How I celebrated our first Anniversary

Saturday marked a YEAR since we walked out of the temple, bright-eyed and ecstatic.

And what better way to celebrate than to watch a dear friend be sealed in the same temple on the same day? (The best part is - she picked the date for us in the first place.) None, you say. Well ... the problem was, Slice wasn't able to make it.

He was stuck manning one of the biggest golf tournaments of the year.

SO - I went by myself. Yes I did. I drove out to Salt Lake, watched Shawna get hitched, ate and visited at her luncheon, and drove home. It was totally worth it.

While I sat in the sealing room and waited and watched, I remembered all those late-night conversations we had about our future families. Shawna's a true kindred spirit. We talked about future husbands and family values; beautiful relationships and how being poor is the best thing ever. We sat on our beds and strummed guitars, singing to boys who didn't know what they wanted.

Most of all, we talked about being happy. I love that girl. And I'm so happy to see her so happy.

I'm also glad to be a year into this adventure!

After the luncheon I drove home, despite flash flood warnings for Salt Lake and surrounding counties. As soon as I hit Parley's Canyon I knew why.

It was the most terrifying ride of my life.

We've been needing new tires for months now, planning to buy them at the end of summer. Of course, Utah summers are not usually like LIVING IN A RAINFOREST.

I drove through this storm, the likes of which I have never seen. The roads were rivers - every so often I'd hit a lake, and the tires would search for traction and the car would jerk out of my control. I kept a white-knuckle grip on the wheel as I crept up the mountain, praying that I would make it home alive. I was hydroplaning everywhere.

I thought Parley's was bad, but when I hit Heber the downpour got even worse. My wipers were on full-speed, and I still couldn't see through the windshield. This was all I could see:

(I took a risk by taking one hand off the wheel for pictures, but I knew no one would believe me otherwise. Wipers full-speed!)

From Heber I called my Dad in near-hysteria, hoping he would tell me that the road would get better. I was ready to pull off and spend the night alone in a hotel room, I was so scared. But he seemed to think I would make it all right. So I kept driving - with the stipulation that if he didn't hear from me within an hour, he should send a search party out for me.

Obviously I made it.

Good thing, too, because when I (finally!) got home there were six long-stemmed roses on my pillow that needed to be put in water. I also had to hide this:

under my husband's pillow before he got home. But I did have several hours to do that.

Aren't most young couples supposed to have lots of time but no money?

Looks like we hit middle-age early.

And in case you're wondering...new tires tomorrow!

for Jane: some other reasons I haven't been blogging

Are we officially professional photogs if we make over $1K by taking pictures for a golf tournament? (Hypothetically speaking, of course...)

"I would love to become a Professional Whistler. I'm pretty amazing at it right now, but I'd like to be, like, even BETTER."

Buying a Home: the Never-Ending Saga. SUCH A PAIN! We asked our mortgage broker if he had ever seen someone as clueless about real estate as our Seller is. His reply:

"Seriously? I never have. Ever."

Sounds like fun doesn't it?

the FAM-I-LAM!

We have visitors!

And be 'we' I mean 'my parents,' but since we live right next door it's all the same thing anyway. Right?


My formerly-St. Louis-sister is en route to Arizona, where her husband is starting residency in the Mayo Clinic, and they are waiting for the keys to her new house. (She did finally have her baby, by the way, and 3 days later they drove across the country! That pioneer!)


So. They're here, and my oldest brother is also here from St. Louis for a few weeks. We need some pics of his kids too. Does it seem like we're taking over St. Louis? Just the University. Don't worry - it won't last too long. (We love each other too much to be that spread out forever.)

FUN TIMES!

Preston wasn't a fan of the Slip n' Slide.

He knew I was too chicken to do it otherwise

Last Tuesday Slice surprised me with an "early anniversary" present. (There were a few of those.) He called a local salon and made an appointment for me to get my hair cut and highlighted, probably because I've been talking about it for so long he got sick of listening to me.
(I may also have been compulsively measuring my hair for donation and looking at short, blond haircuts for weeks on end....)

BUT - my sisters and I had been planning to donate our hair together, so I was a little worried about their reaction. In the end, we just called and got them appointments too, so the three of us went together and donated our hair- 10 inches each. Of course, we got some Before and After pictures:

Do you see how pitifully thin my hair looks compared to my sisters'?

Yeah, that's because it IS. When the stylist cut off Em's ponytail, she showed it to another stylist, who compulsively said "Tree trunk!" How did they get it all?


And that's how it went down. More pictures can be found at the family blog.
What do you think??

Just call me Super-Nanny

A couple in our ward asked Slice and I to 'family-sit' for them while they were gone for 3 days.

Surprised I accepted? After the last baby-sitting experience? Yeah, me too. But the outlook was better from the start.

First of all, we got to stay in their massive, gorgeous house (which we walked through -unfinished- in a Parade of Homes a few months ago). The guest bedroom we stayed in looked like our room at the Blue Boar Inn. From our Honeymoon. (You should see the furnishings!) Second, Slice was there for part of the time, unlike in December. Third, although there were six kids again, they were SO MUCH better-behaved it was like night and day. They didn't fight or make messes, whine about their parents being gone, or want to eat all day, or play the Wii and the computer all day. They are darling children, and we had a genuinely great time staying with them. We even felt bad when the parents came back and payed us for our time, because it felt more like a vacation than a job.
(Weird, I know.)

So... for a few days I played chauffeur, driving to and from orchestra camp, swimming lessons, reading programs, activity days, mutual, lunch-at-the-park, etc. etc. We didn't take many pictures of the house (just call me a liar), but we'll be staying there again next week with no kids. Hopefully we'll get some more pics then.

The view from the deck:
Chillin' at swimming lessons:

We miss those guys!

one year, what a year

Last weekend our "godchild" celebrated her first birthday! We couldn't miss such an important event!
(Especially since the trip was probably the closest thing to an Anniversary Trip we're gonna get...)

We got the whole package in Springville: b-day party, local talent show, RODEO (heck yes!), Thai food, park time, a DI run, and the greatest brick patio ever - complete with 'fuinki' lights. We just might copy and make our own someday.

Sunday we went to dinner with the fab Morgan fam...and Monday Slice played in a Tournament in Provo. Good times all around!

Also, Spanish Fork Canyon is breathtaking this time of year. (At least when it's rained for two weeks straight.)

Thanks for a great time, Farrers! We love you!

Waiting to be killed....waiting to be killed....

I keep getting questions about our house situation, among other things, so let me tell you what's going on here. If you even care to know.

No word on the house.

It's going through probate right now, we jumped the gun a bit and gave less time to answer our offer than is legally possible. SO. It could be a while before we have a concrete answer.

No word on my job/long-term career.

I've got a few options for jobs, come fall, and I'm also waiting on my dad to see what happens with him before I make a decision. We've talked about me going back to school, in any of its varying forms.
(Slice: "How about you just move away and go to law school, I'll stay here and do my golf stuff." Me: "Yeah right. You couldn't live without me. Even for a week.")
We've talked about moving to Japan. (I am dead serious about that.) We've talked about moving to a trailer in Spanish Fork Canyon, living off the land. (Only slightly serious about that.) We've talked about staying here and fixing up that house and living in rural wedded bliss forever. But no decisions have been - or really can be-made at this point. So we are waiting again.

No word on the new baby.

Heather, do you have some news for us yet???

back-dating to make myself look better...

At the beginning of the summer, Slice held a week-long Junior Golf Clinic at the golf course. He ended up with about 80 kids between the ages of 5 and 12. CRAZY!
Saturday they split up into groups and played a few holes, and I got to help for a little bit. The kids had a great time, and Slice was (really) great with them. He's had several parents ask him when the next clinic will be.

Uh oh

Slice on the phone, as he walks in the door: "Oh. my. gosh. I never thought I would come home from work and see my wife watching TV."

It's all because of this. I can't resist!

And speaking of homes, COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU - pictures of the awesomest house you've ever seen. (I have no right to say that.) We're staying in this one. And we are going to take so many pictures.

Long time, no blog

So, I took a little break. The longest one I've taken since I started this blog, actually...
I think I had good reasons.

In the last month we:

• moved (even if it was only downstairs)
• made an offer on a house
• ate a lot
• spent way too much time at the golf course, and not enough with the camera -or each other

I:

• took a little trip to Provo, driving Grandma home and hoping to see this girl

one last time before she entered the MTC.

It didn't exactly work out,but at least I saw Shawna! Cami's going to be an awesome missionary.

I also

• finished the school year
• started a new job - with my dad
• worked in my parents' backyard for approximately 287,495,136 hours (fine, combined with the rest of my family)
• put together two packages for our missionaries
• dug postholes for my grandparents' fence in pouring rain -spending like 10 hours on ONE DANG concrete blob...we estimated 200 lbs. I wish I had taken pictures!

And Slice:

• taught a junior golf clinic
• never slept
• SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME AT THE GOLF COURSE

(Oh, did I already say that? Well, it's still true. We need a break...Springville, here we come!)

PS - We are also waiting to hear word on the Dopps' new baby. 4 babies in 4 months!

Beat that!