Josh & Krystal

Take time to stop and smell the roses

2012-01-29T18:19:00.004-05:00

We are told that the weather this year is not normal. Hmmm, I think I like it. Josh noticed this blossom the other day. (I am so glad he takes time to stop and smell the roses!) It is beautiful. If it decides to be winter in February, I will be disappointed.

"Look at all these parts!"

2012-01-29T16:45:00.019-05:00

Even though Josh spends a lot of time at the clinic, I am glad that they (Mark, Alison, and Josh) get some comic relief. Josh downloaded his pictures from his phone to the computer. Ah, the resident's office. Close quarters. They have re-arranged, now Josh and Mark sit back to back. Good thing they all get along. It is tiny when there aren't 3 people in here. I call it the closet, not the office. In the lab, their favorite place! :) Hard at work. Dinner time. I wonder what time it was when this picture was taken... Thumbs up! Look at those tired eyes!! Uh, not sure what exactly is going on here. Hmmmm, late at the lab, again, huh? Safety First! Would you trust this face?! I don't plan on letting him have a mustache anytime in the future...especially a black one! Several months ago, I had 3 random visitors at work. I was taking my lunch and half way asleep in the break room when these guys came in. It was a surprise, and it made me smile. I think they had a good time on their little outing. As Josh would say, "Cool guys". Dr. Hall and Mark. This is a familiar sight.

"I hope I can take the electric blanket back."

2012-01-25T20:19:00.001-05:00

We were pretty sure that this would be our "First Christmas in Georgia". I was excited. I had the Christmas Eve dinner planned: turkey, au gratin potatoes, cheesy vegetables, rolls, dips, and pies. It was going to be D-licious! Josh found out on Dec 12 that sterilization would be closed at work the week between Christmas and New Years. He could stay and do the never-ending lab work, and try to stay afloat in this residency, or he could take some time off, be away from the clinic, and then try to catch up later. After getting the ok from my boss, we decided to go to Idaho for the 5th straight year for Christmas.

We flew home Christmas Eve. The Atlanta airport was DEAD! (Okay, it was the 1st time I stepped foot in that airport, but I am told it is busy.) All these years of traveling for Christmas, and we finally figure out that flying Christmas Eve wasn't nearly as stressful as trying to be home earlier.

The initial departure from the plane was a little "brisk", but we survived without freezing to death. I told LaDonna she wasn't allowed to make fun of us if we were cold all the time :) I love flying in and out of Jackson. So beautiful. And a great place for diverse people watching. The mountains are so beautiful, especially with snow. I have only gone "outside" when getting off the plane 2 other times (and those planes were tiny). I like it! "We aren't in Kansas anymore!" So unique!
Bryan was kind enough to pick us up from the airport. Kayson and CJ were so excited to see Uncle Josh. They insisted he sit in the back between them. It was cute and Josh loved it.
The Grand on a crisp winter day. Beautiful, wouldn't you say?
Christmas Eve was spent with Josh's family. Only Bryan and Cliff and their families were there. Still a pretty rowdy house full, but not even half of the family was there. Kayson and Brecken eyeing the counter full of candies, cookies, and pies. I love the look on their faces- that is how I felt too. There was tons of good food of course. How did I get so lucky to sit right in front of all of it?! I am surprised there were any leftovers... After dinner we went downstairs and started the Christmas festivities. Josh and Cliff. Nice shirt Josh!
I was teasing Braden about riding BMX bikes with training wheels. He wasn't amused. Playing some Christmas bingo. This was new this year. I thought it was great. The bingo Queen! The boys loved it! Brecken was concentrating. Bridger, Kayson, and Braden Kayson and CJ singing. They did a great job. Ah, the peanut gallery... We sang songs and read from the scriptures. It was a fun evening.
While we were singing, Santa left a sack at the door. The kids were excited for their Christmas pjs. Christmas morning was relaxed and we were able to enjoy a nice Christmas program at church. One of the musical numbers was a piano/organ duet from Handle's Messiah. It was beautiful.

Sunday evening we drove to my parents house. I made Josh pull over on the way so we could take this picture for Haley. This is the view on a clear winter day. The mountains look so clear and crisp. The sun was setting and it was beautiful. If only there was more snow to cover the brown!
My parents had no idea we were coming. I was nervous all day wondering if I should give them a call, or just wait til that evening. What if they called me? Do I answer and tell a string of lies? It was stressful! :) LaDonna and Bryant were the only ones at my parent's who knew we were coming. We planned to show up at my parent's just after they did. LaDonna wanted to see the look on Mom's face. We knocked on the door and when mom answered she said, "What are you doing here?!" It was perfect. We were so excited. It was so good to see everyone and spend time together. We spent the evening with my family singing songs and doing our family gift exchange. I felt like I was taking tons of pictures, but I don't know what happened. Brie, KayDee, and Brandon Bryant, LaDonna, Austin, and Kendall. I'm not sure what was said, but I am sure I said it-and it was funny. :)
Boise State's biggest fan. Austin was so excited! Kendall and Ty got scopes to mount on their guns. Kendall said, "Those squirrels don't stand a chance! Unless they are very far away..." We were laughing so hard. Josh, Ty, and Clay. (See Haley, he does wear the shirt!) Bryant and his new silk scarf. Nice!
Mom enjoyed her oven mitts. These were completely Josh's idea. He wanted to get some for everyone, and I am boring and said "no". Shucks! They really are cute and kind of fun. I like this picture of mom and dad- they sometimes have a hard time keeping their eyes open for pictures. This way, you can't tell. :) I told dad, "Don't blink! Keep your eyes open!" This is what I got. I guess you take what you can get. They have lovey eyes...
Later, we conned everyone into eating boiled peanuts. Not NEARLY as good as fresh ones- especially if Haley makes them, but they got the general idea: salty and soggy.
I should have made everyone sit in front of the tree for a family picture. What was I thinking?! Grrr. Next time, I guess.

The day after Christmas dad hooked up the team. Luckily it wasn't as cold as last year. I love it. It was beautiful. I thought these were good pictures.

That night we went to visit Grandpa Eddie. I am so dumb and didn't take a camera. Seriously! He is 95 years old (I think?). It was fun to visit with him. Josh was asking him questions. "What was your first car?" "When did you first get a wrist watch instead of a pocket watch?" etc. At one point a nurse came in to bring him his meds. We asked her if he behaved himself. She told us yes and that sometimes he was special. Grandpa got the silliest look on his face and of course we were dying laughing. It was priceless. Where is a camera when you need one? LAME!

At some point in the evening somehow electric fences were mentioned and maybe what would happen if someone were to pee on one (theoretically of course!) Dad got a silly look on his face and then came my favorite quote of the century, "Confidence is the feeling you get right before you do a dumb ass thing." Well said, Sir!

That night we were able to visit with Jack and Dannah and their kids too. It was a full house, but we missed Steve and LaDean (BOOOOO!) Cambree is too stinkin' cute, especially in KayDee's scarf and Brie's headband. She wasn't the center of attention at all... After she opened her present. Yes, she is very photogenic! She was a little shy at first, but she eventually warmed up, especially to Clay (after all, he did have a bag of Oreo's). This is after the Oreo's, can you tell? Poor thing, too many Oreo's! Hooray for the fat face ap, it entertains kids of all ages every time.
Alexis waiting to open presents. Sean with his new quilt from Grandma and Grandpa. Every little boy needs a coonskin hat! Dannah and Jack opening presents. I am not sure what Alexis is doing, but that is her in the pink pants. I hope she doesn't make a habit of that for every picture, but then again, she is Jack's kid! :)
Whew, I think I finally got pictures of everyone on here. We had a great time. It is always good to be with family. After we left Idaho Falls, we went for a drive to Bozeman. Then we met up with Josh's entire family the night before we flew home. I didn't take a single picture, and that is horrible. Josh and I both fell asleep on the couch without even playing a single game! We are boring!

The drive to Jackson the next day was long because the pass was closed. We had to go through Palisades, it was beautiful though. The sun even decided to peak out from the clouds. I realized how much I dislike the wind. Ugh. Oh well. Josh is pretty good at taking pictures with his phone while we are moving. Had to get our fill of mountains before we came back home. It was good to see everyone. Thank you for being you and making our time there meaningful.

There's a first time for everything

2011-12-18T19:29:00.009-05:00

This is the first time in my entire life I have purchased a tree from a Christmas Tree lot. Crazy! This is also the first time that we wore jeans and t-shirts to choose the above mentioned tree. :) 70 degrees is not too shabby. It seems odd, but I like it at the same time. How weird is that?! Deep down, I am missing the snow...until I think of the cold. Our tree looked like this for over a week. Ooops. I finally got it decorated.Not my greatest work, but it is still pretty. This is also the first December since Josh and I met that he isn't studying/cramming/going crazy over finals. That is how December has been for the last 9 years. Ah, this will be nice.

"We need a little Christmas now"

2011-12-18T18:55:00.017-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Macon. We love our friends there. Not only are they good company and kind enough to let us stay, but they are excellent cooks! :) I didn't take any pictures, but just know we had a great time. After we had sufficiently stuffed our faces, we drove to Pine Mountain, GA to see the Christmas lights at Callaway Gardens. Some of the trees with just colored spotlights were pretty. Winter wonderland. This was my favorite part. Swans on the water. The reflection was pretty. Too bad the picture isn't clear... We had a great time.

We have such a good time with our friends. Haley overcame many fears on this little outing. We even got her to sit on the bridge and we didn't get eaten by spiders. It was a Thanksgiving miracle! There was a bit of a melt down on the rocks though...Good thing her pants were tucked in her socks. The spiders and bugs would have eaten her alive! Baby steps. That is how we got her to go back to the rocks for "one more picture". Good thing- it ended up being her favorite picture. Already framed and on her mantle. :) We tried some pictures too. We laugh so hard when we go to Macon. We introduced our friends to the game of "Polly Wolly Bang Bang". It was a real hit! :) Luckily, we are still friends. Whew. We were a little nervous for a while. Thanks Burns' and Strandburg's for a wonderful Thanksgiving. We truly do have so much to be thankful for.

Rocks, Treats, Trains, and Snow!

2011-12-05T22:10:00.006-05:00

On November 12th we spent the day in Atlanta, Stone Mountain to be exact. The weather was beautiful and it was the first day of the Christmas Village festivities there. What a treat! So we spent the day just enjoying being together and these 3 not in the clinic. Lets see, how many residents does it take to read a map? Josh thinks he has figured it out, Mark is still not sure, and Allison doesn't care because she was having a good hair day. We saw the Polar Express (just parts of it) in -D. Nice glasses dudes. Us. This was before the movie started. Thus, before the motion sickness :) Actually, it wasn't too bad, but there were a couple of parts that got us. Sledding anyone? They were making snow- different from making water...just to clarify.
Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided not to hike to the top of Stone Mountain, we rode up instead. Nice ride, huh? Just enjoying the ride. So pretty... We made it to the top. Part of Atlanta in the distance. How do these trees grow on a solid piece of rock? This one didn't make it, but I thought it was pretty. Grateful for the fence for obvious reasons... Sometimes rocks are just made for you to kick back and relax. Classic. I love it. Time to play...and people watch :) These boys were running down the rock. The picture doesn't look as steep as it really was. Josh had to be ready with the camera to capture the fall, that never happened. Whew. :)I wonder where they are from... Copy cats We watched this guy walk toward us with the water bottle on his head. It fell right after I snapped the picture...Oops. Surely it wasn't our fault. Climbing back to the top. One last look at the view before we headed back down. After we were finished playing in the rocks, we headed to the put put course to see how awesome we are. We stopped taking score on hole #2. :) These 3 are excited can you tell. Allison and Mark didn't even plan the pose. I love it! It was a nice shot I am sure... Look at that form! He looks like a pro... After we were finished with our shortened game of golf, we went to a little show called Holly Jolly Cabaret. My favorite part was when they did a name that holiday tune. Josh was almost right when he guessed "Ding Dong Merrily Along". They felt bad for him and gave him the prize even though it was supposed to be "Ding Dong Merrily on High". Ooops. Oh well. We were excited that he won a funnel cake! :) We hurried to claim the prize. It was delicious. Josh even sweet-talked the lady to put 2 toppings on it. Funnel cake, peaches, and ice cream. Yummmm! Allison enjoyed her delicious treat. Mark was very excited for his treat. I liked this sign on the toy store. Well, what do ya think? After the treats and wandering through toy stores, we had a train to catch. After the train ride, we had to walk through the "winter wonderland". Well, we walked, Josh decided to do a little jig. This picture is classic. Thanks everyone for a great day and a fun weekend.

Rutabaga anyone?

2011-12-05T20:46:00.001-05:00

While Josh, Mark, and Allison were at the Georgia Tech game, Haley and I drove to Macon for the night, then we met up with them Friday afternoon (Veteran's Day). Friday afternoon, we ate at Janine's (southern cooking- it was delicious!). I had my first experience with rutabagas. They look interesting. I must say, they were delicious. Haley had to capture the moment. :) We had such a great time. When we walked into the restaurant, there was an older gentleman near the door. He was walking toward us and Haley told him there were 2 of us. The poor guy just smiled and kept walking. She thought he worked there and was going to seat us. Oops. It was so funny. We were seated and laughed and laughed. It was priceless. With our bellies full, we were ready to be on our way to Atlanta.
We were obsessed with the beautiful fall colors. I ♥ them! Here is a random picture as we left Macon. Haley was so focused on her driving. We met up with Josh, Mark, and Allison in Atlanta. Luckily it was a holiday and traffic wasn't as bad as it normally would be. (yikes!) Allison's dad lives in Atlanta and we were able to stay with him. Before we met up with Allison's dad for dinner, we had time to kill so we wandered in a few stores. We spent most of our time here... Kind of embarrassing. We are getting old and boring. At least it was relaxing. After we were completely relaxed, we met Allison's dad and had dinner. It was a fun evening and we had a good time at dinner. Lots of random conversations, during which the waitress would always walk into the room at interesting times. Too funny.

gggeorgia can get cccccold!

2011-11-14T20:21:00.009-05:00

Josh, Mark, and Allison needed to be in Atlanta for a lecture last Friday. They drove there Thursday night and were able to go to the Georgia Tech game. Unfortunately, it was probably the coldest night so far this fall :) hahaha! (I have to laugh at their misfortune, otherwise I would cry because I didn't get to go) Lets see, Mark wore Josh's coat. Josh wore his down coat, but needed something to block the wind. Allison was the only one properly prepared and let Josh borrow her fleece jacket to put over his coat. My goodness, it is a good thing they are all friends. If I had only packed his bag-he would have been so toasty warm. Oh well. Too bad for him. Raise your hand if you are a wimp- especially if it is cold... Nice jacket :) Wait a second- she took gloves, a scarf, and a warm winter hat!? What a genius! Allison and Mark- yes, they look frozen. Apparently it does get cold here sometimes. Who knew?!

We've got skills...

2011-11-06T20:09:00.003-05:00

Haley and I decided to work on a Thanksgiving craft. The great thing is that not only did we start the project, but we finished it! (What an accomplishment, eh?) It was fun and we enjoyed chatting and laughing together. Meet Tyrone the Turkey. That's right, Tyrone. This is the south, you know. By the way Dad, I still haven't ever heard the name Elrod....just thought you should know.

Happy Halloween!!!!

2011-11-06T12:20:00.024-05:00

The month of October has been great. I can't believe how fast it has gone by. Josh and the other residents were required to dress up for Halloween. After a lot of thinking they decided to be Johnny Depp characters. Mark was Edward Scissor Hands, Allison was a pirate (Captain Jack Sparrow), and Josh was the Mad Hatter. They did great. This picture was taken at the VA and it made me smile all day long. Would you want these characters working on your teeth?! Josh and I worked on his costume together. We studied pictures of the Hatter way too long, but it worked out. After a trip to Goodwill, a few sewing alterations, we spray painted his pants and jacket. We made his necktie and pink cuffs from blouses from Goodwill. The lace on his cuffs and the hat were from a tablecloth. Amazingly enough, he already owned the ankle boots-long story, don't ask. He got his hat and wig off of e-bay. The hat was tie-dyed pink, yellow, and blue until we got a hold of it. His finger-less gloves were made out of the scraps that we cut off of his pants. It was stressful, yet fun. This picture was taken at 6:45 a.m. It had been a long night and a crazy morning. Josh isn't used to putting on makeup- it takes some time!
We dressed up for our ward trunk or treat which was Saturday night. We invited Mark and Haley to come too. We had a makeup party at our house before we left. Mark and Josh wore the same costumes as the day before and Haley was herself- Oops, I mean a witch and P was the cutest little monkey with tons of energy! :) Aren't they such a cute scary family?! (Oh, Haley did the scars on Mark's face- not with her nails, but with makeup- they turned out great!) We saw this a lot: a running monkey and a furious witch :) Nice shoes and TIGHTS! Mr Edward Scissor Hands The Mad (and handsome) Hatter. Did I mention the running monkey? Josh was the Hatter, I was the Red Queen. We got my costume on e-bay. We had wigs and hats allover our dinning table trying to "shape" them. It was so much fun. Josh did my makeup. I was nervous, but it turned out and we had a great time. We got some stares as we drove to the church. It was priceless. The ward had a chili cook off and chili dogs for dinner. There were also games for the kids, a haunted house, and then the trunk or treat. We took our ghost to decorate our trunk. Too bad it wasn't quite dark enough for him to truly be appreciated. Aaahh. My favorite part of the evening was when Haley told us about the barking dog. P was running around and there was a lady there with a dog that wouldn't stop barking. Haley was so kind and apologized to the lady for the little monkey that was scaring her dog. The lady then said, "It's your face!" Huh? Haley took a good 45 seconds to remember her face was bright GREEN! Hahahahahaha! I love it. We were laughing so hard when she told us what happened. It is too funny. Definitely my favorite quote of the evening. Yes, she is scary AND evil! :) "It's not like we are going to be life-long friends"... ;) Mark showing us his scissor skills. Josh giving out candy. All the reasons I ♥ Halloween: my ghost, candy bars, Josh, and friends. Me and my twin :) We had such a great evening. We are so glad that Mark and Haley were able to come with us. We felt the same way as P when we had to go home. Poor little guy was being dragged by the witch. I guess all monkeys have to go to bed sometime. What a great Halloween! So much fun. Thanks for the memories!

Festivus for the rest of us!

2011-10-29T09:11:00.045-04:00

We were invited to the 6th Annual Burns Family Fall Festival. We have been looking forward to this for months and we were not disappointed. Haley's family does an incredible job at putting this together for family and friends. We went to Macon on Friday night and were able to help with setting some things up and last minute preparations for Saturday afternoon. Haley and I made treat bags, stuffed pinatas, and even managed to not ruin the boiled peanuts. Josh and Mark helped set up hay ride stuff and get things ready outside. :) We absolutely loved it! Josh and I felt like we had to contribute somehow. So, we brought bloody fingers (of course) and Josh provided sno cones; Josh was very excited. We had homemade syrup (Josh really got into this) in flavors FrankenLime, Witch's Blood, and BooRaspberry. Is he clever or what? The sno cones were a hit. We even convinced people to put cream on them. Delicious! (We can convince "these people" to do almost anything. We just have to say that in Idaho we do.... Then everyone thinks they must try it to be almost as cool as us!) Mark and Haley partaking of the goodness :) Cute! After getting our sno cones "to go" we went for a train ride. Honestly, Josh thought he was in heaven. Sno cones AND trains?! Mark and Haley Me and Josh. Not sure what the orange thing is on my shoulder...maybe it is a ghost?! Some of the decorations in the front yard. I loved this sign at the entrance of the driveway. "Dr. Killer Driller, DDS Agonizing Pain Guaranteed". Some of the spooks along the train ride. I must say, I hated this snake! It honestly startled me the first time I saw it. Ew! This may be one of my favorites. Isn't it gross? But it was perfect :) The witch- too bad she doesn't cackle :) One of the pinatas. Isn't it cute! Somehow the pinatas were forgotten- oh well. Hopefully next year. Two more house guests ;) Love these two! Mark and P. who was obviously bored with Mark's conversation. He just wanted to run and run and run...and he did! Josh and I didn't know a lot of the family and friends, but we entertained ourselves quite nicely. There were obstacle courses and slides. Josh got a running start and took a dive. I must say, the photographer was on her game. I love that his cowboy boots are also in the picture. Success! He made it through without getting stuck. Head first, through the entire thing. Round two... Nice! Trying to sit back up. My turn to try to show him how it is done. Ha! Oh yeah! Look at that form. Light at the end of the tunnel. We have so much fun together :) Next stop: the inflatable slide! Josh decided to not slide down, instead he bounced down. Unfortunately, there were younger people watching who decided to follow his example. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Yikes. That could have been bad. I had little sympathy for this guy when he woke up Sunday morning with a sore neck and back. Trying to set a better example...too late buddy. Haley's mama, Becky, going down the slide. Can you believe that all this fun was before we even ate supper. (That's right, supper. House rules. While in Macon, I will call dinner supper just to make them feel good.) After the fun on the slides and obstacle course, it was time for a break and snack. There were 4 huge pots of boiled peanuts. Yummmmm! I wish the picture could capture the delicious smell! I was craving these all week long and the anticipation was killing me! I decided to hang out by the peanuts for a while and enjoyed "several"...cup fulls. :) I ♥ them! It was a perfect setup. After several cups of peanuts, I was all salted out. Then it was time for something sweet. I helped myself to another sno cone, and then it was time for more salt. What a vicious, yet delicious, cycle! After lots of snacks and games, it was time for dinner...Oops, I mean supper. Greg and Becky thanking everyone for coming. Nice orange cup! :) We were listening intently. Me, Gary, Haley, Carol, P, and Mark. Gary and Carol are Mark's parents. We met them in Augusta a few weeks ago and they are great. So good to see them again, they make us laugh. The dessert table. The bloody fingers were a hit. It is a shame we can't get people's reactions to them on camera. After Haley put P to bed, she and Mark were able to play with us on the toys. Here they are racing through the obstacle course. Laughing at the end. (Haley, I think this should definitely make the 2011 picture board!) Great picture of Mark laughing at Josh. It was hard to take good pictures once it got dark. After we were finished playing on the toys we went on a haunted hay ride. Then we enjoyed some more sno cones and then got warm by the fire. This is the first time since we moved to Georgia that we have worn jackets. Crazy! Isn't the fire pit great? What a pretty fire. We had such a great time in Macon. We loved the food, people, and the memories. I want to come back for Fall Festivus in 2012! ;) We were told since the sno cones were a hit, we could come back next year. Whew! We made it "in"! Thanks so much to the Burn's family.

October = bLoOdY fInGeRs!

2011-10-28T18:28:00.009-04:00

I love making bloody fingers. I look forward to it each year. I call my sister as I make them and we laugh and laugh. We laugh at our family members (names withheld) that think they are disgusting, wrong, and gross. HA! It is art, really. We laugh as we remember the look on Grandma Robertson's face when she ate one for the first time. Sometimes I make 1/2 a finger, just for my mom. :) Ah, what a great tradition.Can it get any better than this? What is it about straight rows of bloody fingers that just make me smile? This is how they were arranged when we served them. Yes, they are fabulous!

A Muirvelous Birthday!

2011-10-25T20:11:00.029-04:00

Josh's birthday was last week. We went to Mark and Haley's and had a delicious meal. This sign greeted us at the door. Our friend thinks she is so funny. (But you must admit, she is very talented. We call her Monet II- that's how good she is!)

For the last couple of years it has rained on his birthday...not sure what that means, but we just go with it. The guys grilling in the rain. Since it was Josh's birthday I let him choose his own clothes without making him change. He chose a 1970's orange velour shirt that his dad wore a LONG time ago :) Nice, Josh. We were so excited David was able to join us. He is always working when we all get together. Allison and David Birthday boy enjoying his dinner. Let the festivities begin! I thought about going bowling or doing karaoke for his birthday. But, it was a "work" night, and Mark and Haley would have had to find a babysitter. It was easier (and most enjoyable) to plan something that we could do together at their house. Pumpkin carving it was! Luckily, Allison is a pro and a very good tutor. What you finding in there, Mark? He doesn't look a day over 31 :)I did warn him that he would probably want to bring a T-shirt in case he got too hot during the "activity". He didn't know what we were doing. So, if you noticed Josh is wearing 2 different shirts, you are correct. Mark still looking and Josh still digging... He finally found what he was looking for :) Haley wanted a piece of that. This is an awesome picture. I can't believe the seed didn't fall into her mouth. When not taking pictures of everyone else, I busied myself separating seeds so we could roast them. Playing with the camera. So glad we don't have to worry about "wasting film". All cleaned out. I must say, it was VERY clean. When the girls were done carving, we decided it was time for cake. There were so many candles! 7 matches later, we had a bonfire on the cake. Here is Josh spitting on the cake. I have decided I need to either make a larger cake so the candles aren't as close, or just do 1 candle and call it good. Success! Hmmm, this picture is a little hazy, I wonder why? Not to brag, but I made this pumpkin cheesecake from scratch. It was absolutely delicious! Doesn't this just make your mouth water?! Pecan and graham cracker crust, pumpkin,cream cheese, and crystallized ginger in the whipped topping. Just a little piece of heaven... Allison and her bat. Haley and her ghost. Mark and his mosquito (mascot for Georgia Tech) Hahahaha. Just kidding...it is a hornet. Josh took longer than most to finish his pumpkin. P even woke up and came out to join us for a while. P and Mark watching Christmas Vacation. For some reason it was on TV and for some reason we just had to watch it as we carved pumpkins. Finally, Josh and his masterpiece. A witch and her cauldron. Very impressive, wouldn't you say? Glowing pumpkins. We admired their hard work for a while. It was relaxing- kind of like sitting by a Christmas tree (maybe because we were watching a Christmas movie). I am very impressed. Thanks everyone for a great night! We had such a great time.

Pisgah

2011-10-14T18:42:00.002-04:00

For the last month, we have been looking forward to a backpacking trip together. Josh was excited since he has wanted to do this forever. I was excited because I knew it would be fun and I would get the entire weekend with my hubby. We drove to North Carolina and went into Pisgah National Forest (it is just south of the Smoky Mountains and was over an hour closer for us to drive).We got a late start, but it worked out just fine. The weather was beautiful! We were hiking in short sleeve shirts and enjoyed hiking along the creek. Oh I wish this picture looked as good as the "real" picture. The picture really doesn't do it justice. We had to cross the creek here. Not a big deal because there were plenty of rocks to step across. I could have sat here for hours and just listened to the water. This tree was growing out of this boulder. Crazy! The original plan was to hike a 15ish mile loop and camp for 2 nights. Unfortunately, we had to change the plan after Josh's knee started hurting. What a bummer! We took our time and just before dark we stopped to set up our camp. We weren't all the way to the top, but our camp was beautiful, out of the wind, and we thought it was great. Here are the best shots we got of the sunset. It was pretty, but hard to see through all the trees.
No campfires are allowed in this area. We took a little backpacking stove and it worked great. Handsome guy! Getting ready for bed...we had to get food, toothpaste, etc out of our tent. We decided to hang it from a tree out of reach of bears and other animals. Our last camping trip was in Ohio and the racoons were out of control. We didn't have trusty Mr. Bigz with us this time to scare them away. :) We woke up the next morning and it was cold, windy, and overcast. (Okay, we have been in Georgia for too long and anything below 60 degrees is cold now.) Josh was glad that he had his down coat, and his sleeping bag from Bulgaria kept me very warm during the night. Here is Josh lowering the colors. :) Hooray, our food survived the night and so did we! Pictures of our campsite in the daylight. The fall colors were gorgeous. Fall is my favorite time of year. Who would have thought that green leaves could turn bright red and orange? Getting ready to go back down. We decide the wise thing to do would be to go home the way we came. Sad but the smart thing to do. Going down the trail... More cool trees Water was running out of this log. "You owe me an acorn." We came to an area and several of the trees looked like this. How do they grow like this? I tried to get Josh to go put his head through the gap, but he wouldn't. Party pooper :) We had such a great time, even if it was cut short. About 30 minutes away from home, we passed this cotton field. I have never seen one before. I was very excited. I reminded myself of Maggie when she would get excited to see a huge wheat field or hay field. How funny. A closer look... We had a great weekend and can't wait to try it again. Somebody realizes he needs to do the exercises and stretches he was told to do to strengthen the knee...otherwise I will have to have fun without him. But wait, who would carry my tent? Hmmmmm. I guess I'll wait for him. :)

Hash, anyone?

2011-10-07T18:38:00.007-04:00

These pictures are a little late being posted, but we went to Sconyers with the Strandburgs a few weeks ago. We enjoyed ribs, pulled pork, turkey, potato salad, pickles, and hash. Everything was delicious. This was our first experience with hash. It doesn't sound very appealing. Who wants to eat something that rhymes with trash? Just to set the record straight, Josh and I shared this plate, but the waitress did give me the large spoon...I am still not sure what that is supposed to mean?! We enjoyed our soft peppermint sticks. There was a sign that said something to the effect of, "Only feed ducks in the water". Does that mean I have to stand in the water to feed the ducks, or only feed the ducks that are in the water? Just wondering... Group shot. Josh, Krystal, Mark, Preston, and Haley. Oh, we love our friends. The little guy had a great time, he just doesn't realize it yet. :)

A river, a factory, and a mountain

2011-10-02T20:56:00.049-04:00

Tuesday September 20 I took Sharon, Jen, and Kristie to the Augusta canals, also known as the Savannah Rapids park. It is beautiful here. This is one of my favorite places in Augusta. We were looking for turtles swimming in the water. We only saw a few. Kristie, Jen, and Sharon looking over the wall at the Savannah River. Poor Jen. I happened to see Jen standing on this little stool to see over the wall. :) I love this picture. I think it is hilarious! This is the Savannah River. After we were at the canal we headed to Mark & Haley's for "supper". Haley wanted to cook us a real southern meal and it was delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't take one picture there!?!?!? Grrr! She was a surprisingly efficient hostess and we had a great time. :) Thank you so much!
Wednesday, September 21 we headed to Atlanta to go to the Coca-Cola factory. I have only been to Atlanta one other time and we didn't venture anywhere near downtown. It was an adventure and it was great. Outside of the factory. Jen sure does make friends quickly. Cheers! We learned that the Coca-Cola logo was written free-hand by a bookkeeper. We even tried to imitate it on our own- no such luck.
An original bottle mold. I thought this was neat. Say "Cheese"! Why pay $30 for a picture that employees take of you with a bear, when you can con someone else to take the picture for you with your own camera!? I think it turned out cute. Coca Cola is an Olympic sponsor. Here are some of the more recent Olympic torches from the games. I thought they were neat. Now we are all rich and famous...not really. This is the American Idol couch from Carrie Underwood's season. Do I watch American Idol? No. But I sat on the couch. Doesn't that count for something? :) We watched a 3-D movie about trying to discover the secret recipe for Coca Cola. We got wet, got punched in the back, and a little car sick. Regardless, those glasses are awesome! The self guided tour stops with all you can drink Coca Cola from around the world. Some drinks were okay, others were horrible. After we already had a sugar high, we had to wash out the "foreign flavors" with the "real stuff". Now S-dawg looks really happy with her diet coke! :) The only thing missing from our afternoon was a river made of chocolate, a crazy guide, and a room full of bubbles. Oh well. The room full of many flavors and being able to take home a glass bottle of coke will just have to do. It made me feel like a kid just reaching in the prize chest... :) After we were finished at the Coca Cola factory, we drove to Stone Mountain. Luckily we escaped downtown Atlanta before rush hour hit. That could have been cRaZy! Stone Mountain is pretty neat. I am excited to go back. It was beautiful! Stone Mountain is the largest exposed piece of granite in the world. One side of the mountain has a carving in it. It is a monument for confederate soldiers. This gives just a little bit of an idea in the scale of this mountain with the lake and trees below. You can hike up to the top, but we didn't have time (and lets be honest, we drank too much coke!) Closer look at the carving. The 3 confederate generals are Jefferson Davidson, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. A 6' man standing would fit in the horse's mouth. It really is amazing to see. I can't wait to go back and take Josh with me :) We had such a busy week! We are so glad we were able to go so many places and just be together. Thanks for coming!

Boogie Boarding and a Bus tour

2011-10-02T19:55:00.022-04:00

Monday September 19 we ventured to the beach to play in the water. The day started out sunny, then was overcast again. We thought the water may be too cold, but decided to make the best of it. Cameron enjoyed most of our time there, sprawled out sleeping. What a great place to take a nap. Decisions, Decisions. To get in, or not to get in... Me, Sharon, and Kristie testing the water. We were actually glad the skies were overcast for most of our time there, otherwise we would complain it was too hot. We are hard to please! Sharon and I had to show the other two amateurs how it's done! :) Jen came out to join us while Kristie was with Cameron. Look at those awesome waves! Jen, Kristie, and Krystal. We didn't even coordinate the swimsuit color (Sharon felt left out). I guess great minds think alike. :) My turn with the camera while Kristie, Sharon, and Jen rode the waves. Then they were beach models. Such grace, elegance, and poise! While Sharon, Jen, and I were in the water Sharon felt something on her leg and screamed. Jen felt it next and started thrashing in the water also screaming. I was next in line and was very nervous because I didn't know what they were freaking out about. Then I felt it too. Luckily, we figured out what it was before I had to make a fool of myself as well. Some idiot was fishing on the beach. Yes, fishing. We found his line. I was laughing so hard! He was disgusted with us. We were equally (if not more) disgusted with him. He nearly caught the greatest prize in the ocean, but we were smarter than that. :) So, here is the fishing pole, abandoned by its owner, just for good times sake. After we enjoyed a few hours at the beach, we decided to drive to Savannah and do a bus tour. We were lucky enough to arrive just in time for the last tour. Jen and Sharon Kristie and Cameron It was interesting and some of the old homes are beautiful. I liked the iron-work on top of this building. I thought this gate was beautiful! Another live oak tree. This one is really old and big... The curved entrance and front door on this house were unique. The picture is hard to really tell what is going on, but I liked it anyway. Home for sale! This little beauty is just that: LITTLE! This is the smallest home in Savannah. Just over 500 square feet, with a detached bathroom in back. Any takers? Oh, I forgot to mention the price tag; it is listed for $275,000! Yikes! I am glad the road sign and the garbage cans out front provide some sense of scale. This is the oldest home in Savannah. There are many pirate and ghost stories to go along with it. These windows were kind of creepy and cool at the same time. After our tour we headed to the Paula Deen restaurant for dinner. Sharon, Kristie, and Jen enjoyed their meal. By the time we got there I did not feel good. I ate about 5 bites and was finished. What a waste! I think being in the heat all day, not much salt and not enough water made me sick. I sat there and tried not to look at food or smell it. Blah! I slept all the way home to Augusta and Tuesday we relaxed for most of the day and just enjoyed not being rushed to go places.

The beach, a plantation, and a swamp

2011-10-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

We love visitors and were able to meet Kristie, Cameron, Jen, and "S-dawg" at Hilton Head for a great weekend, then they came to Augusta and we got to hang out here. Unfortunately, they brought colder weather with them. What a bummer. We made the most of it and enjoyed our time together. Saturday September 17 we walked to the beach. It was overcast and windy, so we were't there very long. Uncle Josh and Cameron. This little guy loved the water and waves. Ahh, to be young and carefree... Sharon, Jen, Josh All the kids :) Krystal, Josh, Cameron, Jen, and Kristie Kristie found these cute shells in Charleston, and decided to carry them around all day so she could take them home to Lexie. She put them in a plastic bag, and then put them in her purse, until Friday night. It wasn't until she showed us her treasure at 11pm Friday night that she discovered she had 2 pets, not 2 shells. Notice the legs? Look again... So, the hermit crabs spent the night in the sink, while Sharon spent the night worrying they would climb out. It was pretty funny. Kristie dropped her toothbrush on the tile floor in the bathroom Friday night. Sharon was in the living room panicking because she thought the crab crawled out of the sink and fell onto the floor. I was laying in bed trying so hard not to laugh out loud. It was priceless.

The walk back to the condo. Just chillin' like a villian. Since the weather was less than ideal, we decided to drive to Tybee Island and eat at the Crab Shack. We were there in June and ♥'d it! We thought we better go back because anywhere else may be a disappointment. Waiting for our supper :) Taking a walk before dinner. It was beautiful. You can see the Tybee Island lighthouse in the distance. Cameron was on Josh's shoulders until this happened. I still don't know how Josh managed to come away clean. Not even a drop on his hat! In Josh's words, "That was lucky!" I thought this was a cute picture of Kristie and Jen. Dinner is served! It makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Delicious! I am not sure what Josh is doing in this picture, but it is a classic Joshua C. picture :) Just being silly. I love this picture of Cameron. What a little stinker! Precious! We got to feed the alligators too. It was a fun day.
Sunday we went to church in Hilton Head and then drove, yet again, to Savannah. We went to Wormsloe, an old plantation. It was beautiful. The original house is not standing, and the family house there now is not open to the public. But we walked on the grounds and enjoyed the day. I would love a driveway that looks something like this: live oak trees and Spanish moss. Absolutely beautiful! Oh, an entry like this would be okay too, if I didn't have strangers standing in it taking pictures. Josh took over with the camera. We walked to the old plantation. Here is what is left. Me and "tired eyes" at the foundation of the Wormsloe house. Did I mention that the trees here were absolutely beautiful? We braved the swamp...ha ha. We did hear some splashes in the water. Still don't know what it was!? We watched a guy making pewter spoons. It was interesting. Pouring the melted pewter into the mold. When the shininess is dull, the mold is ready to open. Tada! After visiting Wormsloe, we went into Savannah and had dinner. We ate at the six pence pub. The food was delicious, as was the giant eclair. Yummm. The store front was cute with the red phone booth next door. Us girls headed back to Hilton Head and Josh drove back to Augusta for work Monday morning. :( We missed him for the rest of the week.

The color RED

2011-09-04T22:09:00.007-04:00

Lots of things are red. It is a great color that can mean many things: love, heat, warning, anger, embarrassment, etc.
We were with friends ready to dig in to a delicious meal of hamburgers, pasta salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and deviled eggs.

One of our friends, we'll call him Mark, was so disgusted to discover that we had kroger ketchup instead of Heinz. The conversation, with someone else that we will call Josh, went something like this:(not word for word)

Mark:"Where did the Kroger ketchup come from? We still can afford to buy Heinz ketchup. We can spend the extra 50 cents to get the good kind."
Josh: "Oh we brought that." (said in a joking, sarcastic voice. Trying to make a joke as usual)
Mark: Promptly goes to the fridge to retrieve the "real" ketchup.
Josh: finished his joke and then says, "Just kidding, Mark. I don't know who brought it. Krystal, did we bring this ketchup?"
Krystal: "Yes."
Mark turned a very deep shade of red. He was so embarrassed- he matched the ketchup. The red glow wouldn't leave his face. He eventually had to leave the room for just a minute as the rest of us continued to laugh...hard. Poor guy. It looks like we will be buying him ketchup for Christmas. I haven't decided which kind yet...

By the way, the kroger ketchup was delicious.

I'm a little brown frog, swimming in the water...

2011-09-04T21:51:00.004-04:00

This residency is hard. There, I said it. It is such an incredible experience and opportunity for Josh. We are grateful every day to be here. I am even more grateful when he comes home and we can spend an evening together. Friday night we went canoeing, ate dinner on a dock, and just listened to the beautiful sounds of the frogs, crickets, birds, and other nameless critters. We looked at the stars and were able to talk. It was great. We heard a HUGE splash nearby several times- I like to think it was a beaver because it was too loud for a fish and I didn't want to think about alligators! Me and Josh (did I mention Josh had only gotten maybe 4 hrs of sleep the night before?) Poor guy is exhausted. There were beautiful houses along the river. We got there when it was too dark to take any good pictures, but this was the view across the river from us. It really was a beautiful evening. Thanks Joshua C for a great date. ♥s you!

Shave and a haircut, two bits!

2011-09-04T21:40:00.006-04:00

Josh needed a haircut. Who better to see than a one-eyed "hairologist" named Kool? Kool works at the VA. Apparently he likes to cut hair, wink at the girls with his good eye, and talk on his cell phone- all at the same time. Some of the previous residents and the program director have had Kool cut their hair; others simply refuse. Josh joined the brave as he let Kool take the scissors to his mop. He looks pretty nervous... It turned out okay- not the greatest, but not the worst either.

Birthday Bash

2011-08-14T21:16:00.017-04:00

Last night we went out with friends for Allison and David's birthdays. Allison works with Josh. We went to Miyako Japanese Steakhouse. We enjoyed ourselves; there was an incident of a glass of water being knocked over, somebody asked the chef if he would make a volcano out of onions, and Mark has a new nickname. "Oh" and we had our first glimpse of gypsies in Augusta. Interesting. Here are some pictures of the group (of us, not the gypsies, sorry). Mark & Haley (he also works with Josh), Matt & Leigh, Birthday boy David, and Birthday girl Allison. Other end of the grill: Allison, Mandy, Krystal, Josh Ahhh, David and Allison with their birthday treats. The pineapple was delicious. Meet Mark & Haley. Mark works with Josh and Haley and I keep each other company and somewhat sane during this crazy year. She seriously makes me laugh...a lot...and really hard, "bless her heart"! After dinner we went to David and Allison's house for some rock band. It was great. We found out that Haley has a great singing voice, and her performance on the drums had the highest energy...oh wait, no that was someone else. Oops! Maybe next time:) Mark, Josh, Haley, and Allison Krystal, Haley, and Allison Mark gave the evening a thumbs up! After the rock concert was over, we played XBox Kinect. It was fun. We look like idiots, but we had to jump and lean to steer a raft, plug holes in an aquarium, pop bubbles, and duck and jump over bars in an obstacle course. Such concentration and focus... Just goofy... Here is my biggest fan. :) It was a great evening and fun to do something fun with friends.

Another Bike Ride

2011-08-14T21:01:00.007-04:00

We went mountain biking again last weekend. We planned on leaving our house early to beat the heat, but of course that didn't happen. Josh had to replace the brakes on his bike, then he discovered his chain was broken, so by the time we got to the trail it was hot. Here are some pictures. (Obviously this is before the ride...we are still dry.) We didn't go for a very long ride, but it was so hot we stopped more than 1/2 way through and cooled off for a bit. The heat index was up to 104...maybe that is why we were dying! Josh turned the tracker on his phone, here is what the trail looks like on a map. The Forks Area Trail System (FATS) is the name of the trail system. It is in South Carolina about 7 miles from our house. There are several loops in the trail system. We happened to go on the skinny loop that day. It was fun, even though it was very hot.

Festive treats...

2011-07-31T17:53:00.008-04:00

My mom gave me a new cookbook for my birthday. I made a new cake recipe a couple of weeks ago. Not only was it beautiful, it was delicious. I followed the recipe almost perfectly (I even measured the vanilla instead of just dumping it in) and it turned out great. These pictures make my mouth water. Unfortunately we ate half the cake before I thought to take pictures :) Remember me talking about boiled peanuts? Haley made some just for us (who are we kidding? They love them too so it wasn't so difficult to make a great big pot!). They were pretty tasty! Picture is a little blurry, but you get the salty idea.
After the cake and the peanuts for a couple of days, we felt like we had to do something to prevent heart failure, so we went for a mountain bike ride. Georgia has some great trails. Unlike Columbus, they are very close to our house. This one is only 7 miles away. It was great. On an earlier blog post I think I mentioned that I haven't taken any pictures in Georgia. Still true. These pictures were all taken with Josh's phone. Pretty nice- especially since he ALWAYS has it with him. :)

Trip to Idaho June 2011

2011-07-31T09:51:00.013-04:00

After we went to Savannah and Charleston, we flew home with Sharon to visit family before Josh started work July 1. I was horrible at taking pictures-especially in Idaho Falls-(as usual) but we did take a few. Josh pulled these kids in the wagon. They loved it. The kids on the porch swing. Not sure where Ty and Kendall were... Josh and Cambree- the surprised look on both faces was not planned. We visited Grandpa Eddie, but LaDonna and mom have those pictures. :) We had a great time. We had smoked pulled pork sandwiches and were able to visit with Tobe, Glenn, and Jennie for a while. It was a full house but we enjoyed it. The night before we left, we took mom, dad, and Clay to Sundae's. The 5 of us devoured a lot of ice cream and toppings. It was delicious.

While in Idaho, we spent time with Josh's family at the Playmill. We saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I love that show, but the last time I saw it was definitely better. It seems like whenever we go home, we persuade everyone to play some of the awesome games we have recently played in Ohio. Last year it was minute to win it. This year, we played reverse charades. It was pretty funny. The guys made a miraculous comeback to win by 1 point. Grrrrr! Somehow I am sure they cheated :) Not sure what they are doing here, but Jake and Blaine are pulling the same face. I think it is funny. Its almost as if you can see Sharon's baton and hear the crowd cheer ;) What a pro!
I love playing games with Jen- she gets so animated. I honestly can't remember what we were trying to do... After the game we went outside and tried our luck at a family photo by setting the timer on the camera. I thought it turned out okay considering we were just looking at a camera on a tripod. Roger & Sharon and their grand kids. We had a great time. Thanks to everybody. We enjoyed being with you all.

After Josh started his residency on July 5th, we now realize we probably won't be back home until next July. So that made being with everyone even more special. We missed seeing LaDean and KayDee, but hopefully next time we can all be there :)

Learn to speak Georgian, MmmHmmm

2011-07-28T22:10:00.010-04:00

We haven't taken any pictures since we have been in Georgia, but we have learned some great phrases from some great friends. These same friends, we'll just call them Mark & Haley, were a little distraught that I hadn't mentioned them on my blog. (Not that it matters, they don't even have a blog...) But, just to humor them (and myself), here are some things we have learned from them:

1.Boiled peanuts are delicious!
2.Being a proper hostess when you have company over is a lot of work.
3.Yes sirree Bob!
4.Saying "yes ma'am" is just being polite.
5.Mom = "Mama". Not matter the age of you or your mama.
6.The last meal of the day is supper. I was curious and asked if they called the big meal at the end of November "Thanksgiving Supper". The answer was no. WHAT? Let's be consistent, shall we?
7.People grow "hairy dust" on their antique china cabinets.
8.Everybody has a junk drawer, some are just junkier than others.
9.In 1982, Haley, Josh, and I were "hardly born". As opposed to all the way born?
10.There is a difference in how you say the names Don and Dawn. Who knew?
11.Apparently we say the word "both" weird.
12.We had to explain what a swimmin' hole is to people in Georgia! Apparently not everybody is a redneck. They assumed we meant swimming pool. Wrong.
13."I'm fixin' to..." is just another way of saying "I'm going to..."
14.MmmmmmHmmmmmm is kind of like the period at the end of a sentence. MmmmmmHmmmm
15."peCAN pie"
16.Great minds think a like. For example, we got together and ate pizza last weekend. I quickly chopped some veggies and made dip for a veggie tray. We got to their house, and Haley had also chopped veggies. It was pretty funny.
17.Apparently Josh says "oh" a lot. It is even better when Haley mimics him.
18.Y'all
19.Haley knows 2 kinds of people. "Y'all's people" and "Her people".
20."kiss it!"-the best comeback that we have heard. Whenever we make fun of Haley, that is what she says. It is so funny.
21."You aren't rememberin' right..." This is the polite way to say "You are dead wrong!"
22.It is so good to have friends to laugh with and enjoy awesome games like Acquire and the Farming Game :)

Pictures to come as soon as I decide to take some.

Florida Trip...."Zing!"

2011-07-17T17:37:00.000-04:00

We met our wonderful friends the Jumps in Florida for the "vacation of the century". We had such a great time. We were in St. Augustine and were also able to meet some of Stephanie's family. This was my first time to the sunshine state and it was great. St. Augustine is only a 5 hour drive from our house. The drive isn't bad either. I am used to 5 hour drives to Boise across the desert, but this really was beautiful. For the first 2 nights we stayed at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort. It was an awesome place, but we failed to take a picture. (lame, I know) We did take pictures of the trees on the way back to St. Augustine. This one is through the windshield, but it is still amazing to me. Backseat buddies. Cool shades, dude, especially pre-superglue. Our handsome driver :) Cheesin' it up We did a St. Augustine trolley tour which ended up being dumb. I want a tour that will teach me about the history...whatever. We went to the fort and that was neat to see. Here is some info about it. The fort was made up of tiny little seashells. Assuming Dave doesn't have an unusually large thumb, here is a close up of the shells. They really are tiny. Outside the fort You can still see cannon ball holes in the walls. Dave & Stephanie Josh & Krystal Friends...(sniff, sniff, sigh...) View from the fort. Notice the lighthouse? Cannons fired from here could easily reach the lighthouse. The bridge is called the bridge of lions, it was also pretty neat. Just hangin' out

Here we are enjoying lunch on St. George Street. We went into some random Mexican restaurant because they were giving out samples on the street and it was tasty! We thought the food was delicious, but the Jumps are wimps and it was too spicy...boo hoo! :) After we finished sight seeing downtown, we enjoyed 2 days at the beach. We spent one day at St. Augustine beach and then went to Crescent beach the next. The waves weren't great for boogie boards, but we still had a great time. Us Wait a minute, how did THAT get THERE?! I am discovering that we were horrible at taking pictures on this trip. Bummer. We had a great time. We met Stephanie's sister and her family. We had a fondue dinner (affectionately known as the "fun dinner"), the guys went fishing in the ocean, we had a fish fry, we went to a girls camp fund raiser, we went to dinner with the Collins, Dave was kicked out of a band, and Josh was a guest on a radio show (for real!). Whew, we were busy and enjoyed every minute. Josh and Dave also got to show off their artistic skills and drew this picture so the kids could put stickers on it. Who are we kidding? These 2 are just 2 kids, but they did a pretty good job.
Before we left we went to the St. Augustine lighthouse. It was awesome! I really enjoyed it. Stephanie was sick that day and was a good sport and came along with us. These trees outside of the visitors center were awesome! Okay, 3 people in the picture are ok too. Have I ever mentioned I love lighthouses?! My hands were so full. Phone, camera, walking tour device, map, purse...yikes. This is inside the lighthouse looking up towards the top and Dave is looking down at Josh. The black spiral staircase was pretty neat. We timed it right and climbed the stairs while it rained. "It's a brazzle dazzle day. So throw off the past and everything in it..." The 4 of us crowded in to look at the lens. The pictures aren't very good, but this is it. I think this picture is hilarious. As everyone was looking up trying to look at the lens I held the camera up above my head and this is what it got. HA HA! Everyone is so focused, I love it. This picture makes me laugh. Josh and Dave so focused on their self guided tour. Just one more picture :) Thanks to the Jumps for planning everything and letting us tag along with you and your family, we loved it. We drove Dave and Stephanie to the airport and then we drove to our new home. It is weird that they don't live across the street anymore. Look, whatayatalk. I am going to miss all the recipe swaps, simply salted popcorn and milk duds, and watching awesome shows like Jewel of the Nile, Benji the Hunted, and My Side of the Mountain. Ahhh, such good times. We miss you so much already! :(

Charleston, ya'll

2011-07-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

After visiting Savannah, we headed to Charleston, SC. It was so hot and humid, but we managed to have a good time. We did a bus tour of the city, toured an old mansion, and went to Fort Sumter. Here we are on the bus before the tour. It was early enough in the day that my makeup was still on my face :) Ready to go. Charleston is such a neat city with so much history. Our tour guide was awesome and we really enjoyed our time there. Here is the typical Charleston style home. Close together, facing specific direction, porch or piazza with private entry so women would lift their skirts and cool off if needed. Wentworth Mansion- it used to be a private home, but now it is a hotel and restaurant. Beautiful! The picture through the window doesn't do it justice. Notice the open arm staircase to the front door. The women would walk up one side and the men would use the other. That way the men wouldn't have to see the women's ankles as she lifted her skirt to go up the stairs. My, how times have changed :) Charleston has a lot of wrought iron fences. These one at the church is so pretty with the red door behind. The old jail that is supposedly haunted by the first woman to be hanged there. The police station used to be here, but they couldn't handle it and moved across the street. The law in Charleston is that if a building is over 75 years old, it cannot be torn down. So here it sits. It looks creepy, but neat at the same time. What a warm and inviting entrance... This is a civil war submarine, H.L. Hunley. It was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship and that was in the civil war. It held 8 men and used candles for light inside. When the candles would go out because of lack of oxygen, it was time to go to the top and get some air. On the ferry to go to Fort Sumter just catchin' some rays...and it was HOT! I refilled the water bottle 4-5 times once we got to the fort. Too much heat for me. Fort Sumter was very interesting to visit. I have always liked history and seeing places that were important in history is a treat for me. Fort Sumter is where the civil war began as the first shot was fired here. The fort used to be 3 stories. The top 2 have since been destroyed. It was interesting to learn about the different flags that were flown over the fort. This is the flag that was flown over the fort until 1861 when the confederate army took over Fort Sumter. This is the mansion that we went through. It is called the Aikin-Rhett house. It has stayed in the same family since the 1830's and was recently sold to the historical society. They restored the outside, but they are preserving the inside. (No pictures of very old interior with original floor, paint, and family furniture). We were able to take pictures of the back courtyard. This is the back of the house with the slaves' quarters on the left and the stable on the right with more slaves' quarters above. The back yard you can see the doors where the carriages would come in. The little "building" on the left in the corner was the outhouse- the salves used one on the other side of the courtyard. We had to stop here- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We did some window shopping, sampled more free pralines, and did lots of walking :) We even walked 2 miles to our hotel one night. Luckily we talked to the firemen and they told us it was a good route and the neighborhoods were okay. Just taking a break- just looking at this picture makes me tired :) I dragged Josh and Sharon to Morris Island to see the lighthouse. We waited until later in the evening to go (good idea!) here is Josh driving. He looks so angry! Seeing this would make anybody happy. It was absolutely beautiful!
Charleston was beautiful and we had such a great time. (The food is fantastic too!) We can't wait to go back and it is only 2-1/2 hours away.

Savannah and Tybee Island

2011-07-03T19:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Travelers. We had such a great time!

We went to Savannah, Georgia. It was beautiful. The Spanish moss on the trees is so pretty, the pictures really don't even begin to do it justice. We walked through some of the historic district and the waterfront. Outside Paula Deen's kitchen/ restaurant. We did lots of walking. The cobblestone street was pretty neat. This was by the riverfront We stopped and got something to eat. There is nothing like FRESH seafood! It was soooo good!
We also stopped at candy stores- they all gave out free praline samples. A little taste of heaven. Looks like Sharon is just a kid in a candy store :) Beautiful sunset Echo square- this was kind of random. If you stood on this square and talked, you could hear your voice echo echo echo. It was kind of crazy crazy crazy. (Oh, the ice cream cone is not required- just an added bonus in the picture for your viewing pleasure) Not a complete post without a self portrait :) Say Cheese! Now we know for next time that we need to brush up on our history, go on a guided tour of the city, and not let Sharon tell you that if you pull the moss off the trees you can go to jail or be fined $200. (So stupid! But she sounded so convincing! Little does she know I was going to put on her head as a wig!)

The next day we went to Tybee Island which is Savannah's beach. It was so much fun. We were boogie boarding and eating fresh peaches and just taking in the sun. (Some more than others- Josh is the pro at putting on sunscreen. His mother could take some lessons from him!) Hmmm, peaches! Riding the wave! We also saw the Tybee Island Lighthouse. We were too late for the tour, but we got a picture and that will have to do for now. After the lighthouse, we were off to the Crab Shack- where the elite eat in their bare feet! This place was amazing and we each had more than our fair share, but it was delicious! (Sorry for the lack of pictures- my fingers were fishy and the food was too good to eat cold!) We had such a great time, and we will be going back- it is only 2-1/2 hours away :)

The Summer of George

2011-07-03T18:36:00.000-04:00

It has been the month of vacations. Just to re-cap:
May 22- Drive to Myrtle Beach
May 27- Drive home from Myrtle Beach
May 28- Robertson's arrive
June 1- Robertson's leave to go home
June 3- Muir's arrive
June 5- Graduation
June 6- Roger leaves to go home
June 7- Josh, Krystal, Sharon start driving to Georgia
June 8- Arrive in Augusta
June 10- Drive to Savannah
June 12- Drive to Charleston, SC
June 15- Josh, Krystal, and Sharon fly to SLC and then drive to Idaho
June 21- Drive to SLC so we can fly to Charleston, SC and then drive to Augusta (Fitting that is was the summer solstice aka the longest day of the year...amen!)
June 23- Josh has orientation and VA dinner for residents that are leaving and introducing new residents
June 24- Drive 5 hrs to St. Augustine Fl to party it up with the Jumps and Collins
June 29- Vacation is officially over at 6 pm as we drop Jumps off at airport then drive 5 hours to get home

Whew....Still trying to play catch up!

2 days after Josh's graduation, we moved from Columbus, Ohio to Augusta, Georgia. It was sad and hard to leave such great friends, but we are excited for the adventures that lie ahead of us. We ate at Bone Fish grill before everyone went their separate ways. The guys- scary that they are supposed to be professionals now. The ladies My work also had a farewell party and we went to lunch at House of Japan. Delish!! Here is the SFP group! Me and Erin Me and Elaine. I am going to miss these ladies!

Muirs in Ohio

2011-06-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

Josh's parents came to Ohio for Josh's graduation. On June 4th we decided to switch things up a bit and go somewhere that we hadn't gone before. We drove to Zanesville and went to the Wild's and took an open air safari ride. It was a lot of fun. Sharon, me, and Josh looking at something wonderful and dangerous I am sure... Roger and Sharon- nice hat by the way ;)
Josh got a new phone. This is what he looks like these days... for real. We had so much fun. Here are some of the animals we saw. Sorry, it has been too long- the official names are out of my brain. Rhino Camel Donkey Devil Dog (some kind of an African dog-they are supposedly REALLY mean) Notice the sign? "...If you fall the animals could eat you, and that would make them sick." WHAT?!? What about the person that fell? Whatever. Cheetah
Giraffe Type of Antelope? Deer? Who knows? Zebra Other random pictures
We had such a great time. Thanks so much for coming!

Congratulations Joshua!

2011-06-12T21:11:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, June 5, was Josh's convocation at Ohio State. Since he was the class president, he had the opportunity to speak at the dental school graduation. He was a little nervous, but he did great- as I knew he would. I thought this was a great picture- I like to look at the faces of the professors behind him.
Friends. What a great experience the last 4 years have been in Ohio. We have made some incredible friends. It really is sad to see everyone (ourselves included) move on. It was fun while it lasted. The guys in their dresses...I mean gowns. :) Back row:Nygetter, Clark, Dansie, Anderton, Beckstrom, Heaton, Perry, Jump, Muir, Baldwin Front row: Draney, Williams, and Davis. Unfortunately, there are a few guys missing in pictures.
The girls :) Josh and Tyler Dave and Josh Us and Roger & Sharon Now we are off to Augusta, GA for a year and who knows after that, but we are excited.

Robertson's in Ohio

2011-06-12T18:14:00.000-04:00

My parents drove to Ohio to visit us a 2 weeks ago over Memorial Day weekend. It was so fun to have them here and to show them just a taste of Ohio. Unfortunately we were packing and moving at the same time, but we still managed to do fun things too. We took them to Jeni's the first night they were here. I tried to get as much of the sundae menu in the picture as possible to make everyone jealous :) The black and tan sundae is still the best thing there :) and it makes people happy- see. Me and dad and mom with our friend that let us sample 4 flavors each and was so cheerful (the line was huge-I felt bad, but not really. I would be cheerful too if I worked in heaven...I mean Jeni's ice cream. We also went to Kirtland, Ohio and to Hiram, Ohio and the John Johnson farm. It was so neat. I will have to get some pictures from my parents next week. :)
After a long day of loading pods, we took another drive and went to "Amishville". It was pretty and the hills were just enough to make mom a little bit car sick :) Again, I will have to get some pictures from my mom, but here are a few that I liked. I thought the profile of the farmer working his field with his horses was neat. Kind of small, but it was neat. Can you see them bailing hay with a baler pulled by horses? We hadn't seen this before. Very cool. Car pictures- sorry they are a little blurry. We like to stop at Ohio's longest covered bridge whenever we go to Amishville. This time was no exception. Here we are walking towards the bridge. Josh the photographer We ended our drive by stopping at the temple for a picture. Thanks mom and dad for coming to visit. We had such a great time and thanks so much for helping us with our junk. :) More pictures to come...hopefully.

I'z goin to the beach!

2011-06-05T20:25:00.001-04:00

We went to Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago with other friends who are also graduating from dental school. We shared a condo-style hotel, took turns cooking dinner, and played in the water/sand and boogie boards all day long. It was great. We stayed at the Caribbean Resort and it was right on the beach. Here is our window/balcony. A look from our balcony. It was beautiful! We enjoyed 90 degree temperatures and beautiful sunshine. Us at the beach Josh riding a wave (fyi- it is harder than it looks- or I am just not talented in the water :) ) We got up early on 2 different days to see the sunrise. Not quite as spectacular as a sunset, but hey, we were in the east not the west- you take what you can get, right? It was fun. We found shells and Josh found a shark tooth ("for sure!"). Ah, nothing like an early morning walk on the beach. (oh, sunrise was at 6:03 a.m. :) Thanks for humoring me, Josh. My favorite picture. I took this by the pool at the resort just before we walked inside. I absolutely love it! So beautiful. One evening we went for a walk on the boardwalk just down from our hotel. Josh picked this flower for me...awwh! So sweet. We played a few games at the arcade and walked through a few shops. It was fun. Another evening was spent at Broadway on the Beach, which is a big outdoor mall with museums and restaurants around a lake. It was fun to walk around and enjoy the evening. Feeding the ugly fish. Josh and his little friend Tatum, she is so cute! :) Josh and me at Broadway on the Beach. This is the Wonder Works museum. It is built like it is upside down- inspired by Hurricane Hugo. Very clever. We didn't do the museum tour-we just walked inside and walked around the lobby for a while. We went to a put put course one afternoon with the Hunters. It was so much fun. I haven't played miniature golf since my junior year in high school. We had a great time. Here are some awesome pictures ;) Smile and say cheese! We decided to take pictures whenever someone hit the ball into the water. Here are the "pictures of shame": Shannon #2 :) Beau #2 :) Josh #1 :) Notice there isn't a picture of me :) We had a great time. Beau ended winning by 1 stroke, Josh and I tied for 2nd, and Shannon was only 5 strokes behind us. Thanks Hunters for a great afternoon.

One afternoon, Josh and I drove to Murrell's Inlet- South Carolina's seafood capital. It was 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach. We ate lunch at this jewel of a restaurant Shrimp, flounder, onion rings, and coleslaw. Delish!
One happy girl! Thanks Josh! ♥ Here is the entire group. Muir's, Hunter's, Bassett's, and May's. Thanks everyone for such a great time!

"Lots of people go to school for 8 years..."

2011-05-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

(Or even longer than that, no specifics...) As of Friday, May 20, 2011 Josh is officially finished with school! It seems surreal. He has passed his boards and he is good to go. We are so excited for the adventures that are in store for us. What an exciting time. Congratulations Joshua C on all your hard work. Now if we can just get that graduation speech ready for June 5... :) I ♥ you, Josh. I am so proud of you.

Graduation Party!

2011-05-23T22:03:00.000-04:00

Josh's graduation party was a couple of weeks ago. It was at the Park of Roses in Columbus and it was a luau themed party. Steven, Melissa, Josh, Jenna worked so hard for the party to be a success. Good job! All the students got to draw a gift card out of a box as they walked in the door. We need to go to Cheesecake factory now to use ours up :) Just hangin' out & goofing off. Random pictures of friends: The party was catered by Hoggie's, they had bbq pork, ribs, shrimp, baked beans, mac & cheese, and brownies/cookies. It was delicious and we took home lots of leftovers. It was a fun night visiting with friends and seeing where others are going to be in a month. Congrats!

"Amishville"

2011-05-23T08:55:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago we ventured out to Berlin, OH with the Jumps. They had never been to this Amish area, and we wanted to go again before me move. It was such a fun day. I seriously laughed until I cried most of the way there, and basically all day long. We always stop at Ohio's longest covered bridge on the way. It was a day of new favorite quotes and silly phrases. For example, quote #1 by Dave, "If I swang on that rope...." I don't remember the rest of the sentence because I was laughing too hard. Say cheese! What!?! Oh, this is what happens when Josh gets the camera! :) Nice... Favorite quote #2, again from Dave. After taking this picture he said, "I got a lot of belly in that shirt" (instead of shot). Again, very funny- you probably had to be there. O-H-I-O, take 2 Car ride. We had to explain to Dave that "Amishville" is a word that we made up. It is so much easier to say than going out to Amish country or Amish areas...it just sums it up much better. It was beautiful. We have had tons of rain and so it was such a vibrant green. Love it. Love pictures through the windshield... We had a discussion about how the amish would say certain phrases. For example, we say pedal to the medal to say hurry up or drive fast. What would they say? After several suggestions, Dave again, came up with favorite quote #3: "Whip to the nip!" Followed by 2 minutes straight of Josh making cracking whip noises. Awesome. We are still laughing and can't wait for that T-shirt design to come out :) Who knows, maybe "whip to the nip" will make an appearance in a graduation speech. What's with the goat on the roof? Every time we drove past there he was. I thought it was a sign at first, but then he moved :) Incredible! Why?!?! I don't get it! Self portrait. Remember how Josh won the ipad at the mandiball in February? Well, we decided to trade it for a nikon camera. Ipads are cool, but we thought we would use the camera more. We really have enjoyed using it and I can't wait to learn how to use it for real :) We went to the cheese factory and then had dinner at the restaurant across the street, it was German/ Swiss food. It was delicious. Jumps & Josh ♥ us Thanks for such a great day! and all the laughs! :)

Mountain Biking

2011-05-16T20:04:00.001-04:00

These guys braved the wet and muddy conditions and went mountain biking a couple of weeks ago. They came back covered in mud, but had a great time. Josh, Beau, Matt

Easter Feast

2011-05-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

We had friends over for potluck Easter dinner. It was delicious! Here are some random pictures of the food (of course!). Sometimes we tease my brother-in-law for always taking pictures of food, I can appreciate wanting to preserve that memory. :) The Beckstroms, Cragans, Dansies, Hunters, and Jumps joined us for dinner. It was a house full, but so much fun. Waiting for the feast to begin After dinner, we discovered the Easter bunny had been in our back yard! The kids were so excited, and luckily came prepared with baskets. Here is our back yard just moments before the happy discovery. Here are some of the little ones. They were hilarious! Luckily there was no fighting over candy, pushing, shoving, etc. Whew! It was great.
All together. Awww! Too cute. Classic. Since we ate too much dinner, we had to wait a while for dessert (Stephanie brought 2 delicious treats because she couldn't decide which one to make). We played reverse charades, instead of 1 person acting and the team guesses, the team acts, and 1 person guesses. It was great. Oh, and the girls finally beat the boys! :) Deer, Reindeer, Antlers, I don't remember, but I am pretty sure we got it right.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2011-05-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

For my birthday, Josh made a delicious cake from scratch (recipe to be posted at some undetermined time in the future). We had friends over for cake and ice cream. It was fun, especially as it turned into a balloon fest. The kids were so funny. Thanks everyone for coming and for the great day. The birthday girl and her sweetheart-he looks pretty good after slaving away in the kitchen. He made dinner and the cake. He frosted the cake and decorated it with daisies, which are my favorite flower. He did a great job. It was delicious. HB is for Happy Birthday {he ran out of room :)} Josh and Brian- did I mention balloon fest? Classic.
What a great day! Thanks everyone for coming, eating our cake, and sharing all the laughs.

Birthday girls!

2011-05-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

We were in Georgia so we missed Stephanie's birthday party. What a bummer. We went to dinner when we got back and celebrated both our birthdays. Her birthday is 1 week before mine (actually 3 yrs and 1 week. I just wanted to clarify). Here we are enjoying our delicious chocolate desserts for our birthdays.

Road Trip

2011-05-13T19:49:00.000-04:00

Last month we drove to Georgia to find a place to live. The 9 hour drive wasn't too bad and the weather was beautiful. I love pictures of Josh as he drives (and I guess I am jealous that mine never look as good as his). See what I mean? Oh well. :) We drove through 6 states, including Ohio. Once we got there, we enjoyed 80 degrees and sunshine. It was perfect(remind me of that in about 2 months!) Last, but not least We should have stopped and taken a lot more pictures here, but these are great with the sunlight and color. It really was beautiful. This is at a park close to the river on the SC side. This is at a park not very far from our place. Bike trails, fishing, walking paths, I am excited! Our new home sweet home apartment complex. Mission accomplished. We are excited for our new adventure. Every heard of Jaxby's? We hadn't either. It is similar to Chic-fil-A. It was pretty tasty, so was the birthday cake milkshake.

Basketball Game

2011-02-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, Josh and 11 other friends went to Indianapolis for the Pacers/Jazz basketball game. They enjoyed the 15th row behind the Jazz bench. Unfortunately, these guys aren't into pictures...whatever. Here's what we've got. The rule was the guys had wear Jazz shirts. Josh printed his iron-on logo the night before put it on his shirt by himself. (I am a slacker...or a hard worker...whichever way you want to look at it- and went to bed) Nice job!
LaDean, just look at what you can do with a warm up suit! :)
Some of the guys
They went to dinner at a German restaurant before the game. I thought this looked cool.
They got coupons at the game for Hard Rock Cafe. They had a great time. Unlike the last "guys only" trip there weren't any black eyes or lost voices...that I know of...

Paper faces on parade...

2011-02-24T20:52:00.000-05:00

Josh and I went to the dental school's "mandi-ball" a couple of weeks ago. It was a masquerade theme. Josh made his mask (he was so excited to take an impression of his face). I borrowed one from a co-worker who went to Mardi Gras a couple of years ago. It was fun to be out with friends. Stephanie and me
Josh won an Ipad during the raffle. Wahoo! He was so excited. Thanks Joshua C. for a great date :)

Buckeye Basketball

2011-01-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night we went to the OSU basketball game with some friends. I had never been in the Scottenstein Center and was just excited to be there. We had great seats where we could see everything. :) Even though we were up pretty high, we still had a great time. By the way, this picture makes it look worse than it was. We had no difficulty seeing the ball or the game. It really was great. Zoom in just for fun.

Friends
Us
We played Purdue and ended up winning 87 to 64. I took a picture of the score board at the end, but the battery on the camera was dying so it is too blurry to even see. Bummer. Guess you'll have to take my word for it.

Would you rather....

2011-01-28T17:39:00.001-05:00

We played a game a couple of weeks ago with some friends. I had to read this question to the group, after reading it to myself and writing which answer I thought they would agree on. Boy, I was way off!

Here it is: Would you rather be stranded on a ski lift overnight in a snow storm.... or....be on a continuously moving roller coaster for 24 hours?

What would you choose?

Mr. Forgetful

2011-01-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after I got home from work, Josh called me to tell me a list of things he needed to do today. Not 15 minutes after he got home, he asked me what the things were on his list. I easily named 2 (the 2 that I was most excited about) but couldn't remember the other things. He was disappointed because he said he called to tell me so I could remember and remind him. Oh...maybe I should have been told that before he started to rattle off his list.

At 10:00 last night I remembered what the other thing was that was on his to do list. I was so proud of myself and glad that I could help him out. I got ready for bed and Josh came upstairs. He was suddenly disgusted with himself as he told me that he had been on the Internet but he couldn't remember what he needed to look up. After he got upstairs, he remembered. The rest of our conversation went something like this:

Me: "Are you just having a hard time remembering things today?"
Josh: "No, I'm fine."
Me: "Okay."

As if on cue, Josh got a text message from a friend. Josh read it and then I hear something like this:
Josh: "Ah, crap! I forgot to schedule that patient."

I tried for several seconds not to laugh, but I couldn't hold it in. Luckily, Josh laughed with me. Aaahhh, good times. Thanks for all the laughs! Almost 24 hours later, it still makes me smile...okay and laugh too.

"Remember New Orleans?"

2011-01-10T19:57:00.000-05:00

Josh and some buddies went to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Nothing says "tough guys" more than 5 guys in a mini van. :) They had a good time and were able to drive the 14 hours each way safely. Here are some pictures of their trip. What an adventure! They lost their voices, stayed out late, threw beads, and had a great time. Josh, Dallin, Shane, Brian, Dave A picture just for me...awhhh. That place must be awesome- I can tell by the name.
The night life on Bourbon Street
During the day...still chaos.

Dallin, Dave, Brian, Shane, Josh ready for the game
The super dome. Their seats were in the end zone. OH- IO!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

We had a great time on New Year's Eve playing games and snacking (of course) with friends. They have some little ones that were excited to ring in the new year, so they set their clocks 2 hours ahead and let the kids bang on pans outside at "midnight". It was so funny and a great idea. I'll have to log that away to use several years in the future. Here are some pictures of the night. Jami, Rachel, Stephanie, Amanda, Krystal Dave, Josh, Brett, Brian, Dallin
Happy New Year ♥

I don't know the name of the game, but it was kind of like charades- except instead of 1 person acting, everyone acts and 1 person guesses. Can you tell what they are doing? Need another clue?
The guys had to act out the Fourth of July. Dallin was doing his own version of a parade, the others were doing fireworks. It was such a hilarious game. The girls started out strong, but the guys made a huge come back and won. How do you act out "caveman" without looking like a robot and how do you act out "ceiling fan" without looking like a helicopter? Oh well.
Thanks for such a fun night. We are excited for the many adventures that 2011 will bring.

Wagon ride and an ice cream treat!

2011-01-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

We went to my sister's house the day after Christmas with all of my family (except for 1 sister and her family- boo! We missed you guys!)I think the mountains on the way to Leadore are beautiful! We had a delicious dinner, great company, and a little program that night. Then my parents slept in the living room with all the grand kids. It was so much fun! The next day we all played A to Z and creationary (pictionary but instead of drawing pictures you make the object out of Lego's). It was so much fun. I thought I was taking tons of pictures, but apparently failed to get pictures of all the things we did. The guys went hunting. Aren't they handsome?
We were laughing so hard as we watched Sean play with the cat. He kept trying to throw the cat off the porch. It was hilarious! We had a Christmas party with my dad's side of the family. It was fun to see everyone and to catch up on family news and what was going on with everyone. The next day dad hooked up the team and we went for a ride. It was a little chilly, but it was fun. We visited Grandpa Eddie and Aunt Norma. (I didn't take pictures with my camera- Josh took some with his phone that I will have to post later).
KayDee and Brandon all bundled up and ready to go. Clay and Ty (It was Ty's birthday. He is 16 years old!) Us
Bryant, Austin, LaDonna, Brie, Josh Kendall Kendall, Dad, Mom After the wagon ride we went to Sundae's and started a new family tradition. We got 6 pounds of ice cream plus toppings and whipped topping! It was a beautiful sight and tasted delicious! Thanks Mom and Dad! Dig in! You better act fast because this treat disappeared quickly!! Finished!...every drop! The caramel, hot fudge, and peanut butter toppings were delicious! Thanks to everyone for such a wonderful Christmas time at home!

"Christmas isn't just a day, it's a feeling"

2011-01-01T13:51:00.001-05:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Josh's family. After 2 days of baking we enjoyed a delicious meal. Then we sang Christmas carols, read stories, read the Christmas nativity, and were visited by Santa. It was a fun night. Some pictures of our shepherds. They were great.
Some more random pictures of the evening. This is us on Christmas morning, a little scary, but oh well. We are so fortunate to be able to spend Christmas with our families. The day after Christmas Kristie and Blaine's little baby, Cameron, was blessed. He is so cute and I was excited to meet him. Here are some family pictures after church. The entire family
Blaine and Kristie's family Us

Ski bums....for real

2010-12-29T17:42:00.000-05:00

Josh has been talking about skiing with Cliff for months now. They park at the Jackson Pass, hike up, and then ski down. These two bums were so fortunate that they were able to go skiing for 2 days. They even had the rare appearance of sunshine on day 2!

Day 2

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-29T17:06:00.000-05:00

Josh and I flew into Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The pine trees covered in snow were absolutely beautiful. I loved it. I turned tourist and took several retarded pictures, but I thought they were pretty. Enjoy! Josh's parents picked us up from the airport then we ate lunch at Billy's Giant Hamburgers.It was big, greasy, delicious, and I enjoyed every bite! I ate nearly the entire thing and most of my fries. Here are some random pictures.
Open wide! Billy's is a tiny little place. Here is the view from our seats. Yep, that is it. We sat around the grill and watched our meals cook.

Several years ago, we went to a hockey game in Jackson with some friends from BYU-I. That is when we were introduced to Billy's. I still can't believe how good it is.

We need a little Christmas now

2010-12-29T16:41:00.001-05:00

We went to the zoo with some friends after the boys finished finals. (Wahooo!) It was a lot of fun even though it was freezing cold and traffic getting there was a little cRaZy! Here we are enjoying the lights.

Santa was at the aquarium feeding the fish! Walking to the carousel Never too old to ride on a carousel.

Good News!

2010-11-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

Josh applied to an AEGD program and we found out last Monday he was accepted. We are going to Augusta, Georgia! We are so excited. What a relief to know where we will be going after graduation in June. Congrats Joshua ♥ I am so proud of you! We are so blessed. Thanks family and friends for your love and support.

Autumn Walk #2

2010-11-17T19:35:00.000-05:00

We went on another walk a couple of weeks ago with the Jumps and Glassmans. It was great. Unfortunatly there had been a wind storm a week earlier and most of the leaves were blown away. It was nice to be outside and Highbanks Park is beautiful.
We can't go anywhere without snacks. We had popcorn, peanut M&Ms, and apples. (Apples that the guys break in perfect halves with their bare hands...so impressive) Josh, Devon, Whitney, Dave, Stephanie
Group Picture. (Mr. Bigz is somehow cut out. Sorry)

"This Old Man..."

2010-11-07T18:07:00.001-05:00

Josh turned the big 30 on Oct 18th. I was singing the song "This Old Man" to him the night before. I thought it was pretty funny. Josh had a great birthday, but let me tell you how my day started. I woke up at 4 a.m. after a very restless nights sleep. I "left" the house at 5 a.m. to go to work.

Instead of going straight to work, I sat in Josh's pickup and blew up balloons for 20minutes. In between light-headed spells, I finally got the front seat filled. Surprise #1- done.(I forgot the camera, but luckily Josh took a picture with his phone) Now it was 5:30 a.m. and I was off to the OSU campus. I had made a few signs and had some balloons left over that I needed to put up. The only problem was that I didn't know if the school would be locked. I had to be prepared, so I snagged Josh's buck-id so I could swipe his card and get in if I needed to. I ended up not needing the card and I began hanging my signs.

All of the dental students have lockers in the basement of Postle Hall. I put the signs up in that area- where everyone would see them like bathroom doors, stair wells, on lockers, etc. I also decorated Josh's locker. Luckily we had just received some information in the mail from the Scooter Store- so Josh could start thinking about his motorized wheelchair. I opened that and also taped it to his locker. It was great. Surprise #2- done. Oh, what did the signs say, you might ask? Josh was kind enough to take some down at the end of the day and brought them home. I made 2 different signs: and my personal favorite :)
Once my decorating spree was done, I had to hurry back home and return Josh's ID card back in his bag. Yikes. I knew his alarm was set for 6:30- I made it back and luckily the front door opening, the dead bolt turning, and me squeaking my way up the stairs didn't wake him. (Maybe his 30 year old ears just couldn't hear!)

I went to work and just waited for his phone call, which I received just after 8:30 a.m. AAahhh! Success! I had to ask where he was, because I didn't want to blow his other surprise. He doesn't have cell reception at the school so I had to wait until the end of the day to hear from him about his locker & halls at school. Hearing him tell about his day was hilarious. People he didn't even know were telling him "Happy Birthday". I was so excited. It made the lack of sleep worth it.

That night we went to dinner with some friends at Chile Verde. It was delicious and we laughed as Josh told his version of his day at school. Here is Josh and Dave Stephanie, Whitney, and Devon

The original plan was to go bowling after dinner. A Monday night at a Columbus bowling alley would be quiet, right? Wrong. I didn't call ahead so there was at least an hour wait. Bummer. So we went back to our house for cake & ended up playing cards. (Since it was also my 1/2 birthday, I got to choose which card game we played :) ) I did cupcakes for his cake because we were supposed to be bowling and we wouldn't need plates, forks, etc. Not as cool when you eat it at home, but oh well. Birthday boy and birthday cake...(the white cupcakes say 30- it is easier to see farther away)

Lighting ALL THOSE candles. Whew- what a task! (seriously. It was harder than it looks!)
We all had such a great time. Thanks for being a great sport, enjoying your day, and for sharing your birthday with my 1/2 birthday :) ♥ You, Joshua!

Autumn Walk #1

2010-11-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we went on a Sunday walk with Jumps and Glassmans and Mr. Bigz. I love the fall here. The trees and leaves are absolutely beautiful.
Watching Devon try to climb a tree... I think.
Just talking a walk... The Jumps brought apples that they had picked the day before at Lynd's fruit farm. They were delicious. Josh and Dave Stephanie and Whitney
Dave, Devon, Whitney, Josh Us

Thanks guys for a great time. We had dinner after our walk and it was fantastic. Too bad we missed out on the apple pie.

O-H-I-O

2010-09-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Josh and I went to the Ohio State game. The weather was absolutely perfect. We are also pretty excited about our seats. Josh told his parents the only bad thing about them is all the sweat from the players keeps hitting us. Okay, not really, but we had a great time. You can actually see the ball. And the players don't look like ants on the field. This is great! I love watching the marching band. I want to be at the games on time so we can see them come out on the field before the game and I love the half-time show. Our seats aren't quite high enough to be able to see the shapes/designs that great, but it was still fun to watch.(We could always hike up to visit the Jumps and then we'd see the shapes...and everyone else in the stadium too)
What a handsome date! Woohoo. I ♥ you!

A wedding, lessons learned, and some fun

2010-09-23T20:36:00.001-04:00

We went to Utah last weekend for Jake & Lyndsay's wedding. It was a beautiful day. They were married in the Logan temple. Congrats! Outside the temple. I just think it is beautiful. This is also where my parents were married.
I put Josh in charge of the camera and taking pictures. Unfortunately, so did his dad- and his camera is really nice- so our pictures are few, but oh well. Us at the reception in Tremonton. Josh was trying to be funny and wouldn't smile properly :(
While we were in Utah, we had a great time with family and friends. We met up with the Dansies in Park City for dinner. We stayed at an awesome resort for 1 night and laughed until we cried as Lexie took a bubble bath.
Josh turned on the jets in the tub and then gave her the sample size of shampoo to play with. She promptly opened the shampoo and her bath before bedtime turned into the ultimate bubble bath. It was hilarious! Thanks Uncle Josh! We walked and walked around the outlet malls. Whew, it makes me tired just thinking about it. Josh had an interview at U of U, then we all drove to Tremonton. While there, we learned that Tylenol p.m. is called p.m. for a reason. It probably isn't wise to have a bottle in the car, or to just take Tylenol without reading the label...all of it. And not wise to take more than 1. Oh well. Now we know. At least it got rid of the pounding headache and we learned our lesson before the wedding, instead of during. :)
The day before we flew back home, we went to Lagoon. I haven't been on a roller coaster for over 7 years. I still love them. I scream and laugh. Josh still gets sick, and can't go on them over and over. Bummer. Here we are standing in line. Everyone soaking wet after riding rattlesnake rapids. Jenn convincing Josh and Trent that they won't get sick on the ride and it will be a lot of fun and exciting. Blaine wasn't as hard to convince, but it doesn't really look that way in the picture. Waiting for the last ride of the night...until we discovered the bumper cars. :) The bumper cars were so much fun. Josh, Trent, Jenn, and I had a blast...over and over and over. We didn't even get in trouble for running instead of walking. Oh, and when the 3 of us couldn't find Josh in the crowd of children, Jenn saw him and was able to ram him just in time. Whew! It was great. Josh went on the carousel with Bryan, Mindy, Kayson, CJ, Kristie, and Lexie. (I get dizzy just thinking about it- I would rather ride a roller coaster)

It was a quick little trip, but we had a great time. We had an EARLY flight home, but we made it. Thanks everyone.

13.1

2010-09-12T15:07:00.000-04:00

I ran the Soaring Eagle 1/2 marathon in Bowling Green, Ohio last weekend. We left our house at 4:30 a.m. to be there just after 7. The run started at 8 a.m. This was my first time doing anything like this and I was so nervous. Here are some pictures (kinda scary, I know). Before the race: Bassetts with Krystal and Josh. Ben also ran the race. He had ridden in the pelotonia ride with Josh 2 weeks before. Ready to go... or at least pretending to be :) My plan was to run the first hopefully 5 miles without the headphones, and then listen to music the rest of the way. Then I met Leisy. We were at BYU-Idaho at the same time. I even graduated from high school with her cousin. What a small world. We chatted for miles and miles. Ben ran with us part of the way too. It was great and the time went by so much faster than if I was running alone. Ben, Leisy, and Krystal It was a cool fall-like day. Perfect for running. Until the rain started. I got a little cold, but it was great. Towards the end of the race the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Bowling Green is a cute little town. I never mastered the art of running and drinking at the same time. Yikes. The first time I tried, I about choked. :) I ended up running the last few miles alone. I slowed down quite a bit, but I finished. I was so exited and relieved and exhausted.
Finish time. Yay! Under 2 hours! Krystal and Leisy Josh and Krystal Can't wait to do another one!