Found It!

Ok I found my camera again! I keep loosing it. SO I have some random pics of things I have been waiting to talk about until I found the camera!

My brother Spencer recieved his mission call a couple of months ago. He was called to serve in Peru! He gathered with his friends at our house, and then opened the letter via web cam with the rest of the family! It was very exciting and the anticipation was a killer!


The Letter! Unopened waiting to get the fam connected to the web cam


Spencer with his opened mission call to Lima Peru!


Spencer with the friends that gathered at our house for the big moment



Shortly after returning from Mississippi, our church ward was having a big camping trip for just the weekend. The campground was really nice and kid friendly. That night a huge storm came through. If you know Utah weather at all you know it can change very quickly. We were already in the mountains, when a thunder and lightning storm began! It was the biggest and closest I had ever been to lightning. It was very cool. Not long after the thunder, rain started pouring down super hard. Everyone ran to our tents! The picture is of me and Jamie shortly after escaping the storm. It didn't last long and we were soon back out by the fire, which survived oddly! I wish I could describe the lightning better, just know that it was pitch dark in our tent and when it would strike it was like someone turned on the light!



Jamie and I teach the 6 and 7 year olds at church. One week I brought my camera to take a picture of our group! They are a great group, and always keep us on our toes! Every week without fail we have 5 great kids there to keep us entertained, however, the one week I bring my camera 2 of the kids are gone. SO the picture is missing two boys named Jarom and Torin, from left to right there is Adelaide, Johans, and Isabelle!We really enjoy teaching this class and have learned a lot

Having way too much fun

SO a friend of mine told me about this really cool website called picnik. Basically it is a really easy fun photo-shop website. I really enjoyed playing around and thought I would share some of my creations! Enjoy!

50th Wedding Bash

After work Thursday morning, Jamie and I jumped in the car with my mom, brother, and a friend to make the 12 hour drive from Provo UT to Chico California. The trip was long, but I think overall probably one of the best drives I have taken. The reason for the trip was for my grandparent 50th wedding anniversary! It was a lot of fun.

Friday was spent preparing and getting things organized. I was in charge of typing up my grandmothers wedding book, as well as the many newspaper clippings there was. Back then it was quite common for several different newspapers to print article about weddings. They were really fun to read, as they were very descriptive, and the language very funny.

Saturday was the big day! The party took place in Paradise which is above Chico more in the mountains. It was nice up there because it was about 10 degrees cooler than the valley. There were over 100 people at the celebration. It was the first time in probably 10 years that the whole family from my dads side was together. My grandparent renewed the vows, it was very touching and I think many shed a tear or two. After that we took pictures with the photographer and had a whole meal catered, which was very good. We ended the night with a replica of my grandparents wedding cake, with the original topper they have kept all these years.

Sunday my family went to church, and then my grandparent took the whole family out for lunch at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants! After lunch we said our goodbyes, and headed for the airport! I am still in school and had to be back for Monday classes.

All in all it was a great weekend with the family, and although it was a short one, it was time spent never the less! I am so glad that Jamie and I had the opportunity to attend my grandparents 50th, and I think in a way it caused a check in our marriage to make sure we were doing the best we could to ensure that we too see the day when we can gather our family together to celebrate 50 years of marriage!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa, for showing the way! Love ya

GERONTOLOGY YOU SAY???

I think I have decided that I need a minor. I know, many are thinking... Well duh stephanie, everyone get a minor, some more than one. But I have been so focused on my major, and finishing school, that I really didnt think twice about a minor. I was at one time thinking German would be my minor, but at BYU language classes are over the top and 4credits each, just to much for me to handle for simply being a minor. Since then I just figured that I would just graduate without one. However I have been thinking lately, and I wonder how bad it would look to not have a minor added. Therefore I have given it a bit more thought and I think I will be getting a minor in Gerontology! What is Gerontology you may ask, well according to Dictionary.com (yes I am using a dictionary to explain, because nothing ever sounds best in my own words) Gerontology is the branch of science that deals with aging and problems of aged persons. So basically I will get a minor in working with and aiding the elderly. I decided this was the way to go, for a couple of reasons
1. The baby boom generation will soon be retiring and therefore the US will see more elderly than ever before
2. I would only have to take additional 3-4 classes or about one more semester! (I have to admit this was more of the driving force than the other)

What does this mean for me? Well I wont be graduating as soon as a thought, but it will only take one more semester for me to finish. And I wont feel as stupid graduating without a minor. I already took the 100 class for Gerontology so I know the basics, and I feel it will be a good move for my career.

Fun Filled Week

This last week was definitely an eventful one! Currently I am taking summer school. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday I have class from 10 am to 6:30 pm, so I am really busy with school, on top of that my parents drove in from Chico last week with whats left of the family who reside at home (Shaun and Shayla).



Why the visit you may ask? Well my other brother Spencer, will be leaving on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a couple of months, and had the opportunity to go through the temple for the first time on Thursday. Spencer chose to go through the Salt Lake temple(pictured above) for his first time so Jamie and I plus my parents traveled up to Salt lake. When we started the 45 min drive it was sunny and actually pretty warm outside, but as we traveled north the clouds darkened. All of the sudden it started hailing violently. I mean cars around us stopped and pulled over, not to let their windshield break (of course Jamie refused and thought it was the coolest thing ever) once that past it continued to rain for most of the day. The temple was great, and it was the first time I was with my parents in the temple since I went through for the first time almost two years ago. We all really enjoyed it.




After the temple, the whole family went to Rodizio's. For over a year now I have been telling my parents that they would love this restaurant, and we finally got to go! Rodizios is a Brazilian restaurant in Salt Lake city. The set up is amazing! There is a huge salad bar with the traditional salad stuff, but also, Brazilian side dishes. Honestly the biggest salad bar ever! Then men (who all speak Portuguese, which made Jamie so happy)walk around with huge spears of meat(example above). All in all there was about 14 different types of meat, and they carve you off what you desire, they keep coming around as many times as you want. The place is just a lot of fun, and you could make yourself sick with all the food. I usually just get the salad bar, because I am not a big meat eater, but this time I decided I wanted to try some of the meat, and there was definitely some amazing pieces of meat.

Friday we all just relaxed, mom Shayla and I did a little bit of shopping. I did more grocery shopping, while Shayla and my mom clothed shopped, but I did get a new shirt. The reason I got a new shirt was because, a couple months ago, I was at the mall with my mom (again for a visit) and there was this kiosk that you could enter a drawling for a free photo shoot and 9x13 pic from this great photographer! So I entered! A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call telling me that I didn't win the grand prize, but won a free photo shoot and a 8X10 picture! Tomorrow Jamie and I go to take the pictures, I hardly ever win something so I was pretty excited! I will let you know how it turns out, and might be able to post some of them!

Early Saturday morning the family left. Jamie and I went to our wards forth of July breakfast. YUM ;) Anyone who has spent anytime around Provo the week of the fourth, knows how serious Provo is about this holiday. There is a parade that morning and people camp out days before along the street, people get very territorial and every year fights happen! This year an 86 year old man punched another guy over a small spot on the grass the morning of the parade! Jamie and I both think it is ridiculous, so we barley go out side that day, and if we do, we go the longest way possible in order to avoid the crowds. Maybe when we have kids that will change, but we don't really see the point.




I do however like fireworks, so that night we went to the school, which is on a hill, so we could see the Stadium of Fire Fireworks. For those who don't know, the Stadium of Fire is this HUGE event in the BYU Football stadium, every year there is a concert, dancers and of course fireworks. last year Miley Cyrus performed and This year it was the Jonas Brothers. We couldn't hear anything but enjoyed seeing the fireworks!



Over all it was a good week. Jamie and I are so thankful for Family, Friends, and the freedoms we enjoy. God Bless America!!