Kyle Canyon

Derek and I decided to get away from the heat and the city for a bit. We decided to go hiking...my mom has a billion trail guides and we decided on the Cathedral Rock trail. It was a pretty easy hike on the way up, but since my doctor had told me no undue stress on my knee the coming down was painful :( I should've known better...duh! Lesson learned...it was nice to be with my lovey :)

This cool tree had roots around the huge rock it was sitting on.

Classic Derek picture...(he takes one secretly whenever he gets the chance :)

Matty's Baptism

While Matty turned eight in March, we waited to have his baptism in June so more family could be in attendance. He was the only one from our stake being baptised so we could plan out what we wanted...which was nice. My mom lead the music (which Matty picked), my dad and Zack said the prayers, and I gave the talk. Short, sweet, and simple.
Since he had mentioned several times that he didn't want to get baptized (even on the morning of the day) we weren't sure it was going to happen. I wrestle with the implications of that choice, because it is a choice...his choice. If our Savior's plan provides us choice, and while I know I'm his mother and I can expertly coerce, force, guilt, or whatever other synonym you want to insert, I really felt baptism had to be Matty's choice. He did decide to be baptized, but even after he wasn't so sure. I guess now we wait and see...


Matty and Bishop Timothy

Matty, Zack, and Kaia

Parents outraged over health class lesson - My News 3#commentform#commentform#commentform

http://www.mynews3.com
Parents outraged over health class lesson

Go to the site...watch the clip...what do you think?

Seattle

It's been over a month since Derek and I went to Seattle...now is the best time to post it right? Anyway...we had been wanting to get away (just he and I) for a while since he got back to the states in August. December happened to be the time when it all fell in to place. He and I had both been to Seattle before...but not together. We booked last minute on Expedia and got a great deal. Here are the highlights!
THE SPACE NEEDLE AND THE ART IN FRONT OF IT





THE DUCK TOUR- the duck tour is this cool truck/boat dating back to World War II time. It travels on land and water...so cool! The driver took us around to see the sights of downtown Seattle and then into the water. We saw the cool house boats (even the one the Bachelor lived in) the tall crocked statue is the art peice in front of the SAM (seattle art museum). We also had to get duck callers because we would blow them at people on the street and freak them out :)






Our tour guide took us to the "hippie" section of seattle and ponited out how funny it is that the main street in hippie section is Stone Way :)

This is the famous elephant car wash. I was very excited to drive by it cause Dave once posted a picture of this historic site!

THE UNDERGROUND TOUR- Seattle was once 15-25 feet lower than it sits today. It dates back to the lack of a sewer system ans a downtown fire. Anyway...this was a fun little tour that took us literally underneath downtown Seattle. The panel of bright lights is a picture of us looking up onto the now sidewalks of Seattle. They used to provide light for the passers-by that were forced to walk around under the city until each storefront build a new sidewalk up above. The blurry picture of the guy in brown pants in us above ground standing on the same panel we saw from underneath. The toilet pictures are to commemorate Thomas Crapper and his fabulous invention of the sanitary wash closet (toilet).






PIKE PLACE MARKET- this is a huge (and that word does not do it justice) open air market where vendors from all over come to sell their wares. One of the most famous sites there is the fish shop. They usually have guys throwing fish around but we did not see any of that. We took a couple pictures of the giant oysters and the nasty monkfish! EWWWWWW




FERRY RIDE TO BAINBRIDGE ISLAND- the ferry ride was super laid back...in fact Derek and I fell asleep on the ferry as we traveled. There was really nothing to do on the island so we went to a a little cafe, got some hot chocolate and came back :)

CAR WINDOW SHOPPING- Derek is obssessed with muscle cars! The northwest seems to be the place to purchase one of these deathtraps...I mean beauties. We met up with a friend of his he served in Afghanistan with and he let Derek drive his '64 Corvette to the restaurant we were going to eat at. Derek was very excited and now more than ever wants to get one of his own! (Lord!)


We had so much fun and it was a nice couples get away! We have a bunch of friends that live up their too so it was nice to be able to visit all of them as well. If you've never been I highly recommend it! Oh and we happened to pick the week when it didn't rain AT ALL! Woo Hoo!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving everybody headed up to Fairfield, ID (you may not find it on a map :)Not only was it Thanksgiving but my nephew was being baptized that weekend. We could do it that weekend because no one in the town had been baptized in 34 years so they let my sister plan it however she wanted. She also had a friend in town that liked to take pictures so we did a whole family shoot on Friday. It was so cold! we would take a bunch of pictures...put our jackets on for a minute... then take some more.They turned out cute and although you can't see (I am such a city slicker!!!) I chose to wear flats and my feet were so wet and cold from the snow when we were done!Hahaha

Me and my sisters

Derek and I

I don't know what Matty was doing with his shoulders, but I look cute :)

cousins at the clubhouse

The sisters and the parents

Kimmy and her husband Greg

Jess with her family

The whole bunch