I know, I know, it has been much too long since I have posted last. Unfortunately there haven't been very many blog worthy events taking place lately, so I am sorry!

I should probably start with an update on Brady. As I am fattening up for the winter, he in his shorts and flip-flops enjoying the Arizona heat, and soaking in the sun. Well, it isn't exactly that warm, but he is still in shorts. He is loving his classes, and is learning a lot. He will be home in almost 2 weeks, and I am looking forward to spending the holidays with him.

A few weeks ago I was able to fly down for a last minute trip and visit him. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera, so I wasn't able to document all of the fun things that we did. However, I was able to swipe some from friends that were there, so here we go:

This is Tombstone. It is a ghost town that they have transformed into a tourist location. They do reenactments daily and of course have souvenir stores galore. That evening when we were back at the hotel, we watched Tombstone the movie. It is one worth renting.

These are from Patagonia Lake. Brady was really sad that he didn't have his fishing pole. We got there too late in the day to rent a boat or play in the water for very long, but we had a good time BBQ-ing and listening to Jonny play the guitar.

The best part about my trip, (aside from seeing Brady) was Daisy Mae's. It has to serve the best steak in the country. Thinking about it makes my mouth water. If you are ever in the area, DO NOT miss out on going here. You wont be disappointed!

Home at Last

There are many things that we missed about Utah while we were away. Some of the top items are....


Cafe Rio


We were very accustom to Cafe Rio about once a week before we moved to Cali. After just a few days in Monterey, we began to have major withdraws. Unfortunately there is just no other place quite like it. So you can understand our excitement to have a Cafe Rio down the street again. (This was the first place we ate when we made it back to SLC)



The dry air

I know that is a strange thing to miss. Especially because Monterey is not especially humid. However, being next to the ocean brings just enough of moisture in the air to keep your hair frizzy, your clothes and towels moist, and assist in mold and mildew growth.



Seasons


I love the fall time, and I love that it feels like fall here. Monterey is consistently between 55-65, all year long. Christmas time was exceptionally rough for me to adjust to. I grew up with all 4 seasons, and I am conditioned to expect a change every few months. So that is really nice to have again. Although, I'm not sure if I am quite prepared for the extreme change in weather quite yet.

The Great Outdoors... Utah style

We are glad to be back in our element. Nothing feels more like home to us than a day hiking in the Wasatch Mountains, shooting ducks at the duck club, or scouting for animals on the hills at 10,000 feet. (the hunting is more familiar for Brady than it is for me)

Last Hoorah

The last weekend that we lived in Monterey, we were able to go kayaking for the day with some friends and Brady's parents. We had a lot of fun, and were able to find lots of sea animals. The boys attempted snorkeling, while the girls just lounged on the beach. After we went to the very best sandwich joint in the whole world, Compagno's. (on Prescott and Taylor in PG for those of you who have not experienced it's greatness)

We are so sad to have left such a fun place. We made a lot of great friends, and have a lot of fun memories.

My in-laws

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Brady and Michelle

The Girls

Dan getting ready to snorkle

Joel kicking back while Dacia does all the work :)

A crab

Brady deciding if he really wants to put his face in the water.

Yet again, a very late post

My birthday was a few weeks ago, and I am so greatful to all of the people that made it so special for me. The day was filled with a lot of friends, treats and presents. What else can a girl ask for?

My sweet Mother-in law sent these to me. I apologize for the poor photo quality. They were much prettier than this picture is giving them credit for.

BBQ with some of our friends

We've been skunked... literally

I was hoping that we would be lucky enough to leave here without having any problems with skunks. Unfortunately, Brady and I both have horrible luck.

The other night we came home fairly late from running errands. As we pulled into the driveway we could smell a skunk. I was certain that it wasn't near our yard since we have an electric wire that usually keeps all the critters out, and my lunatic dogs in. As I started to climb out of the car I saw the little culprit headed straight for me. I jumped back in the car and in doing so, scared the skunk. He of course sprayed my car and ran off.

When we walked inside and looked out the back door, our poor dogs were blinking, spitting, coughing, and smelling awful. After 5 baths, we decided it was too late to keep trying to get them to smell nice so we went to bed. It has now been nearly a week, and the car and the dogs still have a faint hint of skunk stench. If you have any suggestions, I would definitely appreciate them!

Look how sad they are!

Santa Cruz

Although we are a thousand miles from home, we have been so lucky to have visitors come often. I think it keeps us from getting homesick, and it is always so fun to see friends and family. Last weekend our friends, Ryan and Amy, were able to come down and spend some time here. The weather is usually nicer in Santa Cruz, so we packed our stuff and headed north Saturday. We spent the morning in "Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park', with our own personal guide. The Redwoods are a must see if you ever come to this area (be sure you ask for Edgar as your tour guide!). After our tour, we headed to the beach for a picnic and to play in the water.

All the boys jumping in. Dan is deciding if he really wants to get in....

Amy, Ryan, Brady and Me...

A new obsession

Actually, I guess this is just a temporary fix for an old obsession. If you know Brady well, you know that he plans his life around hunting season. It is no coincidence that we got married in June, right in the middle of absolutely zero hunting seasons. The last two years have been a little rough for Brady because he has missed hunting almost completely. Luckily, he has managed to forge through this drought with a little help from the Wii. If your not familiar, there is a game called "Cabelas Big Game Hunting" and it is the closest that we have gotten to the deer hunt, the elk hunt, or any other crazy hunt that we usually go on. I know that it is a little strange to have a nearly 30 year old man playing video games, but it is quite possibly the one thing that has brought him sanity, so you wont hear me complain!

Look how happy he is, and he is only watching someone. Imagine when he actually plays!

A day in the sun...

Last Saturday the weather was finally nice and we were actually able to enjoy it. We started the day off with some yard work, which I think I will miss when we live here. It has been quite a challenge to get our yard to turn green, and I have found that I actually enjoy working in the dirt.

Then we went to the park and had a barbecue, played some Bocce ball, and just enjoyed the afternoon with some of our friends. ( I forgot to take the camera) Afterwards we went to the beach and scavenged for shells, and played in the sunshine.

We feel so blessed to have had the chance to live in such a pretty place, and meet such great friends. We are going to be sad to leave here and start a new adventure!

Sorry that you can't see our faces, I am in between photo shop programs right now... sorry!

Us

Brady's Birthday... a month ago

So I have no idea how to blog, so please be patient while I figure this all out.

For Brady's birthday we decided to go kayaking in the bay and watch the fireworks from the water. It was quite an experience! We definitely had the best seats for the show! Luckily it wasn't very cold, and we didn't get too wet or sea sick. Happy Birthday Brady.... last month!