Highlights

Just in case you don't want to watch the long slideshow, here's the highlights of our trip in the cliff notes version...

We went to lots of amazing places and saw many amazing things...

We ate incredible food and too much of it...

We read and relaxed, swam in the ocean, soaked up some sun, watched movies and ate popcorn under the stars and enjoyed lots of one on one time together...

We took bazillions of self portraits. Some good, some not so good.

And lastly, we ate enough gelato to feed a small nation...

And we loved every minute of it!

Best. Trip. Ever.

Mediterranean with the C*K*J's

Warning... this slideshow is long. You don't have to watch it.

We took over 2000 pictures during our nearly 3 weeks in the Mediterranean. We managed to pick a couple hundred highlights to recap the trip...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Home * Sweet * Home

Exhausted....but so happy to be home safe and sound.

C*K*J Mediterranean 2009

Amazing Trip.... Amazing Places... Amazing Time!

Stay tuned... lots of pics to come!

Wish you were here...

Santorini, Greece

Ladies Night

I LOVE girlfriends. It's always so fun to get together with my long time friends. It's strange and surreal to think that we've reached an age where we've known each other and been friends far longer than not. However, something about being with these girls always makes me comfortable, makes me laugh and makes me feel like a teenager again. It was the perfect get-together... beautiful surroundings, hysterical conversations, no place to rush off to, and way more desserts than real food. Ahhhh Ladies Night! Thanks girls! XOX

PS... thanks for the pics Kari!

Happy Happy Week!

I'm too busy for the individual posts that I could do for all the happenings of this week, and since I didn't take many pictures...this brief recap will have to do!

Mon 8/31-

*Parents anniversary. Sister hosted an amazing luau with pulled pork and all the fixins of a good party! No pictures. Left my camera sitting on the counter after I took this self portrait of me and my kukui lei before leaving home. Sorry, it's all you get.

Tues 9/1-

*Mom's Birthday. I love her. "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother" -Abraham Lincoln

Wed 9/2-

*Sis's Birthday. Love her too. "You can kid the world. But not your sister." -Charlotte Gray

Thur 9/3-

*Fun night with the Sherry's and a win for the red! Thanks guys for the great night, loud cheering and insight into all that we face on the journey ahead.

Fri 9/4-

*Annual Swiss Days Girls Event. My mom, sisters, sister-in-laws and I have been going up to Swiss Days for as long as I can remember. Sometimes we go stay over night, sometimes we just go up for the day, but always we look forward to it. I LOVE that most of my nieces have started joining us now that they are older. Its such a fun tradition that I look forward to each year. Our favorite part of the day is always the mid-morning break to enjoy a scone. It just so happens to also be the only time that we broke out the cameras this year.

Other than the wasp that was trying to get into my pants, it was the perfect day! Just so you know, wasp stings hurt. bad. Especially when there's a dozen of them. Stupid wasp.

Sat 9/5-

*I had to work Saturday which is always a bummer to leave home bright and early while the mister is still home enjoying a day off. This particular Saturday, as I was walking out the front door and down the steps, I noticed hearts drawn on each step. As I took a closer look, I realized that the graffiti was everywhere. We had been "sidewalk chalked" by a couple of the teenage girls in our neighborhood. Nice, kind words and bright colored hearts littered the sidewalk and drive-way. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes at the thought of their kindness and actions on a Friday night. I wish that they fully knew or comprehended the light and joy that they bring to my life and the void that they fill at this particular point in my life. They totally and completely made my day. (I also wish that it wasn't raining that morning, smudging some of their art work. boo!)

*CJ's sister had gotten us tickets to the World Cup Qualifying Soccer Game on Saturday night, so he picked me up from work and off we went to Rio Tinto. Once again, no pictures, but such a fun night to cheer the USA to victory.

*Although we were ecstatic to get tickets to the soccer game, it just happened to be the exact time of the big game. We set the Tivo to record and decided that we wouldn't check scores and just watch it when we got home!

WOOOHOOOO... 14-13!! I think it's going to be a great year!

Sun 9/6-

*Church was incredible. One of the best testimony meetings I've been to in years. Just what I needed.

*Niece Megan's birthday and dinner with the in-laws. She's 13 and has grown up so much in the last 3 years that I've known her.

*We were lucky enough to be asked to babysit my boss's dog over night. We were ecstatic when friends asked us to watch their plant a few months back while they vacationed. Nobody ever asks us to take care of anything, and it's good for us... we need the practice. :) We aren't huge pet people, but considering Coco is the size of a mouse, we figured we could handle it. She was lots of fun and we had a blast having her running around our house.

That brings us back to Mon... Labor Day 9/7-

*After temporarily losing my husband for most of the day and having a slight panic attack, we capped off this fantastic week feasting here on sushi and other yummies with the Duncans.

The perfect end to a pretty fantastic week.

Things still to look forward to in the next couple of weeks...pedi & glitter toes, dinner with my high school besties, haircut, another sis's b-day, brother's birthday, more niece & nephews birthdays, 3 weeks off work, Italy, Greece and Turkey, more BYU wins and a new baby girl coming to bless my cute nephew and his darling wife, just to name a few. Life is good indeed!

Happy Anniversary!

There couldn't be two greater examples that I could look to, as to how to live my life and the things that should be important to me.

And I couldn't love them more!

Tastes of the Season...

mmmm...

chocolate chip zucchini bread

Another Testament

Check out the preview trailer to Another Testament, the follow-up project to Reflections of Christ.

It's incredibly moving and touching and I can't wait to see the completed project, with all the images, documentary and music! I've already heard a sneak preview of most of the music and it's amazing!

Mark your calendars...it's due out mid-October!

The Gold Bathroom Scale

We've been taking full advantage of the cooler evenings these last few weeks and taking regular evening walks. It's a great way to unwind with the mister and reconnect after the dramas of any given day. Last night, as we were returning from a good 3 mile stroll, CJ asked me if we had a bathroom scale anywhere. (going on vacation soon, we're watching the LBs)

Although we have now been in our house for over a year, we still have many boxes that haven't been unpacked as we continue to work on our room by room remodel/overhaul. It's not uncommon for either of us to forget what we may or may not have.

I quickly remembered the old gold scale. The one that has remained boxed up for at least 2 moves and since before we were married. I hurried down to the slowly shrinking pile of boxes and found the box of my "single girl bathroom stuff". I didn't have to dig very far into the box before I saw it... Grandma's Old Bathroom Scale. It didn't take me but a minute to remember exactly why I've kept it for all these years. You may remember a recent post about my beloved grandma, with her pearls and heels, her always painted fingernails and toenails and her perfectly polished persona. As I looked at this heavy old scale and held it in my hands, the imprints of her high heels were the first thing that I noticed. I could instantly picture her in her small master bathroom wearing her strappy heels and standing on her old gold bathroom scale. I don't know what color it was originally, but as long as I ever remember it in her bathroom it was painted gold, which perfectly fit my grandma. The dial is scratched and a little hard to read, the paint job is mediocre, I can see all the strokes from her paint brush and the paint is starting to peel in many places, but I couldn't help but think just how perfect it was. Looking at the old gold scale with her perfect little heel marks, I couldn't help but to laugh as the tears welled up in my eyes.

It was just the reminder I needed of the scale in which she has effected my life. She was the perfect example of what to do when life hands you lemons...

Put on some pretty shoes, freshen up your lipstick and make lemonade!

Yes, CJ.... we do have a bathroom scale and it's the most perfect one I can imagine!