Why is Utah so fun to visit?

I have always disliked the idea of living in Utah but man i like to visit, and then i love to leave! We packed up and headed up the my aunts 80Th and all the pomp and circumstance that it entailed. It was funny how at the end of the party I talked to some cousins that I barely knew and had a blast talking to them! I wish we could have talked more :)

The above picture is the Provo pool... quite possibly one of the funnest places in the world. We have made memories in those two tubes of wonder. In these tubes i first discovered that my family laughs alike. I have never laughed as hard with whoever i was breaking the rules with! we had to go out of our way to make it to this mecca!!!

This time, we were going down and we were told the right side was "slower" side and the left being the "faster" we decided that the fast side would be ok to go down... In my head i thought it cant be that much faster... Umm, yeah it can be... i was shot out like a bat outta hell to only be tossed ass over tea kettle. I ended up on my belly laying down with water flying up into my face (not my favorite thing) so i decided to flip over and sit up... I had no idea where i was and when i sat up i hit my head so hard i almost knocked myself out. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Until we meet again Provo pool!

after the reunion we went up and stayed with my Aunt Genie and Uncle George in their gorgeous home in vernal Utah. This is the canyon that they live in. Pictures don't do it justice.

We went hiking up to the petroglyphs in their backyard.

Manny had the camera.

I have always hated hiking. Mainly because someone at the front feels a need to be a mountain goat and jump up the mountain. I have always been a tid bit competitive and i always lose in the hiking game. I don't like how hot it usually is and then you add the sun beating down on my skin and i get really cranky!

We got out there while the shade was still on that side of the canyon and Manny stayed with me and my mom... we enjoyed being out there and taking in how beautiful the place was! i decided that i didn't mind hiking anymore! Just don't think i will hike Kilimanjaro anytime soon!

this is a picture of the canyon facing toward my aunts house.

and these are just some of the petroglyphs. It really is amazing to be able to see these drawings and to know that they were from 1 a.d to 600 a.d.

my honey do list for manny

When we first moved in all i could focus on was how much i hated the kitchen.
The ugly linoleum that rolled up 4 inches of the wall. Can you say ugly.
I hated the blue that went on the cream cabinets.
I hated that the color of the walls was on the ceiling and doors.
I hated that all you could see was BLUE.
I hated the kitchen.

1. honey get me a new refrigerator.
2. Honey give me new floors.
(Obviously i helped with the peel and stick linoleum squares.)

Honey. paint the walls and give me pretty baseboards.

Honey paint the cabinets and make them pretty.

Honey put in a new faucet.

honey paint the can for the light above the sink.

Honey put on all new hinges.

honey lets rest!

(p.s. i did actually do a lot of the work for this kitchen!)

My Sweet Grammy

This past Tuesday my beautiful Grammy passed away peacefully at the age of 90.

I am humbled to by the overwhelming sense of love and peace knowing that she is on the other side with her family, probably giggling with her sisters and being loved on by her parents, grandparents aunts and uncles. The night of her passing i was awake crying with my sense of loss, the feeling of peace that the temple is true and that families are forever. I could picture her family embracing her with joy. My tears dried up (though i still tear up at the thought of not being in her presence here on earth) and i felt a peace that i didn't think i would find. I couldn't help but sit down and think about her long life and what she had seen in her lifetime.

She was born in 1920 in a small town in Utah... Can you imagine the amazing changes that has happened in the world at that time.

She was born the year that Prohibition was put into effect in America.
She saw the depression.
She felt the hope of Roosevelt and the change that he helped to bring about in the country.
She saw wars. World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, the cold war, Iraq in the 90's and then again in 2001.
She saw first hand what being a war wife meant.
She was around for Pearl Harbor.
She listened to the radio for entertainment, then moved on to black and white TV, color t.v. and now flat screen t.v.
She was around for assassination of Kennedy and attempted assassinations of Ford and Reagan.
She saw the space race and watched the first man standing on the moon.
She was around for segragation and saw it come to an end.
She was around for the advancement in Computer technology.
She was around for how travel around the world got easier by flight.
She saw the Twin Towers fall on that September day.

I know that this list is short, and that i am sure that i missed very important things. Can you imagine living through these things that we just read about in history books?!!!

The Things that I am going to miss is going over and sitting on the chair holding her soooo very soft hands admiring her wedding ring and listening to her stories. I loved walking in and going over to give her loves. I loved crawling into bed with her when she was taking a nap and giggling with her in bed. I loved the laughs. I loved saturdays when i would go over and mess up her freshly helmeted head. I loved watching her interact with her sisters and brother. I loved that I found out that she was the center of the party. I laugh when she tried to boss me around in the kitchen. I will cherish the memory of making a lemon merangue pie and accidently leaving out the lemon in one of the pies and then making lemade out of the extra lemon juice! I will cherish living with her when i first moved to San Diego, really getting to know her and realizing she is a kindred spirit. I will always cherish the relationship that my grandparents had. I will never forget when she came in and did the sexy dance for me, probably to the shock of both of us! I giggle when my grammy told me after years of me being single that she had given up praying for me to find someone! I will never forget when i called her to remind her it was my birthday that she said "oh Shit" because she had forgotten. I will never forget how she hated where my wedding was going to be and going over the day after it to have her tell me that it was the most beautiful wedding she had ever been to. I will always hear her say in her scratchy voice "oh it was so lovely, just wonderful!" Its funny i had it in balboa park because it was right next to the natural history museum where she had for years been a volunteer.

I will always be thankful for feeling so loved by her.

I will miss her but i will always be thankful for the blessing of having her as my grammy!

Until we meet again.

dumb girl

'was i wrong about everything?' UHHHHH YEAH.

hey dumb bachlorette, You've got the worst taste in men EVER...

I have to admit i dont watch this show ever... Normally its painful to watch DUMB girls being surrounded by abnormally hot men and pretend that love is in the air...

I think i got hooked this year because she is so dumb in the men department that its a trainwreck that i cant take my eyes off.

The most PAINFUL thing that she has said to a roomful of men/boys is 'I know that the man i am going to marry is in this room' Cue to the men mentally running from this girl...

Sorry i just had to say UGGH. Tonight was the last i can stand to watch you.

recipe

So this is for thicker fillets of fish...
Pan sear with a little olive oil, fresh rosemary and garlic.
salt and pepper the fish
Pre heat the oven to 425

Put the fish in a nonstick ovensafe skillet on the stove top and on the top of the fillet sprinkle a small amount of sugar. cook for a minute flip over and have the sugar side if fillet down for 2 min. then put the pan in the oven for 7-10 min.

fish is supposed to get to to 130-135 degrees.

pull out and be amazed at how good it is :)

i married a fisherman.

When people found out i was dating/married to a fisherman, their first question to me is a very snarky question of "so you must LOVE fish."

The answer is a heartfelt NO I actually don't really enjoy fish. There are a couple of reasons why i don't like it. The bones, I can guarantee that i will be the ONLY one to get one. They cause me to gag.

I think my aversion to fish started because of my grandma feeding me some awful freezer burned nasty salmon that was caught before i was born. (you think i am kidding... I am not!) that was over done or not done enough. She also would bring up canned salmon that even thinking of it gives me the shivers.

The other reason is growing up in the house with Joel caused me to always be around trout... There was always some (again) freezer burned fish in the freezer... I just thought it was gross. So i made up my mind that I didn't like fish.

Then I married a freakin' fisherman.

I can have all the fresh fish i could handle.

He knows how if feels and he didn't push me. He brought home Ling Cod, and my sister cooked some up and shared the recipe with me telling me that it was the worlds best fish.

Well if Nesha likes it, by golly i will put on my big girl panties and cook some up for my husband.

So here is my attempt.

Can I just tell you that It is the best fish in the world... NOT FISHY AT ALL!!!

It was so good that had to have a second spear of it and then to top it off i had to steal some off of Manny's plate.

She likes it, She REALLY likes it!

The whole meal of cod, wild rice and artichokes... YUMMY!

Back at it. repeat.

Today I went to the Gym... No i will not post pictures, its embarrassing.
While there i couldn't help but think two things.
1. Hey creepy old guy with a ponytail, stop checking me out. i think its gross.
and then leave me to my workout without coming over to tell me "your doing good" with a nice little caress on my shoulder. I don't like you or your comments...
if you knew what it takes for a fat girl to go work out, just leave her in peace... She doesn't want or need attention.

2. Hey rude man that came and CLEARLY saw that i was using a machine don't come up and act like i don't have a right to use it and start working out on it BEFORE I am done... There is something called working in.
I did call you an asshole under my breath but you deserved it for thinking you had more rights to the place than i did. I was there first. Next time I will say NO.

There is a reason they call it GRAND!

Its been on my "bucket" list for a long time.

I was able to talk my sidekick into going for my birthday!

It was a great present!!!

It was simply breathtaking! My mom, the ultimate tourist!!!

So here is a short story... Driving the to the Grand Canyon took about 9 hours.

I had no idea what to expect when we got to the park but we couldnt see it through the juniper trees... So I said in my nervousness, I hope this isn't a WHAHH WHAH WHAH moment.

it wasnt!!!

One of the things i had to do was see the canyon at sunrise.

YES i did say SUNRISE!!!

it was worth it.

cant believe i said it?

I DID.

i had to get a picture of mannys grand canyon at the Grand Canyon.

he makes me laugh.

The Night we got into williams i saw snow.

I told them i think there is snow on the ground.

Both Manny and my Mom said "thats not snow, its the sand and the way the light is hitting it."

I literally was rubbing my tired eyes and blinking thinking that i was losing it.

I wasnt... it was a very cold trip!!!

My Dad would probably hate that i posted this picture but having someone in a wheelchair is worth its weight in gold at a state park.

front of the line passes on all the busses.

i am sure everyone else hated us but it was nice to be boarded first!

Dad got scared at the canyon, he didnt like how far down it was!!!

Manny was a champ to go on a trip with my parents and to help out as much as he did.

He teaches me about service on a regular basis.

Honey i'm amazed by you!

Ta-Dah here is the finished headboard.

He is amazing!!!

HONEY DO LIST

So I have a love of searching the internet for furniture.

I spend too much time perusing sites for stuff i dont need just want.

Waste of time i know!

So i found this really cool bed on Overstock but of course they dont have it in a king.

Why not?!!!

Because that would make my husbands life a whole heck of a lot easier!!! So i inform him that i think he can build us this bed frame and that it will be easy for him to do when he comes home. He doesnt sit still very well. He went and got the wood and started measuring and cutting. Isnt that a look of how much he loves me in this moment of lots of work?!!!

I dont think he knew what he was getting into when he married me...

Now i have someone else to pull into my crazy projects...

He was doing a great job and so i had to come out and make it a little harder. I "helped" him with the laying out and measuring of the rectangles... Did you know that three forths of an inch and three quarters of inch is the same thing? Well we got frustrated with each other when we were saying it too the other and the other was just not understanding!

He finished it and painted it black like i wanted... now i want it white. Do you think i will get my way? I will post pictures when its in the house!

Honeymoons over!!!

This week i went up and stayed with manny on the boat in oxnard... i enjoy these visits because i get to watch him work and i read or go out and run errands. I love the peace of sitting in a beautiful place and soaking in the sites, sounds, and smells!
So let me tell you how i know that the honeymoon is over!

This time it was raining and very cold. So manny and i turned on the little heater in the stateroom to get it nice and toasty.

too toasty at times. its a love hate relationship, you want and love the heat but then you are roasting its so hot but then too cold when its off. so it was a constant wake up turn it on shivering, wake up to turn it off panting its so hot...

then there is the size of the bed...

i have a story.

a long time ago i lived with my grandparents and my family was coming to visit. My grandparents were getting the beds ready for them when my grandma and grandpa were "whispering" to each other about a twin pullout bed. My grandpa insist its ok for the 2 boys to
sleep in to which i hear my grandmothers oh so wise words "That bed wouldnt even make newlweds happy to sleep in!"

Truer words have never been spoken.

So now this comes up with with this trip.

The bunks are smaller than a twin. Try we did. But after hours of "sleeping" with our arms falling asleep, faces hitting the ribs of the boat... being too hot from the heater... we tapped out!

ps... the tuck and roll its the smartest move in the world!

meet the newest family member

Now Introducing Sir Reginald king of the checks. just look at that little checkerboard face... i wasnt going to get a cat, then i saw his cute little face and knew he was MINE!!! i look forward to our many years together... i just hope he can get used to the kisses and loves and snuggles.

family days

Its not a secret that i love my family... but this picture is classic. My dad obviously needs a cane, he has no balance. Jonathan tried to dodge some little kids when he was getting off of the ski lift and ended up injuring his knee. They looked so similar it cracks me up.

Jonny came in with this cane of bamboo that was too tall. I asked Manny to help Jonny cut it down, he tried but because it was bamboo it would split... So he went out and made one for him out of wood. Days like these are glorious to me!

Christmas tree time

Here is the Christmas tree Kimmie...when we first put up the tree i hated how skinny it was but as the season went on i loved it. it was the perfect size for our apartment! I asked Manny if we could keep it up all year round and just put seasonal decorations on it. He agreed, but i thought it wouldnt be as magical when it was christmas :) So down went the tree and an i am eager for another christmas so i can put up more of my new ornaments!

Beautiful LAKE TAHOE!!! oh how the beautiful the trees were. They sucked the air out of me... The color was such an intense vibrant color. I miss seeing fall! I loved how the colors was all over the mountains. I was home and it felt good!

I loved the rocky beaches and was thankful that i just kept my shoes on!

So Pretty!

We met up with one of my favorite people in the world... We went to emerald bay and threw rocks into the waterfall with AK!

This is one of the reasons i love manny!!! AK was out of rocks and so manny went on a hunt... both hands and his sweatshirt pocket!

I love how Beautiful and colorful that this area is! It was calm and relaxing after the wedding... a girl cant ask for more!