Bob

Bob: The Man, The Myth, The Legend, My Dad.

He turned 60 yesterday.  60.  Most people would be depressed and think they are old.  However, my dad is in better shape than most 35 year old men.

He runs marathons and any other race he wants to
He snow skis any black diamond at Alta and loves the deep powder
He will water ski (slalam) when it is 40 degrees outside (he has a dry suit)
He road bikes (and has a trainer for inside)
He mountain bikes (and is gutsier than I am on one)
He camps
He Hikes
He back packs
He runs every morning and goes to the gym or bike trains every night
The list goes on and on.

However, there is another list.  My dad is an amazing man.  Never have I met a man more loved by people.  People of all ages love him.  He shows his love through the time his is willing to give people.  Never does he think twice about helping another. 
He is a father figure to many people who aren't even related to him let alone his children and nieces and nephews. 
He hardly missed any dance competitions or performances growing up.  These are Saturdays.  He was usually the only dad from my team there.  He would even take off work to run up to the high school to watch me in assemblies.
He is a rock.  He goes to the temple Every Friday morning.  He studies his scriptures daily.  He has been an amazing example to me of firmness in his faith and has helped me grow a testimony.  He never waivers.
He is the glue that holds his family together.  He takes care of his mom's financial things, visitis her 1-2x a week, and holds his siblings together.  He was a father figure to nieces and nephews who needed one.
He considers watching the grandkids a date.  He gets mad at my sister if they get a babysitter other than them on Friday nights.
He is always there for me and everyone in my family.  No matter what.  If it is 3 am and I need someone to cry with because mom is at work, or my car broke down in Wellington on the way home from Moab and I need to be rescued, or calling every restaurant in Park City to make sure they had vegetarian options for me, helping me with homework, giving me advice, letting us cheat at Monopoly, reading with my nieces, playing with the grandkids, he is there.
He is always up for fun and an adventure
He introduced me to the outdoors and taught me how important they are. He introduced me to most of the things I love to do.
He commands the grill when it come to fish (especially his salmon. It is the Only meat I miss)
He fixes teeth and does a dang good job
This list goes on a lot too.

He is the best dad in the world.

We Will Never Be The Same

So, Thursday we drove to Idaho Falls and back.
Why?
To see Martin Sexton in concert of course.
And I shall say one thing.
It was totally worth it.  I'd do it again.
Left us both pretty tired all day the next day at work and school.
But it was so worth it.
I have never experienced such an amazing concert in my life.
He can play the guitar like I have never imagined, belt it like crazy, turn his voice into a saxophone, an electric guitar, beat box and sing at the same time.
Ah.  I could have died in a car crash on the way home and been happy with life.

We are working on uploading the videos we took to our computer.  So those will come sooner rather than later hopefully

Fun with a Staple Gun

Staples Guns are fun.  Simple to use and fun.

I have this new found knowledge because of what I made for my sister.  She is having a baby boy.

I made her this.  Easy.  Frame, twine, staple gun (with staples), and clothes pins

Close Up of Card I Drew

Happy Sabbath

Happy Sabbath.  I am watching Star Wars (The Empire Strikes Back).  So happy.

Today

Today we flew kites because it was windy.

That's all.

2 Days to Celebrate 2 Years

Derek and I hit the 2 year mark on Thursday.  And what a wonderful 2 years it has been.  Sure we have our up days and down days just like everyone else does, but all in all it has been a million times more good than not good.  All I can say is I am so grateful every minute of every day that Ali signed up for One Man's Trash recylcing and got me to sign up too.  Because that is how Derek and I really met (more than me asking for cookies on the daily the summer before).

It has been a wonderful 2 years of marriage.  I get to spend every day with my very best friend in the whole world.  I thank the Lord every day for bringing Derek into my life and for making sure I didn't let him pass by without a fight to keep him in my life.  And now he is forever and ever.  How awesome is that?  How awesome and loving is God that he has made it possible for Derek and I and every and any couple to not only be together on this earth but forever after.  Just to think I never have to be away from him.  What a wonderful gift to look forward to.

However, we did have a good time celebrating our 2 years here.  We took 2 days to do the celebrating as well.

Day 1: December 29, our 2 year anniversary.  We both worked.  But we work close to each other so we went to lunch at O Falafel.  Yummy.  I came home to Derek and his homemade pizza and then we went climbing and it was awesome.

Day 2: We woke up and went climbing for 2.5 hrs.  Awesome.

Start of a climb.  Can't say I was happy about holding this position for pictures...

Derek bouldering (the century)

Me bouldering (the century)

Then we went hiking up Millcreek Canyon for 3ish hours.  We wanted to hike Gobler's Knob however, we set off in the wrong direction for about a mile so we had to back track and figure out where we went wrong.  So we didn't make it to the top.  But it was fun anyway, and there is actually a little bit of snow up there.

After the hike we went home for some lunch and each of us read our respective copies of the Hunger Games.  After reading, Derek gave me an hour + massage because our couples massage didn't work out so well, so he just gave the massages he bought off groupon to me to use whenever.  yay!  (My back will be thanking him for that).

We then went to the temple to do sealings.  I love to do sealings, especially on our anniversary because it is a great way to remember the covenants we made with God and each other and the blessings that are ours for keeping those covenants.  Also, the temple is just awesome as well.

Next was dinner at the best restaurant ever, Sweet Tomatoes.  Yummy.  Then we saw We Bought A Zoo, thanks to my mother's Christmas gift of a movie pass and $$ for a date.   And I will just say that is the best movie I have seen in a long time.  It has such a good message and makes you feel really good.  They need to make more movies like that.

It was an awesome 2 days for an awesome 2 years.  Can't wait for the rest.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was great.  Long.  But great.  It started at 5;30 a.m. and the last present was opened at around 10:15 p.m.  No joke.  But it was great.  I love Christmas.  Everyone is so happy.  (Even me when I hadn't eaten hardly anything ALL day and was tired and wanted to go home.)

Anyway, we got spoiled.  But that isn't important.  What is important is that we still made sure that the celebration was about Christ and family.

Christmas Eve we were with my family and we focused that on Christ, and giving, and family.  We had a really good time.  The Nativity play was hilarious but Katherine was a good Baby Jesus.  (She is 2 and can NEVER sit still).  And nobody in my family got mad or frustrated with one another the entire night.  Christmas miracle!!!!

Christmas was good.  I was up at 5:30.  Is anyone surprised about that?  Derek and I had our Christmas and went to his family up in Bountiful.  We spent the morning, went to church, and by the time we were home, Austin, Derek's older bro, had flown in from flight school (AF).  It was so great to have the entire family together.  We were there all day and it was great.

Christmas miracle #2 - my mom was supposed to work from 7:00-1:00 (she is a nurse) and at 5:30 a.m. she got a call saying we don't need you today so enjoy Christmas.  YAY!  Christmas miracle for mom and she slept well.  Another Christmas miracle.

We spend the evening at my sister's house.  Addie (my 7 year old niece) was on T.V. for a chior concert she was in and had about 8-10 close up shots.  It was awesome.  We had dinner, played with the girls, and opened presents.  

We eventually got back home and still had to do Christmas with my parents.  And we got spoiled.  My favorite gift is the beginning of the Willowtree nativity.   (Mary holding the Christ child, Joseph, a Shepherd, 2 sheep, and a donkey).  I am so excited.  We will just say Santa and Mrs Claus did a REALLY good job this year.

But that is the thing.  Christmas isn't about what you receive.  It is about Christ.  It is about giving and loving. So what did we give.  Love and appreciation to our parents.  Family calendars and Captain Bob and Mrs. Bob shirts to my parents.  A digital photo frame with all the pictures loaded to Derek's mom and just the flash drive of pictures to his dad (he is on the road a lot for work).   We draw names for siblings so for my sister and her husband we got a new game and their favorite candies (they LOVE games and doing date game nights).   To Derek's cousins (who's names we drew) a remote control helicopter and a gift card to some music store.  To the nieces: a little Nativity box to share.  For Addie (the science buff) we got her a tube you put in the bottle for blowing up diet coke and mentos plus a lot of diet coke and mentos.  For Katherine, the animal loving 2 year old, we got ABC bath toys, and a planet earth coloring book and crayons.

It was a good Christmas.  Hope all yours were filled with as much love, fun, laughter, and family as ours was. Also, I hope you were able to think about and appreciate the reason why we even celebrate Christmas (and I am not talking about a big fat guy in a red suit).  The real reason.  Christ.

Much love to all.  Enjoy the rest of the holidays and have a great New Year.