Hobbies

When you start to have a lot of time on your hands you learn new vocabulary words.  For instance, today I have added the word HOBBY to my vocabulary.  Hobby is an activity done regularly in one's free time for pleasure.  If you don’t know the meaning of the word free time, go look it up. J  I have always known that I liked to exercise and workout but now it has actually become a real hobby!  Running in particular has become my summer hobby. 

This is where I go running every day.  Don’t worry you little worry wart family members, there are tons of people on this trail so I promise I won’t get kidnapped. J

I had ran three half marathons, but never seriously trained for any of them.  So now that it has become my “hobby” I have made the goal to run Logan’s Top of Utah half marathon at the end of summer in 1 hour and 50 minutes or bust! 

I love to see the Temple!

The Washington DC temple stands practically within a forest!  You take a long windy road and come upon the temple watching it rise up from the ground!  It’s amazing to feel the spirit of the temple just from the very first glance.  I love to see the temple! I know it is the house of God!  

I am getting beyond excited for the time that I get to go witness my dear neice, Lucy be sealed to her family for time and all eternity in the temple!  Not too long now, and I can hardly wait! 

Domesticalized

Well it has happened.  I’ve become domesticalized.  Okay, okay, I know that is not a word but it is exactly what has happened.  With all this free time I find myself enjoying cooking, crafting, and yes I must say even cleaning.  This has resulted from our move from Utah to Delaware and my free time being incredibly increased (has anyone noticed that I blog just a wee bit more than before?)  It has been nice to realize that I really do enjoy domestic activites!  Here are some things I’ve found to be easy and tasty to make before Ken goes out to work!

Asparagus!  Drizzle butter, garlic salt, and pepper and put it in the oven on broil.  They are tasty!  Hey I never said these are healthy I only said they are good and easy!

Then I put some meat marniated in honey and BBQ sauce and put in on the good ole George Foreman Grill.  Top it off with a salad to make it "healthy" and I was done for the day! 

Easy!

The Love Park!

Well today was the first day I was thrown into the heart of Philly!  Kenny had forgotten his phone so he needed me to drive to his area to give it to him.  So Makelle Wood and I set out to deliver his phone.  We drove to downtown Philly.  (Please read that in a very eastern accent).  After we safely delivered his phone we realized that we were among some of the best site seeing places in Philadelphia.  We decided to take advantage of this and go see the famous Love Park.  Unfortunately we didn’t have our cameras but it was still very fun to be able to stand there!  Here are some fun facts about Love Park for all of us fun fact loving nerds out there.  The fountains there are usually dyed different colors to celebrate different events, such as pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Blue is a commemoration for police officer fatalities.  Green is in honor of the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series, and red for marketing event.  Interesting huh!  

     

Mother's Day

Even though it’s mother’s day I wanted to take some time and reflect on many different women in my life who have left footprints in my heart! 

Of course I have to start with my mom.  My mom takes anything and can turn it into a good thing.  She is positive and loving and will talk to me on the phone anytime at all!  She has a way of making me feel better no matter what it is!  She my support system and my own personal cheerleader!

My dear mother in law, Beth is how I have learned courage and faithfulness.  No matter what happens to her she is always faithful and true and it has been such a good example to me!

My oldest sister Amy has made me realize how important prayers are.  I think my prayers are truly more thoughtful now because of her.  She taught me that they are directly to Heavenly Father, and he does indeed hear them!

My second oldest sister Katie has taught me concern for others.  No one else is as aware of others as she is.  I feel that I can be more thoughtful of others because I see how she treats others. 

My sister in law Mandy has been the best example of being proud of yourself and who you are.  She has taught me that it is okay to simply be yourself and proud of it.  This was especially helpful advice to me as I was about to move far away.

My other sister in law Dione has been an example of positive attitude and just purely how to have fun inlife.  She has taken me into my new family and made me feel right at home.  She has been a great example of how to laugh at the silly things in life.      

My grandma is so sweet.  She has taught me to recognize moments of opportunity to serve.  Right before I left for Delaware she prepared me a package of cookies to take with me.  She is also an example of love.

Even my friends have taught me by example of how great it is to be a woman!

My dear friend Elliot has taught me to love each stage of life while appreciating the past but also looking forward to the future.  She is always there to lend a listening ear and helpful advice.

My other dear friend Shellena has been such an example of mother love.  Seeing her light up while holding her brand new baby girl has shown me how exciting it really is to be a mother!  She is an excellent homemaker and been an example of what I want to be in my home!

Each and these woman and many more have been examples that shape me daily into the person I want to become! I am so greatful for all of them!!! Happy “Woman are Great” Day!!!  

The Screwtape Letters

This past week I have been reading C.S. Lewis’s book, The Screwtape Letters as one of my summer projects and let me tell ya, this book is a thinker!

  It is about a devil writing to his little nephew devil giving his devious advice on how to bring his ‘patient’ to hell.  One part I read recently made me really start to think.  It is soo interesting.  The uncle devil is scolding his nephew for being so careless and letting his patient go out on a walk to an old mill, a walk which the man really enjoys.  In frustration the uncle tells the nephew to… “always make the patient abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favor of the best people, the right food, or the important books.”  You have to remember to put everything in opposites when reading this book because when he talks about evilness and corruption he is referring to truth and light (obviously because he is a devil!)  This is another part that hit me.  The uncle devil proudly described  one of his own patients said on his arrival to hell that, “I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked.”  The point of all of this is, Heavenly Father wants us to do positive things that we enjoy!  Wow!! Men are that they might have joy!! Never did it say men are that they might have shopping lists, errands, or guilt trips.  (Although at times we can't avoid them haha)  We shouldn’t worry so much about what is popular, but what are things we truly enjoy doing in life!  And then the trick is to do more of them!!!  This is my goal for the summer to stop and enjoy every part of life and really let myself live!!   

Driving Across the USA

Is it really here? Are we really here in Delaware?  Crazy I know, but somehow time has managed to fly once more and we are living right on the East Coast!!  But before we left on this adventure we decided to make the drive even longer and go visit the west coast first.  With Easter coming we wanted to visit Kenny’s family in Benicia, California.  So we started out.  After we got to the Salt Flats we realized we were nearly out of gas.  No worries though the next town was in twenty miles.  While twenty miles was pushing an empty tank, we thought we would be okay.  Soon the exit sign came and in big blue letters it read NO SERVICES.  No services???  The next town was THIRTY MILES away!!! How did we make it thirty more miles after already being empty?  I still don’t know.  Then after going through a wild snow storm in Donner Pass we finally made it to Benicia, only to be stopped two miles before Kenny’s parents’ house with a  f l a t   t i r e.  Between the combination of no sleep and a flat tire we were all pretty desperate.  Luckily Shane came to the rescue and we finally made it to our destination.  The rest of the week consisted of activities such as… 

Going to the zoo...

Make faces at the animals at the zoo (this is my cute niece Brynne)

Going on Easter egg hunts!!!

 ... but the last thing we did was ....

Got inside a plastic ball and rolled down hills!! It’s always an adventure at Kenny’s house!!

Kenny's dad even joined in on the fun!!  It was a pretty fun weekend to say the least. 

Now we are here in Bear, Delaware for the rest of the summer!!  It is so surreal that we are finally here!  After days and days of driving ahhhh!  I never want to be in a car again.  Although it was an incredibly long drive it was fun to make the long trek with my husband we had some laughs along the way too of course..

Our Jam packed car included with two bikes strapped to the back.

Of course we had to get a flat tire :-)

The Mississippi River

Don't forget to go EAST! 

Chicago was very fun!  And we got to see Kenny's Aunt Karen and Uncle Cortino which was a plus!

Now we are here and I'll have to continue to update more since I'll have alittle more time on my hands!  :)