On a serious note ...

I don't want to get political on everyone but ... I was watching Oprah today and it was on how online predators and child pornography is rapidly spinning out of control. We have developed new software to better track and pinpoint where this evil is coming from, but the various tasks forces often lack money and other resources. There is a bi-partisan Bill (#1738 Biden-Hatch) that has passed in the House and is now moving to the Senate that will provide massive funding to begin combating this problem on a much bigger scale. I do not care if you are a Republican or a Democrat - we all want a safer world for our children. No child deserves to be subjected to this abuse. I have emailed both of my Senators asking them to vote YES on BILL 1738 ... and would ask that you consider doing the same. Go to www.senate.gov to find and email your Senator.

It's been awhile ...

So I know it has been awhile ... I thought I would hop online and give a quick update. Mostly Dave and I have just been working (which is really exciting and part of why I have not posted). We had a fun Father's Day weekend though. We had the chance to go up to Seattle and see his Dad, Grandpa (aka Big Daddy), and the rest of the family. We didn't do anything terribly exciting but it was really nice to just visit with everyone and relax. We did take family pictures one afternoon ... that is always an interesting experience, especially when you are trying to get eleven people in one picture. It didn't help that we got a photographer that was not the sharpest tool in the shed. In one picture someone's head was missing ... another had really bad shadows ... blinking ... I really love family pictures. I don't know why we don't do them more often. lol! Dave's Dad lives on twelve acres, so we had a picnic out back and a fire on a couple of the nights ... enjoyed some s'mores. We were also able to meet up with some of Dave's friends from high school and have a barbecue. So that made three nights in a row that we sat around a fire. The weather was really nice up there, so apparently everyone felt the need to take advantage. It was lots of fun but we came home with two suitcases full of clothes that smelled like smoke. Laundry was at the top of the list of things to do when we got home. Overall it was a great trip and nice to honor the father's in our lives. We are so grateful for their continual love and support. I know it's a week late, but I will say it again ... THANKS to all our DADS!

Finally

I know we got back a week ago, but it has taken me awhile to get back in the swing of things. Dave and I had a wonderful time. More than anything it was just nice to feel totally disconnected from real life. The resort was awesome. It was all-inclusive so the only time we had to think about food, drinks, etc was if we left the hotel. We went out on two excursions - We visited Chichen Itza one day and went four-wheeling into the jungle on another day. Chichen Itza was fascinating ... I particularly enjoyed it because of the history elements. Our tour guide, Rafael, was able to pass on quite a bit of knowledge to us. I loved learning about some of the great Mayan achievements and seeing how exact the construction of the building was. The best part of the four-wheeling trip was Margarita the Monkey. At one of the rest stops, there was a spider monkey that was out and about. Dave and I were able to feed her some banana and she even climbed up on Dave's shoulder! The rest of the time, we were just beach bums. Dave swam in the ocean THREE times! Can you believe it ?!? :-) Seriously though, the water was beautiful and it was a private beach just for the hotel. We couldn't have asked for more. I have some of the pictures from our adventures below. There are more I would like to add, but I have to scan them in to the computer and it is too late to figure that out right now. Stay tuned ...

Thanks Mom and Dad for a wonderful trip. We will certainly never forget it!!!

Mexico here we come!

Dave and I leave for Mexico on Monday morning ... and we are so excited!!! We will be staying in Playa del Carmen (about 40 minutes south of Cancun) for a whole week. I am really excited for Dave to see the ocean down there. He grew up in Seattle so the ocean is cold and the beach is rocky. He is not really a huge fan of the beach in California because of the seaweed and more importantly because he can't see through the water to the bottom. I am hoping he comes away with a better opinion of the ocean. Hopefully we will be able to see some of the ancient ruins and go snorkeling. Other than that, it will just be nice to get away from Provo for a week. All I have to do is sit on the beach for a week and read a book. AMAZING! So today my life has consisted of laundry, dishes, dusting, vacuuming ... the list goes on and on. I just hate all the preparation that leads up to a vacation. I probably go a little overboard, but there is nothing worse than coming home from vacation into a messy house that needs to be cleaned but you also have all the dirty laundry from the vacation and you have to go back to work the next day. Call me OCD but it won't change me. We will take tons of pictures while we are down there and I get them posted as soon as possible when we get back. Au revoir!

Here goes nothing ...

So I thought I would give this whole blogging thing a shot. It is a learn as you go process for me, but I think this will be a good way to keep people updated once I get things figured out. Dave and I are still living in Provo. I finished my schooling in April of last year and Dave still has a couple years left before he is done. I am working at a local medical clinic doing billing work and Dave works for a local technology company maintaining relationships with some of their clients. It is a great job and he is doing very well with it. I am very proud of him. I am sooo excited that Spring is finally here ... at least most days it is here. But the flowers and trees are starting to bloom. I just love sunshine. Living in Utah has definitely made me more grateful for spring. It is just so neat to see everything come alive again. The changes are certainly not as drastic in Cali or Arizona so I never realized what a wonderful time of year this is. Well that is all for now. I hope all is well with you and yours.