My Life at a Glance

New Puppy!

2009-05-20T19:04:00.001-07:00

We haven't picked out a name just yet but we will be posting it as soon as we decide

This is our new female Golden Retriever. She was the runt and has the sweetest disposition. Hope you enjoy the pics :)

San Diego - WAP

2009-04-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Kurt and I went to San Diego in December and found a wicked deal on tickets for Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park. Unlimited entrance for 5 days to all three parks for $120/Person! yeah we had some fun in all three parks but we spent about 3 days in the Wild Animal Park. It was by far my favorite and the only one at which I took pictures. Here are some for you to enjoy.

Lazy Lions

A very young Peregrine Falcon. Sorry, I don't remember his name. There are some great pics and even a video of another Falcon, Java, that is worth checking out in a later post.

Lemur - Not even the branches of the trees reach past the mote that surrounds their island.

This is a Tamarin from Tasmania, not a hedgehog. I couldn't spell out the differences for you but the trainer who spoke about her was animate about repeating that piece of information.

Caspian the Caracal

2009-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is Caspian the Caracal - he is a small African Bird Cat. They are wild and rarely seen on the African wildlife videos. He uses the tufts on his ears by waving them above the grass line as he hides his body below. The swishing motion from his ears kinda looks like a bird's fluttering wings and gives the
birds a false sense that everything is ok. When the birds get close he jumps and catches some right out of the sky!!!

Cheetahs

2009-04-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

While spending time in the Wild Animal Park we met these three lovely sisters.

Feeding time...

On the lookout...

Kurt and I had an AWESOME opportunity to watch this Cheetah run past us as full speed (70 MPH)! Feeling her thunder past us sent shivers up my spine!

This is just a clip after the run - sorry I didn't video the run, I didn't want to miss anything as it happened!

Distraction

2009-04-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

I found this humorous...

Java in Action

2009-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

Alright, moving on...

This is Java the amazing Peregrine Falcon

(Fastest Living Creature on Planet Earth)

Ok so here is Java doin' her thang cathin' some grub...

Hinkley

2009-04-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hinkley at Wild Animal Park in San Diego California

SKYDIVING!!

2009-04-06T15:36:00.001-07:00

I am the last on the list to take the plunge.

There were multiple "Warning:Death" signs everywhere!

All suited up and ready to go!

few minor adjustments. That's Wyatt, my Tandum Diver - he was awesome!

And this is what we do when we leave the plane...

More warning signs...

Marching to take off!

from left to right: Shawn, Ross, Kurt, Wyatt, Ro, Me, Chad, Guru (no joke, that's his name!)

They told a joke to make me laugh but really I'm about to pee my pants.

Everyone looks so calm... we are about to jump out of a plane people!!

Getting ready, getting myself ready for this... oh man what am I doing?!

Kurt had his Tandum Diver do flips out of the plane for his first time ever... such an Adrenaline Junkie

More flipping...

flying Kurt

Some Pretty Views

My turn...

oh crap!!

Whoa, that parachute really slows ya down... how fast were we going?!

Great shot by my Photographer, Mike

He was from Germany and I'm pretty sure that isn't his real name ;)

He rocked!

It was a BLAST!! Thanks Kurt for making this part of our Hawaii trip!

The Robinson Girls

2009-03-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and Kylie made our time on Oahu so much fun!

Thanks girls :)

Ashlyn

The Chickens ;)

2009-03-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

A MONTH in Hawaii?!?!?!

Kurt and I decided last minute to spend 5 extra days in Hawaii before the family joined us. We spent that time in Waikiki. Once the family arrived we spent a week in Turtle Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. We were all supposed to leave at the same time after Turtle Bay but I didn't make it on the flight so Kurt stayed with me and Jessica. We went to Maui in hopes that the flights were better. Jessica made it back to utah the next day but Kurt and I decided to stay on Maui and explore for a week. When we tried to leave after our time in Maui the flights were CRAZY full. 70 standbys and 4 got on. Yea for spring break!! Everyone is trying to come to or leave Hawaii so we finally had to buy tickets. Good news - we got to spend a month in Hawaii!!!

I found this lil' guy the first morning I was at Turtle Bay and watched the sunrise. Those rocks are actually grains of sand.

Zebra Dove (baby)

My view from the cabana at Turtle Bay

Sunset at Turtle Bay

Maui Landscape

Bamboo Forrest on Haleakala

Local Fisherman East Side Oahu

When we didn't make our first flight we met the Nielsens and the Robinsons at church the following Sunday. The Nielsens were nice enough to show us around Hana and let us crash with them the first night we met them! When we missed our flight the second time the Robinsons let us stay with them for a week! We were so grateful to find such generous people and we hope to keep their friendship for many years to come :)

Thanks guys!!

Kylie and Ashlyn Robinson

Joseph Neilsen

Kurt jumping into some rough water...

Rough Water....

Kurt finally getting out of the rough water - I thought he was going to die.

Best Buds

2009-03-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Kurt loves to hang out with Riley and read a book

Zion 2008

2009-02-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

During our summer of '08 in St George we took a trip to Zion National Park in Southern Utah.... it's a beautiful place which pictures could never do justice. Most of these pics were taken from a scary hike called "Angel's Landing"

Please enjoy!

This was some intense hiking

One of many Natives we saw on our trek.

Kurtly and Jeniby forever and ever and ever....

Some desert flowers

Ok, so this trail is insane - Kurt is hanging over a thousand foot high ledge....oh, and he is smiling.... he is nuts.

Great day - beautiful place.

Joseph Bates standing near the top and Kurt is the blue spec at the bottom. This narrow passage didn't strike me as scary until I came back down - the fall is a couple thousand feet on either side..... *gulp!* I was grateful for the chain to hold on to.

A cute little beggar who graced us with his presence when we stopped for a snack.

No, I didn't really give him any food - I did bait him though.

Pretty cactus flower that did kewl things when I turned the black and white filter on

A very odd little beetle whose defense was to stick his butt in the air and... well I'm just not sure. But he was interesting so I took a picture.

Parade of Homes '08

2009-01-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

In February, Kurt and I attended another intriguing Parade of Homes in St George, Utah. I Only took pictures of a few homes, though I was thorough in getting every inch of each. Please enjoy!

First: Kurt's Favorite.... a VERY modern home

My favorite exercise room in the whole Parade.

Kurt loved this house so much he came back to revisit two more times and just sat inside

My favorite: the Phantom House

This beautiful French style home carried with it a classic theme of

Phantom of the Opera.... and you'll see why

I simply fell in love with everything about this house but I adored the Kitchen

As if to add the exquisite personal touch to say this home was built just for me, they added a beautiful Baby Grand...

and a Craft Room.

This Master Bedroom, although it looks precariously normal....

held an exciting secret one cannot help but explore... A Secret Passageway!

Which led into this romantic chamber built to resemble a cozy cave.

Complete with a circular veiled bed

The passageway continued further to reveal a Roman style Spa

Following the passage, it leads you outside

Note Passageway on right

The arched waterfall is actually a wet entrance to the Spa

This is, perhaps, the only builder upon which Kurt and I agree:

Split Rock

This home is very unlike their usual fare

They kept the modern feel but left the Desert for an Classic feel to their Modern style

Their have never lacked imagination

Quite possibly the best Patio I have ever experienced.

An outdoor segment of a Bathroom

Another Outdoor Patio

Bonus: This car come with the purchase of this home.

It was so hard to refuse that offer...

Bella's Lullaby

2008-10-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Obsession

2008-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Kurtly

2008-10-07T19:43:00.001-07:00

I rarely get to take any pictures of my husband. He simply hates to sit still. but I was blessed with a rare opportunity while he was stuck in a chair getting a haircut. So here are some I like.

Before

After

My favorite pic ever...

Nature

2008-10-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I took a walk on my own down to the shore of Maine and came back with a few pics of nature I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy them.

Barnacles

Sea Urchin - dead

beached Urchin

These little blue bugs seem to be larva of some kind but I cannot figure out what they will be once they mature

Snails are EVERYWHERE here

I can't believe how small this lil' guy is!

Some stargazers (my favorite flower)

not sure what kind these are

Thanks, again for stopping by!

Maine's Rocky Shore

2008-10-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite memories from the vacations of my youth are at this rocky shore in Camden Maine. It was wonderful for me to go back so many years later and see it through older eyes.

Poor Granny, she was such a good sport. We took her to all the beaches with us but it isn't easy to maneuver the huge rocks.

So she found a spot and stayed there while we played

This is Penny and the girls - well the tops of their heads as they looked at crabs and barnacles and other fun critters.

Thanks for stopping by!

Camden Maine

2008-10-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

CAMDEN MAINE

Some pictures of our walk through Camden

Bed & Breakfast

Downtown

Restaurants I want to come back and visit

Some art by local artists

Cherriman Vacation '08: Camping

2008-10-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

CAMPING

For those of you who know my father, understand that he is a thorough man who prefers to be prepared. So when the family takes a road trip he checks and rechecks every inch of the vehicle. To those of you who do NOT know my father and think I exaggerate please see the picture below of dad lubing the door latch to our mighty chariot. (You read correctly - the door latch...)

This particular trip was different from our family road trips in the past since we didn't leave at midnight. Showing a bit of mercy in his older years, dad allowed us to wait for the sun to come up this time. Once we ate breakfast we hit the road!

Another change to our usual agenda was an overnight stop along the way to Camden ME. Were this a typical Cherriman vacation we would have pushed through to complete the 19 hour trip in one day. Ahhhh... those were the days... *sigh

Once we reached Camden, ME in the evening of the following day it was pouring rain and all but mom and dad had tents to stay in. To those who have never set up a tent in the rain I say... you should try it sometime. It builds character. Here is a pic of my tent in mom and dad's site.

Among the many traditions of the Cherriman family the ones with food seem to hold the most memories and strongest ties to continuation. Pickled tomatoes are the #1 snack prefered by those who bare the Cherriman name.

In second place comes homemade pizza on Sunday!

And for icing on the cake of this tradition we have the ceremonial baking of the pizza in the dutch oven! This was dad's only job when it came to food preparation.

Without computers and TV we enjoyed finding many forms of entertainment while we roughed it in the wilderness. Jeremy climbed poles... still wondering about that one...

Kids performed various acrobatics...

and practiced their "too cute to get in trouble" look....

Some of us found a little extra time to read...

Some of us enjoyed the occasional opportunity to be eaten by our chairs...

And others got out cameras to preserve the memories.

Here are some pics of the family members

Laney

Lilly

Jared and Makayla

Angelic Laney

Mirick

This vacation was so full of memories and good activities and we got tuckered out many times.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Love,
The Cherriman Family

2008-08-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is my little niece, Laney. She is 18 months old in this video.
She is taking snails and throwing them to their demise!
~Hilarious, definitely worth a minute of your life.
Enjoy!

Jerry,... again

2007-08-02T10:57:00.001-07:00

Just some more pics of Jerry...

This looks like one of those 'self-portrait' pics that your friends always take with your camera when you aren't looking...

Oh life is so hard....

What ever shall I do?

Misc.

2007-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, I abbreviated Misc. because I don't really know how to spell it...
Anyway, these are some pics that I have taken this past month, I hope you enjoy!

This is Jerry, my friends' new kitten.

This little guy was hopping across my back patio and I couldn't resist...

He even got into a good book...

I didn't know what this guy was when I saw him out my window, he just looked like a piece of dry grass on my porch pillar... I'm glad I took a closer look.

Miss Riley, she is quite the poser...

Jerry again.

Memoire of a Perfect Day

2007-07-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tiana Gifford married Branden James Fraze on July 7th, 2007.
Here are a few of the blissfull pictures I was able to take...

Having the normal attention span of one his age, Justin recieved many a bribe from those who hoped he would stay still for the camera. He did quite well and the pics didn't turn out so bad either

And this is what happens when I am left for hours to play in photoshop :)Thanks for stopping by!!

The Delicate and the Dead

2007-06-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised to meet this little visage in my desert garden this evening.

He let me get my face inches close to him and I couldn't resist, I actually held him in my hands... then he fluttered away. What a magical moment to hold and inch and a half of hummingbird in my hands.

I am pleased to introduce the Dead part of our exhibit today....

This beauty was thankfully found, although not yet dead, outside my home :)

Kurt's Concert

2007-06-18T16:18:00.001-07:00

So Kurt's acappella group opened a concert for T-Minus 5 on saturday.

He started this group on the phone about 4 weeks ago.

They haven't been practicing together for very long

But the concert was pretty good :)

It was near Zion's National Park... georgeous! You will be seeing photos of this place soon.

Jaxon's Trophy

2007-06-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

I have discovered some exciting new house guests. The first one I found in my room and I politely allowed him to live and escorted him outdoors where I hope he stays. The second did not meet such fortune, as Jaxon found him too interesting to leave alone. Thus he became Jaxon's Trophy... a little marred by the playful capture, as he lost a claw, but whole none the less.

That's my mighty hunter....

Scenic Views

2007-06-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, beautiful St. George....

This is my back yard

One of my friendly neighbors

local shrubbery

The sunset is this beautiful every night :)

Sleepin'

2007-05-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

I caught the girls in the middle of another hard day at the office...

have a great day!
Jen

We Made It!!

2007-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Utah!! We moved into our Split Rock rental on the evening of April 30th and we love it! We plan on building a custom home with Split Rock within a year. Even though this home isn't exactly what we want it is still great and we love it as our temporary rental.

The views of the mountains are awesome out of every window and they are only better when one looks out the back to add the custom water feature to the picture.

Guest bedroom :) complete with a full bath that I forgot to get a picture of.

Kitchen - I love it - granite countertops, slate floor, and the very first time I have ever had a dishwasher!!

Springtime at the Zoo

2007-04-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Kurt and I went to the Natural Bridge Zoo this morning for no other reason than to enjoy the beautiful day. I hope you enjoy the pics :)

Upon entering this furry establishment one is greeted by the welcoming commitee of Potbelly pigs :)
I affectionately called this one Girtha...

As it is springtime, there were many baby animals about. The most of which we found were the Pigmy Goats. Cute little rambunxious critters. They even had a couple in a small kiddie pool and let the visitors play and hold them. They are more fun in person than in pictures, I assure you.

Baby bunnies!! no explanation needed, these are the cutest beings on the planet.
Lamas were all around this facility - some roamed free and some were in pens. All were very friendly. The Zoo provided food to feed most of the animals so they were quite tame and friendly.

Nearly all of the animals so far have been of a farm-animal type. Now on to the real Zoo animals...
Monkeys! They had many species of monkeys but this is the only one I took a picture of before my battery died. This one is playing with his toes... never a dull moment :)

Flamingos! A colorful addition to the landscape.... otherwise not very exciting to spend time with.

This beautiful girl was my favorite to see. I would come back to her often to say hello...
I would get her attention from afar and stalk up to her playfully and she would respond by jumping and pacing in her cage excietedly hoping I would come in and play. *sigh* oh how I wish I could have done this.... I am determined to get my own white tiger some day.

This gentleman is 11 years old and is quite possibly the largest Tiger I have ever seen. Again, my pictures do not do my subjects justice but he is pretty all the same.

Yet another great cat to add the collection - can ya tell I am partial to big kitties?

A Zoo is not really a Zoo without the Girraff... This one is a baby - I think they had five total.

There were, of course many other animals that I wasn't able to get because my battery died. There were exotic birds, allegators, snakes, turtles, etc, Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the few pics I had to offer! Girtha says BYE!

Just because you were nice enough to stay to the end... here's the bunnies again.

Haunted

2007-03-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

While on our many travels we pass this abandoned home from the 1700s in Maryland to get to Delaware. I finally took some time to capture this haunting figure as it has caught my attention on many occasions. The presence is not described so well in these photos, one must be there in order to appreciate the looming feeling that surrounds this place. With that said, here are a few photos to draw you in....

While this front door doesn't exactly scream "welcome!" I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to go inside. Maybe it was my curiosity getting the better of me or just the desire to be thrilled through my fears. I could have sworn I saw out the corner of my eye, a shadow walk past the window or some glowing eyes peering at me through the basement windows where there was no glass... It was hard to tell because it always seemed that they would disappear when I looked at them.

With the sun beating its warmth on the back porch the haunting feeling seemed to dissipate.... until I saw something scurry underneath. The feeling suddenly returned when I peered into the well-lit foot high gap between the ground and porch and saw nothing. This open doorway within the porch (you can't see it here) was welcoming me in through its dark archway... weird how the openings to the house itself seemed so dark on such a sunny day.

I know I can't see anything but I could have sworn I felt someone watching me...

Can you spot the bunny? Neither did I, which would explain why I almost peed my pants when it went running! stupid rabbit.... Ironically, this was the most peaceful spot on the whole property. The graves are of a mother and father with the little one in the middle of a baby. Dates on the stone read early 1800s.

Just your average macro shot with a haunted house looming in the background...

I hate to disappoint but I didn't go into the house. I was alone as Kurt stayed behind to "guard the car" and I wasn't sure how safe the floors were (since they are 300 years old).

Utarded

2007-03-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

Kurt in his natural state....

So Kurt got this brilliant idea to take a "vacation" to Utah during the same time he needed to get some business things done while we were there. The only time we really got to spend together that didn't involve business was during the Parade of Homes in St George and the occasional massage to make up for the false impression of what we were really going to be doing in Utah (Please see illustration above). I speak harshly and maybe I am a little bitter. It wasn't a total waste of my time - I really did enjoy meeting the new partners and their wives. But sadly I have no pictures but the ones taken in the Parade of Homes so I hope you enjoy the few I have to share.

This is the back yard of my favorite home that we saw. I affectionately called it the "Lion House" as that seemed to be the theme. I simply adored the towering pillars that engolfed the back patio and opened into the sunny Pool and BBQ area (vaguely seen on the left). This is, simply put, the perfect home for entertaining even the pickiest of guests as it seemed to include everything one could ask for in leisure activities. The theatre room was one of the best in the whole parade of homes, although it certainly wasn't the largest.

It was common among the homes we saw to see the jacuzzi overflowing into the pool but, as if to keep things ruggedly interesting, the firepit in the middle was a unique trait to this home alone. This is a feature I am so fond of I intend to use it in my custom home. That waterfall was also a nice touch that most wouldn't bother to add that I found aesthetically pleasing.

With so many guest rooms one might think that this house would have no privacy but the floorplans more than made up for the possible plight in design. Here is a view from one of the common areas on the second flor that separated the guest areas from one another. This balcony was beautifully placed as it give one a view of the back patio and outstretched view of the vally. The home itself was placed on a hill overlooking the city and mountains in the distance.

Detail did not escape the designer's attention while creating this masterpiece of a home. The "aged" plaster and wall painting perfectly frames the view through the arched windows giving one a sense that they are in an ancient home in Tuscany. Simple class and elegance saturate this home from original design to accesories.

I don't have many other pitcures of other houses. Sorry. Most of them aren't worth putting on my blog anyway.

Winter Wonderland

2007-02-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

We recently had an icestorm roll through the Shanandoah Valley and while it didn't stick around in the town the surrounding hills still glitter with a frosty light beneath the brilliant sun. Curious, Kurt and I went for a drive up to the Blueridge Parkway and found some amazing sights! Unfortunately most of the magnificence is lost in pictures - one must really be there to experience the glorious feeling of being surrounded by glittering sunlit diamonds. It is extraordianry! I did attempt to take a few pictures to capture this beautiful sight so I hope you enjoy them keeping in mind that these pictures do not do justice to the beauty that is here to behold. Forgive my inadiquate photography skills, please.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the pics :)
Peace,
Jen

Fall 06

2006-11-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

So summer is gone and I anxiously await the coming of Christmas but first I will share with you my Thanksgiving experiences. I hope you enjoy the pictures too. There are many I wish I had taken but alas the prompt to take them ascapes me until the time is already past. I am working to correct this Mental Lapse Syndrome and your patience is greatly appreciated.

Kurt was nice enough to take a few pics of me and my best friend while we were hanging out. I figured its about time i submitted something new since the other pics from my modeling days are at least a year old.

This is my Bestest Friend, Rebekah Purdy. She and I grew up together in Delaware but she moved to AZ with her family about 6 years ago. She came back into town the weekend after Thanksgiving so of course we got together and chilled with our friends. She is a beautiful woman and this is the only recent pic I have of her! Its sad really. Anyway, I will submit more once when I get them - promise!

This is a WRX STI (Subarru) that I saw for sale on the side of the highway on my way back to VA. *sigh* I will be getting one soon enough but this one seemed so perfect that it actually made me sad to think I couldn't drive it home that day.... anyway - I present this pic for myself more than anything else. I would have to replace the rims if I were to really get this one. The gold with the silver paint just doesn't do it for me. In fact, I think i hate it.

Introductions

2006-10-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Meet my husband, Kurt. He is what we call a "networker". Which basically means he knows everybody. Even if you don't know him he has your friend's number in case you need it.

This beautiful tigress is Riley. She is the perfect cat, she listens well, comes when she is called, and she is always eager to give affection.

This is Chili. For those of you who cannot identify what he is: Chinchilla. Personality: Coy . He is really a fun pet and has the softest fur you may ever feel. (if you get the chance to feel the fur of a chinchilla)

This is Jaxon. She looks a lot like Riley because she is another tiger cat but she has white paws and chin. Although Riley is a great cat and wonderfully affectionate, Jaxon takes the cake as the cuddle-bug of the family. She is always willing to give affection and cuddle even if you weren't exactly expecting anything. She is our newest addition to the family. Kurt was the one who picked her out too! (This is suprising because Kurt still claims that he isn't an animal person). Jaxon is a rescue kitten - so when we first got her she was painfully shy. But she has since come out of her shell and become great friends with Riley and anyone who provides an open lap .

This is my fav modeling pic - Michael, my friend and photographer, pushed me to get fierce for the left shot. yea - thats me being fierce.....

Summer '06

2006-10-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

So summer of 2006 is officially over now. Kind of sad whenever the blissful season passes.But i have many beautiful memories from this one. Kurt and i spent the majority of it in Utah visiting his family and we went to Lake Powell a couple times - see pictures. I guess it was good for me to go and spend so much time in utah. IT really gave me a feel for what it might be like when Kurt and I move there. Our plan right now is to move to St George, UT in december or January. I think we are pushing for december. I have to admit that moving from a lush east coast setting into the desert won't be easy for me. I am very much in love with green foliage. Las Vegas will only be an hour or so away. I am looking forward to the weekend trips :) Vegas is one of my favorite places to go for a visit. There is no excuse for bordem in that city.
Peace out
Jen