1.25.13

Wow haven't posted in a while. Fail!

A lot has happened since last posting I guess.  For starters, I am an official college graduate (minus the walking in the graduation ceremonies... that comees in April).  I do have my real diploma already though, which is pretty cool haha I feel legit :)

I started working at Eyre Dermatology (yes my dads office) as a medical assistant.  I am getting to use my anatomy and physiology experience as well as my phlebotomy certification which is great!  I am very grateful to have a job and be gaining awesome experience in this tough economy where it is so hard to find jobs.

Daniel was accepted to Midwestern University (which was his first choice) for a Doctorite of Pharmacy program!  He has also received interview invites to every other school that he completed the applications too, so we're pretty proud!  He has an interview with another top choice school in South Jordan, UT in February so we are preparing for that and hoping it goes well.  Then we will have to decide where we feel like we need to be for the next few years!

We took a trip a few weeks ago to visit family down in California as well as check out the housing situation around Midwestern University which is in Glendale, AZ.  Apartments were a lot more than we thought, but I guess we'll just tack on the extra cost to our future student loans.

For graduation Daniel, his parents, and my parents got me a saWEET nikon camera :)  Then for my birthday I got the nifty fifty lens and I am loving my camera.  I haven't gotten quite as much use out of it as I want, but its hard when you don't have kids to take pictures of, and you get home from work when it is already dark outside.

But I got to use it for our Christmas/New Years card, and when we took our Cali-Zona trip! (p.s. don't judge my photography skills... Like I said I am still learning!  Plus it is daunting to have my sisters and sis-in-law be pro photographers!)

Any tips from anyone would be greatly appreciated :)



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Photo Credit: Allegra George allegrageorgephotography.com

On our way to Arizona there were probably thousands of these windmill thingys

Just a small number of them.  

Poor little Landon had a cold the whole time we were there :(

We took a trip down to Hollywood to see the sign!

 

October 15

This past Wednesday Daniel and I finally got around to doing something we've wanted to do for a long time...

We rented a tandem bike!

Laugh and poke fun if you want, we don't care, because we were laughing the whole time ourselves.  It was actually one of the funnest things we've ever done!  After getting the hang of it (we had some near-death experiences) it was really relaxing and fun.

I was in the back, Daniel was in the front.  I think I got the better end of the deal ;)

     1.  The bugs and wind were deflected off Daniel face and not mine
     2.  He got to steer and judge how wide to swing the corners
     3.  Even though we both peddled, I'm pretty sure I had to do less work
     4.  I had a pretty good view (of nature and his backside) haha

We ended up going all the way up the Bridal Veil Falls and back then swing up to my parents house to show off our toy, then up around the temple.  All in all we estimated it was about 18 miles.  I don't know if we have to split that in half because there were two of us? haha

Provo Canyon was amazing.  The leaves around the trail were breathtaking and the air was crisp and clear.  We should have stopped to take more pictures, but we were enjoying the journey.  Coming down the canyon was the best!  Because we had both of our weights combined on one bicycle, we got cookin!  I swear we could've been in the tour d'france.  We were screaming and laughing with our eyes watering the whole way down!

Another bonus of being in the back, I could take pictures when we were going because I couldn't steer anything! 

My awesome view the whole time :)  I could even get snack out of the backpack while we were going haha

Finally made it to bridal-veil, and enjoying our picnic lunch.
**Thats not sweat on his shirt btw, the water bottle spilled

Me: "Daniel go get by the bike so I can take a picture of you."  He rides away and when he comes out of the trees this is what I see haha.  Daniel: "Look hun, I'm ghost riding the whip!" 

Demonstrating the maneuverability of the bike, and his super strength?

Co-pilot for life!  You can see a bit of the waterfall in the upper right-hand corner. 

Anywho, it was a blast and if you've never done it we highly recommend it!  Sometimes you've got to let yourself feel like the biggest goof in order to have the most amount of fun :)  

Camping

Daniel finally got a Saturday off of work, so we decided to make the most of it, and go camping!  We headed up the alpine loop and ended up camping around Cascade Springs... the leaves were so beautiful on the drive up, I tried to document with phone pictures, but they didn't quite do it justice.

I love camping!  Being surrounded by the nature and beauty really makes me grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to give us beauty to look at.  Plus, the campfire hot dogs, and 'smores don't hurt the experience either!

The drive up Provo Canyon

Took a while to get there with the nat-mobile and bumpy, gravely roads.... but we made it!

After we had everything set up, and had gone about gathering wood, we had time to kill so Daniel wanted to start a fire... caveman style.  haha You know, like in the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks, you rub two pieces of wood together till they catch fire!  He has done it once before, and wanted to show his rugged mountain man skills.   He got it smoking multiple times, but we never actually got fire... must have been some bad wood :)  

The fire-making station

After a while of just pure smoke, and no flames, we decided to be more civilized and start a fire with matches haha.  Once we got it going, we threw on the hot dogs and chowed down... normally I think hot dogs are nasty, but there's something about roasting them over a fire that brings out the deliciousness. 

Ok ok, most of my dinner was comprised of smores... can you blame me?

A little toasted from the fire haha

Thank goodness for the extra blankets we brought because it was freezing at night!  Thanks to borrowed thermarests (thanks mom and dad), our sleeping bags, multiple layers, and a couple blankets we were as snug as could be.

The next morning I really wanted to try to get pictures with the leaves... haha we should have done it before we slept all night on the ground because we look a little frazzled.   And getting a picture of the two of you, that isn't into the sun, that also has the pretty leaves in the back is quite the task :)

All in all it was a good, cheap "vacation".  Too bad the Cougars didn't pull the game out in the end... then it would have been a perfect weekend! 

Grandpa

Yesterday was hard.  It was the first day of school, which wasn't too bad because it is my last semester and I only have one class a day pretty much.  What made the day hard was that it has been a year since my sweet Grandpa died.

I've grown up with my grandparents less than 30 minutes away my whole life.  I know everybody thinks this, but my grandparents are really the best out there.  As little kids we would have our own private birthday weekends with grandma and grandpa.  At family gatherings the kids would play in the beautiful cottage built for the grandkids, swim in the sparkling pool, and get to feed and ride the strong horses.

My grandparents' story is incredible.  They fell in love in small-town southern utah, married at 15, had children at 18 and have loved each other more deeply than any other couple I've seen since.  Watching how my Grandpa always treated my Grandma was what made him my ultimate hero and example growing up.  In all the time we spent over there, not only did I never see him get angry with her, but he was always by her side, serving her.

One story that is engrained in my mind, however small and silly, is the perfect example of how sweet and caring he was.  My sister and I were at my grandparents' house the day before Thanksgiving helping (more like getting in the way) to prepare the turkey for the following day.  Grandma had sent Grandpa to get some cranberries for her famously delicious cranberry sauce along with various other groceries.  He happily agreed, and set of to the store.  When he returned and started unloading the groceries my grandma kindly pointed out he had forgotten the cranberries.  Without a moment's hesitation, my Grandpa sincerely apologized, kissed her cheek and set out once again to get the cranberries.

I miss my Grandpa so much.  It makes me cry that I have no pictures with him from my wedding after he worked so hard while being so sick to make the garden beautiful for our wedding.  That is how he was... never complained about the pain and agony he was in, while tirelessly serving those around him. It makes me cry that he wont be able to hold our future children, and have that proud look in his eye that I've seen when he held my siblings children so many times.

Then, I have to smile remembering all the things I did get to do with my Grandpa.  I got to help crank the rickety old ice cream maker on Christmas Eve after our nativity reinactment.  I got to ride the horses while he watched carefully to make sure I never got hurt.  He was able to come to some of my gymnastics meets, even though he hated the crowds.  I am so glad that he doesn't have to be suffering from the cancer any more, and that he is no longer in so much agony.  I was able to live so close to him most of my life and observe this truly amazing man.  Although he didn't attend church very often, my grandpa was one of the most Christlike people I've ever met.

I'm so grateful for the time I was able to spend with my Grandpa, and for the lessons I've learned from him.  Miss you grandpa, you'll always be my hero!

Making ice cream on Christmas Eve.