Busy busy busy, but still HAppy as Can Be!!!

We are officially and irrevocably pooped from Spring activities already... but they said it is supposed to snow again in a few days so is it really even spring? Hence the title we have been busy, but a good enjoyable kind of busy!
For Easter we mostly visited family... cuz thats the best part! My sis Callie is holdng my niece Esme.

I cant believe my niece Hadlee let me hold her! She is such a sweetie! I miss her so much! If only I could get her to look at my camera!

My sister Madi and my nieces on the trampoline... white shirts for easter egg coloring!

Madi

Spring Leadership 2009!!!

We traveled to Spokane, WA to attend the annual Spring Leadership were our business mentors teach us about leadership (doi) among other things about building our business! It was a blast and I loved Spokane! There were almost 40,000 people in attendence so I heard.

Spokane Arena for the Leadership conference

I drove up with my buds Nate and Cami, and after parking we werent sure where the arena was, so Cami and I ended up walking a couple miles in high heels and 8 giant blisters were the result!!!!

oo thats hot Cami! Our business mentors and heroes, Brad and Julie Duncan, let us come look at their house in Spokane in between sessions! They have such an awesome house and they have ZERO debt! They let us come look at some of their toys...

I need one of these... they had three!!!

Me and Cami! Future diamond wives and Domestic Divas! (She is getting married around NOV! WOO HOO!)

Spokane pretty much rocks.

We went in to Brad and Julie's garage, and the door to their HUGE Hummer was unlocked... so I made myself at home in the passenger seat. They wont mind right?

Brad and Julie Duncan's house. 10,000 square feet of beauty!

Before I took this picture I was looking through the windows and one of their kids saw me... awkward...

The "Shed"

Nate and Cami, view from the Porch!

Brad and Julie leaving Spring Leadership.

That Porshe (sp?) is HOT!!!

Julie sharing some Girl Power!

Me and Julie Duncan!!!! Kudos to Notto for helping me get a picture of her!

So after an Anniversary, Easter festivities galore, family and friends, Spokane for Spring leadership and Dallas for Direct TV, our new favorite hobby is catching a few zzzzs!!!!!

Yet, still as happy as can be!

Two Years ALREADY? IT CANT BE!!!!

mmm even as I write this I am finishing off raspberry drizzle cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory where we decided that 15 bucks was worth two pieces for our 2nd anniversary! Yum!

We do our anniversary a little bit different... we take turns making all the plans of what we are going to do... that way I wouldnt always end up planning a last minute romantic retreat! I also didnt want to be the kind of wife that crossed her fingers hoping her husand remembered it was their anniversary... we remind eachother weeks ahead!

Last year Blake took me on a suprise get away to Ashley Inn in Cascade, but since we've been out of town so much I kind of didnt get to plan a suprise get away like I hoped, so I suprised Blake by taking him to Monsters VS. Aliens in 3d with our families, PF Changs for dinner and then dessert at the Cheesecake factory! I'd say it was a nice and delicious evening!

gross, get some floss girls!

I got my babe the nice shirt he is wearing, Abercrombie cologne, Ice Age and Best of all, Marley and Me!!! We are kids at heart, what can we say?

yummmmmmmmmmm

Blake got me Just Married, my favorite Hershey chocolates, ice cream and a massage!

At the end of the evening I was sure about two things:

one: We were both stuffed beyond repair and I am sure our stomachs doubled their capacity to fit everything

two: I am in desperate need of a nice camera, I wasnt happy with any of these pictures! Oh well, at least I remembered the darn camera...

Happy Anniversary Blake, I cant believe its already been two years, but its been the best two years of my life!
I love you more!

A Time of Mourning, and a Trip to Babyland.

Well here I am blogging between Conference sessions, haha. I love leaving the TV on all day playing Conference and various church videos. It puts such a sweet and peaceful spirit in the home. But I feel I have been in a high spiritual sensitivity due to the past events. Bittersweet, but I think overall very sweet. My mom left to be with her sister as soon as she recieved the news about the death of her 23 yr old son. She had already been gone to be with my grandma as she was near to passing away, so Blake and I offered to help take care of Brennen and Madison, but my mourning family members were near to my heart.

Monday was my grandmothers and Kyle's funeral. I know it was my Grandmothers time. She was ready. But Kyle was just a young man. He was such a happy kid, but he witnessed a tradgedy involving some of his friends that triggered schizophrenia, the most feared and misunderstood of all mental illnesses.

I was glad at his funeral the bishop explained a little bit about schizophrenia and the great suffering of those it afflicts. We all know Kyle was suffering, but in the end a sweet feeling of peace comes knowing he is no longer suffering, but in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. That I know.

I took very few pictures, mostly because the physical atmosphere was more meaningful than the visual, and I thought by putting away the camera I would be showing more respect. Besides, Kyle wouldnt want a bunch of pictures of his mourning family. There was peace and joy though in having the whole family together, and I got to meet my cousin Ashley's first baby, Kate. So I feel pretty special having a relative named after me, (: And she is beautiful!

BabyLand

Driving home, Blake and I were in a very spiritual and pondering mood. We realized as we were driving that we were going to be near the Rose Hill Cemetary in Idaho Falls. Blake and I had the desire to stop there and visit a special family member who lays nestled in "Babyland." She is Blakes oldest sibling, baby Rachel Lee Summers.

She was hard to find because she was covered in snow.

We left her a note that said We Love You and a rose.

We sent the pictures to Blakes mom who was so grateful someone was there to visit her when it was so near to her birthday. So Blake and I added Happy Birthday to our note. She was stillborn April 4, 1972.

We cant wait to meet you Rachel!

This is Why Everyone Should Learn How to Drive a Clutch!

Well, need I say more? This is Live Well Chiropractic, right next to our Satellite Store. All was well until everyone in our store saw "the wall move" and the ceiling shook and everyone was convinced it was an earthquake, diving under desks for shelter! Alas it was no earthquake, but a young girl in her brother car, who we can only assume, confused the gas pedal with the brake pedal. And here are of course the devastating results!
She must have hit the gas pretty hard, because she went through a second wall inside the store.

Whats left of the reception area... it was a miracle because they were closed today and they normally arent!

Our employee Cami telling the news how they all thought it was an earthquake.

The bumper...

Well no one was hurt which is a miracle, and the business will certainly survive the damages. And some poor girl learned a big lesson, at the expense of her brothers car. I was just down the street at Craft Warehouse when it happened, I rushed over there when Blake sent me a text picture of the accident. I felt so sorry for the poor girl and the chiropractor, but over all it was a miracle no one was injured! Just material things!

Happenings

Well there sure isnt a lot of time for blogging leisurely when in one month we will have attended 3 different funerals. Its an emotional toll not just for the familes but for getting work at the last minute twice and then coming back to tidy what we left behind. I had a dear friend of mine pass about a month ago just after having newborn twins, she graduated with me in my nursing class and her in-laws were in our ward. A few weeks later my great grandmother passed for which we were expecting it would be soon, but then we found out my dear cousin who was just a young man also passed.

While this has been an emotional toll, I am more grateful than ever for the gospel in my life. I know that all three of these people were suffering greatly, and it is so comforting to know that they are in the loving and healing arms of our Heavenly Father. For this knowledge, we havent been clouded in sorrow, but have been surrounded by hope and healing. I am grateful to know why we are here, and I find great comfort in the plan of salvation and the healing power of Christ. I know He reaches out to us when we reach out to Him.

Busted!!! and- The infamous burnt couch!

So I took someone's advice and started rummaging through our stuff and throwing out all our junk. As I plowed through piles of yearbooks, mission letters and old pez dispensers, I came across a CD labeled Swan Falls.

Swan Falls is a favorite get-away of Blakes, and lo and behold the cd had several pictures of an outing with Brian, Clarisa, and ... the EX!!!! So to give Blake a hard time I told him he was busted for holding on to his Ex-girlfriend memoir! Ex, Blake squished, Brian and Clarisa Borup
And I'll have Clarisa introduce the infamous burnt couch! We do this thing where we bring a couch when we camp or watch a movie outside. Its called Couching. Now, with camping usually comes a camp fire, and with Blake usually comes an accident. Hence the now charred couch. At least it was saved to live another day, all hail the couch!

Change is Great!!!

This was one of those pictures where the realization comes---- Wowzers do I need a hair cut!!! To my mothers dismay I no longer have the will power or tolerance to grow my hair down to my lower back... I did that senior year but then I cut it WAY short and donated to Locks of LOve and I am telling you I dont know if I can go back!

I love short hair now! Besides I tend to have the kind of hair that clogs the drain every time I shower and if I wear a ponytail I end up with a headache at the end of the day because of all the hair... Any who the before picture below, only half as I long as I once had it but too long for me!

During

After (: Kudos to Clarisa for another awesome cut!

Dont mind the bags under the eyes, it was like 1 am

Dirty office now clean, straight hair not permanent.