Kallista and Dave

Spring and Summer 2011

2011-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

So, yes, it has been several months since I have posted. We have had a fun time lately! Our little boy is crawling now, and definitely growing up fast. Here are some pics of what we have been up to.

Recent family pic

Father/Son matching

We went to Disneyland in April with all 3 of my sisters and family. We got to eat lunch at the famous "Club 33," where Walt Disney used to eat. It was very good food with a buffet and filet mignon!

Hiking with Marissa and her cute girl. You can almost see the ocean behind us.

We had a 9 year roommate reunion in San Luis! It was totally awesome, and there were 7 of us! We got to talk, go downtown, kayak, body board at the beach, go to dinner, go in the jacuzzi, watch "A Walk to Remember," go to Montano de Oro, and eat a lot! I am so glad we could all get together. These are such fun girls!

Andrea and me at the beach

Cute cousins waiting to skype with Grandma and Grandpa

Walking along the cliffs near Pismo and Avila beach.

I got to visit my sister and brother-in-law while Dave was in China. They live in Orange County, so we got to go to a fun park that had a train ride that the boys just loved.

My sister, Melinda, teaching me how to cake decorate. It is hard to eat the cake after you spend so much time decorating, but we managed to eat it all:)

Cousins!

Train ride in Irvine, CA

4th of July at Pismo Beach. Notice the thousands of people camped out on the beach waiting for the fireworks!

I got to go up to Utah and visit family while Dave was in China. My nieces and nephews took me to this fun new water park near their house.

Going on a mountain bike ride in Alpine with my brother-in-law and nephew. It was beautiful, but it was killer!

Meeting Great Grandpa for the first time.

Hanging out with my awesome friend Na and her to kids before she heads off to Singapore for at least a few years! Going to miss her!

So Dave went to China with his MBA class of about 30 students. It was a two week trip where they toured several factories and businesses. He loved it, and I hope to go back there someday with him. Some people aren't that interested in traveling to Asia, but it has always been a dream of mine. Here he is on the Great Wall! He also was quoted in two newspaper articles in San Luis about their trip!

http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2011/August/China.html

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/21/1725419/cal-poly-business-students-china.html?story_link=email_msg

The English translations of the food were very interesting. This meat (whatever it is) is translated as an "extremely handheld device." :)

The Bund in Shanghai. Dave said it is a very modern and nice city. 25 million people live in Shanghai! Crazy because I think about 32 million live in the whole state of California!

He got to go up the 3rd tallest building in the world, and go to the tallest observation deck in the world! So I guess it the highest anyone can go in a building.

Forbidden City in Beijing

Enjoying the lights of Shanghai

Hiking Stewart Falls in Utah. He loved the backpack, but he is definitely getting heavier!

Buffalo in Grand Teton National Park. I forgot how huge these beasts are!

His fun cousin and aunt!

4 generations. Family reunion in Island Park. We played tennis, went tubing down the river, played games, roasted hot dogs and smores, etc!

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park

Grand Teton National Park. This was absolutely spectacualar.

So you may wonder why I have a picture of a huge ice cream. I have been pretty much off of dairy products because of problems with nursing. I decided one day that I was going to get an ice cream and see how the nursing went. I decided to go for the largest size I could get! I think his stomach has matured to handle some dairy, but he still definitely doesn't love it. Man, I have never enjoyed an ice cream that much!

Learning how to crawl! He started on our 5 year anniversary! He is so proud of himself. He is into everything now.

Hanging out with his cousin that is only 3 weeks younger! They have a lot of fun together.

Soaking it all in at the BYU Football practice with Daddy. Dave is starting him young I guess.:)

Labor and Delivery

2011-02-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

So, I know it has been almost 3 months since my last post, and 2 months since the birth of our baby boy. I noticed that the last post, I had a huge belly being 8 months pregnant! I guess it is time I better post some cute photos, and tell about my labor and delivery before I forget it all. So here it goes.....

My due date was December 9th, and Dave's last final presentation for school was December 9th. Being a labor and delivery nurse, I saw many moms very anxious to deliver early, but I was the opposite. I wanted to be able to at least eat the Thanksgiving feast, and make it through Dave's finals. I was checked at about 39 weeks, and was closed dilation. After that, I convinced myself that I was going to be one of those moms that had to be induced one week late starting totally closed, and have a grueling 50 hour labor, push for 3 hours, attempt forceps, and then end up with a C-Section. Not fun!
During the last couple months of my pregnancy, I went on tons of walks and hikes with my Mom, ate a lot of frozen yogurt, slept in (for the last time ever:), took a sewing class, prepared for his arrival, traveled to Huntington Beach, went kayaking, and spent time with family during Thanksgiving. It was awesome just to relax! Every week, Dave and I would sit down and have our own little prenatal class together. Even though he had heard hundreds of stories about labor and delivery every day I got home from work, I still wanted him to feel prepared.

To celebrate his finals being over, we went out to eat downtown for pizza, and walked around at the Farmer's Market. That was our last outing together before he arrived. At about 3 AM on Friday morning, December 10th, I woke up with some uncomfortable contractions. They were happening about every 10 minutes. That morning, I went to the doctor, and was excited to find out how far I had progressed. Closed Dilation once again. Bummer. I set up an induction date on December 16th, and planned on waiting. By this time, I was getting anxious to meet our little guy.

Finally, after 3 days of back labor 3-10 minutes apart, at about 11 PM on Sunday night, I decided that I needed to go into the hospital. We drove to the hospital, which was only about 5 minutes away, and went up to Labor and Delivery. The nurse checked me, and I was 5 cm! She told me I was going to be admitted, and I asked for the epidural right away. I had always planned on getting the epidural. Way to Go to all you girls out there that go unmedicated. You are amazing. The anesthesiologist seemed to take forever to get in the room. I tried to always be empathetic to my patients, but I definitely will be even more so now! At about 1 AM, I felt the epidural taking effect, and I felt probably the best I have ever felt. It was awesome! I have seen hundreds of women with epidurals, but it was crazy to finally have one myself. I was checked and was about 6 cm. I then tried to sleep for a couple of hours, and was rechecked at about 6 AM. I was still about 6 cm, so they decided to start just a minimal amount of pitocin. The doctor finally came in at about 8:45 AM, and broke my water at 7 cm dilated. There was a slight amount of meconium in the fluid, but I wasn't too concerned. I jumped from 7 cm to 10 cm in about one hour. His head was still slightly high, so we decided to "Rest and Descend." I am all about resting and descending. The epidural unfortunately started to wear off, and I decided to get a little extra dose of medicine. That re-dose made my legs completely numb, and so we decided to wait a little longer before pushing. By the time we started pushing, much of the epidural had worn off once again.

Once I started pushing, I only pushed for 45 minutes. Our baby boy was born at 1:15 PM and started crying right away. His Apgar scores were 9 at 1 minutes, and 9 at 5 minutes. That was such a relief for me, because I knew what things could go wrong. He was so alert, and was delivered skin-to-skin. What an experience! Dave and my Mom were there to see the birth. He was such a beautiful baby, and had a lot of brown hair. He even gripped his Daddy's hand right away. I was excited to see that much hair, but it started falling out at about 1 month old. Pretty young to already be balding:) After delivery, Dave got to help with his 1st bath in the room. Seeing him for the first time was such an amazing experience. We are very proud parents! He was 7 pounds 15 onces and 19 inches long. We love him so much!

After the epidural!:)

Our steak meal for two the night before discharge;)

Dave holding his baby boy for the first time!

He is now 2 months old and just went to his well visit today. Here are the stats:

12 pounds 12 ounces (68 percentile)

24 inches long (80 percentile) Maybe he will be the new Jimmer Fredette in about 20 years with being so tall!

He is growing up so fast!

Grandma and Grandpa, and some of his cousins!

Hanging out with his cousin that is only 3 weeks younger.

Dave and I with our twins.:)

My sister brought down her scale when she visited with her 6 week old boy, and he loved hanging out on it. We would sometimes weigh him before and after he ate to see how many ounces he was getting. He is getting big! We have been on a lot of walks these last 2 months. He loves the stroller. We have been lucky, because it has been about 70 to 75 degrees the last 6 weeks!

HAPPENINGS

2010-11-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

It has been quite awhile since I have posted, so I thought I might give you an update!! Dave is learning a lot in MBA school, and is usually either in front of the computer writing a paper, or in his special blue chair studying. Every once in a while, he is able to get out and have some fun with me.

Kayaking in the bay. My parents got these inflatable kayaks a few months ago that are really fun. If any of you come visit, we can take you out ocean kayaking!

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Trunk or Treat with our ward. Dave dressed up as one of the three amigos, and I dressed up as a chef, with a "bun in the oven."

For Halloween weekend, we went down to Orange County to spend time with my sisters and brother-in-law. We celebrated her birthday, and then went to Balboa Island where all the rich people live. They have amazing decorations in front of their homes, so here we are in front of one of them. I guess Christmas is an awesome time to go walk around and look at all the lights and decorations!

Balboa Island

Newport Beach Temple. I love this temple! We met up with some family in Newport Beach, and went to the temple, and of course Cafe Rio! The sweet pork salad definitely hit the spot.

My blanket I made during my sewing class! Let's just say it was a little more time consuming than I thought, but it turned out fun. I made a blanket out of my high school and college sports and music T-shirts, like triathlons, swimming, soccer, youth symphony, tennis, etc.

My pajama pants I made. I am a very beginner sewer, so this is quite an accomplishment for me.:)

A couple of weeks ago, some of my family was able to come down and visit, and we got to go to the barn near the beach with a lot of animals, and the best ice cream in town. Here is a picture of my cute nieces and nephew that came!

The adorable diaper cake that a lady in the ward made me!

My car seat for the baby! Well, I guess it might be a little outdated. This is the one my Mom found in the attic probably from the 1970's. I thought about using it, but then I realized that it may not meet safety standards now.:)

Adventures in California

2010-10-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

We are really enjoying our time in California! Dave is super busy with his MBA program, but learning a lot. We are excited to welcome our baby boy in just a couple of months. I am sad that I don't get to deliver him at American Fork with all my friends, but I am excited to deliver him here.

Dave and I have decided to go ahead with the 2 year MBA instead of just 1 year. Who knows where we will end up after that, but all of you are welcome to come visit!

This is a great place to kayak!

Gorgeous day! I really do love the weather, even though we did have a episode of some extreme heat a few weeks ago. We had record breaking temperatures.

My parents and I went to the Bakersfield Businesss Conference a week ago and met up with some of my siblings. Dave wasn't able to go because he had to fly back to Utah for a couple of days. It is a conference with about 10,000 people where well-known politicians come and speak. We heard from Rudy Guliani, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin (she is just a little annoying), Laura Bush, Karl Rove, Goldie Hawn (okay, she is not a politician), but I got a picture with her, and also Captain Sullenberger (the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River last year). It was really fun, and it was great to see some of my family.

Goldie Hawn

My brother shaking Mitt Romney's hand as he tells him the score of the BYU game.

My family at P.F Changs. Now that is a good restaurant!!

We will keep you updated on what is going on. I am also taking a beginning sewing class, so then I can sew all of our baby's clothes. Just kidding! I am taking a sewing class, and making some fun things like an apron, receiving blankets, and pajama pants. Hope all is well with all of you.

IT'S A............

2010-08-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

BOY!!!!!!!!

We are so excited to have a little baby boy! We will be having him in California because we are moving for Dave's MBA program. We are having so many new adventures. If you have any name suggestions for boys, let us know!

JOINING OUR FAMILY!

2010-07-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be having a little one join our family this December! I am about 16 1/2 weeks along, and counting down. I actually have felt pretty good, so hopefully it stays that way. My doctor tried to look at the gender of the baby a few days ago, but the umbilical cord was wrapped right in between the legs, so of course it looked more like a boy, but we are just not sure! We will let you know in about one month!

I took Dave on a little treasure hunt to give him the big news, and this was at the end of it.

Nine week ultrasound

Summer Fun

2010-06-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

So, we just got back from my house in California, and it was a great trip as always! When we flew back to Salt Lake, I would just like to say that we probably broke the record time from takeoff in San Luis Obispo to landing in Salt Lake, with a layover in San Fran! 2 hours and 40 minutes! Let's just say that we were supposed to have about a 3 hour layover in San Francisco, but then when we got off the plane in San Fran, I looked at our flight leaving for Salt Lake, and it was delayed about 2.5 hours more. I saw that there was an earlier flight taking off in 10 minutes, so we booked it across the San Fran airport to make it. I think Dave thought I was a little crazy for running, because the gate was probably already closed. The guy at the front desk told us it was too late, but after begging a couple of times, he finally let us on the flight. About 7 minutes from getting off the one flight, and getting on the other! We found out later that our scheduled flight was delayed 3.5 hours, and didn't get in Salt Lake until about 3-4 AM. Crazy!

Kaying out near Avila Beach and Port San Luis. We parked our kayaks on this little beach and hiked to the Avila Lighthouse!

We saw tons of Sea Lions while kayaking.

We did our tradition of biking out to the end of the pier, and eating lunch where there are see-through tables, so you can see the ocean underneath you. Always fun! I bet I have done this bike ride at least 30 times, but it never gets old!

My Dad helping my cute 2 year old niece with the stomp rocket. If you have little kids, this is the greatest toy ever! You can get it on Amazon.com.

Dave and I did other fun activities with my fam, like play tennis, go to the Farmer's Market, play ping pong, walk downtown to my favorite yogurt shop, and celebrate my Mom's birthday!

Fun Times

2010-05-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dave and I had an awesome time traveling up to St. Anthony and Idaho Falls to see his sister, Sarah, and her husband, Kevin! We also got to spend some time with Dave's grandparents which was really fun. As you can see, we decided to brave the chilly weather and go golfing. My brothers and Dad are good golfers, and I have gone golfing some, but haven't had tons of experience. Let's just say that I won 4th place!!:) Dave was the runner-up. On the 7th hole, it started snowing a little, but we had a blast, and hope to go again soon.

Last month, we went to the Michael Buble concert at the E Center, which was amazing! He is a great entertainer. We would definitely recommend seeing him in concert. We even got lucky enough to take a picture with him.:)

In this middle of the concert, he came out to the stage in the center of the E Center, so we could see him even better.

MAUI

2010-03-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a great trip to Maui! We saved up some points on our credit card, so we ended up getting 6 free nights at the Westin Kaanapali Villas. The rooms each had a stove, fridge, and even a washer and dryer!

Here is our hotel and the pool in the background. Sometimes on trips, we tend to have activities planned each day, but we told ourselves that the last day, we would just sit back and relax by the pool. We even saw a whale breach (jump completely out of the water) as we were looking out at the ocean from our hotel.

Our pork dinner at the Lahaina Luau. It was good food.

We loved the all you can drink smoothies!

Black Rock. We did a few different snorkeling trips, and we found an awesome beach that had the most colorful fish I have ever seen! Yes, we were probably the whitest people on the beach, but we both got some sun which we definitely needed.

We of course had to play a game of tennis.

There were amazing sunsets each night.

Driving along the northwest coast of Maui. We drove until we hit a one lane road with cliffs where you had to try to pass other cars without falling off the road. It was quite an adventure. We decided to turn around after a couple of miles of that.

North Kaanapali beach right in front of our hotel. Great snorkeling.

Iao Needle

Iao State Park.

Haleakala Crater. Let's just say that Dave and I don't have the best of luck when it comes to volcanoes and weather. We got up at 2:45 AM to see the sunrise, but you can see that it was just a little rainy and cloudy. At least we weren't with the bike tours that rode their bikes down the volcano in the cold and rain. We drove down after a couple of hours, and the weather cleared out so that we could see amazing views of the east and west coast of Maui!

Notice the rainbow!

Whale watching. This is the fin of a humpback whale slapping on top of the water. December through March is a great time to see whales. They travel all the way from Alaska in the winter months.

Girl's Weekend in Southern California

2010-02-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, I got to travel down to Huntington Beach and San Diego to spend Thursday to Tuesday with 2 of my sisters and my Mom. It was tons of fun! I found an awesome airfare, and decided that it would be a nice get-away. I am so lucky because my sister, Tiara, just got married and moved to Huntington Beach with her husband, Rob. They live only 4 miles from the beach, and about 20 minutes from Disneyland! My other sister, Melinda, lives right in La Jolla. This is a picture of us at the Moscow Ballet in downtown San Diego after they performed "Swan Lake."

My Mom and I went to the Newport Beach LDS temple which is absolutely gorgeous inside and out.

Walking along the beach in Del Mar, California

Rob, Tiara, me, and my Mom on the pier at Huntington Beach. This is where they do a lot of surfing competitions.

I got a free Disneyland day pass because I did a service day at BYU. Just go to Disneyparks.com, and this year you can volunteer in your community, and get a free Disneyland pass! It is called "Give a Day, Get a Day." They are only giving out a million passes though.

California Adventure! It was so nice going on a Monday, because no line was longer than 15-20 minutes.

This picture wasn't in California. Dave and I went to see the "New Shanghai Circus" at BYU, and it was amazing. They had a contortionist, jugglers, gymnastics, tight wire, etc.

Hopefully, I will be better at posting on the blog. Lately, I have been slacking! Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Beating Lebron!

2010-01-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

Kallista and I witnessed an incredible game. Skyler (Kallista's brother) got us tickets to the game for Christmas. That was easily one of the top 2-3 basketball games I have ever seen in person. I still can't believe the Jazz won, considering the Jazz were down by 6 with 30 seconds left. Quite a few of the fans had left the arena at that point. I still can't believe that Gaines hit the three at the buzzer. Just incredible.

Lebron James was fun to watch. He sure can take over a game when he wants to. He also plays very unselfishly at times. One of my coworkers was sitting on the second row at the game and said Lebron was fun to yell at. He said Lebron has fun with the fans and enjoys interacting a little with them.

As we were leaving Energy Solutions Arena, I overheard a fan say he had been going to Jazz games for 25 years and he said this was as exciting a finish to a game as any he had seen. I would have to agree.

King James

Jazz win 97-96 on a last second three!

Pregame--went to Pat's BBQ in Salt Lake. Of course as you can see, we broke our New Year's resolution to eat healthy. I got the jumbalaya, ribs, and pulled pork. Kallista got the beef brisket sandwich. I would recommend it--good food!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with a lot of family. We got to spend time in Springville with Dave's family, and we enjoyed great meals, games, music, presents, and visiting. My parents also came out for awhile, so I got to hang out with them, and enjoyed an amazing ski day at Sundance! One of my exciting surprises from Dave was two tickets to the Michael Buble concert in Salt Lake! I am so excited.

Playing a game of pool with Kevin and Sarah.

Emily (Dave's cousin), Brynlee, and Kallista

Brynlee (our 4 year old niece) loved cutting out and decorating the sugar cookies on Christmas Eve! She definitely liked to put loads of frosting on the cookies.:)

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa I on Christmas day

Sarah and I have a tradition of playing violin duets on Christmas Eve.

Our little Christmas tree at our apartment! We have a tradition of getting ornaments from different places that we have traveled.

Happy New Year to everyone! We are excited for the adventures of this new year, and new decade.

By George...

2009-12-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Classic, now on to Vegas!

Thanksgiving in California

2009-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

We loved going home for Thanksgiving and my sister's wedding! We had 24 people staying at my house, so there was plenty of action and fun activities going on all the time. Here is a picture of my 3 year old nephew at the animal barn. He kept looking at the cow, and yelling to it: "Why aren't you saying "moo"?"

Dave and I did the 8 mile Hunger Run on Thanksgiving morning with my oldest sister and brother. We had a lot of fun, and it was a perfect day. We made it in less time than our goal, so we were happy about that.

Sprinting near the finish line.

We always have a tradition of riding bikes out to the beach.

My brother and niece playing paddle ball on the beac h.

Annual tangerine pick at Cal Poly University. Cal Poly is known for its agriculture, so my family goes every year to pick the delicious tangerines.

All 11 nieces and nephews ranging from 6 months to 14 years old!

The nieces and nephews put on a dance and singing performance called "American Idol." Dave got to be Randy and I was Paula.

Delicious Thanskgiving Meal

My sister, Tiara, and her husband, Rob, coming out of the temple.

The Nelson Kids (Her bouquet, and all the flowers were gorgeous)

Oakland Temple

At the reception. The whole wedding turned out perfect!

Oops!

2009-11-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

So, Dave and I went on a date to the Temple Square Orchestra concert in Salt Lake. After a couple of standing ovations, I was wondering why he was still sitting, while everyone was standing. I guess he had noticed before the concert that he had a hole in the back of his pants. Of course, I thought it was just going to be a small hole that wasn't very noticeable, but I was definitely wrong about that! It will be a date night never to be forgotten.:)

Horseback Riding

2009-11-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we went horseback riding with our Bishop and his wife. It was a blast, and such beautiful scenery. I always love riding horses, but don't get to do it too often. It was really nice of them to take us.

We even got to ride their ATV's for a little while!

Deron Williams and Dwight Schrute

2009-10-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

This is a sweet commercial:

Utah Fall Colors

2009-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Dave and I drove the Nebo Loop from Payson to Nephi last week. I would definitely recommend it. The fall colors and the views are beautiful!

Fall always seems to short. Winter, here we come!

Mt. Nebo (Tallest mountain in the Wasatch mountains)

I thought it was funny how there were cows just hanging out on the side of the road. We had to watch out while we were driving.

Dallas

2009-09-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I witnessed the most incredible game I have ever seen in person as #20 BYU beat #3 Oklahoma 14-13 in the first official football game in the new $1.2 Billion Cowboys Stadium. I went for my birthday, and it was sweet! I went with Kallista's brother Skyler and some of his friends.

On gameday, we ate great food and watched lots of football at "Buffalo Wild Wings." I realized as we were walking to the stadium that BYU fans were definitely in the minority. A couple of OU fans good-naturedly threw out the "B-Y-Who?" line as we walked toward the stadium. I would say the ratio of OU to BYU fans was 4 or 5 to 1.

I can see why they call Cowboys Stadium the 8th wonder of the world. From the comfortable seats to the fancy towels in the bathrooms, to the dozens of flat screens to the biggest HDTV video screen in the world, visitors definitely get their moneys worth.

The high-def television screen is stunning in person. The screen is 60 yards long and the picture is crystal clear. It is tempting sometimes to watch the screen rather than the field. I have never seen anything like it.

Our group made it onto the big screen--see the photo below.

We didn't park in the $60 lot, but that seemed to be the going rate. Wow.

Experiencing victory against OU was something I'll always remember. Afterwards, as we were leaving our seats and the stadium, several OU fans came up and congratulated us on BYU's win. I was very impressed with the classiness shown by Oklahoma's fans.

I didn't realize it at the time, but discovered the day after the game that our group was included in one of the highlight videos they showed on the big screen after the game. What are the chances of them showing us out of all the BYU fans? If you pause the video at 3-4 seconds, you will see Skyler and other guys in our group. I felt honored that at least my arm holding my camera made it in the highlight video!

Summer Fun

2009-09-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Playing frisbee golf with Naomi and Devin up at Solitude ski resort last month. It was so fun to see them. Let's just say I need some practice before I play again!

Dave organized an Elder's Quorum activity with Habitat for Humanity.

We got to see Lonestar in concert at the Scera Theater in Orem for my mother-in-law's birthday! They were awesome in concert.

We went up to Idaho, and hiked Table Mountain in the Tetons with Sarah and Kevin. It was a 13 mile hike, and we gained 4000 feet in elevation. It was a spectacular view. You can see Table Mountain in the background in this picture.

Finally at the top!

We got to see 3 moose (moosen?) on the hike. This one was right on the trail.

I found this picture of me carrying the torch at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. It was a really cool experience and I felt honored that they would choose me.:)

Dave and I went up to the Olympic Park in Park City for our anniversary. There is a new MTV show that they were filming up there called "Nitro Circus." They do extreme things like riding on couches and canoes down the ski jump and landing in the pool. They had an ambulance ready nearby.

CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP

2009-08-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

So after 2,300 miles of driving and a lot of adventures, we are back from our road trip to California. We were able to see 4 of my siblings, and also my parents during the trip! We drove through Las Vegas, then stayed with my sister in La Jolla, drove up to my house, and then drove up north to the Bay Area. I love California!

Happy Anniversary, Dave!! It was so fun to visit San Diego and go back to the temple where we were married three years ago. I forgot how gorgeous it is.

The M&M store in Vegas.

Body boarding on Pacific Beach with my sister Melinda who lives in La Jolla.
The waves were huge!

Walking along Mission Beach Boardwalk. I love San Diego!!

My Dad and Mom took us out waterskiing when we visited. Here is Dave showing off his slalom skiing.

Hearst Castle only an hour away from my house.

An amazing indoor pool at Hearst Castle. At the top of the picture, you can see the platform that a lot of Hearst's guests jumped from.

Big Sur California. We drove from my house all the way up Highway 1 along the coast of California to Monterey. It was absolutely gorgeous, and is voted one of the best drives in the nation.

Look at this picture closely. There are 2 seahorses that look more like leaves and plants. There is a small one on the left and a big one in the middle. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium which was tons of fun.

Yum! Ghiradelli ice cream is the best.

My sister drove us down the steepest street in the USA. It is next to Lombard street in San Francisco, which is considered the curviest street. It was crazy!

Giants game at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was an awesome stadium. Notice the ocean in the background.

My brother and his new little girl, Aleah, at her blessing in Menlo Park.

BYU Cougars

2009-07-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest comebacks in college football history. BYU was down 45-25 with four minutes left in the game. This video is the "Hail Mary" from McMahon to Clay Brown in what gave BYU the 46-45 victory.

This video was shown on the video screen at Lavell Edwards Stadium before the BYU-UCLA (Cougars-Bruins)game last year. It's almost time for Cougar football!

Summer Highlights

2009-07-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Dave and I decided to head up past Heber to go see Mirror Lake, and the surrounding area. Both of our parents used to camp up there, but we had never been before. It was very beautiful, and we got to hike around the Uintas for a little while. We would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors. I can't believe it is so close to Provo!

Dave trying to climb up a tree to escape from a bear!:)

Enjoying his sandwich at a picnic table in the middle of the lake:)

If you have not tried Granny's Shakes in Heber, you are definitely missing out.

We had a fabulous Independence Day! We woke up in the morning and made my sister and Mom a waffle breakfast, and then walked just a few blocks to the Provo parade. We actually found a great spot to view the parade. Then we headed over to have a pool party with a lot of family later in the day. I actually got to see a great view of the fireworks from work that night at the hospital!

Having fun at the pool with my niece, Jolie

ICE CREAM

2009-07-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

With July being national ice cream month, it's time for a post in honor of the best dessert ever made.

MY TOP FLAVORS:

1. Praline's n Caramel
(Kallista would say Mint Cookies n Cream)
2. Cookies n Cream
3. Snickers
4. Hazelnut
5. Peanut Butter Cup
6. Cookie Dough
7. Cinnamon
8. Chocolate Almond/Brownie

BEST PROVO ICE CREAM SHOPS

1. BYU Creamery
2. Cold Stone
3. SubZero
4. Hogi Yogi
5. YoZone

INTERESTING RUMORS:

--Rumor has it that during the first century Nero the Roman emporer had his slaves collect snow and ice in the mountains. They would flavor the snow and ice with nectar, honey, and fruit. This was one of the precursors to modern day ice cream and snow cones.

--Rumor also has it that ice cream "Sundaes" were originally named "Sundays" because they were invented to get around the "blue laws" that prohibited the selling of ice cream soda on Sundays.

Cruising Scandinavia

2009-06-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a great trip to Northern Europe with my parents, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. Unfortunately, Dave could not join me, but I have plans to take him back there someday. I met my parents in Amsterdam, and then hopped on a Holland America Cruise Line and sailed towards England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, and Denmark. We got to see a lot of fun sights, and definitely enjoyed some great food and entertainment on the ship! Europe has such an interesting history and culture.

The sunset on the beach near Amsterdam. This was at about 1030 at night.

Stutthof Concentration Camp in Poland. This was an eye-opening
experience.

We are all about the authentic Dutch food!

One of the beautiful canals of Amsterdam. We got to do a canal

cruise which was fun. This is the city where Anne Frank hid for two

years during World War 2.

I decided to just take a picture instead of taste

one of the hash or marijauna lollipops they had

all around Amsterdam!

Kinderdyke in Holland. These are some Dutch windmills that

were built in the 1700's.

Guard in front of the Edinburgh, Scotland castle.

It was so great because it ended up being the 56th anniversary

of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, so they did a ceremony,

and set off cannons while we were there. Prince Charles was in town.

Now this cow knows how to be cool! (These are Highland cows

that are found in Sweden, and some other countries).

Stockholm, Sweden (It was such a colorful city). We rented a car

and drove a few hours to see my cousin that lives in Sweden.

Authentic Swedish Fast Food at "Max"

Dancing the night away on the cruise ship!

We found a church in Bergen, Norway to attend. It is amazing that

nearly everyone speaks perfect English in Scandinavia.

Having a picnic of cheese, crackers, and of course chocolate

before our train ride in the fjords in Norway!

An amazing boat cruise down the Norwegian Fjords!

After a smooth fall off my bike into a prickly bush!

I should have been paying a little more attention. This

was a great bike ride in Bornholm, Denmark, where Dave's

ancestors are from.

Sports

2009-05-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

With summer here, although we are entering the slow part of the year for watching sports, it is the best part of the year for playing sports. Here are two lists of my favorites:

Best to Watch:

1. Football—By far and away, football is king. Where else can you see guys running full speed only to get hit (legally) to the ground? Football is the most entertaining and fascinating sport to watch. Both college football and the NFL are great, but I give the slight nod to college football as best sport to watch.
2. Basketball—When the air outside starts to get colder, you know it’s time for basketball season. I got hooked on basketball as a young kid by watching Jordan, Magic, Stockton and Malone. I like watching both college and NBA ball, but the nod goes to the NBA except during March.
3. There is a notable drop-off after basketball. I enjoy watching a little soccer from time to time. I consider soccer players to be some of the best athletes out there. I’ll never forget watching on television the exciting success of the U.S. soccer team during the 2002 World Cup. Baseball is extremely boring to watch on television, but I don’t mind going to an occasional game at the ballpark. Olympic sports and extreme sports are also entertaining.

Best Sport/Activities in Which to Participate
1. Basketball—I could play basketball daily and never tire of it. There is nothing quite like draining a three or swatting someone’s shot. If only I could dunk…
2. Snowboarding—There are very few things in the world I would rather do than hitting the slopes on a powder day.
3. Tennis—Kallista and I play tennis pretty regularly. Although I didn’t play a lot of tennis until after the mission, I learned to really enjoy it. This is a sport I can hopefully play until I’m old.
4. Football—There is nothing like lining up as a receiver waiting to juke out the DB. I have great memories of our college intramural team winning 19 straight regular season games. By the way, snow football is right up there with the best.
5. Hiking—A great way to get exercise and enjoy the scenery. Much better than going to the gym!
6. Wakeboarding—Who doesn’t enjoy the lake on a hot summer day?
7. Volleyball—Playing the net rocks!
8. Baseball/Softball—Despite being boring to watch, baseball is fun to play.
9. Bowling/Ping Pong—I know, I know, some may not consider them true sports, but they are a lot of fun.
10. Golf—Honestly, I have only been golfing twice in my life. However, I can see myself getting more into it in the future. Perhaps it will move up my list one day. I liked my two experiences enough to include it in my top ten!
11. Racquetball—I never took after my Dad, who was a BYU intramural racquetball champion one year. However, I enjoy playing every once in a while.
12. Soccer—This would be a lot higher if I were any good at it.

Fun Activities

2009-05-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

My sister, Tiara, came in town the other weekend to watch my 13 year old niece perform in her Middle School musical. She was one of the main characters and she sang this AMAZING song. Sierra should really go on American Idol or something, because she can belt it out! We are so proud of her.

We went on a double date with our great friends Naomi and Devin to Trafalga. We played some mini golf, ate dippin dots, played skee ball, and went for a little race car driving! It was so fun, and we will sure miss them this next year while they are at Notre Dame MBA school.

We went to attend the Promenade at the Provo Courthouse for Dave's sister, Kacie! She looked gorgeous in her Prom dress. It was fun to see all the fancy dresses. It seems to me that Prom is a lot bigger deal in Utah than in California.

I got to go to my friend, Brittney's, bridal shower. We were roommates my Junior year, and I am so excited for her!

Mother's Day 2009. Hanging out with the Hart Family. We made dinner for Dave's Mom which turned out pretty good. I even made twice-baked potatoes for the first time.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

2009-05-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

I told Kallista that I just had to post this funny conversation that I overheard the other day while walking along a sidewalk in Provo. This was exactly how their conversation went. A mother and her college-aged daughter were walking behind me and I overheard the following discussion, emphasis added (M=mother, D=daughter):

M: "I think he is from Egypt."
D: "No, Mom. He is from Africa."
M: "Africa? That is the country where all the NBA players are from.
D: "I know--I think people from Africa are nice."
M: "Yes, Africa is a great country. Plus, did you know that NBA players make thousands?"

That is all I heard before they turned and went another direction. I would have loved to have heard the rest!

WICKED

2009-04-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

We loved going to "Wicked" this last weekend in Salt Lake with Dave's family. It is an amazing show, and the singers were spectacular. They can definitely belt those songs out. It makes me want to be on Broadway! The special effects were great also. We also enjoyed a lunch at one of our favorite restaurants before. Tucanos is so good. My cousin, Savanna, was able to also join us which was really fun.

We had a competitive game of foosball with the girls against the boys. It was intense!

The Easter Bunny brought us some great treats. I even got a coupon for a candlelight dinner from him. What a nice Easter Bunny!

Sarah and Kevin brought down their bunny, Chewy, down from Idaho. We thought it would be a good idea to take a picture with a bunny on Easter.

Dave's Family took some pictures together on Easter Sunday. We also had an amazing dinner that his Mom cooked. I enjoyed playing violin duets with his sister, Sarah.

Swim Memories

2009-03-29T12:17:00.001-07:00

Dave and I were able to attend our nephew's Utah State swim meet last week. He is only 10 years old, and got 2nd place in the breaststroke in the whole state, and 6th overall. It brought back great memories of having my own swim meets in High School. I loved swimming so much, and miss being a part of the team. Swim meets are different than most sports because you are there for a very long time, but only compete for a few minutes. I think high school sports are great because they motivate you to exercise, and are just fun because you get to compete and learn teamwork. I usually did the backstroke and freestyle. Dave and I enjoy going swimming together at the gym once in awhile. We hope to do a triathlon together someday!

Swim meet in High School

Moving to Costa Rica

2009-03-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dave and I were able to go to Costa Rica for about 10 days. We absolutely loved it, and even got to practice some of our Espanol! Sometimes, Dave even spoke German to the people without even thinking about it. Oops! We went to 3 different places around the country. We went to Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw a lot of wildlife, including a Quetzal bird, which is very rare, and the sacred bird for some cultures. It was so colorful! March is a great time to go. We decided that we wouldn't mind moving there, except that most everyone expects tips for every little thing like picking your bag up and putting it in the car. We tried to be generous, and every time we gave a tip, Dave just said: "We are helping the economy." What about Dave and Kallista's economy?

La Fortuna Waterfall

Tabacon Hot Springs. These were amazing because they were natural hot springs from the active Arenal Volcano! They were so relaxing.

Our first breakfast on the side of the road in Costa Rica. They always eat "Gallo Pinto," which is rice and beans mixed together. We asked our driver what they eat for lunch, and he said it is different from breakfast. They have rice and beans separate, not mixed! We thought that was pretty funny.

I woke up one night at 3 AM, and to my surprise, found an enormous scorpion crawling in our bathtub. It had crawled up the drain. This is after I drowned it!

We got to see tons of monkeys (Howler, White-Faced, and Squirrel). This one looks a little mischievous, like he may steal Dave's sunglasses!

Horseback Riding in Manuel Antonio.

Relaxing on the beach in front of our hotel. The water was almost 85 degrees and the boogie boarding was some of the best we have ever done.

View of Manuel Antonio at our hotel

We did a Canopy Zip Line tour in Monteverde, Costa Rica! There were 15 zip lines, plus a tarzan swing. The last one was a new zip line that is 1 kilometer long. It was awesome.

The crocodiles fighting for meat that is being thrown off of the bridge.

PARKING LOT STRATEGY

2009-02-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed how long some people drive their car around trying to find a close parking spot? I find it amusing that people will circle around the parking lot several times trying to get the closest parking stall to their destination.

One place I notice people do this regularly is at the gym. Yes, the gym of all places! I admit I am guilty of this, but only when there is rain or snow. I have seen someone wait a serious amount of time for somebody to back out when there was another spot 15 steps away. I suppose the 5 miles they run on the treadmill is all they can handle—an extra 15 steps would simply be too much to ask.

In a big parking lot, such as Wal-Mart, I prefer parking farther away and walking for an extra 30 seconds. Some of the advantages of taking a spot parking further out are as follows:

1. Less risk. If one parks away from other cars, his/her car is less likely to get scratched or dinged by the opening of the door of a neighboring vehicle.
2. More time. Although parking farther away from a destination causes one to walk a little farther, one actually saves overall time because he/she doesn’t have to spend the time of driving around waiting for a close spot to open up. One could already be in the store and shopping instead of driving around looking.
3. Additional Exercise. With obesity rates soaring, why not walk a few extra steps each day? In fact, if someone is having difficulty finding time for keeping fit, parking as far away as possible provides at least some opportunity for a little exercise.

Now if there are plenty of close parking spots, I understand the strategy of finding the closest one. However, if close spots are hard to come by, I submit that it is better to simply park where a spot is available, even if that means parking a little farther away. I imagine finding a closer slot would save a few steps, but seriously, is it really worth the extra time and effort?

Test Driving

2009-02-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

The other day, Dave decided that we should test drive some beamers! Let's just say that I was pretty excited. We have always wanted to do this, and it was a fun date. I definetely felt underdressed, because Dave didn't tell me where we were going. We both got to drive one, with the salesman in the back of course. It was amazing power! I can't believe all the luxury items. I think society must be getting lazy, because now the new cars have a start and stop button, instead of having to put your key into the ignition (You can see it on the picture at the top). You can even touch the doorknob, and it locks the car! Dave is standing in front of the car he drove. I could tell he was having fun! I am standing in front of the $100,000 BMW I will never drive in my lifetime. It is always fun to dream though!:)

Ice Skating Adventure

2009-02-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun ice skating the other day at Peaks Ice Arena. It was Dave's 2nd time ice skating ever! I think ice skating is more difficult than I remember it being in the past. Maybe it is just me getting older:) The funny thing is that there were little kids all around us that were doing tricks and skating backwards. I am lucky just to be able to stay standing! If any of you want to go skating with us, give us a call.

College Football Memories

2009-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

As I watched Wednesday's college football "letter of intent" day, my mind was drawn back to the past college football season. I thought of the following internet video that was popular online among BYU fans about three months ago. As a BYU football fan, the only thing that would have made this clip better would have been for it to have been about a Ute loss to the Cougs.

Fun in Salt Lake

2009-01-31T14:34:00.000-08:00

Dave and I went on a great date the other night up to the Gateway Mall. First of all, we went to my new favorite Italian restaurant called Biaggis. I absolutely love Italian food, and this one may have surpassed Macaroni Grill, except the bread at Macaroni Grill is amazing! Then Dave surprised me and we went to a U2 light show/laser show in the Planetarium at the Gateway. It was really fun and entertaining!

Dave and Kallista arriving on MARS Planet.

Dave fulfilling his childhood dream of being a meteorologist

Our Local Congressman

2009-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

Jason Chaffetz, our new representative in Washington, recently was interviewed on "The Colbert Report." The two of them also leg-wrestled on the show. For being a former BYU football kicker, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Colbert, on the other hand, does not disappoint.

Here is the link to the video:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=jason+chaffetz+colbert+report&hl=en&emb=0&aq=-1&oq=jason+chaffetz+colbert+repor#

Best Snow on Earth

2009-01-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed some great snow at Snowbird resort last week. I ski, and Dave boards, so we will see which one we teach our kids:)

Dave, Kallista, and our nephew Spencer (He is 10 and was going on double black diamonds)!

The tunnel to the other side of Snowbird resort.

A gorgeous view on the slopes (My nephew and brother-in-law met us up there)

Christmas 2008 in Cali

2009-01-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

It was great to spend Christmas in my hometown. We played tennis, golf, went biking, went to the beach on a 70 degree day, and just relaxed.
I planned a tennis tournament with the fam! This was our tennis cheer.

Riding scooters with my nephew

Dave with one of his favorite presents (BYU Football Vault)
!
Christmas Day with my nephew in his Santa pajamas

We are finally starting a blog!

2009-01-04T14:56:00.002-08:00

Hello everyone! We made a New Year's Resolution to start a blog this year, so I am trying to start early. We love looking at all of your blogs, so we thought we would join in on the fun.

We hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. Dave and I have had a great year. We live in a cozy apartment in Provo, and we both have graduated from BYU. We are both working right now. I am just testing the blog out, so ignore any mistakes. If you have any blogging suggestions, let me know.

Adventures of 2008

2009-01-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

This year, Dave and I have been able to head off and do some great trips. Here are a few of the places we have been able to go, and the adventures we have done.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (Feb. 2008) (on the way to the beach!)

Chichen Itza, Mexico (Feb. 2008)

Eiffel Tower (April 2008)

Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany (May 2008)

Venice, Italy (May 2008)

Switzerland (May 2008)

Sarah (Dave's sister) and Kevin's Wedding

Skydiving for our 2nd Anniversary in Ogden (Dave surprised me)!

Real Salt Lake Game (1st game in the new stadium)

Dave taking a picture with gas prices being so low (What a year!)