Greg and the Feefs

Andrew Reed Orton

2010-02-14T18:16:00.003-07:00

This is old news to most everyone that reads the blog, but that's ok! Andrew Reed Orton was born on February 4, 2010 at 5:09 pm. He was 7lbs and 19 in. He is such a good baby! We went though a few rough days with an eye infection and billi lights, but one week later...he is doing great! Greg and I are tired, but it's so worth it! My mom has been here for the past week. I did not realize how much she did for us until she left. I am so grateful for her! I was not ready for her to leave, but I guess she has a life too! We love you Mom! (more pictures to come)

It's almost time!

2010-01-29T16:04:00.005-07:00

I am 38 weeks today!! I am very uncomfortable to say the least, but the end is in sight! I got a pedicure today which was AMAZING! It kind of gave me a high. I hope that high lasts for another few days so I can make it through two days of work. I will work Saturday and Sunday, have Monday and Tuesday to prepare and then Wednesday evening I will be going in to be induced! Not so excited (more nervous) to have to be induced, but very excited to finally see our little boy! These pictures are from the ultrasound today. He looks like he will be a cutie!

4 years later....

2009-12-21T09:04:00.002-07:00

I think Greg was looking ahead and wondering what he got himself into!

On December 20, 2005 Greg and I were married. Four years later we have...lived in Alaska for two summers, graduated from the hometell, moved three times, one (almost two) nursing degrees, survived the emotions of infertility, and now have a baby boy on the way!!

The past four years have flown by. We celebrated by enjoying a very yummy and filling dinner at Texas Roadhouse, visiting the Temple grounds and the visitors center, and then attending the Forgotten Carols. We both agreed it was the best date we have had in a very long time. I love you Greg! Thanks for putting up with me. Here's to four more great years!!

baby boy!

2009-08-17T18:24:00.002-06:00

So we are finally getting the news out to the blogging world! We are having a baby boy! We had an ultrasound today and it looks like all the parts are there for a boy. I am 14 weeks, so there is the possibility that they were not correct on the gender. But the pictures look all boy! We can't get our scanner to work so, I'm sorry to say there won't be any ultrasound pictures on the blog just yet. We are so, so excited and now we need to start thinking about boy names more seriously. We have six months so I hope we can find a name we both like by the time he is born! I guess we will have to update the blog more often now. But I am not a big fan of pictures of my belly, so if you want to see my growing belly I guess you will have to see me in person!

Disneyland (Late)

2009-06-01T07:40:00.003-06:00

First I feel like I have to explain why I have not posted until now. I kept waiting for Kurstin to post so I could steal some of her pictures, because we didn't get as many pictures as they did, it's been about three weeks now and still no post from Kurstin. So my pictures will have to do. After we got home from Disneyland I sort of tapped out of life, but I am back now so here is the Disneyland post for all to enjoy.

Mom, Ben, Kurstin, and Alex left on Saturday, but I had to work so Greg and I stayed behind. I worked on Sunday (which was the longest and worst work day). We were so excited to leave and be in the happiest place on earth that I did not go to work on Monday and we left St. George and 6AM and made it into Disneyland at 11:30am. We hopped between parks Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We went to Huntington Beach on Thursday, which was a blast until we all got home and realized that Kurstin, Ben, and Alex were all cherry red! They were sunburned to bad we thought about coming home early. But can you leave Disneyland early? NO! So we got up Friday, bought bus tickets so we didn't have to walk, had a relaxed day, and ended it all with the amazing fireworks show.

Alex was such a blast to be around. We was always so excited about everything and said some of the funniest things. One day we were at California Adventure and everyone got to go on the roller coaster but he wasn't tall enough. He was crying and was just so sad that he couldn't ride it. Greg was talking to him and trying to make him feel better. Well they ended up throwing a coin in some water that they were by and Alex made a wish. Well the next morning we were in Disneyland and before they open they come over the speakers and talk. Alex was so intent on what they were saying, and after it was over he said "Greg, my wish isn't going to come true because Disneyland is were dreams come true!" We had so much fun! Thanks for inviting us Alex!

Green Thumb??

2009-05-07T20:36:00.002-06:00

Greg and I are trying to grow tomatoes this year. Neither of us have tested our green thumb, but if genetics has anything to do with it, there is not much coming from me. I would say sorry to my mom but she knows she cant grow anything. Greg's dad has a garden every year, so lets hope some of his green thumb got passed on to Greg. We are trying out the Topsy Turvey, which we have heard good things about, and then we have four other plants growing in a pot. We have been debating on whether or not to plant anything this year for a long time. We finally decided we might as well try, so we got a late start but we already have lots of buds and a flower!! Who knows if we will produce any tomatoes, but if we do I am going to grow a bigger variety of things next year. It has been kind of fun getting everything ready and now watching them grow. Wish us luck! (and if anyone has any tips feel free to leave a comment)

Spring Boarding

2009-03-22T18:42:00.005-06:00

It was spring break this past week (well for Greg at least). I guess there is no such thing for me anymore now that I don't go to school. Anyway...we headed up to SLC for some snowboarding and to welcome home Mark and Amber from Afghanistan. Me, Greg, Mark, and Allison went night boarding on Friday night. We had a blast, but wished that Emily could have been there to join in on the fun. And to make it even better, I finally took pictures.

The classic car picture

We got home on Tuesday and on Wednesday we headed up to Brian Head for another day of snowboarding. We still had passes that we had to use this season and Greg is going to be so busy with school the next few weeks that we thought we better go while we could. I have never been boarding that close together and to say the least I am SORE! I took a couple of hard falls and my neck is feeling it. We started out with coats and hats, but quickly found that we were sweating. So we went back to the car and re-dressed for the warm weather. On our second to the last run I fell hard. It was definetly the worst fall I have ever had. I thought I was going to black out. Everything is fine, but my body is just very bruised and stiff. I was so excited to use my new prescription sunglasses. I love them and they worked great for snowboarding!

Another classic car picture

We finally have everything put away until next season. We loved the spring snowboarding. It was so warm and the views were beautiful. I think we both agree that we will have to go to Brian Head more often next year. I do have to say that the snow at Brighton was better!

2009-02-04T15:02:00.002-07:00

I finally can use my Christmas present! I spent the weekend at Lara's house learning and fixing my photoshop. Friday and Saturday we spent most of the time first-getting the program to work, and second-organizing and sharing supplies. We never got to actually make something, but when I got home I got to work and this is what I came up with. It's pretty addicting. Greg said it's a good thing I don't have anything more important to do because I would never get it done. Although I have managed to get the laundry done today.

Sunday we attended the Super Bowl party at Ben's house. It's the first time Greg and I have been able to go. It was a blast, but we definitely ate WAY too much! How can you not when there is so much good food. I've decided it was worth it!

Monday Lara taught me how to make homemade rolls. I have wanted to learn how for awhile now, and now I finally know how. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I guess we will see how it goes when I make them by myself.

To top it all off, on Monday just as we were wrapping up a game of Uno Flash and getting ready to leave, Patrick called and wanted to know if we had to get home or if we could stay to go to the Jazz game. Greg didn't need to think about it at all, so we stayed. We had a fun night and the Jazz even won! It was a busy weekend, but we even managed to go out to dinner with Greg's family on Saturday night. It's always fun to get together, but it's never long enough! Thanks guys for a fun extended weekend!

Life in St. George

2009-01-20T17:55:00.002-07:00

So nothing exciting, but I just have to say how beautiful St. George is. Today it was 61 degrees and I enjoyed a wonderful run in the 61 degrees. I am pretty sure that is the perfect weather for running. I hate not being close to my family, but being here in this wonderful weather with clean air makes me happy. Anyway with that out of the way...

Greg and I have wanted to make salmon for like our whole marriage, but have always been too intimidated (and I didn't want my house to smell fishy). Good news! We bought salmon at Costco this weekend, cooked it up, and it was excellent! The house did smell a little like fish, but not bad. The smell was worth the wonderful tasting salmon. I know not all of you are fish lovers, but we really like it and now that I know we can make it, I'm sure we will be having it more often. Now the next thing I want to conquer is making rolls. I just need to visit Lara for some lessons. You up to that sis? She has so much knowledge to share with her favorite sister. I'm ready to soak it all up!

To sum it all up...if you like clear skies, warm weather, and yummy salmon for dinner come visit us here in St. George!

I hate playing catch up!!

2009-01-02T19:40:00.012-07:00

Ever since my last post I have just felt like blogging was a chore, and who likes chores. Not me! So it's been well over a month since my last post and now I am ready to catch everyone up on our not so eventful life.

First I have to document about all the snow we had in St. George. This is outside our front door. We had a good five inches. Lucky for me, I worked the night it snowed so I got to clean off all the snow on the car at 6:30 am before I could come home. It was not fun!

On December 20th Greg and I celebrated our three year anniversary. Wow how time flies. I feel so lucky to have spent the last three years with him. It's been great! We went to Mesquite to the buffet at the Eureka. We had never been there before so we decided to try it, and it was just nice to get out of town for the night. On Fridays they have sea food, which means all you can eat crab legs! It was a hit! I think Greg had over 20 crab legs.

When we got back to St. George we decided to go the the temple grounds and see the nativity and lights. It's no temple square, but it was fun!

CHRISTMAS!

We had a good Christmas, besides all the driving in the snow! We made it safely to all our destinations so what more can you ask for!? We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with the Orton's. We had the traditional Bethlehem dinner on Christmas eve. This is Greg's favorite tradition. It's been a fun, new tradition for me, but I am not such a fan of eating with my hands. Thanks to Kathryn those who would like to use utensils may. I had my first experience with lamb at the Bethlehem dinner. It was not so bad. I don't think I would ever order it at a restaurant or cook it for dinner, but it was not bad! Greg on the other hand loved it, and ate it with his hands! We woke up Christmas morning and opened presents. Then Kathryn made a wonderful brunch! (Which included Honey Baked Ham! Thanks Kathryn)!

I am really sad that this is the only picture we got while at Greg's house. I don't even know what we were doing in the picture. I know Emily is going to hate me, but hey Em at least your not front and center side profile!

We arrived at the new and improved Oyler house on Christmas afternoon. My mom has spent the last six months remodeling and adding on to her house. It turned out so great! We love it mom! Everyday we were there the boys spent time outside shoveling and knocking down icicles. One day they spent two hours shoveling off the roof, and this was the giant pile of snow on my mom's new deck. No ladder was needed to get off the roof, they all just stepped right onto the pile of snow!

We had fun opening presents the day after Christmas. It really felt like having two Christmas's. Of course we had lots of good food, good treats, good fun, and great memories. I love going to my mom's house because she always makes the meals that I love that I never make for myself. We found that the new hangout is my mom's new master bedroom. All the kids wanted to shower and bath in her new master bathroom (big and little kids)! How could you not want to, it's like a spa! We had fun just hanging out and not having to be anywhere. I don't think we left the house the whole time we were there!

This is my cute grandma! I love her so much and love getting to visit with her. I don't see her very often now that I live in St. George, but every minute I get with her I cherish!

My mom got Mario Cart for Christmas, and these four played it non-stop!

Now the holidays are over and I am feeling the holiday let down. We took down all our Christmas decorations yesterday and our house feels bare. The holidays are filled with so many emotions and this year, with the passing of two friends, on Christmas Eve came even more emotions. As I sat at work on New Year's Eve I started to write down a list of goals for 2009. As I got close to 30 goals I started to feel overwhelmed. Why do we do this to ourselves? But I am going to keep the list and try to work on them one at a time. And as most people do, I made a goal to become a more happy, healthy person. So starting monday...it's to the gym we go!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Birthday-Shopping-Shopping-More Shopping-Decorating

2008-11-23T16:20:00.005-07:00

The title of this post says it all. Mom and grandma came down on Thursday night. Friday was a fun filled day of eating yummy food and of course shopping. We started out at Target and spent a good two and a half hours there. Then we met up with Greg and it was off to lunch at 25 Main (which is never a disappointment and if you have never been there you need to go). We ended lunch by sharing three delicious cupcakes. After lunch, mom and I were off to Tia Pan to buy decorations for our first Christmas tree. After about four hours we made it home just in time to head to dinner at Samurai 21. To finish off the day we came home and decorated the tree.

Our first Christmas tree
I think we did a pretty good job

Closer look at the top

On Saturday we got going early again and shopped all day. We stopped once to eat lunch with Greg and then we were on our way again. We got home late that night and our feet hurt so bad. I think we hit every store in St. George. We had such a good time. My mom and I have not done anything like this for over 4 years. Thanks mom for coming down and spending a fun weekend with me.

Thriller!

2008-10-28T15:56:00.003-06:00

This past weekend some of Greg's family came down to go to Thriller with us! It was a short trip, but we had tons of fun! Saturday morning the girls went to the What Women Want Expo while the boys watched football. Then we went to dinner at Pizza Factory (YUM!) Then it was off to Tuachan for Thriller! We got there a little early, but the weather was perfect to just sit outside and chat. Of course the show was GREAT! This is the second year that Greg and I have gone. I told him yesterday that we need to make it a Halloween tradition, because I love it! Of course the show wouldn't be without a good scare! This time they got me good! It was totally unexpected and I fell off my seat right on to Greg's lap. I was laughing so hard that I was crying, and so was everyone else. Good times!! Thanks to Grant, Kathryn, Emily, and Allison for coming down! We had a blast!

The Garner's came to St. George!

2008-10-23T10:28:00.004-06:00

Thanks Lara for so kindly naming this post for me!

We have had lots of fun weekends in October-The first weekend my mom came down and stayed with us, the second weekend we went to Salt Lake for Grace's blessing and to Logan to help with the house, and Last weekend Lara and her family came to stay with us and it was the funnest of all three. Oh and this weekend Greg's family will be here for Thriller at Tuachan.

Back to the Garner's coming to visit. We had a blast: Lots of laughing, talking, surfing the internet, making fun of me, trying to talk Greg and Patrick into believing that Lara and I are not twins, staying up late, eating good food, and eating good treats. Not to mention the fun times at the sand dunes, and the "water park" (as Will calls it). I am still finding sand all over the house, but it was worth it.

Did I mention we had a blast, because we did! Now that we have extra bedrooms I expect that the Garner's will be visiting more often, and they know they are always welcome (and so is anyone else that wants to make a trip to sunny St. George!)

P.S. I just have to give a shout out to the most heavenly cupcake from 25 Main. I'm not usually a cupcake fan, but this was AMAZING! Greg and I knew about 25 Main, but never went there, so we finally went when Lara suggested it. I'm pretty sure it will be a regular for us now.

Thanks for a great time guys!!

Gregs Guest Appearance

2008-09-28T19:58:00.004-06:00

Hello again. I'm taking a break from my blog silence for this post because I actually have something interesting to share. I think of myself as a very outdoorsy person, but in reality I don't get out much. I have lived in St. George for over 4 years now and I haven't taken advantage of living so close to some of the worlds best hikes. Yesterday I finally got the opportunity to hike the Zion Narrows and I loved it! It is definitely one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been . I think the pictures are pretty good but they definitely don't do the Narrows justice. I did the hike with some friends which was great, but I have to admit I was thinking about how great it would have been to have my brothers there. So Mike, Mark, and Dave you guys need to plan on coming down next summer.

I {heart} FALL!

2008-09-24T13:45:00.008-06:00

There are many reasons why I {heart} FALL, but here are a few.

1. The decorations-Now that we have a bigger house I can decorate more. I have already bought many FALLISH decor items, but have not yet put them up.

2. The weather-I know, I know we live in St. George so it's still in the 90's, but when I leave work in the morning there is just that little coolness in the air-FALL air-I love it!

3. The colors-Again we live in St. George, so the leaves are not changing at all, but I know they are up north and I can't wait to go up and see all the FALL colors!

4. The clothes-The cool weather means sweatshirts. Greg and I went "school shopping" (I know I am not in school, but it's not FALL without school shopping), we both got new sweatshirts and can't wait to wear them. I must admit that we turned the air way down in the house so we could wear them and it was quite enjoyable!

5. The treats-Everyone knows that I love my treats, and there is nothing better than going down the FALL treat isle at the store. I love that everything comes in it's own little package. For some reason I think it's better when you get just the right amount of treat in a small package, but then I eat two or three packages! As of right this minute I am enjoying candy corns! Hey it says right on the package that they are a fat free treat! It can't get better than that my friends!

Also just as a side note, a few weeks ago we went to Zion Canyon with Clark, Shannon and Julia. We did the hidden canyon hike in the evening after the BYU football game. We had such a good time and I never posted the pictures so here they are!

No We Are Not Dead!

2008-08-28T18:50:00.014-06:00

Yes, we are still alive! Greg has decided he is done with the blog, so it's all up to me now. This night job has been kicking my butt! I am always tired and when I am at home I am either sleeping, doing laundry, or cleaning. I know there are no excuses, but seriously I feel like I haven't had one spare moment lately. For the most part we have been doing fun things to fill up all our time. So here is the recap! Since last post we have been doing the following...

Going to Logan for family pictures and the blessing of baby Brooks!
The pictures turned out pretty good I think and thanks to my talented
sister Lara, here are a few for your enjoyment.

Also while we were in Logan we spent some quality family time at Willow Park.

Back at home in hot, and lately humid, St. George we had a ginormous lightening storm. Greg and I were just about to go to bed when Greg said that he saw lightening. Sure enough when we looked outside, there was lightening all around us. Greg decided that we needed to go up to the airport and take pictures. So off we went and we survived! (I was sure we were going to get struck)

Then it was up to Salt Lake for a day at Lagoon and my Grandma's 90th birthday party. Lagoon was SO busy. We didn't make it on very many rides, but just being with Lara, Patrick, Will, Alex, Ben, and Kurstin was worth all the wait in line. No pictures from the party, but we had lots of family there to share in the celebration (over 100 people and this was all immediate family)!

Standing in line at Lagoon
Did I mention the long lines?

Greg started school on Monday so now summer is officially over. Farewell until next year!

Our first guests!

2008-07-18T14:38:00.005-06:00

Greg and I are so excited to be in our new house, but we were even more excited to find out that Lara and the kids, mom, Steve, Cami and baby Brooks would be coming to visit. We had a full house! Mom brought the Wii, which was a big hit. Greg and I had never played Wii before and now Greg is addicted! I must say that it is quite the little work out. My arm was really sore by the end of the weekend. I'm pretty sure that one of those will be purchased with the next savings money! We also swam almost everyday. That was about all we did for the weekend. Before mom, Steve and Cami got here we went with Lara and Will to see Wall-E. It was a good movie and it's always fun to go see movies with kids! It was so fun to see Brooks. He is the cutest baby I have ever seen. I don't think any baby can match up to him! We had a blast, so any of you who want to come and visit are welcome! Oh, I almost forgot to give a big thanks to mom,Cami, and Tai Pan for helping decorate my house. It's not exactly the way I want it, but it's what we could do with no money! Here are some pictures from the weekend!

And more exciting news... We have a new niece!! Grace Angela Orton! Congrats Mike, Angela, and Olivia! She looks beautiful. We can't wait to see her next week!

P.S. I started my new job last night. Yes that's right, a night job. So far so good, but I don't know how nights will work for me and my body.

Oh how I love you...Let me count the ways

2008-06-29T19:01:00.017-06:00

As most of you know we finally upgraded from our one bedroom hometel, as we call it. This post is dedicated to counting the things that I love about our new 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhouse.

1. The large kitchen. It is big enough that
Greg and I can both participate in fixing
and cleaning up a meal. And I have empty cupboards! What a difference!

2. To go along with the large kitchen we actually have space for a table. And we can eat dinner together

at a table and not on the couch (much to Greg's dismay)!

3. Also in our fabulous kitchen, we have a dishwasher!It's amazing!
I forgot how handy these are!

4. Just off of the kitchen we have our washer and dryer. Also very exciting. For the past 2 1/2 years we have had to go to Aunt Kathleen's house to do our laundry. I can't explain how nice it was on Saturday to stay home and do laundry, and not have to haul it back and forth!

5. Our family room that is basically the size of our old apartment. As you can tell there is nothing on the walls and no decorating has been done. (That is why I didn't take a picture of the whole room). It seems so empty to me because we had everything packed into our other place. Anyway this is our new couch, and we are saving up to buy the loveseat.

There are a lot of other things that I love about our new place, the garage, the walk in closet, the little patio, the pool, and just how much space there is. As things get put back together and decorated I will post more pictures. As for now it just looks real bare. If you didn't remember reading it, we do have 3 bedrooms so we want lots of visitors now! Sorry about the weird set up. I couldn't figure out how to make it look good. I need some blogging lessons from Lara!

It's a Nice Day When You Wake Up in Disneyland!!

2008-05-18T16:44:00.015-06:00

We have been back for a few days, but better late than never. It was perfect weather, and not too many people. We got there on Monday afternoon and checked into our hotel and then went to Downtown Disney. We ate at Rainforest cafe and I have to say that it is a little overpriced,
but the atmosphere was fun. We stayed at a really nice hotel that was about 2 blocks from Disneyland.

On Tuesday we started out the day in Disneyland. Disney knows how to do it right. They get you excited right from the start with the music right when you step through the Disneyland arch. We were both so excited, but Greg was a little more excited than I was, possibly because my day started out a little rough. I had some shoe issues right off. After searching for some flip flops that were not totally overpriced and ugly, we found some in Adventure Land that were cute and not overpriced (probably because they were not Disney brand). After I relieved my feet of the burning blisters we were off and running again. It felt so good not to have anything tearing up my heals. We basically walked on to every ride. The longest we waited was 25 min. So we went on everything and the day was still young, so we headed over to California Adventure.

Neither of us had ever been to California Adventure, so the excitement continued. We started off with Soarin over California. And I must admit that I was a little frightened by this ride. One because I didn't take of my flip flops so the whole time I was worried that they would fall off. I wanted to go on it again and take them off so I could enjoy it more, so we did and it was a little better, but it still got me. I think it was because I am a little scared of heights and your feet are just hanging there. It is a really cool ride though. Greg had never been on tower of terror before and he was thinking it wasn't going to be great, but he thought different after his first ride. It ended up being on of his favorites.

On Wednesday we went back for Nemo (which we didn't do on Tuesday), and second, third, and fourth rides. And a first and last adventurous ride on Heimlich's chew-chew train (for those of you who have been on it, you know its all but adventurous)! By about 2:00 we were done and we headed back to the hotel for some sun and swimming.

On Thursday we headed home and found that if you don't stop it's only a five hour drive. Not bad right? We also found that one thing to keep you entertained while standing in line besides people watching ( one of my favorite past times), is listening to the safety announcements in the different languages, and how the voices change for the different rides. We are already planning when we will be able to go back to the happiest place on earth!

Isn't Summer Supposed to be Fun?

2008-05-04T17:46:00.010-06:00

This summer is going to be boring! Ok it might be a little early to pass judgment, but so far I'm not impressed. Steph worked Thursday and Friday and despite my best efforts I couldn't pick up a shift either day. Ideally I would work every day that Steph does and we would have days off together, but so far that's not happening. Thursday I sat at home all day and literally did nothing but watch tv. I can't imagine anything worse. I'm happy to say that Friday was much better. I decided to go to Snow Canyon to try out our new camera and I had a blast. Thank goodness we live so close to so many beautiful places. Maybe this summer won't be so bad after all. I hope to be able to go to Zions next week, but with gas being so expensive that's no cheap trip. Disneyland is one week away, but it can't come soon enough!

Updates

2008-04-26T09:50:00.007-06:00

As you can tell our blog got an update. So I guess I will post a little update to go along with it. I really should be at work right now, but I got put on call, so that means I get to sit at home and wait for the phone to ring( not fun I would rather be at work making money)! Last weekend we were in Salt Lake to see Greg's brother and his family and for my nieces birthdays. We forgot to take our camera so I stole these pictures from my sisters blog. So if someone in Greg's family posts pictures from the weekend we can steal their pictures and post them. Talking about cameras and pictures...Greg and I bought a new camera the other day. We don't have it yet because we bought it from Amazon.com, but we are really excited about it.

What else have we been up to? We planned a trip to Disneyland!! On our way home from Salt Lake we were talking about how we have been wanting to get away for so long but how we never have the money. To make a long story short, Disneyland is only six hours from St. George, I have four days off in a row in May, and Greg won't have a CNA job by then. So we did it, we booked it, it's official!! We can't wait only 15 days! It will be a short trip, but it's Disneyland!

Late Again

2008-04-13T20:29:00.007-06:00

We are becoming slackers! We were late reporting on Easter and we find ourselves behind again this week. Late or not, I couldn't let the events of last week pass without a post. We had planned on last weekend being a very fun, relaxing weekend with Allis and Em. What we didn't plan on was Grandma Orton passing away. Allis and Em came down on Friday and we got the call that Grandma had passed some time that afternoon. This may sound bad, but in a way Grandma's passing actually made the weekend better. Let me explain. Friday night we went to a Colbie Caillat concert at Tuacahn. The concert was great, but the music wasn't the best part. Tuacahn is located in a little canyon at the base of Red Mountain in Ivins, which is where Grandma grew up. Grandma told me many times that she didn't think there could possibly be any more beautiful mountain in the world than Red Mountain. The best part of that concert was sitting at the foot of that mountain and thinking about Grandma. I feel so lucky to have lived by Grandma for these past 4 years. Prior to those 4 years my most prominent memory of Grandma includes me being forced to eat the following; A LARGE piece of roast that was literally 80% fat, 1 whole cooked onion, 1 whole raw onion, a whole tomato, and a burnt piece of toast. Picture that plate. Needless to say it's not a great memory. In the past 4 years I got to know a much different side of Grandma. I came to know her as a faithful, loving, beautiful, sweet lady. Now my most prominent memory of Grandma is of her telling me about the day she and Grandpa were engaged and the early days of their marriage. She loved him so much, and missed him every day she was without him. That is, of course, why her passing is not such a sad thing. She spoke of the afterlife with such faith and conviction, never once questioning that she would see Grandpa and her two little ones again. I am so grateful for her example. St. George won't be the same without her. Another thing that comes to mind when I think of Grandma is thriftiness. Here is a little skit that I think grandma would have appreciated and some pictures of the rest of the weekend.

Happy Late Easter!

2008-03-30T17:50:00.005-06:00

I know everyone who frequents our blog is getting tired of having nothing new. We did go to Logan for Easter and since we have been back we have not stopped. So for this reason I am posting Easter pictures a week late. Babs furnished supplies for a great Easter Egg Hunt. Will and Alex thought it was the best and they were so good to only find the things that had there name on them. We had the hunt outside which was a little cold and you had to watch were you were stepping because the lawn was covered in deer poop. ( Not to be confused with chocolate easter eggs)! It was so fun to be with everyone. I can not believe how big the girls are getting. We will be going to Salt Lake in a few weeks for their one year old birthday party!
This weekend was busy for us. On Friday night we went to the temple and then our ward had the assignment to stay after and help clean the temple. It was a really good experience. We got to help clean the baptistery and then when we were done we got to go to the fourth and fifth floors of the temple including were were the couples used to stay when they got married. It was hard work and a late night. We didn't get home until after midnight and I am not used to staying up that late. Then on Saturday morning we had the pinewood derby. We got released from our calling as cubmasters but we still helped out. Next week shouldn't be as busy as last week. Greg is turning in his application for nursing school on Monday and it's back to work for me. And we look forward to having Emily and Allison come on Friday for the Colbie Caillat concert at Tuacahan and some shopping in Primm!

P.S. Just so all of the Oyler family knows it looks like either Greg or I will win the brackets!

Nerd in the Making

2008-03-13T19:59:00.003-06:00

I'm one step closer to being the nerd that Steph thought I was when she met me. I got glasses today. That along with the allergies that I've developed in the past few years and I'm a pocket protector away from being a full fledged nerd. It's a big change, but I'm actually pretty excited about it. It's been a little tough getting used them today, but I can really see a lot better. I also hope that they will make me look a little older. Maybe people will think that I'm 22 instead of 18. Did it work for you Davor? So let me know what you think. Oh, and let me remind all of you that see this as an opportunity to roast me, that most of you wear glasses too.

Also, we bought Dan In Real Life today, and can I just say that it has to be the best chick flick ever.

Random

2008-03-05T20:05:00.002-07:00

I got home from work tonight, Greg has class and elders quorum meetings all night and I need to stay awake until he gets home because he thinks I won't be able to, so I decided I would post some random things I have been thinking about lately.

*The TV show on FOX about telling the truth is STUPID! Who would ever want to go on that show. Deal or No Deal on the other hand- I would be on that show!
*Tuesday night TV is jammed packed. It's always a toss up between Biggest Loser and American Idol. Biggest Loser has been winning. Love that show! (Want to be on that show too)
*The Bachelor Where are they Now is on next Monday. Don't worry I put it on the calender.
*Thanks to the person who invented the Tubex. (its a neat thing to give IV meds with)
*The edge brownie pan is awesome (a special pan so your brownies have as least two edges on every piece, genius) Thanks Aunt Kathleen for that one.
*The hospital cafeteria just upped their prices. I want to strike!
*We finally have insurance! We were supposed to go to the dentist this past Monday, but we had our very first insurance problem. Gotta love them!
*It's sad but I feel that I need as many pairs of scrubs as I do clothes. And I am constantly looking for cute new ones.
*It's a good feeling when you have money left over after you pay the bills.
*It's always more fun to eat treats when there is a reason (whether it is made up or real)!
*I love walking down the easter candy isle. But is dangerous!
*I need to stop making up excuses for why I can't get back on my diet. It's really getting ridiculous.
*Waking up at 5:00 am is hard, but only for about the first 10 min.
*Living in our one bedroom apartment is getting REALLY old! I want to move so bad!
*Just when you think your making progress in paying off debt, your car won't pass state inspection and you will have to replace tires and the windshield. I can think of a lot of other things I would buy with that money. Oh well, gotta have a car, because I'm not much of a fan of the scooter. But Greg loves it!
*The weather in St. George is GREAT! This is when you want to live here! (I won't be bragging in July)!

I think thats probably sufficient although I probably could keep going.

You Be The Judge

2008-02-28T19:09:00.006-07:00

Do I ,or do I not, look like David Archuleta from American Idol? This blog is in response to several comments stating that I do. I guess I see it a little. Steph doesn't. If I do, I guess it's a good thing. Let me know what you think. Sorry, the pictures are the closest I could get.

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T19:36:00.003-07:00

Greg and I have made it a tradition that we make sugar cookies on Valentines Day! It has been a fun thing to do together. Greg had to work tonight so we had lunch together and then made our cookies. It was a fun day. I love you babe-Happy Valentines day.

My Faves

2008-02-10T18:23:00.001-07:00

Two of my favorite things in the world are the Dave Matthews Band and the Boston Red Sox. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found this shirt.

The only thing cooler than this shirt would have been to be at the concert, and if I wasn't in Alaska I would have been there. The one bad thing about this shirt was its price, especially since I know what it cost to make it.

With the great weather that we've had this past week I have been feeling the "call of the wild." I love the outdoors! I love the colors, smell, enormity and silence of it. Steph can tell you that I constantly want to be outside. I think I get that from my Dad. He would always say that he just wanted to go lay on a rock out in the sun. Alaska has really filled my outdoor needs for the past two years. I've got my work cut out for me replacing it this summer. I'm starting to crave it already. There is a chance that we will get to go up to help set up the store. Here's hoping. While it's no Alaska, St. George has quite a bit to offer. One of my favorite things about St. George is the great sunsets that we get. Check out these sunsets that we've had these past few days.

A Poem by Will Garner

2008-02-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

Feef and Greg Love Each Other
by: Will garner

Fee Fee and Greg
they love to come to our house

they are sweet and kind
Greg plays games with will
fee fee has blue eyes
i like her glasses and her blue eyes

i wonder what she got for christmas
i hope it was a shirt
that is very warm and snug

fee fee got her test right
i hope she’s helping real well

Greg eats lemons with me
he goes “ooh” and i go “ooh”
and we then laugh together

we all have lots of fun

the end

Isn't this the best! Will has been into writing poems and I told him I wanted one about Greg and I. I thought he might forget, but I called Lara the other night and she told me that Will was writing a poem for us. Thanks Will! I love it!

So I am sitting here tonight alone because Greg is at an elders quorum meeting. Yes that's right he is now the 1st councilor in the elders quorum. He shouldn't be sad about missing the super bowl because it's not even on. Our satellite (which is for the whole complex) is covered by snow, yes snow! It has been so cold today! It has rained all day until tonight and it is snowing now. It won't stay for long though.

I am applying for a job this week. I am so excited to be finally in one place and not rotating around. At this point I don't really care were I get a job, I am just excited to be working and getting a pay check. I have decided that I can always work up to the place that I really want to be. That's what is great about nursing, there is so many opportunities for change.

President Hinckley

2008-01-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting today about what President Hinckley meant to me. I wanted to share just a couple things that he said that have truly impacted me and that I try to live by today. These things may seem small to some, or all, of you, but for whatever reason they really registered with me.

First, I remember sitting in a conference priesthood session with Dad and Mike when I was still in high school. I'm sure I wasn't paying too much attention until these words caught my ear, "Husbands, cherish your wives." It was so simple, but it hit me so hard. It caused me to think about what it meant to cherish your spouse. There was never a better example of this than President Hinckley. I have never forgotten those words and have tried to truly cherish Steph because of it. He later said that successful marriages are brought about by each individual caring a little more about their spouse than they care about themselves. How true.

While I was on my mission President Hinckley gave one of the greatest talks that I've ever heard. I can't possibly sum up the whole talk here, so I will just encourage all of you to look up his talk entitled "Testimony" that he gave in conference in 04' or 05'. Again, I'm not sure that it will impact all of you the same way that it impacted me, but it can't hurt to try.

I don't know if any of you know this, but I spoke in a sacrament meeting that President Hinckley presided over. I had just returned from Boston and was asked to speak in the 1st ward. Needless to say, I was shocked when I walked in and saw him on the stand, and I still have no idea why he was there. Now I don't know about all of you, but speaking with the prophet in attendance seems incredibly daunting, and I expected myself to buckle under the pressure. While on my mission I had spoken many times in front of stake presidents, area authorities, seventies, and once in front of an apostle, and every time I was nervous. But this time I wasn't nervous and I'll tell you why. You hear all the time about how President Hinckley was so loving. Well, this time when I got up to speak, I didn't feel judged or inadequate or unworthy, I just felt loved. In that moment I knew that, even though he didn't know me, he loved me. Because of this experience, I know for myself what people mean when they say that President Hinckley was so loving. He really did love all of us and was the greatest example of Christ-like love that I've ever known. Thank you President Hinckley for your incredible life.

Three Cheers for Steph!!!

2008-01-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

She did it! She passed! And it only took 4 hours and 265 questions to do it. She was understandably nervous, because the test can be as few as 75 questions and as many as 265. Very few people that we have talked to had all 265 of the questions, so we weren't sure what to think. All I can say is great job Steph and thank goodness its over!

Bored Stiff

2008-01-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

You all know how excited we have been to have Steph graduated and working, so it may surprise you to know that I am not all that excited anymore. The combination of Steph working, Steph constantly studying for the N-CLEX (Wednesday), and my light school schedule (one class) have left me so bored that I've taken up reading. Steph is only working 3 times a week but it feels more like 5. On the days that she works, she is up by 5, out the door by 5:45, and doesn't get home until close to 7. When she gets home, she has a quick bite and then hits the books. The days that she doesn't work are filled with studying. What a trooper! She is understandably nervous about the test, but she has put in the work and will do great! We should have her results on Thursday and will let you all know.

The most fun that we've had in a while was Friday when we went to see The Kite Runner, which was a great, eye-opening, movie. It is set in Afghanistan, which made us think of Mark and Amber who start their deployment on Tuesday. I have a hard time telling them how I feel, so I hope they read this. Mark and Amber are two of our heroes. Everyone should give them a call and let them know how proud we are of them. Thanks for your sacrifice guys! We love you.

On a lighter note, one of the best things ever is back in stores. Dreyers' Thin Mint ice cream is by far the best ice cream ever! Since it was pulled from the shelves in April I have looked for it every single time we have gone to the store. If you don't believe me just ask Steph. I love it! Since its return on Thursday, I have had at least one shake a day and have gone through two half gallons. Just try it and I'm sure you'll agree.

Tagged

2008-01-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

I think I was tagged a long time ago and never did it and Greg asked me about it the other day, so I guess I better do it before I forget.

1. Where did you meet your husband? We lived in the same apartments. Greg fresh from a mission and me fresh from high school. We met, I liked his roommate, I thought Greg was nerdy, we were friends for a long time and then something clicked.

2. First thing said? I really don't remember, but I know that when we very first met we didn't really talk much. It takes me awhile to warm up and get talkative.

3. 1st date? We went 3D mini golfing, dinner at the Pasta Factory, and to the airport lookout for surprise sparkling cider in wine glasses. And a visit from some sort of large wild cat.

4. 1st Kiss? Greg's apartment after watching Beautiful Mind. It was dark, some awkward silence, and I was dying because it had been established that I was to make the move. (long story, if you want to know I will tell you later)!

5. We dated for 7 months and then I went to Alaska for the summer (3 months) and we got engaged the day I got home and then married about 5 months later. Never wanted a winter wedding but it turned out great.

6. Where did you get engaged? It was supposed to be at the airport, but I kind of spoiled that one. So it happened in Memory Grove in Salt Lake. I had never been there but it is so beautiful. A long walk to the bridge and there we were standing in rose petals. And then Greg popped the question.

7. Where were you married? Logan temple

8. How did the reception go? Good. They both were long and exhausting. Wait I wouldn't say the one in Salt Lake started out so good. The time was ticking and people were arriving and my mom, who had my dress, was still MIA. For those of you who were there, or who know me, I of course had a emotional breakdown. All in all it was great!

9. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We went to Salt Lake because it was right before Christmas and we wanted to be with our families and we had a reception in the middle of our honeymoon. It was still fun to be downtown at Christmas time.

10.Do you have a song? No not really. Some that we both liked but "we" didn't have a song.

I tag Lara and Aimee

Under Construction

2008-01-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

As you all seem to have noticed we are in the midst of making some changes to our blog. The plan is to make the blog bigger and better for a bigger and better 2008.

Among our plans for 2008 are Steph passing the N-CLEX, Greg getting into and starting nursing school (cross your fingers!), moving into a nicer place (hopefully with a pool and an extra room for all of you), graduating from the scoot to a Rav4, Boston, Yosemite, pool parties, a Colbie Caillat concert with A-Cakes and Em, and much much more! While one of us will definitely miss Alaska, we are both excited for a summer in the sun and we look forward to seeing a lot more of all of you. So here's to a great 2008!

Dreaming of Boston

2007-12-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

For the past several months I have had the urge to go to Boston (I guess there's no need to tell you who is writing this post anymore). In an attempt to satisfy this urge I pulled out my mission pictures and found some gems. My favorite vacation ever was when the fam came to pick me up. I can't imagine anything more fun than having the entire fam in Beantown. I really hope we all get to do it again someday. Can you believe that Steph hasn't been! That has to change, and soon!

Mission Home Pick Up
(I realize that Dave looks 21 here and I only look 17, but I assure you this is in Boston.)

Minuteman National Park
(The Shot Heard Round The World)

Old Ironsides (Remember Charlie?)

Lobster in Maine

Sharon Vermont

Don't ask me how, but somehow Mark, Allis, Em and I got away from Fenway with no pictures! I'm ashamed. See, that's why we need to do it again! Go Sox!

Graduation!

2007-12-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

So it's done! I've finally graduated from nursing school. I never thought I would see this day! It was so fun to have mom and grandma here to celebrate with Greg and I, but the visit was not long enough. I have to thank Lara, Mom, and Grandma for the cute scrubs. I think I will be the most fashionable nurse out there! It's such a relief to know that I am done, but I can't get to lazy because I have to study, study, study for the state boards.

When we got home from graduation, this is what I found. Greg was so nice to get me a graduation present and let me tell you what the ribbons say, becuase they describe me to a T. "Super Grad" and " "I am Special" Oh and I can't forget the balloon that says ALL STAR! Thanks babe!!

Pinning ceremony!

Resiting the nightengale pledge!

Me and my two friends that got me through! (Andrea & Lacie)

I am not sure why these pictures turned out blurry so don't be alarmed, it's not your eyes!

Running

2007-11-15T16:25:00.001-07:00

To all those runners out there this probably doesn't seem like quite the accomplishment as it does to me. Anyway... I used to run a lot and ever since we got married I have let myself go to say the least. I have been working on getting back into shape, and today Greg and I ran 3 miles without stopping! You would think that I ran a marathon with how proud I was of myself. It felt good and we will kept going up on the miles! By the way a marathon is not on my list of things to do!

Hooray!

2007-11-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

It hasn't even been a week since my interview, and I got a call this morning. I got into the residency program at the hospital! I am so relieved. That is one stress gone , but I still have to pass the boards and that is pretty stressful its self. I start on January 7th and then about five weeks into the program I apply and interview for a position. I just hope that there are open positions on the floors I want to work on. Greg and I were so excited today and we wanted to celebrate, but he had to work. So I am celebrating by writing a paper that is due tomorrow. Yes I am a procrastinator.

Out with the bangs...In with the short hair!

2007-11-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

So Lara asked me the other day why we even had a blog because we never post anything. Well let me tell you why. Either we go do something fun that could make a really good post (i.e. Going to Thriller) and we forget the camera, or there really is just nothing going on in our lives. So now I've decided to carry my camera in my purse so we don't miss out on anything! We went to Thriller on Tuesday night and of course I forgot the camera much to Greg's dismay, because he would have loved a picture of my face when the crazy zombies were walking around the stands scaring everyone including me. It was really fun and the show was interesting. We had never been and it wasn't quite what I was expecting but we were glad to know that Lorena Bobbitt joined the show and had some good songs to sing to us! (Yes this was seriously part of the show!)

I decided it was time to cut my hair. I was so sick of it being long and boring. I was sick of the bangs and I never did decide if I liked them and they were just too much work. So I just did it and here are a few pics of different styles. We will see how long it lasts. I can't be satisfied with my hair lately. Right now I'm thinking of going a little shorter next time.

I did my first shift in the NICU on Thursday and to say the least I was tired after 12 hours. It's hard work. But it was very fun too. I learned a lot and will be going again on Tuesday. I have an interview on Wednesday with IHC to get into the new graduate residency program and I am very nervous. I have had a lot of good advice on interviewing so I hope all goes well and I will get the job!

Good News!!

2007-09-25T16:19:00.000-06:00

I am so excited! After all these years of being unlucky, it's finally paid off! I found out today that I was one of many qualified people that wanted to preceptor in the NICU, and my name was chosen out of the hat!! I will start in about 3 weeks and I can't wait!

Boring!

2007-09-24T09:19:00.000-06:00

So everyone is buging us to do a new post, and I have been trying to think of something to blog about but no luck! This is going to be a boring post with no pictures but at least it is new! We went to the St. George Rodeo last week which was about the most exciting thing we have done since we have been home from Alaska and that's been over a month. School is taking over our lives!! Greg is taking classes to prepare to apply for the nursing program. We hope he starts next fall! I will be done with school in December! YAH!!!! I start my preceptor on October 22. They still haven't told us where we will be doing them, but when I find out that will give me something to blog about! It's finally starting to feel like fall down here, at least for a few days, I think it's going to be around 90 again later in the week. I will keep thinking of something good to blog, but for now this will have to do!

A Night Out

2007-08-29T08:27:00.000-06:00

So I know we are behind on out posts, but last Friday we went to dinner at Olive Garden and then to Tuacahn to see Cinderella! It was so good to go out and not have to worry about what is going to happen at the stores while we are gone (so good to be home)! It doesn't cool down enough at night yet to make it really enjoyable. To say the least it was hot and sticky, but it was a good show.

Alaska Wrap Up and Shmoopiness

2007-08-28T21:44:00.000-06:00

Two posts in one. . . lucky you! So we've been home from Alaska for about two weeks now and I just realized that we never reported on our awesome last week. Just to recap, our last week included a rip roarin' ride on the worlds longest zip line, and an amazing helicopter ride over the Juneau Ice Fields. I think we had more fun in the last few days than we had the rest of the summer combined. As beautiful as these pictures are, they still don't do the scenery justice.

Well that's the last of the pictures of Alaska that we will post. We have plenty more if you would like to see them. Now on to the shmoopiness. That one word basically sums up Mark and Amber's wedding. I didn't really think that it would be appropriate to talk about it at the wedding, but now is the perfect time. Everyone knows exactly what I'm talking about. . . including Mark. In fact, I hope Mark and Amber read this because I think they will look back and laugh. And to quote another famous Seinfeld line, "not that there's anything wrong with that."

College football starts tomorrow and I can't wait! BYU opens on Saturday at home and the next week Allis, Em, and Me will be there as they play at UCLA! Oh and the Red Sox play the Spankees tonight (Wednesday the 29th) on ESPN 2. Don't miss it.

P.S. School started last week. Yippy

Home Stretch

2007-08-04T18:56:00.000-06:00

11 days!! It's crazy how fast this summer has gone, and yet it didn't go fast enought! We are excited to go home and start school. Especially Steph because she will be graduating in December.

We went kayaking again on Thursday. It was amazing as always! We went to Amalga, which is about 30 miles north of downtown Juneau, and then kayaked to Eagle Beach. We saw lots of eagles, a couple of porpoises, and a baby black bear. Unfortunatly the porpoises and the bear were too quick for the camera, as was the bear we saw today by our house!!

As mentioned before, we will be going helicoptering and dogsledding on Friday morning and then to Hoonah on Saturday. So we have some super fun things to look forward to before we go home!

My Dream House! (Not Steph's)

The Management Team
(Me, Steph, Liz, and Chana)

Too Busy

2007-07-28T21:59:00.000-06:00

Man it's been too long. This summer has not been nearly as care-free as last, and that's been bugging me. The reason that we haven't blogged for a few weeks is that we haven't done anything but work! Now with less than 3 weeks to go I have decided to get out and do something. We went for a little hike the other night and were reminded how beautiful it is here. The water in these rivers is soooo clear and blue!

We had an awesome surprise a couple weeks ago. Ben brought his family up with him on his monthly trip. It was such a blast! Alex loves everything Alaska and it kind of reminded me how cool it is here. In Alex's eyes float planes are way cooler than cars and trucks. As fun as it was to see Ben, Kurstin, and Alex, the highlight was definitely seeing baby Mya for the first time. Steph was the happiest she's been all summer.

We have a lot of cool things planned befire we go home. Next week we will be going on the world's longest zip-line in Hoonah which is a little bit west of us. We get to go through Icy Straits on the way there which should be awesome! We also get to go on some bear watching excursion while in Hoonah. Then the week before we leave we get to take a helicopter ride up to The Juneau Ice Field and go dog sledding. The helicopter ride was the highlight of last summer. After these trips the only thing I will have left to do is go fishing. I think it's going to be a fun couple weeks!

Fourth of July!!

2007-07-04T12:35:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th! The Fourth of July is deifinitely one of the highlights of a Juneau summer. This year was no exception. The fireworks start at midnight (on the 3rd) because it isn't dark enough until then. They shoot them off from a barge in the middle of Gastineau Channel. It had been a nice day but got a little rainy just in time for the fireworks. It wasn't too bad though and we still had a blast. Before the fireworks started we went to see Transformers. We bought our tickets a week in advance so we were excited that the time finally came. And it was bargain night so the tickets were only $7.50 instead of $9.50! It was a really good movie and I think it was the highlight of Greg's week. He wanted to watch it again as soon as it was over.

This morning was the big parade! It was fun becaus it went right by Alaska Apparel so we just rolled out our office chairs and waited for it to start. It was the most interesting parade we have ever seen. To top the day off we got caramel apples (the 4th is the only day you can get them in Juneau)! They were so good and messy!! The only thing that could have made it better was some sunshine, but we are in Alaska so rain is to be expected!

Kayaking

2007-06-24T11:48:00.000-06:00

This weekend was great! We got to go kayaking, and it was a blast! Steph had a great time too, which gives me hope that we might own kayaks someday. I think there are some things here that you just can't experience without a kayak. For example, I have never gotten so close to an eagle, or been able to listen to a few of them have a conversation. This deer was on an island about the size of the Cottonwood Mall. . . how did it get there? I hate to sound sentimental, but the only thing that would have made it better is if Dad, Mike, Mark, and Dave were here to see it with me. I hope we can all come up here together sometime.

Bears and Celebs

2007-06-17T11:01:00.000-06:00

That's right! We had our first bear sighting today! It was awesome! It was a pretty big black bear and it came right down onto our stairs and tried to chew open our trash can. After about 20 minutes of trying it decided to give up, much to the dismay of the hundred-or-so people that had come to watch it. As you can see from the picture I was able to get pretty close without it even noticing me.

When we got back to work there was a big ole group of people in the store and they were ready to buy. The guy walked in and handed me his card and then told his group of about 20 to get some stuff. That alone was pretty exciting. Then I saw his wife. It was Jamie Gurtz. You may remember her from Twister (the therapist fiancee of Bill Paxton), or from the sitcom Still Standing, or if those don't ring any bells she was Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend that couldn't spare a square for Elaine. She was super nice and she even took a picture with some of our girls. She loved our store. In the end they spent about 800 dollars which is the biggest sale we have ever had here. It was a fun day!

Take A Hike

2007-06-02T12:38:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that I'm saying this, but we have been so lucky with weather! Every day off that we have had has been sunny! Apparentely last year was like the worst summer in a while and people are saying that we are due for a good one. So far so good. Steph and I took advantage of the weather by going for a hike. You all probably get sick of me saying this but it is so beautiful here! Mom told me that Grandpa Garner said that he couldn't imagine anywhere being more beautiful than this. I agree.

Steph and I have decided that it is high time that we go on a cruise, and you're all invited! We found a SWEET deal to the eastern carribean that goes December 16th-the 23rd and only costs $450! This is seriously a great deal! Here is the link so that you can all get details. Let us know what you think. https://www.ovscruise.com/cruises/cruisedetail.jsp?cobrand=17664&pid=2&langrecno=1&sessionid=7C2EE1FD7347836252EB8E154EF3D7A3.tomcat&javascript=&jsessionid=7C2EE1FD7347836252EB8E154EF3D7A3.tomcat×tamp=20070603175651&customerid=gpWF18hnOmD5dtDcl6Z3pw%3D%3D&recno=7280457&specialtype=2&isgalileo=true&clr=3

Hot Dog It's A Beautiful Day!

2007-05-20T12:34:00.000-06:00

When people ask me about the weather in Alaska I always tell them that it rains a lot, but the good days are absolutely perfect. Friday was one of the perfect ones ,and lucky for us it was our day off! Friday made the past couple weeks worth it. If we have one of these days to every twenty rainy ones I will be just fine. . . it's that nice. There's something about extremely fresh air, eagles, waterfalls, glaciers, and sun that just recharges you. And what current or former boy scout wouldn't love to skip perfectly smooth rocks on a glacial lake. The glacier was amazing as usual, but it was definitely smaller. To top off the day we went to see Spider-man 3, which dissappointingly ended up being the least cool part of the day. Not that it was really bad, but it definitely wasn't as good as I expected it to be. All in all it was a great day.

Sweet Apartment

2007-05-20T12:13:00.000-06:00

Check out this sweet pad! Um, it's smaller than our apartment in St. George. . . if that's possible. The kitchen in particular is ridiculously small, but that hasn't effected us yet because we haven't had time to eat at home. As you can imagine that gets pretty expensive espescially in Juneau. Overall we are happy with our apartment. The worst part is the walk home from work because we have to climb a monster hill and we're already exhausted.

Clear Skies!!

2007-05-16T14:24:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness it didn't rain today!! Hallelujah! That means that we've had 1 day without rain out of 14.

A Day Of Season Firsts

2007-05-13T00:40:00.000-06:00

Today was great! We had a few season firsts. Today was our first official "day off" because no ships were in. Of course having a "day off" doesn't mean that we didn't work. We have so much work to do that we can't even think about taking an entire day off. On a much happier note, today was the first time that we have seen the sun since we got here! Yep, it's been that bad! The sun was great, but it still rained. That means that it has rained every single day since we have been here. Ouch!! My favorite first of the day came at dinner. Tonight was King Crab night! King Crab is definitely the best food ever! Steph got King Salmon and Halibut which aren't too bad either.

Our First Half Day Off

2007-05-10T23:45:00.000-06:00

There weren't any ships in today, so the stores didn't open which meant we got the moring off. Not only did we get it off, we got our monthly bonus early, so we got to go whale watching! It was really cold, but no rain yah!! We did see whales, but Greg was more interested in the eagles. I guess we were just spoiled last year with the Killer Whales and all. I have to say the eagles were pretty cool though! One of the first picture is of star fish. They were lining the edge of the dock, it was so crazy!! It was fun to get half a day off and we are looking forward to a full day off on Saturday! Hopfully it will really happen.

Crazy Week

2007-05-10T22:36:00.000-06:00

Wow!! It has been one crazy week for us, so sorry to those of you who are faithfully checking the blog and there hasn't been anything there. We have been working 15 hour days and the only thing we want to do when we get done with work is sleep. We worked so hard to get the new store open. As you can tell in a couple of the pictures we went from boxes everywhere to clothes everywhere and then to an awesome store (this one not pictured, we will get some later). We are feeling a little overwhelmed with all of our responsibilites, but we are slowly learning. We found a studio apartment that is inside this house which is just up the street from where we lived last year, but we can't move in unitl the 15th so we have been hotel hopping ever since we got here. Lets just say it hasn't been the greatest experinece so far. Hopfully when we move in and can finally unpack and buy groceries it will get better. We are so sick of eating out, not to mention how expensive it is. If you are wondering what that picture is of the nasty looking leg, that would be Greg's ankle. That's right, on top of everything else, while at the dump he jumped/fell out of the back of the Uhaul and twisted his ankle. This is about the worst it looked. The good news is that it is doing a lot better now. The other picture is of us, the other managers here, and the big wigs. As far as the weather goes it has been extremely cold and rainy. We hope it doesn't stay this way all summer!!

Hopping on the Blog Bandwagon!

2007-05-01T13:42:00.001-06:00

That's right! We are officially bloggers! We figured this would be a good way of keeping in touch while we are in Alaska and when the baby comes in November. It's also a good way to show you what you're all missing.

Today is packing day. I was a little slow with the camera or I would have gotten a picture of Steph's crazy tower of clothes. I hope our bags don't weigh too much! Just to give you an example, Steph is bringing 10 pair of shoes! I can't be too hard on her though because my stack isn't too much smaller.

Tomorrow is the big day. We are a little bit nervous but mostly excited. We leave Vegas at 1 and get into Juneau at 10. It will most likely be raining when we arrive, but if it's not the sun will still be up. Chances are we won't be blogging again real soon because we have a ton to do to be ready for the season to start, but hopefully it won't be too long. Oh, and by the way I was kidding about the baby thing. Gotcha!