Emily and Chris

Friday night was the rescheduled Billy Joel and Elton John concert! It was originally scheduled for the day before my birthday but Billy Joel had swine flu. The plan the first time was that I would get to make a Build-a-Bear for my birthday. So, I got to make 2 this time
We didn’t really celebrate Valentines day on the 14th because the new Farm Bureau claim center that Chris has been working on for a year went live the next day and he was a little overwhelmed. So we had a nice dinner in Salt Lake and made that our Valentines day. Chris was calling it my Valen-Birthday.
The concert was AMAZING! It was awesome to hear Billy Joel and Elton John singing each others songs. We had super noise bleed seats, but it was totally worth it!

Around Thanksgiving Chris and I decided that the kids in our lives are growing up too fast and that we are missing it!  I wish that everyone in both of families lived closer so that we could see all of the kids, sadly, that is not the case.  We decided that once a month (at least) we would try to borrow Shawn and Phoebe and Jack and Lily to go do something fun.  It works out well because they are all so close in age and seem to really like each other.  My friend Breanne and her fiancee have a little girl and little boy (Abby and Karter) so we have been inviting them to come with us.  The first thing we did in January was go bowling.  It was a blast!  Phoebe is SO good!  She even has her own bowling ball!  We put the bumpers down and let the kids go crazy.  I think all of the kids stepped over the line and slipped on the greased alley at least once   Karter rolled his ball and then tried to chase after it.  We all had Happy Meals at the bowling alley and a great time.

This month, the kids wanted to go Roller Skating.  Chris and I were a little skeptical since neither one of us have skated in 10+ years and the kids don’t really know how.  I was pleasantly surprised that roller skating is a little like riding a bike.  I put the skates on and it came right back to me.  However, it is very difficult to explain to someone else how to balance and move at the same time.  Again, Phoebe did really well! She is the only one that has been before and brought her own roller blades.  She even did the limbo contest with her skates on!  She did awesome!  All the other kids took a break and cheered for her.  Shawn, Jack and Lily all had a few good falls but mostly between the walls, railings, Chris and me they managed to stay up.  I think that their favorite part was when Chris and I would both take them out, one of each side, so we could pull them fast around the rink.  We had pizza for lunch at Goody’s so we could show off how cute and smart the kids are and then went to McDonald’s to play on the toys and have ice cream afterward.  I think that everyone was ready for a nap by the time we got done.

These are from our first trip… Bowling

And these are from Roller Skating

I can’t believe that it is 2010 already!  I really didn’t do a very good job keeping our blog updated last year.  I am going to try harder this year

I hope that everyone had very happy holidays!  Our Christmas was a little crummy this year.  We had dinner at Aunt Mollie’s on Christmas Eve and then went to church with Papa and Sue.  Right when we got home to change and head up to the Joslin’s to open presents, Chris got really sick.  We are not sure if he food poisoning and just a bad case of the stomach of the flu.  He was up sick all night long and a good portion of Christmas day.  By the 26th, he was feeling better so we did presents that day instead.  We got a lot of very nice things from everyone.

We spent New Year’s Eve with Breanne and Aaron.  Breanne likes to cook and so do I and Aaron made hot wings!  We had enough food for at least 15 people and it was just the 4 of us!  We watched “The Hangover” and played some Mario Kart before we watched the ball drop.  It was really fun!

On the 1st we had a Goody’s party.  We invited everyone that I work with over to play cards and hang out.  It was SO fun!  I really like my job and the people I work with.

School starts again on Monday (the 11th) and this is my last semester of real classes.  I am taking several things that I think are going to be very interesting and am looking forward to putting it behind me!

That’s all for now! I’ll be back soon I hope!

I’m not sure why I didn’t get anything written this summer.  We weren’t particularly busy, we did a lot of nice things though.  We played in the Farm Bureau Golf Tournament again this summer and it was really fun!.  We started regularly biking (mostly to Goody’s).  My mom came for a wonderful visit.  We had SO much fun!  Sheri and I had a fabulous time visiting many many many garage sales and finding treasures this summer.  Chris took a wonderful trip to Canada with Phil to go fishing.  They had a great time!

I guess one of the biggest things is that I’m not doing band this year.  This is the first time since 5th grade that I haven’t been playing my flute.  It is really odd and I miss it.  Brooke and Zach aren’t here anymore though’ so it wouldn’t be the same anyway.

Summer is over now and it is back to school.  I had a really tough time getting in to my classes again this semester, but I am finally now registered (The second week) and I’m now just waiting for my financial aid to go through.

I got a job at Goody’s, which is wonderful.  Chris and I joke that my benefits  are better than his because we get 50% off all of our food now   Also, I have started baking and selling my cookies there.  The first day they ALL sold out in 3 hours!

Chris is still loving his job at the  Bureau and he is of course very successful at it.  He is really looking forward to college football starting on Thursday!

I am sure now that I am sitting in class all day everyday I am sure that I’ll be back on here all the time again!

We had lots of fun riding our new bikes this summer.

On our way home from the FB golf tourament

Chris and Phil at Hatchet on their fishing trip

My Mom and Me at Charley's for the Drag Show

This weekend was Grandma’s 85th birthday.  Family came from Wyoming, Lewiston, California and of course all over town.  It was so nice to see everyone.  I feel like I don’t even see the people who live in town enough!  Brynn and Noah are SO grown-up and adorable!  Friday was pizza at Grandma’s with the family.  23 of us plus dogs in Grandma’s nice warm house   Saturday Lori and Guy had a BBQ out at there house, the weather was awful but the food and the party were great!  We did a really fun thing for Grandma.  I made a poster of 85 reason why we love her.  We emailed the whole family, but of course, I waited until the last minute (didn’t think of it actually) so a lot of family was traveling already.  We came up with most of reasons ourselves, but tried to make ones that applied to everyone.  It was really nice.  Chris read it out-loud at the party and everyone was all teared up and laughing.  I think Grandma really liked it.

Here is a link to the PDF if you are interested in looking at it.

85 Reasons Why We Love Grandma

I thought that when school was out I would be able to update this more!  However, I have now found out that without the time I’m not paying attention in class to do it, I don’t do it!  We have done SO many things since school got out!  Chris and Phil have had to replace 3 posts in our fence.  The first time they did it last summer it took them 4 weekends I think.  Now they have it down to a day long project!  We all keep joking about if the insurance business goes under at least they have something to fall back on

We put in a vegetable garden this year.  It is sorta an experiment this year.  We planted lots of things!  Carrots, peas, zucchini, pumpkins, acorn squash, crook-neck squash, straight-neck squash,  radishes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.  So far, the radishes sprung up, they look like a little carpet out there.  Also, the cucumbers died

We got a new shed!  It is so nice!  We were so excited to get rid of the piece of crap tin one.  It looks fabulous.  We also got new patio furniture.  It was so worth it!  We spend so much time outside in the summer that it was something we definatly needed to do.  I bought our wicker for $50 at a garage sale 2 years ago and it was pretty trashed then.

I got a new bike.  It is SO awesome!  Chris and I really want to try to be healthier this summer.  We also sand and repainted Chris’ bike.  It look really great.  The people at the bike shop didn’t believe that we did it with just spray paint.  I will convert Chris’ to the “dark side” of middle of the night projects!

Brie and Tilly are naughty (mostly Brie) but good.  We are a very happy little family.

School has been kicking my butt lately!  I have not been able to get caught up!  So… I finally posted my pictures from Phoenix! Check them out… There are some super awesome one!  So… I am going to get back on the ball and keep updating regularly!

Emily

Spring Break was fabulous!  Everything about it!  We had a fabulous time in Phoenix!  I am putting the pictures up in my gallery.  We saw three fabulousd baseball games that were very fun and very different.  We tried burm seating, which was interesting.  I got to see Manny play, even though he didn’t do anything ( struck out looking twice, and hit into a double play).  It was so nice to spend some time with the Joslin’s.  It was so nice to spend more than just the weekend with Becca!n The weather was awful when we returned to Salt Lake.  Of course, none of us brought coats and I didn’t bring any real shoes… It was a cold walk to the car.

We were home for one night and Chris Clark came for the weekend.  I hadn’t seen him since my birthday so it was really fun!  We didn’t really do anything, mostly homework and errands, but we got a new Wii game and it was so fun!  You have to dance and totally make a fool of yourself.

School is keeping me so busy!  I can’t seem to get caught up on anything!  I am doing really well in my classes, even thought I feel like I’m totally slacking.

I have been trying to get something written about the WBC since it started, but I just haven’t had time.  I love the WBC!  It is so fun to watch the players play for their country and they are so excited with so much pride!  I also really enjoy watching player from the Dutch league, The Korean league, the Chinese/Japanes league play.  The big suprise team was the Dutch.  I was amazed by the way they played.  The U.S. did better this time then the last time, but still kinda a disappointment.  The final between Japan and Korea was AMAZING!  I think that it is so cool that Japan is the only country to win the WBC.  I, of course, was rooting for them after the U.S. was eliminated because they have Kenji Johjimah and Ichiro.  One of the player slid into second base and hit his helmet on the 2nd basemens knee… His helmet SHATTERED he hit so hard and he kept playing!

It was hard for me to believe that it was time for the WBC again already!  Chris and I watched the last one on some of our first dates.  It seems like we have been together forever and  not very long at the same time.

We are having SO much fun!  Our hotel is beautiful (so is the weather)!  The game was fun yesterday, none of us loved burm seating however.  We saw a man that looked like Yosemite Sam yesterday, however, we couldn’t get a picture.  He had Texas Long Horn horns on the front of his jeep and a sword strapped into the seat next to him.  We were totally wiped out after the game yesterday.  I fell asleep in the car on the way home.  We had Julio G’s mexican food last night and it was DELICIOUS!  When we got back to the hotel Chris, Becca and I went swimming.  Everything has been perfect!

Waiting for our rental car

Squished in the rental car