The moral of the story is. . .

When Mark and I told my sister we were going to a hockey game she said, "oh how fun. We haven't done that since we were married." We hadn't either :).

With perfect seats on the last row of the stadium we enjoyed shot attempt after shot attempt as we overlooked the goal. The American's team missed 45 of the goals they attempted. The "orange team" (you would think I would know who they were after watching them for 3 hours) missed 23 of the goals they attempted. That is why I love the next picture. The Americans won 7 to 3. They had double the shot attempts and more than double the score. The moral of the story is the more shots you take in life, the better your chances of winning.

I realized something about myself during the game too. Hockey is actually a sport where I watch the game more than I do the crowd. Don't get me wrong I still watch the crowd too. For example: I knew the lady in front of us was holding a girl that wasn't her child. She looked like she was trying too hard. Later when the real mom came and got her child my impressions were confirmed. I also watched one man write a check to his brother-in-law for $100. I think his brother-in-law must have bought his family the tickets, but I'm not sure why they included an extra $20. They must have had 3 cars too. The wife and the baby left after about 40 minutes then the dad and another child left 15 minutes before it was over, then the brother-in-law and his 2 girls left at the end. (I know you really don't care, but I love figuring out peoples stories in a short amount of time :)). That's not all I learned about my neighbors, but even with all that I really did watch the game!
The next night we even enjoyed free hamburgers from Burger Ranch because our team had made over 5 goals. We felt slightly underdressed redeeming our coupons and slightly in the wrong age bracket. Most of the people in the restaurant were still wearing their Am's jerserys and were over the age of 65. I felt more lacking in team spirit at the restaurant than I did at the game! :)

I think we'll start a zoo

I mean, how hard can it be? After a day of researching, photographing, and many hours of serious reflection, Mark and I have decided we are going to build a zoo.

Step 1: Put up disclaimer signs. (In case you can't read the sign, it says "Animals are only intermittenly visible in this enclosure today. This may be due to cold weather, special feedings or other reasons such as the introduction of new animals. Thank you for understanding that excellent animal care means not all animals can be visible at all times.)

Step 2: Set out fresh food in obvious spots many times daily

Step 3: Hire your "zookeepers" to stand at various exhibits throughout the zoo occasionally pointing to the "sleeping" animals in the trees.

Step 4: (Plastic or stuffed animals work great as fill in animals in a zoo and cost a lot less. Just make sure to reposition the animal in different positions or locations throughout the day in case people return to the exhibit.)

Step 5: Last but not least, make sure you purchase a couple of real animals so that the visitors leave happy and want to return soon. Actually you might even inspire them to become zookeepers when they grow up or as a grown up you might inspire them to build their own zoo!

P.S. Yes I realize this is an old event, but Mark and I have been having so much fun enjoying each others company that we haven't been recording it. Hopefully we will post several "catching up" blogs to get back to the present.

Take me out to the ball game!

"Go Mariners!!" "Go Yankees!"
(he said) (she said)

I love going to baseball games. The food, the excitment, the people watching! I love to watch the guys coming up and down the stands balancing the food, throwing it to people and sometimes coming close to dropping or hitting someone in the head with the food. I love eating peanuts and smashing the shells on the floor. Can you smell the garlic fries and imagine the taste of a baseball game hot dog? I love watching the replays on the big screen too because I am usually too busy watching something or someone else to actually watch what is happening on the field.

(In case you can't read it, in the background it says "Mariners Win!!! One good thing about cheering for opposing teams, one of us will always leave happy :)!)

We actually both left happy. We had a lot of fun! Can't wait until next year. Let's go again Mark. Umm, maybe to NY to see the Yankees play on their home field :).

We had a bit of time to spare before the game began so we went to the sports store where we took pictures all decked out in support of our opposing teams. I think people thought we were a little suspicious with all the laughing and cameras flashing coming from the dressing room, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Best Birthday Ever

I do not like birthdays.  Plain and simple.  I like other people's birthdays, but not my own.  I think this stems from being born on Thanksgiving and always feeling like we were celebrating my birthday on the way to our Thanksgiving celebration or on the way home from it.  If my birthday was on or after Thanksgiving no one wanted cake.  Everyone was always so tired of eating that they just politely took "a small piece".  I don't think it helped that one year we had to go gophering on my birthday.  Mom tired to make me feel better by saying we were just "giving the gophers some birthday cake", but the magic of a birthday was lost. 

Don't get me wrong, mom always did her best to make my birthdays special with my favorite meal and then in later years a homemade Red Robin style mudpie (that would take mom over 7 hours to make!).  I just don't really like receiving gifts and being the center of attention that a birthday brings.  Okay, so I like being the center of attention sometimes, but I don't like "having" to be the center of attention on a birthday. 

So knowing all of that, Mark had his work cut out for him.  He was determined to make it more than just any other day, and I was sure it would be just like any other birthday.  I was wrong.  From the moment I woke up until my head hit the pillow I was loved and pampered and throughly enjoyed the day. 

It started with the sweet aroma of biscuts and gravy filing the house.  I love biscuits and gravy!  It is my favorite breakfast food (actually one of the very few breakfast foods I even like).  The kitchen was decorated with balloons, signs and even window stickers.  More importantly, I got to spend the whole day with Mark!  He made the day special.  I felt like the birthday royality.

We went to Tri-Cities and out to dinner to the Bonefish Grill.  Later that night Mark said he needed to stop by mom and dad's place to pick something up he had left there or something he needed for work.  Needless to say, it was just a ploy to get me to my parents house where Mom and Dad, Crystal, Chris, Ashley, and Cailyn, Justina, Landon, Kendra, Braden and Malek were all waiting to have icecream birthday cake. 

I couldn't have asked for a better day.  Thank you Mark for making it all come together with my favorite things and more importantly, my favorite people.  I guess I do kind of like birthdays.  I actually woke up the next day a little sad that it wasn't my birthday anymore, so needless to say I'm already looking forward to my birthday next year! 

Conference Weekend

Dear Jenae,

Thank you for the fabulous weekend!  We loved it!  We loved spending time with you and cannot wait to come back and do it again!

 

 

Girls Camp, Mark?

Okay, so I will admit it.  I snuck my cell phone to girls camp.  I'm a newlywed and this is my first night away from my husband.  I actually had to spend 3 days and 2 nights away from him!  That's a long time.  On the last night I actually snuck him up to girls camp :). 

It was so good to see him.  I missed him.  Thanks for being our priesthood for our last night at camp Mark!  We got to break in our new sleeping bags and tent.  What does the fine print say?  Oh yeah, I pack for camping trips and you unpack and put things away.  Thank goodness for the fine print!