Back in Utah

Well for those who do not know, Aaron and I have moved from Erie, Pennsylvania and into our home in Murray, Utah, while Aaron finishes up his rotations. When a few of our neighbors in Murray contacted me to let me know my yard was in pretty bad shape, I drove across the country, taking pictures along the way, to whip it back into shape. Aaron had two weeks left of schooling and exams. When I got to Utah, the weeds in the garden were taller than I was and the front and back yard was pretty dry and yellow. Our renters had moved out two months before, and I was grateful to my neighbor, Nick Panas, for helping me dig up the weeds. We also put in a sprinkler system in the yard, and it feels good to be back in our home and close to the mountains.

I flew out to Chicago after two weeks, and met Aaron to drive our other car back. We stopped by the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead on the way. Then drove to my Grandmother's home in Chamberlain, South Dakota, and stayed for four days. It was nice to visit with her since I hadn't seen her for over ten years. Went on the Indian reservation and watched a Pow Wow and attended the rodeo with Uncle Joe. We then crossed back to Utah through the Badlands, enjoying the diverse rock formations and dinosaur fossils which were neat to see at the museum nearby.

My fun friend, Margie, back in Erie, called to let us know of another Pug that was in need of a home. We thought we would try it out. Now we have another Pug, named Sammy, that is fitting in alright with Jax. Sammy is 4 and Jax is 3. It was a strange transition for Jax. Often if Sammy was on my lap, Jax would squish his way in between us. I converted an old dresser into a pie hutch with swinging doors. Anywho, I have used the drawers that were in the dresser as a bed for Jax, with two pillows and a blanket. Well, I made one for Sammy as well and Jax wouldn't let him sleep in his bed. Jax wanted them both. But, after a few weeks of making sure we gave love to BOTH of them, I woke up one morning to find them both sharing a drawer. It was cute. So, meet Sammy, our new Pug.

South Carolina Trip

I am way overdue for bloggin' and postin' pictures. My husband had three weeks off from school before his summer term started and I made a spontaneous decision to go to South Carolina. I had wanted to see some of the beautiful plantations down there and learn a little about slavery and their way of life. We made it to North Carolina to get a bite to eat and started to hear the southern accent, "ya'll". It was welcomed. The people were very nice. We stayed at a rental I found on a swap internet site in Mt. Pleasant. Just 10 minutes from South Carolina. The lady was very nice. She made sure we had breakfast and snacks and had decorated the place so cozy, it was very relaxing. We stayed there for four days and saw the various sites.

The first day we toured Boone Hall Plantation. For anyone who has viewed the mini-series North and South with Patrick Swayze or the Notebook movie, this is the place where parts of the series was filmed. The driveway is lined with 88 oak trees which are so beautiful. It is the only plantation still operating outside of Charleston South Carolina. We toured the mansion and butterfly gardens. Also, there are nine brick houses where the slaves lived on the plantation. Today, though, you can walk in each one and push a button and listen to some of the history of either their basketweaving, worshipping services, family life, and the underground railroad, and of course learn about the end of slavery and what became of them after they gained freedom. The weather was humid, but the scenery was well worth the heat. One souvenir I purchased was a premixed cobbler mix called - Geechie Peachie Cobbla. It was fun. We bought some peaches and made it of course, but on the package it read: git ya oven nice and hot (bout 375). Find ya best 8x8 pan and greez 'em up good. Pick ya some fresh peaches and put 'em in da bottom of da pan....south lingo...very fun. We of course couldn't pass up the beach and toured another plantation before heading back due to rain. We had a nice time though and enjoyed the drive home by the Appalachian mountains. If you ever get a chance to go, I recommend it.

Summer's On Its Way

Aaron and I have really been enjoying the weather here now that it has started to warm up. FINALLY! The winters in Erie last FOREVER and we welcome the end to the depression:) Last week, we took our Pug, Jax down to the beach. Jax loves to go down and race with Aaron alongside the water. We have to spell out B-E-A-C-H when we talk about it, cause he knows what it is when he hears the word. We take a frisbee and his leash for he is always wanting to interact with other dogs, but its best to hold onto him. Jax has this thing where he thinks he trys to intimidate bigger dogs - much bigger dogs - its bizarre because he is not a big dog, but he'll bark at other dogs as if he is the King. Its pretty hilarious. There is this fun old-fashioned diner called Sara's that has burgers/fries/shakes, etc. The base of the countertop is an old car. Fun, huh. We ordered yummy orange serbert cones before going down to the beach. I like that place.

As we get closer to leaving this place come the end of the summer, I have reflected on the time that we have been here and the things we have learned. Graduate school is a heavily demanding program and at times life is not fun, frankly because you don't have one. While Aaron has been studying away, I have passed the time by having brain surgery, radiation, church callings, meeting new friends, sharing the gospel, taking pictures, reading the scriptures, seeing history sites, working part-time, and growing closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. The thing I will probably miss the most is watching the sunsets with my husband. I never appreciated sunsets until I met him. This summer, we plan to go to South Carolina, Gettysburg, the Hill Cumorah Pageant, Niagara Falls (third time), Toronto, and the Sacred Grove. Looking forward to sharing our pics and stories. So grateful to have a wonderful companion to share my life with. Love you Aaron, looking forward to a fun summer!

New York

This trip was half fulfilling and half crazy. We only had two full days to get a feel of New York City. Our must-see list consisted of the Statue of Liberty, the temple, Ellis Island, a Broadway play, and the Rockefeller Center. This was the fulfilling part. The crazy part was Niki getting side-tracked Saturday morning. Oh my goodness I met Louis Vuitton....the store that is. Never heard of the place before, but boy I sure eyed a pair of sunglasses that I really liked. The salesman also catered to me like never before. This caused a slight disagreement between Aaron and I. But you must know that my husband told me I could spend 600.00 on clothes and shoes because I compromised to drive down versus flying (we saved 600.00 because we drove and he said I could spend the savings on shopping in New York)...but when I chose to purchase a pair of sunglasses instead of clothes and shoes, all of a sudden it didn't sit well with him. The glasses of course were 480.00. He said No, No, No. And I had to walk out with nothing but a business card from the salesman. I then browsed around Tiffany's just to watch him sweat a little with worry, and I walked right back on out after realizing I couldn't get much there either.

The people are literally everywhere and in a hurry, just like in the movies. It was crazy. We took a double-decker bus tour of the city and enjoyed viewing unique buildings and architecture. Saw where John Lennon was killed, the Trump Tower, Glenn Close and Kevin Bacon's "apartments", the most expensive apartment in New York (for sale at 47 million), and the LDS Temple. Later in the evening we saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS and we would recommend that to anyone over the other choices of plays. The next day, we took a ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty. It was so wonderful. I have a great love for America and I was so anxious to see this beloved statue. With all the downturn in the economy, it was comforting to see a symbol of hope, peace and freedom. She stands facing east, much like the angel Moroni a top the temples, waiting for the Lord to come again and fulfill His promises. We toured Liberty island and Aaron ate the best sandwich of his life - a Cuban sandwich...MMM...MMM. We took a second fairy to Ellis Island and toured the facility that was used to register immigrants years ago. It was humbling to see how little they had when they arrived, but how much they looked forward to making a better life in America for themselves and their families. You can research ancestors and the various ships they arrived on. I found an ancestor that arrived from Switzerland at the age of 19...guess I'll have to talk Aaron to taking me there so I can continue the research:)...someday. Back to New York, we rode the subway to China town and loaded up on all the goods. World Trade Center Memorial site was next, followed by some frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity3. This was a fun little restaurant. We also enjoyed french toast and music. Last, but not least, we went to the Rockefeller Center, also known as radio city music hall. We viewed the New York skyline at midnight, then headed home. Thank you Aaron for taking me on a much needed vacation! I don't ask for many material things, but I did make him promise that at my funeral, he would make sure I had those Louie Vuitton sunglasses on before they closed my casket...that way, in the next life, he'll be sure to find me.

We're long overdue for an update. We went home to Weiser, Idaho to visit Niki's family for the new year. It was a great trip! We spent a lot of time with family relaxing and catching up. We saw a herd of elk, some deer and Aaron witnessed his first sheep drive! We saw Debbie's (Niki's mom) ZEBRA, that's right ZEBRA, named SPOT and took pictures to prove that it is true. We taunted the wild turkeys in the back yard and enjoyed the beautiful clear skies. Niki's sister Autumn was married in Boise and the reception was fantastic.