J & M Adventuring

A Full Birthday

2012-01-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

With the end of every year comes a celebration of the birth of my mister. This year his birthday fell on a Saturday which just so happens to be the perfect day to celebrate. Lucky for Matt, Mr. Joe of Joe's BBQ, Joe's Farm Grill, and Liberty Market, is a lover and celebrator of birthdays. Thus, the birthday boy was awarded with free food at each of these delicious restaurants. That's right, we visited them all and claimed his birthday present at all three...the trifecta.

We began the birthday of feasting at Liberty Market with our good friends, Dallan and Ashley and their adorable daughter. Matt's breakfast of choice? Bacon Pancakes.

And, just because we could, we went and got a few free doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. Not a low calorie birthday, but certainly a delicious one!

Our late lunch/early dinner was a ginormous baked potato covered with barbecue beef brisket, cheese, and sour cream. And, of course we had some homemade root beer to wash it all down with.

Our day of feasting ended at Joe's farm grill with some delicious milkshakes.

Matt did some gift opening and had a lot of phone calls and birthday songs interspersed with the eating. All in all it was a nice, relaxing, full feeling birthday. Our food coma caused us to both fall asleep relatively early and we awoke on the couches downstairs around 10 pm, wished each other a Happy New Year, (East Coast time) and went to bed.

Due to the sheer amount of eating that was done on his actual birthday, we decided to have birthday cupcakes while cheering the Ducks on to victory in the Rose Bowl a few days later.

I'm thankful every day for the birth of this sweet man and welcome any chance I get to celebrate him! I hope this is his best year yet!

Milestones

2011-12-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

29,200 days on earth. 8 decades. 80 years. All are equivalent to the the milestone reached by my grandpa earlier this month. He has experienced triumphs and sorrows, had times of success and times of failure, he has, in a word, experience. With that experience has come wisdom and increased understanding of the truly important things in life. My parents flew south for a few winter days and we journeyed together to celebrate this 80th milestone, Yuma style.

A couple of Canadians enjoying the Arizona winter sunshine.

Yuma was a bit blustery on that particular weekend.

We did it up right with birthday apple pie and some awesome party decorations!

I'm so thankful for the wonderful man that my grandpa is. I am blessed to be in his family, and I'm so glad we were able to celebrate his birthday with him this year, memories were made that won't soon be forgotten.

"Holding" the babies for the first time. My mom is "holding" baby girl and my dad is "holding" baby boy. It won't be long before we are holding them for real!

This Christmas was the first one we have spent entirely on our own. We made a delicious dinner on Christmas Eve, drove around and looked at lots of different Christmas light displays, then came home and snuggled up to a Christmas movie. It was relaxing and low key, and we loved every minute of it!

This house won our vote for most "decked out."

26.5 weeks and the babies continue to grow and wiggle.

And, this picture was taken today at nearly 29 weeks. The babies were so squirmy on Christmas morning that we decided they must have known they got new cribs for Christmas!

And, just because he's cute...here's a picture of Matt getting ready to run miles in his new Christmas running shoes!

Christmas Sentiments

2011-12-22T13:30:00.003-07:00

I thought the following was a perfect summation of the Christmas season and the real reason we celebrate with such gusto each and every year.

"For Christmas is a beautiful time of the year. We love the excitement, the giving spirit, the special awareness of and appreciation for family and friends, the feelings of love and brotherhood that bless our gatherings at Christmastime.

In all the joyousness, it is well to reflect that Christmas comes in three levels:

Let’s call the first the 'Santa Claus level.' It’s the level of Christmas trees and holly, of whispered secrets and colorful packages, of candlelight and rich food and warm open houses. It’s carolers in the shopping malls, excited children, and weary but loving parents. It’s a lovely time of special warmth and caring and giving. It’s the level at which we eat too much and spend too much and do too much–and enjoy every minute of it. We love the Santa Claus level of Christmas.

But there’s a higher, more beautiful level. Let’s call it the 'Silent Night level.' It’s the level of all our glorious Christmas carols, of that beloved, familiar story: 'Now in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus…' It’s the level of the crowded inn, and the silent holy moment in a dark stable when the Son of Man came to earth. It’s shepherds on a steep, bare hill near Bethlehem, angels with their glad tidings, a new star in the East, wise men traveling far in search of the Holy One. How beautiful and meaningful it is; how infinitely poorer we would be without this sacred second level of Christmas.

The trouble is, these two levels don’t last. They can’t. Twelve days of Christmas, at the first level, is about all most of us can stand. It’s too intense, too extravagant. The tree dries out and the needles fall. The candles burn down. The beautiful wrappings go out with he trash, the carolers are up on the ski slopes, the toys break, and the biggest day the stores in the entire year is exchange day, December 26.
The feast is over and the dieting begins. But the lonely and the hungry are with us still perhaps lonelier and hungrier than before.

Lovely and joyous as the first level of Christmas is, there will come a day, very soon, when Mother will put away the decorations and vacuum the living room and think, 'Thank goodness that’s over for another year.'
Even the second level, the level of the Baby Jesus, can’t last. How many times this season can you sing 'Silent Night'? The angels and the star and the shepherd, even the silent, sacred mystery of that holy night itself, can’t long satisfy humanity’s basic need. The man who keeps Christ in the manger will, in the end, be disappointed and empty.

No, for Christmas to last all year long, for it to grow in beauty and meaning and purpose, for it to have the power to change lives, we must celebrate it at the third level, that of the adult Christ. It is at this level–not as an infant–that our Savior brings His gifts of lasting joy, lasting peace, lasting hope. It was the adult Christ who reached out and touched the untouchable, who loved the unlovable, who so loved us all that even in His agony on the cross He prayed forgiveness for His enemies.

This is the Christ, creator of worlds without number, who wept, Enoch tell us, because so many of us lack affection and hate each other–and then who willingly gave His life for all of us, including those for whom He wept.

This is the Christ, the adult Christ, who gave us the perfect example, and asked us to follow Him.
Accepting that invitation is the way–the only way–to celebrate Christmas all year and all life long."

William B. Smart

I love the Christmas season and all the joyous celebrations, lights, and festivities that come with it...but it is the man that baby grew up to be that I try to remember and keep with me throughout the year.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Angel Gabriel

2011-12-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our sweet nephew, Gabriel Lee, returned to his Heavenly Father on Monday, December 5th. And, while our hearts ache for dreams cut short, we feel blessed and thankful for the joy he brought to our family in the four short months he was on this earth.

We will think of and miss you always and you will be in our hearts and thoughts until we meet again, precious Gabriel.

Progression

2011-11-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

8.5 weeks

15.5 weeks

19.5 weeks

23.5 weeks

Our little ones are getting bigger and bigger everyday!

Among the Hokies

2011-11-14T22:29:00.012-07:00

Blacksburg was home to my love for all of his college years, but his love of Virginia Tech and all things Hokie began long before he was of university age. It was a dream come true for him to receive an education there and it was a dream come true for him to return to his alma mater just a few short weeks ago.

We made our way from north to southwest across the state early on Friday morning, unfortunately the drive began before we realized that a lonely back pack was sitting on the floor of Aly's living room (a place to which we would not be returning until our next cross country adventure). Not to worry, it only contained my wallet, medicine, all bathroom essentials, glasses, extra camera lens, etc. Nothing too important...wink, wink. Seeing as how we're not really panicky type people we posted a plea on Facebook for any kindhearted soul headed south to let our bag hitch a ride and then we continued southward as planned.

We were enthralled with the beauty beyond the window panes as the miles drifted away.

And, pretty soon...

we were in Hokie country. I think Matt's heart rate increased with each passing mile, and by this point his grin was stretched from ear to ear and I think he was even bouncing in his seat a little.

Matt's cousin, Eric, is currently an intern with the Virginia Tech athletic department. He shares Matt's love of all Hokie sports and thus was kind enough to take us on a tour of the many beautiful Hokie athletic facilities.

Eric is somewhat famous...so obviously it was fitting to reenact his famous moment captured so beautifully on the wall of the new basketball practice center.

On the basketball court at Cassell Coliseum.

Matt showing off his crazy hops.

The football tunnel. Matt was in heaven!

Touching the revered football tunnel Hokie Stone. This is the stone that the players slap as they run on to the field before a game.

The practice field. We came up here after coming out of the tunnel. The footsteps of running cleats echoed behind us as we made our exit and we got out of the way quickly enough to avoid being trampled by the entire Hokie football team, including the water boys. It was at this point that we exchanged pleasantries with Coach Beamer (head coach) and Coach Foster (defensive coordinator)...I'm pretty sure we can include them on our list of "friends for life" now.

We admired the Hall of Legends and then headed for dinner. PS I'll have you know that the on-campus dining hall at which we ate serves London Broil, live Maine lobster, steak, gourmet pizza, etc...that's right on-campus dining hall.

Continuing with our sports themed weekend, we went to the women's volleyball match that night. Matt discovered that volleyball is actually quite entertaining to watch (I've been telling him for years, but he had never been to a college game so it was a new experience.)

And, he got to participate in the between games entertainment! He didn't win, but he was satisfied with not making a fool out of himself, and there was at least one girl in the crowd with a crush on him!

Earlier in the day we had learned that a kind hearted soul was giving my bag a lift to Blacksburg, but it wasn't set to arrive until right before the football game the following day. So...we had to make a quick trip to the store since I didn't have so much as a toothbrush. Needless to say, my fall into bed and into dreamland were nearly simultaneous.

The next morning came far too quickly but we got all geared up for the Homecoming parade and the cold. That's probably the only morning this winter that we will walk out to a frosted over car. It was chilly!

Afterward, we warmed up with a vanilla steamer and then walked around campus admiring the beauty of Virginia Tech dressed in autumn.

And then...

it was tailgate time! And let me tell you, tailgating in Hokie country is serious business!

Matt got to see quite a few of his old buddies and we got to spend a lot of quality time with his Aunt Mary, Uncle George, and cousins Amanda, Eric, Mike, and Tommy. One thing is for certain, good times were had!

Thanks to the Paris family for throwing such an awesome shin dig! Their tailgate was set-up at 9 am and was not taken down until 9 pm. These folks know how to party!

Finally, it was time for the main event!

In his element and loving life!

Mary and Eric

The people that usually sit in front of Matt's aunt and uncle didn't show up so we all got to sit together!

With my favorite guy in his favorite place.

During half-time, we got to see Courtney, the facilitator of our lost bag delivery. We haven't seen her since our trip to Cancun over a year ago so it was fun to get to catch up for a few minutes.

After a mediocre first half, the Hokies came back with gusto and pulled away with a resounding and authoritative victory. There was much cheering and revelry and a few voices may or may not have been lost.

Then, it was back to the tailgate station for some stiff corn hole competition.

The parking lot was pretty darn close to empty by the time this celebration finally wound down.

The babies were begging for some food so we visited a little Greek restaurant that made a delicious chicken parm sandwich. And again...I had no problems sleeping that night!

Our East Coast adventure came to a close the following day with our flight from Roanoke to Phoenix. Luckily, we had some time to stroll around the duck pond on campus and the old plantation nearby. It was a perfect fall day and we tried with all our might to soak in the beauty and freshness before heading for the airport.

Thanks again to Mary and George for letting us tag along to Hokie country! We had a wonderful time!

Bonding

2011-11-06T20:19:00.001-07:00

The days leading up to our East Coast adventure had Matt counting down until finally the day arrived that he could giddily declare, " We're going on vacation tonight!" And, after a long red eye flight, we got to meet our sweet new nephew G for the very first time.

It didn't take long for G and his Uncle Matt to get acquainted. They bonded over a Virginia Tech football game and when G fell asleep before the game ended, his Uncle Matt cut him some slack seeing as how he's only 3 months old, and quieted his cheers to a whisper.

Our first day was spent catching up on the sleep we didn't get on the airplane and enjoying the company of family.

G's christening the following day was the "main event" of our excursion. We're so happy we could be there to share in such a special day and to spend time with so many of Matt's relatives.

Proud parents and grandparents.

G has a lot of family that loves him!

Four generations on both sides of the family.

G and his proud godfather, Mike.

"I know I'm adorable and the star of the day...but is it nap time yet?"

The rest of our time in Northern Virginia was spent with family, friends, and enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

We:

learned all about what it takes to become a spy at the International Spy Museum.

I'd love to tell you if I passed "spy school" or not but I was trained to divulge nothing.

got to spend time with friends that we haven't seen in way too long!

recreated our first date.

Same Mongolian grill, same hockey team...but this time I let him sleep in my bed that night!

This was us five years ago. Awww...

walked to the Air Force and Pentagon memorials.

Beautiful views from the Air Force memorial.

The Pentagon 9/11 memorial.

G giving the "thumbs up" for being on such a great walk.

spent some time enjoying the beautiful fall leaves and the company of Matt's grandma at her home in the country.

ate at our very favorite Chinese food restaurant in the land...Tau Tau.

took G for his first ever Metro ride into the city.

learned that the metro is a wonderful sleep inducer.

learned that a life of crime doesn't pay at the Crime and Punishment Museum.

and we went boot shopping at my very favorite shoe store.

(I sure miss you and your hilariousness Megs!)

The time passed far too quickly and soon it was the end of the week, which meant a trip to Hokie country. But, that's another blog for another day. We had a stupendous time during our stay, thanks to Aly, Patrick, and G for sharing their home with us for the week!

Notable Happenings

2011-10-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep everything in chronological order, I feel the need to catch up a little bit. That, and we just returned from an awesome east coast adventure that Matt is dying for me to post about. All in good time...

The last few days of our time in Oregon were spent relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. We got to enjoy the company over our favorite (formerly) Mesa peeps ( the "formerly" is referring to the fact that they will no longer be Mesa peeps due to the selling of their residence in the Valley of the Sun, and not a demotion from their "favorite" status.) but all photographic evidence of our jolly times together shall not be made public at this time so you'll just have to take my word for it, the times they were good ones!

Every year we come home to the sweltering heat and long for the cool greenness that is Oregon. And, every year the pictures tide us over until the next adventure that will take us to our favorite places in the Northwest.

Standing in the fountain by my dad's office. It wasn't enough to stand in front of the fountain, Matt had to be IN the fountain. Thus, I went to our afternoon movie with wet pants. Oh well, compared to the actual viewing experience of watching "Tree of Life" which was somewhat akin to Chinese water torture, wet pants and cold air conditioning were pleasant. Worst. Movie. EVER!

We did some kayaking and along the way we discovered hundreds of blackberries. Our mouths, fingers, and Matt's t-shirt were stained with deep purple for the remainder of the afternoon. Delicious!

Matt found a cozy new place to sleep. He loved listening to the trees rustle and watching the owls on their nighttime hunts.

One of the perks of living in the country is that you can have target practice anytime your heart so desires...right in your very own backyard!

All in all our Oregon vacation was the perfect escape from the summertime heat of Arizona!

On another note...we celebrated 4 years of wedded bliss on September 22nd! I am so thankful to be married to my very best friend, I love him with all my young girl heart!

Phew...I think that is all that was significant that hadn't yet been blogged about...other than the fact that at some point in the end of September or beginning of October I stopped throwing up every night. Hooray!

Next up...our East Coast Excursion!

Oregon Recomendations

2011-10-02T18:53:00.005-07:00

Last night we had the opportunity to go to the ASU football game with some friends of ours. While we were there we were talking about the upcoming Oregon vs ASU football game that will be played at Autzen Stadium. Our friends will be in attendance and consequently it will be their first trip to my home town. As I was thinking about things that they should do while there, one day from our trip last month came to mind.

Certainly they should spend a day at the beautiful Oregon Coast, and on the way there they can stop off at Sweet Creek Falls.

Matt found that having a sling shot in his back pocket added a little adventure to the hike, but that part is optional.

There is a variety of wildlife to enjoy...

the scenery is breathtaking...


and I got to enjoy it with some of my very favorite people!

A trip to the coast isn't complete without some authentic and fresh Oregon seafood. Seafood Station was our funky little restaurant of choice on that particular day, and boy howdy was it delicious!

After sufficiently filling their tummies with fresh seafood our friends should head to the beach. Tip: always bring a jacket or some sort of warm article of clothing to the Oregon Coast...that wind can be a mite bit chilly, but even the wind can't detract from the beauty!

Matt had a sling shot and a kite to play with so he was as happy as a clam...

My dad was in on the kite flying action for a little while...

and then the three of us ended up dozing to the sound of the waves.

Matt and his kite stood guard.

We took our obligatory "standing in front of the ocean" pictures...

and then Matt decided to join this seagull in the waves.

Every year as we are packing for our Oregon excursion I remind Matt to pack a swimming suit. And, every year he says something like, " Are you crazy?! I'm not going in the ocean this year, it's way too freezing!"

And thus every year he ends up like this: in the ocean with his shorts inching higher and higher on his thighs.

And yet, he always has a smile on his face...numbness and all!

A trip to BJ's for some homemade ice cream and salt water taffy is also a "must" while at the Oregon Coast.

As I reflected on that wonderful day that happened over a month ago, I found myself wishing we were going back. Oh well, I guess I'll live vicariously through those lucky friends of ours!

Excuses and Reasons

2011-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Meet my excuses for my blogging hiatus.

Twin A is a mister and Twin B is a little miss.

My nightly routine has been slight variations on the following since they have joined me:

Come home from work, take a nap for an hour or two, wake up still feeling exhausted, eat the dinner Matt has so kindly prepared for me, lounge on the couch for an hour or maybe two, get ready for bed, brush teeth, promptly throw up, brush teeth again, go to bed for the night.

So, as you can see any energy required for blogging has gone to the babies or to keeping my dinner down.

It has gotten a bit better during the past few weeks.

One of these days I'll get around to posting about the rest of our time in Oregon.

Hopefully it will be before our next vacation!

We are thrilled with our little ones and are so excited to meet them sometime around the end of February.

They are an answer to many prayers prayed over the last few years, and we could not be more thankful!

And now...I believe I hear the couch calling my name!

Summertime Bliss

2011-08-28T21:15:00.002-07:00

Escape! This is about the time of year that we love to flee to the cool temperatures and green trees of Oregon. Relief from the Arizona heat comes as soon as that first little toe steps out of the airport into the cool breeze and beauty of the Northwest.

Our welcoming committee.

We, of course, spent as much time outside as we possibly could. I'm all for soaking up that Vitamin D without baking to death. And thus...our first full day in Oregon was spent on the Mighty McKenzie River, fishing to our little hearts' content.


One of my favorite places on this planet.

Turns out my sweet mother has become quite the fisher lady since the last time we visited. She was in it to win it and in fact ended up with my favorite catch of the day...


Matt helped her pull it off the hook but she reeled that baby in all by herself!

The water was higher and faster than normal which, we think, is why we didn't have as much luck as we have in the past. Old Reliable didn't completely disappoint however and Matt ended up with some great looking trout to take home.


First catch of the day!


It doesn't get much better than this!

After fishing for a few hours we came to the conclusion that sustenance was going to be needed soon if we expected to continue our mastering of the fish. Thus, we gave Matt a choice. Leave to go get some lunch at our favorite pizza spot on the river, Ike's Pizza, or...call ahead and bring it back to the fishing spot. Matt's eyes got wide and he said, "Fishing and pizza at the same time?! I might be in Heaven!"

So we took a pizza break right there on the river and then we were back in the game. And, the sustenance must have helped because it wasn't long before Matt started reeling them in again.

All in all it was a successful day. We left with breakfast for the next morning and a tiny bit of a sunburn. And, enough leftover pizza for the rest of the week!


Mmmm....breakfast of champions!

New Addition!

2011-08-06T19:27:00.001-07:00

The evening of July 23rd brought with it a new member of our family! Baby G was born to his loving parents, Matt's sister Aly and her husband Patrick. He is about as precious as they come and we can't wait to meet him!

A few hours after his entrance into this world.

What a perfect family picture!

Congratulations Aly and Patrick, we couldn't be happier for you!

A Little Bit of Cheesiness

2011-07-24T20:32:00.004-07:00

It was a hot and humid evening at the beginning of July when I finally rolled in to my new home in Falls Church, Virginia.

It was the beginning of a new adventure.

One that proved to change my life forever.

A conversation with my friend Megan ended up being the catalyst for this life changing move across the country. We both decided that we were in need of something new and she just so happened to know a girl that lived out by DC with a room for rent in her house. That was all it took. We packed up a couple of weeks later and headed out. We drove separately since we both needed to have our cars out there. At one point along the journey I got a call from Megan that made me a tiny bit nervous. She was thinking about just staying with her cousins in Arkansas. Not good news for me. She was the one with the connection to my future roommates, and since I didn't want to end up homeless, I did all I could to convince her to keep on truckin up to Virgina.

It worked. We arrived within a day of each other and the rest is history.

I met Matt a few months later and we started dating. We got engaged after I had lived in Virginia for just a year.

4 years ago today was my last night in Virginia and my last night with my cross country adventure partner and friend, Megan.

It took us a little while to make other friends after we moved out there so in the first few months, when we had only each other, Megs and I may or may not have resorted to a little bit of cheesiness to keep ourselves entertained.

On my last night there, we made a video of some of that cheesiness.

We may have been a bit nerdy, but we sure had a lot of fun.

I'll always be thankful for that year where we were brave and ventured out of our comfort zones and across the country together.

Incidentally, that move turned out to be a pretty good one for Megs as well.

She married our videographer.

Tasks of a House Sitter

2011-07-20T19:17:00.014-07:00

Koda the dog was abandoned by his family.

I can't say I blame them.

I'd choose a 10 day vacation in Maui over a dog any day.

But, seeing as how Koda, the only member of the family that can't feed himself or go to the bathroom inside the house, wasn't invited to Maui, he needed a caretaker. Luckily for Koda, Matt was up to the task.

So, we moved to North Phoenix for 10 days and Matt got his fill of doggie play time. We discovered that there are very few tasks as a house sitter.

1. Make sure all animals are well fed and (this is important) still alive at the end of 10 days. We had a little scare with Nemo the fish one night, but I think he was just messing with us because he was fine a few hours later.

2. Check on any suicidal birds that may kamikaze dive into the wall of windows at the back of the house. Returning from Maui to a backyard full of deceased pigeons would be frowned upon.

(Apparently this suicide dive bomber changed his mind at the last minute and tried to put on the brakes. One afternoon another little bird wasn't so lucky. The next morning when Matt went out to give him a proper burial in the trash can...all he found was a pile of feathers. Tough neighborhood.)

3. Check on the pool vacuum on a daily basis. A swimsuit, pool raft, sunblock, and sunglasses may all be required.

4. The house will be cleaned by a maid service on four of the ten days. Try not to mess it up in the interim.

5. Throw or hit the ball. Wait for its return...repeat.

6. Enjoy a commute to work that is half the normal distance.

7. Perfect any diving/basketball skills necessary to qualify for video footage.

(This skill wasn't quite perfected...but it was funny)

8. Relax and enjoy. There are no errands to run or bathrooms to clean. A nap, a good book or movie, a game here and there...there are no other obligations, as long as the animals are still alive of course.

Who doesn't love a good snuggle nap?!

10 Years Ago

2011-06-20T20:01:00.009-07:00

10 years ago today my favorite missionary entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

He packed up his car for the ride to the airport and got set to say good-bye to his family for two whole years. His flight across the country marked the beginning of his journey.

Two years that shaped him and made him the wonderful man he is now.

Two years of sharing happiness and joy. Two years of learning, serving, strengthening, and converting.

He made his brief stop in Provo mere weeks after I had escaped to Oregon for the summer following my sophomore year at BYU, completely naive to the fact that my future favorite missionary was embarking on his life changing adventure a mile or two from where I had just been.

He made life long friends...

and friends that he ate.

Such is the life of a missionary in Boise, Idaho I suppose.

He changed lives and generations. Eternity was altered because of his service.

And, I'll be forever thankful for that day of embarking.

Birthday Delights

2011-06-12T19:06:00.018-07:00

It's official. I have left my twenties in the dust and can hereafter only be considered a twenty-something when I lie about my age.

Which may or may not happen frequently in the future.

Time will tell.

The celebration of the commencement of a new decade of my life began a day early, somewhere between Matt being pulled over and our arrival at The Keg for my free birthday dinner. Not to worry, Matt escaped with a warning...and a new nickname, Sure Stop.

Les Miserables came to town for the birthday revelry. It was a first time experience for Matt and a wonderful evening in which I was reminded that being thirty is leaps and bounds better than being a French peasant back in the day.

Or at any time for that matter.

June 10th was party day. I arrived at work to find more than 150 balloons and all other manner of birthday decorations and gifts. And then I left early. It was a win/win day at the office.

Later in the evening Matt's weeks of planning came to fruition as we gathered with some of our friends. After filling everyone up on some amazing Mexican fare, we thought a little competition was in order to aid in the digestion process.

Minute To Win It was the inspiration for our event.

10 teams. 7 games. 60 seconds per game.

1 winner.

Nose Dive

Objective: To transfer 5 cotton balls from one bowl to another bowl 12 feet away.

Obstacle: The cotton balls had to be transferred with only the players nose.
Aid: Petroleum Jelly that was smeared on the end of said nose and the ability to breathe through one's mouth.

Rapid Fire

Objective: To knock 6 empty soda can off the end of the table upon which they were stacked.

Obstacle: The cans have to be knocked off while the player is standing 8 feet away.
Aid: As many rubberbands as the player can shoot and a quick trigger finger.

Go the Distance

Objective: To get three ping pong balls in to three shot glasses.
Obstacle: The shot glasses were placed at distances of 5, 6, and 7 feet.
Aid: Tape measure that the ping pong balls must be rolled down.

Movin' On Up

Objective: To move the single blue cup from the bottom of a stack of 39 red cups up to the top and then back to its original position.
Obstacle: The player can only move one cup at a time and must alternate hands with each cup moved.
Aid: Lightning fast fingers.

Chocolate Unicorn

Objective: To stack 7 Ding Dong snack cakes without knocking them over.

Obstacle: Ding Dongs had to be stacked on the players forehead.
Aid: A flat forehead and flexible neck.

We discovered the wrapping on the Ding Dongs makes the task impossible so the teams that went first with this challenge ended up getting another attempt at the end.

Noodling Around

Objective: To stack and balance six pieces of penne pasta on a piece of spaghetti.
Obstacle: The player could only use his or her mouth and the piece of spaghetti must stay intact.

Aid: A steady locked jaw.

Face the Cookie

Objective: To move a single cookie in to the player's mouth.

Obstacle: The player may use only his or her facial muscles to move the cookie from the forehead to the mouth.
Aid: Patience and a bit of a twitch.

(We let her use her hands. I know, we're softies.)

Our big winners were Julie and Cory! They went home with a fair amount of chocolate and the knowledge that they have an obscure set of talents.

There was singing and wish making and various other forms of traditional birthday merriment. Matt even had my parents write a letter with various memories and stories of my childhood. And yes, I blew out that massive wall of flames with a single breath. Apparently I have obscure talents as well.

We had lost a couple of people by this point, but for the most part this was our group of party peeps. Thanks to Vicki and Stuart for hosting such a fun shindig in their home and to everyone else for making it such a wonderful celebration. And, a special thanks to my sweet Matt for making my birthday such a fun, special event. I love that I get to spend all of my birthdays with him...clearly wishing on candles really works!

Happy Birthday to J!

2011-06-10T06:42:00.014-07:00

It has been twenty-nine years since Janelle's first birthday party was celebrated with some cake, singing, and maybe even a balloon or two. A year before that first birthday bash, just a few hours after midnight, there was another celebration going on in a little hospital room in Provo. I'm sure this party was full of smiles, hugs, kisses, phone calls, and I'm guessing even a few tears.

(Thanks for the image Google Earth)

That same day, my family was somewhere in the middle of our move to Saudi Arabia. After all of miles traveled and different places we've lived, I was lucky enough to have our paths cross on November 10, 2006. That night that ended with Janelle, her roommates, and myself at a 24-hour grease pit diner in Seven Corners until a few hours past midnight.

Little did I know how much I would grow to love the girl sitting a few stools down from me at the diner that night, the one that was born thirty years ago today in a little hospital room in Provo.

Ripening

2011-06-02T16:06:00.005-07:00

It's almost harvest time, and boy howdy my salivary glands are getting anxious!

Weekend of Delight

2011-05-30T20:57:00.005-07:00

Three day weekends are for:

Spending time with friends.

Brad's misfortune turned out to be our good luck on Friday evening. His plane home from New York was delayed enough that he missed his connecting flight to California. Thus, we got to spend a very enjoyable, albeit late, evening with him. If anybody else wants to get stuck at the Phoenix airport...we have a very comfortable futon!

Pampering

Being productive

A little friendly competition.
( Tennis and ping pong within hours of one another makes for a great day!)

Time in the sunshine.

As we enjoyed our long weekend we spent a lot of time reflecting on the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom and this wonderful land in which we live. We are so thankful for the men and women who have and are currently serving our country. Words sometimes aren't enough and "thank you" just seems so inadequate.

Nevertheless...my thanks comes from the bottom of my heart!

One for the books...

2011-05-19T12:14:00.003-07:00

Let me tell you how my week has progressed so far:

Monday: Matt and I decided to go rollerblading after a rather uneventful day at work. We strapped on our wrist guards and wheels and headed out, determined to be out for awhile before the day completely transitioned to night. We zipped right along for over an hour. Up and down hills, past the canal and parks…we were just enjoying the gorgeous evening. On our way home we decided to take the path through the park.

Mistake # 1.

We reached the point closest to our escape route home but would have to bail off the path and cross the grass to get to the street. We opted to just continue on the path until it met the sidewalk and then double back up the street.

Mistake #2

Turns out I’m not so great when it comes to sharp turns on rollerblades. In my defense, we have had the things for probably 3 years and I’ve never had a problem. Turns out there is a sharp turn on the path in the park by my house. I was moving too quickly and may or may not have had a slight panic moment when I tried to cut the corner.

I almost made it.

Almost.

Turns out almost means I left a bit of knee skin and all feeling in my bum, along with a hefty amount of pride, on that path in the park.

Luckily for me I have a brilliant husband that has made me wear wrist guards since day one of rollerblading. And, don’t think I haven’t whined and complained about wearing them because they make my hands hot and sweaty.

I have.

I was a champion skater when I was a little girl (okay maybe champion is too strong of a word but I could definitely hold my own and many of my childhood days were spent with wheels strapped to my feet) and I never wore wrist guards…a pillow strapped to my bum when I was first learning, yes, but wrist guards…no.

Turns out I’m not 8 years old anymore.

Thanks for saving me from a broken wrist husband of mine!

So that was Monday…

Tuesday passed with a bit of soreness from the debacle of the night before but was otherwise uneventful.

Wednesday came and brought with it a new medicine for me to take. It is supposed to regulate my thyroid/pituitary gland yadda yadda long story…

Anyway, the bottle said to take one pill once a day with food. So, I planned to take it after I ate my breakfast at work.

8:00 am: The medicine alarm on my phone goes off and I pop that tiny little pill in my mouth without a second thought.

8:10 am: I’m a nerd and like to read about how exactly a medicine that I’m taking works. This is what I read, “This medication often causes dizziness, especially just after the first dose. Lie down immediately after taking your first dose to reduce the risk of injury from falling.”

Awesome.

Would have been nice to know 10 minutes ago.

I proceeded to read about all of the other possible side effects of this particular pill, nausea, drowsiness, stuffy nose…on and on. I pull out the pill bottle to read the warnings from the pharmacy “Take with food” is the only thing on the label.

9:30 am: Still feeling good and normal. Thinking I dodged a bullet and feeling proud of my body for not reacting to a silly little pill.

11:00 am: Sitting in the bathroom at my office covered in a cold sweat and feeling like I will be seeing my breakfast again any moment.

11:03 am: Waiting for the woman in the stall next to me to exit the bathroom to I can puke in private.

11:05 am: Still waiting.

11:06 am: Can’t wait anymore. Assume the “kneel on the ground” position…PAIN! Oh yeah my knee skin is still on the sidewalk at the park. That’s okay, squats are better for my thigh muscles anyway. Good thing I’m a pretty quiet puker.

11:10 am: Actually feel a little bit better and make it back to my desk with the world spinning around me.

11:30 am: Call Matt and tell him to come pick my shaking, sweaty, looking like death body up from work. I’d rather not end up in a ditch while trying to drive home. Matt is with some clients and over 25 miles away from my office…I know it’s going to take awhile.

12:00 pm: Watching Matt’s GPS icon on my phone silently pleading for his car to turn into a plane…or the Batmobile.

12:15 pm: Lie down on a couch in an empty office with my garbage can close at hand.

12:45 pm: Make use of the garbage can and feel grateful for whoever invented plastic garbage bags.

12:46 pm: Matt arrives to take me home. I feel as though my entire six story office building is going to fall over. I hope it doesn’t land on my truck.

1:00 pm: Fighting with everything in me not to throw up in the car. I have one of those blessed plastic bags in my lap but the smell is something that can’t always be trapped by plastic so I try ever so hard to think of other things, with my eyes closed of course because I don’t know who put the world on a Merry Go Round, but it is spinning way too quickly!

1:25 pm: We make it to our exit and I beg Matt to take the turn SLOWLY.

1:30 pm: Pull into the garage. I slowly sit up, and then stand to get out of the car. Almost fall. Catch myself…feel like I’m going to lose it at any moment. I make it two steps into the house before I am collapsed on the ground and heaving into my plastic bag. Seriously, garbage bag guy…I owe you one. Turns out I am one of the small percentage of people that get a stuffy nose when taking this particular pill of loveliness. Not being able to breathe through one’s nose whilst heaving into a plastic bag causes choking and breathing in of plastic. Not a great combo.

1:45 pm: Finally pull myself up from my collapsed position on the floor. Shivering and shaking uncontrollably, Matt helps me up the stairs and into a most welcome pair of pj’s. Brush my teeth for the fourth time that day. And, finally collapse into bed. Dead to the world for the next three and a half hours.

5:20 pm: Wake up feeling much better. I even make it down to the couch and sip some Sprite. Vow to take that blasted pill at night from now on so I can sleep off any ill effects.

6:00 pm: Matt says, “So I guess we’re not going rollerblading tonight, huh?”

He was, of course, kidding.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-05-15T17:31:00.008-07:00

There are not many things more enticing to me than garden grown fruits and vegetables. In fact, thinking about the deliciousness that grows in the garden of my mother and our favorite Oregon orchard induces an involuntary salivary response.

And so...we decided to bring some of that home grown goodness to our own backyard. We got started a little late in the season so we began with just a few little plants. We're breaking in our green thumbs slowly but surely.

What started out as this...

was this in less than two weeks...

and, as of a few days ago, is now this...

I'm reminded of a poem:

Garden Magic
This is the garden's magic,
That through the sunny hours
The gardener who tends it, Himself outgrows his flowers.

He grows by gift of patience,
Since he who sows must know
That only in the Lord's good time
Does any seedling grow.

He learns from buds unfolding,
From each tight leaf unfurled,
That his own heart, expanding,
Is one with all the world.

He bares his head to sunshine,
His bending back a sign
Of grace, and ev'ry shower becomes
His sacramental wine.

And when at last his labors
Bring forth the very stuff
And substance of all beauty
This is reward enough.
-MARIE NETTLETON CARROLL

I can't wait to sink my teeth in to one of those juicy tomatoes! I guess my green thumb came intertwined with patience. It will be oh so worth it in just a few short weeks!

Vacationing Essentials

2011-04-23T16:31:00.011-07:00

My parents came to visit last week. They were in need of a vacation and some warmer weather.

Just between you and me, I think the sunshine was as much of an enticement as seeing us.

Can't say that I blame them! In fact, I love that we live in a climate that is so inviting during so many months of the year. Need to warm your bones?

Come on down!

The Oregon rain and chilliness must have stowed away in their luggage and thus decided to stick around for their first full day of vacation. But, we didn't let that stop us from sojourning over to Rockin' R Ranch for dinner, a show, and a little panning for gold.

Too bad we forgot our cowboy hats!

Essential parts of vacation:

Outdoor activities (not pictured: swimming, dinners on the patio, and long walks)

Time away from work.
(You can see that I was pretty heartbroken about this one.)

Naps.
(My dad had the urge to take a nap in "nature" and so parked the hammock under the tree in our backyard.)

Movie watching.

If vacationing in Arizona around Easter time the Easter pageant is highly recommended.

A little friendly competition.

This look of concentration often turned to this look of glee:

because he kept winning.

And though not essential, a little girl time is always nice.

Discounting the fact that my mom got sick the night before they went home (it ended up developing into pneumonia) and my dad left with a few more bruises than he came with, I think all in all, the vacation was a success! We loved all the time we got to spend with them and are already looking forward to next time!

Bon Appetit

2011-03-27T19:20:00.009-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in my younger years was to help my mom cook. And, by cook I really mean bake delicious treats. I loved to add the ingredients, especially when the recipe called for chocolate chips or M&M's!

Remember Easy Bake Ovens?

I didn't have one.

But, I did have the tiny little mixes and the equally as minuscule baking pans and cookie sheets. (It was like making food for Thumbalina!) I loved the "just add water" part and would stir my little fingers off. Then of course there was the sampling of the batter. And, if any of the batter actually made it into the oven, I remember the anticipation and feeling of accomplishment and pride as I watched something I helped to create, transform into something delicious.

As I got older I of course learned how to make more than tea party size cookies and brownies. My high school years found me making dinners for my family on a fairly regular basis. In college it was cereal, toast, sandwiches, and pasta that sustained me. My culinary skills were actually far more advanced than my diet portrayed. I would whip out a specialty recipe every now and again but more often than not I just didn't want to put in the time that most cooking required.

With marriage came a more balanced diet and the desire to try new recipes and foods. And, on Friday night we expanded our repertoire with a cooking class. For those of you that have seen the movie Hitch, our cooking class was very similar to the cooking class scene in that movie, minus the allergic reaction and overdose on Benadryl.

Matt was an enthusiastic student and even got a "Nice mincing!" from the teacher as he chopped some onions.

Turns out that getting the perfect grill marks is quite a technique. Did you know that most steaks served in restaurant are only on the grill for a few minutes to get the grill marks and then are actually baked in the oven for the remainder of the time?! It was new information to me.

Evidence that I participated and wasn't just there for the photo ops.

This was our instructor, Frank. He is an awesome Chef and a wonderful teacher. (I asked him if his wife does any of the cooking in their house and he laughed as if I had told a funny joke. Apparently she doesn't. Maybe she's on dish duty...fair trade I'd say.)

On the menu were:

Mini Crab Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

Shitake-Dusted New York Strip Steak with Gorgonzola Butter

Thyme-Roasted Potatoes

Creamed Spinach with Shallots and Crispy Bacon

And for dessert:

Chocolate Napoleons and Port-Braised Pears

The food was delicious! It turns out I've come a long way from my "just add water" days.

Soaring

2011-03-13T18:24:00.010-07:00

I have some fears. Spiders, crickets...any type of bug really, drooling and licking animals (okay that's not really a fear...just something that grosses me out) swimming with fish, but heights is not included on my list. In fact, since I was a tiny tot I have loved to climb on anything that would increase my view of the world.

One time, when I was in second grade, I was climbing the tree in my front yard with my older brother. I used to sit up in that tree for hours. I loved to watch the people passing below me, oblivious to the fact that they were being observed. On this particular occasion, when it came time to leave the leafy tree top, my brother climbed to a branch quite a bit higher than our normal avenue of escape. Determined to do everything he did, and being enthralled with the idea of flying, my skinny little second grade legs shimmied right up there after him. He grabbed the branch, and swung through the air, suspended for a split second, and landed easily on his feet.

So, I grabbed the branch swung through the air and was suspended for not nearly long enough...and crashed to the ground. Fractured my shoulder.

So much for my graceful exit.

And yet, I still love the peaceful vantage points that loftiness brings (as long as my bones remain fully in tact of course).

Yesterday, we soared high above the deserts of Phoenix in a hot air balloon. Carried by the wind and warmed by the fire shooter above us, we soared to heights that I've only seen within the confines of an airplane. The world was slowly painted with vibrant colors at the rising of the sun, and it was certainly a sight to behold.

In a word...peaceful. No wonder birds are so happy when the sun comes up and flying time begins again!

We arrived in the early still dark hours of the morning and were greeted with a beautiful sunrise as the balloons were being inflated.

This was just one of many balloons set to lift off from our launch site.

Matt was asked to help with the inflating of the balloon and his excitement was apparent.

Ready to launch!

Above the launch site.

The sites were stunning!

Matt was enthralled with watching his spit fall thousands of feet.

Happy as can be!

All of our bones remained unscathed and our flying adventure was an overwhelming success!

One of these days...

2011-02-28T15:42:00.003-07:00

all of my dreams are going to come true.
But for now, I'll enjoy living in my reality, which just so happens to be what my dreams of yesterday were made of.

Love is...

2011-02-20T20:14:00.004-07:00

- Getting to spend the Saturday before Valentine's Day with my man. We went to dinner and then to a hilarious play called Here Lies Jeremy Troy at the Hale Center Theater. There was a lot of laughter. And holding of hands. And maybe a little hand on the leg action. I love celebrating love!

- Not having to fuss and worry about what to do. There is love in simplicity. A night snuggled on the couch in pjs, bowl of ice cream in one hand and my man's fingers entwined in the other, being us. I love us.

- Seeing old friends and celebrating a new family.

These girls came to town for a mutual friend's wedding. We had so much fun dancing and talking the night away.

- Slumber parties with our favorite Mesa peeps! This one is forthcoming and we are super excited!

- A fabulous adventure on the horizon. Literally. The pictures and story will be lifetime memories, of that I am certain.

- Lifetime friendships and conversations until 3am.

Erin and I have been friends since sixth grade. I left the deserts of Las Vegas for the trees of Oregon after eighth grade. Our friendship has endured and flourished over the years and across the miles. We met up in airports and hotel lobbies just for the chance to see each other and chat for a little while. Last weekend she came to stay for a night and the chatting only stopped because we needed to get some sleep. It was one of few nights where I was not anxious to go to bed. I sure do love this girl!

- a huge blessing in my life. "A life without love is no life at all" (name the movie)

Random Laughter

2011-02-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

Laugh or cry? Ever have times where you’re searching desperately for something to laugh about so the tears don’t start rolling?

I’m a big believer in therapeutic laughter.

Here are some random events and realizations that have kept the tears at bay lately:

- The sun makes me sneeze. True story. Picture this…me walking out of my office into the bright Arizona sunshine, blink blink blink squint squint blink blink… SNEEZE! And then… squinting is no longer required and my eyes are magically adjusted. I’ve discovered that the only time this doesn’t happen is if I put my sunglasses on before I walk out the door… or on a cloudy day. So random.

-I have discovered the joys of streaming Netflix and by extension the hilarious show Monk. My favorite part is the funny little dance Matt does to the opening theme song. Hilarious!

-Once upon a time Matt discovered that he liked to drink water whilst lying down in bed. He doesn’t tilt his head up for easier passage through the pipes, so it’s a slow and careful process. This has happened night after night. On such an occasion not so long ago, I just so happened to turn over on my side with perhaps a little more “vigor” than usual. Sputter sputter cough cough…I looked over my shoulder to see water dripping from his eyelashes and the tip of his nose, the front of his shirt soaked as if he had some sort of salivary disorder. It was awesome and my laughter reached the “I can’t control it and I can’t stop level”…until he spit a mouth full of water at me.

-Last night I prayed for “Dr. Whatshisname” because my mind went blank. We both promptly dissolved into a fit of giggles. I’m confident my rather vague prayer was heard and understood.

-Right before Christmas we had a white elephant gift exchange for the 14-18 year old girls at church. Girl A and Girl B are the very best of friends. They do everything together and celebrate each others triumphs. It was Girl A’s turn to open a gift and she was delighted when she pulled out a “Chicken Soup for the Soul Book” but, her delight couldn’t match the enthusiasm of her best friend who promptly said, “That’s PERFECT for you… you love to cook!” I still chuckle about it two months later.

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache." —Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Have a great week!

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Heartbreak and Solace

2011-01-26T18:12:00.008-07:00

2011 was a measly 10 days old when we experienced our first heartbreak of the year. Groans were uttered, sleep was lost...there were almost a few tears.

The Mighty Oregon Ducks lost the BCS National Championship. Even now it pains me to see those words in print.

We cheered from four different households in four different states...

and, you'll be as shocked as I was, that no amount of yelling at the TV could bring about the result that we all longed for.

But man alive, did we have a fabulous time cheering!

A few days post heartbreak we discovered a break of another kind.

Who needs a hot shower in the morning anyway? I attempted to get in the shower and couldn't stand waiting for the water to heat up for one more minute, so I ran and jumped back in bed and told Matt that there wasn't any hot water.

In his very sleepy not yet awake voice he said something to the effect of, "What do you want me to do about it?" and rolled over.

Not quite the response I was looking for. So I jostled his sleepiness and asked him to go check the pilot light on the water heater. (Meanwhile, the water in the shower was STILL running and STILL cold.)

So, Matt trudged his bathrobed and slippered body down the stairs (probably without even opening his eyes) and was jerked to sudden alertness when he discovered that our garage was slowly filling with water.

Not the most welcome sight on a chilly morning, or any morning for that matter.

"Turn it off!" he screamed up the stairs, not knowing that I had already extinguished the cold spray being emmitted from the shower.

I made it downstairs in time to see the flood of water run down our driveway as the garage door opened. And, more importantly I made it in time to see Matt slice a little hole in the drywall causing a spurting fountain of water to burst forth from the soggy plaster.

Please note, water spurting from drywall is NEVER a good sign.

Our one year old water heater had broken from the inside out. Luckily, it was still under warranty. And, it just so happens that we have an excellent friend in the restoration business so after a quick and urgent email was sent (it was before 5 in the morning and thus too early for a phone call) he stopped by on his way to work and sent his guys by not long after that. The whole mess was cleaned up and repaired and we had hot water again by that evening.

We are thankful for wonderful friends!

And, hot water! Maybe someday we'll get around to painting our garage.

Not to worry, even with a few things "broken" in January of 2011, we've been taking lots of solace in sunshine and oranges.

Okay January, just for that, consider yourself redeemed!

A Party of Scavengers

2011-01-17T20:30:00.011-07:00

Matt didn't get a whole lot of birthday parties while he was growing up. Having a birthday on New Year's Eve has a few disadvantages, one of them being that people usually have big plans, thus rendering them unavailable for any sort of birthday festival.

But for his 30th, I decided we needed to have a birthday bash with a bunch of our local pals. So we had a birthday party one week AFTER his actual birthday, after the all of the holiday hoopla had been packed away until next year.

The timing worked out beautifully.

Matt was so excited about said party that he started telling people about it months in advance. "Hey I'm having a birthday party in January, and you're invited!" became his go to mantra.

I love a birthday boy with enthusiasm.

Our friends, Tim and Alisa, were kind enough to offer their home as the party headquarters. We decided that a photo scavenger hunt would add a fun little competitive adventure to the evening. We were right! Each team was armed with a list, a camera, and specific instructions to be back at 8pm sharp. It's amazing how quickly 45 minutes can fly by in the heat of competition!

Upon completion, the photos were broadcast to the laughter and groans of the crowd. A tie was declared and a "Paper, Rock, Scissor" tiebreaker ensued. Alisa pulled in the victory for her team and each couple was rewarded with a case of Matt's favorite soda, Henry Weinhart's.

The birthday song was sung and candles were extinguished in one fell swoop. I hope I'm around when his birthday wish comes true, or maybe...I already was!

The "Charlie's Angles pose with a Walmart employee" resulted in a few of the best pictures!

Alisa had no qualms about laying down in the gas station parking lot, and we still have a chalk outline on our back patio.

A Twinkie on fire. It's actually pretty hard to get those suckers to light...who knew they were made to be flame retardant?!

A picture with a yellow M&M.

Okay, the big ticket item of the night was to get a picture of a cow or horse wearing a hat. This team rocked it because one of the team member's parents happens to have cows. Nicely played!

This was our creative spin on the task. For the record, the list didn't say the animal had to be alive.

Going down a slide face first.

As many marshmallows stuffed into your mouth as possible.

A VHS tape.

A conga line with eight people. Please note that two of these people were complete strangers to the entire team, they just happened to be at the dollar store at the same time and were willing participants.

A fortune, a McDonald's employment application, a coin from 1980 (Matt's birth year), and a few other items that I can't identify but that I'm sure earned them some points.

Toilet paper wrapped mummy.

On a coin operated ride. At this point the Walmart greeter told us not to go into the store. She saw us taking pictures and said "they" didn't like us to do that. Now, I don't know who "they" is but obviously they've never reveled in the joy that is a photo scavenger hunt. And, now Matt can say he was kicked out of Walmart at his 30th birthday party. What a rebel!

The birthday boy with his football cake and sports themed banner. I sure do love him!

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A Birthday Surprise

2011-01-12T18:49:00.026-07:00

My mister turned the big 3-0 on New Year's Eve and I figured his 30 years of life on this earth were worth celebrating in a big way.

So I planned a surprise. Way back in April the idea began to form in my sneaky little head. I enlisted the help of his sister during a lunch at the Chile's in the Phoenix airport. She had a long layover and once Matt was safely tucked away in the restroom I seized the opportunity and very quickly shared my idea. She was game. And we were both excited at the thought of the glee such a surprise would bring.

I was excited for months.

MONTHS, I tell you.

And then...the Virginia Tech Hokies had to go ahead and win their conference championship along with a bid to play in the Orange Bowl.

Just in case you didn't know, the Orange Bowl is played in Miami. As in Florida. As in all-the-way-across-the-country-six-hundred-and-fifty-dollars-per-person-per-plane-ticket Florida.

My excitement for a Virginia Tech Bowl Game Birthday withered and died.

Don't get me wrong, 30 is worth celebrating and worth celebrating big but multiple thousands of dollars to go to a football game? The practical side of me shuddered at the very thought, while the fun, awesome-wife side of me tried to rationalize with the "think of it as a once in a lifetime adventure" nonsense.

Practical side 1
Awesome wife side 0

until...

I came up with a new idea...

It worked like a charm and my awesome-wife side evened the score!

So, we drove to California on the 30th with visions of Mickey and fireworks dancing in our heads. And, all those dreams of a birthday surprise that I'd been dreaming of since April?

The surprise? The glee? The wonderful memories and adventure?

Turns out they all came along for the ride.

The first night, we stayed at the home of our friends, Brad and Lacey. They live in Huntington Beach and were our co-Disneyland peeps. We went to dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant and when we got home Matt decided that since it was technically his birthday on the east coast, he should be allowed to open his birthday presents from both of our parents and his grandma. So, the celebration began early.

This was Matt's birthday dream breakfast.

Matt had people wishing him a happy birthday all the live long day!

They don't call it the Happiest Place on Earth for nothing!

I loved all of the Christmas decorations!

After a long and fabulous day at Disneyland, we went back to our hotel to warm up and rest up before the night's festivities. We graced Red Robin with our presence for Matt's birthday dinner and they in turn...

gave him a birthday sundae!

And then, we were back at it...all bundled up and ready to party!

We made sure to find the table with the celebratory hats and noisemakers. Both of which provided the fodder for many laughs throughout the night.

Disneyland all lit up!

Happy New Year! The fireworks were amazing!

Matt was super excited to see the Three Caballeros.

We were pretty spent by this point...

so we took a few more pictures and called it a night at almost 2 am.

This was the view from our room when we finally rolled out of bed the next morning.

Thanks to Brad, Lacey and Disneyland for a wonderful birthday/New Year celebration! It may have been the best one to date!

A Pajama Christmas

2011-01-09T19:20:00.007-07:00

We have an unofficial rule in our house, Christmas day is to be spent in pajamas.

The entire live long day.

Christmas is on a Sunday next year...we might be the laughing stock at church, but hey we'll be comfy!

I wonder what the bishop would do if we really showed up to church in our pj's....

We went to visit my grandparents on Christmas afternoon in our pj's...good thing we didn't get a flat tire. I've never changed a flat in fuzzy slippers and I'd rather like to keep it that way.

Christmas Eve was a delicious and delight filled night. We laughed and ate and laughed and ate some more with our favorite Mesa peeps. We're so thankful that they are down here to share the holidays with us!

We opened gifts from each other on Christmas Eve.

This is the beautiful ring that was gifted to me by my grandparents. The story behind it goes a little something like this...once upon a time, 1997-1999 to be a little more exact, my grandparents lived in Thailand. They served as missionaries for the LDS church and while they were at dining at a special event one day, they began to make small talk with a woman seated in close proximity to them. My grandma complimented her on her beautiful ring and she promptly took it off and insisted that my grandma take it. Grandma of course objected but this sweet Thai woman was adamant and so a golden CTR ring was exchanged for the beautiful ring you see pictured above.

The Mesa party animals wore us out on Christmas Eve and we fell asleep on the couch without having wrapped each other's presents. So...

we woke up not so early, went in separate rooms and wrapped presents.

And then unwrapped them all moments later.

Now bows or tags needed!

Sleepy but excited about staying in his pajamas all the live long day!

All in all it was a wonderful and relaxing Christmas holiday. We missed all of our family and friends that are far away but we enjoyed being together and reflecting on our Savior's birth.

Welcoming Winter

2010-12-20T20:27:00.009-07:00

According to the makers of calendars, tomorrow is the first day of Winter. Now if I lived in say, Minnesota, I would have to politely disagree and argue that when stadiums are collapsing due to snowfall...Winter has obviously made an early appearance.

And, were I say, a seven year old child, I would argue that Christmas Eve, where minutes drag by like hours, is obviously the longest night of the year and therefore the first day of Winter.

Never mind all that "scientific fact" mumbo jumbo.

But, since neither of the aforementioned situations are applicable to our lives at the moment, in Arizona we simply don our sunglasses, spread our arms wide open, tip back our heads and welcome Mr. Winter with a gleeful shout.

We have been enjoying the sunshine without fear of heat stroke.

We have been enjoying our evening strolls, especially amongst the beautiful Christmas lights of the Mesa Temple.

Last Saturday, we played paparazzi and took pictures of our favorite Salvation Army bell ringers.

It's not every day that you get a bell ringer that will sing "Hey Big Spender" as wallets are being opened and donations are being made. And, the lucky patrons of this shop got two of them! What a team! They really were "doing the most good," money was made and smiles were shared.

They were so cheerful that we invited them over to watch a little football.

This is what we saw when we went out for a little half-time stretching of the legs.

Apparently Winter is a master of disguise! No matter, he's welcome in Arizona regardless of how he's dressed.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-07T19:57:00.008-07:00

Once upon a time, in a not so far away land known as Las Vegas, there was a little girl giddy with excitement and too geared up to sleep. Her grandpa called this mood her "cool as a summer's breeze" mood (which the little girl didn't understand until MANY years later, but she giggled at the saying just the same, as the anticipation bubbled through her fingers and toes making her body dance and jump.) There were only a few times a year when the butterflies in her tummy manifested themselves with such exuberance; Birthday time, Christmas time, vacation to Oregon time, and... semi-annual visits from Gramma and Grampa J.

The stories, the tickling, the laughing, the walks to 7-11 for Slurpees, the grandparent/kid date...what was there not to anticipate?!

The visits always came and went too quickly and soon enough the tummy butterflies went into hibernation until the next big event. The little girl grew up, as little girls are wont to do, but the excitement and joy at seeing her grandparents, though better controlled, never diminished.

And now, each year, that grown up girl gets to spend her winters with her grandparents. And as they embark on their journey from summer home to winter abode, those old butterflies start to dance and sing for the reunion that is about to be and the winter of memories yet to be made.

We celebrated my grandpa's birthday in usual Twoth of December style...dinner and a movie. We saw Tangled which was every bit as good as we had heard it was. We LOVED it!

The next day we cheered the Ducks and the Hokies both on to victory! (With a tricky shirt switch-a-roo in between the games.) Don't mind the "I've been running my fingers through my hair and laying on the couch" look. There were some tense moments.

Case in point.

On Sunday evening we watched the Christmas Devotional together and basked in the glow of the Christmas lights and cheery decor. I just love everything about this time of year!

Merry Christmas Season from our home to yours!

Living Thankfully

2010-11-28T18:52:00.003-07:00

I am a lover of traditions. My appreciation for traditions was heightened during my college years. I had a wonderful time being away at school, it was a time in my life where becoming me took precedence. I learned, I grew, I struggled and triumphed but it was being away from home that made me appreciate the being home. At some point during those years, at a time when I was feeling nostalgic and maybe a tiny bit homesick, I began a tradition of my own that I now look forward to every year.

The Thankful List.

Each year, starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving and culminating on the Sunday after Christmas, I write down all the things for which I am thankful. I end up with pages and pages of blessings and still...a month is never long enough. Items range from the grandiose (the Atonement, my family, knowledge of a living prophet, etc.) to the small and simple things (chapstick, naps, shoelaces, the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls, etc.) but big or small, as they come into my mind, they are recorded. Each year my list reflects the current events that make up my day to day. The earliest lists reflect the life of a student and things like care packages and diligent professors were added with gratitude. In 2007 marriage to my best friend made it's first appearance and now has a recurring and permanent position. The following year when trials come as they inevitably do, I am able to pull out my list and remember all that I have been blessed with. And, somehow, my trials and struggles seem to be made easier as I remember again and again to live thankfully.

At the top of my list is this guy. He is my adventure partner and best friend and he makes each of my blessing just a little sweeter somehow.

I'm thankful for adventures and for all of the wonderful friends we've made in Arizona. I'm thankful for fun and for all of the happy memories I have stored away that bloom into the "June roses in the Decembers of my life." (Scottish poet, James Barrie)

I'm thankful that I got to spend Thanksgiving in my pajamas. It was a relaxing and wonderful day capped off by the arrival of our favorite Mesa peeps, my grandparents.

Christmas has come to my home and I'm thankful for the happiness of the season. I love the music, the lights, the decorations, the traditions, and most especially the opportunity to reflect on the birth of Christ. In 1941 President Roosevelt signed a bill into law that made the fourth Thursday in November the official Thanksgiving holiday. I'm thankful it was so designated. The gratitude of Thanksgiving, transitions seamlessly into the gratitude of the Christmas season as I remember to live thankfully.

Halloweenie

2010-11-01T16:20:00.010-07:00

Halloween 2007

Halloween 2008

Halloween 2009

and drumroll please...

Halloween 2010

We dressed up as ASU fans!

(Kind of a stretch I know...but we cheer for the local boys when we don't have a vested interest in the team they are playing)

Matt wasn't really feeling the Halloween love this year until...

our Halloween evening game of "Would You Rather?"

So, Matt abdicated his throne and our stellar idea has been put on the shelf to possibly be used when we are visited by the ghost of Halloween Yet To Come. And, who knows, maybe he'll clank his chains on our doorstep next year...

Calamity Storm

2010-10-25T16:33:00.002-07:00

Actual video footage of Calamity Storm, defeater of the Mighty Maz. My poor little truck didn't stand a chance. I personally think it was a bit below the belt to attack whilst we were cruising along on the freeway in, usually sunny just so happened to be cloudy Scottsdale, Arizona, unprepared for battle. Apparently, "below the belt" is the calling card of Calamity.

Not cool Calamity, not cool at all.

And yet, battle scarred and proudly bearing a totaled title though she may be, the Mighty Maz still serves me faithfully every day.

No need to tell her that we're not sure how long that will last.

She's been through enough already.

Video brought to you by…Some Guy in Matt's Office, or SGIMO for short. Thanks SGIMO!

The Top 10 Ways to Know Fall Has Come to Arizona

2010-10-10T18:59:00.010-07:00

10. We went to the Brad Paisley concert, and though we had to lay on frozen water bottles to keep our core body temperatures at a normal level, once the sun went down the desert air was actually quite pleasant.

9. A friendly ghost named Boo adorns our front door.

8. Football season has arrived. Every Saturday is filled with sweaty palms and the nervous angst the game inevitably brings. We LOVE it!

We had a great time cheering the Ducks on to victory over ASU!

7. Matt seriously considered wearing a sweater to church today.

6. We had ice fall from the sky in huge, racquetball sized chunks. It so kindly came while I was driving and may or may not have caused a swear word or two to come out of my mouth. That lovely little hail storm left a multitude of dents in my truck...to the tune of about $5,000.00. I prefer ice in a glass thank you very much.

(Imagine these hitting the car while driving! And, this is being held in the hand of guy who is about 6'3")

5. My current Scentsy scent is Just Peachy Ginger and makes the whole house smell deliciously of all good things Fall.

4. I raise the thermostat every morning when we leave to 87 degrees so the air conditioner doesn't run all the live long day. When I got home on Friday...the temperature in our house was only 82.

3. We went and played golf and only got a little bit sweaty.

2. I had roses delivered to my office by my sweet and thoughtful husband on our third anniversary. When we got engaged (July 13th, 2007) I told him that we could either get married at the end of September or the following Spring. In Oregon, it starts to rain once you get into October and it doesn't really stop until around May. And, since I wanted our wedding reception to be in my parents' backyard, rain wasn't in the plans. Obviously he chose September and we were married on the last sunny weekend of 2007. Our anniversary means that Fall has arrived.

1. Plans have begun for this years' Halloween costume. It's going to be good...if we can pull it off.

Hello Fall, meet my open arms, ready to greet you!

Swinging Through the Trees

2010-09-28T17:18:00.007-07:00

Here's a little secret for you...I've always thought it would be an awesome feeling to swing through the trees like a monkey.

Or Tarzan.

And I guess Jane eventually learned her way around a vine, so as long as I'm choosing a jungle flying identity I choose...myself! That's right, I may not be as graceful as Tarzan, and I certainly don't look as good in a loincloth, but the fully clothed, sweaty, humidity faced me rocked the zipline tour in Cancun. I had a few talented compatriots swinging from the lines with me. We may have been American born but you'd be hard pressed to believe we weren't jungle bred by the time the harnesses came off. A few in our party began with a bit of trepidation, but by the end smiles ruled the day and even Tarzan would have been proud.

Tarzan would probably laugh at our helmets. But, Jane would be glad the girls were at least given the pretty pink ones!

We worked it! There were 7 or 8 different ziplines that we got to experience and with each one we did something a little bit different. On the last one, both Matt and I hung upside down and completely let go...as if we were imitating a flying starfish (No, there's not any such thing, but I bet you can picture exactly what I'm talking about can't you?!)

We had a family photo shoot on our last morning there and Patrick got to practice just in case America's Next Top Model ever comes calling. Good thing Tarzan wasn't there, he probably would have been jealous.

And, just like that our Mexican adventure came to a close. We had a wonderful time and even now, a month later, are still dreaming of the beach! Matt has requested that I wake him up in the morning with a soft "Hola Señor, this is your wake up call." And, I usually comply simply so he can stay in dreamland for a few more moments every morning.

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Three Years of Wedded Bliss

2010-09-22T11:05:00.002-07:00

Three years?! Can it really have been three years ago that I made the best decision of my life and joined myself in matrimony to my very best friend?!

Apparently it can.

Three years has flown by faster than I could have imagined. It's been three years of fun and adventures, growth and progress, happiness and love. In short, it's been wonderful! So, in honor of our third anniversary I thought I'd let Matt know a few of the unique things about him that I love. It's all the little things that make him who he is and who he is, is the man of my dreams.

1. You are an all-star at making up songs to sing in the shower…or at any other time your little heart desires.

2. You are a fabulous dancer.

3. You never complain when we watch a "chick-flick."

4. You have tried to play footsies with me every night for three years and have rarely succeeded and yet…you still try. I love your determination.

5. You make my breakfast and lunch every day and sometimes tuck a little love note in with my sandwich.

6. You could study any map, at any time, and in any place for hours on end.

7. Due to your love of maps, you can point out landmarks from an airplane window…no matter what our destination is and regardless of whether or not you've ever been there.

8. You love to serve others and always strive to make things easier for those around you.

9. You give me a cute little sleepy smile every morning when I wake you up and you never wake up grouchy.

10. You are sometimes a stealer of the covers but never complain when I stick my cold feet in your knee pits to warm them up.

11. You are a passionate football fan and I love watching your excitement when you're watching a game.

12. You've turned me into a Hokie fan and you've readily accepted your status as both a Duck and Cougar fan.

13. You love to learn and have no qualms about trying new things.

14. You usually go along with my sometimes crazy schemes.

15. You smell good!

16. You always do what's right.

17. You sometimes wake me up from my Sunday nap just because you miss me and want to play.

18. You make me want to be a better person.

I could go on and on! Thanks for a wonderful three years! Happy Anniversary my love!

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Swimming With the Fishies

2010-09-12T18:56:00.018-07:00

I happened upon a discovery whilst in the land of fruity drinks and suntans. It was a discovery that opened up a whole new world for me...

It is a little known fact that I am scared to swim with fish. That's right folks, you heard it here first. They say acknowledging the problem is the first step, you know in all of those "12 steps to over coming your fear of fish nibbling on your toes" programs. I have always fought the fear and tried not to let it keep me from water adventures. When I go out on a lake and happen to fall off of a tube or wakeboard or jet ski or other fun lake traversing object, I tread water calmly all the while trying not to imagine what could be lurking beneath me. And then, I'm back on said water traversing object quick as a water ninja, before the nibbling of the toes can begin.

Well, in Cancun my discovery was this...I'm only afraid of swimming with fish when I can't SEE them. I attribute it to my overactive imagination and all the stories of toe nibbling monsters of the deep that I've heard over the years. Snorkeling was my whole new world, and I, like my favorite mermaid Ariel, thought about bursting into song (I refrained since I've heard that lungs and sea water are ardent enemies.)

And, the next day I went swimming in some crystal clear water when we went on an island adventure, and I felt no toe nibbling anxiety whatsoever. I can't promise I won't fall off the wagon the next time I'm at the lake though, have you heard what lives down there!?

We got to drive these little speed boats out to our snorkeling spot. This is Matt's "Don't mess with me in my Mexican speed boat" look.

This is me NOT being scared of swimming with the fish!

Snorkel Matt. We had a cool guide that let us take our life jackets off. And, I swam and swam and swam and at one point when I came up, I was in the middle of the ocean and couldn't see any land or any people. At that point I thought I would avoid being the subject of a Mexican rescue drama and decided I better return to my group. On the way, I saw a sea turtle! Naturally, I dove deep and chased him. Unfortunately, the picture is quite blurry due to my swimming speed and stealth...and the increasing lack of oxygen in my body.

After our snorkeling adventure ended, we headed back to the hotel and each took a nap. Ocean swimming was enough to tire us out! That night we enjoyed a fabulous Mexican dinner with the whole clan. After dinner, a few in our group ordered Mayan coffee, and man alive what a production that turned out to be. It is a drink that involves some burning of the ingredients, so lucky for us we got dinner and a show!

Our group of girls after dinner, minus Aly and Colleen.

The following day, we took a trip out to Isla Mujeres and got to take a boat trip around the island. Again, my words aren't adequate to describe the beauty of this place, so I'll let pictures do most of the talking.

We got to see a bunch of dolphins playing in their natural habitat!

This is the beach where we swam. You might recognize it from the Corona commercials.

Notice how you can see my shadow on the floor of the Ocean...nothing scary down there!

Matt had a bit of trouble getting his tooshie to float. He likes to think it's his buns of steel.

We had fun playing with the underwater camera.

It was such a fun and relaxing island excursion, can I go back please?! We did a little shopping after our boat tour. And, what kind of shoppers would we be if we didn't bargain a little? When in Rome...err, Mexico...

Happy because I got a good deal on a hand painted Nativity set.

My stomach churned with a bit of nervousness when Matt stopped at this street cart to get a special Mexican treat. It was like a crepe but crispy. With Nutella and bananas, it was by far the best dessert we had while we were there and we wished we would have bought more than one. Matt almost went back to the stand, but he would have missed the boat back to Cancun, and since I'm a fan of having him with me, he acquiesced.

So, I guess I overcame two fears while in Cancun! Eating from a Mexican street cart and swimming with the fishies...obviously Cancun made me a better person so, much to my chagrin, I have to return!

The Main Event

2010-09-05T20:40:00.014-07:00

Our purpose in adventuring in Cancun was to be in attendance at a very special wedding. Matt's sister, Aly, married her perfect match, Patrick, on a beautiful, if somewhat warm and breezy, evening. The ceremony was tear jerking and the reception was a fabulous party celebrating the beginning of a new family. I took a ton of pictures, so I'll let them tell the story. We were so happy that we could be there and we couldn't be more thrilled about their marriage! We love you both!

We had fun boogieing the night away! Congratulations again, Aly and Patrick! Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day.

A Day of Extremes

2010-08-30T16:30:00.009-07:00

We awoke to a machete wielding bush whacker outside our window on the our second morning in Cancun.

And, after Matt got over his machete envy, we decided that any place that whacks their bushes with machetes is our kind of place.

You could smell the ~~humidity~~ adventure in the air!

We explored some ruins, waded in some clear as crystal water, swam with and got kicked by a
dolphin, and wiped away extreme amounts of sweat.

Note to Cancun: could you just go ahead and switch to a "dry" heat the next time we come down? My hair and my sweat glands would really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

This señor had no idea that his bush whacking ways would garner him his own paparazzi!

Our first stop on our excursion for the day, was Tulum. Tulum is a fully excavated Mayan city on the coast of the Caribbean.

Tulum was a city of elites. And again, it was brought to our attention how much those with knowledge used it to abuse the less educated. For instance, the city smarty pants figured out when the monsoon season would begin and thus when poor farmers would come begging for information on how to make it rain, they were actually walking right into a trap. "Bury one of your daughters alive in the hole beneath your house and in 25 days it will rain." Punks right?!
Of course it was going to rain in 25 days...that was the start of monsoon season! I overheard a little boy tell his younger sister, "See if we lived here you'd be in trouble because if we needed rain we'd just put you in that hole and 25 days later we'd have rain!" Haha! What a great big brother! (You can see an example of the hole of death in the picture above.)

The main temple at Tulum.

And once again I was left wishing those stones could speak. Preferably English since my ancient Mayan isn't quite up to snuff.

The beautiful coastline. And, man alive did that water feel grand! I'll take being covered in the salt of the ocean over being covered in the salt of my own sweat any day!

This little smarty stayed in the shade.

Matt with his parents, our adventure companions for the day.

After our adventure to Tulum, we went and swam with some dolphins. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed and I wasn't about to pay $29 for a single 8x10 print. My momma didn't raise no fool! But, take my word for it, it was awesome! We each even got a dolphin ride! and a couple of dolphin kisses. And, lucky me, left with some bruises to remember our little friend by. How many people can say they've been kicked by a dolphin?!

We made it back to the resort in time to show up to Aly and Patrick's rehearsal dinner an hour late. Sorry you guys! We had a wonderful time listening to stories of their childhoods and after it was all said and done...we were still itching for some fun.

So...we invented Extreme Mini Golf. Here's the story...we wanted to play mini golf but, the putters were all locked up. And, after my failed attempt to pick the cabinet lock with a bobby pin, we decided to improvise. Luckily, Aly and Patrick gave out golf balls as a wedding favor, so we simply needed an instrument for putting. We found a broom in the putter shack and the game evolved from there. The following became substitute putters, a push broom, the handle of the push broom (billiard style), a bottle of sunscreen, a can of Coke, a hat, our feet (think mini golf meets soccer or... Fútbol as the Mexicans call it) a chair, a flip flop...etc. It was great fun...and then they turned the lights off on us.

Thus Extreme Mini Golf advanced to a whole new level of extreme. Extreme Mini Golf, The Darkness Edition!

We were not to be stymied! Good times were had! And, no we weren't drunk.

Watch out world, Extreme Mini Golf may just be the next big thang!

Courtney proved to be the Extreme Mini Golf champion. She aced two holes right in a row! The first one via kicking and her second hole in one came by the hair of her brimmy brim brim.
(I know, I know I'm clever. Need me to tell you when it's going to rain?)

Next up I will regale you with a tale of a beautiful bride and her handsome groom...or maybe just show you a lot of pictures and let them speak for themselves. (No machete wielding bush whackers involved in that post...sorry!)

Our Mexican Adventure

2010-08-22T19:31:00.016-07:00

I've been out of the country a few times in my life. And, my mom is Canadian so that makes me half foreign, right?

Right.

Wait, is Canada considered a foreign country or just a USA wannabe? Something to ponder.

My adventures abroad have taken me across the Atlantic and across our northern border but never before had I ventured down south. That all changed last week and I have the stamp in my passport to prove it. And though, my Spanish skills didn't improve, my appreciation and love for all things encompassing the realm of Mexican adventures and resort living has grown exponentially. We had a wonderful time during the week we spent soaking in the sun and more than a little bit of the culture. The main purpose of our visit was to be at Aly and Patrick's wedding (Matt's sister and her new husband.) Thus, we got to spend an ample amount of time with Matt's family and we got to know and hang out with Patrick's family.

Would I go back?

Absolutely! How's tomorrow look for you?

We stayed at a beautiful resort called the Moon Palace. It didn't take long until we were convinced that the "all inclusive" thing was a pretty sweet way to spend a vacation.

The lobby.

The view from our room.

After dinner our first night there, we got to watch a performance by a group of fire dancers. They were phenomenal.

Our first excursion was to some ruins called Coba. On our way there, we stopped at a little Mayan shop filled with beautiful handmade goods. Or maybe they were made in China...I don't know that we would have known the difference! Either way, they were mostly beautiful, with some definite oddities thrown in there.

Matt showing that he easily could have been a fierce warrior back in the day.

We watched as Señor Mayan Descendant crafted a necklace with my initials on it out of silver. It was an intriguing process to watch, and the necklace is beautiful! (Mine looks like the one on the right, all silver, but with only three characters on it to represent my three initials.)

We made it to Coba and it was simply amazing to be in a place with history that dates back thousands of year. There are still a number of sites to be excavated. If only I had studied anthropology in school...and knew somebody that would let me dig around in there! Wouldn't that be such an interesting job?! Oh if only those old stones could talk! As we toured through the ruins I found myself pondering on the lives of the ancient inhabitants of that city. They were intelligent and resourceful, competitive and superstitious. Even the sports they played often ended in death. Intelligence was used to exert control and induce fear. Human sacrifice was commonplace and hallucinogenic mushrooms and other drugs were given to the sacrificee so that she would appear happy and excited to have her spine broken and her beating heart yanked out of her body and shown to her before she died. Yikes! All in all, it made me especially thankful to live in this dispensation.

This is an ancient "ball court" The challenge was to get the ball through the "hoop"...using only your elbows or hips. If the ball hit the skull shaped stone, you died. And, if you lost you most likely died. No pressure though. Sounds like a fun game huh?!

Patrick's Panamanian cousin, Adriana, was selected to demonstrate the specifics of the human sacrifice. She was less than thrilled.

We made it to the Nohoch Mul pyramid and hiked to the top. Man alive, that sucker has a steep set of stairs! To come down we clung to a rope and may or may not have slid down using the two-year old stair style method, bum first.

We had so much fun with this group of peeps all week!

The incredible view was worth every steep step we had to climb!

When we made it back down we made a new little furry friend. His name is Oscar and I can't remember at the moment what type of animal he is. But he sure was cute, and he even ate out of our hands (he's been trained to sucker the tourists I guess.)

A different furry creature that I had NO desire to make friends with! I was convinced he was going to jump right off of that tree and onto Matt's face. And, you can bet I was ready to run ~~away~~ for help as fast as my little legs would carry me!

Luckily, no running or even walking, was needed. We took Mayan taxis back to the bus and slept the whole ride back to the resort. What a way to kick off our Mexican adventure!

Favorite Places

2010-08-01T18:15:00.011-07:00

Oregon is home to a few of my favorite places. I mean real, true to life, sparkle in your heart and joy on your face inducing type of places. We visited the first, Sweet Creek Falls, on our way home from the coast and the second, Old Reliable, on the following day. Needless to say I was a happy girl.

And, according to Martina McBride, "Everybody knows that the sweetest thing in the whole wide world is a happy girl."

This little guy got to enjoy the beauty from the best seat in the house.

I think it's pretty easy to see why this is one of my favorite places.

Climbing on the rocks in the river is a favorite perk to Sweet Creek Falls.

A few of us fell in...

and this little buddy was not happy about it! In his defense, that water is mighty cold.

My sweet mother.

Picturesque perfection.

I sure do love these two!

The next morning we awoke bright and early and headed for the family fishing spot, Old Reliable, as she has come to be known. Never has there been a time that a member of my family has gone to Old Reliable when there wasn't a fish to be caught. She always produces. Hence the name.

In fact, Matt caught a fish with his very first cast.

And, this was the first of seven that I hooked that morning. Luckily, my little helpers were there to help me pull them in.

I love this series of pictures! He was so excited to yank this fish, and yet...a little grossed out to actually touch it.

The epitome of a little boy's perfect summer day.

The biggest catch of the day!

What a great way to spend the morning!

On our last day in Oregon, we went to the lake for one last hurrah. My oldest nephew got to stay a whole day longer than the rest of his family so he could go out on the boat one last time. He roadtripped it home with my brother Justin and my mom. It was a grand adventure for a seven year old!

I didn't take any pictures of him on the tube this time, but he ended up in the lake on one occasion when the tube flipped over. He said that was his favorite part!

Wakeboarding was the main event of the day. Justin and Janae, my younger brother and sister, had never been before...

good thing athleticism runs in the family!

And this handsome guy was the champion of the day. He fixed the boat, he caught some air, he ripped open his lip when he face planted, all with a smile on his face. Yep I am a lucky, happy girl!