A place to call home...

I know that it may have appeared that I have dropped off the face of the planet, but alas...I am alive. These last few weeks have found us packing, scrambling to make things livable in our new home, moving, unpacking, not having internet, TV or even for a period...running water! But we have officially moved into our "project". It isn't even close to being as far along as we had hoped before moving in, but we are stoked to be out of the condo although there are things that I'm really going to miss...like the most amazing sunsets and one of the best views in all of Salt Lake.

The view from our condo.

It's a nice trade off however to have a little more elbow room and a real place to call home! :)

As is typical on most home remodeling shows that I watch...we are totally over budget and WAY behind schedule...but we are very happy with how things are coming together.

Although we still have much to do to truly make it home...here's a few pictures that show some of the progress...

The original living room...

And now...

The lovely formal dining room (or video game room?)

and now...

The room that I will always affectionately call the "purple room"...

no longer purple...

The fireplace in the huge master bedroom...

updated a little...

I cannot believe that I can't find any true "before" pictures of the "Pink Bathroom"

(it was complete with pink tile up the walls, a pink shower, a pink toilet and pink sinks to compliment the pink floral wall paper)

Although not complete...here's how it is starting to come together...

And of course...the original kitchen!

Completely gutted...

...And you'll have to stick around for the "after" unveiling...COMING SOON!

(atleast I hope it's soon)

After spending all of last weekend moving and trying to get as settled as possible...look what we found above our house to greet us as if to say...

"WELCOME HOME...You're going to love it here!"

Oh how time flies...

We are finally getting ready to start moving into the new house (no, it's not done yet, but it's getting close...I'll post some pics soon, I promise) which means I have been packing and going through boxes. Imagine the amusing delight and admitted embarrassment I felt as I came across this picture from long, long ago... (I think sometime around 1990)...

Ummm...Melissa- why the heck aren't you in this picture? Didn't you like us then?


Being that I just saw many of these lovely ladies a few days ago as we all met for dinner, something we try to do every few months, I was particularly happy to find this picture. It was taken our sophomore (maybe junior) year of High School and we thought that we were soooo hot! Notice the matching, oversized polo shirts (seriously...they are like 4 sizes too big on ALL of us) and baggy Guess denim shorts rolled into cute little cuffs. I can't tell you how much this makes me smile. Even more than the ridiculous clothes, hot hairstyles, hilarious memories that came flooding back and the fact that we had "studio" pictures taken of us... the thing that makes me smile the most is that we are all still great friends!

Here's a more recent photo taken of the whole gang 2 years ago at the annual Christmas sleepover...

So much fun!

There are now 28 kids between all these ladies, with 2 on the way (I almost can't believe that, but I counted twice) and sleepovers are still as fun as ever!

This was most of us just this past Christmas!

...and at Missy's baby shower a year and a half ago.

Girls trip to Vegas last October...

Some of the girls on the most recent trip to Palm Springs just last month...

(so sad I missed this trip)

Wow, am I grateful for such amazing friends! Thanks for all the great memories! I still can't believe it's been 15 years since we graduated! I still kind of feel like that goofy, awkward teenager in an oversized polo shirt and I love it! Here's to another 50 or 60 years of memories!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ONE AND ONLY...

To the hardest working man I know:

My birthday wish for you is that we both get to do a little more of this sometime soon...

Thank you for all you do and how hard you work. I am very blessed to be your wife!

I hope the year ahead is your best yet!

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What more can I say...I LOVE THIS GUY!

I survived...

What an awesome week this was. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on Pioneer Trek with the youth of our ward this week. Although words do not adequately express just how very thankful I am to be home to my own bed, my husband and most importanly a warm shower....it was an incredible and humbling experience. I really loved it! We were able to go to Wyoming and trek actual sacred historical sites along the Mormon Trail. We trekked through Martins Cove, Sixth Crossing and finished the week at Rock Creek.

Each of us were asked to walk in honor of an ancestor or pioneer. I chose to walk in honor of my great-great-great grandmother, Ann_Jewell_Rowley who was baptized with her husband in England and after being widowed came across the plains to make it to Utah with her 7 children as part of the Willie Handcart Company. I have learned so much about her journey and struggles and have gained such an appreciation for her life and legacy. Despite the struggles of the Willie handcart company, she and her 7 children all made it to SLC alive. She did have a step-daughter who passed away along the trail. She was an incredible woman with tremendous faith and determination and I was proud to walk in her honor.

What a great experience this week was for me....the entire week was amazing and our youth were awesome!

We *smiled* and really did have a lot of fun...

We laughed as we brushed up on our square-dancing skills!

We learned a LOT and I was very humbled on many occasions...

We {walked} until our feet hurt and we were exhausted...then we walked some more...

We made ash cakes with our 4 ounce ration of flour...

...and despite the smiles, we were {grateful} they weren't all we had to eat!

We witnessed amazing sunsets...

...and even had a full moon to light our camp!



We camped in Rock Creek Hollow on the final night and I was able to visit and pay respects to my great-great-great-great grandpa, William James, who died on Rocky Ridge and was buried along with 12 others who died the same night. His death left his wife Jane as a widow to fend for herself along with their 7 children. They faced many hardships and many suffered through all their years, but they all made it to Salt Lake. I am so grateful for my heritage and for the many things that I learned this week.

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Now...

I am off to soak my piggies! I think I've earned a pedi!

SUSHI...homestyle, baby!

So... Young Women's has gotten so dang much cooler than when I was a young'en! Although it has been a lot of work, I am really loving my new church calling! These young ladies are so amazing and delightful and I am having a hard time remembering what I used to do with my Wednesday nights! :) Certainly it wasn't as fun as these weekly Girls Night Out occasions!

We've had the opportunity to do some really cool stuff the last several months and tonight was no exception! One of our laurels is a fantistic chef...she LOVES to cook and actually hopes to go to culinary school (seriously...she's GOOD)!! Well, tonight she took us under her wing and taught us all about preparing a Japanese feast!! We started with Yakisoba Noodle Salad, then we fried a little vegetable tempura and the highlight of the night was our handrolled sushi! So much fun and so ridiculously good. I can't wait to get my supplies and make this a regular dinner occasion!

Jorie....teaching us the ropes!

The first attempts are ready to {roll}...

Alex and her sushi....both looking GOOD!

Whitney...beaming with pride!

Brooke... getting ready to cut her creation!

Can you believe that we made these?! They're beautiful!

Is that a great Wednesday night or what?! It sure beats the grilled cheese that I would have had! Thanks girls!

Fathers...

Noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine attributes of our Father in Heaven. ~James E Faust

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. ~Mark Twain

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. ~Ruth E. Renkel

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. ~Sigmund Freud

When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.' ~Jerry Lewis

A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season. ~Unknown

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong. ~Charles Wadsworth

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. ~David O McKay

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's that I love and admire and for all that will be fathers one day...especially to my Dad, my brothers, and my incredible husband! I love you!

ACCOUTREMENTS...

{a-koo-tra-ments}

Many of you who may know me well, know that I really like the word accoutrements. I am not sure that I ever really knew exactly what it meant, but I have often found use for it in various sentences, usually preceded by the word "miscellaneous" (again, not sure what it means other than miscellaneous "this and that")

"I love kitchen gadgets and all kinds of miscellaneous accoutrements"

'I picked up all sorts of trinkets and miscellaneous accoutrements at the Hobby Lobby"

You get the idea! Well I'll be darned if I didn't come across a snazzy little catalog (and accompanying website) FULL of miscellaneous "accoutrements"... Can you believe it?

SO... I thought I would share a few things that you can find from the one and only Accroutrements... Truly a little bit of "this and that"...

ENJOY!

The Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure
Complete with a wild look in her eyes and 6 fury felines!

Bacon & Eggs Bandaids

Because everyone loves greasy breakfast food plastered on your skin!

Gummy T-Bones
First it was worms...now it's red meat, Gotta love it! (Plastic tray is included, however not edible, darn)

The Smoking Monkey

"Each monkey comes with a pack of ten Li’l Smokes and has another one in his mouth, ready to light up and smoke. The smokes are actually non-toxic, unscented incense wrapped in paper." Whew! I am relieved to know that they aren't REAL cigarettes.

The Yodeling Pickle
At last the yodeling pickle that you've looked everywhere for.

The Jesus Action Figure AND The Jesus Action Figure DELUXE
Why would you want the regular Jesus when you could get the deluxe edition, complete with 5 loaves, two fishes and a pot to turn water into wine. (A little irreverent, I know...but I HAD to include it)

The OCD Action Figure

Yep...he's come with gloves and a face mask...I think he counts sidewalk cracks too.

The Armadillo Handbag
"Whether you take it to the opera or the zoo, you’re sure to be the envy of anyone who really likes armadillos." (and who doesn't LOVE armadillos?!?)

And last but not least of my favorite "accoutrement"...

The Corn Dog Air Freshener...
"Close your eyes and you can almost smell the sweet honey batter and the steaming, salty meat product nestled inside."

SERIOUSLY, people?? I can't believe this crap is real!

If you haven't had enough yet and still want to see more, check it out!

~HaPpY hApPy BiRtHdaY dAd~

Today is a very special day! Today is the day we get to celebrate and pay tribute to my Dad! Today is the day, 76 years ago that he was born in a little log cabin in Vernal, Utah. There is so much that to say about him and his life and his accomplishments, but most of all I want him to know how much I love and appreciate him...

SO... In honor of his big day-here are 76 things I love about my Dad...

1. He's the most kind & consistent person I have ever known.
2. He always worked so hard to provide for us, allowing my mom to be home with all of us kids.
3. He loves the Lord and is such a good example to me.
4. He is the biggest BYU fan you will ever meet. (I mean seriously, hardcore)
5. He was always our biggest fan. He never missed a soccer game or piano recital...even though he was so busy.
6. He is a perfectionist and likes things a certain way (pretty sure my OCD comes from him)
7. He's not afraid to show his emotions.
8. He is so wise. He always has good advice and I appreciate it much more as I am older than I did when I was younger.
9. He is very athletic, he alwayed played ever sport and even played football in college.
10. He is adventurous...it doesn't matter what it is...cliff-diving in Powell, Parasailing, Sky Coaster at Lagoon or hiking Mt Sinai at 2am....he is always in!
11. He's kept running even as he's gotten older. He's always on top in his age division.
12. He loves to travel and experience new things. I got my love of travel from my parents.
13. He is organized and meticulous.
14. Traveling to BYU football games used to be our family vacations when we were younger.
15. He rarely drinks soda.
16. He has devoted much of his life to service...service to his country, church service, community service, and more service.
17. I see my grandpa in him. They are a lot alike.
18. He is such a great grandpa. He once had a license plate cover that said "Grandpa's my name and teasing's my game". The kids all love grandpa.
19. Mr & Mrs. Dillyfunkle.
20. He is open-minded.
21. I see him in my older brothers.
22. He always gives me a hug and tells me how much he loves me and how proud he is of me...EVERY time I see him. He's my biggest fan.
23. He got to seal/marry me and Chris. One of the best days of my life. How lucky am I?
24. He's always had the best garden and yard.
25. He's genuine.
26. He's likeable.
27. He has been married to my mom for almost 51 years.
28. I get my memory of misc stuff from him.
29. I remember spending time with my Dad at the ballpark from the time I was very young.
30. He has high expectations of people ("Single File... you dirty, rotten, thieving little cusses")
31. He is the best resource if I ever need material for a talk or lesson. He has great stories and ideas.
32. He genuinely loves my husband.
33. I am pretty sure that I am his favorite daughter (sorry, girls)
34. He doesn't hunt or fish....thank goodness! He golfs instead.
35. He eats sooooo slow....he is always the last one at the table.
36. Once, we even left him at Sizzler and went back for him later.
37. He gave up over 5 years with his family to serve the Lord in the Philippines.
38. Who's uncle caught on FiRe?
39. He does all the laundry and loves it. My mom is so lucky!
40. On Christmas morning, he would always go down first and without fail, even this year he will say..."Well, it looks like Santa didn't come this year!" as he is turning on the lights and Christmas music.
41. If any of us or the grandkids would say "I'm tired" or "I'm hungry"...he would quickly reply..."Well, Hello Hungry...I'm Ray, nice to meet you"
42. He is very handsome and always has been.
43. He always told us to "Remember who you are" every time we left the house.
44. He snores loud!
45. He gets up early, really early....I got it from him.
46. He loves sports and used to go watch high school games even if he didnt know anyone playing.
47. He used to take us to the Ream's turtle for 10 cent ice cream cones.
48. Tubing! With the real big black inner tubes. Dad knew the really good dangerous hills! So fun!
49. Summers in Park City
50. He has a great smile!
51. He LOVES BYU Sports...did I already mention that? :)
52. I think he looked like "Dennis the Menace" when he was a little boy.
53. He still tries not to miss games and recitals of the grandkids as well.
54. He is always willing to help anyone. Both of my parents have spent many hours up helping with our house.
55. He sometimes drives a little crazy and fast.
56. He used to fly airplanes.
57. He met my mom "Cruising Center" in Provo...I love that story!
58. He is a bargain shopper.
59. He reads his scriptures every single day (because he gets up so early!)
60. He has always loved me unconditionally and supported me even when I made bad choices.
61. I am his favorite (just trying to see if any other sibs read my blog)
62. His lectures are infamous even with his grandkids.
63. He is sincere in all that he does.
64. His prayers are really long (but really good)
65. He is the most Christ-like person I have ever known. We always thought we should have WWRD bracelets made...What would Ray do?
66. He wears his emotions on his sleeves and gets choked up easily.
67. We know that he loves his family and is proud of us, because he tells us.
68. He loves movies, even though he doesnt remember them for more than I week (I have the same problem)
69. He has always been great neighbor
70. He is a great big brother, you can see how much his siblings love him.
71. He is a loving husband, he is good to my mom
72. He is a devoted dad... we are very lucky!
73. He is the best grandpa, I can't wait to have kids of my own
74. He's BYU's #1 fan...
75. He always taught by example.
76. He doesn't seem a day over 50.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

I hope the year ahead is your best yet! I love you very much!