Before and After

Sorry guys, I didn't post yesterday. My goal to post everyday (Monday-Friday) has been ruined. I'll try to make up for it by posting extra this week, but I know it's just not the same. :)

This weekend I learned a lot about painting. And I learned it the hard way. I decided to paint an accent wall in our living room and kitchen (I picked the wall that wrapped from our living room into our kitchen). Dave and I had decided to do a nice bright green to spice up the living room and kitchen a little bit (well, I decided on green and then Dave and I agreed on the shade).

I learned:

*that just because you use painters tape, it doesn't mean that your lines will come out strait or that the paint won't seep below the tape and get all over the place;

* that there really is such thing as too much paint on the roller (and no matter how much rolling you do, it will still drip);

*that paint takes a while to dry- a long while;

*that dogs are very curious about paint;

*it is not nearly as much fun as it looks.

Next weekend I have a lot of touching up to do (mainly along the ceiling- got to fix those lines).

In other news... My siblings are moving the mainland this weekend! McKenzie, Doss, and Jamieson are all flying out on Sunday, September 28! How exciting! Jamiesion is going to be driving from Oregon to Minnesota so he's going to stop and stay with Dave and I the following weekend (October 4). We are so excited to have him stay with us!

Little Sneak...

So my bad habit (I've actually narrowed my "bad habits" down significantly) lately has been my love for soda.... sweet, carbonated, caffienated soda. The sight of a Mt. Dew can fills my tummy with warm thoughts.

Well, the thing is that Dave thought I had given up soda months ago and was so proud of me. Until last night. The truth came out.

At work we have a ready supply of cold Mt. Dew and Dr. Pepper for $0.30. That's awesome. And it's just a few feet away so it's almost impossible to resist. All morning long I can hear the echo of soda cans opening as my coworkers indulge themselves. So most days, I do too.

Dave noticed that the pile of change in the car was diminishing and asked where it was going. I tried to play it non-chalant and avoid having to answer (it is completely impossible for me to even half lie or tell "half truths" to Dave). Finally I admitted to having hundreds of sodas- at least one a day.

Sigh.... So if I seem grumpy next week, it's me giving up soda again.

I wrote a post in my head....

On the way to work and I have completely forgotten it. I remember that it was funny and witty though.

I have to go back to the dentist today. Yesterday the whole side of my jaw hurt so incredibly bad (the side where I had my crown lengthening done last Friday). So I called the dentist last night and he prescribed me stuff to get me through the night and I'm going in to see what's going on. Hopefully the pain will pass quickly or it will be easily fixable.

Dave rode his motorcycle to work today. According to the weather report today is going to be the last of the nice, warm days we'll have for a while. That means the motorcycle is going into storage for the winter.

It's going to be a quiet weekend, I think. We don't have anything exciting planned for ourselves. I hope you all have something fun to do. :)

A Calling...

So Dave and I got a calling yesterday. We were asked to join the Activities Committee at our ward. So we're going to be helping out with that. :) As far as callings go, that's a pretty awesome one! We'll have a chance to meet a lot of the people in our ward. The first project we are going to work on is a young married couples get together and then comes the Trunk or Treat for Halloween.

I'm pretty excited!

Katydid and Emergencies

So I walked out of our condo this morning and saw the coolest bug ever- a Katydid. It looked like a leaf attached to the wall next to our door. It was so awesome.

Otherwise it has been a slow, quiet day. I did the recertification for First Aid and CPR so now if there is an emergency, there is a higher likelihood of me being able to assist you. One cool fact- there has been a major update to CPR- It's called Continuous Chest Compression CPR and it only involves compressions- no more assisted breathing. I remember my brother, Jamieson, describing this to us a few months ago and everyone was like "you're an idiot" that's not how you do CPR. I guess it's one of the ways. (You'll have to take a CPR class yourself to get all the details about when it is appropriate to use it though).

Anyway, I guess it's a good time to send a reminder that it's always a good idea to have a 72 hour kit for each member of your family. (If you don't know what that is, look it up, because they are very handy). And if you are into that thing (especially in these times), it's an even better idea to have some food storage set up.

David's Birthday Extravaganza....

David is now 29. :) And what a celebration we have had. :) Saturday was the big day for celebrating (it's funny how work can really interfere with birthday celebration plans). We woke up early and went out to breakfast at our favorite breakfast place (Cracker Barrel). Dave's mom and brother, Alex, joined us. Then we were off to Snowbird where Dave got pampered and massaged. It was a beautiful day up at Snowbird- I think it was warmer on Saturday than it ever got when we were there for our honeymoon. I sat outside in a spot of sunlight and read my book and worked on my crocheting (I'm getting a lot better- almost all of my lines are the same length now). After Snowbird, when Dave was so much more relaxed, we went back to town and rented some movies and ate out our favorite Indian Restaurant (Royal India in Bountiful). I love how even though we were celebrating Dave's birthday, I feel like I was spoiled that day too! So we wrapped a good day with some relaxation. Sunday was more of the same, just relaxing and kicking back- oh and going out to dinner with my friend Katie at another of Dave's favorite restaurant's- Thaifoon. (Wow- he really got spoiled this weekend!).

And yesterday was the big day itself. Unfortunately it was a Monday too. Dave's coworkers decorated his cubicle and then took him out to lunch (how fun!). Dave requested Pot Roast and cupcakes for his birthday dinner and I swear it was the best pot roast I have ever made. I don't know exactly what I did, but I hope I can do it again someday- it was fantastic!

Last night when Dave was at his soccer game I snuck out and got some decorations to surprise him with. So it wasn't much, but it was a good wrap up to Dave's birthday. :) I hope that Dave enjoyed his birthday (I know I did!).

Katie

Last night Dave and I picked up my good friend Katie and we all went out to dinner at Thaifoon (one of Dave's favorite restaurants). It was so much fun (even Dave enjoyed it!).

I think the last time I saw Katie was about a year ago. It was so good to catch up with her and hear about her life in Washington, DC. And she finally got to meet Dave and hopefully get to know him a little bit better. It would have been good to see Matt (her husband) as well, but he'll be coming out for his own visit in the next few months.

I wish that we had more time to spend together, but it just means that Dave and I will have to plan a trip out to Virginia to visit them (that's okay with me). :)

Happy Birthday David!

Whoo hoo! You're 29! :) I'm so glad that you are in my life Dave, you are such a wonderful blessing. :) I love you so much. I love celebrating your birthday with you and trying to make this day as special and as wonderful as you are. :)

Hurrican Ike

My sister in law, Sima, and her family lives in Spring, Texas, which is about 10 miles north of Houston, towards which Hurricane Ike is headed directly. Should be interesting. The news doesn't sound good for people in that part of the country (what a big storm!).

My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family (although I'm not particularly worried and it doesn't appear that she is either). Sima, we love you!

Need more pictures (soon).

So the big thing about me starting a blog was that I wanted to put a whole bunch of pictures up so that people would remain interested (yes I was planning on bribing you all to come visit my page by using cute/pretty pictures). But I haven't really had much to take pictures of. Except Dave in his pajamas and Pookie sleeping. Or me being sick. So really, I was waiting for a good opportunity to take a bunch of pictures. Like this weekend.

So yes, this is another blog post without pictures (though I am tempted to put some of Pookie up, despite the fact that it might make me look like one of those weird dog owners).

This weekend is going to be good. Saturday we will celebrate Dave's birthday. That's going to be fun once we figure out what we are going to do. :) And I'm sure there will be lots of pictures on Monday to chronicle the event. :)

On Sunday I am going to meet up with my friend Katie. Katie and I went to High School in Hawaii and then came to Utah together. We went through college more or less together (although she graduated a few years before me- I took a lot more breaks than she did). And now Katie is living in Washington, DC with her husband. Here's a fun story for you- Katie's husband, Matt, is pretty much the very first person we met after moving to Utah. He was living in the dorms as well (in the building next to mine) and we all stopped to chat. And look where that got them. :) Anyway, Katie will be in town for a short bit and I am excited to see her on Sunday. (Yes, more pictures).

Unfortunately, before I get to the weekend I have to make it through tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to go in and get oral surgery done. Back in January or February I broke one of my back molars on a bagel (yes, really). When the molar broke, it broke below the gum line so the crown that we put on has pinched the gum ever since then. I just thought crowns were always supposed to be uncomfortable, but my recent trip to the dentist told me otherwise. Anyway- Friday afternoon I am going in for "crown lengthening surgery" which means they are going to make my mouth fit the crown better (I'll spare you the details).

Last Minute (I'm so bad)

Okay, okay, okay... I'm really really bad at this stuff. Dave's birthday is Monday (He's going to be 29) but we're going to celebrate on Saturday. I was going to get him a massage/pampering thing up at the Snowbird Day Spa, but Dave isn't quite sold on that idea. So I need help. I want to do something wonderful for him for his birthday and I don't really know what to do. I just want to make him feel special... so if you have any good ideas, please, please, please let me know. (or any ideas at all).

Sorry ladies...

But I have married the best guy that is out there. Yesterday I stayed home because I was too sick to get out of bed. Pookie loved having a warm human to cuddle up to all day but I was in pretty bad shape (stupid cold). Dave was so wonderful to me and took really good care of me- including giving me most of the bed so I could toss and turn, making midnight runs to get me water, and making sure I was comfortable. And he brought me flowers when he got home from work to cheer me up. :) I am so lucky. :)

Sick... blah

I caught Dave's cold (who's surprised?). This cold sucks so much it makes me feel bad that I wasn't nicer to him last week when he was sick. Oh well. Now I get to suffer this week.

The weekend was pretty quiet- went to the Woodbury's Endurance Motorcycle Race on Saturday. It was a 4 hour race- nice day, mid 70's, Dave and I didn't bring any sunscreen so we got so sunburned. About three hours into the race the chain on the motorcycle broke (no spare) so the Woodbury's were out of the race. Such a bummer to ride for that long only to end the race prematurely anyway.

Yesterday was another beautiful day out here- low 80's, little bit of wind, clear blue sky. I have noticed that the intensity of the blue sky depends on the temperature. On warmer days the blue looks more intense and on colder days it looks a little bit more watered down (a little paler). (I promise I have not been chugging cold medicine this morning just in case you were wondering).

Did the church/family thing yesterday. Had a chance to sit down and talk to two of my sister in laws that I don't talk to very often (Steph and Darcie)- that was so much fun. Nick and Darcie have decided to move to Arizona at the end of this year (December) so there's that.

It's going to be a pretty quiet week. Dave and I have to get back into the habit of going to the gym (this should be interesting with a cold).

I've got nothing

It's Friday afternoon and the end of the day can't come soon enough. I think I am getting sick from whatever Dave had. We'll see. Tomorrow is another motorcycle race to go to. If I'm sick then I won't go, but otherwise, it could be fun. It shouldn't be too hot so that makes standing by the raceway a lot easier (the first race we went to it was like 100 degrees out there- blah).

Last night I went out with my friend April. It was the first time we've hung out in like a month (sorry April!). I guess I'm finally starting to feel like going out again. We had lots to catch up on and she's always so much fun to be around. I think we're going to throw a Halloween party together and I am pretty excited about that. It will be so much fun. I think my sister is going to send us her Halloween costume from last year (she went as a bear). If it fits, Dave is going to dress up as a teddy bear... mwahahahahahaha. :) I'll definitely have lots of pictures of that.

I just wandered over to the Clark Planetarium to look at Telescopes. Dave is big into astronomy and it could make for some nice romantic nights out under the stars. I just got a crash course in the various types of telescopes (refracting uses lens and reflecting uses mirrors) as well as what to look for in a beginner telescope. So I've got some ideas brewing. I also learned that bigger isn't always more expensive...

I can already tell that this weekend is going to be too short. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Forward Thinking

Today I just can't seem to live in the moment. It's only early September and I am already thinking/planning of things in October. I just seem to be getting ahead of myself...

The most exciting thing about September is that Dave's birthday is on the 15th (he's going to be 29!), which is a Monday, so we'll celebrate on the 13th. We're going to spend the day doing what he wants and we'll spend the afternoon up at Snowbird. (I have a massage booked for him). Oktoberfest is also going on up at Snowbird so it will be fun to wander up there and see what is going on.

Other than that my mind is already well into October- I'm looking forward to our trip to the Oregon Coast and to Halloween (one of my favorite holidays). I want to decorate our place and carve jack 'o lanterns already (but I'm holding out until October). As much as I want to decorate I have a hard time committing myself to it- it's only Dave and I that would see it and I know that Dave won't care. I guess that decorating will have to be something I do for myself. And Halloween costumes- yikes- I have to start planning those! McKenzie and Doss always have the best halloween costumes (I'm jealous) so I know I won't be able to top those.

I don't know- I must have a case of fall fever or something. I am so excited for the leaves to change colors, for the air to have that crisp edge to it, and to smell smoke from wood stoves in the air. It doesn't help that this week has been pretty cool- hovering in the mid 70's (if that).

Anyway, that is where most of my thoughts have been all day. If you have some fun Fall/Halloween decorating ideas, I'd love to hear them.

I'm a nerd, but I thought this was cool

So I was digging around on the internet for nutrition information (I have decided that Dave and I need to start eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat) and I came across this: http://www.mypyramid.gov/

It's a personalized food pyramid/menu planner. Looks pretty awesome. :) Anyway, if you are into that stuff or merely curious- it's kinda cool.

Never mind...

I was going to write about how Dave and I met with the Bishopric last night but it occurred to me that no one will find that particularly interesting. So now I am at a loss as to what to write. (On a side note it turns out that our home teacher-who we also had a chance to meet last night- is one of our next door neighbors and I think that's wonderful).

Dave is sick (sore throat) today. No good. I tried to be the good wife last night and ran to the store in my pajamas to get him some sore throat stuff to help knock him out. We discovered at about 3 AM (when Dave still wasn't asleep) that I had bought the daytime/non drowsy version. Oops. So Dave's tired as well as sick, but at least he could take the medicine again this morning. :)

I love three day weekends because this week is just flying by. It feels like a Tuesday but it's really Wednesday- how awesome is that?!

Our Weekend

This weekend was a breath of fresh air, let me tell you. Sunday a good sized storm blew in and hung around until Monday afternoon. There was wind, lightning, thunder, and so much rain. I really enjoyed myself. :) And I learned that Pookie isn't afraid of thunder and lightning. The storm blew in about an hour after church let out on Sunday (about 5 PM). Dave and I opened up the curtains and the windows and just watched the clouds and the rain come sweeping in. That night we had some spectacular lightning. It was a good storm. :)

This weekend for us was a pretty lazy one. I think that Dave was really happy to not have to get up and go to class or study. We just hung about at home and rented a lot of movies.

Yesterday we got a phone call from one of Dave's mission companions. Dave served his mission in Birmingham, England and one of his companions was John Connolly from Dublin, Ireland. We were more than excited to meet up with him and his family. :) Dave hadn't seen John for about four years and this was the first chance I had had to meet one of Dave's mission companions.

It was a great time- lots of good stories and laughter. I heard so many stories about Dave's mission- about the areas they worked, the people they knew, and some of the mischief that they got themselves into. And the good news is that someday when Dave and I finally make it out to Ireland we have people to see! :)

Hope you all have a great week. :)

Update....

Here's a last minute update for everyone....

After a lot of thought, prayer, discussion, advice, etc... Dave has decided to drop his classes. We are going to take some time to be able to enjoy each other's company before he goes back to school. Holding off on going back to school will allow Dave and I to make a plan for the future and really figure out what we want to do. And then when Dave knows for sure what he wants to do he can go for it, and feel good about it. :)

Autumn is approaching...

I'm glad. Really. But I'm not ready. The forecast for this weekend is cold. :( Saturday it will be hot but a storm blows in on Sunday dropping the temperature about 30 degrees and then Monday we're going to be stayingin the 60's. (That's a big change from the 90 degree weather we've been having lately). They've even forecasted snow in the Uintas! You'll have to start watching soon for my posting about the first snow of the year. Last year I think the first snow was in mid September (granted I was at a higher elevation then than I am now). The sad thing was that I was planning on going hiking on Monday with Dave and my friend Scott. Now who knows.

But I'm not complaining- I love a good storm and it has been way too long since we have had one. The last storm that passed through here happened while Dave and I were on our honeymoon. It was raining so hard some parts of the valley flooded, but where we were (at Snowbird) it was clear all day.

It's almost jacket weather in the morning anyway. The weather here makes me laugh- I guess I'm still not used to the big changes in temperature. It's not uncommon to have a 30 degree change in one day (lows in the 60's, highs in the 90's). Jacket in the morning, tank top in the afternoon.

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

Today Nico Sandberg, the oldest of the nephews, is going to be participating in the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (http://www.timpfest.org/). I had never heard of this festival before, but apparently it is a big deal for storytellers. Last Sunday Nico did his story for Dave and I and it was really good! :) It was a lot of fun to watch and Nico did such a good job- he totally got into with a little acting and accents- it was really entertaining. It's a big deal to be able to get up on stage with all of these professional storytellers (I know a few of you out there that are probably just a little jealous). Can you imagine telling someone that your profession is storytelling? :) That's even better than "author." I'm a fan.

One thing that I noticed early on about the Garaycocheas was their ability to tell a good story. :) They really get into it- talking with their hands and their eyes and the stories are always so good! It's a big reason why I enjoy hanging out with the family so much.

The Tale of Desperaux being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.

I have just started reading this book and it is so incredibly cute! I totally recommend it to everyone. :) I know it's a kids book, but it makes me smile. The chapters are short so it's good for "inbetween" activities (like when I am at work and waiting for something to open or save, etc). And pretty much every chapter makes me smile for one reason or another. It's just a sweet book. :) And it reminds me just a little of the stories my mom used to tell us when were young.

Sophia...

My sister in law (technically my brother in law's wife), Julie, had her baby yesterday! A little girl! Sophia. :) Sophia is the 15th from her generation, the second girl born, and the first little girl born in Utah (yeah, I have recently acquired 13 nephews and 2 nieces now in addition to the nephew and nieces I had previously). I'm excited to meet her. :)

Dave has been in school for three days now, enough time to kind of getting an idea of what he is in for for the remainder of the semester. I am sure he doesn't agree with me, but I am glad that he has his classes every day- the classes are short and it's a lot easier to reinforce ideas when repeatedly dealing with them, rather than one three hour class per week. (That being said, I always tried to sign up for the three hour class once a week).

His Physiology class uses this transmitter thingy in class. I'm not certain of the details, but it's an electronic transmitter that students will use to answer questions during quizzes. (I have visions of the transmitters from "who wants to be a millionaire" in my head, but I really have no clue). It sounds kind of cool. I think my sister, Leanne, was talking about how they were trying to use something similar to this at the school where she teaches...

There's a three day weekend this week and I don't think Dave and I will be doing anything special. I'll try to convince him to go for a hike one of the days but we'll see. I love three day weekends but it's really too hard to plan anything for them- hotels are usually booked (or really expensive) and I'm really too lazy to try to drive anywhere.

Wish there were more exciting things to report, but I'm the lame one these days. :) I think I got all my excitement out of the way during the summer. Now that fall is beginning it appears I'll be going into hibernation. :) Speaking of fall... it's finally getting cooler here... We try to sleep with the windows open as often as possible and last night I had to get another blanket because it was so cold out. I am not sure if it will even make 80 degrees today (but then again, the day is still young). This being Utah, it will more than likely warm up again, but it's a good reminder that fall is on the way.

Happy Day!

I got the wedding photos and they are awesome! :) It was so much fun to look at them and really think back on the wedding. :) I am so thankful to James and Whitney Clissold at Dream Photo Design (http://www.dreamphotodesign.com/)! They did such a good job! We have all of the photos in Black and White and in Color, which is great- each has a different feel. James also took pictures of the reception (I'm so glad as well). I didn't think to take any pictures of the centerpieces that my friend April and I created (well, April, really, but I helped) but James saved me on that one. :) And I have my very own pictures of Dave looking like a GQ Model. :)

Start watching your mailboxes for your own copies of these photos. :) The hardest part will be choosing which ones to put on the blog as a sample. :)

We had no clue how to cut the cake. :) The photographer stepped in and saved us.

My GQ Model. :)

I love Dave's laugh (and this is a pretty good picture of what he looks like when he laughs)

This is all close family (and one uncle)... parents, brothers, sisters, partners, nieces/nephews.
There's something like 50 of us here.

The centerpiece (lavender in a vase)

Our Rings.... mine is a simple gold band and Dave's is Tungston.

Good News!

The wedding photographer dropped of the photo CD! So I'll finally be able to see the wedding pictures! :) And that means you will too!

More to come soon. :)

Last Hurrah (Before School Starts)

Well, Dave starts school today. After realizing yesterday afternoon that there was a major conflict between his class schedule and his soccer games, we had some last minute reorganizing to do. And his schedule looks pretty manageable now. :) This semester Dave is taking Physiology, Physics, and Math 1070 (a stats class I think). Only three classes but it's considered full time! Next week Dave will start shadowing a member of the Physical Therapy department so he'll have a chance to really learn about the program and everything that is involved.

On Saturday Dave, Pookie, and I went up into the Uintas to Mirror Lake. I had heard that Mirror Lake was just beautiful, but I'm a little disappointed. It was really crowded- lots of people fishing (my sister's husband, Doss, would probably have a lot of fun with this place).

We got out and walked around the lake (which was fun) and also went off and hiked a little bit elsewhere (where there were not so many people).

Pookie was a good watch dog- except she kept barking at all of the fishermen (here's Dave trying to get Pookie to be quiet).

I was able to take a lot of good pictures though. :) Enough pictures to annoy Dave too.

By the end of the trip Pookie was pretty tired- she just curled up in Dave's lap and slept the entire time. :) It was pretty cute.

Wrap Up

Well, it's Friday and I'm not even supposed to be at work right now. We're having the employee retreat today so we're all going to a park and enjoying the day instead of working. Unfortunately I was sick yesterday and did not come into work (thus the reason I am here early this morning). Anyway....

Dave and I are finally coming out of our shells, a little bit. We are having my friends Jeremy and Renee over for dinner. It's the first time that Dave and I have invited our friends over for dinner. :) Hopefully it will go well... I am excited.

Other than that we just have a quiet weekend planned. Nothing too special. Dave wants to have a quiet weekend before school starts on Monday and he has no time for anything anymore. :(

Still no wedding photos. :( I'm excited to get them but I have no clue when I'll receive them. It's just supposed to be a wedding CD (I decided I wanted to print my own pictures) but it doesn't seem like that was any quicker. Oh well. I'll let everyone know as soon as wedding photos come in.

I'm excited...

So for a long time I have been wishing that my family was on the mainland (well, I would love it if they were all in Utah with me, but... I'll settle). Anyway, at risk of spoiling it for my sister I just found out that she and her husband plan on moving to Portland, Oregon in October! I am so thrilled that McKenzie and Doss will be so close! :) Dave and I will be able to go visit them much more frequently.

Anyway, so I am so excited. :) Dave and I plan on making a trip out to Oregon in October to welcome them and to bring them some house stuff. We also are going to the Oregon Coast (two birds, one stone).

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

That's pretty much my thought for the day. :)

PS: Heather, McKenzie, Katie- I love you guys. :)

One Month (and other things too)

So Dave and I have been married for one month, today! :) Whoo hoo! I love it. :) Married life suits me. I love everything about it (really).

It has been a quiet week so far- the good news is that I have plenty to do at work so I keep pretty focused and the day goes by quickly. I still love the projects that I work on (this job works so well with my strengths) and I have been enjoying working here. I have also had enough time to work on the other things in life that need attention- like making a new (better) budget spreadsheet for myself (I'm quite the Excel nerd), and working on Dave's schedule for the next semester. So I feel productive all around. (It's a nice change from a few weeks ago).

School starts next Monday- I can't believe the summer has gone by so quickly, but then again, I'm not really surprised it went by so quickly.

Dave and I went to our family ward on Sunday (we haven't had the best attendance since we've gotten married mostly because of travel). I think I am going to really enjoy it. It is really different from the singles ward (obviously) and will take some getting used to- especially with all the kids everywhere. On Sunday, in Sacrament, the little 2 or 3 year old girl (she was little) sitting in front of us started singing "she likes to move it move it" pretty loudly. It was hilarious. It got the people sitting around her to laugh. But we went to all three meetings- Relief Society is always the hardest for me to go to for some reason. I'm still too shy about meeting new people but give me a little bit of time and it won't be so bad. I think I will really like my Relief Society though- lots of friendly sisters. Anyway, tonight I am having my first visiting teachers come by. It should be good (I hope).

Motorcycle Racing

So this big excitement from this past weekend was that Dave and I went to a motorcycle race. It was fun to watch- these guys go whipping past us at like 160 miles per hour. The Woodburys (Mark and Jason) are a team in endurance races- each event is 1.5 hours long and they have to keep going the entire time but can switch off riders as often as needed (or not at all). A pit stop is required at least once per race. We saw two guys go down in this past race, thankfully neither were hurt (but one had been in first place).
Dave and I go help out as "pit crew." Which means I sit there and chat (and occasionally take pictures) and Dave gets up and helps the two switch riders (watches for the signal that the rider is coming off the track, holds the bike, helps to refill the gas tank, etc). The longest race of the season is coming up in a few weeks- it's a four hour endurance race. Dave and I will definitely be there for that.
Anyway, it was mentioned that maybe Dave should start practicing/training for these races so that he could start racing. Hmmm... I'm not so sure about that. I have been told that racing on a track is safer than riding out in the streets, but still- he'd be going 150 MPH! Not to mention that a new pair of tires is required for pretty much every race. So we'll see.

Recipes

Hey! I am looking for some good recipes. I need a little variety in my cooking and I always love a challenge. Please send me your favorite recipes or leave them in a comment (or leave the URL in a comment).

Thank you!

Entropy (Friday spelled backwards)

Entropy: Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

Sheesh it's the end of the week already and what do I have to show for myself? Oh well, I'm just glad it's the weekend again.

I get to clean and organize this weekend... I'm trying to get our spare bedroom organized- it's become the craft/storage/food storage room and is basically just a mess. (This is actually a constant on my to do list- we'll see what actually happens).

Tomorrow Dave and I are going to a Motorcycle race out at the Larry H Miller Track in Tooele. Dave's best friend, Jason, races his motorcycle and there happens to be a race tomorrow. It should be a lot of fun- these guys are going about 150 MPH on the straightaways and about 90 around the turns (Dave is NOT allowed to race his motorcycle, that and it's a really expensive hobby). I went to a race last month and had a lot of fun- I am looking forward to tomorrow's race. It is Jason's last race before he goes back to Med School in Ohio (he leaves on Sunday).

Also tomorrow is my friend Zane's wedding. :) So many people getting married this year! Before this year I had gone to two weddings (both were sisters) in the past five years. In the past 30 days I will have done 3 weddings (of course, one was my own).

Wii Fit

While I was in Oregon over the weekend I managed to find a Wii Fit (they have been sold out in Utah since they came out). These things are awesome! Wii Fit is a game/program (something) that has yoga, aerobics, balance games, and strength training- kind of a computerized personal trainer. It comes with a balance board that can determine what you are doing by your weight and the way you are standing on the board (the distribution of your weight).

Anyway, I gave it a go last night and it is actually fun! :) I ran through the yoga moves (something that I'll be doing more often) and did the strength training as well. I'm definitely going to try to make a habit out of using it! :)

Miscellaneous

It's a Wednesday and I really have nothing to say for myself today. :)
We took Dave into the doctor yesterday and the good news is that he didn't break his leg. But he's going to have a nasty bruise and a lot of pain for the next few days (can you believe that he's happy because this means he can go play soccer on Monday?).
Life is just chugging along at it's normal pace. I am not especially motivated at work (uh-oh), but I'm trying. School starts in just a few weeks. We're trying to figure out what this means to us. Will Dave go back to school? Will he focus only on school or will he work full time as well? It's going to be interesting. It doesn't help that the classes he wants to take don't necessarily fit with a 8-5 job. It will get interesting.
Fall is over a month away but I find myself already excited for it. Not necessarily for the cold and the dark, but for the changing colors and the holidays. Okay, a crisp morning here and there would be nice as well (just to liven things up). I've already noticed that it is getting lighter later each morning- and I've noticed it takes me that much longer to get out of bed each morning. :) After Hawaii I don't think I'll ever get used to the way the length of the day changes here. :)


And for no reason at all, here is a picture of a cool tree stump.
(The tree fell over so you are looking at the bottom of it)

Dave's Soccer Game

Dave plays a lot of soccer. In the summer he is on an outdoor league and he is on an indoor league pretty much year round. The past few months has hasn't had much of a chance to play though but last night he had his first game on a new team. Dave is easily one of the fastest players on his team and he is amazing! Lots of heart as well.

So last night Dave and another player were running after the ball and collided- we could hear the crack of their shin bones from across the field (yeah it sounded bad). And then Dave went flying/rolling. :( Today Dave has a nasty limp so we are off to the Doctor this afternoon to make sure there isn't a fracture.

And depending on what we find out and how Dave feels next week, he might be back for more soccer (crazy).

Cascadia

This past weekend I met up with my family in Portland, Oregon and we drove about 2 hours south to this park called Cascadia. It's a well known family secret- we've gone down there since I was young (it was discovered when my dad was a kid). It's a great place- small campground, lots of trees, hiking, and swimming. The only catch is that the water is snow melt so it is COLD! But so much fun.

It was good to good to see my siblings again- lots of fun. I'm looking forward to the future when weekends like this become more common. McKenzie, Jamieson, and Doss will be in Portland for the remainder of the week, but I had to return to Utah last night.

Going back to Portland is always interesting- I never know what to expect. Will I hate it or enjoy it? This last time was good, but I was ready to get back home to my husband. :)

Portland, Oregon

Well folks, I am off to Portland, OR for the weekend. I am pretty excited actually, aside from the flying part. My brother, Jamieson, and my sister, McKenzie, and her husband, Doss, will be meeting me out there. Our dad and his wife live there so it will be kind of a mini family reunion. Definitely the first time in years that we will hve been all together like this. It should be fun. Sad to say Dave will not be coming on this adventure with me. :( Stupid gas prices. Although, I did try to convince him to call in sick to work so that we could drive out there today. He didn't go for it (bah, work ethic). So Dave will stay home and take care of the Poo and relax all weekend while I go out and enjoy my siblings.


I think we are going either to Cascadia (a beautiful campground about 2 hours south of Portland) or to the Oregon Coast. Either sound wonderful. It will be great to be surrounded by trees and water and forests and all that good stuff. It is a nice change from Salt Lake City. :) I'll be taking lots of pictures. :)

Exciting

I was just thinking about how exciting life can be. :) There are many people close to me who are in various stages of pregnancies, people who have just gotten married (including me!), people who have decided to move, are moving, or who have just moved. People with bright and shiny futures ahead of them. :)

I can't believe how blessed I am. This year has just been so wonderful. :) I have loved all the changes and the new experiences, and I am constantly looking forward to what the future will offer. I love thinking back on where I was a year ago today- not so much for the fond memories of those days but for the contrast in my life. :) I know I have been blessed my whole life but it's just gotten so much more intense this year.

Anyway, I love you guys- you all make my life so much more wonderful.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Nick and Darcie (my brother in law and his wife) who got married yesterday in Mesa, Arizona. Tonight they are having their reception in Lindon, Utah (yeah, I don't know where that is). I'm excited. :) I really feel bad that I wasn't in Arizona yesterday to help celebrate.

*August 7, 2008 Follow Up*

Okay, we went to the reception yesterday and it was a lot of fun! :) We didn't get to talk to the bride and groom much, but they looked great- and more importantly, happy. :) The reception was held at a place called "Somewhere Inn Time" and it was really cute- good dinner and cute decorations. Darcie and Nick had a really cute guest sign in book as well- pix of them in the center of each page.

I really enjoyed talking to so many people last night- I met a few new people that are really awesome and also had a chance to talk Hawaii with some others. And of course, the best part was the family- seeing and chatting with everyone. :) I love my new family so much!

Pookie

So Pookie got sick last night- poor little doggy. At 3.30 AM she woke me up because she was shaking. :( Then Pookie got sick all over the place and I had to clean it up. Not pleasant, especially at that time.

Foreshadowing of the future huh?


In honor of Poo- a cute pic of her with Dave.

Distance

Dave flew to Phoenix, Arizona last night. And I slept like crap all alone. :( It's amazing how our lives have become entwined- the other day I told Dave that the hardest thing about being with him was when we had to be apart. :)

So Dave and the majority of the family flew to Arizona last night. They were supposed to leave at 5 PM but the plane didn't leave until around 9 PM. The airline treated everyone like crap and, in general, everyone was not in a good mood by the time they left (Good Job US Airways!). It was supposed to be Nick's fun night out but I don't think they did much by the time everyone got in. Sad.

Rant: I hate flying in to Phoenix, Arizona. It seems like every flight into or out of that airport is delayed for at least 2 hours (just enough for someone to miss their connecting flight). Every single person I've talked to has not had a good experience flying through that airport and the general rule seems to be: avoid Phoenix, AZ airport if possible.

Dave gets back tonight (hopefully it is easier to get back here than it was to go).

Monday

*sigh*



The weekend went too quickly as usual. Saturday I helped my brother in law move into a new house. And then I sat around the rest of the weekend reading (good news it that I finished Breaking Dawn Sunday night). I also went to my new family ward. That will take some getting used to. It's not much bigger than the singles ward I was previously attending and that was kind of surprising.


This afternoon Dave is flying to Mesa, Arizona for Nick's (his little brother) wedding. Nick is getting married tomorrow in the Temple down there to Darcie Kehoe, who is also from Oahu, funny yeah? I can't wait for Dave to get back already.


And to make you laugh: here's a pic of Dave surfing the internet last night. Seriously.

Breaking Dawn

Yeah, I am that kind of nerd that will line up at a bookstore to be one of the first to get my copy. Tonight (at midnight) Breaking Dawn (the fourth in the Twilight Series) is being released. Barnes and Noble is making it easier this time though- instead of waiting in line, I just had to go in and pick up a wrist band with a number on it. :) Convenient for me is that I work 5 minutes (walking) from a bookstore so I could go over there this morning when the store opened to pick up my wristband. Even at 9 AM there was already a line started- I guess every one else had the same idea too. :)

Tonight my friend April and I will be going to the party- I think they are going for the "Prom" motif. There will be pictures and dancing and costume contests. This is the kind of book release that I like. Anyway, it will be fun.