So Random

I'm expecting my new cell phone to arrive tomorrow and I finally figured out how to transfer My Pix and My Flix from my current cell phone's memory to the computer via the micro SD card. So, enjoy some random images and video from the last two years.







IMAX Theatre. The first picture I took on the phone. This was also taken on Nathan's first day at his new job in Utah. My plan was to send him lots of pics to he wouldn't feel like he was missing everything. (Sep. 2007)





ZZZZZZZZ.....





Nathan's favorite cell pic of Henry - it doesn't even really look like him!





I use my cell phone to report injuries to the grandparents.

Cheese!

Jackson Christmas Party - gifts from great-grandma J. (Dec. 2007)

Proof that Henry used to love his fingers and his "pillow".

Henry and Max watching William play Nintendo DS. (2008)

Which one?

After I found Henry hiding behind the filthy clothes racks at Mervyn's. (Nov. 2007)

Me with curly hair. (2007)

Samantha ate a kiwi fruit on a plate. When I went to wash it, this is what I saw. Looks like a ghost! (2008)




Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon. (May 2009)

New little shopping carts at Smith's. (April 2009)

Clark Planetarium, Salt Lake City (May 2009)
On the moon:

On Mars:

My kids are such nerds. (Dec. 2007)

Now it's movie time!

2007

When Nathan was flying back and forth on a plane while working in Utah, I had my ringtone for his calls set to "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. One night when Nathan was away, I was listening at Henry's bedroom door and overheard him in his crib singing.

We took the kids the meet Spiderman at Toys R Us. Samantha was being shy, and was bugged that he called her a "sour puss". (Dec. 2007)

This is the one that makes me and Nathan laugh every time we see it. Nathan asked Henry if he likes Everett, a little boy in our Avondale ward. His answer was a little random, but very funny! (Feb. 2008)

Sharing a Milestone

Last October, I was introduced to a woman who inspires me, motivates me - makes me laugh, cry, cheer and want to be a better person. I've only known Stephanie Neilson through reading her blog. Her outlook on life and the eternal perspective that she seems to hold on to, even through one of the worst trials I think a woman and a mother could face, fills me with gratitude for what I have and hope for who I can become. Nathan and I have tried to show our support by attending a Mindy Gledhill benefit concert and donating to a silent auction held for Nie Nie. Last night, on the first anniversary of her near-fatal plane crash, we had the opportunity to show Stephanie how much we care for her by supporting her on her first hike up Y Mountain since the accident.

Stephanie stood at the trail gate to personally thank all who came to share this milestone with her. She gave each of us a hug and then we started up the trail.

Stephanie and Christian started the hike ten minutes later, hand in hand. Along the trail, Nathan and I recognized many faces from Stephanie's blog - her children, sisters, Jimmy the dog, and even Mindy Gledhill and her family. We paused to chat with Steve Craig (an old friend of mine) and his kids. The next thing we knew, Stephanie had caught up to us, said a quick "hello" to Steve, and then left us in the dust! What a woman! We were able to catch up to her once or twice, but as everyone knows, I stink at hiking, so Stephanie the super trooper ended up beating us to the top.

Everyone cheered when when Stephanie and Christian made it to the big white "Y". She didn't seem terribly worn out (I, on the other hand, was dying.) There were tears and smiles as the Neilson family hugged each other for a moment, paused for a few pictures and then let some balloons go in the sky.

Nathan and I watched the sun set and then headed back down the mountain.

Nathan's water bottle got in the way as I was taking the perfect sunset picture, but I think I looks pretty cool anyway.

So, once again, Nie Nie gave me cause to take a step back, look inside myself, and see what's really important. I'll keep my loved ones close and my Heavenly Father closer. I'll be grateful for the blessings that I have and pray for blessings to be poured out over Stephanie and her family.

Goodbye LC

If someone would have asked me two years ago (well, maybe even last week) if Nathan would ever sell his Landcruiser, I would have responded with a resounding "No!" Nathan purchased this 1991 Toyota Landcruiser in February 2007 to pull the camp trailer we had just acquired. He set right to work spending long hours in the garage (and more money than I wanted to part with) fixing it up. I used to complain that he loved the Landcruiser more than me and that he should just go ahead and marry it. The Landcruiser (lovingly nicknamed LC by Nathan), did end up taking us on some fun camping trips with the trailer, including Yellowstone and my favorite, Yosemite National Park in California. However, this 18 year old, 10 mpg gas guzzler with 221,000 miles on the odometer was never intended to be a work commuter car. But the Landcruiser has been just that during the 18 months that we've lived in Utah. All the gas that LC has been guzzling got to be quite ridiculous, so when the government approved another $2 billion for the "Cash for Clunkers" rebate program, we decided it was time to trade her in for something more efficient. It's sad to let LC go with the good times (and stickers on the back windshield) that will go with her, especially since she's going to be torn apart for scrap metal. Every time the car salesman called the Landcruiser the "clunker", I said, "Don't call it that!" The good thing about the new car, a light green 2009 Hyundai Accent, is that the money we'll save in gas just about pays the car payment. It's a no-brainer. The only downside is that all camping trips are suspended until we can replace my minivan with a car that can pull a trailer. Bummer. The kids love the new car (mostly because it's lime green), and it is nice to own a new car - something that Nathan and I have never done in our lives.

Here's some photos of some of the places we went with the Landcruiser:

Yosemite

Yellowstone

Grand Tetons

Various camping trips

Not to mention that it was Landcruiser we were driving when we drove down Lombard Street and across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

So long, LC. Thanks for the fun memories!

P.S. My favorite memory with the Landcruiser, the one that still makes me laugh when I think about it, cannot be written down. The story is so good that it has to be told - as all good stories should be. For those who haven't heard about the "Camp Verde Incident", just ask, and I'll gladly tell it again.

Provo Half Marathon

Nathan ran his first half-marathon on Saturday. He's been training for it for many months, but he's been having problems with one of his knees and was concerned he wouldn't be able to make his goal of a 1 hour 40 min half-marathon. The morning of the race, he left at 4 :00 am because he needed to be at the entrance to Provo Canyon before 5:00. The kids and I also woke up early so that we could be in Provo in time to see him cross the finish line. We found the Taylors in our ward and sat with them to watch the thousands of runners finish the race. The winner of the race finished at around 1:08:00. Pretty impressive.

The kids and I ate our breakfast muffins and cheered for each runner until the time neared 1:40:00. I got my camera ready and soon after we saw Nathan come around the bend.

Nathan finished only 6 minutes slower that his goal - even with the bum knee. The clocked showed 1:46:30, but we won't know his official time for a few days. He finished 306th overall -not too shabby for a first-timer. Good job Nate!

After Nathan grabbed his free breakfast, he joined us on the sidelines to watch four women in our ward finish the race. The first was only a few minutes behind Nathan.

Amy, Emily, Seanna & Carmen

Great job everyone!

New Calling

This biggest news in our house right now is the new church calling Nathan received three weeks ago. He is now the Young Mens President in our ward. Nathan is excited and is not taking his new responsibility lightly. When he was contemplating who he wanted to serve with him in the presidency, he asked me for my advice and we had some long discussions on the subject. He went the temple (twice) to get more inspiration. The new presidency was sustained and set apart last Sunday when Sommer's family was visiting. Nathan and I had two weeks to get used to the idea of Nathan being the YM President, but it hadn't occurred to me how the young men in the ward would take the news. Tyler, the recently released YM President, who happens to be a friend of ours, was very beloved by the youth in our ward. Tyler has served in the YM organization for the last 7 years and not only did he magnify his calling above and beyond, the boys had a great deal of love and respect for him. During the testimony meeting following Nathan's sustaining, Tyler, Nathan and several of the young men bore such touching testimonies. It's very apparent how shocked the boys were with the change and how much they loved having Tyler as their leader. Nathan knows that he has big shoes to fill, but he is excited to give it a try. We both know that he will be an excellent YM President, especially with the fine men that will be serving with him. The youth in our ward are in for a treat! I love you Nathan - and I'll always be proud!