The Giant Bat

This post is dedicated to Samantha. Who doesn't love a giant bat and a cauldron of candy. I miss you Sam, and I hope you have fun this Halloween. It's just not the same without Spidey. And a special shout-out to Kayleen, the accomplice, for taking the picture.

Who Knew?

A while back I started getting random unsolicited texts on my phone. They don't happen very often, and I've never gotten anything objectionable or worth getting worked up over, but I still find it annoying. How are these people getting my number? Is this even legal? Is there some sort of "Do Not Text" registry I can sign up for so I can stop getting messages about rapid weight loss and tips on stock market investing. On the bright side, I did get a text today from getcash@yahoo.com telling me I was pre-qualified for up to $200K to expand my business. Unfortunately for me, I don't even have a business.

It's Called the FE and I Don't Like It

Today my husband is spending the entire day here:

This is the Salt Palace Convention Center up in Salt Lake. He is taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam along with many other engineering students. I think I was more nervous about it last night than he was. I had trouble falling asleep, and woke up a little after 3am. And stayed awake until my husband woke up sometime after 5am. I made him breakfast, and packed a lunch for him to take with him to Salt Lake. Johnny also woke up and wanted to join the party, so the three of us were having a little early-morning family time.

We wished Brad luck on his test, and have now been anxiously waiting for him to come home. Johnny and I have decided we do not like 8-hour tests that keep Brad away on Saturdays. Or any other day for that matter. Thankfully he only has to take it one time, because let's be honest here, he's going to pass.

Thanks for working so hard for our family Brad. Johnny and I both love you very much.

My Secret Love

I'll be honest, I have quite a few secret loves, but the one I am sharing with you today is the Cannon Center at BYU. My freshman year I lived in Helaman Halls which was a great experience for me my first year away from home. It also allowed me the joys of cafeteria food. Now fortunately for me I had Dining Plus so I did not have to eat every meal in the Cannon Center and usually only ate breakfast there. I love the options: waffles, french toast, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, breakfast casserole, french toast sticks, bacon, sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs, omelets, fresh fruit, tons of cereals, three different kinds of milk, orange juice, apple juice, passion orange guava juice, oatmeal, toast,donuts, bagels, and the list goes on.

The place had a lot of history. I say "had" specifically, because BYU recently TORE IT DOWN. I was devastated to say the least. I will admit that I have frequented the Cannon Center even as recently as this past year. It has a special place in my heart. I appreciated that Brad did not judge me for this secret love of mine. Which probably wasn't too secret for anyone who knows me very well.

We decided that we had to try out the new Commons at the Cannon Center that replaced the original cafeteria. We went for breakfast on a Saturday in September and really enjoyed ourselves. Well, Brad and I did, Johnny hung out in his stroller. And yes, people did look at us wondering if we lived in the dorms or what our story was. Even though I still love the original, this new Cannon Center is definitely an improvement from my freshmen year. So if you're ever in Provo and want a fun and family-friendly dining experience, I would suggest heading over to the Cannon Center.

And I promise I was trying to get Johnny to not make the fish-face and smile, but as you can see, he won.

The Hiatus Is Over

I am back in the blogging world. Let's be honest here, I doubt that many people actually read this blog besides a few family members and friends, but I myself have missed writing and sharing pictures about what's going on in our lives, so hopefully I'll get back in the habit again.

There are many things I haven't blogged about, and I'm not sure how much I want to go back in detail or even how exciting it would be to describe. But there are a few notable events, that I would like to share so I might break those up into a few posts depending on how much I end up sharing.

I did want to share two pictures with everyone though. Let me preface their appearance on the blog with the fact that I am actually quite an animal lover. But there is just something wrong with this picture. It's a picture of Gus, the 2008 winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.


Now, I was a bit taken aback by Gus's picture. That is, until I saw last year's winner, Elwood:

Brad's Little Football Player

My baby boy is huge, and Brad is very pleased that he is well on his way to becoming a star football player for BYU. We went to his check-up appointment yesterday morning, and after waiting for a while baby Johnny got weighed and measured. For those of you who do not remember (let's be honest here, who remembers everyone else's baby stats) Johnny was 8 lb. 9 oz. when he was born and 20.5 in long. He is now, drumroll please, a whopping 16 pounds and 25 inches long!!! That means he's over 2 feet tall, when he stands up that is. He's in the 75th percentile for height, and 90th percentile for weight. He's definitely our chunky monkey. The doctor said he's developing just beautifully, and has great neck support and strong legs. We love our precious baby, but it is crazy to see how fast he is growing. Brad always teases me about how I'm going to cry when he leaves for his mission. I told him I'll probably cry when he graduates nursery and goes into Sunbeams.

Part Two

Friday was our last full day in Washington and we tried to fill every minute of it with fun. My friends Amanda and Dennis came over and met Johnny for the first time and then we headed over to Southcenter to eat lunch. I definitely got lost in that mall, it's completely different than when I used to live here. Fran laughed at me because I got so disoriented.




Later on we watched Emma and Stevie play on the toys at the mall and headed back home so they could take a dip in their little wading pool. I'll have to post some video of Uncle Stevie joining in on the fun. He couldn't stay in for too long though, because he and Brad headed downtown to go to the Mariners game. Brad had never been to Safeco field before, and even though the Mariners are having a rough season, they won their game.



Brad said he and Stephen had a great time and he would love to go back. Especially if the Mariners happen to play the Cubs in an interleague game. He probably just would not get the chilli nachos again. Maybe next time we'll go to a game together.


Johnny loved meeting his Uncle Stevie for the first time as well, and I think Stephen liked meeting his new little nephew too. Stephen thanks again for being such a great baby-sitter. I'm sure it was probably not just your favorite hour, but also Johnny's. He can just tell when someone feels very comfortable with a baby. He wants you to hurry up and come to Utah so you can watch him again real soon.
We had so much fun visiting and were sad to say good-bye, but we hope to see everyone again soon. We also just want to give a special thanks to Johnny, for being the best baby ever and not crying at all on either flight. He's a keeper.