Week with the Kids

I love being an aunt. I have three nephews and one niece and absolutely adore each of them to pieces. With my oldest nephew Porter and his sister Brooke I used to have sleepovers or "date nights" when I lived in Cedar City. I've missed hanging out with them as much as I used to. So, with Steve's seal of approval, I invited Porter and Brooke to spend a week with us. We had a ton of fun...though we may have overdone things a tad...okay, we spoiled the heck out of them! Oh well, that's what aunts and uncles without children of their own are for, right? Right? Here's a quick run-down of our week of fun with pictures!

Saturday, June 25:
We had a family reunion in Vernal this weekend, so Corey and I decided that this would be a good time to meet up and for him to hand over his kids for a week. We left Vernal after the reunion, mid-afternoon, stopping in Heber City for hamburgers, fries, and shakes. Mmmm. We got home around 8pm, so after taking Sadie for a long walk along the river path, we played a game then went to bed.

Sunday, June 26:
We went to Cars 2 in 3D (not worth the money to see it in 3D, trust me). I liked the movie more than I thought I would. We had planned to take the kids to Fat Cats, an arcade, after the movie, but it was closed on Sundays (good for them!), so we went out to eat at Iggy's for lunch. After running home to let Sadie out of her kennel for a bit, we went to the Ogden Raptor's baseball game. It was my first time going to a Raptor's game and I really enjoyed it. They won, which is always fun, but it was a good game - several home runs, close score, friendly and loud fans, and ice cream.

Steve and the kids in front of the stadium

Brooke and Porter

Me and Steve

After the game, we ate Chinese take out and watched Kindergarten Cop. We were all pretty tired and went to bed happily.

Monday, June 27:
My brother Jason, his wife Rachel, and their son came up around 10am for our fun filled day. We started by going to the AF Museum close to the base. Porter said it "blew his mind". It was really cool to see the planes up close and was extra nice to have Steve there to offer additional information about the planes and bombs and such.

Brooke, Robbie, and Porter

Brooke, Steve, me, and Porter

Jason, Robbie, Rachel, Porter, Steve, Brooke
They're trying to look tough - some pulled it off better than others. :)

After the museum, we headed to Riverdale park for a picnic that Brooke and I had put together earlier that day (sandwiches, chips, carrots, and grapes). I forgot to get pictures of us eating and of us playing donkeyball. Oh well. I'm just glad I got these three.

Sadie is thrilled to be at the park with us instead of in her kennel.

Robbie loves playing with Sadie

Getting ready to leave the park

We took Sadie back home then headed to the big event for the day - Boondocks. It is a mini amusement park; bumper boats, go carts (for adults and for kids), laser tag, arcade, mini golf, bowling, batting cages, and food. My favorite by far was the bumper boats! I figured to get a little wet, but we all got absolutely soaked! Of course I chose to wear a dress and to do my hair down. Both not the best decisions, but oh well. Luckily, Steve loves me even when I'm a mess.

Jason, Robbie, Steve, and Porter - in line at the go carts

Brooke and me after getting soaked on the bumper boats.
Look at those freckles!

Rachel, Robbie, and Jason in line for go carts

Porter driving on the kids go cart track.
He started off in 5th and ended up in 1st! Great driving!

Brooke driving on the kids go cart track

We went on the bumper boats twice, go carts three times, laser tag a couple times, and played arcade games until our allotted $5 each was used up. We ate dinner there and had surprisingly good pizza and hamburgers/nuggets for the kids. We left after a few hours, all of us tired but happy.

Jason and Rachel ran a couple quick errands then came up to our house with a surprise - ice cream! We lit sparklers and played Sorry. It was a great day!


Tuesday, June 28:
Steve had to go back to work this day, unfortunately. Jason and Rachel invited us to their house for a church activity and swimming at their pool. The church activity was outside of the church on the lawn. They had finger paints, water colors, play dough, and other activities for the kids. The hit of the event was Sadie. We brought her along so she wouldn't have to be in her kennel all day. By the end of the activity, she and I were surrounded by kids petting her and asking questions. I'm so glad she is so good with kids! Heck, she loves anyone who will pet her. It was a really warm day, so jumping into Jason's pool after a nice lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches was so refreshing! Sorry, no picture of me in my cute new red, white, and blue swimsuit. Darn it!

Porter, Rachel, Brooke, Jason, and Robbie

We swam for a couple hours then headed back home. We got there just after Steve got home from work. The three of us took quick showers then went to a Japanese hibachi/sushi restaurant. The food was really good, the cook was entertaining, and I finally got to eat a little sushi after over 2 years! We went home and watched a weird cartoon Garfield movie that I hope to never think about again after writing this. Again, we all went to be happy and exhausted.

Wednesday, June 29:
Honestly, by this day I was plum tuckered out, so the kids and I took the morning off. We walked Sadie but mostly just relaxed. We played some games, mostly Wii, and watched tv. Steve came home for lunch, and then we headed out. I took them to the Ogden Union Depot to see the old trains and the train station. I love that you get to climb on the trains and even see inside a few of them. Incidentally, this is where my cousin Cassie took our wedding pictures (coming soon).

Porter and Brooke on top of a train

Me on top of a train

Porter
One of my favorite pictures - it was his idea

Inside one of the trains

Porter and Brooke inside the train station

After leaving the train depot, we went to a nearby pottery painting store, Color Me Mine, where the kids and I chose and painted pieces of pottery. I've wanted to do it for months and enjoyed it as much as the kids. These pictures show the unfinished pieces. They are being glazed then fired in the kiln. I'll get to pick them up this week, just in time to take them to Cedar this weekend when I go for Shakespeare. The colors will be more vibrant and deep.

Porter with his monkey head and 4 wheeler

Brooke and her dog

My flower plate

We went home and walked Sadie before Steve got home. We made tacos for dinner, and then we went to Fat Cats. The kids had been looking forward to this all week...well, since last November. Steve and I surprised them with hundreds of tickets that we've been saving for when they came. We also played some games and won a few more hundred tickets. In all, he and I contributed 1400 tickets! The kids were able to get some really good toys and were in 7th heaven. Afterward, we went to our favorite ice cream parlor, Birch Creek Mercantile, for ice cream.

Thursday, June 30:
I took the kids to the dinosaur park in Ogden for our morning activity. It was really enjoyable, but I'd like to go back with Steve so I can have time to read the descriptions of all the dinosaurs!

Looking for dinosaur bones

A wooly rhino! Who knew?

Panning for gold. They were thrilled they got to take home their finds.

After lunch, we went to Riverdale park for the kids to play in the splash park. It was overcrowded, so they didn't play there long. They tried the playground, but it was crowded too, so we went home after only an hour. We came home and chilled until Steve came home. For dinner, we made personal pizzas. Everyone got to put on their own toppings. They all ended up tasting delicious!



After dinner, we had game night. We had a water balloon fight (boys v. girls), had a water gun fight (started out adults v. kids but ended up as a free for all), blew bubbles with our extra large wands, colored pictures on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, played Sorry and Uno, then lit sparklers when it was dark enough. It was a great evening!

Friday, July 1:
All week long, we'd had cold cereal for breakfast. The kids and I decided to have a hot breakfast this morning since Steve didn't have to work. We had pancakes and English muffins topped with an egg salad of sorts with bacon. We packed up and headed to Cedar. It was the end of our week together.

I was kind of surprised to find that I was neither relieved or sad when the end of the week came. It was a good, fun, long week that left me exhausted and filled with wonderful memories. I'm really grateful that Steve is so supportive of me wanting to spend time with my family and he is soooo good with the kids. They love him and feel comfortable with him like he's been in the family for years. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Sadie

Steve and I have a new addition to our family. Her name is Sadie and she's a 4-year old greyhound we rescued. She raced in Florida for 2 years and won 7 of the 30-odd races she was in. Her career ended with a fractured bone in her left leg. Fortunately, she was given to a rescue organization called Greyhound Rescue & Adoption and eventually ended up in our home.


When Steve and I first started dating last summer, we talked about getting a dog together someday. He wanted a doberman and I wanted a boxer. One Saturday at the Salt Lake farmers market, we came across a group of greyhounds and were impressed. He researched them online and read up on their personality, health, and general traits. They sounded like a good fit with our lifestyle. Despite their racing genes, greyhounds are couch potatoes. They don't need a lot of exercise to stay happy and love lounging around for hours at a time. Perfect for two people who work.

Last November, we started the adoption process. I've never tried to adopt a human child before, but I compare adopting a greyhound to that process, though probably slightly less intense. We sent in an application then were interviewed over the phone by Sher, the local adoption rep. A couple weeks later, we went over to her house to meet her 3 greyhounds and to get a sense of the dogs and for her to get a better idea of how we are with dogs. Steve had a busy work schedule through the first part of the year, so we told Sher we wouldn't be ready to get a dog until after the middle of March. Also, we wanted a smaller female, since we don't have a ton of space and our HOA has size restrictions on dogs. Well, it took a little longer than we had thought, but we finally got our girl the end of May.


I'm going to be honest, I had my reservations before we got her. I knew it was going to change our lives and wasn't sure if I was ready for those changes. No more sleeping in, no more being able to go wherever we wanted whenever we wanted. We'd either have to plan to take the dog with us or find a place to keep her whenever we wanted to go somewhere. Also, I knew it would be a financial commitment. I don't know if it was these reservations or what, but I didn't adjust well to having a dog our first week with her.


Part of the problem was that I am no longer working and am home with her alone most of the day. That isn't an issue now, but that first week, she stayed glued to me. Steve and I have joked that he's part dog and I'm part cat (for various reasons), and I realized the cat in me needed a break. I have never been good with needy people and a needy dog was definitely trying my patience. That wasn't all though, I got jealous. I know it's stupid, and it's not like I thought Steve loved Sadie more than me - I'm not that ridiculous. I actually enjoyed watching him play with her, or at least try to, as a racing dog, she's never been taught to play. It was nice to have him there to take her attention off me. However, when we were in the middle of a conversation or making out or whatever, and he'd suddenly interrupt it to pay her attention, yeah, I didn't like it. We'd go for a walk and I actually felt like a 3rd wheel. I realized it was silly and did my best to hide my feelings until one night I got pretty annoyed and totally let Steve know it. We talked and he's been really good to make sure that when we're having us time, that he stays focused on me. He talked to his buddy about it and received some excellent advice. I was a little peeved at first that he told his friend because I didn't want him to think I was stupid, but actually am glad he did because a) Steve got good advice that has helped and 2) I learned that I'm not the only wife to feel this way.


All that has passed and I'm really enjoying having a dog. She's unlike most dogs because, like I mentioned earlier, she's been raised as a racer and so is adjusting to being a house dog. She doesn't play but we're working on that. Also, she is experiencing so many new things. So many smells, sights, sounds, and tastes that she has never been exposed to and now is discovering. Also, as a racer, she has a highly honed prey instinct. This means that she views small animals as prey, so we have to be very watchful when she's around cats and small dogs. Of course, we always keep her on a leash when we're out and she's been pretty good to not shoot off trying to get a small animal when she sees them, but you sure can see her perk up when she sees a cat or small dog. Steve once let her get pretty close to a small dog and she nipped at it. *sigh* Men.


Last Saturday, we went to the monthly Meet N Greet for the rescue organization and it was a lot of fun. They meet at the pet store down the street from our house, so it's very convenient. It was good to talk to owners of rescued greyhounds, to get pointers from them, to see how their dogs have adjusted to home life. And I think it was good for Sadie to be around other greyhounds. She's never been alone without other greyhounds. It was also kind of sweet because she would always come back to my side like she was making sure I was still there. I think we're getting a sweet bond.

Don't worry, though, I am NOT going to become one of those obsessed dog people. After all, I'm part cat. *grin*

Our Wedding Weekend - Friday

Every girl always dreams about her wedding. I was the same way, except I always dreamed about it being simple, stress-free, and relaxed. Then I dated guys that wanted big weddings with multiple receptions. That's great for some people...and I love attending big weddings...but it's not what I wanted. Well, dreams come true. My wedding was just what I had always dreamed it would be.

Friday, April 22nd
I had always wondered what it would feel like the night before I got married, and it was surreal. It was my last few hours of being a Merrell - the name that was my identity for oh so long! I thought I wouldn't sleep at all, especially since I had suffered from a migraine that day and had slept a lot. Nope, I slept just fine and woke up Friday morning in excellent spirits. I wasn't at all nervous, unlike my handsome groom, just happy the day had finally arrived.

Our appointment at the county clerk's office was set for 9am and we needed to be there at 8:45am. Our friends, Tim and Tiffany Neal, had agreed to be our witnesses and would meet us at the clerk's office - where they had been married, coincidentally. We arrived a little late (quite unlike me) because we had stopped to get my wedding bouquet (a single white gerber daisy) at a flower shop that had just opened and had been unprepared for early morning customers.

The ceremony was quick and simple but very sweet. We were in the clerk's office for probably 15 minutes, if that, yet it was an enjoyable 15 minutes. I remember looking at Steve while the clerk read our vows to us and we said our I do's. I felt so lucky to be marrying such a wonderful, handsome man.

Before the Ceremony

Walking to the clerk's office

Saying our vows

Getting my ring

Steve getting his ring

First kiss as man and wife

Steve, me, Ricky Hatch our officiator

Tim Neal, Tiffany Neal, Steve, me

Mr. and Mrs. Ellis

After the ceremony, we went to Jeremiah's for breakfast with Tim and Tiffany (Steve had changed out of his uniform but I stayed in my dress). I called my mom on the way to the restaurant and told her we'd just gotten married. She was surprised but happy. After breakfast, I called my dad and texted my brothers, cousins, and some close friends.

Then we did the really unromantic but definitely practical things that come with getting married. We went to the Social Security office (which was surprisingly open) and I changed my name - received the card with my new name just a couple days ago! It was a quick visit, which pleased us to no end since we've heard horror stories about waiting there forever. We then went to the base to get me an ID to get on to base without Steve and to sign me up on Steve's insurance. We wanted to go to the DMV to get a new drivers license for me, but it's closed on Fridays. I'll get there eventually. I can't wait to have a drivers license that actually looks like me! Mine is from 3 years ago when I weighed a lot more.

After all this running around, we came home and took a nap. Ahhh. It felt so good. I changed my clothes and we went to Salt Lake to recreate our first date - the aquarium and a Bees game. Well, we eventually realized that the Bees were playing in Vegas, so we just went to the aquarium and Blue Plate Diner in SLC, then headed home and went to African Cats. It was a fun, relaxing day and I loved it because I was with the man I love, my husband!

Finding Passion

I am a romantic. I always have been, though I do my best to temper it with a healthy dose of pragmatism whenever possible. All my life I daydreamed about finding my true love, the man I'd love with all my heart and spend the rest of my life with. I didn't neglect my life waiting for Prince Charming, but I was always on the lookout for him - even those years when I was totally against ever getting married.

It's amazing how much mind space and time has been opened up now that I have found the love of my life. Some of the time I spent daydreaming about finding Prince Charming has now been channeled into thinking about Steve and our future together, but there's still quite a healthy chunk of time leftover. I find myself spending more time thinking about the other aspects of my life that, though never neglected, certainly weren't in the foreground of my thoughts. Things like my career and what to do with my time when not at work.

I'm realizing more fully that my life lacks passion...not in the romance department, but in every other one. I'm grateful to have a job, don't get me wrong, but I'm not enamored with it. It's a dead end job with no potential for advancement and it's not really what I want to do with my life - it lacks challenge and definitely is beneath my potential. So, I'm wracking my brains trying to decide what I'd like to do for a career. It's not very easy. I never had an idea of "what I want to be when I grow up". I definitely learning what aspects of a job appeal to me and what don't. Ideally, I'd like something that could eventually enable me to be my own boss.

Anyway, that's a subject for a complete and substantial blog post. I'm also realizing how little passion I have for any hobby or extracurricular activities. I enjoy doing several things; cooking, hiking, walking, reading, tennis, but I don't necessarily feel PASSIONATE about any of them - even cooking, though that's definitely the closest one. I talked it over with Steve a few nights ago and he suggested trying some new hobbies. I may not be cut out for passion in my hobbies, I may just be too lazy to care that much about anything, but I figure it's worth a try. If nothing else, I'll have a little fun.

The first thing I'm going to try is gardening. I'm actually pretty excited about trying it. Steve and I don't have a yard, but we have front and back patios that would be ideal for potted gardens. I anticipate having a good time planning what to plant, spending time with Steve picking out pots and soil and then spending the spring, summer, and fall maintaining our garden...oh and enjoying the fruit of our labor! I'm not known for my growing skills, but I plan on researching how to care for the plants we choose and really spending time nurturing them.

I'd also like to start biking. We're going to buy bikes when the weather turns warmer and we have a great biking/walking path really close to our home. In fact, I'd also like to try rollerblading again! I have art supplies I bought with the help of my friend, Doug, but have always been too busy (and scared) to sit down and paint. I'd like to try my hand at painting. I may be horrible, but there's the chance of finding something I'm passionate about. You never know! We're also getting a dog in a couple months, so that will be fun and interesting. Steve thinks maybe I'll be good at dog training. We'll see. And maybe this winter, when the weather turns bad again, I'll take up sewing. My mom once hinted that she may give me her old sewing machine and if she does, it may be fun to start sewing fun projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe even skirts...if I get decent enough.

At any rate, I feel good about what life has to offer. I am blessed to be in love with the most wonderful man in the universe. I have a decent paying job. And, I have the means and opportunity to explore the offerings of life. Life. I guess that is something I'm passionate about. I love living. I love my life.

I'll do my best to record my attempts at these hobbies, successes and failures. Hopefully there's more successes than otherwise. And, hopefully you have passion in your life. If you do, I'd love to hear about your passions!

New Year's Resolutions

With so much happening lately, I'm kind of behind on my New Year's Resolutions. I haven't really even thought much about them until today. I had set a little mini goal to have this post accomplished by the end of the week...which I consider to be tonight, so I have spent a bit of time contemplating the things I would like to change/improve in 2011. I really appreciated Lori's focus on progress as opposed to perfection for her New Year's resolutions and am going to follow her lead.

2011 New Year's Resolutions

1. Exercise 4x a week. This is less than what I used to do, before I moved and my life turned upside down. However, it's also more than what I'm currently doing. It's going to take dedication but is definitely achievable. And, it takes into consideration my new life and responsibilities.

2. Pay off car and credit card. I'm really close to having my car paid off and should be able to finish it off quickly with my new job's nice salary. My credit card is another story, unfortunately. It's not horrible right now, and I only have a balance on it because of last year's financial difficulties. However, in the next few months, I'm going to have to put a big thing on it, hiking up the balance significantly. That said, I'm positive that with a bit of discipline and tracking of my spending, I'll be able to get both bills paid off by the end of the year...barring unseen circumstances.

3. Go somewhere new in the USA. This should be fairly easy to accomplish since both Steve and I love traveling and going to new places. Also, with a honeymoon in the future, it may be the perfect time to explore a new part of the country. Or maybe we'll go somewhere new for July 4th or Christmas. Lots of opportunities!

4. Pick up a new hobby. My mom said she might give me her old sewing machine, so I may pick up sewing. Or painting...a long time ago I bought some painting supplies but have never broken them out. Maybe gardening. We have 2 nice patios that could use a little sprucing up and planters full of plants and flowers would look great. I'm okay with multiple hobbies, but I definitely want to do new things.

5. Spiritual basics. I need to go back to the basics and strengthen my foundation. There are several ways I could work on this, but this year I'm going to focus on church attendance.

That's it. I don't believe in having too many goals...don't want to spread myself too thin. Okay, I wouldn't mind being thinner (teehee) but seriously, I'm hoping that working on these few items will help me accomplish the progress I know I'd like to make this year.

Wish me luck!

And, good luck to you on accomplishing your goals...if you made some. *smile*

Christmas and the Engagement

So, as you know from a previous post, Steve and I had made plans to spend Christmas in Denver, so we moved up our Christmas celebrations one day. One the 23rd, we did what will be our traditional Christmas Eve stuff. We went for a long walk along the river (not necessarily a tradition, but it was nice), then went out to eat in Ogden at an Italian restaurant we really like on historic 25th Street. After dinner, we kept one of my family's traditions by driving around looking at Christmas lights. We drove into some nice neighborhoods in Ogden and saw some really nicely decorated homes. We came home and opened up our stockings. This was Steve's idea and I really like it, unless we have children someday, then stockings will have to be opened on Christmas since Santa fills them. Among the fun things he gave me were a teddy bear wearing a shirt that has "Someone in the Air Force loves me" written on it, mint chocolate truffles, a pedometer, and Mario Kart!! Yay! We watched a The Night Before Christmas and then played Mario Kart several times before going to bed.

Christmas Eve morning, we opened the presents under our tree. We started with gifts given to us by other people, then we opened the gifts from each other. We had limited ourselves to 3 presents each. I gave him a cordless drill and drill bits, a rotary saw, and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for the Wii. He gave me a Peyton Manning jersey, a new digital camera, and a Kindle. I had been skeptical about Kindles when he first mentioned having one, but one week I was sick and ended up reading 6 books on his Kindle and fell in love with it. So, I'm thrilled to have one of my own.

After presents, I was plugging in my kindle and camera and realized that Steve had left the room. He came back in with an odd look on his face and one hand behind his back. I asked what was up and he brought a silver-wrapped present from behind his back. I gave him a hard time about breaking the 3 present rule and he said he hadn't because it wasn't a Christmas present. I started to open it and noticed my hands were shaking. I kept telling myself not to get too excited because it may not be what I thought it may be. With the wrapping paper gone, a Morgan Jeweler's box was uncovered, and my heart started beating faster. I looked at him and he smiled, and I smiled because he looked nervous. I opened the box and pulled out the white ring box. I couldn't believe it was finally happening to me. I'd always wondered what it would feel like and I was finally finding out. I opened the box and saw a beautiful ring, a ring that was better than anything I would have picked out for myself. I looked at Steve and he got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him. I started to cry and managed to choke out a yes. He stood up, we hugged and kissed, and I put the ring on. It fits wonderfully, loose enough to be comfortable but not so loose as to fall off my finger.

So sparkly!

There wasn't much time to revel in the moment, we had a flight to make, so we got ready to go (after I hurried and called both my parents) and headed out to the airport. The whole time, I kept glancing at the ring, hardly believing that I was engaged! We arrived in Denver, found our hotel, drove all over the place until we found an open restaurant, ate, then went to True Grit. An untraditional Christmas Eve, but then, we had already done Christmas Eve...and Christmas for that matter.

The next day, it didn't feel like Christmas at first. Mostly because, as I just said, we'd already celebrated it. After breakfast at the hotel, we drove to downtown Denver and walked around a bit. Nothing was open except 2 of the 5 Starbucks we walked by. We got hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie at the first one. It was sunny and mid-40's, extremely pleasant and surprising. After a couple hours, we drove to Colorado Springs to spend the rest of the day with Steve's best friend (and practically brother) Jimmy, his wife Jen, and their two boys, Ethan and Brody. Oh, and Jen's family. This is when it started to feel more like Christmas Day. Even though they weren't our family, they were family, and Christmas is about family. We ate a lot, played games, watched the kids play and fight, ate more, played more games, and basically were loud and had fun.

On the 26th, Jimmy and Jen took us and their boys to Garden of the Gods, a really neat park south of Colorado Springs that has awesome hiking trails I'd like to try in warmer weather. Then they took us to the Air Force Academy, where Jimmy works, and showed us the falcons that Jimmy cares for as part of his job and the beautifully unique chapel. They are such nice people and I felt an instant friendship with them. It was fun to see Steve interact with Jimmy - they are pretty funny guys!

This is Jimmy and his family at Garden of the Gods.

Me and Steve in front of Balancing Rock

Steve and Jimmy, Garden of the Gods

Jimmy feeding Athena, one of the falcons at the Academy.

Steve and I in front of the Academy chapel. Isn't it cool?!

Inside the chapel. The whole place is designed around airplanes.
You can learn more by going here

On the 27th, Steve and I hit the Aquarium. Our first date was to the aquarium in Sandy then to a Bee's baseball game. We also went to the aquarium in San Francisco when we were there for the 4th of July. We both love aquariums and it's kind of become our thing. Afterward, we ate at a fabulous Irish pub in downtown Denver then walked around for awhile. That evening, we met up with Jimmy and Jen for dinner then went to an Avalanche hockey game. I'd been to a couple Grizzlies games before, but an NHL game is different. The play is faster and the atmosphere was buzzing. We ended up losing, but it was an exciting game, and I had a lot of fun.

At the aquarium. Fish, sharks, and octopi...Oh my!

Scary!

Can you spot the snapping turtle?

A big fish, though not as big as the BIG fish we saw in SF!

Us at the hockey game

Jimmy and Jen at the game

Pregame warm-up

The players about to enter the rink

The next day, we returned home to Utah. Oh, but first, since we had a couple hours to kill in the morning before the flight, we visited the zoo. We spent just over two hours there and could have easily spent another two. It is a big zoo with lots to see. We saw some fun animals. We caught the flight to Utah, happy to be headed home.

Me on the carousel at the zoo

A snow leopard

Kings of the jungle

Hey, the sun was in my eyes! It hurt! :)

Gorilla

An okapi. It looked like a cross between an giraffe and a zebra. Very cool looking!

It was a fun, long weekend. Definitely a Christmas I'll never forget!

Year In Review - 2010

Last year may possibly be the best year I've had to date. There have been so many changes, some sad and painful times, and some really amazing good things. Great things, in fact. For so long, my life seemed to be a broken record, the same things over and over again, year after year. Some minor changes, but mostly the same. This year definitely broke that mold. I just wish I would have spent a bit more time documenting all the changes, on this blog and/or my journal. Oh well, here's the review of 2010 to the best of my recollection.

Places Visited: (new in italics)
Paris, France
San Francisco, CA
Las Vegas, NV
St. George, UT
Layton, UT
Ogden, UT
Denver, CO
Colorado Springs, CO
Manitou, CO
Riverdale, UT (my new home!)
Salt Lake City, UT
Vernal, UT

Guys I went on dates with: 4 (I think that's all)
Sam
Guy from Cedar whose name I can't remember. We only went out once.
Danny
Steve

Number of boyfriends: 2
Sam
Steve

Guys kissed: 5
Alex (midnight New Years Eve 2009/10 so I'm counting him for both years)
Sam
Brian
Danny
Steve

Guys I got engaged to: 1 - Holy Cow! I'm engaged!!!!
Steve

Craziest thing I did: Skydiving in Vegas with Aly and Cassie

Number of jobs: 3
Intermountain Hearing Clinics
Southern Utah University
Spinal Care Center of Utah (I hated it!)

Number of deaths: 3 (what a year)
Cousin-in-law Annie
Grandpa Merrell
Grandma Rasmussen

Big accomplishment: Maintaining my weight loss, I've lost 180 lbs to-date. Yay!

Least proud moment: dating other guys while dating Sam. I should have just broken up with him, but I learned a valuable lesson.

Brave decision: quitting my good, stable job at SUU to move to Layton to progress my relationship with Steve.

Favorite moment: Christmas Eve morning when Steve knelt on one knee and asked me to marry him.

Fun memories: farmers markets all summer; Bees baseball games; camping with Mom, Cassie, Alyson, and Katie; tennis with Cardine, Kyle, and Jon; sledding with Scott, Robbie, Mom, Jason and Rachel, Kevin, and Steve; dinner with Joy, Cardine, Sarah, Shiree, and Steve before Shiree left for England; sky diving (worth mentioning again); my niece's baptism; Bryce Canyon with Kyle, Jon, and Jon's date in February - the stars were amazing; moving into my new home in November; working at SUU - it was a great job; putting my contact in medicated eye drops and having my eye dilate big time; playing Mario Kart at Kyle's then getting it for Christmas (yay!); exploring Antelope Island with Steve; discovering lots of new restaurants in Ogden, Layton, and SLC; University of Utah football games (we're getting season tix for next year); Christmas in Denver and meeting Steve's best friend and his family; spending lots of times with lots of amazing people. I have the best family and friends!

Hopes for 2011: find a good job, marry Steve, look into plastic surgery for my excess skin, visit a new place.

I know it's a little late, but I hope you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!