to the fire. 

The only thing needed to complete this picture is a french maid vacuuming in the background and a smoking cigar held nonchalantly in Andrew's left hand. 

Even the toilet paper was fancy. Have you ever seen something so ridiculous? I'm sorry, but I can't imagine a more foolish waste of my time then folding bathroom tissue into little points. 

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I'm just too practical for the rich life I guess.

Outside the Inn, all the festively decorated trees made for a stunning, nighttime stroll. 

Not to mention the snow sculptures...

And the ice sculptures. I love the Christmas ornaments frozen inside!

In the morning, we splurged on room service. To give you an idea of just how grandiose this place is, we found a corn dog and fries on the kid's menu for nine bucks! 

But the food was yummy!

Um, Andrew? As much as I appreciate you demonstrating my point, will you please just smile at the camera like a normal human being? 

Thank you. That's better. 

Then we got dressed for a day on the slopes! 

That there is my: "I'm so stoked to go snowboarding on a foot of fresh powder today!" self portrait. 

And what a fine day it was for it too! Just look at that sunshine! 

But the rest of the story will have to be saved for another day...

HAPPY HEART MONTH--freebies!

Valentine's Day is probably my favorite holiday. (Next to Christmas.) It is simply so happy.
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Life has dished out some bummer deals the last few weeks, and so as a way to distract myself from the blues, I have been all about the cheerful Valentine trimmings in my house.

I feel kind of bad that Andrew has to live in such a froofy, girly household.

He'll live, though.

This was given to me by my sister-in-law as a gift a few years back. If you still can't see it...each picture represents a letter of the word "LOVE."
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You like? Grab a camera! Very easy to make!

This teddy bear is but one of many many knick knacks gifted by my students. To make it look "valentine-y," I hastily embroidered a little heart on its sweater.

I found these free downloads on the blog of Becky Higgins. Print them from your computer, put them in any ol' frame, and you've got yourself a quick, cost effective Valentine pretty for your house.

I printed this one out for me.

eighteen25 is offering this free subway art download.

They come in two color schemes. I printed this one.


Happy Heart Day from me to you!

MEMORY MONDAY--wide open spaces

Lake Powell near Glen Canyon Dam. That's my 7th grade band shirt, so I'm guessing this is Junior High-ish era.

Isn't that incredible scenery? My family made this trip between Arizona and Utah probably a hundred times. Idaho has a beauty all of its own that is just as stunning in its own way. But sometimes I forget how much I miss the desert. No matter how long I've been away, this landscape still feels apart of my soul. Just stick some Saguaro cacti in there to make it complete.


What is it that would make me long for the desert now? Could it be the three feet of snow out my living room window? Hmm. 

GRAMPS

{I did NOT take this picture. It was taken by the fabulous FIFE PHOTOGRAPHY. I borrowed it from my cousin's wedding album HERE.}

Grandpa Brown turned 80 this week. As a surprise, it was arranged for him to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How cool is that?

The next night, was a hopping shindig with cake. And cookies. And like, six hundred cousins.

Okay, I exaggerate. Not quite that many.

But there were tributes rendered, poetry read, memories shared, and tears shed. And then we all laughed and talked the night away.




Gramps has had a darn, interesting life. He took Grandma Jennie, my mom, and her five brothers on quite the lifelong adventure. He worked for American embassies around the world, pioneering the LDS church in remote areas as he went.
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As a result, my mom's growing up years were spent in places like:

• Baghdad, Iraq
• Tehran, Iran
• Bogotá, Columbia
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Brasilia, Brazil

I think that's cool.



We lived with him after Grandma died, from the time I was 12 until I was 16 (...my snottiest of years, now that I think about it...it's a wonder he still likes me) Here are a few things I remember from that time:

*Grandpa hates cats. Once, when a stray kept hanging around, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, tossed it in the trunk, and released it in the middle of the Mexican desert. No joke.


*We had all just moved into a new house. Around the dinner table, Grandpa told us about his first experience with his new shower. Not realizing there was a step down, he stumbled in and landed on the tile floor. After getting back on his feet, he went to turn the water on only to have the unexpected power of the water pressure send him right back down to the bottom.
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I probably shouldn't laugh so hard at this memory. But I do.


*Grandpa is staunchly against wasted food. So, most days, I came home from school to a pot on the stove of what we eventually dubbed: "goulash". It was a mixture of all the leftovers he could find in the kitchen, heated together, with raisins and salsa thrown in for good measure.


I love that guy.

TOP 3 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Some good things happened at our house on Christmas. Let me fill you in on the top three favorites of the holiday...

#3.) The  family game we opened on Christmas Eve this year was Ticket to Ride. Many hours of cross-country train adventuring followed. 

#2.) Chocolate. Fondue. Enough said. 

Except for one thing. You can't go wrong with chocolate. We dipped bananas, pretzels, brownie bites, strawberries, marshmallows, and dried pomegranates! And the verdict?

All good. All favorites.

And while we're on the topic, just let me add: it only took whipping cream and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips melted on the stove. I found the recipe HERE and simplified it.

Oh, and I would recommend halving it. Even after the exorbitant amounts of chocolate we ate, there was still a LOT left over.

On a side note--for all those out there who raised their eyebrows at the mention of dried pomegranates--it was just our attempt at recreating this insane sweet (insane meaning TOTALLY FREAKIN AWESOME) shared by some certain fine family members of ours.

Really hard to keep on the fondue forks...but otherwise, delicious.

I think we found a new Christmas Eve tradition. 

And finally...#1) The top favorite holiday moment was opening this most treasured of gifts. Wrapped in tissue paper and mailed from Washington...a necklace and bracelet set handcrafted by my nephew Braxton.

This is Braxton. 
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Five years old and already in tune with what the ladies love. 

Funky, sparkly, made out of pipe cleaners, and completely fabulous. You can't go wrong with jewelry. Thanks, Brax.

GOT SNOW?

No Problem. For us anyway. Andrew clears our little driveway off in style. 

(Andrew's job holds certain perks.)