Steve and Marina

Another Shameless Self Promotion Post from Steve

2011-02-18T18:33:00.000-08:00

Go read my blog. You'll like it. Although, remember: you get what you pay for.

Clickity Clackity Click

Confession

2011-02-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have a confession…. I secretly love “self-help” books.

When I was in college, my roommates stacked up all of the books I owned about marriage or dating. It was a little embarrassing.

Now that I am married, I still enjoy books about improving your marriage, but my tastes have diversified. Currently the “self-help” books I am reading include:

Emotional Intelligence 2.0
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office 101: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make to Sabotage Their Careers
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time
How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner—Without Dieting

I enjoy reading these books because they uplift me, and help me want to be better—A better wife, better friend, better employee, better Sunday School Teacher, etc.

But it’s kind of embarrassing how much time I spend thinking, talking, and planning about how to improve myself, or “realizations” I have into the human psyche. My.poor.husband. (He is such a sweetheart for patiently listening to me, and DESERVES A MEDAL!)

I worry about sharing these thoughts with others, lest they think I am comparing them to my proverbial yardstick of progress. I don’t. How can you compare apples and oranges? We are all trying to be the best we can be—my guilty pleasure just includes reading self-help books!

I figured...why not?

2010-08-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I decided to start my own little spin off blog. Marina and I will still both write to this once in a blue moon as usual, but I'm going to be doing more on my other site. Drop by www.stantonsays.com if you feel so inclined.

Hasta suerte!

Stephen

Buried Alive!!

2010-06-04T08:26:00.001-07:00

The last couple of posts I've written have been a bit on the silly side. This one will be more informative, but with my usual strange brand of humor. Things haven't really changed much as of late, with a few notable exceptions.

First, Marina graduated!! Quite tragically, both of our point and shoot cameras died right as the festivities started. Luckily, my dad had his camera, and took lots of pictures--now if we can just get him to send them to us! We are really happy the way graduation went; my sister, her husband James, my mom and dad all drove to visit us. It was a long drive for them, but we sure appreciated having family to celebrate with. Since moving out to North Carolina, we've not seen much of our family, so it was a nice treat.

Second, we flew out to Arizona for a few days to visit Marina's family, and to go to the temple with her parents. It was a really great experience. We also got to spend time with Kristine (Marina's sister), Les, Marc, and Loren (her brothers), Marc's girlfriend Tiffany, and the rest of the family as well. Here's a photo of Marina in Arizona with one her new dresses she got for graduation.

While we were in Arizona, we had the great fortune to have my sister Liz house sit and watch our insecurely attached dog. Fletcher grew quite fond of Liz, too!

Another event we're happy about is Marina's first 'grown up' job. She is working with a research grant that she had previously worked on during her Master's, except now it is full time and official.

Then, this last weekend, we went to the beach for the first time this year. We went with almost the whole Thayn clan, which was lots of fun. I did something I've never done before, and got buried in the sand (except for my noggin). It was actually kind of fun! Sand is pretty heavy, so breathing is kind of difficult, but other than that, it was fun.

And now, story time. I'm kind of a gorilla--in that I'm kind of a hairy guy. Well, when I was buried, I had to lay down in this pit, and then get covered in sand. When discussing it later on, one of the Thayn kids became quiet, and when asked about his thoughts, he decided that, "I don't want a beard on my chest!". Yep, I'm a gorilla. Beard on my chest, and all.

Well, that's all for now. Have a great week!

2010-04-26T13:01:00.001-07:00

Dear Internets,

It is with great gusto that I announce that Marina and I ~~are having a~~...we're still alive. We're approaching Marina's graduation in 10 days. We're approaching mine in approximately 10 years.

Our dog is alive still. We still like the usual things. Also, here's a picture.

Hopefully we shall have more posts to come in the next weeks as the graduation festivities commence. See y'all later.

Recent realization

2010-02-25T00:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry in advance that this is a bit long!

I had a realization the other day. If you clicked on either of the links in my last post, you might realize what I am talking about. Just in case you were wondering—Rebecca is my middle name.

I was invited to present with Dr. Hodgson on “Parenting a child with ADHD.” Yes, I realize that I don’t actually have children, much less ones with ADHD. However, she asked me to speak so I could lend “personal experience” to the lecture. You see, I was diagnosed with ADHD just over a year ago. It isn’t something I have told many people, and I struggled about whether I should tell that audience. I realized however, that the reason I didn’t want to tell people is because I was afraid people would perceive me differently because I have a so-called “mental health diagnosis.”

Stereotypically, I don’t fit into the ADHD category. I’m not “hyper” and never have been. I just tend to lose focus easily, struggle with organization and time management, and other less “obvious” symptoms. I sometimes get distracted in conversations, not because I don’t want to pay attention, but because my mind gets excited about thinking about other things!!! Since being diagnosed, I have realized the full impact this has had on relationships, and have been working on being more “present” and more organized. I want to focus my career on research on ADHD, and how this can affect relationships and families (because it absolutely can!!!).

I didn’t want people to look at me differently because I have ADHD, but I realized that by telling my story, I can give people hope. It was wonderful to have people come up to me after the presentation and ask me questions about ADHD, and seek my advice (!?!). Although I didn’t get into the PhD program this year, it gave me the opportunity and motivation to spend a lot of time researching ADHD. I know I was supposed to apply to the PhD program this year—but maybe that was the reason! I know that I have been, and will continue to be lead and guided to what I am supposed to do, and where I am needed. Sometimes it’s a bit frustrating, because I am not on the “mommy track” right now, and it’s hard to see all of my friends have babies and know that I have been prompted to get a PhD! Feel free to check out my blog—where I will be sharing my story in much more depth (which is why I have chosen to use a pseudonym, it is after all, still the internet).

Thanks for being my friend!

Guess What!?!?!

2010-02-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

*Photograph courtesy of Annelise White

I'm NOT pregnant.

I didn't get into the MedFT program.

Regardless, it was a good month!

Steve and I are now a quarter of a century old!

I chopped my hair off and color it dark!

I got published in a magazine

I created a new blog

I got called to be a Sunday School teacher for the 12-13 year olds (my first teaching calling!)

We went to a Valentine's Dance, that I helped plan as part of my calling on the Activities Committee and learned to Samba, Tango, and Waltz

Steve and I had a great Valentine's weekend, celebrating our friends the Wetherington's birthdays, and Steve made me a wonderful Valentines dinner, including plate-sized-steaks!

I was asked to present in Mark White's DSM class

On Tuesday, I will be presenting with Jennifer Hodgson for a parenting class

We went to a fun Superbowl party with many of the Young-Married couples in our ward

It SNOWED! Twice!

We got our tax refund! Yey for being students!

I hope you had a great month! I am counting down the days until May 7th, when I can rejoin the land of the living!

Here bloggy bloggy bloggy...

2010-01-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

We almost forgot about our blog. The other night we realized it has been almost 4 months since our last update. Let's see what we've done in the time between:

- We traveled almost nowhere. I think this is the longest stretch for us between trips. I blame it on having a dog that doesn't do well when he isn't 4 inches from my face at all times.

- Marina applied for the PhD program at ECU for Medical Family Therapy. I think she's insane for wanting going to school continuously since the age 5.

- It got really cold in Greenville. Colder than last year, if my swiss cheese memory is accurate.

- We had our first 'alone' Christmas, which was a strange, yet wonderful experience. We spent some of the time with our friends the Thayns, which was also fun.

- My biggest sole achievement is making it to World 8 in the New Super Mario Bros. I set my expectations low, so that when I do something like this, I feel like I have something to be proud of.

The end. See you in 4 months.

...Here's a nice picture from Myrtle Beach from last week when we finally left town...

We're WAY Over Due...For An Update

2009-09-19T12:20:00.001-07:00

Howdy folks! It’s been quite some time since the last update. In several months, lots has happened! At the beginning of August, we went on a long road trip from North Carolina to Utah, Arizona, and all the way back. In 12 days and 6200 miles, it was a long and fun adventure. Especially with our dog along for the ride. Since then, it has been back to school all the way (which is why we’ve been strangers to the ‘blogosphere’). Marina is working 40 hours a week with her assistantship and internship, plus clients and class. Most days from 8am to 8pm she’s out the door doing all kinds of things. I’m slightly less busy, but not by much. I’m going to school almost full time and working the same hours as always. I’ve even started biking to class, which gets me almost 5 miles riding time each day.

Well…what blog post is any good without pictures? As such, here are tons of pictures from our drive across the country!

When we left for Utah, we only had two days to get there, which made things really rushed. We did, however, stop at Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. Here’s a happy Marina in the black cave. When you go on a tour, they turn off all the lights—it is amazing how dark it gets!!

If you can’t tell by the picture, we couldn’t get a very good night shot while driving past the St. Louis arch on the freeway —at this point we had been driving for 18 hours or so, and were trying not to fall asleep. We ended up staying in scary truck stop on the west side of St. Louis for about 4 hours to get some rest. We didn’t stop to sleep the rest of the 44 hour drive.

You may have to squint to see, but there in fields of Kansas, we saw what I like to call “Jesus of the Wheat”. Not sure what purpose it served, other than a reminder—no notice about what church sponsored it—just a sight you don’t see too often. Kansas wasn’t as boring to drive across as I originally thought—parts of it reminded me of what I picture farmlands in Scotland to look like - except slightly less hilly.

We advanced through Denver—and I took Fletcher for a walk in the foothills of the Rockies west of Denver. It was the perfect temperature – it wasn’t too dry or humid, about 75, and a slight breeze. I could’ve pulled up a hammock and pulled Rip Van Winkle and slept for ages there. Of course, I might’ve had a hard time when winter came!

Here’s the other view of when we took the dog for a walk—a really beautiful sight. You can’t tell super well from the picture, but it had been very stormy from the plains east of Denver, all the way through to the mountains; but there was a break in the clouds which opened up on Denver and made a great view.

I haven’t a clue where this is, other than it is in the middle of the Rockies somewhere. This picture was taking while going 70 on a freeway, and it still looks as still and serene as anything with a tripod (except for the blurry road signs). Sign me up for a cabin there!

Part of the reason for our trip was so we could be at a good friend’s wedding. Marina got a shot of me looking all….funny. I think my mustache needs some work.

Mike and Jewel! They got married on August 8^th at the Mount Timpanogos Temple. It was great to be there and enjoy the festivities.

The Stephens. Need I say more? Stephen Godfrey, and his wife, Sarah, are really good friends that were really nice and let us stay with them for the weekend in Utah.

Stephen (closed eyes), Marina, Sarah, and Stephen. It was a fun time—and Fletcher loved them to!

During the trip, we got to see lots of family. Here’s Marina with her older sister, Elisa, and her daughter, Becca. Fletcher’s giving a funny face, but he enjoyed the park anyway.

Fletcher! Apparently he gets timid around cats…but then he warms up to them and starts playing, puppy style!

No wonder he was timid – Emily’s cats have red glowing eyes, atop their Sauron like perch :P

Our 4 year old (almost 5!) nephew, William. I think I caught him mid “I’m going to karate chop you” wave. He’s pretty much the coolest kid. EVAR.

We drove to Scottsdale and got to spend the next 4 days with Marina’s family. It was a really good time. Marina took this picture of her mom and brother atop a horse somewhere in the desert outside of Queen Creek. I don’t know how they handled it, since it was August—in Arizona. Looks like a good time though!

The whole family got together after going to the temple and we had ice cream. And then more ice cream. Becca sure enjoyed this as well!

Marina and Fletcher were just hanging out; Miri (Marina’s mom) also joined for a quick photo.

All the ladies together! Elisa, Kristine, Miri, and Marina.

We had to go home, sadly. The rest of the photos are from our trip back. We were driving outside of Tucson (not pronounced Tuck-son :P) and saw this dinosaur. We have no idea why it is perched outside of McDonalds, but pictures were necessary.

When we drove through Texas, it felt kind of like going home—sort of. I was born in El Paso, but moved away when I was four—I don’t have many memories, but its still my birthplace.

Speaking of ‘going home’, we decided to stop and check out my parent’s house when we lived in Texas. I know they lived in a few other places, but I think this was their first house they bought. It seems like a cool old place to me. I think I remember seeing a picture of the house when it snowed there once. After going there in August, I just can’t imagine it ever snowing in El Paso!

Yet another reason to move to Texas! This is another one of those ‘driving down the road at 70’ (or more) pictures.

We stayed the night at Marina’s brother’s home. Here is Marina and Leslie overlooking an inlet near Lewisville Lake in Little Elm, Texas. It was really beautiful and its up near the top of my list of really great places to live.

On the other hand….we could live here! This is taken to catch the distant rainbow—on one of the many bridges outside of the New Orleans area. I don’t think I’ve ever driven on bridges for so long. It started to feel a bit like waterworld.

We stayed our last night of the trip in New Orleans. We wanted to see a few sights, so we went to the French Quarter on a Saturday night. I highly recommend not doing that. It was a crazy zoo and the only places that you could actually go and see were a bit sketchy. Here are some little donkey horse things that had money stuffed in their collars. Not sure why, they’re too small to go for a ride on.

We really wanted to see one of those hauntingly cool cemetaries with the mausoleums. Here is a night shot of Lafayette Square Cemetary. It is hard to see very well, but just imagine the spookiness!

Here’s that spookiness I was talking about.

Beignets are my new favorite treat. If you ever go to New Orleans, you MUST stop by Cafe du Monde on Decatur Street. It is the most fantastic, powdered sugar concoction of all time.

Beware the “It has been so long since I haven’t been in a car” lion face. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in time out for a month for putting this picture up.

We made one last visit on our way home in Auburn, Alabama. Marina and a fellow MFT student friend, Kristy got to spend some time catching up while I tried to keep our dog from attacking her roommate’s cat. Good times.

Well folks, that’s about all for now. I’m sure we’ll post again in a few more months (or sooner, hopefully) once we’re no longer submerged in the rigors of academia/life.

The Dog Days of Summer

2009-08-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is about over. That's sad. To avoid feeling sad, I'm going to put up some pictures of our funny little dog. Since we can't inundate our blog with pictures of a child, our dog will have to do. We just went on a gargantuan trip (which I'm sure Marina will blog about soon), and got some funny pictures of Fletcher. He had a bit of a hard time on the trip, but overall was a great companion for the many hours of driving. Let the funny dog pictures commence!

Savings

2009-07-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

I succumbed. I have fallen victim to the craze called "couponing." I am pretty proud of myself however! (It's also pretty addicting!)

Kroger:

The total before savings for the food: 168.35

Spent, after rebates and refunds: 44.92--Savings of roughly 75%

Items less than $.75-- water, soda, cheese, Keebler cookies, Santa Cruz Lemonade, Kraft dressing, chapstick, Kraft Cheese, Chex Mix, cream cheese

"Free" items: Amp, deodorant, dog food, & Tyson skillet dinner

CVS:

2 packs of paper and 2 packs of pens: FREE after rebate

This is PRECISELY how I feel

2009-07-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Three posts in one week-- GASP!

2009-06-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

A long time ago in the faraway land of B.Y.U., there was two beautiful women, who happened to be my roommates. One day, these two wonderful roommates decided that they were going to "do a marathon." They asked people if they would like to "donate" to said marathon. At the time, one of these young ladies had not one, but two dashing suitors that clambered for her hand. Both suitors agreed to donate, as to not be outdone by the other. When the day of the "marathon" came, my roommates happily announced that it was not to be a traditional marathon, ney, but a movie marathon. They proceeded to watch extended versions of all three Lord of the Rings.

I have decided to "do a triathlon." In the spirit of me getting more fit, I have just registered to participate in the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Triathalon (Sprint) on Saturday September 12th which will benefit Muscular Dystrophy.

This event features a 700 yard open water swim, a 13 mile bike leg, and a 5k run in beautiful Myrtle Beach. I just registered, and I am so EXCITED but sooo NERVOUS! Any "donations" (wink, wink), support, encouragement, spectators, or anyone with an extra road bike I could borrow would be greatly appreciated!

I can't believe it's not...

2009-06-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Juice!

Steve LOVES juice. Let's just say, if juice was a woman, I would have some serious competition.

We recently discovered that Ocean Spray Started making Sugar Free Drink Mixes, they are similar to Crystal Light, but fulfull Steve's need for juice without the sugar.

We LOVE the White-Cranberry Peach, it actually tastes a lot like the juice! We've also tried Cranberry Lemonade, and Cranberry Grape (the grape was good, but had a slightly odd aftertaste). They have 3 other flavors-- has anyone tried those yet? I would love your opinion on them!

My life... in a nutshell

2009-06-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've been a blog slacker. You see, I was under the impression that once the summer started, I would have free time! Haha. Yeah. Right. Aside from the weekends, I am just as busy as ever. But ahh... the weekends. We have been using the weekends as time to explore the East Coast-- but more about that soon!

During the week, I am working on several things:

Internship at the Pediatric Healthy Weight Clinic-- I am a Medical Family Therapist as part of an integrated care team working with a nutritionist and pediatrician to help children and adolescents that are "not at a healthy weight." While the nutritionist helps them with healthy food choices, and the doctor focuses on their health, I am there to help with anything else that may be a problem-- self-esteem, teasing, family problems, etc. I LOVE IT! (It's also motivated me to be more active myself!)
Assistantship with Dr. Hodgson working on a Substance Abuse Grant. We are starting a grant to assess people that come to the doctor for substance abuse. It is a challenge, but it is great experience, as I get to see first-hand how a grant comes together!
Seeing clients-- now that I can officially see clients, I have a caseload of 8-9 clients I see on a regular basis at the ECU Family Therapy Clinic (pictured below). It's a converted Frat House, and is a bit ghetto, but I love having an actual therapy clinic building!

I love my Marriage and Family Therapy program! I am learning so much: about people, about myself, and really coming to develop deeper empathy for the struggles people face. Although I miss friends and family out West (and everywhere else ;) ), I am grateful I am here and loving this opportunity to grow!

*Note-- I am busy, but I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression-- I am NEVER too busy for friends!!! After all, that's what life is about!

Neato Mosquito

2009-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

As anyone who knows me knows, I'm kind of a computer junkie. I work in front of my computer, I get my news from the internet, my collection of music/video is vast, etc. As such, I come across alot of cool things. I am going to share some of the more recent ones, because I can. :)

1. This one wasn't found on the internet originally, but I have to show you what I'm talking about. I'm not a big hip-hop/rap fan - Marina can attest to that. I generally find the musicianship lacking greatly, let alone the messages music in that genre sends. I found one fantastic exception though. I was staying up really late one night from a bout of a sinus headache, and I was watching Letterman. Usually I turn off these shows when they do the musical act, but I didn't this time. I really won't explain further. But listen to the sound of her voice at 2:24-2:30...its amazing.

2. Again, as anyone who knows me knows - Honda is my favorite. Here's a commercial they came up with a couple years back that I thought was pretty awesome. It is a fantastic example of a "Rube Goldberg" machine.

3. This brings an entirely new dimension to 'playing with your food'. (Hint: click the last sentence).

4. After watching a recent Nicolas Cage movie, Kn0wing, I found this article. It shows some interesting time capsules - I'd love to attend some of the opening ceremonies for these!

5. Did you know the church uses Twitter now? Seems everyone is on that bandwagon. I found that at this site. I think it would actually interest more than just techies like me--it has all kinds of cool ways to apply the gospel and technology. Just check out the Projects section - especially the Google Maps one.

Half Blood Prince

2009-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is interested, there is a new trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, which comes out July 15 of this year.

Happy Viewing!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/harrypotterandthehalfbloodprince/

April 15th

2009-04-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

April 15th.

A day that has become synonomous with Taxes being due. April 15th. In my life, April 15th is synonomous with the day I become a "real" therapist. Watch out world! I can start seeing clients on my own today.

I "should" feel like this:

But I feel more like this:

*Disclaimor, this is a picture from an 80's dance, not what I REALLY look like. :)

Facebook

2009-03-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Adventure in the Bahamas

2009-03-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

We went on a cruise for our 2-year anniversary/birthday/etc. Here are our favorite pictures! Our top 25 favorite memories:

25. A leisurely drive to Miami, with an overnight stop in Savannah, Georgia

24. Figuring out our "Blues Name" at a BBQ restaurant in Savannah, mine is "Jailhouse Dog Davis"

23. Getting an amazing deal ($83!) on a four star room at the Hyatt in downtown Miami overlooking the river-- thank you hotwire.com!

22. Watching cars go by in Nassau, Bahamas and looking for the scrapes on their bumpers-- apparently they drive like we play bumper cars!

21. Finding the "real" Happy Valley-- it's a Chinese restaurant

20. Getting up early to watch the sun rise over Half Moon Cay

19. Going to the obn-board sushi cart every day :)

18. Rolling with the movement of the ship, and being the only ones NOT drunk!

17. Eating lots and lots of yummy food!

16. Eating real Cuban food in Little Havana, Miami

15. Shopping in Nassau, and bargaining for a "Coach" purse.

14. Laughing at everyone else who apparently fell asleep in the sun.... they had some amazing sunburns!

13. Enjoying 70 degree weather in March

12. Seeing beautiful and picturesque beaches

11. Being amazed that the water really is THAT clear!

10. Not having to cook, clean, or make our bed!

9. Snorkeling just off the beach of Half Moon Cay and snorkeling over corals teeming with fish in Nassau

8. Finding cool towel animals on our bed

7. The Love and Marriage game show--hilarious!

6. Hearing some of the FAQ's aboard the ship-- including, "What elevation are we at?" and "What religion are the people who wear the patches behind their ears?" The cruise director blithely answered "A-pache"

5. Exploring Gibbs Cay, a beautiful uninhabited island just off Grand Turk

4. Snorkeling in Grand Turk less than half a mile from a 7,000 foot underwater precipice

3. Kissing a sting ray

2. Kissing each other

1. Being suspended 500 feet above the sea going 50 miles per hour-- parasailing is AMAZING!

* No stingrays were harmed in the making of this video

Our Dog is Funny

2009-03-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Memory

2009-02-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

As I've been sitting here in my chair at 2:30 in the morning working on an Oracle upgrade for work, my mind has started to drift. Luckily the upgrade is running several hours of self-automated scripts.

I'm reflecting on memory, specifically. Recently in one of my classes, my professor stated, "When everything else goes away, all you have left is your memories". I am going to attempt to recount some important or interesting memories I have had, hopefully without waxing too nostalgic. Maybe one day when I have amnesia, this will help me remember.

1. When I was probably 7 or 8, my family lived in California. My mom has always been a major green thumb and always interested in plants and horticulture. One day a fellow of what I remember to be hispanic origins was talking to my mother about the landscaping in our neighborhood. I think at the time my Dad was at work. I distinctly remember not liking him. At all. He and my Mom went to examine some ivy or vines or something for what seemed like an eternity. She started to be gone so long that I became extremely upset. My 7 year old mind had decided my mother had run off with this guy. It was truly heartbreaking for me for the hour or so she was gone. Of course she came back and didn't leave my dad for a hispanic landscaper. I think this is one of my earliest memories that taught me the importance of family.

2. In the winter of 1993 to 1994, my family moved from Stanton, California (for real.) to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. That was an INCREDIBLE adjustment, even for a 9 year old. Some of the most important lessons and developments I have made, were made because of that move. I met some people that were great friends for a long time. It also exposed me to prejudice for the first time. People in CA were by in large very progressive and tolerant of differences, but I found Bloomsburg to be somewhat different.

3. The setting is winter 2001, Cincinnati, OH. I was on a charter bus, somewhere. I was a member of a singing/dancing group known as the Glen Este Counterpoint Show Choir. Some of my most fond and painful memories come from this time period. Without digressing, suffice it to say that I hope my children get involved in something half as meaningful as that was to me. Being involved in a competitive team with a morally straight leader is an experience to be coveted.

4. Las Vegas, Nevada, August 10, 2004. Imagine the picture of a 19 year old young man in a suit, walking down Fremont Street. Not the glitzy part with the Stratosphere; take Fremont east a mile or two, and you know where I was. In a suit. In 117 degrees. Talking to every drunk, drug addict, prostitute, and down to earth good person (quite the mix, no?) about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know if that day had any impact on others, but it helped shape my character that would allow me to spend 2 years serving the people of Las Vegas. I've come to love them, despite the wayward ways of many of them.

5. By now you're probably not reading anymore. If you are, time for a nice juicy memory :P. The love of my life, Marina, and I were sealed for time and eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple. An unusually hot day in March, we were surrounded by our family to celebrate the best decision I will ever make in my life. That was nearly 2 years ago, and I wouldn't have done it any differently. I love you, Marina.

Ok, ok, I suppose after writing all that a couple of things come to mind. One, why on earth does it take so long to update an Oracle database??? And two, maybe this is more appropriate for a journal; BUT, my hope is that those few that read this will delve back into their past and relish the memories of both the happy and sad times. You'll be pleasantly surpised at what you can learn, feel, remember and enjoy.

Good night all!

I got bangs!

2009-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

I gave myself a haircut and got bangs!

I was going for Kate Hudson in "Bride Wars"

The last time I had bangs was High School, so it's been an adventure!

One "Steamy Night!"

2009-02-15T19:34:00.001-08:00

Steve and I share many things in common. Not the least of these is the same birthday. This often causes confusion. We often get “You don't really have the same birthday, do you???" Indeed, we do. Steve is only 3 hours older than me, which makes celebrating our birthday quite an event.

This year we chose to go to The Melting Pot. It was AMAZING!!!! If you ever have a really special occasion, go there! It is well worth it although a bit pricey.

You start with a cheese fondue. The cheeses are all high quality, but do be adventurous-- you can eat cheddar anytime! To dip, you get apples, chunks of bread, and raw vegetables.

Next, (not pictured) is the salad. This was probably one of the best salads I have ever eaten. Unfortunately, you have to pace yourself!

Then came the main course. Delectable is all I can say. We had lamb, steak, chicken, pot stickers, and shrimp. It also comes with vegetables to cook.

Finally, dessert. They really save the best for last! Ours was flambéed right in front of us!

Words cannot describe!!!

Sorry this is a little belated! If you were wondering… our birthday is January 22nd. :)

Snow Days!

2009-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

I have to admit-- when I heard Monday that Greenville was expecting 3-6 inches of snow, I was skeptical. Let's just say, watching the news was even more amusing.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly suprised when I awoke Tuesday morning to this:

Apparently, both of the snow plows in Greenville were working overtime, so they closed school both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Which gave Fletcher a chance to show off his Christmas sweater.

Serpentine Adventure

2009-01-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went on a whim to Wilmington, NC. Despite the GPS giving us super long directions, we had a great time. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely the Cape Fear Serpentarium. This place rocks. I'm going to post some pictures, but suffice it to say that even if you fear or dislike snakes, its terribly captivating. Some might find it a bit macabre because of the nature of the exotic snakes (and their venom!), but its truly awesome.

Unfortunately a lot of the pictures we took didn't quite come out due to the glass and dark lighting in the serpentarium. I've posted some of my favorite pictures that DID come out.

This one is huge! A giant anaconda that had to be at least 20+ feet in length. This picture really doesn't show scale well, but his midsection was larger than the thigh of most full grown men.

I can't remember the species of the above snake, but I believe it is a Diamondback rattler of some kind. Western, perhaps. Emily, help me out on this one?

Probably one of my favorite displays they had. They had 3 Gaboon Viper's in this display, although you can only see two in this photo. They're beautiful, but I would never want to get in a fray with one. It was especially interesting how thick around the middle they are for their length. Oh, and their 'horns' are really menacing.

This is a Western Green Mamba. The owner of the serpentarium was in West Africa somewhere, and he saw this specimen and thought at first it was just some harmless grass snake; as he went to pick it up with his bare hands, one of assistants yelled out "Look at his head, its shaped like a coffin!"...Had the director picked him up, he could've had his own coffin waiting - this is one of the deadliest snakes alive.

This one is also quite deadly - it is one of several species of Asiatic Spitting Cobras. Their venom can be projected quite a distance and prove deadly very quickly for most.

Arguably the deadliest snake in the world, the Taipan. Consider that it has enough venom to kill 100 adult humans, and that it is extremely aggressive. This little guy was hiding, but I don't mind too much.

That's one crazy looking snake! Ok, ok. Its a "Man-eating Crocodile". I'm not making that up, either. You can zoom in on this picture and see how close proximity they let you get - its pretty wild how icky his teeth look too.

Ok, I'm pretty bummed that my bushmaster pics didn't turn out too well. Just read this - click on it for a big version. Its crazy. That's all I can say.

I believe this is Green Tree Boa...but I'm not 100% sure. It might be an Emerald Tree Python. Again, Emily, feel free to correct me :). This guy was GORGEOUS.

Here's a veritable bevy of Eyelash Viper's. I believe there are 4-5 of them. The color is even more striking in person. They're pretty small compared to the other snakes they had, however.

Ok, those are the pictures for now. Snakes that we saw that aren't pictured are the likes of a 20 foot Retic. Python, several Blackheaded Busmasters, a Puff Adder, quite a few local rattlesnake types, a Siamese Cobra, Giant Lanceviper, Jumping Cobra, etc. It was amazing, and I really recommend it as a fun activity!

Yes Man!

2009-01-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

Recently, we went to see the movie "Yes Man." While some parts were unnessesarily crude, overall, I actually enjoyed it. I appreciated what I saw as the "take home message"-- Live your life being open to new opportunities and adventures, while also knowing when it would be adventageous to say "No". It inspired me to write a list of things I want to learn/do. Here is a selection from my list:

Bowl above a 200 (I'm working on breaking 100 now!!!)
Swim with sharks
Learn Spanish
Go hang gliding
Learn to play tennis
Run a marathon
Be a guest on a talk show
Learn how to change the oil in my car
Travel to all 50 states, and 6 continents (of the 7-- excluding Antarctica)

Does anyone else have a list? If so, I would love to hear about it!

Picture Post!

2008-12-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

I imagine Marina will update this with things of more substance, but for the time being, I'm posting some photos of our recent activities!

Trip to the Cincinnati Zoo

At the sign at the front (as opposed to the back?)

I wish I was a parsel tongue. Mr. Burmese here would've had a heyday.

I imagine the Cheetah was not happy with being disturbed for a quick photo-op.

ROAR.

Day Trip to Kirtland

Nicely framed shot. We are not in it. We looked GREAT, trust us.

The Newell K. Whitney store. Pretty neat history here.

Trip to the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Museum

Some how "BOOM" doesn't quite do this justice. Zoom in for an idea of what I'm talking about.

In this hangar there were quite a few amazing planes. This is a dim shot of an SR-71 Blackbird. Absolutely amazing history.

Murphy's Law explained.

And last but not least, a candid of Fletcher looking off into his future of sleeping and eating.

Rockin' the Beard

2008-11-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2008 - Day 38 of ye olde beard. My face is warm, fuzzy and happy. Like a blanket.

*Note - Steve wrote this. Not Marina. Although, he was tempted to write it under her username. Move along.

The newest member of our family

2008-11-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

We adopted the newest member of our family today! He is three years old, and absolutely adorable! His name happens to be Fletcher (he was already named that!!!)

And yes, Fletcher is a dog! But shhh! He doesn't know-- he thinks he's a baby!
The only question remains-- what the heck kind of dog is he??? We will take any suggestions/guesses/etc.

499 Hours and 8 Minutes Later...

2008-11-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since our last post! We've had a lot of fun and stuff since then. I know Marina wants to write about it all, so I'm not going to steal her thunder. UNLESS she doesn't post in 1 day. Consider yourself warned, wife! Post upon thine blog!

EDIT -- Ok, I'm just kidding. But I was bored, and it was fun to write. I rest my case.

My new favorite sport...

2008-10-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite sport. What is that, you might ask? Garage Sale-ing!

Now, some of you may not recognize it as a sport. This is unfortunate I say. It requires skill, determination, and hard work.

How else would I have gotten 5 pairs of really cute shoes for $2.00. That is $.40 per pair. Skills.

How else would we have gotten Steve an apple laptop circa 1991 for $1, and looked on eBay and seen the same laptops selling for over $300? Skills.

If you do not possess these skills, I ask you, nay, I beg you, hone them. They are useful skills, and it is a very useful sport.

Handbag Giveaway!!

2008-10-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Do you love handbags?? Thanks to another friend's blog, I found a giveaway where they are giving away a handbag every hour for 24 hours on October 15th!! How cool is that? Its worth a shot, huh? handbagplanet.com Check it out! I had such a hard time deciding which I liked best!

Stephen's Snippets

2008-09-30T07:41:00.001-07:00

Hello All! Just a quick note - I started a new page that I'm calling "Stephen's Snippets". Kind of a silly name, but at least I can remember it. Head on over for useful/entertaining/time-wasting links.

That is all. Move along.

What to do if you get pulled over

2008-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have been pulled over twice (now three times!) and gotten 2 tickets. Someone else I know (cough, cough) has been pulled over 11 times and gotten ONLY ONE ticket. Yes folks, only one. How you may ask? By following these guidelines:

1. Pull to a safe spot as quickly as possible—slowing down and using your turn signal will signal to the officer you see them and are looking for the safest place to pull over.

2. Place your driver’s license and registration on your dash or lap—if you have your driver’s license and registration ready before the officer has gotten to your window. If you are unable to get them before the officer gets out of his car, wait until he gets to the window and tell him where these items are located. Keeping them in an envelope for easy access would be best!

3. Place your hands on your steering wheel while the officer is walking up—there are no “routine traffic stops” and if the officer can see your hands while he walks up, he will know you aren’t reaching for anything (like a gun!) and he won’t reach for his.

4. If you are stopped at night, it is a good idea to turn on your interior lights.

5. Avoid any sudden movements

6. Be polite! I cannot underestimate this! None of us like being pulled over, but the nicer you can be the better. “Yes, sir”

7. Answer only the questions asked. You don’t need to elaborate, just answer clearly and briefly! Don’t talk unless responding to a question by an officer.

8. In my experience, crying doesn’t help! It may get you a lesser ticket, but it’s never gotten me a warning!

I got pulled over in a speed trap of a town coming back from the beach. The speed limit dropped from 55 to 35. Oops. Additionally, I couldn’t find my registration for the longest time. When I did, the following conversation ensued.

Officer: Did you know it is a misdemeanor in the state of North Carolina to not have your registration signed?

Me: Oh! I’ll sign it right now!

Officer: That would be considered a felony, ma’am. You are not Stephen.

Me: Doh!

AND I STILL WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY A WARNING! BOO-YAH!

Steve-O's Update

2008-09-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've written, so here's a few random tidbits of things I've found interesting lately.

- Google released a new browser, called Chrome. I love it. It is still in really early beta, but it has the potential to really modify the browser scene. Check it out here.

- My NCAA Football allegiance is about to be tested! BYU is 2-0, as is ECU. Both BYU and ECU had some terrific wins this week. This article kind of sums it up. Check out #3 and #5 specifically. Since I started college at BYU, and will end up finishing at ECU, I think it'll be an interesting season!

- Hurricane season! We had a 'close call' this weekend with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hanna. It turned out to be a non-event for us in Greenville, which kind of made me sad. For me a big tropical storm or a hurricane is kind of a must-have experience while on the East Coast. If anyone is interested this blog is really interesting, and always kept up to date on tropical weather happenings.

Not much else new for now. Hope everyone is happy!

The Husband Tag

2008-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks Elise!

1- Where did you meet? In line at Taco Bell, the Saturday before school started our freshman year.

2- How long did you date before you were married? We dated for about a month after we met freshman year. Then he broke up with me to get ready to serve his mission. I was heartbroken, so I dated everyone I could find that year. We finally became friends again, and wrote his whole mission. Then I went to Romania. We became boyfriend and girlfriend online on Oct. 7, 2006 while I was in Romania. I got home December 14^th, he came down December 15^th, and we were engaged December 17^th. We got married March 17^th.

3- How long have you been married for? Almost a year and a half!
4- What does he do that surprises you? He can be super serious and business-like at work, and turn around and be super goofy and fun with me.

5- What's your favorite feature about him? His smile and his sexy man-hair.

6- What's your favorite quality about him? That he is really sweet and sensitive in a manly way, and that he is easy to talk to. Also he always does the dishes and helps around the house! Also, he is so supportive of my dreams, and moved across the country to help me realize them!
7- Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? Right now it’s “Jelly Bean”, when we first got married he called me “sweetie-pie, honey bunch, bundle of love”
8- What's his favorite color? Blue

9- What's his favorite food? I think he just likes food in general!
10-What is his favorite sport? Baseball

11- Who said I love you first? He did - of course!
12- When and where was your first kiss? September 5^th, 2003 under the tunnel by the Marriot Center at BYU

13-What are your favorite things to do as a couple? Travel, cuddle, watch movies, try out new restaurants, play board games, and go to the beach!
14-Do you have kids? How many? Not yet...hopefully when we are both done with school.
15- What's a hidden talent that he has? He has an amazing voice and plays the trombone.

16- How old is he? 23. We actually have the exact same birthday.

17- What's his favorite type of music? His music tastes are pretty eclectic, and is willing to listen to almost anything!

18- What do you admire most about him? He is such a hard worker, and does so much to provide for us. He actually still works for a company in Utah remotely because they didn’t want to let such an amazing worker go!

19-What's his favorite past time(s)? He loves current events and the weather, reading, watching movies, and taking pictures.
20- Do you think he is going to read this? Yes

I tag Emily, Colette, Brooke and Sarah!!!

Stand Up Lines

2008-08-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to this station on XM in the car - its called Laugh USA. It is just standup comedians all the time. I found this one guy, who is the most hilarious deadpan comedian. His name is Steven Wright. I decided to post a few of his really funny one-liners:

1. "Did you sleep good?" "No, I made a couple of mistakes."

2. I was reading the dictionary; I thought it was a poem about everything.

3. I like my dental hygienist. I think she's very pretty. So when I'm waiting in her office I eat an entire bag of Oreo cookies. Sometimes she has to cancel all her other appointments.

4. I have a box of powdered water. I never know what to add.

5. I installed a skylight in my apartment. The people who live above me are furious!

That's all for now!

Wrightsville Beach

2008-08-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, I LOVE the beach? It makes me so happy! The first time we went Steve and I were so sunburned, we were crispy and couldn't move for three days, but now I am finally getting tan(ner)! Something living in Phoenix for 18 years couldn't do. (You just generally avoid the sun there!)
This by far was my favorite beach so far! (Aside from parking being a nightmare, that is). The sand was the perfect texture for Steve to make sandcastles, and just generally relax! We went with our good friends the Stinsons-- you can just tell how excited Morgan was to relax!

He's a second year in the MFT program. I just keep thinking.... "That's going to be me in a year!"

We tried to write our initials the other way.... that didn't really work out so well though........

Our cute friends and neighbors the Stinson's!
What a perfect day!

Best Husband Ever!

2008-08-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have the greatest husband! I was having a really rough day today, and he was so sweet! I started to cry and he asked, "You want to cuddle?" and wiped away my tears. And then he took me shopping! He bought me 3 shirts and a skirt, and then took me to Sonic for a slushy! He totally made my day!

Time to Read

2008-07-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

I need your help! This summer I have the blessing/curse of having extra time on my hands before starting an insanely intense Master's program. Everyone in the program tells me to get my fill of pleasure reading now, but I am stumped as to where to start! What is YOUR FAVORITE BOOK???

A Washington D.C. Fourth of July

2008-07-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

(It's okay if you call me a slacker for posting 4th of July pictures nearly three weeks after the Fourth of July!) As of 11:00 PM Thursday July 3rd night we still didn't have plans for the Fourth of July weekend, but we randomly decided to spend the 4th in Washington D.C., since I have never been there!

We left about 7, and we were in time to catch the end of the parade. After the "Vietnamese Americans", the "Showboating Americans", came two of my favorites....

the "West Virginia Diary Farmer Americans" with their Dairy Princess complete with four of her attendants dressed up as COWS! (I would NOT want to be her attendants!) and the Hare Krishna Americans.

We spent the rest of that day and the next exploring D.C.! (The pictures are in no particular order)

Funny story-- when I was 15 I was OBSESSED about becoming an FBI agent! I loved the X-Files back then (Don't ask). However, I realized that a dislike of blood, and an inability to even hear gross stories would probably preclude me from that field.

And the fireworks show with the Washington Memorial in the foreground was amazing! What a great way to celebrate the Nations Birthday!

Side note-- I thought their license plates were really interesting. I didn't realize that Washington D.C. doesn't have it's own government-- the only government they have is the National government, and don't have separate representatives. Thus the "Taxation without representation!"

Orlando Adventure

2008-07-14T00:05:00.001-07:00

At the end of June, we were invited to go spend the weekend in Orlando, Florida with my sister Elisa and her husband Josh. They had gotten a timeshare for the week to celebrate Josh's graduation! (Congrats Josh!)And so, Steve and I jumped on the opportunity to spend some time with them, and enjoy the sighs in sunny Florida!

Amazingly enough, Steve had never been to Florida. He has been to most of the 50 states with the exception of a few like Louisiana. Amazingly enough, I HAVE been to Louisiana! It's one of the few states in the South I have been to!

I absolutely love Disneyworld and anything associated with Disney since my Grandfather was one of the original nine animators for Walt Disney. He was the first of the "Nine Old Men" as they were called. (His name was Les Clark if you want to look him up!)

If you'll notice, Steve and I are wearing the same color shirt everyday. This was in fact an accident. The first day, Steve, Josh, and I walk out of our rooms and realize we are all wearing red shirts and khakis! Only Elisa was the odd one out! The next day Steve and I both reached for Maroon. By the third day, we decided to match just to be funny!

Disney's Hollywood Studio's

2008-07-13T23:54:00.001-07:00

The passes we bought allowed us to go to two different parks on two different days, as well as one of the Disney waterparks. Since we got a bit of a later start the first day, we decided to go to Hollywood Studio's. The last time I went to Disneyworld was when I was 14, and one of the favorite things I remember doing was riding the "Tower of Terror" ride! It was even better than I remember it, thanks to Fast Passes, since we didn't even have to stand in line!

While we waited for our time slot, we went and watched the "Block Party Parade!" It consisted mainly of lots of the newer Disney and Pixar movie characters such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc., the Incredibles, and a Bugs Life. It was a lot of fun, and it looked like so much fun to be a dancer in the parade! Forget graduate school, I want to go be in a Disney Parade!!!

Next, we met up with one of Steve's mission companions and his Family. Adam Zern, or "Zern" as Steve calls him lives near Disneyworld and has season passes, so he joined us along with his beautiful wife Sarah and their daughter Emma. (This picture was obviously taken later in the day!)

After meeting up with them, we decided to watch the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Adam told us about how they choose "extras" from the audience to participate in the show, and boasted that even when he has friends from out of town, he ALWAYS gets picked as an extra! Well, he didn't dissapoint! (Probably had something to do with the batman shirt!) Here he is with a couple of the other extras on stage.

Later, they performed a couple scenes from the Indiana Jones movies, including the marketplace scene, and they decked them all out! He is the one with the blue turban on the far right!

We had such a fun time with Sarah and Adam, and loved exploring the park with them! The best part is that we timed everything just right so all the rides we wanted to go on didn't have lines! (Thank goodness for fast passes and afternoon rains that clear the park!

This is us "waiting in line" for the Tower of Terror.

To end the night, we went to the light and water show Fantasmic! It's a really high-tech light show that tells the story of Mickey in the scene from Fantasia "the Sorcerer's Apprentice" (A favorite because my grandfather worked on it!) Fantasmic basically chronicals Disney Movies through Mickey's dreams, with a few twists in-between!After the show we ran back to the Tower of Terror, and rode it twice without any lines! I probably would have ridden it at least one more time before close, but Steve had had enough! (I am one who would probably ride the teacups until I am sick)

It was a great day, and a great way to start out our Orlando adventure!!!

A bit more laid back...

2008-07-13T23:50:00.001-07:00

The next day we decided to have a bit more relaxing day. One of the really cool things about the timeshare we were staying at, is that they have certain amenities for owners. They let you play miniature golf, ride paddle boats on the lake, rent bikes, and more-- for free!!!

Since we had gotten rained out on our paddle boat adventures a few weeks before, we decided to take the paddle boat for a spin. However, they made us sign a waiver that we wouldn't sue them if we were dismembered or maimed in any way. Apparently someone had seen an alligator earlier in the day! Although we didn't see any alligators (to my relief and dismay) Steve did have his hand bitten off by a shark!Fortunately, it was not a real shark!
We also played their pirate miniature golf, and to get me back for the shark, he put me in my place!

I forgave him though. :)

To end the day, we took a nice drive around Orlando, ending at the beautiful Orlando Temple!

11 Countries in One Day!

2008-07-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

I love to travel, so we went to eleven countries in one day! If you have ever been to Epcot, this probably doesn't sound as cool.

When I went nearly 10 years ago, I loved Epcot. It seems weird looking back that a 14 year old would love a place that doesn't have any of the big name rides, and has more of an educational focus. But I loved it! Don't get me wrong though. Epcot has some pretty cool rides like a test track, a space mission that makes you really feel the G force, and "Soarin'" a IMAX type adventure where you feel like you are hang gliding over California. But truth be told, most of those rides are less than 10 years old and are not the real reason I love Epcot.

Honesty, I worried when we were deciding which park we should go to. Josh wanted to go to the Magical Kingdom, and I wanted Epcot. For the first 20 minutes I honestly questioned my judgment. What if they didn't like it!? What if they thought it was stupid, and thought I was a nerd?! Fortunately, they loved Epcot! It has a little of something for everyone!

One of the funny experiences was going to a game show devoted to Velcro product and how they help you find solutions to everyday products. (Shameless advertising anyone?) Well, Josh was chosen for one of the scenes and had to diaper, feed, and then stick as many babies to his apron as possible! Fortunately, he is a father so it wasn't TOO embarrassing!

My favorite part of the day was not going on the rides, even though they were fun! It was exploring the little snippets of eleven countries including: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Each of the countries is staffed by natives of that country, which give it an extra flair!
This is Steve in front of some of the buildings for Morocco.

It would be interesting to talk to natives of these countries and see how accurately they feel their countries are being displayed. For the countries I have visited, they seemed to be pretty darn good! My favorite by far was France. Call me a hopeless romantic, but there is just something about France that makes me sigh. I love it! Lots of people have told me that the French people were really rude to them in France. When I was there, they were really nice to us! Probably because it was three young girls, and we at least tried to speak French. (most people told us to speak English though because our French was so bad!)
For the France display, they had a couple of street performers. It was really cool, because they pulled a guy out of the audience and had him do this:

If you can't tell, that is 6 chairs stacked on top of each other, on top of a table!!! Fortunately, he was planted in the audience! I know I couldn't have even done one of the chairs!

Another of my favorite things is their French Bakery. It is amazing. I forgot to take pictures of what we ordered because we were just so excited to eat it, but this is a picture of the bakery.

I am not sure I could live in France because I would be too tempted to eat all my meals in their bakeries! One thing that really hit home as we were walking around the World Showcase exhibit is how much we all have different tastes. Steve's idea of a dream vacation would be going to South America and canoeing down the Amazon and exploring the Galapagos Islands. I would love to travel around Europe (actually, I want to go to six of the seven continents). Elisa is interested by the Orient. What would be your dream vacation? Which countries most interest you?

Swimming with Sharks

2008-07-13T23:35:00.001-07:00

On our last day, we decided to take advantage of our water park ticket, and went to Typhoon Lagoon. One thing I have to say for Disney is that they go all out! It was the coolest water park I've ever been to! It was really neat how they stuck to the theme all around. I wish I had more pictures, but we didn't want to traipse around with a camera in case it got wet. However, I swam with sharks and I just had to get pictures of that!It was probably one of the coolest things we did in Florida. They have a giant salt-water aquarium filled with exotic tropical fish, including sharks. I've never been snorkeling before, so it was a really neat experience for me, and helped me get my feet wet. (Literally and figuratively.) It was so awesome to be so close I could literally reach out a touch these fish! Fortunately, the sharks were a little farther away! They were about 10 feet below the water and included hammer head, leopard, and other varieties of sharks! It was a little scary, but like all the wildlife at Disneyworld, they are very used to humans! And it didn't hurt that they were only 3-4 feet long!!

You weren't allowed to kick your legs, only swim with your arms. Thus the strange curled position of my legs. :) I just wish I had a water proof camera!!

Water "the Essence of Moisture"

2008-06-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Since moving to North Carolina, emergency preparedness has been something on my mind. Growing up in Arizona and living in Provo for the past 5 years, it hasn’t been something I have really given much thought to. Arizona rarely ever sees natural disasters—the only time school was ever closed is because the boiler room got flooded and the air conditioners didn’t work. Living in Provo, everyone usually assumes that because BYU has enough food to feed 30,000 people for 3 days, it’s nothing to worry about.

Living nearer to the coast in North Carolina has made me think “what if?” There are a lot more possibilities for natural disasters here including hurricanes, tornados, floods, and even weird power outages. A couple of weeks ago our county had a tornado warning. Fortunately, all we got was a bit of rain. Our ward is really focusing on emergency preparedness however, even asking some families to see if they can go for an entire week without going to the grocery store. I couldn’t do it—can you?

The ward had everyone fill out questionnaires about our emergency preparedness. Emergency supplies? Hum… I think we have a flashlight? It has been something on my mind, and Steve and I are trying to heed the prophet’s council to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Every time we go to the grocery store we buy a few more gallons of water, and we have a 72-hour kit for both of us courtesy of our BYU Married Ward.

Yesterday, I got an e-mail on my phone that said we shouldn’t drink the water before boiling it. Apparently, during an inspection they found the presence of Fecal Coliform in the Greenville area, and were worried about the magnitude of the contamination. Basically E-coli bacteria. In the water. From fecal contamination. Sick! For more go here: http://www.reflector.com/ Right now the Boil Order is still in effect, and they are not sure when it will lift.

By the mid-afternoon all the restaurants in Greenville were forced to close. It was weird driving by to see so many empty parking lots. But have you ever thought about how much we really use water? We use it to wash our hands, wash the dishes, brush our teeth, drink, bathe in, and make ice with. We constantly are using water in our lives usually without a second thought.

It made me very grateful for our meager efforts to follow the advice of the prophet. Especially since many people had to rush out and buy bottled water. Wal-Mart started charging $8 for a 24-pack of bottled water!! Fortunately not everyone was price gouging, and a local store, Harris Teater, was giving out gallons of water for free. It’s amazing how disasters can bring out the best in some and the worst in others.

*** Update! As of Thursday 6/26/08, the Boil Water Advisory was lifted except in specific areas where they found the contamination!!!

Oh the places we've been

2008-06-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

I was reading a friend's post about all the amazing places she has gone in her first year of marriage, and I realized Steve and I have had an amazing year + of marriage! We are trying to make the most of the time we have together before we have children, enjoying each others company! I feel like the luckiest woman alive because Steve is so great to me and takes me on such fun adventures! He is my best friend, and whether we are flying in a prop plane over the grand canyon or water skiing at Bear Lake, we have a blast! This past year + has been the best times of my life! Here is a year in review.

We honeymooned in SEDONA, ARIZONA and it was beautiful and relaxing! All of the red rock is so amazing!!!

As as surprise, Steve arraigned a small plane tour of the GRAND CANYON! I'm really not bored, I promise!

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I've seen the Grand Canyon many times before, but never from such a vantage point! The plane was pretty small, it only seated 5 people, this is Steve and I with the pilot.

Steve took me to CALIFORNIA the summer after we were married, and we had a blast visiting with my cousin Karen, and exploring Santa Monica, Hollywood and Rodeo Drive! Here we are at the Getty Center.

We rode tandem bikes along the SANTA MONICA PIER! That was an experience! We really had to learn to work together! I guess I wore him out!

We even went to see Wicked!!!!

We went to the UTAH LAKE FESTIVAL with a bunch of my Glenwood Friends.

We were waiting for a boat tour of Utah Lake--They made amazing “hats”.

BEAR LAKE or the “Caribbean of the Rockies” was amazing. This is us on the back of a jet ski.

The water was so amazingly blue!

We went camping with our Married Ward. This picture is lacking in people... oh well.

On the way to Arizona for Christmas we spent the night in LAS VEGAS and went to the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl. BYU beat UCLA by 1 point in an amazing game ending block! We were right on the 10 yard line about 15 rows back, so we had the perfect view!

My favorite part was definitely afterward, when we rushed the field!!!

Over Christmas, we went on a horseback ride in the San Tan Mountains with my mom. It was only Steve’s second time on a horse. We went 8 miles—what a trooper!!

Christmas with my family in Arizona. All 6 kids plus many of their spouses/girlfriends/etc.

For our 1 year anniversary, Steve took me snowboarding. We fell down a lot, but sure had fun!

No year in review would be complete without the giant game of TWISTER!

I graduated with my Bachelors from BYU in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. It was such a neat experience because I felt really supported. My family and extended family was there, and cheered so loud at the commencement exercises that Dean Miller said, "I think you've got the loudest cheering section!" Go team!

I had never been to OHIO, so we flew out for Steve’s sister Liz’s wedding! It was beautiful, and so neat I got to be there for the sealing!

All the bridesmaid's with the beautiful bride.

I also saw a friend I went to Romania with—Megan Sears—who was serving in the Stanton’s ward in Cincinnati! Small world!

Right after we got back from Ohio, we turned around and moved 4 days later. Here we are in front of a Pony Express stop—somewhere in Nebraska I think!

It was so fun being able to spend so much uninterrupted time alone! I think it took us about 4 days to drive cross-country! (We were driving a 16 ft moving van)

Living in Greenville, NC, we are less than 2 hours from GORGEOUS beaches! We have gone several times already with our new friends and neighbors the Stinsons.

My favorite so far is Emerald Isle. (Also pictured in the heading of our blog.) The water is so beautiful a crystal blue-green and is almost warm!

It's been such a great adventure! I look forward to this next year!

Shenanigans

2008-06-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

We've been in Greenville for 6 weeks now, and have been having a blast! I've included some of the pictures from around the Greenville area. Last weekend we went to Raleigh and explored the city! This is a picture of Steve and I when we went on a paddle boat in a cute little park named Pullen Park. It was beautiful and picturesque!Steve was a little sleepy... or something.
We also went to a flea market, and we saw the most amazing store! One dedicated solely to selling fried twinkies!!! I was so tempted.....
At the flea market we also saw all these amazing old lunch boxes. I've never seen so much amazing stuff!
We are nearly moved it. Steve into the townhouse, and me into my new box! I'm really excited. It's pretty big!
Another one of the great things about living in North Carolina is that we are so close to the ocean! We drive less than two hours and can be on a beautiful sandy beach!
Steve was really excited when he saw that we live near "Stantonsburg Road" but furthermore, there is a Stanton Square there!!!
We are sampling the local cuisine, and we went to a Mexican place named "Moe's" It was pretty good, but made me miss Cafe Rio! Nothing compares!!!

We've been having lots of fun exploring our new town! We miss Provo, but are enjoying living somewhere new!

Viva La Vida

2008-06-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

By now, most folks I know have heard of this CD; the title song, Viva La Vida, has been released. The remainder of the album isn't due out for another week. However, I am writing to give a brief description of how it sounds. In a word that I think is fitting, it is somewhat revolutionary.

After songs like "Yellow", or "The Speed of Sound", Coldplay has kind of fallen to the side of their genre's forefront. It seems this album will seriously change that landscape. It is still Coldplay, though; you can still hear Chris Martin's voice clearly. But the tones, the topics and the timbre of it all has changed to a greated 'depth-iness". (In homage to Colbert's truthiness. :) ) The greater usage of strings (violin, etc.) really enhances this depth

I particularly like the title song, but a couple of other songs to pay attention to are Strawberry Swing, Violet Hill, Lost (the acoustic version especially) and Death and All His Friends. Listen to the last one for the variety of melodic style, and the few but fitting lyrics.

It is a short album, but its a good one.

Also, watch for hidden tracks!

We must be peasants, cause we got burninated.

2008-06-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to the awe-inspiring Atlantic Beach. It was incredible to wake up in our own bed, drive a little ways, and go to a gorgeous oceanside. See, is isn't it nice!

Anyway, we swam and chilled and drank copious amounts of seawater. And then realized we looked like lobsters. Sorry - no pictures of this, I believe Marina would kill me. Literally. With a knife.

Okay, maybe not.

We have pretty much done nothing but lay down and listen to Harry Potter. It is so painful to move! Did you know that when your feet get sunburned, they get all swollen and it hurts to walk? I did, which is why I took this farewell photo of my foot before it got burned.

Sorry you had to see that.

In other exciting news, we have a new car! Since we sold the Accord and Civic, we had to get some form of transportation. Because we are incapable of being frugal, we bought a Lexus. And by Lexus, I mean another Honda Accord. Its so pretty!

Ok, enough of that. I have one more thing to say. Marina is doing really well with her assistantship so far, and we really are liking the area. I'm particularly proud of Marina. She graduated from BYU and is on her way to making people address envelopes to us as Mr. and Dr. Stanton. Now I have to get a Doctorate, just so it doesn't look suspect.

Hope everyone is well!

We're still alive!

2008-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

We have officially been in North Carolina for a week! (At least when 10:30 tonight rolls around) We've been busier than...something VERY busy! After driving 2350 miles, we're proud to say we've moved everything into our townhouse, got most of it put away, and are getting settled. Marina started her first day at the MFT Clinic, which I'm sure she'll be saying more about. I've been able to continue working remotely for DirectPointe, which is a blessing; Greenville's IT jobs are somewhat limited, so it is very nice to have that job.

It is very green and lush here. We had a bit of rainfall Sunday night that came in from nowhere with big gushing winds. It was pretty spectacular; and I'm sure we'll see much more where that came from. Some of the parking lots have notices "This lot due to flood during heavy rains". There are water markers around that measure in feet. Hopefully we'll be ok!

I have posted pictures of our trip, which you can see here.

We'll be updating more soon!

I'm on the bus right now

2008-04-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

So here I am on the 862 headed east on 16th North in Lindon. I've got my HP 8710p and my t-Mobile Dash hard at work. It is definitely a wireless and interconnected world. Who would have thought that I could chat it up with a friend why I am literally moving down the street, without making a phone call! (sort of..)I can hear the dull roar of the engine and watch as I pass one of the thousands of LDS churches. There goes a guy walking his dog, who decided to take a leak on an electrical box. It is amazing what you see! I'm pulling into Canyon Park Tech Center, and going south. I hope to be at Timpanogos Transit Center soon, so I can take the rest of my trip home. It is going to be a long night.

We sold our 1999 Honda Accord, which is precisely why I'm on the bus. I hope we can sell the Civic too, but it won't be the end of the world if we don't.

I thought blogging on a bus would be so....artistic or bourgeoisie or something.... but 'bus blogging' may just be a thing of the future.

Well, its time to make a transfer to another bus.

Until then, au revoir!

Moving is skeeery

2008-04-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

In trying to find a job, an apartment, utilities, internet service, a bank, insurance, and all that jazz, I've come to a conclusion. Moving is pretty rough times. I think about how it must have been for my parents the 5+ times they've moved since they got married, and how crazy it had to have been without things like the internet, and with kids to boot. I'm pretty lucky considering, and it is still all kinds of crazy.

My advice to anyone who is planning to move; its not too early to start getting your ducks in a row. As the days go past, you'll be glad you've planned ahead, because you never realize how much there is to do until it is almost too late to do those things. Perhaps that doesn't just apply to moving; probably a condition of the human experience if you ask me.

Anyway, I'm back to the job hunt/selling cars/packing/tearing hear out of head.

Later!

Changes are in the wind!

2008-04-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

As I contemplate the changes that will be occurring in the next month, I get downright scared! First, I will be graduating from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. I know it seems like a hokey major, and I was definitely one to (cough, cough) agree. Until I declared it as my major with the intent of becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist; then it makes perfect sense!

This past year I have experienced a myriad of emotions in the process of applying for graduate school -- but mostly frustration and annoyance. Studying for/taking the GRE is the worst thing EVER. (Ask me again after I've had a child, but for now it's one of the biggest pains in my life!) The entire process is arduous to say the least. In the end, of the six schools I applied to, I got interviews for 4-- Northern Illinois University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Louisiana Monroe, and East Carolina University. I was ecstatic when I got accepted to all four, until I realized how heartbreaking actually picking one was! It made me almost wish that I had only applied to one, but only almost. The one we ended up picking was one I had actually tried to take off my list several times, but felt it should be kept on. Well, the more I learned about it, the more I liked it! In the end, we picked East Carolina University for a myriad of reasons, but most of all because it just felt right.

So we'll be moving to Greenville, North Carolina on May 10th, which is in less than a month!!!! Fortunately, I was able to get a 12-month assistantship where I will be working at the MFT clinic and starting shortly after we move in. Unfortunately, Steve still has not found a job. Hopefully it will be easier to find a job when you are not over 2,000 miles away!!! We have found a cute little townhouse with the help of our new friends in Greenville, and have gotten a great deal on a moving van! I am nervous, but also very excited, and glad that I have someone to share the experience with!

Starting a blog...

2008-04-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Why do I feel like I am caving under pressure because I am making a blog? Have you ever noticed, it seems like making a blog is up there on the to-do list right after you get married? Right after changing your facebook status to "Married" of course. Blogging is almost like a rite of passage. (Sorry out there to all you single bloggers!) Well... it has taken me over a year, but alas, we have finally created a blog! Just in time to keep in touch while we move over 2,200 miles from Provo and start a new chapter in our lives!