Joining the Real Cowboys and Cowgirls At The National Finals Rodeo

For the second year in a row we went to the NFR! Think big rodeo! Competitors work all year around to qualify for the two week experience and at the end the world champions are crowned. We have been waiting all year to be there again to cheer on CoBurn and as Lucky Dragon says, "CoBurn's friends."

CoBurn Carrying the Utah Flag

Quinn Kesler proving you can take a "2 year religious break" from rodeo and still come back and be one of the best!

It was so much fun to be there and see all of the competitors. There were cowboys and cowgirls from Brazil, Canada, France and all over the United States. It was really exciting to see that even our home state of Hawaii was represented! Poor guy, instead of playing Country music over the jumbo-tron when he rode, they played some corny "Aloha music." HAHA...

One of the benefits of the NFR is that it is filmed and therefore, they keep it on time. It goes by quickly with one event spilling into another.

As always, I love the patriotism and love of God throughout the experience. There are parts of this Country background that I could admire and respect...only parts of it though--don't expect me to be in boots or a 5-gallon hat anytime soon! (ps...you can ride a horse in running shoes!)

Thanks, again, CoBurn for allowing us to get decked out in our CoBurn t-shirts and sweater shirts to cheer you on!

To Stand in Two States

While we were down in the Vegas area we decided to take a few minutes and see some of the sights. Not the Las Vegas Strip--not really your type of fun, we looked for the odd thing to do that mainstream tourists don't do.

One of those was Hoover Dam. Just outside Vegas and where Lake Mead borders two states--Nevada and Arizona. It  was breathtaking to see the engineering feats that were accomplished for both the dam and the nearby bridge. The first thing that caught our eyes as we came around the winding bend of red cliffs is the spartan structured bridge spanning a deep ravine. It is funny because when you cross it you know that it is a long way down, but to see it from the bottom up, it is REALLY a LONG way down. I guess that is an example of ignorance being bliss! Hehe

Of course our Lucky Dragon fell asleep as we were parking--classic. Which is too bad because we knew he would have loved the experience. He has been watching the cartoon 'BLAZE and the MONSTER MACHINES" and each show has some scientific education to it. One of them is about engineering and he has been obsessed with bridges and dams since. He will make them with his Lego blocks and proudly makes sure that both Lady Hiva and I bend down to see it up close!

I carried him as we crossed the dam from Nevada into Arizona. I could not help to think how much cement they must have used to build the dam and bridge. I also was shocked to see how low the water level of Lake Mead was.

And as fate would have it, Tau'aho woke up as we were walking back to the car! So I went and grabbed the car and drove across the dam and back (you can no longer cross and keep going, the road is closed) while Lady Hiva gave him a quick tour of the dam. She was even able to get him to stand in two States for a photo. He was not so pleased by the bright Arizona sun though!

So although Lady Hiva and I are partial to lush green and sapphire blue scenery, there was some man made and nature made beauty that we saw in the desert.  

I love her!

Large Constellation statue and commemoration memorial

See the Humming Bird? Lady Hiva and Lucky Dragon were so excited to see it