O Christmas Tree

It's 1:24am, and I can't sleep.  Joel is driving to the Idaho Falls Airport to pick up his father and step-father.  It's funny how just him not being there is enough for me to toss and turn.

Just in the last week, we finally put up a Christmas tree.  This year, I wanted blue and silver to be the theme, and Joel lovingly consented, although the comment was made, "It isn't Christmas without red."  Hence, the red presents under the tree.  We had high hopes of harvesting a real tree from the tippy tops of the Tetons, but since we had no way of hauling it on our own, a plastic tree will have to suffice.  I love the tree, and I love my Surbal for bringing it home.

BYU-I 77th Ward Halloween Party

I can't say I didn't try.  This Halloween, Joel and I decided to get the most gnarly pumpkin in the lot.  We went to Broulim's, a local grocery store, and we picked out a 20-25 pounder.  We first started looking for the typical, round, unblemished specimen, but then, something else called out to us.  On the top of the pile was an oddly shaped, nearly off-balance pumpkin.  I looked at it, and I could almost see quasi modo staring right back at me.  So, I let the pumpkin speak to me, and then I liberated the face that lay dormant within.  And to top it off, we won the pumpkin carving contest at the ward party!  (Uh, hem, we were the only entrants, but that doesn't take away any of the glamour.)  The prize: a cup of Heath Bars.  Yum.

General Conference

Lindley, Brad, Jennifer, and Joel all went down to Salt Lake City for the 178th Semiannual General Conference of the church.  We got to see all the crazies prowling around on temple square.  The conference draws a pretty big anti-Mormon group of protesters there on temple square twice a year.  Some wear body-size signs, some hold six-foot tall crosses that say "Jesus is Lord" and "The Bible is God's Word", some wear white robes with devil masks over there faces and wave to the people saying "thank you, thank you for coming", and some stand with bibles held up high over their head saying "come to the true christ."

It was a wonderful experience being in that massive conference center where there's no bad seat and plenty of paintings, statues, and sculptures to look at.  The whole roof of the building is a garden with plants, flowers, trees, waterfalls, and shrubbery.  It truly is a great and marvelous gathering of the saints to hear from the prophets of the Lord.  Unfortunately we did not get any pictures of us at the conference center. 

THE SPRAIN

Hello Folks,

Thursday, October 2 was a rough day for me.  On my way home from class, I passed some people on the concrete walkway by riding my bike onto the grass then back onto the concrete in order to get around them.  Well, I should have been a little more careful as I did not turn my bike back perpendicular with the sidewalk.  My thin front tire got caught in the rut between the grass and the sidewalk launching me forward off the bike onto the concrete.  Naturally I put my hand out to break my fall and protect my head from hitting the ground, and at the very moment that my hand hit the ground, a shock wave went from the bones in my wrist all the way up my arm to my elbow put my arm into an immediate state of swelling and stiffness.  My first thought was my bike.  OH CRAP!  It's going to cost a fortune to fix that.  Reluctantly, I looked at my wrist and realized that I wasn't going to be biking anymore this season.  The first photo doesn't give it justice.  It's way more black and blue following the outline of the bone.  The doctors determined it a sprain.  I got this fancy suede splint for it.  My poor bike got some scratches on the front shifter and rear de-railer.  

Jen's 28th Birthday

Dear Diary,

Well, today I finally have a minute to recoup and regroup.  I have been working an entirely exhausting work week/month.  Yesterday was my birthday, and to celebrate, I pulled a 17-hour work day!  Woo hoo!!  I did not spend it alone, though.  My trusty accomplice, co-worker, and friend was there alongside, Jon Guinn.  His sister-in-law, Rachel, whipped up a gourmet breakfast sandwich in a style that sounds French and I can't remember exactly the name.  All I know is that Jon and I looked it up online because his wife, Sarah wouldn't tell him what it was we were eating and we read about raw pig vesicles, something or other...Yummy stuff, whatever it was.

That morning, I started off the day at the Bonneville County Courthouse, paying a speeding ticket from a week previous (Welcome to Idaho and Happy Birthday).  The woman behind the glass made me wait for at least an hour, even though both her and I were there early, to open the doors and start serving me.  Did I mention I had to walk though a metal detector?  Oh, yes, I did feel like packing that day, but fought the urge.

My life is work these days.  I am working on an elementary school in Afton, Wyoming.  Our 35% drawing set is due really soon.  Well, it was due last month and we're rushing to complete it for the school district.  

Joel and I miss each other, but we're spending some real quality time tonight together side by side, him on his laptop and me on the iMac blogging.  Heh heh.  Gotta love 2008.

Our New Niece Eden Muir

Our new niece is 6 lbs. 1 oz. and 18-1/2 inches long.  She was born by cesarian section at 1:30pm on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 two days early.  Mom (Gwen) didn't quite make it here to Rexburg in time, though she arrives tomorrow.  Eden has plenty of dark semi-curly hair with a cute little mohawk.   Hayley is doing well minus Asia dancing on her tender stomach.  Asia almost didn't even recognize her mom when grandpa and grandma brought her to the hospital.

  

This is our new little niece, Eden Muir

Labor Day Weekend

Joel and I wanted to drive to Salt Lake City on Friday, but we didn't really plan too much. It was late, weather was unpredictable, and we were just plain lazy. So, we stayed in much of the time and watched the U.S. Open tennis matches. Joel has especially been interested in tennis lately, along with road cycling. We watched a wonderful match between Roddick and Gobis. Roddick, the American, won! We also watched Federer beat his opponent, Querrie. We were so inspired by the tennis on tv that we went and bought raquetball rackets, to play at the BYU-I recreation center, because the weather has surprisingly been too cold for outdoors. (I think this is the beginning of Fall/Winter. Argh!) The rec center was closed, so we ended up playing tennis anyway, since it was right across the street. We had a good time together, and the weather turned out to be quite cool, but good. It was a much needed turn around from the last time we played tennis together. It was too hot, so I was lathargic and cranky. Joel didn't have very much fun because I was not having very much fun. Thankfully, we did much better this time around. Well, back to work at Nielson Bodily & Associates!

My Niece Was on TV!

I have been wanting to start a blog for awhile, so why not start with my niece, who seems to have become a movie star overnight!  Way to go Michaela!  Kindergarten is just around the corner.  The caption for this photo featured in The Gainesville Sun "Streamlined Schools Welcome Students" reads, "Newberry Elementary School incoming kindergarten student Michaela Donahey, 5, loads her school supplies into her desk during a meet your teacher day Friday."  Gee, that looks pretty heavy.  What are they teaching kids these days, anyway?!  I like the GermX in the front of the shot.  Nice touch, Melinda (my sister).  She'll definately need that with all of those cooties floating around.

Checkout My Niece on TV!