Folks Visit

My parents came to visit last week to see our house and spend some time with us. They were finally able to stay with us instead of a hotel now that we have the room! Here we are on our front porch.

Brad and I in our Sunday best.
During my parent's trip we celebrated my mom's birthday/house warming BBQ. We had family and friends all over to celebrate.

The Alexanders.

Trent and Baby J.

I have no clue what she is doing.

My cute little niece Miss M.

Andrea and Robert.

Ryan and Bethany

Boys - I had no idea our stairs were going to be so entertaining.

The "Cooks"

I bought these flowers for my mom for her birthday and I thought they were pretty so I took a picture.

While we were getting ready for the BBQ Sydney came trotting up the stairs looking like this. My mom gave her the cool whip container. We are pretty sure it was killing her that there was food so close by but her tongue couldn't reach it.

When my dad got here he went right to work. The next pictures are the things my dad repaired or did for our home.

Here is Sydney - she liked to be right next to my dad - she really likes him.

Here is my dad working on his vacation.

He put this picture up for us on our tile fire place wall.

He went through the house and patched and repainted spots.

When we moved in, there was a huge white patch next to our painting so my dad fixed that too.

Another sign my dad hung for us.

He put this cabinet in our bathroom.

Our New Additions

We are now proud owners of gold fish! I had a bridal shower at my house where the host had - for decoration sake -a bowl of fish. Well, I could not just let them die so now we have fish. Also the one little guy grew on me - I named him Nemo because his left fin is very small and practically useless. The other two are named Fry and Leela.

Thought for Thursday

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.

Thought for Thursday

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious”

-Vince Lombardi

I'll Admit It....

I am sad.

I could watch him for hours. I remember one summer my friends and I watched his Thriller video over and over again in hopes of learning the choreography - which by the way I'm not embarrassed by because who hasn't done that? So...

Dear King of Pop,
I never knew you but the glimpses you gave us in your music and dance (and also the Jackson 5 Story on VH1). I think you lived a constant internal struggle of hell. Thank you for sharing your talent for influencing the music industry in a good way - pure skill. I will miss you.

Sincerely,

The white girl who always wished she could dance like a black girl.

Fourth of July Weekend

We kicked off the 4th of July weekend in Provo at the Freedom Days Parade and Festival. (Beware many meaningless pictures in this post - I have a thing for parades)

Then we headed out for an afternoon in American Fork Canyon for a picnic and a swim in the Provo River.

Here is Dixie "navigating" as you can tell she takes her job very very seriously.

The canyon was absolutely beautiful.

I love this one of Syd.

This deer was just off the side of the road, unfortunately I didn't take the picture fast enough and we got mooned.

Our picnic - we feasted on (and I know you will be jealous of this) pb&j sandwiches, apples, and chocolate chip cookies.

Then Sunday night we finished off a most-definitely-needed 3 day weekend with a small BBQ and the movie Hot Rod. (Which, bytheway, Brad and Chris could quote the WHOLE movie).

Friends are the Chocolate Chips in the Cookie of Life

So this week we held a good-bye party for one of my college roommies, Haley. I did not realize how much I missed college life until I was back with old friends reminiscing the good times (we really did have some great ones), AND I’m kicking myself because I brought my camera but completely forgot to take pictures. But on Saturday we met up with Haley and Parker again for a little picnic in the canyon and I remembered to take pictures this time.

Our little party reminded me how great life can be when you are surrounded by wonderful friends. I once heard someone say, “God sent us friends to hug us when he can’t” and I couldn't agree more. When I was 18 years old, the day after I graduated high school, I moved 2,000 miles away from home to a state where I knew no one. As I waved good-bye to my parents and watched them drive away I bawled… I never felt so utterly alone. It was the friendships I forged that lifted me higher, or as I like to say “out of the depths of despair” (any Ann of Green Gables fans?). Anyway, as you can tell this post is dedicated to good friends.

Haley and me.

Our studly hubbies, Parker and Brad.

Parker and Haley
(she waited for him while he served his mission).



"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
-Anais Nin

Did You Know?

In the late l890's Left handed people got the nickname of southpaw. Because most baseball fields were laid out were the pitcher is facing west and the batter facing east, so the sun wouldn't be in the batter's eyes. When a left handed pitcher threw a ball it was with his arm that was toward the south so left handed people started to be called southpaws.

(In case you are wondering, yes, I am a southpaw.)

My Favorite Time of the Day...

Must I say more?

Happy Birthday B-Rad!

HaPpY 29Th SwEeT cHeEkS!!!