Thanksgiving Point

Shay and I really enjoy going out and seeing new things!  We really enjoy going to museums. Here is Shay in the Dinosaur museum.

Unfortunately, we were only able to get through 1/2 of the museum before we had to leave.  Fortunately, we have our family pass and will be able to return!  Can't wait to spend time in the gardens next!

1 year down.....eternity to go!

Shay and I have officially been married for a year now. June 20th was our first anniversary. Shay was so sweet and booked us a weekend up at the Homestead. I had only been to the Homestead once before (to scuba dive) and thought the place was beautiful, so I was very excited to be going there to spend time with Shay!

We left Friday evening to head up to Midway. We stopped off at The Olive Garden for dinner. Now normally I would not be too thrilled about going to The Olive Garden (not my favorite Italian place) but since we had a gift certificate we decided to go there on our way up. I have to be honest, my dish was fabulous! Usually I strike out when ordering at The Olive Garden but this time was different! WAY YUMMY---too bad I don't remember the name of my dish.

Once we made it there we checked into our little cottage (Shay is pictured below standing in front of the cottage).


Below is the view from our cottage. It was so amazing to just sit outside and enjoy the beautiful few! In the distance, below the mountains, is Deer Creek Reservoir.

Me taking in the view.


Saturday we spent the day walking around the Homestead enjoy the amazing landscape, geese, food, activities, etc.

Below is a picture of the main lobby area. The flowers, landscaping, etc. is just breathtaking!

Pictures of us around the Homestead.






We had fun playing a few games of pool before dinner. Shay shocked me with his amazing pool playing abilities.




They even had a free "concert on the lawn" Saturday night that we were able to attend (apparently they have free concerts throughout the summer). The band was very good! Shay and I both loved the concert and are excited to return to attend again!

Picture of me watching the concert.

Sunday was our official anniversary and we enjoyed sleeping in before having to pack up and return to reality.

Thanks for an amazing anniversary get away Shay! One year down, eternity to go---so glad it is you I get to spend them with, you're amazing, love you!!!!!

Anniversary Mess

A few weeks before our anniversary I realized that I was scheduled to teach a lesson at my church (a Relief Society Lesson).  I knew Shay wanted to make plans for us to go somewhere for the entire weekend, but luckily Shay was so supportive (as usual) and was fine with us having to plan around my lesson schedule (No worries, we had a wonderful two night stay at the Homestead and had plenty of time to get back in time for my lesson).

Well when church was over, and I had given the lesson, I was so excited to share with Shay the things I felt prompted to say to the sisters in my church and the deeper lessons I learned while teaching (I have learned long ago that teachers always learn more than the student if preparation and prayers given). I talked all the way home (that isn't very far ---we live less than an 1/4 of mile from our ward house) and all the way up our 3 flights of stairs to our condo. We entered the kitchen, and while we both were trying to get a something to eat, I continued to share with Shay my thoughts and feelings. I spread my notes out on the counter to show him. It was then that it happened. I had gone into the pantry to get a soda. While turning around I dropped the can. It hit the floor pretty hard and the top part of the can (where the tab is) was now bulging out. I thought, "great now how am I suppose to open this." As I am thinking this I place it down on the counter.....now remember, Shay is right next to me making himself a sandwich......when it EXPLODES!!! Not a squirt out the top, not a burst like one sees on T.V. when Liquor is opened....OH NO, it EXPLODES! I was looking down at it while I set it down and I almost thought my eye was taken out. It SOAKED both Shay and me. Shay was stunned, I was in shock. My entire self was dripping in soda and so was Shay. We were silent for a moment and then began to laugh. I didn't know there was that much liquid in one can of soda. I quickly ran into the bathroom to get the soda soaked clothes off and returned to see what else might have gotten wet.......when I came back to the kitchen I was SHOCKED! There was soda EVERYWHERE! I quickly nabbed my neighbor to come and take a picture so that we would be able to document this disaster!
Shay did not like the idea of a picture and quickly changed out of his soaking wet shirt....but we were both soaked!
All of my lesson pages were ruined.
Every wall in the kitchen was speckled with soda.
The cupboards too.

My stove, behind where I placed the can, was hit.

The picture above our pantry was pelted.
The fridge wasn't able to escape the wrath of this can.
Even the ceiling had soda on it!!!

It took us quite awhile to get the soda off everything (actually the other day I opened the pantry and found some speckled soda on a inward facing wall---how does that happen???). Luckily, we decided to laugh about it.....instead of cry! What a fun anniversary!

BTW: Soda can remove paint I have learned---the hard way. :-(

Becoming One....

I just realized that our anniversary is coming up. WOW!  Crazy how quickly a year can pass by! It's a good thing we are starting to become one.....we even have a photo to prove it!

Games

Shay and I are gamers. We love to play games! We have an entire closet full of games to play when we have family and friends over. So when I finished tutoring a student of mine, and her parent was asking what things she could do at home to help her child out, I suggested some fun educational games that would help this child master some spelling and memorization concepts. As our conversation turned to games she shared with me a game their family got for Christmas. She said that they had purchased both Agricola and Catan for Christmas but that Catan was still in its wrapper since they haven't been able to move away from Agricola. This shocked me because I LOVE Catan! I highly suggested that she open up her Catan and give it a try. She then told me I needed to try Agricola.

I have to be honest, I really wanted to try Agricola. I had been introduced to Agricola in Chicago by a game store employee (My mother wanted to purchase a game for Shay for his birthday so we took an hour jaunt over to a gaming store to purchase a much wanted game--Puerto Rico). At the time the employee was really pushing Shay and I to purchase Agricola instead of Puerto Rico, since it had pushed Puerto Rico out of the #1 game in the world position. I was almost convinced until I saw the $90 price tag price! We left with smiles on our faces and Puerto Rico in our hands....but to be honest I have always wondered why that employee loved Agricola so much---BTW:  Puerto Rico is an awesome game as well!!!


Well, this mother not only loves Agricola, but she is also addicted to it. She immediately invited me to use her game to try it out. So at the next tutoring session, Friday, she shows up with Agricola and all these fancy pieces she has purchased on top of the original game. I smiled and thought---WOW, she is obsessed! That afternoon I called our gaming friends, Holly and Jason, and asked if they would be interested in trying it out. Unfortunately they were busy that night but we made a time to get together Sunday evening. That night Shay and I felt we had better at least try to figure out the game a bit before Holly and Jason showed up (the pieces and cards alone looked overwhelming). We started reading through the directions as 9:30 PM. By a quarter to 11 I told Shay we had better go to bed. The next day we got onto YouTube and watched a tutorial on how to play Agricola. It took 30 minutes to watch and at the end we were excited to try it out. We ended up playing 4 games and made ourselves go to bed at midnight. Then today, we played 4 more games before Holly and Jason even showed up. Holly and Jason really liked it as well. Unfortunately, we were only able to play one full game before they needed to leave but we ended up making plans to play again tomorrow night!
So, I guess the whole point of this little blog is to let you know about Agricola, if you haven't heard of it already. It is such a fun game! It is a 1-5 player game and the game changes each time you play it! I would highly suggest getting together with someone who has played before (Shay and I would love to play with you if you'd like) or go onto YouTube and watch a tutorial.
The only bummer deal now is that Shay and I will have to purchase the game! Luckily the price has come down to below $50!

What a week...

So today was the last day of school! 

 WHAT A day!!!!

Every year I promise myself that the next year will be more organized, less stressful, and that I will be able to have the most peaceful end of the year yet. Unfortunately, it has never happened! I end up breaking my promise and this year was no exception. I actually was on the road to that dream ending....that was until I realized that I would be heading up the "End-of-the Year Luncheon" for my faculty members and staff.
Before I go any further, I have to be honest and say that I was excited for the opportunity to work with some amazing individuals, to think of ways to make the end of the year special for those I work with (they are amazing individuals!), and to break the long time tradition of going to Chuck-o-Rama (SP?--Don't get me wrong I don't HATE Chuck-o-Rama, I just thought a change of venue after 3 years would be good).
So when the restaurant, that I had made reservations with 3 weeks prior, called to cancel only a few weeks before the luncheon I started to hyperventilate . You see, the school where I work is not close to any major shopping location or restaurants that could house 50+ people. So trying to get a place had already been a huge problem! It was then that the "end-of-the-year adventure" began. I swear my head grew to accommodate the massive headache I had
;-)



But no worries, when one is married to someone as thoughtful, patient, relaxed, good, wonderful, amazing, etc. as Shay is one can't get to run over. Friday, after the luncheon ended and I was able to clean up some of my classroom to get ready to move to a new school (for summer school), and attend my Principal's father's viewing, I came home to the below.



O.K. so you probably can't see them--but I sure did and can---can you see the wonderful vacuum marks all over the carpet. Shay had gone to town on our condo. Which was no little thing to do when a teacher is ending a school year--with papers, tests, presents, gift wrap, pencils, pens, did I mention papers, etc. are spewed all over the floor it's hard to recognize a teacher's home towards the end of the school year!

It was then that I turned the corner to see that he had also made the bed and did a fabulous job trying to get the pillows to look the way I do them.


Not only did Shay make the bed but when I walk into the room I found him dusting off the dresser.


I even discovered that he had done the laundry. Does it get any better than that! Seriously, I think I was going to cry.

Of course, it was the perfect setting to place the flowers I had received from parents and co-workers.

The crazy day became a perfect day in the end!

A clean house, flowers, an amazing husband, school over (at least for a few days). Does it get better than that?????

I love how a house feels with flowers around!!!

At first I placed them all on my kitchen table but then decided that I couldn't really enjoy them all that close together.


So now when I walk in the door I first see:


Then I turn the corner and see these.


Then I walk into the kitchen and see these


And finally my eyes can rest on these before....

having to start the dishes ;-)

What a perfect way to end a very stressful week!

Thanks to all who bought me flowers!

And a special thanks to Shay, you are definitely the better half of our marriage!!!!

A Fun Weekend

Last Friday we went up to Snowbird for a "night out" with friends.

We had never been "over night" at Snowbird together and were excited to check it out. Kristin (as seen in the middle) owns a time share and invited us all to come up for the night to play games and hang out.

It was such a blast!



The view from the condo was breathtaking!
We were almost tempted to purchase a time share of my own.


We had such a fun time playing games, chatting, eating.....that by the next morning we were all beat and not wanting to get up---thus, these are the only pictures we have, but that's OK.



It is these moments in life that make living so enjoyable!

Definitely will have to do it again!