Delatore Doings

More Faces of Everett

2012-01-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

This one looks like me as a newborn

Hungry face

Scowl-ey eyes

Bombs Away

2012-01-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

Daddy's little co-pilot

Our Sweet Boy

2012-01-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Shannon has done it again. . . more to come.

There aren't words.

Welcome Baby Everett

2012-01-13T00:06:00.000-08:00

Just before midnight on Friday, January 6th, we welcomed Everett Paul Delatore into this world and into our family! He weighed 6 lb 14 oz and was 18.7 inches long. He is healthy and perfect, and we are so happy to have him. More details to come. . .

December 31

2012-01-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve.
AKA our baby's estimated date of arrival.
Well, it came and it went, and Baby is still nice and cozy on the inside.

So we rang in the new year with

Ocean's 11 (in honor of 2011),

farmer's market oranges,

and Gummy Bears. (Thanks to Aunt Lynnie and Cousin Katie for the year's supply)

So how about some new years thoughts while we wait?

As President Monson puts it, for a year (or a life) filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings, just remember you ABCs:

A is for Attitude

So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference.

We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.

B is for Believe

Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian who lived in the 17th century, penned this truth: “He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.”

Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities.

C is for Courage

Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve.

Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required.

Those were my favoite parts.
Good words to remember for the new year.
Here's to 2012. What a wonderful year it will be.

Last Minute Merry Wishes

2011-12-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Shannon took some pictures for us yesterday. She is not quite finished with them, but I wanted to post one for Christmas anyway and document our growing family. Wishing you the very best!

November and Then Some

2011-12-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Or should I say Movember. . .

Vote for Pedro

Before I let him shave off the goatee

While Justin grew facial hair, I continued to grow a baby.

36 weeks

38 weeks

We set up the Christmas tree (which has yet to be decorated) and set up the crib. Well, I say we, but Justin actually did both of those things. I point and he picks up :) It goes back to my childhood really, but I'll save that story for another day.

Justin and I are both out of school, so now we get to rest and get ready for our little bundle of joy to arrive. He could get here any time within the next few weeks! And since I have been quite infrequent about posting, the next time I do, it might be about a family of three instead of two!

October

2011-10-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Let's do this chronologically shall we?

I went up to Vegas for the PHAST. If you weren't there, you should have been. If you were there, well, you know what I mean. I should have got a picture of the relay team, but alas, I did not. Let's just say that Jamie in the pool + Doug on the bike + Shannon on the home stretch run = a pretty fast time. I am determined to train for a triathlon and complete one on my own after baby gets here. Who's with me?

Jamie came down too and brought me the cutest thing you can imagine made with her own two hands. I mean it just makes me melt every time I look at it. I can only imagine how I will feel when our boy is wearing it!

Speaking of baby, 28 Weeks of pregnancy came and went. He is going to be here before we know it.

Hat by Jam

28 weeks

Was able to snag my brother for a half a day. We went to lunch and went shopping at Bass Pro. I gave him some old international calling cards I had collected and a pack of socks we never used. You would have thought he had just won five hundred dollars. Boy likes socks and calling cards.

Justin and I also did some shopping of our own. . . one time for a little stroller and car seat research if you will. We want a fairly good quality contraption. Something that can carry the car seat, is durable, and folds up nice too. Any suggestions? One we liked at Target was kind of an all terrain baby pusher.

On one of our Target runs, I don't remember what we went in for, but we left with the very last one of these:

Irresistible.

Halloween. About this. Justin has had this brilliant idea for my costume pretty much since we found out I was pregnant. The day of our ward Halloween party--after some Photoshop action and some tricky ironing--we finally made this dream a reality. (Costumes made possible by Hobby Lobby.)

P.S. There is now a Hobby Lobby in Rancho. If you haven't been, you should go, and if you have been, well, you know what I mean. It just might become an addiction for me.)

P.P.S. Yes we are wearing short sleeves on the NIGHT of October 29. Also, today in a meeting, someone mentioned the possibility of having one of our Christmas party activities outside. I love California weather. That could never happen in Idaho. I'm just sayin.

Oh, it's just the Death Star blowing up Alderaan.

Look who else we ran into.

In case you haven't seen enough, let's throw in one more belly picture. This one was actually taken today. And that about sums up October.

31 weeks

Milk and Pico de Gallo

2011-09-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Justin loves a good pico de gallo.
I got the Trader Joe's version once recently and he loved it.
Would eat it by the spoon full if I'd let him.

Tuesday was a long day for me at work. When I was finally able to head home I decided that despite my tiredness and how late I was, I wanted to stop to pick up some pico de gallo for Justin. He would love it. He had suggested having burritos for dinner earlier that day and this would be the perfect topping. As I got to the store I thought about calling to see what else we needed, but I decided against it as not to ruin the surprise. I thought we might be low on milk so I just left it at that.

A gallon of milk, and a tub of pico de gallo.

I smiled in anticipation as I lugged Baby and me with all of my school stuff and groceries up to the third floor where we currently reside. I walked in to find a beautiful burrito bar laid out on the table complete with sauteed peppers and onions. As he finished warming our tortillas, Justin saw my grocery bag and said reluctantly, "Ooh, I already went to Trader Joe's."

"But did you get this?" I said hopefully as I pulled out my great surprise.

Yes. He did.
He also got milk among other things.

I think that about sums up our relationship. He does everything for me and asks for nothing in return. It's really quite ridiculous the number of times I have tried to surprise him in some way or another and fail miserably. . . like I am trying to prove something but the universe is against me because really, I don't have to prove anything.

The burritos were excellent.
And to top them off, a glass of milk.

(Disclaimer: I didn't give up on my quest to do something nice so I surprised him the next night with a book on tape from the library that we've been meaning to read. He came home while I was making dinner this time, which turned out okay after a second try in the oven. Nobody wants to eat crunchy rice.)

24 Weeks

2011-09-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

24 Weeks

Feeling good!

Baby is growing and moving lots.

I have a doctor appointment this week.

Work is keeping me busy and Justin studies every chance he gets.

But we try to have fun too and enjoy this wonderful life we have.

Thanks to some friends who gifted us movie tickets!

We saw The Help last night.

Excellent movie.

Very touching.

I thought.

Growing Baby

2011-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Just for fun. . .

19 Weeks

21 Weeks (almost 5 months if you're counting the months)

More to come. . . since I'm pretty sure he's growing bigger each day!

Updates

2011-08-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Baby: As far as we can tell, everything is perfect. Baby's been growing for about 20 weeks now and it's starting to show!

Justin: After being back to school for one week he had his first test, which he thinks went well. At home, Justin is so good to me. He makes me breakfast every morning while I am still waking up in the shower, AND he packs my lunch every day before sending me off to school and starting on his own work.

Me: I am feeling quite good. School is busy but going fairly well so far. I'm teaching more technology this year, which is new and fun for the kiddos.

We are blessed.

Summer Break: Week 8

2011-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, our last week of summer break has finally arrived. We kicked it off with an exciting ultrasound. The findings were just as I suspected. . .

Proof

Boy!

And boy are we excited.

The rest of the week I will spend getting ready to go back to school. Justin will just have to have fun without me because I am simply NOT ready.

It's been a good break, but we knew it couldn't last forever.

Here's to another year.

Summer Break: Week 6 and 7

2011-07-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Week six was largely spent doing some early preparations (aka deep cleaning) for the arrival of our little one. Speaking of our little guy/gal, we had some more pictures taken and it was right around this time that I started to feel little kicks from the inside. They are so cute. Last chance for predictions. . . we will most likely be able to end the suspense tomorrow. Morning. 10:10 AM. Don't worry, if it's not killing you, I'm dying to know enough for everyone!

Week seven was monumental. Justin had a birthday. But that's not the monumental news. The real news is that in honor of his birthday, we became Costco members. I wish I had a picture to document our excitement about this event. Thanks to Justin's parents for the birthday present!

I was also able to surprise Justin with a little gift myself (which is saying something because for some reason I always seem to blow my cover). The best part is that I got it right under his nose when we were both in the same store. I got him a book. It's one he wanted, something about a woman with a worm in her head? Infectious diseases? Doctor stuff. He's reading it as we speak, so it must be good. . . if you like that kind of thing.

On his actual birthday he got to do all sorts of fun things like play basketball (boy loves to play basketball), go surfing, and go out to eat. What more could a guy want. Wait there's more. What made it even better was when we got to meet up with the Williams family, three (four) of our most special friends. They took us to a great beach for surfing and Justin gave it a go. Highlight of Justin's birthday: Luke leaning down to scoop up a pile of sand with his mouth. Repeatedly. Love that little sweet guy!

Justin with Tyler the professional. . .

Turns out the waves were a wee bit too small for that short board of his.

Here's to summer.
Stay tuned for exciting news to come.

Summer Break: Week 3. . . and 4 and 5

2011-07-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

Week three was mostly spent getting ready for weeks 4 and 5 that we spent on vacation.

First stop: Utah to visit these fine folks.

Rachel, Abigail, Josh

While Justin's parents went to a wedding reception we decided to hit up the roof top concert series in Provo. Justin's sister and her family came with us and my sister and her husband made it down from Salt Lake too. It was quite a fun show and well worth it if you are in the area for the next one.

Our view of the stage

Jamie and Doug

Enjoying the pre-show show

Next it was on to Idaho Falls for the best fireworks show this side of the Mississippi. . . plus dinner right across the river from the show.

Dessert

Lauren, Jeff, and Ava sporting the patriotic t-shirts

Mama and Papa Delatore, the ones who made it all happen

Marcy and Kelsey

After Idaho we lost no time and headed right out the the beach the very next day. We stayed at a beach house with my sister and her family and some friends of theirs. We had a blast playing on the beach, digging for sand crabs, eating good food, reading books, and playing games after the kiddos went to bed (if we could stay up for it).

Marlee, probably eating an "ogre bar" aka granola bar

Darin

Shannon with the frisbee. Yeah, Darin fed that one to the sharks. The frisbee, not Shannon.

Sand crabs!

And the smallest traveler of the bunch but definitely not the least:

More baby updates are soon to come. Will we need to get a cute little bathing suit or cute little-man trunks? What do you think?

Summer Break: Week 2

2011-06-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Week two included but was not limited to:

Cold Sores
Fathers Day

Showing off his two Father's Day presents at my request:

the tie and the ball

Shoe shopping
Some swimming and some walking
Dodge ball
A morning lake trip

Sore muscles
A temple trip

Redlands, CA Temple

Some Cafe Rio
The dentist
Basketball
Stake conference

Summer Break: Week 1

2011-06-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

So, Justin is now a second year medical student. Well done. And the best news is that we have 8 weeks off together, which is pretty much the last summer break we will have. Ever. Sad. But happy too. You see, next summer Justin will be taking his boards (step one out of two) AND we will be moving to Oregon. Then the summers after that he will be doing rotations, and then there's residency. . . Fun stuff.

So lets get right down to it.

Among other things (like a movie and a pool party), week one of summer break involved a trip to Newport Beach for a two night getaway to a really fancy hotel. (Thanks for the tip Papa D) The Balboa Bay Yacht Club. It's the kind of place people stay if they own a couple of these:

We headed down early the fist day to meet some friends for a day at the dog beach (one of the couples has a dog) where we got really sun burnt, but had a good time none the less. Justin even got a surfing lesson from one of his friends and fellow medical students. It's quite a funny story, you should ask him about it some time. Alas, I do not have any pictures from this day because I forgot to pull out my camera and snap some. Blast.

The next day (after and amazing breakfast brought to our room) we headed out to enjoy the town. This time I totally planned to take pictures but accidentally left my camera in my other bag. Blast! Blast! So use your imaginations. We took a boat tour of the bay where we got to hear about all the ridiculously expensive houses and lots located on the water along with the famous people who have owned them. We also went out to the open ocean were we saw sea lions, and as an added bonus, rode along with a huge pod of dolphins. (This is the part where I realized I had left my camera.)

The bay from our balcony

That evening we walked across the street to a couple of little shops Justin likes to visit when he's in the neighborhood.

He especially enjoys this one. I just play along in admiration and let the man dream.

After perusing the merchandise, we headed off to Lido Island to pick up Grandma Tilly. She took us out to The Ritz Restaurant, which is probably the nicest restaurant I have ever been to. The food was DIVINE. Fabulous. I mean, there really aren't words. Thanks Grandma Tilly! It was a wonderful evening.

The next morning we again enjoyed another perfect breakfast (at the restaurant this time) with a view of the bay, and then slowly packed up and made our way down to check out. Did I mention this whole deal came with free valet parking? I think the valets were all BYU boys too. It was funny, each time one brought our car around they saw the sticker and gave us a shout out.

Well, here's to the Yacht Club.

We thought this fancy hat was a must to go with our fancy stay.

To wrap up the week we got another little peak at our growing babe. His (or her) heart is still pumping away (we heard it)! Have I mentioned that his estimated day of arrival is December 31st?

Looking a little less like an alien and more like a head and a belly?

Until next time,

Summer Beginnings

2011-06-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Justin and I have 8 weeks off together to enjoy however we see fit. We hope to make the most of them. While I was wrapping up my school year, however, and before Justin finished his last test (and his first year of medical school I might add) a few things happened. Here they are in chronological order.

1. I won a dress. Won. See? It was one of those blog give aways. What are the odds? About 1:163 actually, and I was the lucky winner! I won it from a neat-o blog called Bloom. I think that name is a coincidence in and of itself.

2. The same day I won the dress, my homeroom class won a pizza party for best attendance. Pinky was right, I should have bought a lottery ticket that day.

3. On June 1st, the day of my birth, I got to be excited about another hopeful birth when I saw this little peanut. He (or she) was quite active and his little heart was beating away.

4. I left Justin home to study while I went to visit my sister and her little bundle of joy. You must look at these pictures she took while I was there. So precious.

5. I came home to find that my dress had come in the mail and that my sweet husband had made my favorite birthday cake: Rainbow Chip. And he only messed up on one digit.

That 8 actually started off as a 7. Ha! Love him.

Rewind

2011-06-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Let's back up to May, shall we?

On May 4th, my beloved brother returned home from a 2 year mission for our church in Brazil. When he left, Marlee was still in the womb. ( As you can see there was another one in the womb for his return.)

He left with two suitcases (the same ones I used in Argentina) and, after being moved around a lot, came back with one very tattered piece of luggage.

We ate "nacks" (Marlee's word for snacks) while we waited, thanks to GG, and as we were entertaining ourselves, Zack decided to make his appearance a few minutes early. He was 3/4 of the way down the escalator before anyone noticed him coming! What kind of fan club are we?

Of course my mom was as happy as could be to have her boy back.

Justin couldn't make it to the airport, but he made it to the welcome home party, and I am happy to have this boy back with me every chance I get.

Straight is Great

2011-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Occasionally.

(I am now the proud owner of a straightener. There's a first time for everything.)

Sunday Inspiration

2011-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou
Shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
Lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost a while!

Text: John Henry Newman, 1801-1890

SeaWorld Adventure

2011-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've come to the realization that if I don't have any pictures to add to blog posts, I simply won't post. Guess what, I finally took some pictures! And here are some ramblings to go with them.

So remember back in middle school or high school when all of the girls wanted to be marine biologists so they could grow up and train the dolphins? I'm pretty sure I used to be one of those girls. And I'll be honest, our little SeaWorld trip had part of me wishing that I were in the water like these two:

But then I thought about jumping in a cold tank of salt water on a cold, cloudy day and I changed my mind. But you gotta admit, dolphins are cool.

They're just so fun and playful and energetic.

That is probably the best show SeaWorld has going on right now. The Shamu show is a work in progress since the trainers don't get in the water any more. . . and I don't blame them.

The rest of our visit included but was not limited to:

Some more dolphins. . . up close and personal

Some big turtles

A romantic ride over the bay

And these guys who were cracking me up. This one was waving its flippers and barking so loud in an effort to get a couple of little fish thrown his way. Bless his heart.

And that was SeaWorld. Well, that's all that I have captured in pixels anyway. Until the next time I break out the camera. . .

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

. . . and what a year it has been!

Here are a few highlights somewhat in chronological order for your reminiscing pleasure:

Justin got in to medical school
We celebrated our one year anniversary
We read the Fablehaven series 1-4 (we have yet to get a hold of book 5)
We moved to California
We found out we were expecting
We read/listened to Harry Potter 1-4 (Justin read though 6 but I only made it part way before school started)
Justin did an intensive summer anatomy program
I got a job teaching with my mom
Justin got called to the Young Men's Presidency
The boys love him and affectionately call him Brother Dr. Delatore, or just Brother Dr. D.
I was called to the primary presidency
We completed a 2000 piece puzzle of da Vinci's "The Last Supper"
We moved again (to the building next door) for an extra bedroom
I carried our baby for approximately 4 months
Justin finished his first semester of school and did well
We are both healthy
We exercised 12 days in December (if you count New Years Day). It was a goal I set. (Justin actually did more. . . he always has to one-up me like that)
Two of my "workouts" were snowboarding in Big Bear
We bought a Christmas tree (fake, to be used for many years to come)
We had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas break
We chaperoned the youth New Year's Eve dance (I'm not sure if that was a highlight or not, but it definitely was a feat to stay out so late. We are old.)

Gramma Gramma's Family

Here's to 2011

For an inspirational thought on the new year and moving forward click here.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

One more day of school until

Christmas break.

What a blessed, blessed holiday season!

Go here if you need help getting into the

Christmas Spirit.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

A Little Bit Stronger

2010-10-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

I like country music. I like the tunes and I like the stories that go along with them. Usually I think it's the words that get me hooked though and the more they relate to my life the better. In fact, that is what I like most about any kind of music. I like listening to the lyrics and relating them to my life. I've even been known to rewrite lyrics to better fit my story. I know it's cheesy, girly even. I don't really care, I still like it.

So I was driving to work the other day and a new one hit me--some of it. It doesn't really fit because it's a getting-over-a-boyfriend type song and I didn't lose a boyfriend. I did lose a boy though, and it really did break my heart.

Woke up late today,
and I could still feel the sting of pain,
but I brushed my teeth anyway.
Got dressed through the mess, and
put a smile on my face.
I got a little bit stronger.

...

I know my heart will never be the same.
But I'm telling myself I'll be OK,
even on my weakest day.
I get a little bit stronger.

Here's to getting a little bit stronger, and becoming a little bit better.

I Knew It

2010-09-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

It's a boy!

I knew it was a boy. I could feel it in my bones. No, maybe more in my gut. Uterus even?

Isn't he so cute?

We are EX-CI-TED.

All I've got

2010-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Growing a baby is hard work.
So is teaching.

Put 'em together and what have you got?
Nothing.
As in nothing left.
I am spent.

Ultrasound on Friday.
I'll keep you posted.

Justin is out for his weekly activity with the youth in our ward.
And I just got too tired to write any more.

Good night.

The Car Wash

2010-09-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Post Edit: I just want to clarify that this is in fact an automatic car wash we are talking about here. Read on.

Let me set the stage for the story I am about to tell that took place last Thursday evening:

As you can see from my last post we are already out one car (which is currently being fixed and that is another story of it's own).

I am pregnant.

It was late.
I was tired.
And my car was dirty.

Got it?

I was just getting ready to drive home from a long, particularly challenging day of teaching (teaching is hard). I got to my car and realized that I still hadn't made time to drive through the 5 minute car wash. Every night that week I had left work too late to even take an extra 5 minutes to get home! Terrible. Thursday night however, I was determined to make time. I thought that if nothing else positive came out of that day, at least I would go home with a clean car.

I pulled up to the machine.
I rolled down my window.
I paid my 5 dollars.
I pulled forward.

But as I pushed the button to roll up the window all I heard instead was a very disconcerting grinding noise. I tried again. The window was absolutely not rolling back up. In fact it was sinking farther down!

My mind raced to solve this problem, but after a few short seconds (and after the window sank all the way down into the door) I gave up. I could come up with no way to fix the situation and was too tired to do anything but wait to be rescued. I hung my head in defeat as I sat there pointed toward the car wash with my window down.

Then came the car wash man. Noting my distress and with a hint of concern he asked, "Are you okay?" With a shaky voice trying to keep myself somewhat composed I told him that my window was stuck. He tried a few car wash man tricks like having me turn the car off and back on a couple of times, but it was all to no avail. He too had to admit defeat and moved a cone so I could turn out of the car wash lane and get a refund for the car wash I never got.

Funny? Yes.

Hysterical even. I was honestly chuckling to myself on the inside, but all that came out was a day worth of bottled up emotion in the form of unstoppable tears.

As I drove away I called Justin and immediately lost what composure I had. I sobbed the whole way home with the wind blowing in my face and five extra one dollar bills in my purse.

Ups and Downs

2010-08-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Life is like a roller coaster.

Justin had a pretty wild ride this week. Luckily he was kept from all harm. For that I am so grateful. I feel sick to my stomach any time I think about how much worse things could have been. Ugh. No. Stop.

Luckily all we have to deal with is a broken car. That we can handle.

In other news, school starts on Monday. . .
for both of us.

It is going to be BUSY.

Life is good.

I can't keep a secret.

2010-07-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

That's not true.

I can keep a secret.

I would even go so far as to consider myself very trustworthy if it is an important or confidential matter.

But when it comes to surprises--those kind of secrets--I'm not so good. I think it has to do with not being able to contain the joy or excitement or anticipation within my one little self. I just have to share it. And the bigger the surprise, the harder it is.

That being said, we have a surprise. . .

And if all goes well it should be here around March.

On Beauty and Cars

2010-06-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

"You're like a Lamborghini," Justin said when I randomly asked him if he thought I was still pretty.

I honestly didn't see how he could see any trace of beauty in me that night and was amazed as he assured me that he did. I had been sick for days, was wearying dirty sweats and a baggy T-shirt that clashed terribly, didn't have a trace of make-up left on (which I desperately need if I want to hide my pale, uneven complexion, pimples, and dark circles), and hadn't done my hair which also needs a lot of lovin' to look like anything but an unattractive, flattened, wad of frizz. Needless to say I was definitely not looking very pretty. Like at all. Seriously.

His reasoning was this: Lamborghini cars are BEAUTIFUL (to him). Even if they are painted a funny color, they are still beautiful. While I am "green" and sick now, all he sees is the beautiful car underneath.

"My husband just compared me to a Lamborghini." I thought out loud. Despite how it sounds, I secretly loved it.

This morning I was feeling a lot better and was showing it. While we were getting ready to have breakfast he mentioned something about how now I'm like a Ferrari.

"What about that whole bit about me being a Lamborghini and beautiful no matter what!" I scolded, remembering the nice things he said the night before and not wanting him to go back on his word.

Realizing he had spoke too soon and fishing for a way out of his blunder he carefully explained, "You're still beautiful, but now your just better for racing."

I love that man.

P.S. Don't tell Justin, but now I think I like Lamborghini and Ferrari cars a little bit more too.

Farewell Idaho

2010-05-28T06:50:00.002-07:00

See ya in Californa!

An Ode to Rexburg

2010-05-22T12:37:00.004-07:00

These photos were taken in April, on two separate but equally snowy mornings. (Notice how on one day my car is still caked with ice and snow even though it is parked under the carport.)

I'm so glad we're past THAT.

And on to warmer and sunnier events in a place that looks a little something like this.

(Real pictures not stolen off the Internet coming soon.)

But despite the cold weather, don't think I hate Rexburg. I am actually quite fond of this town. We got to do things like go shooting and wear cowboy boots while walking around the farmer's market.

And, since Justin was pretty much done with school in December, we were able to spend a lot of time together. We went to the Temple regularly, watched a lot of Red Box movies, read books and of course did a puzzle. We even got to cook together. (Let's be honest, if Justin didn't help, dinner might not have happened quite so often.)

Classic Spaghetti Dinner

All in all, it's been a great nine months.

Now where did we leave that Budget truck. . .

1 Year (and one week) ago. . .

2010-05-02T18:43:00.004-07:00

. . . looked like this.

What a blissful day it was.

The perfect date.

April 25th.

Since I never really posted any pictures from that day in history, here are a few more.

For our big one year celebration we did several celebratory activities. Justin took me shopping in the morning (which is a big deal because he hates shopping), and while we were out we went to lunch at Cafe Rio. Afterwards we came home and decided to catch a chick flick at the cheap theater (I know we really spared no expense). Then Justin cooked a really nice dinner that we even dressed up for. We dined, we danced, we made merry. It was the best anniversary.

Here's to many more to come.

A Blessing

2010-04-01T14:16:00.002-07:00

This was Justin two weeks ago at my parents house

after his interview at Western University in Pomona

(thanks for the picture Dad):

This was justin one week and five days later

when he got the acceptance letter:

Actually that last one was a reenactment depicting what he was feeling on the inside. What really happened was this. I was sitting at my computer and Justin was gone running an erand for me. Then all of a sudden I hear the door open and extreemly determined footsteps thumping down the hall. Before he got to me he called my name in the most serious voice I have ever heard leave his toung. I was somewhat worried by his tone and hurried walk until he got to me and shoved the letter in my face. I scanned as fast as I could to see what school had sent it.

Unless divinely guided in another direction, we are going to Pomona!

He's on a special North West track, which means that we will spend

the first two years in California, and the last two in Oregon.

He will also be doing an intensive summer anatomy course, (kind of to get ahead)

so his first day of class will be June 14!

Any one know of a good place to rent?

Guess Who's Back!

2010-03-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

(That's Justin if you can't tell)

And I am oh so glad.

Now all we can do is wait,

and interview some more,

and then probably wait some more.

Tonight, while we were waiting (while Justin was studying for a test), I decided to put some of these pictures in a photo album that we got while we on the scene. . .

. . . in Hawaii

. . . 11 months ago.

I know, I'm an over achiever.

Missing

2010-03-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm flying solo this whole entire week while Justin is away checking out some schools. I miss! It is so lonely. I'm trying to stay busy to make the time pass as fast as possible.

Where will we end up? No body knows. But at least I can find comfort in the fact that wherever we go we will still be flossing together at night and occasionally wearing matching pajamas.

On Love and Basketball

2010-02-20T21:55:00.001-08:00

Justin put me on his co-ed basketball team. It's a ward team.

They kept forfeiting because they didn't have enough girls show up.

Do I play basketball? No.

Have I ever played basketball? No.

It's the least I can do though for the guy who cooks me dinner whenever I ask;

The guy who makes a special trip to fill up my car that is out of gas when it is -12 degrees outside;

The guy who warms up his slippers just to put them on my cold feet;

The guy who is patient enough to teach me how to snowboard and shoot a layup even though I am so embarrassingly awkward at both.

The least I can do is play basketball even though it puts me so outside of my comfort zone (the pool).

My very first game in my whole life was last Thursday at 10:15 P.M.

10:15!

The hour alone should have been enough of an excuse not to play. I can't keep up with these single folk, especially at 10:15.

But I played.

I played with all of the love I could muster.

So much in fact that I even scored a few points.

Basketball isn't so bad.

I love Justin.

A Cooking Fiasco Worth Blogging About

2010-02-08T18:14:00.003-08:00

Occasionally we eat breakfast for dinner. Usually because I can't think of anything else to eat or just want to do something fast. Today was one of those days. Before a trip to the grocery store for some eggs (and 75 dollars worth of other items that we were in need of), we decided to have french toast. I hadn't had it in a long time and it sounded like a good solution to the looming dinner problem (yes, to me it is a problem) of the night. When we got home with our bags of food, Justin asked me if I would cook the french toast, so he could study. Fair enough. And besides, french toast is like the easiest thing to make.

I got to work.

The eggs were mixed, complete with sprinkle of cinnamon, the pan was hot with a light coating of Pam.

In went the first slice.

There turned out to be only enough room for one at a time, but I was in no rush. As it started to brown I realized it was still soggy. I turned the heat up a little and pulled it off after a moment longer on the stove.

In went the second slice.

Oops, didn't spray the pan. (We don't have non-stick pans.) Oh well, it will be fine.

To my dismay, the remains of the first attempt started to burn in the pan that now must have been much hotter, and so did my second slice. I began pealing the corners up with the spatula, which I realized a few seconds later was melting right off into my pan! It started to smell like burnt everything so I pulled the whole pan off the heat. As I swung around toward the sink the pan brushed up against the plastic bread bag which immediately clung and melted to the bottom of the pan. At that point I knew that I was not going to save this.

And so did Justin, because he got up off the couch and came to the rescue. He got another pan and finished the french toast while I proceeded to scrape melted spatula and wallow in self pity. I can't even make french toast! I used to make it all the time as a child. A child! Really. Am I now digressing in my cooking abilities? I didn't think I could get any worse. Apparently I can, and the french toast is proof.

Thank you to my husband who is patient when I manage to let things like this happen. . . And for blaming in all on Aunt Flow. His french toast was wonderful by the way. And he is now scraping the remains of the bread bag off our pan while I sit here, still puzzling (and laughing inside) over this whole thing.

A Tribute to the Month of Love

2010-02-02T11:55:00.003-08:00

Sending some love. . .

We made these cookies a while back just for fun. My grandma gave us her sugar cookie recipe with some baking things for Christmas so we had to indulge.

They were good.

Justin made the heart one for me.

He loves me.

ABC's

2010-01-28T16:52:00.007-08:00

So I normally avoid these little things, but this one was short. And besides, Lauren got me and I can't say no to family!

Age: 26

Bed size: Queen with a King sized down comforter :)

Chore I hate: Grocery shopping

Dog's name: Sadie (may she rest in peace)

Essential to start my day: Breakfast

Favorite color: Usually blue

Gold or silver: Both

Height: 5'6''-ish

I am: Loving Justin for making dinner tonight

Job: Temp (Substitute Teacher)

Kids: Hopefully in the not-too-distant future

Living arrangements: I live in a two bedroom apartment with Justin--AKA best roommate ever (no offense girls).

Mom's name: Lisa the machine

Nickname: Crys

Overnight hospital stay: There was that week in Argentina to get my dang appendix outa there

Pet peeve: Toilet paper that isn't on the right way or doesn't unroll easily

Quote from a movie: Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?

Right or left handed: Right

Siblings: Shannon, Jamie, and Zack Bloom Fool

Time I wake up: 6:00 if I must. Later is better.

Unique thing about my car: Her name is Bessy.

Vegetable I hate: I'm pretty sure I don't like Brussels sprouts

Ways I run late: When I over estimate my getting ready abilities as well as my time

X-rays I've had: Foot--also in Argentina

Yummy food I make: When I make food, it's good (emphasis on when)

Zoo favorite: Riding the camels in Arizona

Tag. Shannon's it.

New Hair, New Purse

2010-01-11T13:12:00.002-08:00

Both compliments of Shannon. She had a purse like this only teal. My heart wanted teal, but I went with the brown one for almost half the price. I followed my logic this time. Next decision, maybe not so logical.

Old News

2010-01-03T12:05:00.003-08:00

Justin graduated.

Step one.

I am a very proud wife.

Step two: Get in to medical school

We made a couple of Christmas gifts this year.

It took some time, but was fun.

And we made one for us. . .

A Family Home Evening board with picture magnets.

We spent Christmas Eve with my parents

and my sister and brother-in-law in California.

We went out for pizza just before closing time at 9:00

A fun Christmas Eve memory.

Who goes to get pizza on Christmas eve!

We did.

December Festivities

2009-12-14T18:43:00.002-08:00

We helped put together our ward Christmas party and took home this lovely poinsettia. We also decided to do a little experiment to feel more Christmas spirit. We are keeping track of our good deeds with using wrapping paper links to make a Christmas chain. Instead of taking away, we are trying to add to it. Those slips of paper in the glass are ready and waiting, beckoning us to serve.

Justin finally got to shoot the gun that his grandpa gave him. Saturday was the only chance we had to go try it out. So we went. It was snowing. I am such a good wife. PS we forgot to bring earplugs so we made due. That glove box tampon is always good for something.

We babysit our cute niece Ava on occasion. She likes to try on our shoes.

Justin's parents gave us a bunch of Christmas decorations including lights and these wonderful shatter proof ornaments. They didn't come with hooks, so we didn't know how to hang them at first. Then I thought, we can string them! Dental floss is another one of your very versatile toiletries.

Merry Christmas!

Lesson Learned

2009-12-04T18:17:00.004-08:00

Never sub for an unfamiliar second grade class when you don't feel well, or have a canker sore on your tongue, or both. On a happier note, elementary students have their plusses:

They actually like you! (usually)

And oh the pictures!

I have also received as gifts, a half eaten fortune cookie, a broken frog eraser top, and several origami frogs of all different sizes (these kids were obsessed with frogs).

End of a Season

2009-12-01T11:42:00.003-08:00

Swimming is done. For now.

Here are the approximate results from our championship meet.

200 IM: 2:39-ish, 6th place

500 Free: 6:34 or 35, 8th place (that's more like it)

200 Medley Relay (B), 2nd place (we got 3rd but our A relay was disqualified)

200 Free Relay (A), 1st place

400 Free Relay (A), 1st place

It was a really close meet, but out of the four teams that competed, we still ended up third. Not quite the victory we had hoped for, but it was still a fun season anyway.

Halloween etc. . .

2009-11-08T17:57:00.005-08:00

Friday

Justin's parents came to visit.

They brought Abigail (Justin's sister's baby) while Rachel received the first of 2 parts of radiation to treat what might be left of her thyroid cancer.

Swim meet.

I arranged to swim a few events at the beginning of the meet so we could make it to the ward halloween party. . . being on the activities committee and all.

200 free: 2:22. (right after sprinting a 50 back in the medley relay)
50 free: 28.00 (still tired from the 200)

Ward Halloween party.

We dressed up as a crazy chemistry teacher and his apprentice.

Justin convinced me to compete with him in the relay race which included:

a 3 legged dash. . .

Justin eating a doughnut on a string in three bites with no hands. . .

and me bobbing lightning fast for an apple.

It took us 58 seconds.

We won.

Duh.

Saturday

Halloween.

We did some shopping during the day and then stayed in and played dress up with Abigail.

Sunday

Church as usual.

To learn more about we believe go here.

Dinner with Jeff and Lauren.

We trade off cooking dinner on Sundays with Jeff and Lauren (Jeff is Justin's brother). They live two buildings down from us. We love being so close to them.

Monday

Applications.

Justin finished up his applications for medical school and got them sent in. Now we wait to fill out secondary applications.

Tuesday

Justin's parents left.

They took Abigail to see her mom for a few more days until she got a bigger dose of radiation and can't be around her for another 10 days or so.

Other

School.

Justin has been doing well in his classes and continues to study hard and do well on his exams. I have been subbing in the district and worked a couple of days last week.

Swimming.

I continue to swim three days a week and am getting ready for the championship meet which is this Friday and Saturday! I will be swimming the 200 IM, the 500 free, and all three relays.

That's the latest. Hopefully I can get some pictures of our awesome costumes to post, so check back soon.

Undercover Adventure

2009-10-27T11:05:00.004-07:00

Some mysterious couple from our ward left us a scrumptious carmel popcorn treat on our doorstep the other day with a note in verse that essentially said to pass it on to two other families to spread the halloween love. We were a little late in getting our mission accomplished, but we did it and I think these guys were worth the wait. I was giddy with laughter every time I put a face together because they are so cute!

Making our delivery in disguise

Thanks to My Muffin Thursdays for the idea (I stole the idea from Pinky's sister Emily), and to Colby for her help making them. We were not so domestic and used cake mix from a box and store bought frosting. We also used Reese's Pieces instead of M&M's for the eyes.

Swimming

2009-10-24T12:51:00.006-07:00

So, as I have mentioned before, I am on an intramural swim team. We have had 4 meets so far and I have only mentioned 1 of them. Let me sum up.

Meet #1: Spartans win

Opponent: Titans

100 Free: 1:03.7

Meet #2: Spartans win

Opponent: Hawks

100 Free: 1:01.8

100 Back: 1:13.9

Meet #3: Knights win (barely)

Word on the street is that there were some mistakes in the scoring and we actually should have won.

100 Fly: 1:20 (how embarrassing)

100 Back: 1:14

Meet #4: Spartans win (by 7 points!)

Opponent: Titans

500 Free: 6:05 (way faster than I thought I could swim)

100 Back: 1:14.5

This last meet was today and it was pretty fun because I actually won all of the events that I swam, including the the 200 Medley and the 200 Free relays. The only reason I won all 4 events was because one of the fastest girls on our team was sick and didn't swim. Luckily we still won the meet without her though!

Back Tracking

2009-10-13T09:24:00.004-07:00

So, my parents came to visit this weekend and brought my camera cable. Here are a few events that were recorded on my camera who's pictures I was unable to retrieve.

When we moved out of our apartment in Boise in August, we had a couple of weeks before we could move in to our new apartment in Rexburg. We used that time to visit family and gather all of our things (that were scattered between 3 states) and get it all ready to haul back to Idaho.

One of our family visits included a trip to Northern California where we got to be with my little cousin Jordan during her baptism, and Logan when he received his Eagle Scout Award. Upon arriving in Northern CA, we met up with everyone at the State fair in Sacramento. It was HOT. We found out that the reason we were there torturing ourselves in the heat though was to see David Cook in concert. I have never really followed American Idol, or Pop music for that mater, so I had no idea who he was. In case you are like me and aren't up on your Pop stars, he was winner of the 2008 season of American Idol. Here we are on the grass in the back waiting for the show to start.

While in Norther California, we also got to visit Justin's Grandpa who generously gifted him one of his MANY guns. . .

A rifle to be more specific. . .

308.

Trying on a sweet holster while I was wishing I were a damsel in distress

Lots of driving, a moving truck, and one wedding later, we finally made it to a place we can call home.

Breakfast before a table

Breakfast after a table

Meet Results

2009-09-28T07:27:00.004-07:00

Spartans win!

I ended up swimming the third leg of all three relays and one individual event:

200 medley relay (butterfly)
100 freestyle--1:03.7
200 freestyle relay
400 freestyle relay

My 100 free was faster than expected (considering I went a 1:15 in the time trial try-outs) and it actually felt pretty good too. Maybe my body is remembering how to swim after all! I'm hoping to get to swim some more individual events in the upcoming meets and see more improvement as the semester goes on.

Here's to my number one fan who sat up in the muggy bleachers from warm-up to clean up.

I love him for it.

Rexburg

2009-09-25T11:54:00.007-07:00

You know you are in Rexburg when you have to drop your truck off next to a pile of hay.

So we finally Made it to Rexburg. I left my camera cable in CA during the three week move/vacation, so this post is limited to cell phone pictures. We rolled into town in the above pictured Budget truck around 8:30 p.m. after Jamie's wedding. The Elders Quorum was there to help us unload the truck and they had everything--armoire, couch bed, everything--in our second story apartment within 15 minutes. The help just kept coming. It was wonderful.

Then we spent the next couple of weeks unpacking and getting organized. Some of our home improvement projects included buying and putting together this Walmart special of a table and hanging these curtains. We have yet to hang all of our pictures. Even though there is still work to do, it is so nice to have a home again.

Rexburg is a small town complete with John Deere tractors and old trucks selling corn in front of the grocery store. So far I love it! However, I don't know if I will be able to say that when it is 20 below. Winter is definitely on it's way and to put it mildly, I am nervous.

In Sports News:

As the spouse of a full time student, I am eligible to participate in the intramural sports that they have here at the school. In an effort to get in better shape, I decided to take advantage of this perk and I did something kind of crazy. I joined a BYU-I intramural swim team. After my first week back in the water, the only positive thing that I have to say is this: I used to be in really good shape. It's been years since I have been on any kind of a swim team (8 to be exact), and I am feeling every second of it. It is fun though. It's nice to be able to work out with people about my speed and I'm actually excited to compete just for the fun of it. Our first meet is tomorrow. I will be swimming in both the 200 medley relay, and the 200 free relay as well as the 100 free. Go Spartans! Feel free to wear GREEN in my honor.

Baby Blessings

2009-08-12T16:42:00.006-07:00

This post is kind of late, but these babies are just too cute to leave out. A couple of weeks ago, we made a trip to Provo for two little nieces' blessings. I am kind of sporadic with the camera, so didn't get any pictures of us with Abigail, Justin's sister's baby. Abigail was born just a few weeks before Marlee.

Abigail Eve Ellars (stolen off of Rachel's blog)

The aunties with Marlee and Mom

Aunt Crystal and Uncle Justin (who was pretty sick during this trip)

What a good looking family

The End

Lucky Peak for Real

2009-08-12T08:43:00.012-07:00

The last time Justin and I tried to go waterskiing at Lucky Peak Lake, things didn't quite work out. This was take two. Tiff invited me to go one morning last week. Justin was at at a conference in Pocatello doing his final presentations about his summer research, so he was out. I was sad that I had to go without him, but what can you do? The lake was calling and I could NOT refuse.

Let's just say that Tiff could probably ski circles around me if she wanted to. I, on the other hand, am not such a pro. But I love it just the same.

Tiff looking very excited to get in that cold lake at 8:00 am

Tiff tearing it up

Giving it my best shot

Completely wiped out after my fist and only attempt that morning

Bottom Line: So fun. I am now counting down until our trip to Lake Mead with Justin's family.

In other news:

We are moving out of our apartment on Friday and staying in CA for a few weeks
Jamie is getting married on September 5th in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple
We will be moving into our new apartment in Rexburg sometime after the wedding and just in time for school to start

That is all for now.

Love Story

2009-08-04T15:38:00.007-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a loving wife named Crystal who got a special fortune in her fortune cookie. "Keep your plans secret for now," it read. There was also a husband named Justin who was having a birthday in five days. Being the loving wife that she was, Crystal was planning something special for her sweet husband, something that she had wanted to do since before they got married, which at this time was more than three months ago.

You see, Justin and Crystal had a lovely courtship, full of significant events that led up to their recent marriage. Some of their late nights together--when they got the chance to be together during their extended, long-distance courtship--were spent reminiscing about how they met and all of the wonderful happenings that played a part in their relationship. Crystal wanted to compile all of these events in some printed form to give to Justin to forever remember how it all began. She decided to put all of these events together with pictures in a calendar. This would not be a normal calendar of future dates as most people use, but a calendar of the past. It would spread from the first day they saw each other (April 14, 2008) to their wedding day (April 25th, 2009) and cover every significant event in between.

Crystal had been working on her project for weeks already, and now, more than ever, was determined to make it a great birthday surprise. It had begun slowly at first. She had been fitting it in here and there when she had the time. When Justin would come home from work and asked what she had done that day, she sneakily left out all of the details. ". . . and some other projects," she would add when she felt the need to fill in the gaps. However, the day of Justin's birth was quickly approaching and so first thing Monday morning when Justin went to work, she went to work as well. It was now just a few short days before the due date (and her gift was most likely going to arrive late as it was), so she spent all day finishing the work she started weeks ago. Every picture had to be in place and all 365+ days had to give an accurate account of their love story.

It was nearing five o'clock and Justin would be home soon. She had to finish those finishing touches and make the order now if she were avoid letting another day pass by. That's when the call came. Justin was on his way home. She made her order with one click of the mouse, and then it was out of her hands. She waited, fretting that her beautiful calendar wouldn't finish uploading by the time the unsuspecting Justin walked in the door, and that the evidence would be out in plain sight on the computer screen to ruin the surprise. It was a race. She felt like she was in a movie scene. The status bar was loading and the bad guys were coming. . . But just like in the movies, the order was completed just in time.

Upon arriving home from a hard day at work, Justin got a glass of ice water and sat down at the computer to check up on things in cyberspace. Crystal was in the next room gleaming with triumph over her secret online purchase when she heard a shout from Justin. "Oh, did you order that book?" With a hint of confusion in her voice and panic in her heart she replied back, "No, not exactly. . . " He was referring to a book that they were planning to order in the same fashion as the calendar. But did he figure something out? How could he have known? As she peered around the corner to the computer screen she saw what she could not hide. An email had just popped into her inbox in plain sight stating that her order had been received and Justin was unknowingly reading all about it! By this time he must have seen that it was a calendar and like a dear in headlights Crystal froze and could not think of a way out. "It was supposed to be a surprise!" she blurted out. If he didn't know before, he knew now, and there was no recovering.

Justin, tried to console his wife who was kicking herself for not coving all of her tracks, while at the same time sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of despair. He didn't even remember his birthday was coming up! It would have been such a perfect surprise. As he held her in the living room not knowing what to do, he innocently let his hand slip into the back pocket of her jeans. There was something in that pocket. Something that had been put there and then forgotten a moment later. It was the fortune from the fortune cookie she had serendipitously received a few days before.

The morning after Justin's birthday, the package came and of course he loved it. Although the calendar was expected, each page was a surprise to see the many significant events as they really happened. Then they both lived happily ever after.

An ode to Justin on his Birthday

2009-07-30T12:49:00.003-07:00

This is the greatest, sweetest, most wonderful guy I know. He is my best friend. I am so lucky. Even when he's sick he is still so good to me. I hurt when he is sick. Pray that he gets better soon. I love him.

A Camping Adventure

2009-07-29T09:50:00.006-07:00

This was about my reaction when a couple in our ward invited us to go camping with them a couple of weeks ago. You see, it's not that I don't like the great outdoors, because I do. It's just the whole part about sleeping on the hard ground that gives me that not overly excited face. Let's just say that I've had some bad experiences.

We did, however, end up going camping. We were able to borrow all of our gear (except a flashlight, pillows and bug repellent) from various people, and it wasn't that bad. I prepared some tin foil dinners before we left and we were also in charge of bringing stuff for s'mores. Dinner was great (the best Justin has ever had, I might add--thanks Tiff!), the company was fun, and the ground was tolerable.

In the morning we had some breakfast and then went on a little hike. I'm not a huge fan of hiking either while I'm doing it, but I do like getting to the top. Who doesn't, really?

Then we hiked down,

ate lunch,

went home.

The end.

Lucky Peak: Not so Lucky

2009-07-15T09:49:00.010-07:00

Yesterday was an adventure.

I spent four hours of the day driving home home from Rexburg (I had a job interview and should hear back by Friday) and justin spent the day at work as usual. My drive wasn't bad at all, but Justin had a rough day at work. It was one of those days that when it is over you ask yourself, "What was the point of this day?" and you can't figure it out.

Meanwhile, our ward (the branch of our church that we attend) has been planning this big ward party at a nearby lake known as Lucky Peak.

http://www.sailidaho.com/lucky-peak/lucky-peak.shtml

There was to be a BBQ, boating, and other water related fun. We planned to go and signed up to bring a side dish and everything. They were counting on US.

The party was from 5:00-8:30. When I got home I did a little housework and made some pasta salad so we were all ready to go when Justin got off work at 5:00. Well 5:15 rolled around and still no Justin. He finally got home around 5:20 (with flowers for me), and we hurried off to our activity. It turns out he was stuck in a long meeting in which the topic of discussion did not pertain to him at all. That was the beginning of our frustrations:

Justin was starving.

We forgot the little map they gave us at church.

Forgot DVD to take back to RedBox on the way.

Tried going the quickest way. Construction. Road closed.

Went around the other way to come in from the freeway.

Picked up DVD to return along with a fork and a bowl so Justin could snack on the way.

Forgot directions. . . again.

Forgot to take back DVD.

Got to the park. Didn't know which way to go.

The one couple we know didn't answer their phone.

Tried one way. Nothing.

Tried the other way. The lake disappeared.

Tried the first way again. We were stumped.

Side dish was mostly eaten.

Decided to give up on the ward activity.

Wanted to check out the outlet mall on the way back.

Missed the turn.

Decided to go downtown instead.

Took back the movie.

Walked downtown. I had to go to the bathroom. Food didn't sound good.

Stopped at Cold Stone to appease our hunger and sorrows with some comfort food.

The girl working asked us how our night was so far. We laughed.

Went home. Put our swimming suits on and played with the beach ball in the bath tub.

How embarrassing.

That excitement wore off real quick, so then we just got ready for bed and watched the rest of the Italian Job that we had started last week.

Even though we didn't go boating, which is probably my MOST favorite thing to do, it was still a fun night. Justin makes everything fun. I love.

Summer Fun with Tiff

2009-07-12T16:35:00.014-07:00

We came to Boise knowing one person, and one person only. That person is Tiff. Now, Tiff is a very important person, and has much going on in her life right now (being an athletic trainer at a high school, serving as relief society president in her singles ward, and working toward a masters degree/teaching credential to name a few), but she still somehow finds time to hang out with us lowly newlyweds. What a friend.

Last month she went with us to a rodeo in Mountain Home (about a 45 min drive). I heard about in on the radio the day before, and Justin had never been to one, so I thought it was imperative that we went. Justin was a little reluctant, but I convinced him that it would be well worth it. So that fateful Saturday night after dinner, we put on our boots and belt buckles and were off to the Rodeo. It was all that we dreamed of and more. Justin even got told off by an old cowboy sitting in front of us for shaking his knee up and down. This man just couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of a nervous habit and just sat there, as non nervously as possible, with a look of utter amazement/disgust on his face. We still aren't sure if he was joking or not. One thing is for sure though. . . he knew how to make a California boy feel welcome.

Our next adventure took place last week as we celebrated our independence. . . We are so thankful for the freedom we have to do the things we love most, like go to the lake. About two hours north of Boise lies the beautiful Cascade Reservoir. Tiff invited us up for the day (July 3rd) to go boating with her family and another family that they were vacationing with. What a joy! I love, love love.

I'm realizing that I am kind of lame with the camera and I didn't get any pictures of us waterskiing. That is what is what I really love and do the most of. The wakeboarder in Justin thought he had to jump the wake while skiing. Needless to say he prefers wake boarding. And since we are from California, we had to do a little surfing here in Idaho as well:

Justin wakeboarding

Sorry, not much of an action shot.

It was the only non-blurry one.

Me flagging

. . . and us surfing

One Month in Boise

2009-06-28T18:12:00.011-07:00

One month ago today--it was a thursday--Justin took the MCAT (we are still waiting for his score). But that's not really what this post is about.

One month ago tomorrow--it was a Friday--I turned in my computer at work, and we hit the road bound for Idaho. Justin had the cars all packed up and we literally drove away right from my school on my last day of work. You see, he had to be up here to start his internship on Monday, so we had no time to spare.

After two days of driving we reached our dwelling place for the summer. Oregon Trail Village apartments. The OTV if you will.

It is an older place that has recently been remodeled. Our apartment is small and has cement floors, but the walls are newly painted and there is new furniture. (The main reason we chose this place was that they were willing to furnish it for us for the summer at a minimal cost.)

Here are a few pictures I took when we first moved in. I have since stuck a few pictures on the walls, but you get the idea.

Living Room (notice the puzzle)

Kitchen

There is only enough room for one

. . . so Justin has to do all of the cooking by himself :)

We had to buy a desk to set up my computer.

Vicki tells us the time every hour on the hour.

Our TV with surround sound complements of Mike, John, and Cody.

Justin's first day of work--it was a Monday--was also my birthday. Justin brought home these flowers. . . the ones in the spaghetti sauce jar. The love fern on the left is a plant that one of my students gave me on one of our last days of school.

A couple of days later we got around to making this birthday cake. Rainbow chip cake, with rainbow chip frosting. Justin made it actually and decorated it himself with sprinkles that I got for this very purpose. Yes that says Happy B-day with a 26 in the background. I'm old.

June 23, 2009

2009-06-25T14:41:00.019-07:00

It's coming.

Now?

The baby's coming.

And how!

I see a nose.

I see a curl.

It's a healthy, perfect,

lovely, little...

GIRL!

That's right folks, it really was a girl after all (some had their doubts). She was born the 23 day of June (the same day as Justin's sister, Rachel). Lets give a warm welcome to the newest member of our family...

Marlee Thomas

The Happy Family

Sister Shannon, Brother-in-law Darin, Niece Marlee

I was able to drive down to Salem, Utah to visit. This baby is even more precious in real life, but here are a few more pictures from her first days on Earth.

With Dad

Auntie Jam

Mom and Marlee

Sleeping like a baby

And of course, Marlee and me!

The ride home

Home with Auntie Crystal

The Big Island

2009-06-18T13:05:00.021-07:00

I have a request to see more pictures of Hawaii, so this post is dedicated to the Big Island, or as Julia would say, Hawaiito. Thanks to Justin's parents, we were able to to spend a whole week there. It was amazing. The perfect honeymoon. Here are some pictures to highlight some of our adventures.

This was just after arriving at the Kona airport, which is completely outdoors. It was an evening flight, and we gained some hours so it felt much later than it was. If we look tired, that's why.

One of the first things we did after exploring the resort, was take a tour of the valley on horseback. Here we are on our horses GJ, or George of the Jungle (Justin's horse), and Macho Man (mine). Macho man had a listening disorder and wouldn't do a thing I said.

The next day we went to a nearby beach to have some fun in the sun. We weren't there very long, but it sure felt like we were. We got burnt pretty bad and felt it for a few days.

That night was the luau. Here we are waiting at our table for dinner to start. Our sunburns were much worse than they appear in this picture.

Here are a couple of Hawaiians digging our pig out of the ground where it had been cooking all day. It was pretty tasty.

We definitely got to admire a lot of beautiful scenery. This instance was while waiting for the show to start after eating the above mentioned pig.

The next morning we got up early to catch a morning snorkel. We took a boat ride to this protected cove where we snorkeled and had a great barbeque on the boat. Our disposable camera wasn't able to capture all of the colors that we saw underwater, but here are a few shots anyway. It was so cool to be swimming around down there. A huge pod of dolphins came to the cove while we were there as well and we got to see them from the boat pretty close up.

At the resort we stayed at, there is this lagoon fed by the ocean water that you can swim in. Since it is connected to the open ocean all kinds of sea life come in and out including sea turtles.

... and this puffer fish. We swam around with him and he didn't seem to mind one bit. I just kept waiting for it to get scared and puff up.

Taking a stroll around the resort. . .

After a long stay, we were still not ready to leave. It was such a happy getaway that whenever things get hard or boring or cold or unfavorable in any way we can just say, "think of Hawaii." Justin will then proceed to make Hawaiian music noises while I pretend to bask in the sun and we can't help but smile.

First Things First

2009-06-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

Since we are living away from family and friends, I thought that this would be a good way to keep everyone informed about what we are doing. We are currently living in Boise, Idaho. Much has happened that has led up to this point, so I will try to explain what we have been up to for the past couple of months. No, there is too much, let me sum up.

1. We got married.

2. We went to Hawaii.

3. Justin Took the MCAT.

4. I finished teaching.

5. We moved to Boise.

Well, that about sums it up. There are still a few Bosie updates that need to take place, and those will be coming shortly. Until next time...