A Year in Pictures

"Happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven" - Washington Irving

Y'all must be pretty happy, because we are reflecting a lot of joy this year. One of our favorite pastimes throughout the year is talking to, and about, all of you. Thanks for keeping us informed and involved whether it be via phone, blog, email, or experience. No matter how busy we get, we often find our greatest satisfaction in knowing that we are connected to lots of amazing people out there. So, there is a good chance you are in one of the pictures to come, or were present during the journey. And if not, let's make plans for 2008!



What is now becoming our annual hut trip took place in the Tetons this year. Conditions were nice and the keg of beer Carl (with a little help) dragged to the hut was much appreciated.


A few other winter ventures in 2007- Katy and I visited Mindy in the Butte for a long weekend. Chad, Emily, Chip, and I climbed and skied Mt. Timpanogos. And, Chip worked his last year as a full time ski patroller at Snowbird.















During our visit in February, Mindy convinced me to do this race called The Elk Mountain Grand Traverse with her. Yes, Mindy wore the pink wig all 40 miles of skiing from Crested Butte to Aspen. It must have been that wig that helped us stay focused through the blistering winds and led us to be the first women's team to finish. We are training this year, so hopefully we can defend our title in 2008!


In May, I finished my master's in social work. My mom, Mindy, the DuRoss', and friends were in to town to help celebrate two years of hard work. On the topic of academia, Chip has been hard at work with prerequisites for Physician Assistant school. So far he has applied and interviewed with programs in CT and OR, and is two for two. He will interview in UT at the beginning of Jan. Is there a move in our future? We'll see....


In the meantime, Chip is working in the University of Utah ER as an EMT. He comes home with lots of interesting stories about the daily traumas taking place in the valley. He has become an expert at putting in IVs, charting traumas, and rounding on patients. I am working in a Child Behavior Therapy Unit. I do the individual and family therapy for the junior high and high school units. It is challenging and draining, but has added a fun new dimension to my previous experience in schools.








After all that diligence, Chip and I took a break and went to Oregon to visit friends, ski Mt. St. Helens, walk on the beach and in the cloud forest, visit a PA program, and scope out Bend.















In June, my college roommates reunioned in Denver. We do this about every other year. Good times.


















The DuRoss family gathered at Nana and Papa's house in Chautauqua, NY this August. We swam, water skied, ate great food, and had lots of quality time with our two new nephews, Judah and Finn (both born in June), as well as Selah, our niece. The DuRoss clan is growing fast!


Alright, well, we are not having any human babies yet, but if you have looked at our blog before you know that we love the newest addition to our family as if she were our baby. Kessler was also born in June, is growing up fast, and fills our house with love and affection.


Chip and I joined Mindy and some of her friends for a weekend of mountain biking in Moab this November.





One of Chip's best friends got married in December. We have the pleasure of knowing both Jon and Sarah well and were honored to be involved in a week of events and fun.












Chip and I spent the Christmas long weekend with the pup in Driggs, ID. The fresh and plentiful snow made for beautiful touring and walks through town. We made it home in time to have another delicious meal with Chris, Erika, and the DuRoss' this time for Christmas evening.


There were other highlights in our year, but if I make this entry any longer, no one will make it to the end. So, if you are still with me, thanks for sharing in our fun for a moment. We love you and Happy New Year!

December Delivers

Our smiles have been hesitant and our anxiety a little higher this November as we nervously awaited our favorite type of precipitation. Chip and I finally sighed with great relief this weekend as we woke to a winter wonderland on Saturday morning. The skis, skins, and other touring gear came out and happily hit the snow in full force. We made some surprisingly excellent turns in with friends on Saturday. Then, Kessler went out for her first day of skiing today. Needless to say, she is a natural. Thank you December.




The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.
~Patrick Young

Happy Thanksgiving

When Kessler and I got home from work on Wednesday, Chip surprised us with this project he had been working on. This dog door will free Kessler from having to spend too much time in her crate. It was perfect timing because we are dog sitting for Zoey, who is very comfortable with the dog door- what better way for Kessler to learn, than from a friend who can demonstrate it's wonders to her.



Usually we like to ski on Thanksgiving day. Mother Nature had other things in mind this year. It was chilly and gorgeous out today, but no snow. Therefore, we hiked Black Mountain with the two black dogs. This hike is long and burly at times. The best part is, it is only five minutes from our house, as you can see. This is Chip and Kessler just up from the trailhead.

After many hours of hiking, Kessler was tired. She likes to keep up with her side kick, Zoey, but lacks in maturity and longevity. So, we tried to give her a break a few times. She appreciated it and got right back to chasing and climbing after a little rest.

I don't know who is cuter- Chip, or Kessler. :)

"Zoey"- Pam and Justin's dog who really likes to play WWF with Kessler and is a rugged climber. We have loved having her the past few days.

View from the top. It has been a great day so far and now, we are off to Chris and Erika's for dinner!


If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

The DuRoss B&B- Babysitting and Biking that is...

Our self portrait certainly caught Finn's enthusiasm about our visit. Two five-month olds for the evening- a fun bunch!

Kessler and Finn have an affinity for each other- perhaps it is because they were born only a few days apart. Kessler wanted to cuddle with Finn, and well, Finn tried to eat Kessler's paws- they make me want to drool occassionally as well. :)





































Hiking, biking, breakfast burritos, burgers and beers at Eddie McStiffs...all in a great weekend meeting of the Mulliken Sisters and their friends. I love that we make the time to see each other so often and recreate together- even though her bike bucked me off and caused me some serious pain (physical and of the ego :).

Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
- Robert Frost

Oh, the puppilessness, and some tomatoes.

Here's what we have been up to the past few weeks....

The Wasatch received a decent bit of snow around here last week. Kessler does not fall far from the tree- she went bonkers for fresh powder! Lookin forward to taking her skiing.
Most nights we have a cuddle session in the family room with this dog of all comfort. I mean seriously, don't you just want to snuggle in?



Although tolerant, she did not love the bath. I guess we are going to have to start bringing the shampoo skiing (reminiscent of washing our hair in Chautauqua Lake).



Kessler and her new buddy, Cian. I think she wore him out.



My favorite summer pastime is officially over until next spring. The last tomatoes are out, the garlic is in, and only a little chard is left to whet my appetite for diggin around and starting all over again in five months. I can't wait!
Here are some final rewards from this year's toils.

"I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes."

It's a girl!

We are happy to introduce the newest addition to our family, Kessler (named after a peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon that we like to ski). She comes to us from a golden rescue here in town. Our friend, Debbie, who runs the rescue, saved a pregnant golden in June, and this is one of the puppies. So, Kessler has been in good hands since day one, and it shows!

She is 4 months old and I am not sure how much she weighs- she came with everything taken care of so as long as she stays healthy and out of too much trouble, we won't need to take her to the vet for a while. We do know that her mom weighed in at about 55lbs., so we are guessing she will be in that range eventually.



So far, she has learned to love her crate, she sits with great focus, heels on a leash like a seasoned veteran of obediance classes, retrieves in the water and on dry land, and is such a love muffin! We feel like proud parents even though we can hardly take credit for any of her sweet brilliance considering we have only had her for three days. :) (Thanks to Debbie and her husband for all their love and work with these pups!)









Can't wait for y'all to meet her!











I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not, for all their marvelous instincts, appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying. ~George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

We be bloggin'

Well, we have enjoyed checking out Flickr and Blog accounts of friends and family for a while now- one of my favorite technological advances. As usual, we are little behind (or at least the Mulliken half of this pair is). But, move over and make some room, cause we are gettin on board! We want to be able to share some photos and details about the DuRoss happenin's (Western clan, Iowa ward) with all the loves we have out there in the world. So, let me know what you think. I am grateful to Chris DuRoss for this first picture of Chip and I diving into Chautauqua Lake this summer during our DuRoss family vacation. And, as the picture indicates, we are going to "dive in" to this whole world-wide-web sharing thang!





For our 6th anniversary, we returned to the Ashley National Forest in the Uintas for a five day backpacking trip. The Unitas are these old and wise mountains just a few hours outside Salt Lake City.





















Mother Nature gave us the gift of perfect weather; cool enough for hiking with a pack on all day, warm enough for skinny dipping in the clear and cold rivers and lakes that surrounded us. We saw only two other hikers. Otherwise, we had the whole Squaw Basin and Dead Horse Lake area to ourselves.




Highlights include but are not limited to, feeling like we didn't forget anything, reading aloud almost an entire book together (Buddah-Deepak Chopra), the view of Dead Horse Lake (DHL) from the pass, drinking a bottle of wine next to DHL that Chip packed in unbeknownst to me, creating a backcountry version of the "washer game", and remembering what it is like to only concern yourself with the bare necessities- what are we going to eat, where are we going to sleep, and how are we going to get there? Enjoy these couple shots and if you want to see more you can click on the link to our Costco "anniversary" album (link above and to the right).
Love y'all!
















"We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears." - anonymous