We Are Spartan

Went down to Delaware/Pennsylvania to celebrate my 29th with some familiar faces, Lana and Heather. Decided to try out a Spartan Race at the CitiBank Stadium in Philly. We had a load of fun this past weekend: drinks, movies, Spartan Racing, and more wine! Yes...I do remember the entire weekend, thank you! I am clearly NOT 21 anymore. Womp womp.

Cheers to 29 and all that...WE ARE SPARTAN.

TheChristyBel

Driving to Citi Bank

Citi Bank Stadium

We're Ready to do This!

Carrying Heavy Sand Bags

Climbing Over Tall Walls

Finishing!

Getting Medals! Yay!

Celebrating

Celebrating

Being Silly

Very Silly

Very, Very Silly

And Doing Yoga to Stretch Us Out!

Last Year of the 20s

In honor of celebrating my last year of my 20s...we celebrated with a hike to Lake Awosting, an illegal swim in the lake (illegal because no lifeguard was on duty), and some sorbet at Wallkill Valley Farm Stand (and a quick animal prowl in the corn field).

Happy 29th Birthday to me!

Haha

TheChristyBel

Lake Awosting - Super Blue Today

Birthday Summit Posing

Instagram Birthday Shout Outs

Wearing the Awesome Hat Marc Got Me

28 & A New Home

Happy 28th ChristyBel!

For my 28th Birthday, we really did not do anything too special - we did most of my celebrating back in Delaware the week before. But, oh yea, we moved into our new apartment! We found this awesome set up through Wendy Toman. We are living in this 2-story house that is incredibly energy-efficient (solar panels, wood stove, etc). It is pretty open with 2-bedrooms and a mother-in-law studio above the garage (which our landlord uses every once in a while). Other than that, the rest of the house is ours to use! Not to mention there is a huge yard and garden on the property. We are also across from a farm where they sell local meat, milk, eggs, cheese, honey, and a CSA! Pretty sweet deal! The whole birthday was filled with moving in and unpacking. It was pretty exhausting, but we still took sometime to celebrate with apple cider donuts and wings! :)

TheChristyBel

The House Part

The Garage

The Garden

Living Room

Another Perspective of Living Room & Part of Kitchen

The Loft/Mast Bedroom! (The Entire Second Floor)

Bathroom

Guest Bedoom - Aka Storage Room (for now)

Kitchen

A ChristyBel Birthday

I am still in disbelief that TheChristyBel has turned 27. I distinctly remember walking into Ashland Nature Center on my 23rd birthday with purple cupcakes from mom and sharing them with my co-workers. Mike Riska, the former executive director walks up to me to congratulate me for my birthday and asks, 'How old are you?' and I reply, '23!' and the comment stated next, 'Oh, well 7-more years until you're 30!' Thanks Mike!....But that conversation still rings into my head, because you know...4-years later, I am now 3-years until 30!!!! ahhhhhhhh! weird.

But anyways, no matter what age your turn on your birthday, you should celebrate it with incredible, memorable moments, wonderful people, and activities and things that make you happy. And well, that is what I did.

Since I had such a great time ringing in my birthday last year in the Tetons, I of course, had to do the same for this year. I mean, if I were home in Delaware, I would be going to HomeGrown with a few wonderful friends, indulging in a delicious Gourmet Grilled Cheese and a Honey Mint Tea. But alas, a Delaware Birthday tradition is somewhat difficult to grant when you are in the Forever West (300+ miles away). So I think I have discovered a new tradition, at least for now, celebrate the birthday in the Tetons! And well that is what I did!

At midnight, Marc presented me his birthday gift to me - I was beyond excited! We have been eyeing over a talented artist, Jeremy Collins. He does wonderful pen&ink drawings, cartoons, and work that encompass the GYE, Tetons, and Yellowstone...and well the great outdoors. There was drawing that he had done of a map of Yellowstone that was drawn in a Grizzly Bear. I remember seeing that and saying to Marc, 'Oh wouldn't it be cool if it were in a moose?!' Well...I guess he took that question to heart, because he presented me the drawing that Jeremy Collins' created and morphed it into my vision. What a wonderful gift?!?! I am going to cherish it forever.

Marc's Painting - Isn't He So Talented?!

The birthday was filled with loads of party favors, wonderful text messages and phone calls, Facebook notifications, and a lazy, relaxing morning at the Jackson Hole Farmer's Market and then another fun and relaxing afternoon at String Lake. I could not have asked for a better birthday weekend - it was full of endless amounts of happiness, fun, perfect weather, wonderful people, and of course, the Tetons! Enjoy the pictures from Saturday!

Party Favors Courtesy of Mom & Marc

Noise Makers Galore!

Mellow Snuggin'

Feeling the Love All The Way From the Rock N Roll Marathon in Philadelphia!

SnapChat Birthday Greetings From Brent!

SnapChat Birthday Greetings From JJ!

Marc Driving Us to String Lake
Can We Talk About Those Gorgeous Peaks in the Background

ChristyBel Hats, Inner Tubes, & Birthday Cone of Shame!

Smith and His Mode of Transportation Around String Lake.
No Better Way to Spend a Birthday at String Lake!

Birthday Selfie with Marc!

The weather was absolutely wonderful! That morning as we were walking to downtown in Jackson, I could FINALLY see the Tetons. They were absolutely beautiful. No clouds in the sky either! Had a bagel with lox and then went to K-mart to buy some inner tubes for some quality time at the lake.

Inner Tubes & Whiskey on a Sunny Birthday Day!

Always Nerding Out on Nature...Even on the B-day!

Had to go to the Tetons National Park sign and get a birthday picture! Selfies with three people is kind of challenging, but I think we made it work!

Two Of My Favorite Boys!

Marc Made Lamb for the Birthday!

And the Infamous Cake From Mom

Ok, side note: so...my mom decided to send me a cake for my birthday. Very nice and thoughtful of her, since I am missing her Purple-Icing Red-Velvet Cupcakes! But yes, she tried to keep it a secret and just told me that there was something in the mail being delivered to my apartment. Well the day I was supposed to get it, I get a phone call from UPS stating my package could not be delivered due to an incorrect address. Impossible. So I call them back, and they state, my address was wrong. So I asked them what address were they using? UPS replies back same number, same street, same apartment (however there is not one in existence) in Lakeville, CT. And so I reply....well that's why! There is no specific address since I am living in a completely different part of the country. They quickly change the address and stated it would get to me in two days.

Well I call mom telling her everything, and she felt so bad, she called and complained to the company. They automatically ship me out another 'surprise.' But said that it would not get to me until after the birthday. Turns out, I got the original surprise, which was a CAKE, right before I headed to Jackson. We'll see if I end up getting the replacement cake too! haha. But it was deliciously rich and chocolatey! Thanks Mom! xoxo.

Birthday Summit Pose. Obvi.

Happy Birthday TheChristyBel
Must Be Nice Celebrating 21 for the 6th Time!
Photo Credit to Smith Benson!

I had the most wonderful birthday weekend! Awesome people in an awesome place. Here's to being 27!

TheChristyBel

Feeling 22, For the 4th Time! Happy Birthday, theChristyBel!

So, theChristyBel turned 22 for the 4th time...boy does time fly by!  For the first time, spending my birthday so far away from home was different.  Usually, I am spending my birthday at Home Grown (I miss their Gourmet Grilled Cheese!) with some of my bests and eating mom's red velvet cupcakes.  Even though I was celebrating 26 so far away from home, the birthday still brought some feelings of being home.

One sad part about celebrating a birthday was getting a head cold.  Waking up that morning with a lost voice and a somewhat stuffy nose was not fun at all.  However, going to class with some wonderful friends who brought you WHISKEY-ICING CINNAMON ROLLS and an awesome birthday card totally made being sick much better.

That night, I also had a wonderful surprise fly in all the way from the east coast.  So, literally 'home' came to me!  One of my friends, Luke, from back east came to visit me for the whole week!  So nice seeing a familiar face from home spend a birthday with you in a new place definitely made things so much better!

The next morning, I took Luke on a little hike around Phelps Lake.  It's a great starting hike for 'sea-level' to get acquainted with the higher altitude...maybe! It was a great morning for a hike too!  Not too cold or hot.  Since the season had just started turning, the fall weather felt awesome for a morning-mid afternoon hike.

Mid-Moment Go-Pro Photo Snap Shot..
Obvi We Weren't Ready...
Photo Credit to Luke Lindeman

At Phelps Lake Overlook

Luke and I did the full loop around the lake, ending up at the jumping rock for lunch where we were told that we could see a pair of moose over at the beach from the rock.  So cool, Luke's first moose!  We ended up watching the bull and cow wading in the lake water just hanging out.  So awesome!

Enjoying the moose over yonder!

Such a Beautiful Day for a Mid-Morning Hike!
Photo Credit to Luke Lindeman

Sitting on Phelps Rock Watching the Moose!
Photo Credit to Luke Lindeman

After trying to admire the moose from far away, we continued to finish the hike and stop by the beach to get a closer look.

Moose Wading in Phelps Lake

First Moose...and On Day One!

Sunday, it was cloudy and kind of cold so we decided to go to Granite Hot Springs with one of my fellow grads, Mandy and her boyfriend, Phil.  Granite Hot Springs is south of Jackson and you must take a 10-mile gravel, uneven road to get to the springs.  Very scenic, but I am pretty sure Little Blue hated us for driving her on that!

Before you hit the hot springs, we passed Granite Falls.  This was a really cool little series of waterfalls.

Granite Falls

Morning, Ice Cold Shower, Anyone?

Mandy and the Falls

Happy Camper!

The Birthday Weekend was pretty nice and relaxed with getting outside, hiking, and trying out the Hot Springs.  

So while I was in class, Luke took Little Blue to adventure in the park.  Something we both did not even think about was the weather.  Sure we talked about it getting colder and to dress warm, but what was brought in by the middle of Luke's stay was not even though about. 

Getting snow during the birthday week was definitely out of the ordinary...and a first for me!  Wednesday, we woke up to not only snow on the Teton peaks but in the valley too!  Not too mention, we were supposed to be conducting a Stream Team study that day. So being in the snow definitely added a cold challenge!

September 25 - First Snow of the Season...in the Valley!

Beautiful View of the Snowy White Teton Peaks!

The birthday weekend and week was pretty awesome and Luke's visit was such a great gift!  I hope he enjoyed his visit out to the Grand Tetons!  Seeing him experience his first moose and snow out west was really fun to watch!  So glad he got to come visit!  A visit from back home was something I needed!

Next blog - 'Observing Teton 5th Before I Start Teaching!' It's getting more and more real, people!

Xoxo,

theChristyBel

Luke and I at Granite Hot Springs