tNt PhOtOgRaPhY Blog

Tricia's Texas Trio

2010-06-15T14:20:00.010-06:00

Tricia thoroughly enjoyed her trip to Texas in May to visit her family. Her parents and sister live about a mile apart in San Antonio, and her brother lives only an hour away in Austin. She had fun playing with her niece and nephews, although they quickly wore her out. She had a great time decorating for her mom, i.e., telling her dad where to hang everything! The weather was splendid, and she didn’t mind the warm, humid runs in the morning with her dad. Hope you enjoy the photos that capture this picture perfect family time.

Another Rehab Project

2010-05-31T20:05:00.006-06:00

Troy kept himself busy this spring working on his second home remodel project. Although Tricia spent quite a few Saturdays painting, Troy’s parents were much more help to Troy. They spent many hours giving him an extra hand with flooring, molding, painting and all the finishing touches that got it ready for the market! Troy is definitely enjoying transforming an inhabitable dwelling into an attractive home! Here are the before and after pictures to prove it.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Mexican Cruise

2010-03-14T20:15:00.004-06:00

Although the winter has been pretty mild, we still felt we needed to experience a week of summer-like weather. For Tricia’s un-Birthday/Spring Break, we boarded the Carnival Splendor and sailed out of Long Beach, CA. We had a fantastic week enjoying the spa area of the ship (unlimited access to the spa’s thermal suite and Thalassotherapy pool) and exploring on foot the off-road trails and side streets of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. The trip was reminiscent of our first honeymoon cruise on a Carnival ship and extremely relaxing and enjoyable. We could go on and on, but thought we should protect all you hard working souls from tempting details that may cause you to book your next vacation today!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

FairPlay

2010-01-02T11:21:00.008-07:00

Another trip to wine country?! If you hadn’t noticed, this is becoming one of our favorite vacations. How can you beat California in December, conversing with the locals, and tasting some amazing wines? For this trip, we stayed closer to the action, which cut down on the amount of driving we had to do each day. Without internet and cell service for most of the time, we found the wildlife quite entertaining. Don’t be surprised if you find us retiring among the grape vines if we decide that life in the city is too hectic!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

JnJ Visit SLC

2010-01-02T11:14:00.003-07:00

Although it’s a couple months belated, we wanted to document another highlight for October – Tricia’s brother and family visited Salt Lake City! Joshua, Julie, and Aydan drove all the way from Austin Texas for a week visit. We had a wonderful time showing them the beautiful fall colors on the Heber Valley Train. When we took a drive up into the mountains, the fall colors turned into snow! Aydan wasn’t sure what to think of the cold, white stuff and appears to much prefer the climate of Texas.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Rehab on Southgate Avenue

2009-10-23T13:49:00.000-06:00

After spending a few years as a spectator to the real estate investor market, we finally took the plunge and decided to get our pockets dirty. If you have ever watched the TV show “Flip This House,” you’ll understand why Tricia was a little nervous. However, her fears were completely unfounded because it turns out that Troy is a MASTER Flipper!! We spent the entire summer working to complete our first remodel, along with the help of a few family members. Just look at the before and after pictures of our first Flip.

For pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

September in San Francisco

2009-09-11T13:01:00.024-06:00

No posts since March? I guess we’ve been busy around the house… We took a semi-break over Labor Day Weekend and visited San Francisco celebrating our 13th Anniversary! Tricia had to “work” one day which entailed a visit to the Exploratorium – an experimental, hand’s on museum with lots of cool (nerdy) science exhibits. We spent most of our time exploring the city on foot, taking advantage of exceptional (free) walking tours given by local volunteers. Our only regret was forgetting our sunscreen – we came back with noses as red as the San Francisco 49ers football jersey!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Northern California

2009-03-01T12:07:00.008-07:00

“Spring Break” this February meant another week in wine country! We explored a new area – three counties: Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma. Our condo was located on the north shore of Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake in California. We spent one day simply driving around the lake and enjoying the beautiful views. We also took a drive through the Giant Redwoods and ended up at the coast! After a couple rainy days initially, the weather turned nice, and we enjoyed our drives exploring a wide variety of wine growing regions including Anderson, Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. We tasted a diverse selection of wines including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Barbera, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir… just to name a few. All this wining seemed justified since Tricia didn’t get a birthday this year!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Brian and Amy Visit SLC

2009-02-22T09:52:00.004-07:00

In January, Tricia’s sister and family visited Salt Lake City! Amy, Brian, and Sidney left the warmth of San Antonio Texas, to experience the greatest snow on earth! It was Brian’s first time to Utah, and he was continually in awe of the mountains that surround us. We explored a few nearby sites including Ogden’s Union Station and railroad museum, Promontory Point and the Golden Spike National Historic Site. We drove out to see a unique site on the Great Salt Lake – the Spiral Jetty. Sidney experienced her first snow and sled ride, and of course, a visit to Utah in the winter would not be complete without seeing the infamous ski slopes! The Texas trio enjoyed their time “walking in a winter wonderland.”

TnT meets "The Big Easy"

2009-02-08T18:55:00.007-07:00

Over Christmas break we spent 12 days exploring the city of New
Orleans! “Why New Orleans? Do you have family there?” Those were
the two most frequently asked questions of us. Our response was
simply three words said in unison, “warm, warm, warm!” We explored
the city mostly on foot – with a trolley ride here and there. We
never got bored of the diverse scenery. There were so many houses to
admire, art to contemplate, food to consider, people to converse,
pictures to take – we had a jazzy time!

These are a few of the diverse homes we saw while walking about in New Orleans...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

REAL Champions!

2008-12-14T17:44:00.007-07:00

Taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather, we decided to check out the new soccer stadium and watch the Salt Lake Real in their first playoff game. They won 1-0 and became the youngest Conference Champions in MLS history. Unfortunately, they lost their next game:( But there is always next year, and for this young team, they may just win it all... Who knows...

For more pictures from this trip, visit TnT's Website.

Boston in October, What Else...

2008-10-12T15:13:00.008-06:00

At the beginning of October, Tricia jetted across the country for a chemistry meeting in Boston! Although she didn’t have much time to wander the streets, she was able to take a few quick scenic shots before the long plane ride home. These pictures highlight Boston Common & Public Gardens, and Harvard Square.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Got Vacation? We Do!

2008-08-05T12:01:00.005-06:00

This month we had the pleasure of entertaining some very special visitors from Georgia! A friend of Tricia's since the 5th grade, Jenny and her two kids, Mia and Sam, celebrated the 4th of July in Utah. We definitely kept them busy going to a baseball game, touring temple square, checking out the Great Salt Lake, and driving up the mountains to Park City. (Finding snow in July is definitely a unique sight for Georgians!)

While Mia attended a math and science camp at Westminster College during the week, the rest of us went to the mountains - riding the gondola and hiking at Sundance, navigating the alpine sled and watching the ski jumpers practice at Olympic Park, and exploring Timpanogos Cave. We all had a great time, even if we needed a vacation after our vacation!

TNT meets OMG! (Organic Malic Grapes)

2008-06-30T21:30:00.011-06:00

We enjoyed our Spring Break trip to California so much that we went back for a Summer Break trip! Although we stayed at the same, mountain resort in Arnold California, we toured a completely different set of wineries. The views from some of the vineyards were incredible, and our conversations with the winemakers were always fascinating. It´s hard to pick a favorite - each place seemed to have its own unique appeal. This part of California is also Gold country, so we learned a little about mining both past and present.

After a restful, leisurely week exploring the California countryside, Tricia participated in a 180-mile team relay race from Logan, Utah to Park City, Utah. She ran three legs (totaling ~13 miles) over a 24-hour span with only 2 hours of sleep. While that may not sound like your definition of fun - Tricia thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

DNA testing

2008-05-07T03:02:00.009-06:00

We both decided to find out what our DNA looked like, visually that is. We were quite surprised! Our visual DNA matches us so closely, it's almost scary.

If you are interested in finding out your visual DNA, visit www.imagini.net. See our Visual DNA's below, and consider sharing your DNA... visually, of course.

Troy's VisualDNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Tricia's VisualDNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

San Francisco with GoodWidgets

2008-04-30T19:49:00.005-06:00

Just a few days after being in Charleston, South Carolina, Tricia visited San Francisco, California! She enjoyed a couple crystal clear days both capturing the beautiful view on “film” and discussing ideas related to teaching general chemistry with colleagues from across the country.

Charleston Charm

2008-04-11T19:31:00.010-06:00

Tricia spent a weekend in Charleston SC where she attended a First-Year Seminar Leadership Institute. Before the talks began in the morning, she had a little time to run around the historic district and take a few pictures. She found that her favorable memories of this beautiful city from her first visit (many years ago) were still accurate! Despite the fact that the weather was a little cooler than she was hoping, her conclusion persists that Charleston is her favorite southern city to tour.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

No "Wine"ing about this Spring Break

2008-02-29T16:02:00.006-07:00

Before we left for our annual spring break adventure, many people asked where we were going this year. All we had for an answer was simply "Arnold, California." So, I'm sure you are asking (as everyone did), where is that? What can you do there? At the time we made the reservations, we were simply thinking low budget (a simple RCI exchange within driving distance), warmer than Utah, and maybe a couple local wineries to tour… Needless to say our expectations were not as big as the welcome we received at the 40 wineries we visited over a 6-day span! (But who was keeping count.) Over the years we have had many fun trips, but this last week of February was a gigantic LEAP above the rest - literally!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Windy City

2007-09-06T17:46:00.005-06:00

Troy finally fulfilled his dream of visiting the home of the Bulls. Even though it wasn't basketball season, we experienced the next best thing, running the Chicago ½ marathon! It was also the best way we knew to celebrate our 11th Anniversary. We even had some fans (Tricia's parents, aunt and uncle) cheer us on for the event. The next weekend we met up with college friends in our ol' stomping ground: Moscow, Idaho. It was a great reunion, aside from watching WSU beat up on the Idaho Vandals:(

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Zion Canyon

2007-07-13T13:18:00.007-06:00

We spent a day at Zion National Park with Troy's parents and nephew. The drive through the park from the east entrance (along Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) was beautiful. After many stops to take pictures from the side of the road, we finally made our way to the Visitor's Center. From here, the shuttle bus transported us along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. We spent most of the day on short walks at the bottom of the canyon looking up in amazement.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Bryce Canyon

2007-07-12T15:37:00.000-06:00

We spent the first day of our trip to Southern Utah (with Troy's parents and nephew) at Bryce Canyon. It is impossible for us to capture in picture or in words the beautiful diversity of scenery. At Bryce, you are at the top of the canyon looking down at an amazing sea of "hoodoos." We enjoyed our first day so much, we went back again (after a day at Zion) and took a horse ride down to the bottom of the canyon. On the horses we were able to get some close-up views of the captivating rock spires.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Western Caribbean Cruise

2007-02-28T13:26:00.006-07:00

We spent Tricia’s spring break with Josh (Tricia’s brother) and Julie on a cruise to Mexico, Honduras, and Belize. All in all, in was an “Un-Belizable” trip! One we will not soon forget, in more ways than you can imagine.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Alaska

2006-07-01T13:42:00.005-06:00

Alaska, the great frontier... We kept quite busy with a few activities, such as halibut fishing, crabbing, pulling shrimp pots, viewing a nearby glacier, checking out salmon streams, watching deer and bald eagles scavange the oceanfront property we stayed at, and cruising around the island sightseeing. And somehow we found time to relax, run a 5k 4th of July race, watch a parade, and taste the local hotspots. All in a weeks stay in Alaska...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Las Vegas

2005-09-06T14:44:00.005-06:00

Lights, our camera, and tons of action. Las vegas was a whirlwind, due in part to the fact that we visited almost every casino (we didn't have time to gamble though) on the strip within 3 days. Whew!

There is so much to see, and even when you think you have seen it all, there is still more to see. We visited Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Tropicana, The MGM Grand, NY/NY, Aladdin, , Paris, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, and The Wynn. And that is just the ones we can remember... All in all, definitely a must see, at least once in a lifetime.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2005-02-26T13:35:00.004-07:00

The Mexican Riviera is truly a year-round destination. The weather was quiet nice for February. Our ports of call were Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Cabo was the most entreaging, while Puerto Vallarta had the small town mexican charm that is always so enviting. We would definitely like to do this cruise again someday. Definitely a great 7 days at sea...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Hawaii

2004-11-28T20:15:00.004-07:00

I think Waikiki Beach would have to be one of the most famous beaches in the world. Miles of white sandy beach and it always seemed to be crowded. So we toured the island for a couple of days, took in a Idaho Vandal vs. Hawaii football game, visited the Dole factory, and enjoyed a Hawaiian Thanksgiving. The trip was slightly interrupted by Troy coming down with a cold halfway through the week. Not the best of timing, but we enjoyed a night of sushi and strolls on the beach to keep us mindful of where we were.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Utah Scenery

2004-09-28T14:07:00.004-06:00

Troy had the opportunity to spend a day with professional photographer David Whitten and get some pointers on how to best capture utah's beauty on film. The entire day was alive with beautiful colors, stunning views, and an assortment of hidden escapes that are a photographers paradise.

If you are ever in Park City, Utah, a must see photo gallery is the David Whitten Photo Gallery on Main Street.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Acapulco

2004-02-27T20:09:00.019-07:00

Acapulco was definitely a nightlife's paradise. You could just feel it as soon as you stepped on to the main drag in downtown. However, we stayed out of the main city at a resort on a piece of secluded beachfront property. And the serenity was insane.

We took morning runs on the beach, and usually didn't pass but more than a couple people. Our evenings were spent watching the sunset from our balcony and just relaxing. And the sand castle in the video above was in a Wal-mart stairwell, not at the beach. That made for a memorable shopping trip!!!

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Mountains of Utah

2003-07-30T15:49:00.005-06:00

After moving to Utah, we decided to take a few trips to the mountains to check out the spring and fall colors. The flowers, aspens, and the mountainous views are breathtaking and make it hard to not return time and time again.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

San Francisco

2003-07-13T20:55:00.006-06:00

The Golden Gate bridge, Fisherman's wharf, the Victorian homes, Lombard Street, the street trolleys, and Alcatraz... I think we hit all the 'hotspots' of San Francisco. Although, July in S.F. does not always mean shorts weather. But the weather was nice enough to take in all the sights in 3 days. Hopefully we get a chance to return someday and spend more time exploring the non-touristy sights...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Philadelphia / New York

2001-12-15T19:43:00.005-07:00

We went to Philadelphia to see Tricia's sister graduate. Since we were so close to NY, we figured a trip to the city that never sleeps was necessary. WOW! What a city! There was more concrete, pavement, people, skyscrapers, food, billboards, and taxis than we have ever seen. And a very beautiful city as well. Great architecture and georgeous views (as long as they are mostly straight up).

We also got a chance to visit 'ground zero' as well as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, and Grand Central Station. Our trip ended with a visit to Atlantic City, NJ as we strolled along the casino boardwalks at sunset.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Washington D.C.

2001-09-06T20:14:00.006-06:00

How do you see all the sights of Washington D.C., the nations capital, in 1 day? We would not know how to answer that question until after this trip... because we literally must have walked 15-20 miles of the D.C. mall, checking out all the sights we could in just 1 day. We knew we would not have more than 1 day in D.C., so made the most of it. But our legs and feet were not as pleased with our performance. Oh well, maybe we just need to be in better shape...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Dominican Republic

2001-07-14T18:47:00.005-06:00

While attending Dunwoody Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia, we were excited to join 3 Jr. High girls for a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We helped facilitate a second story addition to a local church in the heart of Santo Domingo, DR. We enjoyed a few sight-seeing excursions from Christopher Columbus' tomb to a small boat ride in a below-ground cave.

We also spent a day with Compassion International, a christian organization helping release children from poverty. We learned how they educate the children, how they find jobs for them once they graduate, and how we could help support children just like the ones we were seeing along the roads as we traveled through the towns.

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.

Cancun, Mexico

2000-09-06T21:27:00.008-06:00

Our first trip to Cancun, Mexico started off with our stay at a magnificent resort. We must have spent the first couple days just exploring the entire grounds of the resort, it was so big with something new around every corner. We traveled by bus into the city (5 pesos each way) on a few occasions, did a little shopping at the local markets, and did a lot of swimming and relaxing at the resort pool.

We visited Troy's sister overnight in Cozumel, as she was also vacationing at the same time. One of the highlights of the trip was a snorkeling jet-boat tour through the mangrove channel (the oceans jungle). We spent the entire morning snorkeling in the ocean and driving our own jet boat. We had so much fun...

For more pictures from this trip, visit tNt PhOtOgRaPhY.