Onward to San Diego

We left Saturday for our three week San Diego expedition. Yes, 3 weeks in San Diego. Dave has work classes he has so I get a 3 week vacation in southern California. It took half the day to pack up and make sure everything was taken care of. We decided to drive so I would have a car and so we broke up the drive and stopped in St. George for a night. We arrived at the St. George house around 7 p.m. We were welcomed by a black widow mother watching over her 4 nests of eggs! Luckily they were in the garage and we also didn't find any scorpion friends inside the house this time. St. George was nice and hot. We were excited to hit up our favorite eating spot, Parrothead Island Broiler, but when we pulled up the lights weren't on like normal but there were people hanging out the door so we went to talk to them. Come to find out, they are remodeling and changing management back to the original owners which will be good, we think, but we were a little dissappointed. That night we stayed in St. George.

Sunday at noon, we headed for the road again. We were moving along at a great speed and then...we hit the Las Vegas traffic. And normally the Las Vegas traffic tapers off after the strip but not on Sunday...Arrrrgh! I can't believe I didn't realize and I can't believe my uncle from Cali didn't warn me! Las Vegas is a weekend hot spot for Southern Californians and so we hit the going home traffic. It was stop and go on and off for about 3 hours. We were ready to turn around and go home. It dampened our mood for the day and the outlook of the trip. We finally arrived at our hotel a little after 7, San Diego time so we had been on the road for 8 1/2 hours. As soon as we got some food in us, settled and unpacked we felt a little happier. Our hotel is just south of the airport, near Point Loma Naval Base. This morning we ran to the naval base entrance almost 2 miles away and then back. You wouldn't think there would be much out here but we're near many homes and right down the road are some of the best beaches so I'm excited.

Here we come beaches, sun and more fun!

FLOWRIDER

Dave and Jon used their Valentine's gift card for the Flowrider on Wednesday. They got a good hour in of boogie boarding and surfing indoors. The Flowrider is at the Solomon Center in downtown Ogden and it is a wave simulator for us in-landers, for those that haven't heard of it. Friday, they went rock climbing on the wall there to use up the last of the gift card. Happy Valentine's Day guys! :)

The Baby Question

People say that right after you get married the marriage questions disappear and are replaced with the baby question. Family, friends and even strangers begin to nag at you about when you're going to have a baby and don't give you the time to settle in your brand new marriage. It didn't really happen that way with us. I mean, we had the question asked by a few but it wasn't overbearing. The question has come up more recently I've noticed but it's mainly by friends. I think we scared off our families of asking or it could be they all just understand how we feel, I don't know but either way it has been nice to not have the nagging. Dave and I have a lot of the same feelings about having our own kids. When first married, the idea of kids was crazy to us. We were quite freaked out by the idea. Over the past four years it's kind of been the same thing. When it's mentioned we freak! Now, don't think I'm announcing anything like being or wanting to be pregnant because I'm still freaked about most of it! We still feel just as far away from it as four years ago. Lately, I have noticed a change...read on.

I have noticed a change in me and it just dawned on me this morning while getting ready that I totally got snuck-up-on (if that is even a phrase). I'll explain. The change I've noticed is the way I am and feel towards children. For all that know me know that I've always loved children, especially Kaitlin, my little sister. I've worshipped the ground that she's walked on since she was born. But there has been something different that has evolved, I guess we can say, and I think it's because of this last school year as well as my church calling in the primary. I've had a few people ask me if teaching has made me want to have kids less and my answer to them is the opposite of what they expect, no. It has actually opened up and softened my heart to the children of this world tenfold, and has given me a better understanding of them and so much more that is too hard to explain. I feel as if I'm starting to become an advocate for them. A lot of children aren't put into great situations but that doesn't mean they're goners. Adults and other children can have a great impact by actions and words (to a child, actions yell compared to words). Anywho, I don't want to get to far off from my point, but if people want a better world, make a difference in a child's life.

About the being snuck-up-on part, I feel like Heavenly Father has really snuck up on me with these feelings! HA! Over the four years of mine and Dave's marriage, I've had so many fears with the children aspect in my life and two of the biggest ones, among many others, has been bringing a child into this world and all the complications that could happen with and post pregnancy. And it kills me to say it but those fears are beginning to not matter as much as they once did. Yes, I still have a list of about 50 reasons and fears of why I haven't had a desire to rush into being a parent but I can tell ya, Heavenly Father is sneaky. He has His plan that I know I can't change but it is always a great feeling to have that "ah-ha" moment and know he's got a plan for me....

Happy Birthday David! and One Incident...

Dave turned the big 2 6 today! He past the quarter of a century mark. We were able to celebrate all day together because it was Dave's Friday off. He woke up to one of his favorites, chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream on top. He got to open his presents from me: all biking gear (pictured below). Thought it was time he didn't freeze out there in the chillier months- long sleeved jersey, new shorts and leg warmers. (You can tell by the flash that the logos are even reflective!)This afternoon we went and bought tubes with Allie and Jake and headed up Weber Canyon to float the Weber River. You start in Croydon and float to Taggart, two very small, small towns past Morgan. It was my very first time and Dave hadn't been on this part of the river so we relied on our trusty guide, Jake. Luckily, he had been quite a few times and he knew the route well. The water was higher, faster moving and chilly! We ended up going down two times because it normally takes over an hour to float down but since the water was moving so fast we got down in half the time. The first time down was fun. I got bumped off my tube at the beginning but after that I was able to stay on, even through some rough rapids and with a tube that was very lopsided. Well...then came the second round to go down and I wasn't quite feeling it and thought I should just wait but I went anyway. Bad idea. For some reason the water was a lot colder and this time I got the big tube. I had no control over the big tube. My arms could barely reach enough water to really paddle my way around which didn't go well when I was heading straight for a thick tree that had many branches hanging over and under the water. I tried my hardest to paddle and kept looking to Dave for anything he could do and he looked worried sick and helpless. I tried sticking my legs out to maybe somehow push out of it as I rammed into the mess of branches but the current was too strong. As I got thrown into and through the branches, the tube got stuck in some of the first branches behind me. Then, I had one of those split second decision moments. I had to decide to either stay where I was at and keep ramming into the branches or risk going under where I didn't know what could be under there. I chose the latter. Luckily, I didn't hit much. There was a thick branch right under the water but that was about it. Jake threw me his tube and went back for the other one. Dave was able to grab onto me and drag me over to the shore so we could regroup. I was a bit shaken up and Dave was almost pale from worry. I ended up with only scratches. Throughout the rest of the night Dave kept telling me that I'm not allowed to do anything fun again. The conversation on the drive home went something like this:

Dave: I'm having anxiety. You can't do anything fun ever again!

Me: Why? (with a good hearted laugh)

Dave: Have you ever thought I was going to die?

Me: You thought I was going to die?

Dave: Or something bad like that!

I felt like I was worth a billion bucks and very protected right there.

We went to eat at Taggart's Grill, that is right in Taggart, after. It was really good food. We celebrated Dave and Jake's (the 10th) Birthday with candles in their dessert.

It was a great day except for that one incident but it all turned out okay which we are grateful!

Happy #26 to my amazing hubby!

Independence Day 2011

Saturday, we went to the Stadium of Fire with some friends and family. It was a hot evening and we were packed in tight to our nose bleed seats but it was fun. We got to see Brad Paisley, well he looked like an ant but he still put on a good show, and the "Best Fireworks Show in the World" (it's what they claim). The finale was felt, yes I said felt, by anyone within 30 miles. Dave would've enjoyed it if they just did that for a straight minute. Monday, we enjoyed Riverdale's ginormous parade and then went to the park to check out the festivities. Dave participated in the "Minute to Win It" game of cookie on your face (he had to get the cookie from his forehead to his mouth without touching it) and he won a gift card to Target! Wahoo! Later we barbecued with the Price's and then enjoyed a good water balloon fight. Growing up, my street would hold an annual water balloon fight on the 4th so I suggested it to the fam and they jumped on board. It was a hit. We had a few tears with the kiddos but it was a blast! It resulted in quite a few welts for the adults. I think Sunny and Mike had the right idea to wear normal clothes...more protection. Dave and I decided to watch fireworks from our roof instead of going to one of the parks. We got about 10 shows in one. It was awesome! I was a little scared being up so high on such a steep roof. Legalizing the illegals has really awakened a beast in people. They're everywhere now!

It's hard to really see but these two got the worst of it.

Happy Independence Day! I am so grateful for this country and my freedoms!