tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14986001197186364612024-03-12T22:07:11.985-07:00Harolds Pagehomerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-13613836662945039462016-01-09T21:26:00.000-08:002016-01-09T21:26:36.916-08:00Steaming in the New Year<div style="text-align: left;">
For my birthday this year Ruth surprised me with a getaway to Midway to stay at the Homestead Resort in Midway. On the way to the resort we made a stop at the Tanger Outlets in Park City for a little shopping. Ruth was able to find a few good deals on clothes and I found a great deal on some spices and seasonings. After we'd had our fill of shopping, which didn't take that long, we made the last leg of the drive and got checked into our room. Little did we know that we were going to the most secure room in the entire resort. The key-card to our room appeared to be working, but we couldn't get through the door. After several minutes of unsuccessful attempts to get into the room we had to return to the front desk to ask for help. They dispatched a maintenance man to our room to look into the problem. It was a little embarrassing how quickly he was able to get us into the room, but he told us that the cold weather causes the locks to stick a bit. Even though he showed us the trick to get it open, it gave us trouble throughout our stay.Just after we got settled into our room we headed to the on-site restaurant called Simon's. Here is a sample of what we enjoyed for dinner:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxQfL9V-aTQUOZB_4-fIYxQq8cKbZci-LDXS7jejvTjWbxXMMWThsls4gu6Mq9pqdEfND0Sj8hhPs5QCCmR-XnLj0X56SnGncMVfazEs3NKNFqe7kuV3Rlem3AecFc-In5aO95eHe8WBM/s1600/20160101_175325.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxQfL9V-aTQUOZB_4-fIYxQq8cKbZci-LDXS7jejvTjWbxXMMWThsls4gu6Mq9pqdEfND0Sj8hhPs5QCCmR-XnLj0X56SnGncMVfazEs3NKNFqe7kuV3Rlem3AecFc-In5aO95eHe8WBM/s320/20160101_175325.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Each table received a hot pot of bread</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc634H0sluoXEs3YdP0bmOE1B2JmW92yKApQ19Ut0HRFsL0WJI9bR9tfl_IIDsW_qxLYFYzxVb_9GcMnWbhpkGo2suMthk0oL_IFniy1CVztrz7kBjVugs9CSr8wdCFJmFLREfvBBSIEO/s1600/20160101_175753.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc634H0sluoXEs3YdP0bmOE1B2JmW92yKApQ19Ut0HRFsL0WJI9bR9tfl_IIDsW_qxLYFYzxVb_9GcMnWbhpkGo2suMthk0oL_IFniy1CVztrz7kBjVugs9CSr8wdCFJmFLREfvBBSIEO/s320/20160101_175753.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We shared an appetizer of fried cheese curds fresh from Heber Valley Artisan Cheese</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxM-K81YLntpUVwb4awzzhCanYXYCR-CHUb3ZNwMdlALFWZ2kRTFPLmU6QyPYX5NxrJqw-6EVR3yds60GBOn_3Sa1sbmwcx9agBUVVZTVUuXWAdyubeRffOyPvKa4kilbounKfMaBi4sE/s1600/20160101_180815.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxM-K81YLntpUVwb4awzzhCanYXYCR-CHUb3ZNwMdlALFWZ2kRTFPLmU6QyPYX5NxrJqw-6EVR3yds60GBOn_3Sa1sbmwcx9agBUVVZTVUuXWAdyubeRffOyPvKa4kilbounKfMaBi4sE/s320/20160101_180815.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Ruth ordered a chicken flatbread</div>
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I opted for something a little heartier and ordered the steak</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8wM91YdQjmwr_NBCGOpfVLvcrhLiDbhy45lFXRXDiaemuD7g17rZLfApb1lNjtUEO-lT5kuwRs8CuBcI96uucfur5ddLtgqxdKC9tL55U5x4UV-ceqxrSR6T1O3UplTHPaPlGnaU0NGj/s1600/20160101_180844.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8wM91YdQjmwr_NBCGOpfVLvcrhLiDbhy45lFXRXDiaemuD7g17rZLfApb1lNjtUEO-lT5kuwRs8CuBcI96uucfur5ddLtgqxdKC9tL55U5x4UV-ceqxrSR6T1O3UplTHPaPlGnaU0NGj/s320/20160101_180844.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The au-jus served with the steak really added to the flavor, and tasted great on the fries</div>
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To finish off the meal we were treated to some complimentary birthday ice cream. I was very grateful that this was not accompanied by a song from the staff.</div>
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After we finished with dinner we went back to the room for a quick pit-stop and to change into our swimsuits for the main event of the evening, a trip to the famous Homestead Crater. The crater is a hollowed out dome that has a geothermal spring running through it. The water temperature is always between 90-96 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is crystal clear. The temperature of the water was perfect for me because it wasn't as hot as a hot tub, which made it comfortable to stay in the water for a full hour. Everyone that goes into the water is required to wear a life jacket, which I was a little bit annoyed with at first, but it turned out to be a good thing for a couple of reasons. Because the crater is fed by a spring there is a current to the water, and it was very relaxing to just lay back and float around. The other reason is that the crater does go down about 65 feet. It is deep enough that there was a group working on their scuba certification while we were there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3fO0xmlAuy4jlweeiovFHjgJRi3-OsT5HhYcqFXpvuFtPfJ992s6l4j53Rb5jPGd9Kja33eGZptdHbMbRHEqAW25MkpYqvEnFyclIKajOachok2fAGfmkl8pMc4xYvIft34pXU5GDEsb/s1600/20160102_122605.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3fO0xmlAuy4jlweeiovFHjgJRi3-OsT5HhYcqFXpvuFtPfJ992s6l4j53Rb5jPGd9Kja33eGZptdHbMbRHEqAW25MkpYqvEnFyclIKajOachok2fAGfmkl8pMc4xYvIft34pXU5GDEsb/s320/20160102_122605.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The tunnel entrance to the crater</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiRcVjEt8dj3kG2-u1i5h_pxiV6D9UJFsz62Dmw95oAFTtY9q9Ey9TRuvSplE4-W_Q10hzistEt1enZJ9D4L-diF_RUgF0Th0CWTylQrXm_291lL7O6dJ7MFkQwyba4oqFf_OVJQVYK_t/s1600/20160102_120031.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiRcVjEt8dj3kG2-u1i5h_pxiV6D9UJFsz62Dmw95oAFTtY9q9Ey9TRuvSplE4-W_Q10hzistEt1enZJ9D4L-diF_RUgF0Th0CWTylQrXm_291lL7O6dJ7MFkQwyba4oqFf_OVJQVYK_t/s320/20160102_120031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This display gives an idea of what it's like inside the crater</div>
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The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast buffet at the other on site restaurant, Fanny's. After another great meal we spent some time wondering around the grounds to take in the scenery It was cold enough that we couldn't spend a lot of time outside, but here are a few pictures that show some highlights of what we saw:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RmrsvOSJ0DCiw_KJgMp_bEsp4xCxv2L7i6UEOyYrK0xV7cWHeXxwHuuNzDNbXfvyZX1Igtx__uy7JTDqnZgZTk6vU37tU7e6vW8aRswcw-RMmRPk_mbeDuZlIBmY3V8Jjc-RJSsUntFS/s1600/20160102_115757.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RmrsvOSJ0DCiw_KJgMp_bEsp4xCxv2L7i6UEOyYrK0xV7cWHeXxwHuuNzDNbXfvyZX1Igtx__uy7JTDqnZgZTk6vU37tU7e6vW8aRswcw-RMmRPk_mbeDuZlIBmY3V8Jjc-RJSsUntFS/s320/20160102_115757.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8frE2IHozKpIA9YGJ3pwyeuGdKoMllvHETLDrWyVNFGblOAc6hbcN3a5mfDMFAzmg8BWuyS6yst2r9GOqsV-DhKcaIw8msjKLoC592O24_M-uZYBs4s2rUuLdrJl3CerxPjBsLNzdcfG/s1600/20160102_120205.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8frE2IHozKpIA9YGJ3pwyeuGdKoMllvHETLDrWyVNFGblOAc6hbcN3a5mfDMFAzmg8BWuyS6yst2r9GOqsV-DhKcaIw8msjKLoC592O24_M-uZYBs4s2rUuLdrJl3CerxPjBsLNzdcfG/s320/20160102_120205.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA7oWKIwuSS2Y4WkijEwqWul1RDhyphenhyphenwOKC6iASlFmcJ8myoGeWiM_zZN6ElRxnXGtCUr4HijSi2mPeiiFEnf2OQT8bM44fPWsvHzRjtp3QFpkQaRGqXdVlaRqQIGnaC4lQDvIDdbo3FDTI/s1600/20160102_122523.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA7oWKIwuSS2Y4WkijEwqWul1RDhyphenhyphenwOKC6iASlFmcJ8myoGeWiM_zZN6ElRxnXGtCUr4HijSi2mPeiiFEnf2OQT8bM44fPWsvHzRjtp3QFpkQaRGqXdVlaRqQIGnaC4lQDvIDdbo3FDTI/s320/20160102_122523.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The trip was definitely an unexpected surprise, and I really appreciate the effort Ruth made to make it happen. Thanks babe! </div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-41790117714475958912015-11-02T18:21:00.000-08:002015-11-02T18:21:50.353-08:00The Legend ReturnsAfter a 17 year hiatus, Salt Lake City had the privilege of hosting the country music icon Garth Brooks as part of his World Tour. While Garth was in town he performed 4 shows: one on Thursday night, two shows on Friday night, and a final show on Saturday night. I had always heard that he was one of the greatest entertainers because he brought such a high level of energy to his shows, but given his age and the number of shows he did in such a short window, I was blown away at the show he put on Saturday night.<br />
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Ruth and I felt very fortunate to get to attend the concert because we originally had no intentions of being able to go to it. I can remember hearing on the radio a few months back that Garth would be coming to Salt Lake, but I didn't hear anything else about it so I had forgotten all about it. Earlier in the week we found out that Farley and Tina had tickets to the show, and they were planning on staying at our house when they came up for it. As Ruth and I were getting ready for Farley and Tina to get here Ruth threw out the idea of going with them to the concert. I really didn't think there would be any tickets left, but we decided to take a look anyway. We found some tickets available on KSL Classifieds, but they were a little outside of the price range we wanted to pay. So we kind of abandoned the idea. Just before Farley and Tina made it to our house I decided to check one more time, and I wound up finding an incredible deal on Vivid Seats. With only about three hours left until showtime we purchased our tickets. While the decision to go was last minute, and a little spontaneous, it was definitely a great choice.<br />
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The opening act for the concert was a singer and songwriter named Karyn Rochelle. We found out later in the show that she is actually one of the back-up singers for Garth, but she did a really good job with her time in the spotlight. After Karyn finished her set there was a surprisingly long break before the rest of the show went on. Even though the wait was a bit of a drag, I could definitely feel the anticipation and excitement building. When Garth finally made it out on stage the arena erupted!<br />
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From the minute Garth stepped out on stage until the encore performances had ended the whole arena was energized. It was incredible to see how Garth and even the people in his band fed off of the energy from the crowd. Aside from how fun it was to be a part of that atmosphere it was also so much fun to hear and sing along with all of the classic hits that we know and love. There is just something about getting to sing along with the artist that made all of those songs so famous that really makes you feel connected to the artist. While our seating, the lighting, and the quality of the camera may not have been the best, I did manage to get a few pictures and videos during the concert. These pictures and clips are a bit random, but I was more focused on enjoying the show then trying to capture it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYQ0fPZA6h-AUfZluUVhnpjFjCg-rc7a63whY67OzddFTxFhlRFCSJ0IEmWoieXDOSZR9Ey71dgexQuvNuslSKAEO9zPpfuchufW0U3CZbhlNESxpW-6xpZa9tp2RlS1gKP0Ca4LnAfdO/s1600/20151031_185029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYQ0fPZA6h-AUfZluUVhnpjFjCg-rc7a63whY67OzddFTxFhlRFCSJ0IEmWoieXDOSZR9Ey71dgexQuvNuslSKAEO9zPpfuchufW0U3CZbhlNESxpW-6xpZa9tp2RlS1gKP0Ca4LnAfdO/s320/20151031_185029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Garth was immortalized in the rafters with a banner for the most tickets ever sold</div>
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Our seats were on the second row of the upper bowl. I think we got a better discount because they were side stage seats, but since Garth moved around so much I don't feel like we really missed out on anything.</div>
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Any show would be awesome getting to sit next to such a pretty girl!</div>
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Who needs a lighter when everyone can just use their phones?</div>
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Rodeo</div>
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I don't know why this video skips and changes directions, but the first part turned out pretty good</div>
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Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House</div>
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The River</div>
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The Thunder Rolls</div>
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Probably the best video I got was of Friends in Low Places, but the file was too big to be uploaded to to the site. As the concert did happen on Halloween there were several fans who wore their costumes. While it wasn't a big surprise to see fans in costume, it was a pretty big surprise when Trisha Yearwood came out on stage dressed as a witch. </div>
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I know that all entertainers do their best to make each city feel like their's is the greatest, but I think Garth may have had a little stronger connection to Salt Lake because of the impact it had on his career. Apparently the crowd at his show from 17 years ago helped the CEO of the record company understand how successful Garth would eventually become. I don't know if his shows here were impacted by that or not, but I know we received an awesome performance. Garth has definitely still got it, and we are lucky to have seen him perform. Thank you Farley and Tina for helping make this new memory possible!</div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-37774431058291666912015-10-28T21:24:00.003-07:002015-10-28T21:24:43.941-07:00Cruisin' the Caribbean Last month Ruth and I had the chance to have an adventure on the high seas. Neither of us had ever been outside of the United States before, but we changed that in a big way on a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean. Our journey started on Friday September 25th when we boarded a Southwest airplane headed for Las Vegas. When we got to Las Vegas we had to switch planes and had a short layover. After a short break in the action we were back in the air and on our way to Houston.<br />
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When we got to Houston we spent the night at the DoubleTree near the Houston Hobby Airport. Along with being greeted by a warm chocolate chip cookie, there was also a cool aquarium in the lobby. The aquarium had a few varieties of fish, hermit crabs, and some very strange creatures that looked like a hybrid of eels and centipedes. Ruth managed to get a good video of the two clown fish that seemed strangely attracted to one area of the aquarium:<br />
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Disclaimer: The wonderful image of me at the end of this video is the result of not knowing if your wife is taking a picture, or shooting a video. Exercise caution when Ruth has her phone out!</div>
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That night we had dinner at The Boardwalk restaurant in the hotel. All of the food that was ordered by our group was delicious, and was a great introduction to the week of great food we would experience on the cruise ship.</div>
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Unfortunately Jason was out of the frame on this picture, but we were kind of spread out.</div>
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After dinner Ruth and I had the chance to take a dip in the pool.</div>
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Even the pool had some Texas pride!</div>
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The next morning we had breakfast at The Landing restaurant, also inside the DoubleTree.</div>
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After a good breakfast we were ready to hit the road. We took a very short shuttle ride back to the airport to get on a Carnival transfer to Port Galveston.There were two Carnival ships in the port so when they loaded the bus to get to the cruise terminal one side of the bus was for people setting sail on the Carnival Freedom, and the other side was for people setting sail on the Carnival Triumph. The people who were overseeing the loading of the bus were very adamant about passengers being on the correct side of the bus so that when we arrived at the cruise terminal it would be easier to get everyone to the correct location. So after the entire bus is filled another Carnival representative boards the bus to make sure that people are seated on the correct side of the bus and she got the two sides reversed. She mixed up the direction that we were told versus the direction she was facing. It was an easy mistake to make, but the funny part of the whole thing was watching how animatedly people reacted to the mix-up. By the way some people reacted you would think they were going to miss their entire vacation because they were on the wrong side of the bus. After that tiny hiccup we made about an hour long bus ride to Galveston and got ready to board the ship. Forrest, Shirley, and Jason did the smart thing by purchasing the Faster To The Fun feature offered by Carnival. By the time we made it on to the ship they had eaten lunch, located their rooms, and were enjoying a Diet Coke. Even though it was a longer wait and a bit of a hassle without the Faster To The Fun feature I think the excitement of getting on board kept building as we had to wait in line. I think the people who designed to terminal may have taken some tips from the people at Disney or Universal Studios because everytime you thought you were about to reach the end, it was just the beginning of another portion of the line. We did eventually make it to the end of the line and headed up the gangplank to board the Carnival Freedom</div>
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Almost there</div>
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After months of planning, preparation, and anticipation we are on board at last!</div>
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When we finally boarded the ship, I think Ruth and I were both amazed at the size of the ship and all that it had to offer.There was a lobby with an atrium, a full service spa, a gym (what kind of weirdo goes to the gym on vacation?), a few pools, and hot tubs, buffets, specialty dining options, a basketball court, miniature golf, an open air movie theater, an arcade, and much more. Needless to say there was never a lack of things to do, or food to be eaten. At first I thought it would take a really long time to become familiar enough with the layout of the ship to be able to navigate through it well, but I think we both caught on pretty quickly. While the rest of my family may have taken advantage of the Faster To The Fun feature, all of us were located in rooms on the ship that could have been dubbed the Faster To The Food rooms. We were on deck 8, the Veranda Deck, which was just beneath the Lido Deck where most of the eating options were available. We did quite a bit of exploring the first couple of days on board, and here are some fun features and cool views from the ship:</div>
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The atrium in the main lobby</div>
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Looking out on the ocean from the back of the ship</div>
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There was even a retractable roof of the back ship that covered a pool and a hot tub</div>
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The Punchliner Comedy Club</div>
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Guy Fieri's Burgers (Where we ate our first meal on board)</div>
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A water-slide, which was a lot of fun</div>
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The open air theater by the pool. The movies they showed every night were called Dive-In Movies</div>
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Ruth trying to measure up to the massive tail on the back end of the ship</div>
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It took a while to get everyone boarded, but once everyone was on the ship we had to go to a mandatory safety meeting at our assigned muster station. The muster station was the assigned spot on the ship that passengers were supposed to gather at in case of an emergency. Once we all got some basic instruction we were ready to set sail:</div>
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Leaving Galveston behind for a week of fun.</div>
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By the time we returned from the safety meeting our bags had been delivered to our room. The rooms on the ship were small and a little plain, but there were comfortable. I think the rooms are kind of basic because most of the passengers don't spend a lot of time in their rooms. We wound up purchasing a room with a balcony, which I was wondering if it would be worth the extra expense, but I quickly found out that it was very worth it. Not only did the balcony provide a nice place to relax, it provided a more private place to enjoy some beautiful views. Ruth even saw some dolphins shortly after we left the port in Galveston.</div>
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Just an example of the great scenery we had just outside our room</div>
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Before we headed to the formal dining hall for dinner on the first night we got to meet our room steward Budi. He took great care of us all week, and he managed to remember our names from our very first meeting. It was kind of funny when we told him our names because he had a hard time with Ruth's name. The first time we told him Ruth's name he thought we had said Rick. Since we didn't want Ruth being called Rick all week we corrected him and from then on she was Miss Root.</div>
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Our room steward Budi</div>
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Our first night eating in the formal dining room was a little hectic because each group had to be shown where their assigned table would be, but every night after that was much smoother because guests were allowed to seat themselves. This probably won't come as a surprise to those who know me, but I think the dining room might have been my favorite place on the whole ship. Aside from getting to participate in my favorite activity, eating, it was elevated to another level because of all of the elegant dishes and the unique foods I had the opportunity to try. Here is what I had that first night:</div>
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Appetizer: Shrimp Cocktail</div>
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Entree: Beef Brisket with Twice Baked Yams and Baked Beans</div>
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Dessert: Melting Chocolate Cake (As you dig deeper into the cake it gets more and more moist)</div>
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Ruth opted for the Vegetable Lasagna with a side of Mixed Vegetables (I think we know who will live longer)</div>
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Each night when we got back to our room, the bed had received a turn-down service, and we had a towel animal to greet us.</div>
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The first night we were greeted by a Seal</div>
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After a good nights sleep we were ready for the first of two consecutive days at sea. We took the opportunity to sleep in and wake up slow. For all of the sea days on the ship there was a special brunch in the formal dining room.</div>
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I enjoyed a Bagel with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese &.....</div>
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Eggs Benedict with a side of Homestyle Potatoes</div>
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Ruth had some Fresh Fruit and a Spinach Omelette</div>
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In the early afternoon I went to a cooking demonstration at the on board Steakhouse Sun King. Given the quality of ingredients used, the expertise of the chefs, and the way they made it all look so easy made me feel like I was part of a live Food Network special. Along with getting to watch some skilled cooking I also got to sample the dishes they were making. I got to sample a Mushroom Cappuccino ( a delicious mushroom soup with a foam on top), a Baby Spinach & Blue Cheese salad (elevated with finely chopped mushrooms, bacon, and a Parmesan Crisp), Broiled Chicken Supreme (chicken breast seared and finished in the oven served with Fried Potatoes and a 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese). </div>
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The chefs sharing some tips and tricks for the kitchen</div>
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The chicken was insanely juicy and paired really well with the sides</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBrwetVFHVWwYA7ziAmsJGPKyAmLLYEPytq8Mf7je4sF0n4ik3IQFjY_xXnDf9Ul-k6oZoYw8OZ4UX9D36ct24JM_r5qDHW4ZqDfhDMmo2jZIdvbyraQrITYq4qkRXPBNFaMihi5NCZnD/s1600/20150927_115147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBrwetVFHVWwYA7ziAmsJGPKyAmLLYEPytq8Mf7je4sF0n4ik3IQFjY_xXnDf9Ul-k6oZoYw8OZ4UX9D36ct24JM_r5qDHW4ZqDfhDMmo2jZIdvbyraQrITYq4qkRXPBNFaMihi5NCZnD/s320/20150927_115147.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Another chef showed off his artistic side by carving this watermelon during the presentation</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIUUG82gKTVVG1eV_aECkHYCOATVoH-_GpOkUiFLE5CnNfYFqJuMMwAIGx1opW1bBnrkVnto573DNH1xft9H7SkmCc03wQgfgG-PQjKMuVV2bxu-lr_5rfBuYIykW5gjJuailb_0WrptR/s1600/20150927_115152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIUUG82gKTVVG1eV_aECkHYCOATVoH-_GpOkUiFLE5CnNfYFqJuMMwAIGx1opW1bBnrkVnto573DNH1xft9H7SkmCc03wQgfgG-PQjKMuVV2bxu-lr_5rfBuYIykW5gjJuailb_0WrptR/s320/20150927_115152.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The detail of his work was amazing</div>
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Later that afternoon an announcement came over the PA system informing us that one passenger had a medical emergency that required immediate attention. At this point we were making our way into the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. So the ship made a u-turn and started to head towards New Orleans. They informed us that we would not be going back to shore, but the Coast Guard would be sending a helicopter to evacuate the passenger in need of medical attention. Although we didn't even get close to New Orleans, I was surprised how far we went in that direction</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnefEr6SxMDqzZX3X2HlzHf1iNJKloV1TSYgm8uyeDzbmoq-T_JjyAhB7Jpn-4WGOvbt9c8L4xSjGyEmmOa6ZPPje2ue79S-dWV2eV603GJCVyFLejm3Y-3OAe9ZO2Sh177Et73D-9kIoG/s1600/20150927_205921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnefEr6SxMDqzZX3X2HlzHf1iNJKloV1TSYgm8uyeDzbmoq-T_JjyAhB7Jpn-4WGOvbt9c8L4xSjGyEmmOa6ZPPje2ue79S-dWV2eV603GJCVyFLejm3Y-3OAe9ZO2Sh177Et73D-9kIoG/s320/20150927_205921.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This shot of our progress shows the overall effect of our detour</div>
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There was a very noticeable increase in our speed in meeting up with the coast guard, and afterward to try and recover some of the time that was lost in trying to save the passenger who needed medical attention. For obvious reasons all passengers were forced to clear out from the open deck areas of the ship while the extraction took place. When the rescue helicopter arrived we were enjoying another great meal in the formal dining room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_8VYaHKG7v-tEjjcFhhc4PitTLfAg0M-pxmuhHnrJlEEAMYB-w1l_SJ7SkIz1FU-qqveOIBzDtNjsxw0cP_UYtGxjlXxujah5QlOU5n76_JC7ykvEF6-YF-QLnJE9S4T4cgFwt8To9xm/s1600/20150927_174112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_8VYaHKG7v-tEjjcFhhc4PitTLfAg0M-pxmuhHnrJlEEAMYB-w1l_SJ7SkIz1FU-qqveOIBzDtNjsxw0cP_UYtGxjlXxujah5QlOU5n76_JC7ykvEF6-YF-QLnJE9S4T4cgFwt8To9xm/s320/20150927_174112.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Appetizer #1: Mushroom Soup</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtzjMbFxwrqMRYlefuuPKMfYKmzinPrYTvPHHrpugtkfaw6BWIhiIAl6FFKCemt7X32SuBhv5x_vUEFoqxToj6UBbY_Q71HjbgNHGjdoiQLqKFjNtoEc1NAqdr5tZYnsppttvLvi6TtY-/s1600/20150927_174723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtzjMbFxwrqMRYlefuuPKMfYKmzinPrYTvPHHrpugtkfaw6BWIhiIAl6FFKCemt7X32SuBhv5x_vUEFoqxToj6UBbY_Q71HjbgNHGjdoiQLqKFjNtoEc1NAqdr5tZYnsppttvLvi6TtY-/s320/20150927_174723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Appetizer #2: Fried Oysters</div>
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Entree: Lobster Tail with Shrimp Pasta</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSwJUeNZXvflkOHnTZYIf7A1C0weFcJBgni8y2PlkeV-p7eGJvruFNciE95_I97myTpQdxVwjnFxllp4bekIu-XpwQw5V-mX97Ht4ypuIH9kfCa3uZaFeXg2ODkoE2lALAzWo7QkXkn6v/s1600/20150927_181012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSwJUeNZXvflkOHnTZYIf7A1C0weFcJBgni8y2PlkeV-p7eGJvruFNciE95_I97myTpQdxVwjnFxllp4bekIu-XpwQw5V-mX97Ht4ypuIH9kfCa3uZaFeXg2ODkoE2lALAzWo7QkXkn6v/s320/20150927_181012.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Jason & I also ordered a Spaghetti Carbonara to share with our table</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2RGuIBeGP2D3ychf43W5MolkpQqovZeGbAAeKpqrvVqgNOe9MBbB0_C8OWyUCv1Oz1nHqtbFhi_xM9DK3Zc58d98OQqWs5cm6IYjgFXV-azSnAFxL07XWKLuld5iFqiA29LHdg31No4L/s1600/20150927_184230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2RGuIBeGP2D3ychf43W5MolkpQqovZeGbAAeKpqrvVqgNOe9MBbB0_C8OWyUCv1Oz1nHqtbFhi_xM9DK3Zc58d98OQqWs5cm6IYjgFXV-azSnAFxL07XWKLuld5iFqiA29LHdg31No4L/s320/20150927_184230.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Dessert: Creme Brulee</div>
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Dinner that evening was one of two formal nights held on the ship. Everyone who wanted to eat in the dining room was required to adorn their formal wear to get in. There were some who chose to take this very seriously and wore tuxedos and evening gowns. We didn't take it quite that far, but I think we looked more than presentable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrlEgMr2DJF7wPI8mPmEOvnNWVKl1JYwhnPYaPseNerljYhyphenhyphenzWsDiELEYSh1rxHjfF349_evaFz4t3XEGSY1VBWefqo82ok_fUtn1d9OevSFBtq2ohXl9bSb04jRnqYVIiY5Ik7k1e-pp/s1600/20150927_181029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrlEgMr2DJF7wPI8mPmEOvnNWVKl1JYwhnPYaPseNerljYhyphenhyphenzWsDiELEYSh1rxHjfF349_evaFz4t3XEGSY1VBWefqo82ok_fUtn1d9OevSFBtq2ohXl9bSb04jRnqYVIiY5Ik7k1e-pp/s320/20150927_181029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Ruth looking stunning as usual</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wJxNnJ-d-gt4DnM8sr17Ud8a5FGWeBf9S3zhGBYz3XRnmMQsQvwiBOYaKR2Vai5uWVV4M7_Fq-zfITSaBaj4f7EuxYmt8e9D7Q_iCguQwFlxFl23o2CuIyT0NpiBQ7ltWiX9iV8eIj0P/s1600/20150927_183830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wJxNnJ-d-gt4DnM8sr17Ud8a5FGWeBf9S3zhGBYz3XRnmMQsQvwiBOYaKR2Vai5uWVV4M7_Fq-zfITSaBaj4f7EuxYmt8e9D7Q_iCguQwFlxFl23o2CuIyT0NpiBQ7ltWiX9iV8eIj0P/s320/20150927_183830.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I needed to display Ruth's appetizer for the picture to make it turn out a little better</div>
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After dinner we made our first trip to the Punchliner Comedy Club. The club did four shows every night that it was open. There were two PG Family Friendly shows and two adults only shows. We took advantage of the PG shows to get in some good laughs. The comedian we watched that night was Valarie Storm. Her act was titled Parental Soup, and she shared several funny insights about being a mom. When the show was over Ruth and I went poolside to watch part of the late Dive-In movie for the night The Fault in Our Stars. We didn't stay for the whole thing, but it was a fun experience to watch a movie in that setting. There were two short intervals during the movie where it started raining, but they were so light and short that they didn't drive us back inside the ship. When we did make it back to our room we had a puppy to greet us:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7MamLG0zIPP0yIaDVq_kHpTvFrjUSWpznDN65SKe_D1auJcc56kArUyzvAkyMOYSni9QiIb03w47fIs4oY_qwkQ45nAjQTvDxWnoOPviXuxVgObDMjS54B4iKH7LtfSkcKuNcZx_nDf7/s1600/20150927_190240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7MamLG0zIPP0yIaDVq_kHpTvFrjUSWpznDN65SKe_D1auJcc56kArUyzvAkyMOYSni9QiIb03w47fIs4oY_qwkQ45nAjQTvDxWnoOPviXuxVgObDMjS54B4iKH7LtfSkcKuNcZx_nDf7/s320/20150927_190240.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The next day was another day at sea, so we had another chance to sleep in and take it easy. We also had another chance to try something new at the brunch in the formal dining room. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1or_1KZJF_AXetYbC7JWcmgOH7RiCMN_N3KoChc8XO0GNg0qNgG-gHd82-PDaw8N3vABo_i8ElNzdcwNGzniaSycqV1FSx3xlWkka_eVwPAT3YRccDsoVQo9dqcTG0TDiPZFh9VTtbCX/s1600/20150928_090944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1or_1KZJF_AXetYbC7JWcmgOH7RiCMN_N3KoChc8XO0GNg0qNgG-gHd82-PDaw8N3vABo_i8ElNzdcwNGzniaSycqV1FSx3xlWkka_eVwPAT3YRccDsoVQo9dqcTG0TDiPZFh9VTtbCX/s320/20150928_090944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started the day with a Mushroom & Pepper Omelette, Cheese Grits and a side of Bacon</div>
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When we finished with breakfast Ruth and I decided to hit up one of the pools. My first trip into the water came by going down the water-slide, and I was in for a surprise when I reached the bottom. When the water washed over my head at the bottom of the slide I was hit with a salty wave. That is when I learned that all of the pools on board are filled with filtered sea water. It makes sense not to use water stored on the ship that could be used for more essential functions, but I still wasn't expecting it. Later in the afternoon I went to the arcade with Forrest and Jason. We had a little air hockey tournament that was a little one-sided. Jason and I put up a good fight, but we just couldn't beat the old man! The air hockey tables in the arcade were pac-man themed, and at intervals during the game they would flood the tables with mini-pucks that would start a chaotic scramble in the game.As the day wound down we made our way to the dining room for more new and exciting food.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDVl690jI1XAzwaIJzQA6plFuGIxziwyaHvLgvrne8g9Tpw1hChIOaivnKNFOtcu9hyLODII9yd0cMCoqKaWM14_8N1xsJAEJhyphenhyphenCbOY0WWck7PQfl4jJXR0vxGoEPBGp8BI9NYLP4swzL/s1600/20150928_173038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDVl690jI1XAzwaIJzQA6plFuGIxziwyaHvLgvrne8g9Tpw1hChIOaivnKNFOtcu9hyLODII9yd0cMCoqKaWM14_8N1xsJAEJhyphenhyphenCbOY0WWck7PQfl4jJXR0vxGoEPBGp8BI9NYLP4swzL/s320/20150928_173038.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Appetizer #1: Braised Rabbit</div>
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Appetizer #2: Seared Tuna</div>
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Entree: Rosemary Lamb Shank</div>
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Dessert: Coconut Lime Cake (Both the cake and the frosting were so light that it practically dissolved in your mouth)</div>
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Ruth's Dessert: Strawberry Almond Financier with a Chilled Rhubarb Soup</div>
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After another incredible meal we headed back to the Punchliner Comedy Club to watch an act called My Booger Baby by Ronnie Bullard. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4IBLJII_j2uffpYnKyGAxZ2wciRrF_ayqsRSFqeT3sjUiT-C19rDsTuDLOvnYejriSEAoOrbvJKT6RetugbX5d5o7AF8f3w82zCrOSx5BetpyfaOn6OixM0vVtGCqtYwFlbUgmxYznrS/s1600/20150928_192217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4IBLJII_j2uffpYnKyGAxZ2wciRrF_ayqsRSFqeT3sjUiT-C19rDsTuDLOvnYejriSEAoOrbvJKT6RetugbX5d5o7AF8f3w82zCrOSx5BetpyfaOn6OixM0vVtGCqtYwFlbUgmxYznrS/s320/20150928_192217.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Taking a selfie in the Comedy Club before the show starts</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5VggoS3egtMGrtbCm_2XIPmzRHph79atg2xuTp9grD7SmQcWQ9W9uyTAODLNsGO_QB7-jAoq7V7N1F9oDV4NKF5Lee5ahcFkgrhPUQtErQxXMz2rY3K-fh_mhCLr4aNpPOX_cvlQGHoX/s1600/20150928_192247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5VggoS3egtMGrtbCm_2XIPmzRHph79atg2xuTp9grD7SmQcWQ9W9uyTAODLNsGO_QB7-jAoq7V7N1F9oDV4NKF5Lee5ahcFkgrhPUQtErQxXMz2rY3K-fh_mhCLr4aNpPOX_cvlQGHoX/s320/20150928_192247.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Forrest & Shirley were ready for a good laugh</div>
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When we got back to our room no intervention was needed, but there was still an elephant in the room</div>
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To cap off the night Forrest and I stayed up late to go see Avengers Age of Ultron for the late night Dive-In movie. I had seen Age of Ultron in theaters but Forrest hadn't had the chance to see it yet. It was another beautiful night, and getting to watch a movie with some popcorn on a couple of deck chairs with my dad made it even better.</div>
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When we woke up the next morning we were approaching Mahogany Bay on Isla Roatan which is about 30 miles off the coast of Honduras. It was a little strange to see land again after seeing nothing but water as far as the eye could see for two days. It's always a little frustrating knowing that no matter how many pictures you take or how good they are, you can never truly capture what you are experiencing. A video is one step closer, so here is a little clip of what we saw coming into the bay:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzAJzCNXkmJFm8EQkApWntvSC4I0XQY6E3CIUolR1FqS5f3LP6fvhKV5OSzpPRbPJHAeyijGlj8n2V-9FoR9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGprFgFOpW-F4JxP9vIR6lvLo3RwHbbGIXnAiqR6aOmC9-HZOXtqAUrziFuhKge-tmDq4XSrv_tsecr4Fmuk0IQICpklqgWSWtiXVSLkg8M5pxQ6YzkIBBKrjiMR9adp9TnCs3Pzekootl/s1600/20150929_062141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGprFgFOpW-F4JxP9vIR6lvLo3RwHbbGIXnAiqR6aOmC9-HZOXtqAUrziFuhKge-tmDq4XSrv_tsecr4Fmuk0IQICpklqgWSWtiXVSLkg8M5pxQ6YzkIBBKrjiMR9adp9TnCs3Pzekootl/s320/20150929_062141.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Getting closer to shore</div>
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I guess this is what happens if your ship goes outside of the buoys leading up to the port</div>
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When the ship was finally docked we disembarked for our first foreign adventure. A short walk from the ship through a winding path of lush greenery brought us to the center of a little shopping district. Aside from getting our first glimpse at what the island had to offer this was also the gathering spot for all of the cruise sponsored excursions. We quickly found our designated spot, got our wrist bands and waited for our departure. </div>
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Ruth ready for some freedom away from the Freedom</div>
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An island welcome to Mahogany Bay</div>
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The vibrant colors of the plant life made for some excellent scenery</div>
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As much as we loved the movies we were hoping not to encounter to many of the first group</div>
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Excitedly waiting for the excursion to begin</div>
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It might be a little hard to see, but this lizard was our first wildlife sighting on the island</div>
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After about a half hour wait we were ready to board a bus that would take us to Gumbalimba Park on the southwest tip of the island. The bus ride was about 45 minutes, but to help pass the time a tour guide provided information about life on the island and answered questions. During the ride we learned that the island was named after a large indigenous rodent, iguanas are used as a source of protein (and they do NOT taste like chicken), and that for a fee anyone can get a drivers license. Aside from the facts being shared by the tour guide, it was interesting to catch a glimpse of how the people of the island live.</div>
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It's probably pretty easy to spot the first time international travelers when you see them taking pictures of license plates</div>
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Sebastian tried to hitch a ride on our bus when he heard we would be close to the beach</div>
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The entrance to the park, complete with a single cannon security system</div>
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As soon as we arrived at the park we were given a quick orientation on the layout of the park and given a chance for a quick pit-stop. Before we started the walking tour of the park our tour guide advised us to be aware of our surroundings so that we didn't get too close to the iguanas. I didn't think that we would run into that many iguanas because they would be trying to avoid all the people, but I was very wrong. Not only were the iguanas everywhere, they seemed content to let people get pretty close.</div>
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An endangered black iguana enjoying some fruit</div>
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An iguana catching a little sun on the roof top</div>
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The lizard mess hall</div>
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I couldn't believe how bright the colors were on some of the iguanas</div>
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The largest iguana in the center of the platform wold shake its beard and send all the others scurrying away</div>
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An iguana doing it's best tiger impression</div>
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Although this is a terrible picture of it, we did spot one of the rodents that the island was named for (R.O.U.S.'s for any Princess Bride fans)</div>
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The next major attraction we got to see in the park were the macaws. There were some macaws in cages and some that were roaming free. Apparently there is only one macaw in the park that is mellow enough to allow visitors a great photo-op and his name is Barney. While Barney is calm enough to hang out on tourists shoulders for a few minutes, he is a big fan of the little buttons on top of baseball hats.About the time Barney started resting on my shoulder he started to chew on the top of my hat. I didn't think he would do any serious, damage, but when I was having my picture taken with him I was told that he had ripped the button off of my hat. I had to wait for a few more visitors to get their pictures taken with Barney before he finally got tired of my button and dropped it.</div>
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Pretending not to pay attention</div>
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Realizing that the coast is clear</div>
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Time to make off with a drink and a new perch</div>
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An impressive tail</div>
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The colors on these birds was incredible</div>
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Introducing Barney (Phase 1 - Locate the Button)</div>
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Phase 2 - "with the right leverage and the proper application of strength" (Shout-out to Will Turner on the Original Pirates of the Caribbean)</div>
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Phase Three - Remove the Button</div>
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Despite the smile from Ruth here, she was not too comfortable with Barney on her shoulder because she could hear him chewing on the button. Imagine what that beak would do to an earlobe!</div>
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Barney eventually decided to give my button back, so I guess I won't hold a grudge</div>
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After collecting my button from Barney, we were off to see the main attraction of the park, the monkeys! The time that we got to spend with the monkeys was truly an encounter because there were no cages or any other barriers to prevent interaction. We were given some advice about interacting with the monkeys when we got to the park. We were told that they would often wrap their tails around guests necks to help them balance. Based on how the guides described this I'm guessing more than a couple of people freaked out in the past, due to this. They also advised the guests to not fight with the monkeys if they tried to take any belongings. To help ease this problem they recommended that no one carry any bags if at all possible because the monkeys would be able to get inside and play with the contents. When we were first told this I thought it might be a trick to help boost locker rentals, but it was definitely sound advise. The monkeys played with my hat and sunglasses. There was also a lady in our group who kept a small purse on her, and one of the monkeys got into it and tried to open her lip gloss. I have to admit that there were two things that really surprised me about being with the monkeys. First, they were very social and comfortable with all of the guests I thought they might be a little skittish or standoffish, but they were very friendly. The other thing that really surprised me was how soft they were. Their fur was much softer than I though it would be, and their hands and feet were almost like velvet. I figured that living in the trees would make their hands and feet rough and calloused, but they were incredibly soft. Between the shots we took on our own, and the shots we bought from the park we wound up with a ton of monkey pictures. If anyone wants to see all of them we are happy to share them, but for the sanity of anyone who might read this here are a few of the best:<br />
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♫Won't you take me to...MONKEY TOWN♫</div>
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Ruth experiencing a nuzzle.</div>
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"We named the monkey Jack" Plenty of great Pirates quotes to go around when you are actually in the Caribbean.</div>
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A great example of how they can use their tails for balance. This guy was about to make a diving grab of a treat from one of the guides.</div>
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Yup, caught it!</div>
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Monkey: "Ruth I think you married my cousin!"</div>
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Are they trained to braid hair? No, but they will pick out the treat that was dropped in Ruth's hair!</div>
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After Ruth and I had our turn with the monkeys we were watching some of the other guests interacting with the monkeys when I spotted a cool potential photo-op. I saw a monkey lazily sprawled out on a branch so I tried to get a little closer to get a better picture. The monkey saw me coming towards the tree and popped up off the branch. The monkey moved to where it was looking at me from behind the trunk of the tree. Even though this wasn't the shot I was hoping for it still looked good so I got a few steps closer and pause to take a picture. As evidenced by the blur on the left side of this picture the monkey jumped from the tree just as I took the picture and landed on my back. We had been warned that this might happen, so I wasn't worried at all.</div>
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Most of the other monkeys were very intent on staying close to the guides that were handing out the treats, but this one was content to just hang out with me for the rest of our time with the monkeys. As our group was leaving the monkey experience this little guy had to be coaxed off my back with a treat and some encouragement from one of the guides.</div>
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Rewarding the loyalty with a good back scratch.</div>
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This monkey definitely channeled its inner Curious George. As you can see from my skewed hat it checked the hat out for a second. It found my sunglasses far more interesting though. I think it could see its own reflection because it kept pawing at the lens, and even licked the lens at one point.</div>
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To end the monkey experience on a high note, here is a very cute picture of Ruth with one of the monkeys.</div>
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After getting to experience the monkeys of Gumbalimba Park we wound our way back to where the tour started. At this point we were free to use the pool, wander the grounds on our own, or just enjoy the beach. We spent a few minutes on the beach, but we ultimately decided to head back towards the ship. I think we would have been a little more inclined to spend more time on the beach but there were some locals trying very hard to get you to purchase their merchandise. I can't blame them for trying to make a living, but it does detract from the relaxing atmosphere you hope for while at the beach.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhcYl07ZzfrRsZglUydbiGe_OYgxl_UVULrLz9eDVQlVVQATtDlItrsWROuh8lc69E_OjfB4l3KMqYJkPA0r-_vq2PkQ6t6NRnpYvaBFV-fd0KgjoN-dSSXDRES0EdDQg9fDJoa0cDYf_/s1600/20150929_110110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhcYl07ZzfrRsZglUydbiGe_OYgxl_UVULrLz9eDVQlVVQATtDlItrsWROuh8lc69E_OjfB4l3KMqYJkPA0r-_vq2PkQ6t6NRnpYvaBFV-fd0KgjoN-dSSXDRES0EdDQg9fDJoa0cDYf_/s320/20150929_110110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is how close the starting/stopping point of our tour was to the beach</div>
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There were a variety of palms in different stages of growth leading up to the water</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqltGH4WE7xk6xRdogxfrT-mxp0iSuy1cqkpHR9hDmXMvoldbbzGcftLmvLJ-N4IR5RtVorxixFDvOeR8rkp3YiWOAzDmBir9QIgX9K4FJ-exeHcOkWwNDnWu-90kLeOaoNl5hKp3rY6m/s1600/IMG_2905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqltGH4WE7xk6xRdogxfrT-mxp0iSuy1cqkpHR9hDmXMvoldbbzGcftLmvLJ-N4IR5RtVorxixFDvOeR8rkp3YiWOAzDmBir9QIgX9K4FJ-exeHcOkWwNDnWu-90kLeOaoNl5hKp3rY6m/s320/IMG_2905.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was very excited to find a live starfish just a few feet off of the shoreline</div>
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To cap off our time in Mahogany Bay, Ruth and I were able to get our very first passport stamps. We didn't think we would get any stamps because we were told that it is not the best idea to carry your passport with you on the shore excursions. Since our ship came right up to the port it was easy for us to get back on the ship and grab our passports and head back out to get them stamped.</div>
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Aside from having a nice map of the island, this shot shows the booth on the far right where we got our passports stamped.</div>
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After an adventure filled day we were ready for a good meal, and the dinner service did not disappoint. </div>
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Appetizer #1: Braised Ox Tongue</div>
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Appetizer #2: Prosciutto Ruffles</div>
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Entree: Pescado Asado Cubierto Con Tostones (translation: fried fish breaded with breadcrumbs and plantains served with a mixture of corn, plantains and beans)</div>
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Dessert: S'mores Parfait</div>
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Most of the entertainment for the evening was provided by Hasbro Game Night Live in the main auditorium. It was fun to watch how excited some of the other passengers got about the chance to make fools of themselves onstage. Aside from that here are a couple of highlights that closed out our day:</div>
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Catching a glimpse of the sunset as we left Mahogany Bay behind</div>
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Ruth and I shared a virgin Pina Colada while Forrest, Shirley, and Jason enjoyed a final Diet Coke for the evening at the Red Frog Pub. While we were there we also got to enjoy some plantain chips (possibly Ruth's favorite food item of the whole trip) and play an interesting game. A picture would have been great to show what the game was, but I forgot to get a picture of it. The game was a little four sided stand that had a ring attached to a ring on each side. The object of the game was to swing the string in such a way that the ring would catch on a little hook in the middle of the stand. It was surprisingly challenging, but we all had some good laughs while playing.</div>
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This picture makes it a little hard to tell, but we were eventually greeted by a rabbit back in our room.</div>
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Our next stop on our tour of the Caribbean was Belize. At this port the ship did not go all the way into the harbor, so tender boats were used to shuttle passengers back and forth. The ride on the tender boats took about 20 minutes each way, so when we finally got close to shore this was our first glimpse of Belize:<br />
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Looking into Belize City</div>
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We were told that there is a tomb at the base of this lighthouse. The man buried in the tomb fell in love with Belize, so when he died he left a large sum of money to the country. Belize now uses the interest earned on those funds to finance projects that will benefit the entire country (i.e. building schools or hospitals).</div>
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After making the 5 mile journey from the ship to shore, we made our way to the gathering spot for all excursions. The process of getting everyone where they needed to be was a little more hectic here than in Mahogany Bay. There were a lot of different groups trying to get organized in a pretty confined space. Luckily the people who are leading the excursions deal with this everyday and managed to get people sorted out quicker than I thought they would. When everyone had queued up we headed for our bus to take us into the jungle. We were in for a bus ride that would take an hour and a half each way, which seemed like it could be really unpleasant, but our tour guides did a great job of keeping us entertained along the way. Our primary tour guide was Elvis, not the King, but I would wager that our Elvis had more energy and stamina than the King would have had at any of his shows. We also had another guide named Tarik (pronounced ty-reke), who was a lot more mellow, but a good guide nonetheless. Elvis and Tarik did a great job of explaining some of the history and points of interest from the country. We were told to pay attention to some of the information they were giving us because answering a trivia question correctly on the ride back to the port could help us win a prize. Knowing that a prize was on the line these were some of the key facts that I could remember:</div>
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- Belize was formerly known as British Honduras </div>
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- National Animal: Mountain Cow</div>
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- National Bird: Toucan</div>
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- National Flower: Black Orchid</div>
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- National Tree: Mahogany</div>
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- Four major highways: North, South, West, and Hummingbird</div>
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- Only country in Central America where English is the official language</div>
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Paying attention payed off because I was able to win a set of Belize coins for remembering the names of the four highways in Belize! Along with pointing out things that could be seen along our route to the jungle, Elvis had also prepared posters to show us more of what Belize had to offer. These posters included depictions of all of the different cultures in Belize, some Mayan ruins, native wildlife (animals, birds, snakes) and local currency. Before we arrived at our destination we were asked to pick a group name so that when we needed to regroup it would be easy to find each other. As we were headed to the Jaguar Jungle Camp I suggested that we be the Jaguars, and it got the most votes by far. With our group name picked and the bus ride behind us we were ready to get out and start our cave tubing adventure!</div>
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This bus took us to a transfer point where we boarded another bus to take us the last mile or two into the camp. I guess the tour buses are a little too nice to make the last leg of the journey.</div>
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When we reached the camp we were divided into groups of eight, given a life-jacket, a helmet with a headlamp, and an inner-tube. With all of our gear we were ready to start our hike through the jungle. Our river guide was named Charles, and he gave us a lot of information about some of the plants and wildlife in the area. Before we got too far along the trail he asked if anyone was afraid of spiders. I usually don't feel too ashamed of admitting my fear of spiders, but I must say that I was a little ashamed that I was the only one who admitted to having a case of arachnophobia. Charles advised that I try to stay in the middle of the path as it was not uncommon to see tarantulas in the undergrowth on the sides of the path. Needless to say I did my very best to stay in the center of the path after that little announcement. Along our route Charles pointed out some very large termite nests. Charles explained that his former military training had taught him some very helpful things about the termites. He said that the termites could be eaten, and that they were a great source of protein. He also explained that they can be crushed and rubbed on the skin to cool the skin, and to provide a natural bug repellent. Both of these effects are produced from a minty sensation and smell that the termites give off after they are crushed. To push the point further he said that they even taste minty when eaten. This prompted one member of our group to say they would try eating termites if given the chance. So at the next big nest we passed Charles went to the nest to retrieve a sample. Since I didn't think I would have another opportunity to eat something like that I decided to go ahead and give it a try. These termites were very small, about the size of very tiny ants, and the procedure for eating them is to ball a few of them up without crushing them and placing them on the tip of your tongue. When they are in your mouth you use your front teeth to grind them up. As soon as you can taste the minty sensation from crushing them they can be swallowed. I definitely didn't expect to be eating bugs on a luxury vacation, but I can say I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity. </div>
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Our hike through the jungle only lasted about a half an hour, but it included crossing the river once at what would ultimately be the end of our tubing experience. Once we got to the starting point all of our tubes were tied together so that Charles could guide us more easily through the caves. Before we got into the caves I was a little disappointed that we all had to be tied together, but after going through the caves I understand why they do it that way. We were told that the entrance to the caves were once believed to be the entrance to the underworld, and that certain sacrificial ceremonies used to take place in the caves. It was truly amazing to see the rock formations in the caves, the stalagmites and stalactites, and the different colors on the rocks. Making our way through the caves on a guided tour was quite relaxing, but I couldn't help but think how different things would be if someone got lost or trapped in the caves. It would get real creepy real fast. In one of the bigger caves there was also a little waterfall that our guide maneuvered us over to. He spun us around so that everyone had a chance to go underneath the rushing, and very cold water. Unfortunately we did not have a waterproof camera to take through the caves to try and capture some of what we saw, but it was an amazing experience.</div>
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After our time in the caves was through we made our way back to camp, got rid of all of our gear, and had some lunch. As part of our excursion we were provided with a local lunch of stewed chicken, rice & beans, and coleslaw. The flavor of everything was delicious, and it tasted even sweeter after our long bus ride and trek through the jungle. </div>
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Team Jaguar's prettiest member displaying the local flavors of our lunch</div>
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We had lunch with another guest named Charlie and his wife (we never caught her name) from Tyler Texas. It was kind of fun because after that experience we saw them a couple of times back on the ship, and it gave us a familiar face to say hello to while on board. We even managed to see them right before we disembarked the ship for the last time so we got to say goodbye to them. Getting back to the story at hand though, when we had cleaned our plates we headed into the gift-shop to see the photos that were taken of us along our way in and out of the caves. To our dismay, about the time we got in the door we were told that it was time for our group to leave. So unfortunately we do not have any pictures from our tubing adventure. I know it doesn't do any curious readers any good, but the experience will just have to be preserved in our memories. I guess Carnival will be excited that we will have to tell everyone to go experience this for themselves. Although we missed out on getting photos from our excursion we were able to catch a glimpse of another beautiful sunset as we left Belize.</div>
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As our tour guide Elvis would have said, this sunset was un-Belize-able. You better Belize it!</div>
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Back on board we were able to meet up with our group at the dinner table to discuss a day of fun as we enjoyed another excellent meal</div>
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Appetizer #1: Escargot</div>
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Appetizer #2: Fry Jacks (I must have forgotten to snap a photo of these, but the best way I can describe them is the Belize equivalent to sopapillas)</div>
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Entree: A seafood penne with shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, salmon, and a lobster sauce</div>
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Dessert: Chocolate Panna Cotta</div>
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When we were all fed and watered we decided to go see a show called 88 Keys, which featured a pianist playing some classic hits. The show eventually evolved into a very energetic song and dance routine, but most of the music was very good. </div>
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After another great day we were greeted by a .....duck? The head suggests duck, but the body left us wondering if it might have been a platypus.</div>
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The next morning we awoke to the sight of our final port of call, Cozumel Mexico. Of all the great places we had the chance to visit on this trip, I think Cozumel was my favorite port. While each stop had its highlights, I think this port aligned with the vision of a tropical paradise that I had imagined. Along with the amazing excursion we were able to experience, there was a lot of picturesque sights and photo-ops.<br />
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Pulling in to port</div>
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Ruth sporting the red, white, and blue in from of the red, white, and green</div>
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Apparently it was too bright for me to open my eyes in this shot</div>
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The replica of the ruins in the fountain were awesome</div>
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Channeling my inner burro. </div>
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After taking a quick look around the port we got checked in for our excursion called Everybody Loves Rays! If the name wasn't a dead give away, this excursion provided the chance to interact with sting rays. After we checked we had to wait a few minutes for the rest of our group to check in. While we were waiting for everyone to show up our tour greeter, Edgar, told us that due to some unusual weather the beach we were headed to had a lot of seaweed that had been washed into the bay. He made it sound like it would be a pretty big deal, but it didn't really have much of an impact on our day. What was more noticeable was how choppy the waters were. We were told that the waters are normally much calmer, but we still had a great time. We took a short taxi ride to Sting Ray Beach.</div>
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Welcome to String Ray Beach!</div>
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Yes, that is a live iguana</div>
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There were originally only supposed to be 8 people in our group, but a family of four joined the group at the last minute. Even with the extra four people the group was small enough that we got a lot of personal attention from the staff.</div>
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Our main guide William gave us a little rundown before we got in the water with the rays</div>
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The actual sting ray experience was divided into three portions: feeding, handling, and snorkeling. I know this will be a bit of a weird comparison, but as we got into the water to feed the rays it was like running into a bunch a sea cats. As soon as we got into the water the rays knew what was coming and they started swarming. They kept weaving in and out of our legs and brushing up against us. After we had a minute to get used to the rays we were all give a handful of squid to feed to the rays. It took a couple of tries to figure out how long to hang on to the squid to make sure the rays had a good grip on it. When they were eating it was a combination of slurping in the squid and chewing it. As I was feeding one of the rays I held onto the squid a little too long and got bitten. I was able to get my finger out of the way pretty quickly, so there was no harm done. Next we got to get a closer look at two of the rays, and even got to hold them. While we were interacting with the rays our guides gave us some interesting facts about the beautiful creatures we were swimming with. We learned that rays give birth once a year, but they typically have three offspring at a time. The baby rays are independent right away, and do not need to spend any additional time with the mother. The male rays are smaller and usually only grow to be 2-3 feet in diameter. The females can grow to be as big as 6-8 feet in diameter. The defensive barbs of the rays are located at the base of the tail, not on the end, and the barbs can get up to a foot long. The tails are very rough and can be used as a whip as another means of defense. When we finished playing with the rays we suited up with some snorkeling gear and headed back into the water. Neither Ruth nor I had done any snorkeling before, but I think we got the hang of it pretty quickly and got to enjoy our time in the water. The guides took some food out into the water to help bring the fish closer to where we were snorkeling, so we were able to get up close to a lot of the fish.</div>
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The female ray that we got the chance to interact with</div>
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As you can see, these rays have had their barbs trimmed to avoid any mishaps</div>
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I was impressed with how brave Ruth was in getting close to the rays</div>
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Ruth and I both had a harder time working with the male ray. It was so much smaller that it was hard not to lift it out of the water</div>
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Our other guide Alejandro helping us get a good handle on the ray</div>
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It was incredible how calm the rays were being handled by so many different people</div>
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It might be hard to tell but I think Ruth actually made the ray blush!</div>
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I don't think I made the ray blush, but I couldn't pass up a photo-op like this</div>
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This is one of the 'postcard' photos that come with the purchased prints, but it gives a good glimpse into what we were able to see while snorkeling.</div>
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When we finished our time with the rays we had a chance to explore the rest of the facilities and spend some time on the beach. Here are a few highlights:</div>
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A little slice of heaven relaxing in paradise</div>
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This view is hard to beat</div>
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The baby rays really blended in with the sand</div>
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This shows the contrast in color a little better</div>
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These weren't as impressive as the parrots we saw in Mahogany Bay, but they were just as loud</div>
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Killer had enough energy to do some climbing</div>
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Looking out into where we did our snorkeling</div>
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A view of how the seaweed was accumulating in some places</div>
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The rays were still swimming in the feeding area</div>
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William did a great job during the snorkeling to keep the fish around all of the guests</div>
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Alejandro took great care of us and made sure we were having a good time</div>
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While we were at the beach we got to participate in a hermit crab race. William drew a big circle in the sand and then drew a small circle in the center of the big circle. Everyone was given a chance to pick and name their crab. I took a gamble on the biggest crab knowing that it could cover a lot of ground really quickly. I named my crab Paco in honor of a childhood pet. When the race started, Paco was content to just sit in the center circle for a few seconds before getting in gear. Once he finally started moving he made great time. Paco wound up finishing third and winning me a prize!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyWfLhh9kjYMC-Gb5WN44ejkgbMAw0n9XP00WmqHNaRtaEYMYzw9QuDvrIiVQv2TUDfhfGlqEjmAzMwSLMKZw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Check out Paco in action</div>
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The top three finishers won a prize. One of the top finishers was a young boy so he was given a bag of snacks. The adult winners were supposed to get a free shot of tequila, but they were willing to give me a soda instead.<br />
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A very poor rendition of the Heisman pose with my victory soda.</div>
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Before heading back to the ship we spent a little more time exploring the port and enjoying the great scenery. Here is a sample of what we saw:</div>
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Welcome to Puerta Maya<br />
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Wait, where are we?<br />
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This mosaic fountain is a good example of the vibrant colors that are everywhere in the port<br />
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See what I mean about the vibrant colors?<br />
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The sun peeking through the palm leaves<br />
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Ignoring my reflective white leg, this shot turned out pretty good<br />
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We had to complete the set and get a license plate shot from Mexico<br />
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Ruth found a place for us to relax right before we re-boarded the ship<br />
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Tropical selfie<br />
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This would make a great travel postcard</div>
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As we headed back out to sea for the last time we joined Forrest, Shirley, and Jason on the balcony to catch a final glimpse of Cozumel:</div>
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Hanging out on the balcony</div>
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There was a huge Royal Caribbean ship in port that day as well. It was cool to see how many of the rooms had balconies. </div>
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Adios Cozumel</div>
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That night on board we all went to the Sun King Steakhouse. I didn't think that our dining experience could have been elevated to another level of elegance based on the amazing meals we had been having all week, but the steakhouse kicked it up a notch.</div>
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Appetizer #1: Pea Soup with a Lobster Foam<br />
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Appetizer #2: Crab Cake</div>
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Ruth made sure to get a picture of everyone dressed up for the occasion<br />
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I returned the favor, and got a shot of Ruth enjoying her Lobster Bisque<br />
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Gary and Carrie enjoying their steaks<br />
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Forrest and Shirley having a great meal<br />
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Jason also wanted to get photos of everyone, but the timing didn't quite work</div>
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Entree: Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail which came with a side of broccoli. I also got some sauteed mushrooms from Shirley's plate that really complimented my steak<br />
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I was shocked, but very impressed that Ruth ordered Filet Mignon too. I just might make a carnivore out of her yet.<br />
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Dessert: Cheesecake<br />
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After an incredible meal at the steakhouse we watched another act at the Punchliner Comedy Club. The new Comedian on board was Cowboy Bill Martin, and his act was titled How's Your Mama? There were a lot of passengers from Texas, and Oklahoma so he received a very warm welcome at the club. When we finally made it back to our room for the night we were greeted by a.........</div>
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SWAN</div>
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Our last day on the ship was very low-key and relaxing. I kind of thought we would be super busy trying to fit some last minute things in, but we took a completely different approach. It turns out that spending the entire day relaxing was the way to go because we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I completely understand why most of the time people try to cram activities into every minute of a vacation, but ending a vacation on such a relaxing note is fantastic. I think the only major things we did during the day were having breakfast and lunch, and we watched the Bee Movie in our room before taking a nap. We did manage to makeit into the formal dining room for one last formal meal.</div>
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Appetizer #1: Frog Legs<br />
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Appetizer #2: Beef Carpaccio (Super thinly sliced raw beef garnished with greens, parmesan, and capers<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhe2xSBuCCXz9834mNBOWBUmKlsF5fNuyadYMxlIvGmvNo-evRbmPoQPiOgOVQtUlQdhemCzZOiKwILkZ7-CKhcWF2PgaPpv5Ddzsc0syeVOOoeYAoBRPN1HFHDhtdKTwqSwWR-aaTgB_/s1600/20151002_180534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhe2xSBuCCXz9834mNBOWBUmKlsF5fNuyadYMxlIvGmvNo-evRbmPoQPiOgOVQtUlQdhemCzZOiKwILkZ7-CKhcWF2PgaPpv5Ddzsc0syeVOOoeYAoBRPN1HFHDhtdKTwqSwWR-aaTgB_/s320/20151002_180534.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Entree: Prime Rib with Bacon Mac and Cheese....<br />
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and a side of fries<br />
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I wound up coming full-circle with dessert by ordering the Chocolate Melting Cake again. I had been hoping that there would be another night that wouldn't have something on the dessert menu that would be too tempting to miss out on so that I could get the melting cake again. As it was our last meal in the formal dining room we had to get a picture with our favorite server.</div>
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Tanja (not a typo) was not our main server, but she was always very nice and took great care of us.</div>
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Our last night was capped off with a final trip to the Punchliner Comedy Club to watch Kim Harrison perform her act called Show Tunes and Tears. I think the most memorable part of her act came when she sang a rendition of the Phantom of the Opera called the Phantom of the Okra. Her rendition described her anguish from dealing with her husband's gas. </div>
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The next morning we were back in Galveston, and we had to go through the process of going through customs. It didn't take as long as it did to get on the ship, but it was still a bit of a process. Ruth and I opted to do the self-assist debarkation which allowed us to keep our bags with us the whole time. This got us off of the boat faster, and I think it made the whole process more convenient. We had to wait about a half an hour at the airport before we were reunited with my parents and Gary and Carrie. Jason went to the other airport in Houston to catch a flight to Florida. We left Houston, had a short layover in Phoenix, and then back to Salt Lake. I think it is safe to say that the cruise either lived up to or exceeded all of our expectations. We are so glad that we were able to enjoy the trip with some of my family, and we are very thankful to Jason for helping it all come together as smoothly as it did. Going on a cruise was definitely a bucket list item for me, and with any luck this will not be last cruise Ruth and I get to experience! </div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-37900210146153191552015-01-01T01:15:00.000-08:002015-01-01T01:15:35.064-08:00A December to Remember<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hopefully nobody will look down on me for stealing the trademark phrase of the Lexus Christmas ad-campaign, but it is truly the best description of the exciting month we had this December. Rather than spending our weekends hunkered down at home avoiding the cold weather, we took advantage of opportunities to travel on three of the four weekends available this month. Our first travel opportunity took us to the Sunshine State! JetBlue had just started a route with a direct flight from Salt Lake to Orlando, so we got a couple of buddy passes and headed to Orlando with Ruth's parents and her sister Rachel. Unfortunately the trip to Florida didn't provide the toasty tropical weather we were hoping for, but it was warmer than Utah and we got to spend some time in the most magical place in Florida not run by a mouse...... Harry Potter World! <br />
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We left Salt Lake on Thursday the 11th at midnight. As we boarded the plane we were all given a sleep kit which consisted of an eye shade and ear plugs. I have never been very good at sleeping on airplanes so the sleep kit provided a ray of hope that I might be able to actually get some sleep. Those hopes were quickly dashed when I realized that even though it was quieter and darker on the plane, I was still not in a comfortable sleeping position. I think I managed about 45 minutes of very restless sleep throughout the entire flight. As soon as we landed we headed for our hotel to see if we could get an early check-in. Luck was on our side and we got a room right away. Since we arrived before the park was open everyone wanted to take a power nap before heading to the park. While a nap sounded like a great idea I was worried that if I went to sleep I would not be able to get going. So after everyone finished with their power nap we headed for Universal Studios. After a groggy walk to the gates the energy of the situation took over and the fun began. We spent all of Friday, Saturday, and Monday exploring Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The other portions of the park were fun, but hands down the best part was all the Harry Potter attractions. I think we could have spent all three days in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade and not been able to absorb all of the details. Rather than droning on about all of the details through some pictures. Enjoy:<br />
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Getting into the park.</div>
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Remember we parked by the giant angry dinosaur</div>
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Ticket in hand and ready for some fun</div>
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Our first close view of Hogwarts from a prehistoric or Jurassic angle </div>
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Leading up to Hogsmeade Village</div>
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The bridge into the village</div>
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Welcome to Hogsmeade</div>
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Entertainment in the village was provided by......</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFboL4s53A8_8UCumfMv-nXsxrnECrmq3X2g_TSv24zHSl1Nn7YPJQOpfs1tCm9WKMUO2mf5iwvzEeIfdd6CorJ6M9Byj7AFYpzitXtDNvtX6of-VUw0Et-Bpx0P2LLlCCaPZGGcZn3_NX/s1600/160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFboL4s53A8_8UCumfMv-nXsxrnECrmq3X2g_TSv24zHSl1Nn7YPJQOpfs1tCm9WKMUO2mf5iwvzEeIfdd6CorJ6M9Byj7AFYpzitXtDNvtX6of-VUw0Et-Bpx0P2LLlCCaPZGGcZn3_NX/s1600/160.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The proud sons of Durmstrang and .....</div>
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The lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy</div>
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The view of Hogwarts from the village</div>
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Strolling past Hagrid's Hut while waiting for a ride on a Hippogriff</div>
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No trip to Hogsmeade would be complete without some Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer</div>
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The only snow in Florida can be found on the rooftops in Hogsmeade</div>
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Leaving Hogsmeade and Hogwarts to head London</div>
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We didn't have the energy to walk from Hogsmede to London so we headed to the train station</div>
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The Hogwarts Express waiting to take passengers back to London. This was a genius move by Universal. Not only was this a fun attraction, but it allowed them to have a piece of the Harry Potter experience in each park which means you have to purchase a park-to-park pass. I think they thought this one through!</div>
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On the other side, Platform 9 and 3/4</div>
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I think Ruth was excited to be in London when we only had to pay for a trip to Florida</div>
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Despite the crazy look, I am also excited to be here</div>
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Watching people pass through the barrier between Platform 9 3/4 and Kings Cross Station</div>
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This isn't the best shot, but people would evaporate as they hit the wall.</div>
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Inside Kings Cross Station</div>
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Rachel trying to find a way into the Ministry of Magic</div>
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The London crowd flocking to the Knight Bus</div>
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Looks like Ruth found the entrance to Diagon Alley</div>
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Our first glimpse into Diagon Alley</div>
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Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes</div>
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Checking to see what wands are on display in the window of Olivanders</div>
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Ruth sneaking off to explore Knockturn Alley</div>
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Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and another view of Diagon Alley</div>
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It looks like Gringotts has really turned up the heat on it's security</div>
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The dragon on top of Gringotts would actually shoot out flames, but I was never able to get a photo of it. I didn't get to see it breath fire until our third day in the park. We would wait outside and watch for a few minutes, and it seemed like every time we stepped inside a shop or got on a ride it would breath fire. It was almost a running gag because I kept missing it.</div>
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The impressive chandeliers in the lobby of Gringotts</div>
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The goblins hard at work balancing the books. I'm sure this is what some people think accountants are really like.</div>
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Even though we did spent a lot of time exploring Harry Potter World, we did explore the rest of the park</div>
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Universal was all decorated for Christmas including a small wreath on their front door</div>
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Rachel walking like an Egyptian through the park.</div>
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It was a close call, but I manged to get away with taking a break in the No Standing Zone</div>
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Jaws was a little upset because they took out his ride. We tried to cheer him up with a granola bar, but I don't think it helped.</div>
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You just can't have Thing 1 and Thing Two without the Cat in the Hat</div>
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Marianne finally has her shot at stardom. We went through the Disaster Experience, and she was selected to participate in the filming of the ultimate disaster film. </div>
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We spent three days of our Orlando trip enjoying Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, but we did take a break from the action on Sunday to make a trip out to Cocoa Beach. It was a nice relaxing change of pace, and the view was great. Hopefully these next photos will give a glimpse into our beach day experience:<br />
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As you can see from the small sample of photos above, we had a blast in Orlando. Before we took off on our next traveling adventure Ruth and I got to go see the lights at Temple Square with Hannah and Jeff. I don't think I had seen the lights since I was on an FBLA trip while I was still in high school, so it was fun to see them again. It was also nice to have such a strong reminder of what the Christmas season is all about. There are always things in our lives that can detract from where our focus should be, or from the influence the gospel plays in our lives. If we can just remember how dependent we are upon the blessings of God and how important the Atonement of Jesus Christ is, then we can make better decisions and be grateful for what we have. I was really appreciative for those thoughts as we got to be close to the temple as we looked at the lights on Temple Square.<br />
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Just a few days after our trip to Temple Square we got back together with Ruth's parents and headed for Las Vegas (Betsy and Chris also came with their kids and Ruth's Uncle Jim and Aunt Deanna, but they traveled separately). It probably seems a little ironic to transition from talking about the gospel and temples to Sin City, but we headed down to see the Utah Utes play in the Las Vegas Bowl to see the U face off against an old Mountain West foe in Colorado State. It is always fun to go to a game, but there is always a little more hype and excitement associated with a bowl game. The Utes really shot out of the gates and I think caught the Rams off guard. It looked like it was going to be a complete blowout in the first half, but as the game went on CSU got a little traction and made a game out of it. The coolest thing that happened outside of the game itself was related to the flyby that happened before the game. During halftime they brought out the pilots who participated in the flyby, and when they announced the last pilot he flashed a U sign and the announcer mentioned that he was a University of Utah alumni. That got a really big reaction from the crowd. Once again I am getting long winded, so here is a few shots from the game:<br />
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The crowd on their feet in the opening moments of the game</div>
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The game is over and the celebration begins</div>
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The presentation of the trophy. When they were making the game MVP announcement, they noted that Travis Wilson was the first quarterback in Las Vegas Bowl history to have three rushing touchdowns. He definitely upped his game here and was deserving of the MVP award.</div>
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After the game was over we headed back to our hotel to meet up with Ruth and Marianne. Ruth's parents and her Aunt & Uncle were supposed to head back into Las Vegas after the game to go to dinner and a show, but Marianne was feeling under the weather by the time we got to the hotel. Since she wasn't feeling up to leaving the hotel I got to fill in for her. We met up with Jim and Deanna and went to the Legends in Concert show at the Flamingo. It was a concert put on by a series of impersonators. They had a mix of classic and modern artists, but my favorite artist of the night hands down was Bobby Darin. After the show we went to Harrahs for dinner at the buffet. I felt bad that Marianne wasn't able to participate, but I sure had fun. The next morning I got to explore the grounds of the hotel with Ruth. We were staying at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa, and it looked more like Italy than Henderson Nevada. Here are a couple of fun shots from the grounds:</div>
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Ruth taking a turn on Santa's throne</div>
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The hotel actually spanned the water in part of the lake</div>
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Private beach. Check!</div>
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What desert oasis would be complete without a massive waterfall</div>
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With all the impressive scenery of the hotel, none of it looked better than Ruth</div>
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Our final adventure of the month, unfortunately does not come with any pictures, so if you want to navigate away from the page now I will understand. We did get to go to Blanding and spend Christmas with my family this year. This was the first time since 2009 that I was able to be home on Christmas Day. To make it even sweeter, the whole family was there. We weren't sure if we would be able to get Zeb an his family up because of Zeb's responsibilities as a Resident at the hospital in Mesa. Luckily he was able to break away and spend Christmas with us. Once again we were spoiled for Christmas and got more than we needed, and definitely more than we deserved. The thing that I was most excited about this was the grill we got from my parents. I have been wanting to get a grill since we got married, and now we will have the chance to work on my grilling skills. The only bad part about being home for Christmas was having to leave. It is always hard for me to leave Blanding and my family because I don't get to see them as often as I would like. We wound up having to leave a little earlier than we had hoped because we were trying to get ahead of a snow storm that was moving in. I think we were being watched over because it didn't start snowing until we hit the point of the mountain. We felt truly blessed to enjoy safe travel, especially considering how much traveling we did this month. We also feel extremely blessed to have such good families to spend time with, and enjoy life with. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this a December to remember!</div>
homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-87601511715676880102014-09-21T10:13:00.000-07:002014-09-21T10:13:25.048-07:00Summer Time = Summer Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a result of my failure to do a post here and there this summer I am forced into making one giant post to share some of the adventures Ruth and I had this summer. I had always believed that summers would get more dull as I got older, but I think all that we have been able to do this summer has blown that belief out of the water. We owe a lot to both of our families for helping to make so many fun opportunities available to us. Unfortunately I haven't been as good about taking pictures of stuff we have been able to do this year, but here are the highlights of what Ruth and I did manage to get pictures of. Enjoy!<br />
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Fishing at Rockport with Jerry:</div>
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One Saturday Jerry got the urge to go do a little fishing, and was nice enough to invite Ruth and I to come along. After scrambling to get a couple of licenses we headed to the lake. We had to drive around the lake for a while to find a good spot. Most of the spots we thought looked good were off of very steep hillsides, and there were ants everywhere. After some unsuccessful searching we looked into the option of renting a boat. We decided that we would go fish for about an hour and then go back to rent a boat for the final hour before sunset. So we found a spot near the boat rental place and fished for about an hour. We spent most of that hour avoided all the ants and not catching any fish. So we decided to head back and rent a boat, but when we got there they said there was not enough time remaining before sunset, so they wouldn't let us rent a boat. Feeling slightly defeated we decided to try and find one more spot to cast a line. We found a spot that looked a little better than our first spot, but once again the ants were horrendous. After getting our poles set up and ready to go again, Ruth and I gave up the fight against the ants and just waded out a couple of feet out into the water. After about another half hour of fishing without even a nibble we were thinking about looking for one more spot to try, but Ruth said we should stay put for just a few more minutes. About two minutes after that the fish started biting and we had to race back and forth to keep reeling them in! In no time we had landed about eight nice rainbow trout. Satisfied with our haul we decided to call it a night and head for home. It was nice to catch so many fish, and enjoy a great sunset in the process.</div>
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Hannah & Jeff Tie The Knot:</div>
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In June Ruth's little sister Hannah was married to Jeff Glausser. We were, and still are very excited for Hannah and Jeff. They are both great people, and great for each other. Their wedding was a little extra fun for Ruth and I because they got married at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple which is where we were sealed about 3 and a half years ago. It always brings back great memories to take part in a sealing, but it seems a little more special when you have a personal tie to the temple.</div>
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Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Glausser.</div>
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The bride with her supporting cast.</div>
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Kicking off the dances with the classic Father of the Bride dance.</div>
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The proud parents watch as the couple takes the dance floor.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxrwsjGHcA-wat8l-YXRpH_DDT7MtW8qTbhZg_02a9wHyT3c5jDBCPXQtS83gzTQCbASu6uLkpQ2wihL4NudA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Another daddy-daughter dance.</div>
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Adelyn takes the dance floor by storm.</div>
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Journey Live:</div>
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For Christmas this year Kyle & Dany gave us tickets to go see Journey and the Steve Miller Band at USANA Amphitheater. Neither of us had been to an event at the amphitheater, so it was fun to get to experience a new venue and to hear some great music. It was also really interesting to see the mix of people that came to the concert. There were people that I didn't even think would know who Journey was because they were so young, and there were some people who were probably middle-aged when Journey debuted as a band. Even though the music was awesome, the photo opportunities were kind of lame, so here are the only decent pictures we got form the concert.</div>
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Cupcake Wars:</div>
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Ruth and I were supposed to make dessert for a Sunday dinner at her parents house, and we couldn't decide on what type of cake to make. We discussed several different options, but we just couldn't decide what to do. Since we couldn't decide on just one type of cake we decided to make cupcakes because we thought it would be easier to make more than one option if they were in cupcake form. Taking the idea one step further we decided to each make one flavor of cupcake and go head-to-head. So we went to the grocery store to browse for ingredients and went to work. I must say that the results were pretty awesome! To give our creations the proper treatment I will give you the Food Network description of each....</div>
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On the left we have a devil's food cupcake topped with homemade chocolate mousse, toffee chips and a chocolate drizzle.</div>
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On the right we have a coconut infused white cupcake topped with piped whipped cream, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, and a fresh raspberry.</div>
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When we showed up to dinner with the cupcakes we had everyone guess who made which cupcake. The vast majority thought that Ruth made the coconut cupcake and I made the chocolate, but they were wrong.</div>
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Random Photo:</div>
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Along with not getting pictures of a lot of things we got to do this summer, we didn't get a lot of good pictures of Ruth and I together. I do really like this picture of us, and this was the first time I got to do a session at the Salt Lake Temple.</div>
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Labor Day Weekend:</div>
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The four day weekend surrounding Labor Day inspired us to take a trip to Blanding to see my family. While we were there we got to go on a ride up to Bears Ears.We had a whole fleet of four wheelers and side-by-sides, or vroom vrooms as Cal likes to say. It had been a really long time since I had gone on a ride like that, and it was a first for Ruth. I was really proud of Ruth for driving her own four wheeler, I think it made the ride a lot more fun for her. </div>
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Can you spot the frog?</div>
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Can you spot the frog now?</div>
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On the same trip home we got to play with the batch of 7 kittens at my parents house. It was fun to watch them crawling all over the garage and wrestling each other.</div>
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Christmas in September?:</div>
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Last year for Christmas we gave Shirley tickets to see the Utes play Weber State, and we had so much fun last year that we decided to do it again. This year the Utes were playing Fresno State, and we had better seats than last year. Ruth's dad was able to help us get tickets so we owe a big thanks to him for the great seats, and for getting us two extra tickets so he could enjoy the game and we could invite Kathy too. </div>
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During halftime several individuals and one team were inducted into the Utes Hall of Fame. I thought that was cool because Andre Miller was inducted. It is hard to see, but he is standing next to Swoop in this picture.</div>
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This one isn't much better, but this is Andre talking to a photographer in the endzone.</div>
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Adelyn's Birthday Party:</div>
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The day after we saw the Utes take it to the Bulldogs, we got to celebrate Adelyn's second birthday. As you will see from the pictures below there were lots of good treats, and everyone had a good time watching Adelyn open her gifts. </div>
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<span id="goog_2026170603"></span><span id="goog_2026170604"></span>Adelyn opening the tutu from her favorite Aunt & Uncle!</div>
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Adelyn rides in on her favorite gift of the day to claim her birthday cupcake.</div>
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United Way Day of Caring:</div>
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The Church was one of the many partners who participated in the United Way Day of Caring on September 11th. I was lucky to get to participate because of the large number of people from the church for signed up to volunteer. Due to the overwhelming number of willing volunteers, everyone had their names entered into an Excel spreadsheet and the names were randomized to select who would get to participate. After being selected as a volunteer we had the chance to fill out a survey to help identify which project location we would be assigned to, and then once sites were selected we could pick between tasks. I chose to go to the National Ability Center in Park City. The National Ability Center helps to provide outdoor experiences to people with varying degrees of disability, and it is their goal to allow people of any ability level to participate in the outdoor activities they provide. They have several activities associated with horseback riding, obstacle courses, and hiking. The project I chose to participate in was painting some ground poles that are used in training people who are learning how to ride a horse. We had to use wire brushes to clean the poles, and to knock off old paint before we could apply a fresh coat of paint. Our team completed the painting task right before lunch time, so after our lunch break we transitioned to helping the groups that were building and replacing fences. It was fun to be a part of such a large service project, and we were able to do a ton of work for the National Ability Center.</div>
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The fences our team helped with after lunch.</div>
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These were all the poles we cleaned and repainted.</div>
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The work area for our team. We set the poles up on the saw horses so we could clean and paint them more easily.</div>
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A much more exciting view than the usual sea of cubicles. </div>
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Bear Lake:</div>
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This last weekend we got to take a trip with all of Ruth's family to Bear Lake. Although it has been a few years since the Allreds last took a trip to the lake it used to be an annual tradition. We even got to stay at the same condos at Ideal Beach that have been a big part of the tradition. We made our way up to the lake on Friday evening, and spent the next two days enjoying the beach, playing games, and eating some really good food. </div>
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Getting the paddle boards ready to go.</div>
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Jerry introduces Adelyn to the lake.</div>
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Hannah helping Adelyn find her balance.</div>
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Ruth handling the paddle board like a natural.</div>
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It is kind of hard to tell, but I am the spec on the left. Due to my awesome balancing skills I had to use the paddle board like a canoe to explore the lake. </div>
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None of the pictures do it justice, but the lake was amazingly clear and had an awesome blue color.</div>
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Playing with the beach toys.</div>
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The Toyns getting in some doubles action on the paddle board.</div>
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The Glaussers making it look easy.</div>
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Eating shakes in a covered wagon.</div>
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<span id="goog_2026170603">Like I said before there were a lot of fun things we got to do this summer, but I failed to get pictures. We got to go to Blanding to celebrate the 4th of July which included a parade, an exceptional fireworks display, and eating a new food sensation called the Navajo Philly. While we were in Blanding for the 4th we got to go to the sealing for Meiko, Justin, and their boys. We got to go see some great performances: an outdoor concert at Snowbird, Anne of Aquamarine Gables at the Off Broadway Theater in downtown Salt Lake, and Shrek the Musical at the Murray Park Amphitheater. While we were in Blanding over Labor Day weekend we got to prove once again that all of the girls who married the Crofts boys are a steady shot when Ruth showed off her skills with a .22. I am sure that there are some items that I am forgetting to mention, but a thank you to everyone who helped to make this an eventful and memorable summer!</span>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-36510628664974237622014-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:002014-05-24T18:39:46.382-07:00Celebration in Seattle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just over three years ago Ruth and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple! It was a monumental event in my life, and I cannot possibly recount all the ways that Ruth has been a blessing to me. She has been incredibly patient and loving, and as a gesture of how much I love and appreciate her I planned a trip to Seattle to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. I wanted the trip to be a surprise so I called Ruth's work to get the time scheduled off. I didn't want to risk getting everything planned and paid for only to have Ruth stuck at work. Luckily the lady who does the scheduling for Ruth was very helpful and willing to work with me on getting some days off for her. After I was sure we would both have the time off I began planning and working on the particulars of the trip. It was a little stressful putting everything together, but based on the good time we had I would say the trip was a success. We enjoyed our time away from work and getting to spend so much time together. To our great surprise the weather on this trip was incredible. We were expecting it to rain and be cloudy almost the entire time, but it was sunny and around 70 degrees for the majority of our time in Seattle. Since we had such great weather the whole time, here are some of the things we got to do:</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha92ymJRCky-kNOFL_rcRnih6Mp75TaNN4wEtVtFLt8HePVWvVkOGVK9NCXUW8JKJ54m8Q0CmOWYc4QQdiTqoe7WrQxtC854O-liQAAgqmG0kE8nARUHIXfihkV5PUj4IALsgc9KliMgw_/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+010.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </div>
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Waiting for our plane at the airport.</div>
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We had a pretty interesting flight to Seattle. After we had boarded and the rest of the passengers were making their way on to the plan a man came up and asked if he could take the last seat on our row. He seemed like a nice guy, so we quickly invited him to take the seat. Just before he sat down he said, "I should probably warn you, I never stop talking and I snore." We chuckled thinking he was just breaking the ice with a joke, but he was serious. He never fell asleep, so he may have been kidding about that, but he was right about the talking. He was a nice guy, but he was definitely not shy. He kept on asking questions and since we weren't excited about sharing every single detail of our lives with a complete stranger we had to start ignoring his questions and focusing on other things. By the time we left the plane he had given us all of his contact information and an invite to stay with him in his very environmentally friendly home. He was a nice guy, but we were relieved to part ways after the flight.</div>
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We decided not to rent a car so we rode the light-rail from the airport to downtown. This is our first glimpses of Washington from the train.</div>
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When we got off the train we decided to just walk to our hotel. It was less than a mile away, which wouldn't have been bad, but we did have our luggage with us. This became particularly difficult when we wandered right into Pikes Market Place. It was very crowded and hard to navigate with bags. </div>
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When we finally made it to our hotel, The Marriott Waterfront, we were right on the harbor with an incredible view. </div>
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Thanks to Ruth we got to spend two nights at the Waterfront for a ridiculous rate using her employee discount! After we got settled in we decided to wander around the city for a while, and we made our way up to the Olympic Sculpture Park. There were some very large and unique pieces of art there, but the best feature of the park was the view from its hilltop. The next few photos are the view from the park:</div>
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This giant head looks holographic from out on the harbor.</div>
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There were several benches in the park that looked like eyes.</div>
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Just up the street from our hotel was a cruise terminal, and there was a ship getting ready to set sail. It was an impressive sight!</div>
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One of the aspects of Seattle that I wasn't expecting was how hilly the area was. I thought that since it was so close to the coast it would be a lot flatter. About a block from the shore there was a huge drop-off that led to all of the piers. In order for us to get from our hotel to Pikes Place we would have to climb up several sets of stairs like the one in the picture below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7INRaM2KHnxuKSw_FF-mQQuPsaIYxEHJnKM8jdS34N3KkkfxeDkl-zHtHRML4gzqkpT7AEPvCVsIUJbO-7Jmg5e7yKqoytQmVuFHGFN1JRGNgF5Z1YUQ_IdPCUMRzaJfTS43xwsfP9kG/s1600/337.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7INRaM2KHnxuKSw_FF-mQQuPsaIYxEHJnKM8jdS34N3KkkfxeDkl-zHtHRML4gzqkpT7AEPvCVsIUJbO-7Jmg5e7yKqoytQmVuFHGFN1JRGNgF5Z1YUQ_IdPCUMRzaJfTS43xwsfP9kG/s1600/337.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Luckily we found an elevator at the edge of the drop-off that was right next to our hotel, so we got to avoid the stairs most of the time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLE7SyDmC-oh5TDe0NEmYs8wGZ9IFule6_Lcm86YbAmax2pEYsEydTHL6aoZS1000IZ8-Bbxn44jX5ZxGDS4NuCyAAiuS-Zn9K9tyi2n568v7S4sf4IahROjbUVZsEpmmlLyYCoHI_oRJ/s1600/342.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLE7SyDmC-oh5TDe0NEmYs8wGZ9IFule6_Lcm86YbAmax2pEYsEydTHL6aoZS1000IZ8-Bbxn44jX5ZxGDS4NuCyAAiuS-Zn9K9tyi2n568v7S4sf4IahROjbUVZsEpmmlLyYCoHI_oRJ/s1600/342.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
Between the elevator and Pikes Place was a nice example of the abundant plant life that can be found amongst the buildings downtown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7545vRabpNaxEMWySfHy4R7uRMF3DTmB8c1ePpVw9LrU-nYFV7wmqVH2IwUlubxJd6yLloDbKyno_zkT9Bq9YuexXtOlq3JHbgde_xaBVffeXxKBILv7CtD9DcKBbMp_YAgxnb92tbmL/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7545vRabpNaxEMWySfHy4R7uRMF3DTmB8c1ePpVw9LrU-nYFV7wmqVH2IwUlubxJd6yLloDbKyno_zkT9Bq9YuexXtOlq3JHbgde_xaBVffeXxKBILv7CtD9DcKBbMp_YAgxnb92tbmL/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+020.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> </div>
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This was the side entrance to Pikes Place that was closest to our hotel.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvkcyg_1Dm5_7jqdbaTGYkESkGQdcDGKS-TZTqgkzJHinRjiuj-_fJpgGJ52NzT7MilQOYNeFx2T-e0hEznPZwDibeOxbLMaL6nlYSMo20ctW8UPegQcHMWu-Ik2jmClyGs8tkNRZPHRu/s1600/349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvkcyg_1Dm5_7jqdbaTGYkESkGQdcDGKS-TZTqgkzJHinRjiuj-_fJpgGJ52NzT7MilQOYNeFx2T-e0hEznPZwDibeOxbLMaL6nlYSMo20ctW8UPegQcHMWu-Ik2jmClyGs8tkNRZPHRu/s1600/349.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The legendary fresh seafood of the market.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LPhExfK_EFfEAftDAQNzTe1-6PwpgMEfQIJQtlGkKMcpUz6sL7dNg0EZPJwxTmwIoWapZstzmUyYYWUEnjkP19W3x_hL19iQOJHG_5JO-rwopkmiX2liMcCsawjwlxAPX8t9HzGjZ5Oa/s1600/350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LPhExfK_EFfEAftDAQNzTe1-6PwpgMEfQIJQtlGkKMcpUz6sL7dNg0EZPJwxTmwIoWapZstzmUyYYWUEnjkP19W3x_hL19iQOJHG_5JO-rwopkmiX2liMcCsawjwlxAPX8t9HzGjZ5Oa/s1600/350.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Mom, can imagine making our kabobs with these!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Wq6TtaJ1vFGIXcF_6Dt3xUOR_6Qg5Jgfo2NmHnvDM44UdnFkdmmM6LdINcvlO5owOpYr2lP-QcmQ_yUWFuPkYZb_ID0th32LeK9ThdVBjsUrkWCkyrQluCv7Qdqn2KBXD7KU4nEA4r1/s1600/351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Wq6TtaJ1vFGIXcF_6Dt3xUOR_6Qg5Jgfo2NmHnvDM44UdnFkdmmM6LdINcvlO5owOpYr2lP-QcmQ_yUWFuPkYZb_ID0th32LeK9ThdVBjsUrkWCkyrQluCv7Qdqn2KBXD7KU4nEA4r1/s1600/351.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was always hard not to go through the fresh seafood in the market because it always made me hungry!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9zhd-Sn5G8JSDKSuT8u_z-jqhEPYpAztVAlZ2NJ2_N4Xwm-UY43NsWf8L6zvwR2ugGLfZ8y5OcB_F3UfmjgOAq2iadguYBrauW6G5deCeP5bt_caC3vNZGg1ZTiEM3q59rMCIfBfCu61/s1600/391.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9zhd-Sn5G8JSDKSuT8u_z-jqhEPYpAztVAlZ2NJ2_N4Xwm-UY43NsWf8L6zvwR2ugGLfZ8y5OcB_F3UfmjgOAq2iadguYBrauW6G5deCeP5bt_caC3vNZGg1ZTiEM3q59rMCIfBfCu61/s1600/391.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The restroom signs all over Pikes Place cracked me up. You gotta love the guy running with the baby.</div>
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There were some fun views from the market as well. Once again the next few pictures show the unique mix of nature and civilization that Seattle has to offer:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW_lonztwo0H02wQw7AYRb8iQr-9dJ_Ixe-63P5nigjpD4DELffXd6IGIbuQhg6PhyDG_5iUzxIF8w7VK0fcnsuJQ96o-jUWkQRvXksHet-rrCeId3YX00VqlVD30LoOuQ-JfXeHO1xrW/s1600/338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW_lonztwo0H02wQw7AYRb8iQr-9dJ_Ixe-63P5nigjpD4DELffXd6IGIbuQhg6PhyDG_5iUzxIF8w7VK0fcnsuJQ96o-jUWkQRvXksHet-rrCeId3YX00VqlVD30LoOuQ-JfXeHO1xrW/s1600/338.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUbesEIJdxhDp5GSWEuUiU0TKd9cGUi8qfOrqDaVQRwm2N9uDIJK_iYBxEBZOZdNIs5vD-HbuZh6gnTq6LZ0GmXXn11wdDI1Tz86xfD_x5WgPqBbsbm_N-aN_eoqwwJUMnrCvV-C9HlRS/s1600/339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUbesEIJdxhDp5GSWEuUiU0TKd9cGUi8qfOrqDaVQRwm2N9uDIJK_iYBxEBZOZdNIs5vD-HbuZh6gnTq6LZ0GmXXn11wdDI1Tz86xfD_x5WgPqBbsbm_N-aN_eoqwwJUMnrCvV-C9HlRS/s1600/339.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ekcPhIUwIs07kRt9PAeRhjm3SfqZ2zw3zGkuoL-lzVXzdAIL4MtGtUJgbky-bamxmWqo74mTvrFL6I8ncIsjKj-F5BuEYr_9pD6U0fvu28SCqxCFPHGmVEDSRGa2kqj-18GH0pxFxkl_/s1600/346.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ekcPhIUwIs07kRt9PAeRhjm3SfqZ2zw3zGkuoL-lzVXzdAIL4MtGtUJgbky-bamxmWqo74mTvrFL6I8ncIsjKj-F5BuEYr_9pD6U0fvu28SCqxCFPHGmVEDSRGa2kqj-18GH0pxFxkl_/s1600/346.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQPf_xgbwfjYcZiTYNUtYYltnE6GbpBYxoVihG1vhYvT463vqb_6wEUox64dfCKV7hRwXZkPvDOH4MZtW0jk8K0jUDEDTIcV7s_yy7df-W8xAR2ZU-_udCN3hR-3ktrUwF7p4fsBL5PeB/s1600/348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQPf_xgbwfjYcZiTYNUtYYltnE6GbpBYxoVihG1vhYvT463vqb_6wEUox64dfCKV7hRwXZkPvDOH4MZtW0jk8K0jUDEDTIcV7s_yy7df-W8xAR2ZU-_udCN3hR-3ktrUwF7p4fsBL5PeB/s1600/348.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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We spent a lot of time wandering around Pikes Place. It seemed like every time we went there we would find something new. It was a labyrinth of shops, vendors, and restaurants. For two of the mornings we were there we went and ate at a couple of bakeries.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjCsrHW_JyVDm7XR9fSrETi2jRgCgNF75oEk_1e8mg8HJWwtFWtJGFCaiCDQ9YXnQ7NRB62DW2AJBXkf6Qk2nCoGO4aX-mDNI1iAc9o7r2aylCLXiLyVMYBHhsXjXChDRwurjFZ-sPCoj/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjCsrHW_JyVDm7XR9fSrETi2jRgCgNF75oEk_1e8mg8HJWwtFWtJGFCaiCDQ9YXnQ7NRB62DW2AJBXkf6Qk2nCoGO4aX-mDNI1iAc9o7r2aylCLXiLyVMYBHhsXjXChDRwurjFZ-sPCoj/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+023.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first morning we ate at Piroshky, Piroshky an authentic Russian Bakery. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLRW35J1orkbHLHmTleoxP9_iugcOg633CbPHvmwEpJ-960jeMakRHQnKS0z4QXm5XtbOYPISN7BPWVeEqsJ6HMSn7pW7khzAgPg7tBRcw5-WyOZmq9BjK7wX8ni0lBetNd74QopH6Asl/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+024.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLRW35J1orkbHLHmTleoxP9_iugcOg633CbPHvmwEpJ-960jeMakRHQnKS0z4QXm5XtbOYPISN7BPWVeEqsJ6HMSn7pW7khzAgPg7tBRcw5-WyOZmq9BjK7wX8ni0lBetNd74QopH6Asl/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+024.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Similar to a lot of the eateries in Pikes Place, you could watch them making the goods they were selling that day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gEocvKji369P7rDI30gmGr8GXYv3lXRDPWAIWTWbK9q1YblUBmx8Zq4V7PUNedsP7hMTYuqXZaqgvQiOqT90ietYiFpEul_IvvoaJGQW_fDU66pERSioeJvoQD1TfOkfo03Ng7Ghy5BH/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gEocvKji369P7rDI30gmGr8GXYv3lXRDPWAIWTWbK9q1YblUBmx8Zq4V7PUNedsP7hMTYuqXZaqgvQiOqT90ietYiFpEul_IvvoaJGQW_fDU66pERSioeJvoQD1TfOkfo03Ng7Ghy5BH/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+026.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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A big problem with a lot of the food vendors in the market was that there was limited to no seating. We did manage to find a nice area just outside of Pikes Place with plenty of seating and a nice view of the harbor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOyRtqr_YEOeGgBu0oMF5EuEeQM_mZ8ST6lMlLj6R_6mBP_1_DPAqwo9c0KlqWw0C0odSbQ-W7I3LH8928QVJfxSxZ97MMBvdcF-LFu2ii2zawp48yh__rZ-il-Lc6K5cozmHt7pGUK7y/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOyRtqr_YEOeGgBu0oMF5EuEeQM_mZ8ST6lMlLj6R_6mBP_1_DPAqwo9c0KlqWw0C0odSbQ-W7I3LH8928QVJfxSxZ97MMBvdcF-LFu2ii2zawp48yh__rZ-il-Lc6K5cozmHt7pGUK7y/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+027.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was the chocolate hazelnut pastry I got from Piroshky, Piroshky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_D7VVNOLWQYiDkQ_KXirXZXgVgqipZ7L6NfmBPLRNGjqxEaAbEeq38zRyrlAnVdi69-iPGrh0t_-yYjVONz-48a6CE76SGTL3sTaq9UUFltV0yijR7aQpJNeyY8ii2LI0BkOoMjvsivo_/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_D7VVNOLWQYiDkQ_KXirXZXgVgqipZ7L6NfmBPLRNGjqxEaAbEeq38zRyrlAnVdi69-iPGrh0t_-yYjVONz-48a6CE76SGTL3sTaq9UUFltV0yijR7aQpJNeyY8ii2LI0BkOoMjvsivo_/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+028.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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True to the name of the bakery we had to also try a piroshky. It was a meat filled pastry that Ruth comically compared to a Russian Hot Pocket.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bvXXgHZgppdqxkOZI9BVq7wW98mzRH62yImHQnPQCWBaDQF4kGUO8kf9B89eDXMPa9QA-Nw3vc7wOwu7HXtqpzuiwJ1U0SWbO48TszbtK1lGOxPw0k1DR0kfrO8zdGKX_iNGfZCUPloc/s1600/345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bvXXgHZgppdqxkOZI9BVq7wW98mzRH62yImHQnPQCWBaDQF4kGUO8kf9B89eDXMPa9QA-Nw3vc7wOwu7HXtqpzuiwJ1U0SWbO48TszbtK1lGOxPw0k1DR0kfrO8zdGKX_iNGfZCUPloc/s1600/345.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
There was also a cool totem pole in the seating area we found.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2tPw43ymoZZzc4EW5VLuB_k-C7RuYWTBrOKyrZly6pvmzcLl5GMcOOogHhSuqH3ufkZotwcw_bQQ4E0AINTal_BnvOQIjJegJttZkVxE5yzmqkR3olC7psLFs9dyZYJtYiWQ9GcQT807/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+049.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2tPw43ymoZZzc4EW5VLuB_k-C7RuYWTBrOKyrZly6pvmzcLl5GMcOOogHhSuqH3ufkZotwcw_bQQ4E0AINTal_BnvOQIjJegJttZkVxE5yzmqkR3olC7psLFs9dyZYJtYiWQ9GcQT807/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+049.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other morning we tried a French bakery call Le Panier. You can see the chocolate and almond croissant and the sandwich made on fresh baked bread that we ordered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrk9GrlRKG5GoXEbP77iPmacz9JBW5gWJrwqc7mzn_Swacczpj3KsYema4c-9VG97hGQ6OwjmhwO9m8E2RLnprLbyKuofhfMvZg8zglLlYPEtMHiEYZM81jW2Bg4EMZE0QPVJ3y5UZE6g/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+050.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrk9GrlRKG5GoXEbP77iPmacz9JBW5gWJrwqc7mzn_Swacczpj3KsYema4c-9VG97hGQ6OwjmhwO9m8E2RLnprLbyKuofhfMvZg8zglLlYPEtMHiEYZM81jW2Bg4EMZE0QPVJ3y5UZE6g/s1600/Seattle+May+2014+050.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> </div>
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Ruth looking stunning as usual.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLie6eCBIcrQb4KD5XREX-f7UxjePQUHFRWlIxjipli5BzqZARt5tmrvKH5-20L350JiN5lQ-1_0FgkNf2tKysRqjL6rs2Q4zEkXPPV718HYutgjaqqGTo-TXDrnP15T-03yq_WGaDIpoA/s1600/320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLie6eCBIcrQb4KD5XREX-f7UxjePQUHFRWlIxjipli5BzqZARt5tmrvKH5-20L350JiN5lQ-1_0FgkNf2tKysRqjL6rs2Q4zEkXPPV718HYutgjaqqGTo-TXDrnP15T-03yq_WGaDIpoA/s1600/320.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Aside from the market there was also a fun spot on the pier called Miners Landing. There was a cool ferris wheel called the Seattle Great Wheel. It has climate controlled cars to make for an enjoyable experience in any weather.</div>
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We found Scuttle hanging out on the pier. He was very photogenic.</div>
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A nice view of Miners Landing.</div>
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The only piece of seafood we saw the entire trip that wasn't fresh.</div>
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Ruth getting acquainted with the locals.</div>
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Then there is this goober.</div>
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Miners Landing</div>
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Miners Landing.</div>
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We also got to go and explore the Seattle Aquarium. There was a lot of fun things to see inside the building, but there was also a school group there as well so it was kind of a madhouse. We did get to watch them feed a giant octopus which was pretty cool, but after that we headed for the outdoor areas to get away from some of the noise.</div>
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One really cool feature of the aquarium is that a lot of the sea creature they house are native to the waters in Elliot Bay and Puget Sound. So to better accommodate the fish they pump water directly from the harbor directly into and out of their tanks.</div>
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Ruth's favorite thing to see at aquariums is always the sea otters. Lucky for her there was some very active sea otter to watch:</div>
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The exception of active otters was this guy. He was pretty content to not move much at all.</div>
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Another highlight of the trip was getting to go on a harbor tour. The tour guide had lots of fun information, and the tour provided lots of great views.</div>
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After our harbor tour we were ready to grab some lunch. Ruth had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe, and there happened to be one a couple of blocks from the harbor. We got to the cafe and saw that they had opened a rooftop terrace. We thought it would be fun to eat out on the roof and enjoy the view. We got to do just that, but it was a little different than we were expecting. I think the rooftop terrace was meant to be more of a bar/lounge area, but since we were naive we had lunch up there anyway. It did turn out nice to have lunch in our private little cabana:</div>
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For our last night in Seattle we needed to switch hotels because there was no availability at the Waterfront Marriott for the employee discount. We switched to a new hotel which turned out to be to our advantage because it put us a lot closer to the attractions we were still trying to get to. It put us really close to the City Center which is where the Space Needle is located. This view out of our room window should give an idea of how close to the Space Needle we were: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDuUoJzvFyGM7FXYJknrP9JTX-tqRKmMTWYZGdVDE3L8aOIZmCmDktF9LEzX5BDGedPDpVDt2tG1pYnMgB51fFfhBOdBsooGCHscJ0NfYVmRm11atr2_sOxNWd5cudniStWz7PNaXNbY4/s1600/397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDuUoJzvFyGM7FXYJknrP9JTX-tqRKmMTWYZGdVDE3L8aOIZmCmDktF9LEzX5BDGedPDpVDt2tG1pYnMgB51fFfhBOdBsooGCHscJ0NfYVmRm11atr2_sOxNWd5cudniStWz7PNaXNbY4/s1600/397.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> </div>
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Another fun attraction we got to see on our trip was the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum. There was a lot of cool memorabilia from famous artists to look at and a lot of music history outlined. They also had an exhibit that they called SkyChurch. It had a massive screen that was playing music videos. The size of the room and the screen made it fun to experience the music videos they were playing. It was also cool because it seems like they were playing music across all ages and genres. There was also stations inside the museum that allowed visitors to experiment with different musical instruments. We got to play on everything from drums, guitars, and keyboards to sound boards and turn tables. While all of the music exhibits were fun, Ruth and I quickly discovered how out of the loop we are with the music scene. There was a lot of stuff that neither of us had ever heard of. We also had a rude awakening at how nerdy we are at heart. There was some non-music related exhibits that were way more fun for us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq2PjjgL5QXUIep6m6FjO4tGu3cxVgcLmPBOXJ2H-9Q9y58vj0s1oAzC3I0G16NuhSyIJS6_Sj8BZG0wacKQTVy5vG3yERHDvgk_m1iOzMS0CN1pXeS0Oed8BTYl9uUO2fIAXng9C4fys/s1600/398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq2PjjgL5QXUIep6m6FjO4tGu3cxVgcLmPBOXJ2H-9Q9y58vj0s1oAzC3I0G16NuhSyIJS6_Sj8BZG0wacKQTVy5vG3yERHDvgk_m1iOzMS0CN1pXeS0Oed8BTYl9uUO2fIAXng9C4fys/s1600/398.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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There was a lego architecture exhibit that showed many famous skyscrapers from across the globe that had been re-created in legos.</div>
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There was also a Fantasy exhibit that had displays associated with the fantasy genre of books and movies. There were props from movies like the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Wizard of Oz, and the Princess Bride. There was also a kiosk in the exhibit that allowed you to create characters. Ruth and I now have alternate identities:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzffD_TPMke9mr_-VoFd2-_DL1Gc1l685Rw_x9I2Uah-fmF5T6pGNI1JDzuzfp_97aXgYmbJQjd5qkI7Co-3nKJJNl7fnaLuCbKpXhLT80DoAbwKzrUsbHYBCF2nUAyWkBNOKHUtIZnZhp/s1600/402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzffD_TPMke9mr_-VoFd2-_DL1Gc1l685Rw_x9I2Uah-fmF5T6pGNI1JDzuzfp_97aXgYmbJQjd5qkI7Co-3nKJJNl7fnaLuCbKpXhLT80DoAbwKzrUsbHYBCF2nUAyWkBNOKHUtIZnZhp/s1600/402.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDRCaz3nZEjE2f-7QLPNZbAIsdqTEgDuHmKtmQWofB8-AgQBtudEi6UMx_bZSP4yQulFn2XbrlaQLoQn3xpg8l2stp_lJmvD5Ul__BjNQOLoeoYQgTGsHIpHj2Vso-tqiUp2UG7yceU_m/s1600/404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDRCaz3nZEjE2f-7QLPNZbAIsdqTEgDuHmKtmQWofB8-AgQBtudEi6UMx_bZSP4yQulFn2XbrlaQLoQn3xpg8l2stp_lJmvD5Ul__BjNQOLoeoYQgTGsHIpHj2Vso-tqiUp2UG7yceU_m/s1600/404.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Another non-music exhibit at the EMP Museum was the Icons of Science Fiction. There were a lot of cool movie props and costumes from some pretty big Sci-Fi titles. Here are a few of our favorites:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrt1ET-ecTSdKR-mdc2f0NqTz9bgN3TDJI3wT27362oILCufIHmge92RSD2VIeJdpNuayZEySu9P9RauWhfl4KswtINeXx6D9Ari9R9H4iggwN00e5jLyGJJJqfmS4BZaQijrBnzi_HBb/s1600/406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrt1ET-ecTSdKR-mdc2f0NqTz9bgN3TDJI3wT27362oILCufIHmge92RSD2VIeJdpNuayZEySu9P9RauWhfl4KswtINeXx6D9Ari9R9H4iggwN00e5jLyGJJJqfmS4BZaQijrBnzi_HBb/s1600/406.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Darth Vaders light saber from the original movies!</div>
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Yoda's cane!</div>
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An early Superman costume.</div>
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A big blaster from Men In Black</div>
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Another gun from Men In Black</div>
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For any Trekies out there that is Data's uniform.</div>
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On our anniversary we had reservations at the SkyCity restaurant on top of the Seattle Space Needle. I don't know if Ruth will agree with me on this, but I think this was the highlight of our trip. We had :dinner reservations at 7:15, which worked out great because we got to see the city before and after sunset. I know none of these pictures will do it justice, but here is a glimpse into the incredible view that accompanied our dining experience:</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggGI8GupV78Uz2I06xOiFAYzz_rzyYB6KG_nHmIaBw_3HemRjTjYaNl-XTJay8YhM72wkNagvxl-5d4KIssFxirUdxHKaPpnBvuBgkIcc2S73LIVde_1y_jCdNsdvVFBn0DiXXfojMivv/s1600/416.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></div>
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This is Key Arena, which is where the Seattle Supersonics used to play.</div>
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I believe this is Lake Union.</div>
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If you expand these images you can see Mt. Rainier.</div>
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I ordered the American Kobe Beef Tenderloin. It was easily the most tender piece of beef I have ever eaten. It was so tender that it was difficult to cut!</div>
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Ruth ordered the Jidori Chicken. It was a free range chicken that was butter poached, and stuffed with smoked mozzarella and speck. It was served with a side of baby fettuccine with spinach and asparagus.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaqjqN-gdWgg-DXes3vZD9nlKcEhxrjjy-RenGLPZZ4a9arKg9KvwYEYa1qpmtpf4iR2UxOB75RDpnp17gKw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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You will have to forgive the awesome conversation that accompanies this video, but I wanted to show our desert, the Lunar Orbiter. It is an ice cream sundae that is served in a dish that has dry ice in the base to create the smoke effect. </div>
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One of the last major attractions we went to was the Science Center. There were a lot of fun thing to see, but we were running out of time before we had to head to the airport. The one area we spent quite a bit of time in was the butterfly exhibit.</div>
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This butterfly was working its way out of the cocoon.</div>
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We made one final trip to the Space Needle observation deck before heading to the airport: </div>
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Ruth waving goodbye to Seattle.</div>
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<span id="goog_1433942129"></span><span id="goog_1433942130"></span><span id="goog_1733744454"></span><span id="goog_1733744455"></span>The Great Salt Lake from the plane ride home.</div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-81011178489659748642013-11-27T18:59:00.000-08:002013-11-27T18:59:34.235-08:00From the Mountains to the Ocean........After a little bit of a drought, Ruth and I had a week with a couple of awesome adventures. On Saturday the 16th Snowbird was doing a food drive, and everyone who made a donation to the food drive was given a ticket to ride the tram. So we grabbed some canned goods and headed up the mountain. While it was a little chilly on top of the mountain, the views more than made up for the runny nose. I will let the pictures speak for this adventure.<br />
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We had a miniature adventure between our ascent up the mountain and our trip. We got to go to La Caille for Dillard's annual fragrance night. I guess Ruth's mom has been going to this event for several years, but this was the first time that the event has been held at La Caille. I wasn't very excited about the fragrances, but I have been to La Caille a bunch of times and always enjoy the atmosphere there. We had an enjoyable time at the event but we were all sure that nothing was going to smell right for a week because of all the strong fragrances that were in the air. <br />
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The next adventure came the next day, and was completely unplanned. Ruth's mom, who works for Jet Blue, said that they were adding an extra flight between Long Beach and Salt Lake for the week of Thanksgiving. Adding the extra flight made more room for stand-by flights, so Ruth and I, Marianne, Jerry, and Rachel decided we should make a trip to California. So we caught the 6:30 am flight to Long Beach and had a blast. Ruth and I decided to go and spend the day at Disneyland. Ruth's parents and Rachel wanted to go to the beach and go to an art museum, so we didn't see them for the rest of the day. We opted for the park hopper passes and got to enjoy the rides from California Adventure and Disneyland. It was a lot of fun being in Disneyland together again because it brought back a lot of good memories. We had gone to Disneyland with Ruth's family just before we got married. The big changes to the parks since we had been last were Cars Land, and a new version of Star Tours. The parks, including the fireworks display, were sporting a Christmas theme. There was even some fake snow along with the fireworks. We stayed in the park until about 11:00 pm, so I think we got our moneys worth.<br />
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The next day we had breakfast at the hotel, and headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach with Rachel. Marianne and Jerry wanted one more chance to go to the beach, so they chose not to join us at the aquarium. I was honestly surprised at how much fun we had at the aquarium. Once again I will let the pictures tell most of the story, but there were a few things I didn't get pictures of so you will just have to use your imagination. The first unexpected surprise was getting to touch jellyfish. I didn't know that you could touch jellyfish without getting stung, but the ones they had there weren't strong enough to have their sting felt. A little boy who worked for the aquarium told us that the jellyfish we were touching could sting, but it wasn't strong enough to penetrate human skin. Although the jellyfish looked transparent they were surprisingly solid to the touch. The second thing that just amazed me was some shark eggs at the aquarium. We were looking in a tank that had baby sharks and noticed that they had several shark eggs floating in the water. There was also four or five sharks eggs pressed up against the glass that had been opened up so you could see inside. At first I thought they weren't live sharks in the eggs, but there was. You could see the developing sharks moving, and each egg had a hatch date below it. I didn't think it was possible to open up the egg like that without killing the shark inside, but apparently they can.We also saw a sea otter who was stuck on spin cycle. It was cleaning itself so it just kept spinning in place so that it could brush up against the rocks in the tank. The last noteworthy thing at the aquarium that I didn't get a picture of was the flashlight fish. They could glow in the dark, how awesome is that?<br />
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After the aquarium we headed for the airport. It was kind of a quick trip, but we got to do a lot in the short time we were there. Now that you have taken the time to read through my ramblings, here is your reward, the pictures:<br />
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Snowbird Tram </h2>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Fragrance Night at La Caille </h2>
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Ruth displaying her big purchase</div>
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La Caille all lit up for Christmas!</div>
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The whole crew enjoying the festivities</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
DISNEYLAND </h2>
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Chipper, but a little loopy for our 6:30 am flight</div>
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Flying above the clouds</div>
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Ruth ready to start the day</div>
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The Tower of Terror</div>
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Monsters University</div>
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The scariest Monster of all!</div>
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Ruth outside of Soarin' Over California</div>
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Front row seats on California Screamin'</div>
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Radiator Springs in Cars Land</div>
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The 8 & 3/4 wonder of the world</div>
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The winning car! The other car didn't stand a chance.</div>
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There were carolers getting everyone into the holiday spirit </div>
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Ya, we're cool like that</div>
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Front row on Space Mountain</div>
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Easily my favorite ride in Disneyland</div>
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The castle all decorated for Christmas</div>
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Ruth enjoying a break from the action</div>
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Giving into Ruth's wishes to get pictures of me too</div>
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Not the best picture, but this is for you Shirl</div>
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The next set of photos are all from the Lego store. I couldn't believe how incredible the statues were</div>
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Yes, that is a Lego dragon on the roof</div>
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Me sizing up the hulk. He wasn't too tall, but he was as solid as a..... BRICK!</div>
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Gandalf the Grey meets Ruth the Grey</div>
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The castle lit up for the fireworks show</div>
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This Christmas tree was gigantic!</div>
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The Aquarium</h2>
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A chambered Nautilus. This looked like a giant shrimp with no beginning and no end</div>
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Two enthusiastic tour guides</div>
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The giant Google Earth display found Blanding</div>
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Could that be my house?</div>
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A big ol' frog</div>
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A very bright poisonous frog</div>
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Jack Sparrow seems to have misplaced his escape sea turtle</div>
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Sting Ray cruising by</div>
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A model of a Blue Whale</div>
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Yes, I got to touch a bamboo shark!</div>
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I felt like a kid in a candy store</div>
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I played with the sharks for like 15 minutes</div>
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Rachel with her favorite, the Sting Ray, and Ruth with her favorite, the sea otter</div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-69234993670510297302013-07-20T08:53:00.000-07:002013-07-20T08:53:40.700-07:00Awesome Work & An Awesome WifeMy last post about the Stadium of Fire was made possible by my current employer, Squire and Company. Not only have they been providing an awesome work/educational experience, they keep providing awesome extracurricular opportunities as well. Yesterday Ruth and I had the opportunity to go to Deer Creek Reservoir with the audit department for a boating activity. I worked up to lunch time and then grabbed a quick bite to eat and picked up Ruth. Since we didn't want to have to bring both cars down into Orem, Ruth took the frontrunner train. I haven't had the chance to ride the train, but Ruth said she thoroughly enjoyed it. After a quick drive up Provo Canyon we arrived at the reservoir and had a blast on the water.<br />
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When I first heard that we were doing a boating activity I had assumed we would be on a boat owned by one of the partners of the firm, but that wasn't quite the case. The father of one of the ladies I work with owns a boat dealership, so we got to borrow his demo boat. From what I understand he usually gets a really nice boat at the start of the summer to demo and then sells it at the end of the summer. This year someone had already purchased the demo boat, so he had to get a new one. As a result we got to spend the afternoon in a 2014 MasterCraft X10! As if getting a boat that new wasn't shocking enough, we were also the first ones to get to take it out on the water. The X10 has seating for 14 people and has about every luxury you could ever want on a boat. We were told from our dealership connection, Jessica, that it was a $79,000 boat! Although I have a couple of pictures of the boat, if you want to get a better look you can follow this link <a href="http://www.mastercraft.com/boat/detail/x10">http://www.mastercraft.com/boat/detail/x10</a>. <br />
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Once we got out on the water we started with some knee boarding. After watching a few people participate, Ruth and I decided to give it a try. I think Ruth got pretty close to getting up on one of our runs, but I didn't ever even get close. It was surprisingly hard to try and pull yourself up to a kneeling position. After everyone had a chance to knee board, we filled up a giant water bladder on one side of the boat to make it lean to one side. We did this so the boat would make a bigger wake on that side and create a ride-able wave. The wave was used so people could surf behind the boat. Once again, after watching a few people take a turn, Ruth and I decided to give it a try. I was pretty horrible at this as well, and never made it all the way up. Ruth on the other hand, was a natural! She got the hang of it really quickly and took off with it. Seeing her do so well with it just made me realize that there is one more thing that makes her AWESOME! <br />
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After boating for a few hours we headed back to shore for a barbeque. We got to partake of some delicious burgers, chips, salads, fruit, and dessert. It was the perfect cap to a fun day out on the water. Ruth and I headed for home after dinner even though some people went back out for one more run on the boat. We were starting to burn a bit, so we decided to call it quits. As always, here is the good part, the pictures. This time there is a bonus video with Ruth rocking the surf board!<br />
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Ruth's frontrunner train.</div>
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Driving up the canyon.</div>
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Almost there.....</div>
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Deer Creek Reservoir!</div>
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Our Cadillac of the water.......</div>
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The MasterCraft X10!</div>
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Ruth getting in position to surf.</div>
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Pulling herself up.</div>
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She's up and smiling.</div>
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Cutting through the reservoir.</div>
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Having a blast!</div>
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A focused champion.</div>
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Doing what I do best, not falling out of the boat.</div>
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<span id="goog_327239487"></span><span id="goog_327239488">Getting close to the surfing sensation.</span></div>
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The Grand Finale: Ruth in ACTION</div>
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homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-324205374369539742013-07-07T19:04:00.000-07:002013-07-07T19:04:45.483-07:00Celebrating a Year of Silence & Independence Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my favorite things about holidays is that they are an annual occurrence. Once a year we get to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, important historical and religious events, and now an annual update to my blog! I am a little embarrassed to think of all the significant events that have come and gone in the last year, and I haven't even mentioned a single one. I guess I could chalk this one up to being very busy, but honestly it is probably linked more closely to laziness and procrastination. So for any who thought I dropped off the face of the earth, here is a quick update on where life has taken Ruth and I. I have been working on my Masters of Accountancy (Macc) at SUU for the last school year. I actually walked for that degree in May, but I had two classes to take in the summer to finish. I took care of one of the two classes with May-mester. I am currently working on my final class for my Macc, which bring us to our current location. I am working as an intern at Squire and Company in Orem for my final credits. To facilitate this, Ruth and I have moved from Cedar City to South Jordan. We were very sad to leave all the friends and memories behind in Cedar. We both had some great years there. Now we are living with Ruth's parents until we figure out the job situation. I am hoping that the internship will turn into a full-time position, but we are waiting to see how that goes. </div>
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That brief background takes us out of the things that shouldn't be done annually (updating a blog) to the things that should be done annually (celebrating the 4th of July). We had desperately hoped to get to Blanding for the 4th, but those plans didn't quite come through. Luckily, work provided a good back-up plan for us. I was at work on Tuesday morning when I got an email saying that Squire had received a few extra tickets for the Stadium of Fire (Squire is one of the sponsors for the Freedom Festival, which includes the Stadium of Fire). It turned my day around because I was feeling pretty bummed about not being able to be with my family on the 4th. This year the show featured performers from Cirque du Soleil, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Kelly Clarkson. The performers from Cirque du Soleil were amazing and made me want to go see a full performance down in Vegas. It was unreal watching some of their stunts. Both of artists brought a lot of hype and energy, which made them fun to watch. Kelly Clarkson was a lot more fun for me because I knew her songs, and she has an amazing voice. As if all that wasn't good enough, the fireworks display at the end was phenomenal. Like I said earlier, it was a downer not to get to be in Blanding, but the Stadium of Fire definitely made it easier to bear. I didn't get very many pictures from the event, but here are a few.</div>
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The stage set-up for the show.</div>
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This just shows how close to the field we were. Our tickets were for the 10th row (Thank you Squire)! </div>
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My cute wife! </div>
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Possibly my favorite part of the show. </div>
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Not sure why Ruth was trying to put her finger in my mouth, but it made for a fun picture. </div>
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At the start of the show they had someone skydive into the stadium with a big flag. </div>
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The dancers did a number with giant Slinkys. It reminded me of something you would see on Toy Story. </div>
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Who needs lighters when you have cell phones. There was a rendition of Lean on Me that was sung for a presentation tied to the Wounded Warrior Project, and the entire stadium was lit up with flashlight apps. It was a pretty cool sight. </div>
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I wanted to get a picture of Kelly signing, but as you can see my phone wasn't quite up to the task.</div>
homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-78135077316621667032012-07-07T22:41:00.002-07:002012-07-07T22:41:57.574-07:00A Sweltering Celestial CelebrationToday Ruth and I got to be part of a very special event for our friend Amy, as we got to attend her marriage in the St. George Temple. It was so great to see one of our good friends take this important step in life, and reach such an important milestone in the gospel. I also enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on our marriage and the blessings of being an eternal family. I consider myself very lucky to have Ruth in my life and know that if we can live the right way, we will never be separated. It is very humbling to contemplate the blessings that are available to us as we keep our covenants and honor those who will help us achieve the highest blessings that can be bestowed upon us. As kind of a fun side story, it was fun to attend a sealing in the same temple that my parents were married in. Well, after witnessing a very nice ceremony, we all gathered outside the temple to congratulate the newly weds and take a few photos. We were all huddling under whatever shade we could find, as it was a real scorcher in St. George, but it was fun to be a part of all the festivities. After all the photos were taken, we went to a church a few blocks from the temple for a nice luncheon. When the luncheon was over, Ruth and I went to Target to kill some time until the reception. We would have just headed back for Cedar but the reception was in New Harmony, and we didn't want to have to do any back tracking. When we were leaving St. George, just before 6 PM, the thermostat in my car read 107 degrees! It made me wonder how hot it was when we were taking all the pictures. Anyway, this trip to New Harmony was a first for both of us, and we thought it was a very nice little community. It was interesting to see where a fire that happened last month had come so close to some of the homes there. On a lighter note though, we enjoyed having one more chance to congratulate Amy and Dan, and to thank them for letting us take part in their big day. As always here is the best part of my posts, when I quit boring everyone to death and show some pictures. Enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Morris</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bride and groom rocking some old school Converse kicks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth and the bride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the bride (with Amy giving one of her classic poses).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of the individual box lunches that each guest received at the luncheon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two favorite treats from the vast desert offerings at the luncheon, a cheesecake cup and macadamia cookie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't want to put this picture on because it looks like I am dying, but I was laughing because DaNae just pulled mine and Dillons chairs in so nobody had to move in close for the picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara and Val enjoying the luncheon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We may not be the bride and groom, but what an awesome couple!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-89488515417226637142012-06-19T17:01:00.000-07:002012-06-19T17:01:11.683-07:00A Magically Extended BirthdayWhen that time of year rolls around for another birthday and you get that chance to celebrate by relaxing and being spoiled by loved ones, do you ever wish that it could last a little longer? If only there was a genie that could magically keep the party going. Well, I hope that is what Ruth was thinking as we continued her birthday celebration yesterday in St. George. As part of Ruth's birthday this year, I gave her an IOU for a trip to see a show at Tuacahn. I wanted to just give her tickets, but I didn't want to chance getting them for a day when one of us had to work. So yesterday we drove down to St. George and enjoyed a nice dinner at Outback. I went with my usual Outback sirloin, but this time I tried the sweet potato fries, and they were awesome. Ruth ordered a dish of Mahi Mahi, with veggies and rice that was very tasty. After dinner we took a few minutes to browse through the outlets. We wound up finding a shirt Ruth had been looking for at Down East, and I found some clearance polos. Happy with our successful shopping run, we made our way out to the Tuacahn theater to watch their broadway production of Aladdin. I think we both really enjoyed the show. There was lots of great music, dancing, 3D effects, and pyrotechnics. We even had great weather for the show. It was a little hot in the beginning, but it progressively got cooler and more pleasant. The show got out pretty late, so we didn't make it back to Cedar until just after 1:00 am, but it was worth it. I was just happy to have another chance to spoil Ruth a little, and remind her how much I love and appreciate her. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into the theater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyLG5pzOV8A-XBg9bHebDl83H7cJYG6D1nrxUr1NcaWbQy_3W8GhHnMrmXnCtJ9g7eGC1HThDuulhb0WT0_Vsat4gWZJ-l5z-vF3JFkfZSsRXX9nwqMRKGYw1qc1m5f6MSG7RiEvsS8m3/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyLG5pzOV8A-XBg9bHebDl83H7cJYG6D1nrxUr1NcaWbQy_3W8GhHnMrmXnCtJ9g7eGC1HThDuulhb0WT0_Vsat4gWZJ-l5z-vF3JFkfZSsRXX9nwqMRKGYw1qc1m5f6MSG7RiEvsS8m3/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth with the stars of the show.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8TJwrMAJnrCra6v9USLdEVKgGorXLBsKXp6d_c6HnYqEc2p54_0Cy7rlVgcQC_ouIm1OhckeiOI_dCkARg1Avsl5bQQWjBEYfAE9orI70F7PWgUcqJ7kWwyF3dGEPltdzl7LEZf6lbTd/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8TJwrMAJnrCra6v9USLdEVKgGorXLBsKXp6d_c6HnYqEc2p54_0Cy7rlVgcQC_ouIm1OhckeiOI_dCkARg1Avsl5bQQWjBEYfAE9orI70F7PWgUcqJ7kWwyF3dGEPltdzl7LEZf6lbTd/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing out my 3D glasses before the show started.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-85879792215317261852012-05-27T18:57:00.000-07:002012-05-27T18:57:36.596-07:00Milestones and PebblesIt has certainly been a long time since I have posted anything, so needless to say I am a little overdue. Since there is too much ground to cover to try and tell everything that has been going on, I will focus on a couple of milestones, and maybe a pebble or two also. The first big milestone that I need to mention is graduating from SUU. After a lot of stress and hard work, I am proud to say that I finally eanred my Bachelors Degree in Accounting. I graduated as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (a business honors society) and Magna Cum Laude (signifies a final GPA between 3.6-3.8). To help celebrate the occassion my parents, Ruths parents, and Ruths sister Hannah came to Cedar City. They all endured two ceremonies (which is more than I would have asked for) one for the general university, and later a ceremony just for the School of Business. Between the two ceremonies we took the chance to enjoy a delicious lunch at the Garden House. It made the day much more special to have so many loved ones close by to enjoy the success with me, so thanks to all who came and those who wanted to be here but couldn't be. Just after the second ceremony Ruths family headed back to Salt Lake. Luckily my parents were able to stay the whole weekend. The day after graduation, my Dad and I went and played a little golf while Ruth, bravely, went shopping with Mom. Later we all went to St. George, where the men and the women were separated once again. Dad and I went and saw the Avengers, which was amazing, while Ruth and Mom did some more shopping. Before we headed back to Cedar we had a nice dinner at the Cracker Barrel. The following morning my parents headed back to Blanding. Here are a few pictures of the big day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4MscifOBlg-B8Lyp2A8tzEh5AWd9HJ22M0VtVGjeDqJk8h7r-SwitZKgGObZUapWM_E6XEd3zX9NRv8mRvG-JLEB4m8vCGRIwZb-zYk79U5XjiX5XjQDJZsr3JHUo9dfVK6t56hb6FEz/s1600/220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4MscifOBlg-B8Lyp2A8tzEh5AWd9HJ22M0VtVGjeDqJk8h7r-SwitZKgGObZUapWM_E6XEd3zX9NRv8mRvG-JLEB4m8vCGRIwZb-zYk79U5XjiX5XjQDJZsr3JHUo9dfVK6t56hb6FEz/s320/220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the ceremony.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlentw40Y1o1qoqVb3BeGo0cm2XGVBMmxnTsFv3HIiXL9au4bCmu77MdehyphenhyphenNqiKP8xf5JMpyqBcx1wIcbSlSe0ot-4dA15SzwofEmAmwLD2c7BDoherxXG4iW6YeZUhtU4XRSym2ZpbQW/s1600/227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlentw40Y1o1qoqVb3BeGo0cm2XGVBMmxnTsFv3HIiXL9au4bCmu77MdehyphenhyphenNqiKP8xf5JMpyqBcx1wIcbSlSe0ot-4dA15SzwofEmAmwLD2c7BDoherxXG4iW6YeZUhtU4XRSym2ZpbQW/s320/227.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The general university ceremony.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqkxuH8GQ3Dq1dzY7zoD71eN5rJ5kABxfnRHs4EthDkmTRt1q2Blttv_NSUQe9hCDQNB8bfMFALC2YO-agDfWy3Ze0X4GnO2vbFhvP5TmPG-RtRdnTACBhU-JAQ0qRz4S9lVsJv4-a_3b/s1600/229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqkxuH8GQ3Dq1dzY7zoD71eN5rJ5kABxfnRHs4EthDkmTRt1q2Blttv_NSUQe9hCDQNB8bfMFALC2YO-agDfWy3Ze0X4GnO2vbFhvP5TmPG-RtRdnTACBhU-JAQ0qRz4S9lVsJv4-a_3b/s320/229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends Ashlee and Hannah</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X4itLNoMiPCLzYoFPKW7P0ZV4gythW4F31KyD8CotsM5d2ffpijzbhKyOr4c8iwsIBzs5c1CTyYBwILS_39wwNtnSwUfRatK8m_OKKsRiQO-hBqbrtvIPEhdQR-DK8r3SFAzN3h7S5-G/s1600/236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X4itLNoMiPCLzYoFPKW7P0ZV4gythW4F31KyD8CotsM5d2ffpijzbhKyOr4c8iwsIBzs5c1CTyYBwILS_39wwNtnSwUfRatK8m_OKKsRiQO-hBqbrtvIPEhdQR-DK8r3SFAzN3h7S5-G/s320/236.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up to receive my "diploma."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_-ne5HxvSyjL2rvN7Hu4vViCBTBHMjeJOMFZD4FzM54j5JLzWjCNb5uioJUlSsM6UCwpi3b8NyNWQ9yP1EiAAwc8p_AT6AxVltfNFVKQWzaSriIukJVy2shyYJoRZuFRd2qiWuyWCFq4/s1600/237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_-ne5HxvSyjL2rvN7Hu4vViCBTBHMjeJOMFZD4FzM54j5JLzWjCNb5uioJUlSsM6UCwpi3b8NyNWQ9yP1EiAAwc8p_AT6AxVltfNFVKQWzaSriIukJVy2shyYJoRZuFRd2qiWuyWCFq4/s320/237.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't trip, don't trip!</td></tr>
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Even though the two ceremonies seemed long at points, I am glad that I chose to take part in all of it. I wasn't planning on walking at first, but Ruth talked me into it. Speaking of Ruth, she is as the center of the second milestone. It is crazy to think this has already happened, but Ruth and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary! To celebrate the occasion, we took a few days off from work and headed north. We spent the first night of our journey at Snowbird. We had planned to spend some time hiking in the canyon, but the weather had other plans for us. It turned out to be a very cold and rainy night so we just explored the hotel and watched TV. It might sound like a boring start to our anniversary trip, but since we don't have TV at home it was a bit of a treat. The next day we headed into downtown Salt Lake to spend a couple of days of shopping and being entertained. Along with checking out the Gateway, and the new City Creek Center, we saw a couple of plays. We saw Father of the Bride at Hale Center Theater in West Valley and Xanadu at one of the SLCC campus theaters. For our two nights downtown, we stayed at the Hyatt Place right next door to Energy Solutions Arena. The hotel was very nice, and the staff was incredibly friendly. One of the big highlights of the trip was eating at The Roof on Temple Square. The food and the views were incredible. When I was setting our reservation, I read a review online that said this was what every buffet in Las Vegas is trying to be. While it was smaller than a lot of Las Vegas buffets, it was much higher in quality. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g34a3pgXLuEmBtaOMEtu2T77cXVMVZtbLMAGwbaKukSOeD0eqKFrqEnBTWzkMmI4bqZq1OJdZG5oP-C_6oMtRVSnUSvdY9MjnbZ1lecq3JR60dBsKFdjXHYhplsICJNF5xlvYvEo9iWr/s1600/239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g34a3pgXLuEmBtaOMEtu2T77cXVMVZtbLMAGwbaKukSOeD0eqKFrqEnBTWzkMmI4bqZq1OJdZG5oP-C_6oMtRVSnUSvdY9MjnbZ1lecq3JR60dBsKFdjXHYhplsICJNF5xlvYvEo9iWr/s320/239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our table on the Roof.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNm1fJqrYsLPvoJ4fYc2qwykjpNt47uswsl_0JF0ufAW5tCVuA6dOSKWxXwTxvupJGs0I2McF1Y-nX0He9YnG7NwuSNmxCRirhcow5xB1TIlnhVWp2kBSjWM8gXa6afVv3ObOUp_rJKFP/s1600/240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNm1fJqrYsLPvoJ4fYc2qwykjpNt47uswsl_0JF0ufAW5tCVuA6dOSKWxXwTxvupJGs0I2McF1Y-nX0He9YnG7NwuSNmxCRirhcow5xB1TIlnhVWp2kBSjWM8gXa6afVv3ObOUp_rJKFP/s320/240.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temple looked amaing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzKjp8shsia380mXWVqr0V5XOiFycmf10aVq7vFwzdSCe3SWwXtRClHpX4TJQom_yWe7WOlPyzpbQJMFkWb1jWADOumxv-MC7hmB_3uExfrc7o6bCgWaBlvKCT43hib_ltBELr4o9iT2W/s1600/241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzKjp8shsia380mXWVqr0V5XOiFycmf10aVq7vFwzdSCe3SWwXtRClHpX4TJQom_yWe7WOlPyzpbQJMFkWb1jWADOumxv-MC7hmB_3uExfrc7o6bCgWaBlvKCT43hib_ltBELr4o9iT2W/s320/241.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most beautiful scenery was sitting across from me though!</td></tr>
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After spending a couple of nights downtown, we spent Sunday with Ruths family. It was fun to hang out with all of them again. We owe them big time because they were nice enough to be the dog-sitters for Moose. All of it made for a very memorable and enjoyable first anniversary. I know that I am a very lucky man to be married to Ruth. She is the source of so much joy and happiness for me. I really don't know what I would do without her in my life. You are the best babe. One final milestone before the pebbles, today is Ruths birthday! It is kind of fun having our anniversary and Ruths birthday so close together because I get the chance to spoil her for a week straight. She deserves all the best because thats what she is!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nZ9veksLjuuDq4n2rNBIGobeWC6g68XPAA2RYIQva7iHVd-lhpXhWzd3pTf6ks1_OsAmNEoxxzbXKub3O6rJfR0_itfi5QNfrs7ApSZyAvsKqZ115Bi3oxg9k2d_eGnbjJoyDJz09wvA/s1600/266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nZ9veksLjuuDq4n2rNBIGobeWC6g68XPAA2RYIQva7iHVd-lhpXhWzd3pTf6ks1_OsAmNEoxxzbXKub3O6rJfR0_itfi5QNfrs7ApSZyAvsKqZ115Bi3oxg9k2d_eGnbjJoyDJz09wvA/s320/266.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Ruths gift from Moose! He was nice enough to sign her cake.</td></tr>
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Now for a couple of pebbles. A few weeks ago we had the chance to go to Moapa Valley for a friends mission farewell. Our friend Lyndsay will be serving the Lord in Russia! I am sure she would be mad at me for calling her mission a pebble when it is such a milestone for her, but thats just it, its her milestone and I don't want to steal her thunder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5rKFwF6zmQsQSRpP86H9WRxgRmoynmxA6aWAgMwmXvmkRUJRkLH4_MqzcuSgQNXQUJrltf_pt1RTPMxOIut13nYrY_3mbJyM_j256YqUFoHYWQQ7DCMchE4vN5O6q5eFXI4_Hf4HfyL6/s1600/215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5rKFwF6zmQsQSRpP86H9WRxgRmoynmxA6aWAgMwmXvmkRUJRkLH4_MqzcuSgQNXQUJrltf_pt1RTPMxOIut13nYrY_3mbJyM_j256YqUFoHYWQQ7DCMchE4vN5O6q5eFXI4_Hf4HfyL6/s320/215.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good luck in Russia Lyndsay. Do the ROAR!</td></tr>
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Finally, while graduation was a significant success, my academic journey is not over. I have been accepted to the Masters of Accountancy program at SUU. If all goes according to plan, I should finish the program during the summer of 2013! To help make grad school possible I was also accepted to the Assistantship Program. This program allows me to work for one of the professors as either a teaching assistant or a research assistant. I am excited for such an exciting opportunity, but I am equally excited for the nice tuition waiver that comes with participation in the program! I hope that I will find similar succes in the masters program and that my next post won't be a year away.homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-46387214900311809552011-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:002011-07-02T21:12:38.621-07:00A Wedding, Tee Party & Luncheon<div style="text-align: left;">On Sunday after church, Ruth and I loaded up the car and headed to her parents house for a few days. On Monday we visited Storm Mountain at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. We got there in the late afternoon/early evening so we could get a better picnic site, and it was a good thing we did, because the place was practically empty when we got there but when we left it was really crowded. After we got our area all staked out, we strolled around the raging river that was running through all the picnic areas. The pictures won't really do it justice, but it was awesome to see how powerful the rushing water was. Then we started making our awesome dinner, which consisted of salad, watermelon, a dutch oven main course (that consisted of potatoes, carrots, onions, kielbasa sausage, and seasoning), and some rolls cooked in another dutch oven. Once we got all the food going we enjoyed some more of the scenery and played a few card games while we waited for the food and the rest of the crew to make it to the canyon. All the food turned out great, and we got to top it all off by making some s'mores over a campfire.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday morning Ruth and I had to do some shopping, then we took off on an unexpected adventure. The only bad thing about having this surprise adventure, was the lack of a camera. Since we didn't plan on going anywhere special, we didn't have the camera. Anyway, we drove into downtown Salt Lake and visited Temple Square. We enjoyed the beauty of the temple, the grounds, and even had lunch at the Lion House Pantry. It was my first time to eat there, and all the good things I had heard about it were true. As I said before, it was completely unplanned, and wound a being one of the highlights of our trip. Sometimes life gets unintentionally too structured and we need those sporadic moments to remind us that its alright to let life take us where it will sometimes.</div><div><br /></div><div>With Wednesday came the biggest reason we made the trip up north. We were fortunate enough to go to the Draper Temple and see Ruth's cousin get married. It is always a joy to be in the temple, but it was special for us to go to a sealing so recently after our own. It gave us a chance to admire the sealing ordinance again, and not be so lost in the bliss of the moment that came at our own sealing. I think I can speak for Ruth and myself when I say it made us even more appreciative of one another. After enjoying the beautiful ceremony, we took part in the first phase of pictures and then headed to where the luncheon was to be held. The luncheon was going to be held at the clubhouse of a golf course and we had about an hour before it started, so we took advantage of the situation. So we grabbed a few buckets of balls, a couple sets of rented clubs (and my clubs which just happened to be in my trunk ;) ) and headed for the driving range. We must have been quite the sight, a whole group of golfers in either shirts and ties, or dresses. I don't think anybody got to serious, so we all had a blast waiting for the rest of the wedding party to arrive at the luncheon. The luncheon had excellent food, and it was a good way to spend just a little more quality time with Ruth's family before we had to head home. We would have stayed for the reception, but we both had to get back to be to work that night. Anyway, it turned out to be a fantastic trip, we always enjoy the chance to be around family. Here are a few pictures from the weeks adventures:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Cottonwood Canyon:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQUEcXEz8mT0LWZWyY3Zko6sAfeMrP071fMawdlSBgbagrWWHUrDzOaG0LjuzQkri2d7NwH3E9pWoba3Cq9KwQilAQ2U2-JiKue1xvv6RmVe_oVf_k83JH6Ep-hKhnMr9X5ViK0xSOkKw/s320/030.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J2vzxCTP34bW3DhevtRiKvG6bQ_xWnewPr4z3Em1LbbMHZXf8QSJO_nBcrNz0riO8N3qdt8J0iJVNh31f4j7kQdsJD2jQKII2ryWrpEemurbfXnUcKxITgwWTzBaDXLDhMUPLtLdO4gS/s320/032.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq62ogWh2oLJafHttyHz3taJoNXiaUtbCQp_d6viiQl3X63qIiP73eRhcURFo3gtsYOAB1z9CFUWJoYuqGTk8PFHdA8a19nuUHQKWOfdNTkwIo9wzI44q1j-89nqD9tbAx0YfW1-P8m2-/s320/033.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy5TLgHvhUnrzEqV6qM7OBrtcM7smZXdBFeYGcW9_at4svmFveCKTOPzCthEz8Vsf1Mpv4hRvA26Q_vYp4nHQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">You will have to excuse the goofy commentators, but I think this </div><div style="text-align: center;">gives a better idea of how cool the water really was!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKK0JAmJY6XC4ZFOnwfnLblr-cnMPoOJ8hyphenhyphenXuIyehUA-uyECt34YZZBf5WyiFf4rloQgMPbEnXvU47n0YQjFidvg6b22tHCnQIdpfOPqJGSQ4WC0igX4Gev4DBGWl71BHUAE9mRZUY9kZ/s320/036.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW8amjR80gEPsC6WsELQSV49L-AMRh58qkCtv1s2F2AZ-1XVM-MAcF8lGKbnoCa2CPKrrDv3EmHD9ApB3XaHwJ-Thn8BRk4AGr8v7h9OJE2hNLIMksW77-7gnOJe6B6nuqrjvSc2SgV6h/s320/037.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhJ21Y8P7ufcIpUZ0pUIrE3jj8LuyTzS36XdM7JpyaETgwYWDQBaF55JqF4b0IQkDG2-MDrwMyjD08nAaiAeIWMZ9merjaL2HMVReMGwVluATZ9vKQlqdxD7p08xVfcQMoq2oi-Ttiwry/s320/038.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking good......</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOevzUUdQuzuja44sXd3szmmsBMON3YhhJ_DmpdexPmwGaxWUM53lxpLAiNGBFGex-FhSlkbI1pHxZtKFwQFT6hkQefZIil8_VEz2KDf6ApoVKonTtV5GaBV0Xf53aauZyMFAZEadLmOA/s320/047.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But it needs one more thing....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28sPdtdGqUb0b1BtXJxSWue8-mApuJOLrBceIPmRbsAOq9Co3mnZoY1jc16AMRWuFL3Dj04LuZ2GTtsa4bR55Gp5QjBnZhn4cyNbpwoOW6bkTIEdrJ-qDfhKeyNaWMaPFc4DAJiVrHeh8/s320/044.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The SAUSAGE!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Wedding Day:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCwGgotkhDTYo1JrVp1zsjOJyj-f-5FKJzqMTODQQQwQNQE2lHTTfYs-w7UA69yLcNQcD3oNaSpXXz7KWGoOOlv_3NHw7k8Ijif6MbccjMQ72nZJ50gJLYdhxYwSf06Lfmlc-r6HMi_5K/s320/048.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QENZD7rQjGmHCypkneyChSFTos886Q5m5auKNvx_T4b47S2SHrvny6U5oAJ7rGtdD2qYF3Ze3pcYvQBrEeFECOvPmya6pWhI0B6KD9_bCAvaEFtBVcVy6z25c9Rvf4j23nDGzOiQ3j7D/s320/052.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The happy newlyweds.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtEjVeUzBdEe9R8Cdl_xTxh7UYGmPIpbmfKuhay9mJe-XWbVd7gfR9yiWiY8-SPuR5cloQqrLM1KVYaL6PO8kWCb0XEiNWxOt78vtDzR3AMgt-qQLjbRfJ1zybtp09A20mf1kTwefG93r/s320/061.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aY2uL0Nz0DU7nDwfK30V6_uXveZYtfInU04PAjnxtVgd2pA1J9-5Zhzkk5oKhzF3T3VEMqNrHe7awTVATrxaWIzlrlezgbG5U4mYBOiOiUxh2bCEnnzGzNYnP37iXKnL4W94LiYNFrn0/s320/063.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi401_jSHIWrmknoiBb2lRxyz9lz5PuQjJtNFpCXSuY9ebWi5-WvtcNfA73z1RYNztDr49OFmmJZ28w1vIkAQi6zpfkDRfBbPdZA6obk5Wv_oYMfK5eyaAPI1Nrsq2Zx3qF2mWAzMJ7wlTX/s320/066.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_BQfJZ3kviieLITGW0c_y16Dq1E1HnDehAGYf8eQ9__MMF_gW_YkepAgfL7f9E9k-CTASOVrz1T7cIrzpAmxCnu97Qel4xOvZepHndAqYGtjs-Fu9ZcmUyYB5S5GhDjEA7WieS7w-qpY/s320/069.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5b0asTxivutsPwXwTBdGHyaX9klzjM0fHxND-pVNVlhY_mW-UgJILykh0ZrOe1SkhZQ6bQlxA8jErEmzCA1BLTqnmgZqulDgBOfWYvcszo22WOLxl5INQ_QMCjMFYBnTv3gIcXAPRmAY/s320/073.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGa8OEavYYmpR-uiQ-u1ORJptbmJWeWvm7F2BDzrNn-oburHPVuyVPuWOkfodw6ExhOj-kOub52Sz2LMvIB38ETL6UBuULtkiv5i1ow-LAiIOt7Du9AE7Dsb3PsSlJFKp3YRi5hEfU20e/s320/078.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11F87T0oVH3QerRsgQQ7iI7QEXAoFbog00-4k9xBbDU3OzF-el6W2LjNhs6OnkofYTMwOQs7tr1rDLsNbY_gHMtT06rkxh7gT3nxZTIXnaYh6bf8Z14qgsu-eNYGRRCc5BNT-NCNKrxnI/s320/079.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tXYxrmyC26ocUaO-sPlcLwu19rSa-eDG7Us53p7Kyg__KVt-OudrFn0ZXEiSIVg97ru7GJVQK7mZ5817P88nDyWwVHcg-C2UJIwmqO5Ilx-zaLEiLhB-WdEbogZC9en9qhU_6FRpr5bc/s320/083.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugebu9-DKa5iA5RqZih039CBpkop3TuivcLtOOKo7oz4qhevD7ZoxIOZ_gym6XzWbQ6gaidBncZOk4rtWM-urD7W1Zje7yEHZo0T9RDsMyPRXbz4tM8rDAkGi3p2biCjnWiRBUQ-1EZiG/s320/084.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Random:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcTSKtxB33_GxGGXQntpC_WGjES7ViRX6xJWz9wLJ7cJVIuAiP-uoHHGFmUzsih3W9bn6RswYE8ir-_FoP1EpyAnrjX8xV-R0nW-zFjLYJGzZgqK-u3TiZFXrUUcLIMILDZvX8EKUdn-2/s320/029.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ug ready to pounce.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivokheCB20PKEf3AeK8uhBJudnQCWmo6HEulZA_6Yo01AmR64aBejnmZWAqJmbhTWQTeJtQbIX2a5DcebqpOnENhIIhvjOBlxjU9pvn16jCooRESdRPD1OKpdgDU2E0Ivq5weaBNP1PwUL/s320/087.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A rainbow we saw on the way home.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-68743883860813703842011-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:002011-07-01T21:07:25.697-07:00Free National Park Day<div style="text-align: left;">On Tuesday the 21st, to celebrate the first day of summer, all national parks had a free admission day. Ruth and I had planned to drive down to Zions to drive through the tunnel, but decided to go somewhere a little closer since I had to be back to work in the evening. So we decided to take a drive to Kolob Canyon and enjoy the scenery. I am guessing I had been there with my family when I was little, but it was my first time that I can remember driving through it. The drive provided some great sights, and we got to enjoy a little hike while we were there too. We had even packed a lunch to eat on the trail, but it turned out to be too hot, and the bugs were having a Skyler buffet, so we just ate in the car. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful scenery we got to see:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQi-SFS_59BGxbQI_3nJ2TjMDIR0dwWMNkcnqiR3n6hv9P1rgfw_AqZ-CLN6deNyLtpLNEIYVO5-SShl-tHEISW-ifxrQaNL2_PuCWGmGw0-uOSUxEx-19zZgq5OQDh4wRK96ESlDK3KG/s320/003.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624596146464467554" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5nFLm_x1mlvqmoDvBESeHnzALziEuP3BKcTrrfCAbXL3LhhOu3Q3AQUbIyLWHKaNyVzWkIZQ_inscmCyVJhEA5ZOCKwjFXEITF5-bGoencUiH-8Re6A87DLR3mQs0jYON7dU5Oce34nc/s320/006.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOTwlmG7hpF-qunxIlINMVOdOsBnIo-lN9oZzDzW_zEVCo5SqnnkPr33cMDPp8xFl21hvICSlV2Q3ZoiFQWGfFYROnQNcQf1WR4CIoQDkOCb-eVki_yscE2FJHdJlF5wdF87h5D4HtEVT/s320/007.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWYnFKvgtE3yKBzTYowoRMJXAmN0wskovgxIVtAGu8Z5zDtHpOEKnE-U2Rki-5IE6sJbxjEvjXE8AB_tsvAyGPPOf1LhuOqOLQDdGv2UM5cAhNozurxuVdIAbpE2amAvt9VsENRa5jwBs/s320/008.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNfKX3BXTFyQ202wmSjLH2f3f6iP0FSMuNIqc0I6UEi_mkT2kQyfpn_rlKheRSxim08PexAKt3UC6eayR-YYoMqI5SLudcCuiaoYJQVyOxKORvHG4HkX_iUA-APjS0FYujmio3TZtpJaZ/s320/009.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgqNrcRrr6xBHZ9o_uasw6iJhR6zV0kUGAzQOtawR2pOQmo61-YTPQPuFsJ4-bWrc8_uMPSrdPzxskTBA33qmWA1gKmUPnWjs4tD86mJtiDfYqWy2nHPzV01mhr-qZ6SufW7LhCfrCu-Y/s320/015.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbnlUzi8d5YlynS7wXgWoAp1fgTyfaaYe8wABykgsvr8hVHL8uyuiT_pco8GimJCFcmtfFPhmZE6KWNjqypw_RM_3N-RhMJHdZDmxVfTm8LbmKOsmSqpY1R03JsvnROA4B8ws4KB0FAsx/s320/020.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKdCviIf8xjlO2WKjvuUYWz0U2KmL0NG0l6h01XC549OL6F1LzDpC40CM_dtVT99eiRM8UClQtuGqF8Cf7p-n6fMrfTeRyiEOTCMqwukR4d25X81kKTopDeLBwLdzAMCuvE1pgXe3Faq5/s320/022.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLT6mKQkMIC3uHESabeUVJ2Lu53TyM3zJF0Jgp5-cuB2ZTWUNCxjJGF3QJboMEcJJsQoQgn2AeeMIzIiAZFDixtMop8T8ocfeqzm85ilr9N5dO6wOIJOu_D1Ms6xQ_LaRl74-E0FbbFwp/s320/026.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwxKJQIJuqTpOm7jkpLHl8IJl3jZ9ulc_uXI8QH2x_eixpkCWaRo3Hbh6_vZQKVMtHJPNVspjYLOS8NjB5RvronjgdXQZYwOF9O-Rhrs6o9iMrSqaZYskmw-rpI0eq32CS15KNgsSBG7o/s320/028.JPG" /></div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-10956922393114775432011-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:002011-05-27T14:54:10.836-07:00From Finding An Angel to Visiting Angel's LandingExactly one week ago today, I had the blessed opportunity of taking my sweetheart to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. Words honestly cannot describe the extreme feelings of joy that were felt on that special day. To make a sacred event even more special, we were surrounded by family and friends, and that added another special spirit to it all. After being sealed on the afternoon of the 20th, we joined everyone at the C.R. Hamilton Indoor Pavilion in Riverton to enjoy a great lunch. Shortly after the luncheon we had a reception at the same location. It was so much fun to see so many familiar faces come to wish Ruth and I good luck on our new endeavors together. The next day we journeyed to Blanding for another reception. Do to a few bumps in the road we weren't able to make it to our own reception on time, so sorry to those who left before we could make it. Once again it was great to have so many people come and wish us well. We were so blessed at all the festivities of the weekend to have so many people that sacrificed their time to make it special for Ruth and I, so a big thank you to all those who contributed in any way. The weekend would have been special just given the fact that I was able to marry the greatest girl in the world, but all the volunteers helped make it memorable for everyone.<br /><br />After all the festivities of the weekend were over, Ruth and I headed to Zions for our honeymoon. We had a great time of hiking, eating some first class food, relaxing, and just plain enjoying our time together. We stayed at a place called Flanigan's Inn, and it was a great choice. We were right by a shuttle stop that could take us into the park, there was a very nice restaurant on the property, and the grounds were very nice too. As far as the hiking went, we got to do a couple of fun hikes while we were there. The first day we hiked to all three of the Emerald Pools. I hate to say it, but my camera was dead on that first day, so sadly we didn't get any pictures from that. The best part of that hike though, was the awesome waterfalls. The falls at the first pool come almost right down on the trail itself, so it gives you a very refreshing boost to move onward and upward. At the second pool, we found a bunch of frogs that were cool to watch and listen too. They were really hard to spot unless you were looking really hard to find them. Ruth was great at spotting them, she had to find and point them all out to me. The third pool was nice because it had a big enough area to rest for a while and enjoy the scenery before heading back down the trail. After a fun day in the park we had a very delicious and fancy dinner at the hotel restaurant called the Spotted Dog. Hopefully Ruth won't kill me for saying this, but toward the end of our meal, we got joking around and for some reason we decided it was a good idea for me to eat the flower that was garnishing Ruths plate. As if that weren't random enough, Ruth then proceeded to ask the waiter what kind of flowers they used to garnish her plate. After learning it was an orchid, she calmly suggested that they consider using a daisy because the orchid didn't taste that good. The poor waiter didn't quite know what to say, so he sort half smiled and kindly said they were mostly just for decoration and walked away awkwardly. It was a weird but memorable way to end our "elegant" meal.<br />On the second day, we didn't go into the park. We stayed closer to home and explored our hotel more and the surrounding area. One of the cool aspects of our hotel was all the lizards we found, they were everywhere. After spending a really relaxing day together, we had dinner at Zions Pizza and Noodle Company. It was very good food once again, and the setting was pretty unique too. We read that the building it was in was once a mormon church. I kept wondering about the history of the building because it seemed like it would have been a very historic site, and I couldn't figure out how it changed hands and wound up being a restaurant and store. I guess if there are any readers who are history gurus, you will have to let me know about that one.<br />On our third and final day, we got checked out of our room and headed into the park for one last hike before heading home. We had been really trying hard to decide what we would do with our final hours in the park, and I'm still trying to figure out who stole all of our reasoning and logic, but we decided to hike Angels Landing. For those who have never heard of, or are not familiar with Angels Landing, here are a few interesting points about it. Just looking at the trail information before the hike wouldn't make it seem too difficult because it is a 5.4 mile round trip hike that should take about 4 hours. Then would learn that in about a 2.5 mile stretch, the trail rises approximately 1,500 feet, that bugger was steep. If that wasn't enough to deter us, we learned on the shuttle ride to the trail head that it was named Angels Landing by a minister because he thought it could only be accessible to angels. He could have been right. Finally, we were told by several people that this particular trail had one of the highest mortality rates. I never heard weather it was one of the highest in Utah, among national parks, in the nation, or whatever, but still.......gulp! So the first two miles of the hike consists mostly of very steep switchbacks. Sadly though, that is the easy part of the trail. The last half mile or so you have to venture out on to a very narrow ridge to reach the landing. There are chains a good portion of the way to help you either pull yourself up rock faces, or help you slide down them. Even though there were chains, it was still really nerve racking. At some points, the ridge gets down to only a few feet wide, the phrase "don't look down" took on a whole new meaning that day. We did eventually make it to the landing. I was glad we did it, and now we have the bragging rights, and we NEVER have to do that again! The only problem at that point was getting back down the trail. I was hoping for a giant escalator or an elevator once you reached the top, but there was no such luck. By this time, my nerves were shot, and my knees weren't far behind, so it took us a little longer to get down. I have decided that Ruth is part mountain goat though. If it hadn't been for me slowing her down, she would have finished the trail in half the time it took me to do it. As always after I have blabbed on for long enough, I get to the part that most people are interested in, the pictures. Enjoy:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Grounds / Hotel<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4fdMLrrIIuQZKstlTXgsXo1brukGLQKdeY0eDcnwI58wfQe7sf0k0itdoZ62oGlowTk80nNOsbP56tpWM1jun9SH-80XA68a4bT5CBLDWYp1okiwklcOG0kUV1evYnnVEhE1QFuGQcjg/s1600/088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4fdMLrrIIuQZKstlTXgsXo1brukGLQKdeY0eDcnwI58wfQe7sf0k0itdoZ62oGlowTk80nNOsbP56tpWM1jun9SH-80XA68a4bT5CBLDWYp1okiwklcOG0kUV1evYnnVEhE1QFuGQcjg/s320/088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611450639794225698" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvv4GhOuDbuFdEGj0jF8maA_UYCgcO45x7dh78fl_x8DrsZYYSgDfZ2d7JpS7QNsvjNb7g_OR0f6NTI0lQvr8kjyHJTnx0GkFhXQBDq8EdJ-wxLoWwkCWK-vzTaeCRD0liniRye4Qk9Bx/s1600/089.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvv4GhOuDbuFdEGj0jF8maA_UYCgcO45x7dh78fl_x8DrsZYYSgDfZ2d7JpS7QNsvjNb7g_OR0f6NTI0lQvr8kjyHJTnx0GkFhXQBDq8EdJ-wxLoWwkCWK-vzTaeCRD0liniRye4Qk9Bx/s320/089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611452469396960738" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqIxKw46aujBbmRl3YZVdJkisgKMfmqikWw3wbhSjv3R91F11ZRxfdn92dOVmSdAnRhGfbSAICxlxQ2egauBIyjBbT9yNz_5LcJC1JQ2s2Ld_ZnVD1XI1SnR4bC7FgkStxSqe3SCg36rH/s1600/095.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqIxKw46aujBbmRl3YZVdJkisgKMfmqikWw3wbhSjv3R91F11ZRxfdn92dOVmSdAnRhGfbSAICxlxQ2egauBIyjBbT9yNz_5LcJC1JQ2s2Ld_ZnVD1XI1SnR4bC7FgkStxSqe3SCg36rH/s320/095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611453752819636994" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4fdMLrrIIuQZKstlTXgsXo1brukGLQKdeY0eDcnwI58wfQe7sf0k0itdoZ62oGlowTk80nNOsbP56tpWM1jun9SH-80XA68a4bT5CBLDWYp1okiwklcOG0kUV1evYnnVEhE1QFuGQcjg/s1600/088.JPG"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlT-MPA6KHrvIAA4o6_AnR8w1tkJIDyXlYeBgMi7ATHfvdihdI5c9h8oxuc7ORwyAHpMC2AteG2F4EnP1TJ9LTQLYcdyJBNgRMjmbkFPP6GlmTL-xYbXr4srwn_VcKiiiTnTBJdmjnUxb/s1600/096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlT-MPA6KHrvIAA4o6_AnR8w1tkJIDyXlYeBgMi7ATHfvdihdI5c9h8oxuc7ORwyAHpMC2AteG2F4EnP1TJ9LTQLYcdyJBNgRMjmbkFPP6GlmTL-xYbXr4srwn_VcKiiiTnTBJdmjnUxb/s320/096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611455079338448978" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_B0Nj6GpbB2lZencGaw5W-3n4H6QEhqMn7MODywRCj581qDJlN-YpyrvTH_dSXYwUcDdCWiZdgKNcKQBArovhAEQdjj4_2U8Bh8CREOO-OadimHd03ImVmRw_DHrlZrKx-EodF4g_YSa/s1600/098.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_B0Nj6GpbB2lZencGaw5W-3n4H6QEhqMn7MODywRCj581qDJlN-YpyrvTH_dSXYwUcDdCWiZdgKNcKQBArovhAEQdjj4_2U8Bh8CREOO-OadimHd03ImVmRw_DHrlZrKx-EodF4g_YSa/s320/098.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611455741723242898" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzhBnPHRbjo5PxWA2iNg8uz5FjuCWFiwZjoK2ndjW6yzEYjASg3snyyyjkEHCnI77N5cqaa9H0zSNphF3kuUud5h5g17G0-NG0VDOddMczi5SW9JlLCQ6TXwUym16HehcTaZyUSONDvKA/s1600/102.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzhBnPHRbjo5PxWA2iNg8uz5FjuCWFiwZjoK2ndjW6yzEYjASg3snyyyjkEHCnI77N5cqaa9H0zSNphF3kuUud5h5g17G0-NG0VDOddMczi5SW9JlLCQ6TXwUym16HehcTaZyUSONDvKA/s320/102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611457066914757058" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTLlPtFoHuZjmgtNlrjCrASLXfZS4sUh-hRe1UGvK9SAekT7bb5E_f1ASeZUM6ttMZYqewPtxSJTcc68VJjqyGrQ4UyW2UValHQcEYPwtJhCtUYly49r3x9_DOvdMYueNk1q16h3pROvS/s1600/104.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTLlPtFoHuZjmgtNlrjCrASLXfZS4sUh-hRe1UGvK9SAekT7bb5E_f1ASeZUM6ttMZYqewPtxSJTcc68VJjqyGrQ4UyW2UValHQcEYPwtJhCtUYly49r3x9_DOvdMYueNk1q16h3pROvS/s320/104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611458133015050306" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3aFCgcWUXofg5ZBs705cKU8BB9qpPHOnkNd6zVFC2dreoadCx4vvRo77p3HeJDH1yzHJPDgxwIfQS1fi2ld6Pp0BA1TmhHhBZ0Q9XKis_Cc6UnAFUX4lifqxHxzL315rGnDXTgcKxb9Z/s1600/105.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3aFCgcWUXofg5ZBs705cKU8BB9qpPHOnkNd6zVFC2dreoadCx4vvRo77p3HeJDH1yzHJPDgxwIfQS1fi2ld6Pp0BA1TmhHhBZ0Q9XKis_Cc6UnAFUX4lifqxHxzL315rGnDXTgcKxb9Z/s320/105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611458958783337666" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRXiGEo1ibXumejA1KprgTC_WsIcHysko7ZTtdzTpo-ueWVjyGwnOFpLvsHz8P2v9PVKWPvvzAAx8j15E9q07gkDUp__eWc3rDt2gazfw-IlLjiRVxES2jluxwnnFczxpf8k0YYRY5gGO/s1600/108.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRXiGEo1ibXumejA1KprgTC_WsIcHysko7ZTtdzTpo-ueWVjyGwnOFpLvsHz8P2v9PVKWPvvzAAx8j15E9q07gkDUp__eWc3rDt2gazfw-IlLjiRVxES2jluxwnnFczxpf8k0YYRY5gGO/s320/108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611460224056320290" border="0" /></a><br />Our hotel had a cement labyrinth on top of the lookout point.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9LzBQQBDeCs0O7eWtn7Am79ivUkQfl4l4RaE-K9ZaJitqgt1JFrU-KjTIkNJwatMSIlfnhErvNKwo78OspD9nxAhktZKz7AjxobzNVUyS2fWFa-fg9adVL-lte2tQvUxZTmOQK6x6Ooy/s1600/112.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9LzBQQBDeCs0O7eWtn7Am79ivUkQfl4l4RaE-K9ZaJitqgt1JFrU-KjTIkNJwatMSIlfnhErvNKwo78OspD9nxAhktZKz7AjxobzNVUyS2fWFa-fg9adVL-lte2tQvUxZTmOQK6x6Ooy/s320/112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611494236824164626" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvCmaZKWnvnWXqzZABwnB0-CIshMuIBHXbOr-XNzBeLvyYTvNMTUnCVJ6wj3zusckUBRHdNiTgR9i8H2B467v6NAbj0GoL6uffqrcw9qga_PDviPNx3iL1PKyyvv_vs6dTCyvUiYN2kpj/s1600/117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvCmaZKWnvnWXqzZABwnB0-CIshMuIBHXbOr-XNzBeLvyYTvNMTUnCVJ6wj3zusckUBRHdNiTgR9i8H2B467v6NAbj0GoL6uffqrcw9qga_PDviPNx3iL1PKyyvv_vs6dTCyvUiYN2kpj/s320/117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611495295554495346" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNWT-vPrhrTSZMbCfpI47ABkbVMzy5_FuBzepgF3Jmeg8VocarulBB8DfHhseDe6Tr-P1zOWLckGbiyV2JRFHATitK6mb5OlZtkF4PpbeNpFcv3jxeQ-JOCQ7jz9u0XZu7NhoNaJYHvdB/s1600/118.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNWT-vPrhrTSZMbCfpI47ABkbVMzy5_FuBzepgF3Jmeg8VocarulBB8DfHhseDe6Tr-P1zOWLckGbiyV2JRFHATitK6mb5OlZtkF4PpbeNpFcv3jxeQ-JOCQ7jz9u0XZu7NhoNaJYHvdB/s320/118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611496173834666642" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-qRpjFwoXN0es52TffmZ0exhDFNNpZa4sHxEo0eTQeBrcyvoKZQbsvTtRqIl6tX5K0x59qQgUYDBfQanK9Gf7WpF5u-eVm12qJnPVS5kUT8p-sG1lJQIlrezNDOpFMqQhM61TW8QoUEz/s1600/120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-qRpjFwoXN0es52TffmZ0exhDFNNpZa4sHxEo0eTQeBrcyvoKZQbsvTtRqIl6tX5K0x59qQgUYDBfQanK9Gf7WpF5u-eVm12qJnPVS5kUT8p-sG1lJQIlrezNDOpFMqQhM61TW8QoUEz/s320/120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611496626451402850" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMn0rUQza03Xk_hqTIRkFdJJpSExPa5fqAn_PFnSEOz1nkaXhoOfjYcxrfavkCEWkLCJ_d-p8LfPK6WARZYTIKJET_SQm_bI5ABA1mtiGybi1-ALSaZJy7nyIyxdMuUjYsWAm6jjSjysov/s1600/124.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMn0rUQza03Xk_hqTIRkFdJJpSExPa5fqAn_PFnSEOz1nkaXhoOfjYcxrfavkCEWkLCJ_d-p8LfPK6WARZYTIKJET_SQm_bI5ABA1mtiGybi1-ALSaZJy7nyIyxdMuUjYsWAm6jjSjysov/s320/124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611497104184633538" border="0" /></a><br />The prettiest thing I saw the whole trip, and the flower looks good too!<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQNhxnXXrgMUKosMpusy6LmrMSQrDjtPIY6RktX7_AoqOFQeBY2lbKB4krIZ7qhSPW91kX1qvo0stV05pQ3D7_Pqb-1bna0aNSF-s3TNaDCLSD2YoogXP5-sLWFbNktCFFI6FxGyrDrka/s1600/125.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQNhxnXXrgMUKosMpusy6LmrMSQrDjtPIY6RktX7_AoqOFQeBY2lbKB4krIZ7qhSPW91kX1qvo0stV05pQ3D7_Pqb-1bna0aNSF-s3TNaDCLSD2YoogXP5-sLWFbNktCFFI6FxGyrDrka/s320/125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611497630153712258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQEoAw7tUEP9-emESmrp2LTYkxsk3TUtcA6nzh7RLkq-y_qGygD_3o40CCXMtCIZWj0UMuVG45BuuVkEn0yI36t7Aq2eM1PMaDu1WRExdUxyalAOvARIv_ZnHt4IfUjSXplrBwAOJQVgF/s1600/127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQEoAw7tUEP9-emESmrp2LTYkxsk3TUtcA6nzh7RLkq-y_qGygD_3o40CCXMtCIZWj0UMuVG45BuuVkEn0yI36t7Aq2eM1PMaDu1WRExdUxyalAOvARIv_ZnHt4IfUjSXplrBwAOJQVgF/s320/127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611498085779374466" border="0" /></a><br />Home Sweet Home<br /><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqGJDKBkSY5eQsALhm3WxKd6zk9XgK2uTgZnIbFuLZTbWD31McrKWAbVRqxjupcI5FvPdS9Qqwo6HrlPI0O1FQqpTpf5ZzQ8ltgr4Ht13mITreZvLXwEj97ovLfUboLSxiUnE94BSAsaX/s1600/091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqGJDKBkSY5eQsALhm3WxKd6zk9XgK2uTgZnIbFuLZTbWD31McrKWAbVRqxjupcI5FvPdS9Qqwo6HrlPI0O1FQqpTpf5ZzQ8ltgr4Ht13mITreZvLXwEj97ovLfUboLSxiUnE94BSAsaX/s320/091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611498630993659554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Zions / Angels Landing<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj472LL6_MeIZ82ssKhtHEe5I-56e_sCDQeTWimm0VPnIOrGCO-isS5nxyxcM_H0FQ8jWTRzpckZXe3T4iuPhG6e0Ji3-UZFcrrfF59P0D9YhHO44vJ1hOZaJ27UMLfxoptEJuHkXE7B6QC/s1600/139.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj472LL6_MeIZ82ssKhtHEe5I-56e_sCDQeTWimm0VPnIOrGCO-isS5nxyxcM_H0FQ8jWTRzpckZXe3T4iuPhG6e0Ji3-UZFcrrfF59P0D9YhHO44vJ1hOZaJ27UMLfxoptEJuHkXE7B6QC/s320/139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611499609932802882" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The blissful ignorance before the hike.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnZGcpZKBriT3b1H_35MePU1M6T_kca2K8NXz7oT7StSU7TpS6btjqpiSheQLFM2CvZu_jiGMK0c9IuelGIxzY_qgDP-6t0qR9wh1SEwacHPyTSxDXVZMMzlvSHV0w-JI8DMjFuK1d7nr/s1600/147.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnZGcpZKBriT3b1H_35MePU1M6T_kca2K8NXz7oT7StSU7TpS6btjqpiSheQLFM2CvZu_jiGMK0c9IuelGIxzY_qgDP-6t0qR9wh1SEwacHPyTSxDXVZMMzlvSHV0w-JI8DMjFuK1d7nr/s320/147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611500358689250402" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn_6m5SdyHh0ztHpWpwATb39PR2PI_gfvoehEtVLlmQNoCF0d9y1tm5ZA46FpTH7X8GBfmD-quzqeqku2OHl2LzP2j1STmRwj9UWd8N5exPlDaP0hzWf0oOQOG4cD2Zsr85AGNFE2p2XO/s1600/148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn_6m5SdyHh0ztHpWpwATb39PR2PI_gfvoehEtVLlmQNoCF0d9y1tm5ZA46FpTH7X8GBfmD-quzqeqku2OHl2LzP2j1STmRwj9UWd8N5exPlDaP0hzWf0oOQOG4cD2Zsr85AGNFE2p2XO/s320/148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611501274243336434" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Some of the switchbacks we had to climb.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItN_DVOYXPHE7jE1-SHdAQc4aRN2cdg9dBaQGynMqhz6zkOR53sgLDQfwf27aFeinjLpi5a-t4Gh41DKfWOvBpMm7q3RS9dSnkMdBStzdmmsh4CCEZFO4GnMpYaVFmNqqyU3fGXiwA2Kh/s1600/152.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItN_DVOYXPHE7jE1-SHdAQc4aRN2cdg9dBaQGynMqhz6zkOR53sgLDQfwf27aFeinjLpi5a-t4Gh41DKfWOvBpMm7q3RS9dSnkMdBStzdmmsh4CCEZFO4GnMpYaVFmNqqyU3fGXiwA2Kh/s320/152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611502043623160834" border="0" /></a><br />Only half a mile, that should be a piece of cake.....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G1828vNXdo7bFphCAG3HLximHm8AtcptO7ro53HVh7bWpATYdzQhbx0irZATvNXLbmPqXzuy4LltrAUC3yxjxy3TFHaA1g-gDREkPjBvE86URVpXE9AhMTgpHI23rlkcoxhSLaYBAb_h/s1600/154.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G1828vNXdo7bFphCAG3HLximHm8AtcptO7ro53HVh7bWpATYdzQhbx0irZATvNXLbmPqXzuy4LltrAUC3yxjxy3TFHaA1g-gDREkPjBvE86URVpXE9AhMTgpHI23rlkcoxhSLaYBAb_h/s320/154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611502963650326802" border="0" /></a><br />THATS THE LAST HALF MILE!??!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHe0vvKG34DNVZUlGyPgZdUBWCWH3w5V0UdqnsD4Y9pFIYFXr8zQ9PFVHIcj8HjdeL9AeCeFHjU2Q32mmoeW9f2HdMF_QXZ52-N8wGe7mA4osSchWMPB0HyTBeTtphmKp0sO2IMlGgQR7/s1600/153.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHe0vvKG34DNVZUlGyPgZdUBWCWH3w5V0UdqnsD4Y9pFIYFXr8zQ9PFVHIcj8HjdeL9AeCeFHjU2Q32mmoeW9f2HdMF_QXZ52-N8wGe7mA4osSchWMPB0HyTBeTtphmKp0sO2IMlGgQR7/s320/153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611503547853980882" border="0" /></a>Don't look down<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSq4cpqhXCmzEmIUKpAnHZiemQWLUUmOiZCcWsfgIpHQ0GEgxIi-kWFWtGbleCJI1PIGIF7oQkTVNUiZXSpatX7efStpOWj5XRzMHL6lXvak00aNap5Mz-VXBHEfDAdNLBubQ4s-CVvli_/s1600/156.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSq4cpqhXCmzEmIUKpAnHZiemQWLUUmOiZCcWsfgIpHQ0GEgxIi-kWFWtGbleCJI1PIGIF7oQkTVNUiZXSpatX7efStpOWj5XRzMHL6lXvak00aNap5Mz-VXBHEfDAdNLBubQ4s-CVvli_/s320/156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611504209462611922" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JMtMTW_5Y9eHYxZ4XJlvqozdLo3Pl1jy56dFzr-5W_ulX6cka3U8Gw8Gy1D0rAh9_7f5v0G0MlTcE3_q6wVApskZb_IveaqBQLVpZBxP3274wrWy-Kt9wzZ9-3zuqUl9XYN0rNico_Zk/s1600/157.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JMtMTW_5Y9eHYxZ4XJlvqozdLo3Pl1jy56dFzr-5W_ulX6cka3U8Gw8Gy1D0rAh9_7f5v0G0MlTcE3_q6wVApskZb_IveaqBQLVpZBxP3274wrWy-Kt9wzZ9-3zuqUl9XYN0rNico_Zk/s320/157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611504971112333586" border="0" /></a><br />Seriously, don't look down!<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gLILDBzdVSwRogdvxavs0CX238UQAOmFvDad7QL-MGQFluL3kQDC6-fXYF93sru6wC0j1AXdPFMUwnVkBBVF822nNBExiaxMcd435B2ZlnGgqaloXgb1anR90O5ciqFFtaykmplWVxPj/s1600/160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gLILDBzdVSwRogdvxavs0CX238UQAOmFvDad7QL-MGQFluL3kQDC6-fXYF93sru6wC0j1AXdPFMUwnVkBBVF822nNBExiaxMcd435B2ZlnGgqaloXgb1anR90O5ciqFFtaykmplWVxPj/s320/160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611509863629580274" border="0" /></a><br />One view from Angels Landing<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANbwKd3UUYgrVolHK7Amv-1bzXxA6JwON0wvqBmG6U9R_tE9dSs7Eb5nFowpaBYrDmUkS6tnnmu_hO0hjSikYZs1AfIZ8ldU1t-b4AASyKvysZnwMMu7HNrDaZlKkuw15G1bDxGiXEPrc/s1600/164.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANbwKd3UUYgrVolHK7Amv-1bzXxA6JwON0wvqBmG6U9R_tE9dSs7Eb5nFowpaBYrDmUkS6tnnmu_hO0hjSikYZs1AfIZ8ldU1t-b4AASyKvysZnwMMu7HNrDaZlKkuw15G1bDxGiXEPrc/s320/164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611510567067851074" border="0" /></a><br />The conquerors pose!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_j_08YWTwOt-9FMatkP0BtRgw0q7zjLrCPb1xl4KOUn4gq8VDJ5ZPtSaxR8a5JmMB-yuQ_Ahqh00IXIBljIjh8Ga8mLhg49-0X7X3V0SYrRnqtqik27NPwL5DVm3WDTAEc37OqrTco45r/s1600/165.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_j_08YWTwOt-9FMatkP0BtRgw0q7zjLrCPb1xl4KOUn4gq8VDJ5ZPtSaxR8a5JmMB-yuQ_Ahqh00IXIBljIjh8Ga8mLhg49-0X7X3V0SYrRnqtqik27NPwL5DVm3WDTAEc37OqrTco45r/s320/165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611511015124790802" border="0" /></a><br />The survivors pose.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglP-0_0RgcNGG1n1vTB_cAOIYfBT0c1z118I3HaRcwc8czzw4Bn9KFOI_tepdMPV7gGigs2yYHpQr5co8f8Uj7IvGY2UHdkl0QPE5ikpEumgr0nLiZbDp29RZakke_-uOZVJWMllTP0I8_/s1600/166.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglP-0_0RgcNGG1n1vTB_cAOIYfBT0c1z118I3HaRcwc8czzw4Bn9KFOI_tepdMPV7gGigs2yYHpQr5co8f8Uj7IvGY2UHdkl0QPE5ikpEumgr0nLiZbDp29RZakke_-uOZVJWMllTP0I8_/s320/166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611511506211591890" border="0" /></a><br />Oops.... The Victory Kiss.... How did that get in here?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIRA3uAA9RX7CimUJM59Ilk7SCDz4P0bH2FSeYOp_dWXpWxMQT6H0Cx4vakP09LxsWRu_hEBeuu8bfcBGpj9Fn-0HKYYPTgZe58AeDvgRb0l1vPRaX30Lok4WjQY23Z91epDTAdR_ZzM5/s1600/167.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIRA3uAA9RX7CimUJM59Ilk7SCDz4P0bH2FSeYOp_dWXpWxMQT6H0Cx4vakP09LxsWRu_hEBeuu8bfcBGpj9Fn-0HKYYPTgZe58AeDvgRb0l1vPRaX30Lok4WjQY23Z91epDTAdR_ZzM5/s320/167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611512032433086354" border="0" /></a><br />Almost halfway down...... if only we could... reach!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwI1fm1cUC-Q4Lm4O546ZDjngB9NmrugWoFydXSgf5f_xJAeioYPUxUA68uqRjWQnKF0XFarKr4XN-_LcuhLoiLDgdPnQnmRBTVktkKn8nselnXQvu_otIHNwwGgMMnAVDszhLPd-ECB5/s1600/173.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwI1fm1cUC-Q4Lm4O546ZDjngB9NmrugWoFydXSgf5f_xJAeioYPUxUA68uqRjWQnKF0XFarKr4XN-_LcuhLoiLDgdPnQnmRBTVktkKn8nselnXQvu_otIHNwwGgMMnAVDszhLPd-ECB5/s320/173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611512491017261330" border="0" /></a><br />A proud onlooker.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05mWEHEq5tn-IMYtMtHvaJ2e6fcQHIF6eEZe1AkNa0kztgHWV6myvIHWVa3sIMTK4JBrfociYjIyOREjG3bzO_vRitBn_ffs0EfY4d8zLDq-1ehrdCZc0fJ8aznuWkM2KuZT3sqymK7Ed/s1600/174.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05mWEHEq5tn-IMYtMtHvaJ2e6fcQHIF6eEZe1AkNa0kztgHWV6myvIHWVa3sIMTK4JBrfociYjIyOREjG3bzO_vRitBn_ffs0EfY4d8zLDq-1ehrdCZc0fJ8aznuWkM2KuZT3sqymK7Ed/s320/174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611512854978942930" border="0" /></a><br />Neither myself or the bagel can believe what we just endured.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDcFvcvabfvLyc1ufZ09XMbfizGri4VKDOnbkTxlKNb0Bxrj2aQYZoHiIDn4BDz_X2QtVtlhBhnpnGFa0JLd3FuuBZrKScJ8SBnXjxOmeCcipLXsRmX8v81aY1FqX2zvGkLznQC5iKD3u/s1600/175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDcFvcvabfvLyc1ufZ09XMbfizGri4VKDOnbkTxlKNb0Bxrj2aQYZoHiIDn4BDz_X2QtVtlhBhnpnGFa0JLd3FuuBZrKScJ8SBnXjxOmeCcipLXsRmX8v81aY1FqX2zvGkLznQC5iKD3u/s320/175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611513249698736322" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Can you believe it????<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One last note, today happens to be the birthday of my beautiful wife. She is so awesome and I love her very much! Thanks for being so great babe, love ya!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBgCJucZihAE2EdE7DlOBBfzTQ6u48YD60MRjX6CxIl1O6f_nP0gTXwChyphenhyphent77xCP90nmRb0JbsWKXiaQKpLpQ3xxqFiDb3jAVqoBHLJ0G_4U1r9xZ5Zy3CXaSn83dviLokD9kt2VWXP4f/s1600/131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBgCJucZihAE2EdE7DlOBBfzTQ6u48YD60MRjX6CxIl1O6f_nP0gTXwChyphenhyphent77xCP90nmRb0JbsWKXiaQKpLpQ3xxqFiDb3jAVqoBHLJ0G_4U1r9xZ5Zy3CXaSn83dviLokD9kt2VWXP4f/s320/131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611517046957220562" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-16747710600472185122010-12-26T17:24:00.000-08:002010-12-26T17:52:05.724-08:00RING out the bells on Christmas DayThis holiday season was definitely a different, but exciting one. I was unable to go home for Christmas due to my work schedule at walmart, but I still managed to spread a little Christmas cheer. I had to work the morning of the 24th, but after my shift was over, I hopped in my car and headed north. After driving for a few hours in some pretty intense fog, I made it to the Salt Lake valley. I spent Christmas eve with Kathy. We went to dinner at Applebees, which was having a Hawaiian night. Then we went to a movie, which was surprisingly packed for a Christmas Eve. I spent the night at Kathys (Thanks again Kath) and then made my way over to the Allred home in South Jordan. There I set up a surprise scavenger hunt for Ruth with the help of her mom. Here is a picture of most of the items from the hunt.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkdEhyphenhyphenvOzrlia_S33A8f8dy1NfJTHd67rjTpF-kCbMeb0nmMGH1B3yQeBP_LEonFdo8KuKLAQlFmgmRxWzAP3H8EO5f3Lxdp6_InXRnP_6Elj4mpQcaDh7TlEzcBw2duwCx5sB9fY94ZR/s1600/029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkdEhyphenhyphenvOzrlia_S33A8f8dy1NfJTHd67rjTpF-kCbMeb0nmMGH1B3yQeBP_LEonFdo8KuKLAQlFmgmRxWzAP3H8EO5f3Lxdp6_InXRnP_6Elj4mpQcaDh7TlEzcBw2duwCx5sB9fY94ZR/s320/029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555170772017562098" border="0" /></a><br />At the final stage of the hunt, Ruth had to follow a trail of roses to the Christmas tree in her living room.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr7l0gdQ318-8DhDUQ2khkdZkqyYxZQd8zIO3_eR0Qeh56G6eOJhLRxNKp7mmwThPXfol78Jusnv1MxH9c1vjXGk97T2QfYuK2WYYnUNqTbwF8FRZMAniNr0QGhnmj757K6Xq0rmHswDc/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr7l0gdQ318-8DhDUQ2khkdZkqyYxZQd8zIO3_eR0Qeh56G6eOJhLRxNKp7mmwThPXfol78Jusnv1MxH9c1vjXGk97T2QfYuK2WYYnUNqTbwF8FRZMAniNr0QGhnmj757K6Xq0rmHswDc/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555171460692522034" border="0" /></a><br />When she arrived, a very surprised Ruth found me waiting next to the tree to give her another gift.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswnc2lHC5Dug8BwMISxVbKqcvRaVajm5vq8kH_IOy-sd3hAetTFHNbLnMlBfzYYhzh4SLKqY4RCh0n9o47HsEiDr_TvBZ8tM20jIARzSSkMUqaKitWji4JLf7bJM2kmpupj6wA7QBeMp8/s1600/024.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswnc2lHC5Dug8BwMISxVbKqcvRaVajm5vq8kH_IOy-sd3hAetTFHNbLnMlBfzYYhzh4SLKqY4RCh0n9o47HsEiDr_TvBZ8tM20jIARzSSkMUqaKitWji4JLf7bJM2kmpupj6wA7QBeMp8/s320/024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555172130954822914" border="0" /></a><br />Thats right everyone, Ruth and I are now engaged!!! Before we get too many questions about it, we know it will be in May, but we aren't sure about the exact date yet. We will let you know soon though! Here are a couple more pictures of the ring. Enjoy!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKq5hm8-8DFEQHWkb4e6yTKBaz_qj0-JFEMuptnPsOhOwHBT_63zidwRjnX5j7aUFrRwclhBU7-jO0T2Enm6p5ST5FSIA6tzWbWWNedLSzvzrW5Hwx0AO21QLqQpHaKuSCoTHonG8u0qm/s1600/022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKq5hm8-8DFEQHWkb4e6yTKBaz_qj0-JFEMuptnPsOhOwHBT_63zidwRjnX5j7aUFrRwclhBU7-jO0T2Enm6p5ST5FSIA6tzWbWWNedLSzvzrW5Hwx0AO21QLqQpHaKuSCoTHonG8u0qm/s320/022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555172913941767442" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRBXIRncOjVAj2rRw-y8tEwq7ZEbffDmXwL-s_Goj1zwtH5yYgUGo-OSm9TLk21lH9vBnfbs3iNWp4Lq80zmj7mDbWvRX6ou7_v7_yhQMwlwh4bsJeNMlUnAERoo-xC-82kQ70tSQGCSQ/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRBXIRncOjVAj2rRw-y8tEwq7ZEbffDmXwL-s_Goj1zwtH5yYgUGo-OSm9TLk21lH9vBnfbs3iNWp4Lq80zmj7mDbWvRX6ou7_v7_yhQMwlwh4bsJeNMlUnAERoo-xC-82kQ70tSQGCSQ/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555172918306999810" border="0" /></a><br />Also, here is us spreading the news!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTKMpX87Pf5b18Qb3efTqXeJbTpbhtEqskiU3hD77zh8wRI9KejNienFmOATHeZ06sxBR4iNPw1x_vrg77xfUpN0JPxPuuVgIBH2VG73f0DsNsmeYnMH4c3wuPnHly03V-qb_RbD8eN5Z/s1600/035.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTKMpX87Pf5b18Qb3efTqXeJbTpbhtEqskiU3hD77zh8wRI9KejNienFmOATHeZ06sxBR4iNPw1x_vrg77xfUpN0JPxPuuVgIBH2VG73f0DsNsmeYnMH4c3wuPnHly03V-qb_RbD8eN5Z/s320/035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555173438189163938" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-87576605259040907052010-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:002010-11-14T18:17:06.754-08:00California Getaway<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Last weekend I had the opportunity of going to California with the Allred's. After tackling two tests on Friday morning, Ruth and I got in the car and headed for the airport in Las Vegas. We made pretty good time in getting to Vegas, so we had a while to wait in the airport. We were flying standby on JetBlue, so we were a little worried about making it on to the plane. Unfortunately we didn't get to sit by each other, but we both made it on the plane to Long Beach. Shortly after landing we met up with Ruth's family and enjoyed the evening with them. We got up bright and early the next morning and headed for Disneyland! Our hotel provided a shuttle to the park, so we got there just after the park opened, and it was a blast. The crowds were pretty small all morning, so we could just walk straight up to any ride and get on. It was so nice, especially considering the last time I went to Disney, we had to wait in really long lines all day. The only bump in the morning plans was that Ruth's parents weren't able to be in the park with us because they wound up going to a funeral for an uncle of Ruth's mom. They weren't planning on going, but since they were in the area when it happened, they figured they had better go. They did meet up with us in the afternoon for lunch, and then we revisited all the rides we went on in the morning and hit up a few we missed. We stayed in the park until 10:30 that night. We all had a lot of fun, but by the end of the day we were ready for some quality time with a pillow. We got up on Sunday morning with intentions of attending church, but after running into a laundry list of problems, we were too late to get there. So after getting checked out of the hotel we spent a couple of hours at the beach. Ruth's dad had to take off for a while to take Betsy and Chris to the airport, but he made it back in time to enjoy a nap on the beach. We went for a really nice mexican dinner before heading to the airport. This time the worry came for the crew heading back to Salt Lake. Their plane was really full so it was very up in the air for a while if they would make it home or not. Luckily, everyone made it on to the plane and left Ruth and I to wait for our flight back to Vegas. Our airplane had almost nobody on it, so we actually got to sit by each other on the way back. We didn't get back into Cedar City until about 2:00 in the morning. It was a short and busy trip, but it was definitely worth it. I had a blast being with Ruth away from the pressures of work and school. It was also fun getting to know Ruth's family a little better. As always, her are a few pictures. Enjoy!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WMb8EsVe56CKnsu4GdkDNiTGnm8qtEOnflNT4t0CspGLgyp6OJPSUwALmeuJLtdNIJq9A0X9N7qSbRgjBsKSK4_SQj02SsybXPTs_q04s96OvC2dPAHnIsTt3MgPVB7d49lpscPgbUNM/s1600/021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WMb8EsVe56CKnsu4GdkDNiTGnm8qtEOnflNT4t0CspGLgyp6OJPSUwALmeuJLtdNIJq9A0X9N7qSbRgjBsKSK4_SQj02SsybXPTs_q04s96OvC2dPAHnIsTt3MgPVB7d49lpscPgbUNM/s320/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539560495658304226" border="0" /></a>Ruth at the "phone bank" at the airport.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUNQ9BUAp-4vt8VOwntzoGFldNzbBznzuk3IY-nNoW1vGLz3UhP4SwrONLLZsa1vdlG_BOTHUM2SRaR40LW5ICY7YRLa0tceiDC9iWn3uGfJPNSOPYcYKu6ga90Fup5W9NVtC5HThasz-/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUNQ9BUAp-4vt8VOwntzoGFldNzbBznzuk3IY-nNoW1vGLz3UhP4SwrONLLZsa1vdlG_BOTHUM2SRaR40LW5ICY7YRLa0tceiDC9iWn3uGfJPNSOPYcYKu6ga90Fup5W9NVtC5HThasz-/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539560497334716962" border="0" /></a>The Allred girls at the entrance of Disneyland.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuhjnIsZ8YEVrwlusCCVkKyTBOYgRBJJ6FsB__6PDL2SIGIh_xhNHiqxFckQMiO9CUrIw2Hbp91C-z8arj38d1u5hfYvGvyPfEm3IBJ0My4GwIwUhCox2Hc0ZzkEWgT1Y91r-ogWc99-y/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuhjnIsZ8YEVrwlusCCVkKyTBOYgRBJJ6FsB__6PDL2SIGIh_xhNHiqxFckQMiO9CUrIw2Hbp91C-z8arj38d1u5hfYvGvyPfEm3IBJ0My4GwIwUhCox2Hc0ZzkEWgT1Y91r-ogWc99-y/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539560509923129218" border="0" /></a>Ruth and I entering the magic kingdom.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLDxmaETJzRSJ-VipdOBNwZoBoNte43ns2aUNaP_sj3RjHyg2zbP7TN_aXlCGJw2_DhFBfeqKf82gcJyK9njRn7s7a-HsRKh25sbamoqiHTaIyo2VCpZ77bxFy42a62xIJuLNexhqJRgB/s1600/026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLDxmaETJzRSJ-VipdOBNwZoBoNte43ns2aUNaP_sj3RjHyg2zbP7TN_aXlCGJw2_DhFBfeqKf82gcJyK9njRn7s7a-HsRKh25sbamoqiHTaIyo2VCpZ77bxFy42a62xIJuLNexhqJRgB/s320/026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539560516205402466" border="0" /></a>Betsy and Chris psyched for a day with Mickey.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1q9_JtxL7__3RwGOjxyvT8FAy8PX5l2z_fKYVZlRUppSfS_oJ0c6NDuujPXMcm847fIGgrDn45CxVilOB7ZX-7mVa2mQE9emg4LC_peRBssYiY9M9xzzxMChKBSFE1dy8I3E2V5b9Bevl/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1q9_JtxL7__3RwGOjxyvT8FAy8PX5l2z_fKYVZlRUppSfS_oJ0c6NDuujPXMcm847fIGgrDn45CxVilOB7ZX-7mVa2mQE9emg4LC_peRBssYiY9M9xzzxMChKBSFE1dy8I3E2V5b9Bevl/s320/028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539561812412869874" border="0" /></a>Taking a spin on the tea cups.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHc-uE-X_rVD18h5KdOPZUYR15G0mFvloAllSUPlkEeht6DGCGYtuqy-UHQnRCU3d_ExtUXGo2iyM4TYZFFSqrpL8YlUa_l8ZDBwtkFHhnNodj5XkZ6HxWE47NRYQti0H8cjBcxdAd1SMd/s1600/030.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHc-uE-X_rVD18h5KdOPZUYR15G0mFvloAllSUPlkEeht6DGCGYtuqy-UHQnRCU3d_ExtUXGo2iyM4TYZFFSqrpL8YlUa_l8ZDBwtkFHhnNodj5XkZ6HxWE47NRYQti0H8cjBcxdAd1SMd/s320/030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539561816524230674" border="0" /></a>Could this be where I am from?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq_U8anU0unNZQoJ4y7-rzx17ETfB-aoUs3olmGszpWOTgnlwQxJ8BUtndROPitlQO1aDkv_AHoRfUl4kbU4DO9XNy-NT1gUHvim3pER3zYNIL51vpL5440gZJcS63gZ-WkNimSk8M9Iq/s1600/040.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq_U8anU0unNZQoJ4y7-rzx17ETfB-aoUs3olmGszpWOTgnlwQxJ8BUtndROPitlQO1aDkv_AHoRfUl4kbU4DO9XNy-NT1gUHvim3pER3zYNIL51vpL5440gZJcS63gZ-WkNimSk8M9Iq/s320/040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539561821031138850" border="0" /></a>Ruth getting ready for Autopia.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GxoBbFqfEJNkT_o_gSdA5i-8L434NznvgK61eRXUczdF0oAeriTcbKx7pdMuLLSqEQgw2IgDq51niEmL0c863G5rU8wWG3T14NeK7kqxqq83PYuT5EKSwU0RVIHqSUktGA1JIx8ITOAs/s1600/032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GxoBbFqfEJNkT_o_gSdA5i-8L434NznvgK61eRXUczdF0oAeriTcbKx7pdMuLLSqEQgw2IgDq51niEmL0c863G5rU8wWG3T14NeK7kqxqq83PYuT5EKSwU0RVIHqSUktGA1JIx8ITOAs/s320/032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539565862548939666" border="0" /></a>Ruth behind the wheel.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiFPNW3WHWuMJhGfwF_ZECpOxeIRcZXWX94kaLcHUrafJuPrSIimEMCRW_J768S5y7EPow3ZOdDojp0BvtYAXPZur-WCbRLNDspClylPU8K6ahA__SPtA-RUN7F8QlWjPhfGaQRfzKJRM/s1600/033.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiFPNW3WHWuMJhGfwF_ZECpOxeIRcZXWX94kaLcHUrafJuPrSIimEMCRW_J768S5y7EPow3ZOdDojp0BvtYAXPZur-WCbRLNDspClylPU8K6ahA__SPtA-RUN7F8QlWjPhfGaQRfzKJRM/s320/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539565867526479330" border="0" /></a>I think Ruth may have had a little road rage?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc69RT4MzCLF5B2edDmaZcIvD6wp_qJL4eWuMhRi1CdLrqFz6CbZgReoYv8x2Gnat_7Hy_jMtHdk_ct7ud3BNvrByHXwcv1467xzAn5NE7JnDjzScPRq96EDL0UCij4btuHlyhwVbojh5g/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc69RT4MzCLF5B2edDmaZcIvD6wp_qJL4eWuMhRi1CdLrqFz6CbZgReoYv8x2Gnat_7Hy_jMtHdk_ct7ud3BNvrByHXwcv1467xzAn5NE7JnDjzScPRq96EDL0UCij4btuHlyhwVbojh5g/s320/037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539565874149259522" border="0" /></a>Rachel and Hannah approach the finish line.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtmEBxT2zDUj2fPN6n4tRdVu80S6WtpbDdY-gAjl6f5HsrcQS2iaOjWrzqAO4MwKltsdF0m8NOa2Gqt4HgVhxlYZ_joLOsCgSSFKJBUH5Frlo24JIwTavC1FToLfrR5-Hur3a_ICngvqy/s1600/039.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtmEBxT2zDUj2fPN6n4tRdVu80S6WtpbDdY-gAjl6f5HsrcQS2iaOjWrzqAO4MwKltsdF0m8NOa2Gqt4HgVhxlYZ_joLOsCgSSFKJBUH5Frlo24JIwTavC1FToLfrR5-Hur3a_ICngvqy/s320/039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539565874460082802" border="0" /></a>Chris and Betsy stuck in traffic. Crazy California drivers!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZoOXgHaYVdRasPAnt_-e8I_2aYwwV7ZOmIp0ctZEm_IO4sWzFh6i9SbYZiVpjAHePHDrlSUmJ6sE31H3O9s7sUNokd1PUcgIh1fFHO9xThS9bMcxo7oOWxVEyc2Ff_hWbY7smzX5uGib/s1600/041.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZoOXgHaYVdRasPAnt_-e8I_2aYwwV7ZOmIp0ctZEm_IO4sWzFh6i9SbYZiVpjAHePHDrlSUmJ6sE31H3O9s7sUNokd1PUcgIh1fFHO9xThS9bMcxo7oOWxVEyc2Ff_hWbY7smzX5uGib/s320/041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539568474670539394" border="0" /></a>Making a big splash!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31RiG3kP8UtyiKnHYGs9mf9vlnwOzu6umxLLRkJqWTZ7iav1xAgSShyphenhyphenHCqFs7mLLtNgGZ9KN6XvOH_Q0TOwqRLG397y45dTRXAktUemzCkSNDQSdp-3_VLYZSh2xcoixZBTl5Zs-wG7EV/s1600/042.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31RiG3kP8UtyiKnHYGs9mf9vlnwOzu6umxLLRkJqWTZ7iav1xAgSShyphenhyphenHCqFs7mLLtNgGZ9KN6XvOH_Q0TOwqRLG397y45dTRXAktUemzCkSNDQSdp-3_VLYZSh2xcoixZBTl5Zs-wG7EV/s320/042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539568477550356146" border="0" /></a>Space mountain survivors.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRAHv_wTmbK_zI9iFLsJQh8LEO6yub9Bna_2fmiJtvoIQtRRSCE7OO4SyaJDlXJgZj1-2QSa1a15Q8_ozPOJcXQiRbJQgECeh6EQmJNV2tx4d09wc0g5n-f9sAwOR5R-4Mp8zZOPBwAMX/s1600/043.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRAHv_wTmbK_zI9iFLsJQh8LEO6yub9Bna_2fmiJtvoIQtRRSCE7OO4SyaJDlXJgZj1-2QSa1a15Q8_ozPOJcXQiRbJQgECeh6EQmJNV2tx4d09wc0g5n-f9sAwOR5R-4Mp8zZOPBwAMX/s320/043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539568483877827842" border="0" /></a>You never know what kind of beach bums you will find in Cali.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWGNXUmiAcGtXuKPNh-7thvmx-DWIVEAsENvxK_zjlEdq9SpTzksXo0P2FZ5M-98xFPjHWp9ZLOX7yvqXxuG4PMEWgxZeOXOOW4g5pQE2p-2iKgTg1ohLaMxK5gC_Ki6sQrxdLjxaDQGu/s1600/044.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWGNXUmiAcGtXuKPNh-7thvmx-DWIVEAsENvxK_zjlEdq9SpTzksXo0P2FZ5M-98xFPjHWp9ZLOX7yvqXxuG4PMEWgxZeOXOOW4g5pQE2p-2iKgTg1ohLaMxK5gC_Ki6sQrxdLjxaDQGu/s320/044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539571129620121106" border="0" /></a>Watching the tide roll in.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa29uIx81_tITyDtGmbWLXhZtdlmHLvtzezddjgoMBUW-aXtaYVaUlkeXgue1Qy-GMU7dn4AYAhgKn-xTbWl2Kg2633YxcbB6Px2vTtCulyjeFR3R2KldS4mUmDalVDueMvJcBcoAzx6u/s1600/047.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa29uIx81_tITyDtGmbWLXhZtdlmHLvtzezddjgoMBUW-aXtaYVaUlkeXgue1Qy-GMU7dn4AYAhgKn-xTbWl2Kg2633YxcbB6Px2vTtCulyjeFR3R2KldS4mUmDalVDueMvJcBcoAzx6u/s320/047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539571131485825282" border="0" /></a>A game or a bird trap?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-DutbRGieZNFjzg14ucGqzNCjNRfySlgRtxJh3UhuOP_NLmNLeeXqvSW04xJB-b8i6CVav0YFMzdxfqnh7FiLE1HDsOjvk9_l5TzT2WwVWwbhxCU_4_siSF1UZGQOXQLxcPEOMkptbB3/s1600/049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-DutbRGieZNFjzg14ucGqzNCjNRfySlgRtxJh3UhuOP_NLmNLeeXqvSW04xJB-b8i6CVav0YFMzdxfqnh7FiLE1HDsOjvk9_l5TzT2WwVWwbhxCU_4_siSF1UZGQOXQLxcPEOMkptbB3/s320/049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539571136977412066" border="0" /></a>It isn't a trip to the beach without making a sand castle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYYuKL9O0MusMoIOFXz8uf4EJD0KSHv9x0E-RCAXA7WpUt95EKq1O_j1-evmqxQX7BQYX40hhU2nH-EQXCrzqakPKG8gIgiG2av2Rook0BNrlrwlr8X9AwK6u46XGK2WlXZf55kokVJRU/s1600/050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYYuKL9O0MusMoIOFXz8uf4EJD0KSHv9x0E-RCAXA7WpUt95EKq1O_j1-evmqxQX7BQYX40hhU2nH-EQXCrzqakPKG8gIgiG2av2Rook0BNrlrwlr8X9AwK6u46XGK2WlXZf55kokVJRU/s320/050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539572978172579106" border="0" /></a>So sad to head back to the real world.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CTslW3jK4ui7oYgAycjho_R8BK6775MuQs-yWBkHrKvuAXdxb7Qxie2Xz1tN6DODZGDsOfMMhdDbb9h3K-gBKsDU_w5RBeAGDVeqn6QRbV6RCoZKwmr8vLWHtkdxbNJ__1PLCIAhNaaN/s1600/052.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CTslW3jK4ui7oYgAycjho_R8BK6775MuQs-yWBkHrKvuAXdxb7Qxie2Xz1tN6DODZGDsOfMMhdDbb9h3K-gBKsDU_w5RBeAGDVeqn6QRbV6RCoZKwmr8vLWHtkdxbNJ__1PLCIAhNaaN/s320/052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539572983738345074" border="0" /></a>Our near empty plane on the way back.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2ScCRfX2VfjosfPix2tEaD0cJsjTTmj5KtB7PydYj8DDyb3RQIo0SUufiik9DMBIi64gKcXo0FNfGdenEHDJOnHvnP98sOJFccoZaCvyqKNz1PtOwzOrXAiTu758srMr37Zc0KpSYu8B/s1600/051.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2ScCRfX2VfjosfPix2tEaD0cJsjTTmj5KtB7PydYj8DDyb3RQIo0SUufiik9DMBIi64gKcXo0FNfGdenEHDJOnHvnP98sOJFccoZaCvyqKNz1PtOwzOrXAiTu758srMr37Zc0KpSYu8B/s320/051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539572988233314754" border="0" /></a>At least we got to sit by each other this time!<br /><br /></div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-3988700741978302492010-10-30T20:44:00.000-07:002010-10-30T21:09:54.481-07:00Targeted at WorkTo the excited surprise of many walmart employees, we were given the green light to dress up for Halloween on Saturday and Sunday of this week. Not wanting to pass up on the opportunity to be my sarcastic self, I decided to dress up as a target employee. I don't think the majority of the customers I helped today even noticed, but it got a lot of good laughs out of my co-workers. I was a little worried that management might not be too excited about my idea, but I couldn't pass up the idea. So I altered my walmart badge to look like a target badge, and to make it an even bigger shot to the ribs I still left the walmart slogan on the bottom of the badge. Then I just added in a red polo to complete the look, and it made for a fun day at work. Here are a couple of pictures to show what it looked like. I thought the badge looked ok, but several people asked if it was real, so I must have done a pretty good job.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD47qqjgYhdXTuk05YyabOFmPPeFvz8zR_TccWYD038ePhtAiGP8JgdaJQV1pKaPimZRfldcT3s7JEEK4T4RffPaX7JlKfzUkdP-qtKvBMzLvzhi4giZ9BiIohcX8EEGjVJsEW4v48uOR4/s1600/CIMG0697.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD47qqjgYhdXTuk05YyabOFmPPeFvz8zR_TccWYD038ePhtAiGP8JgdaJQV1pKaPimZRfldcT3s7JEEK4T4RffPaX7JlKfzUkdP-qtKvBMzLvzhi4giZ9BiIohcX8EEGjVJsEW4v48uOR4/s320/CIMG0697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534056914557524578" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6UGxhq59_J0l4Q7BeBLK4wBPqaXilXdtd_Kh8bmbIv9167NUXviD5gcu-G-SHtNXIww64XpAq7uYk9ITmq_3roAOqH7GARGCeXG4p008bdJScJMAUYuxbXElnVOWQMaWHazNVnqjOHrH/s1600/CIMG0698.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6UGxhq59_J0l4Q7BeBLK4wBPqaXilXdtd_Kh8bmbIv9167NUXviD5gcu-G-SHtNXIww64XpAq7uYk9ITmq_3roAOqH7GARGCeXG4p008bdJScJMAUYuxbXElnVOWQMaWHazNVnqjOHrH/s320/CIMG0698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534056923031299378" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy48i6iEyg04zvd6aj7F44SET7Lh79EezSaSLZhpCmyTY8NONKV49B6hrUgSivGdqXeYGr72lcp64ZdhxzO1AVP6T9x6WTJ4xKMSHIYZyCh2Wgm09qby_vkyiQSPlhMLTXjZOHL4RFN8P1/s1600/CIMG0700.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy48i6iEyg04zvd6aj7F44SET7Lh79EezSaSLZhpCmyTY8NONKV49B6hrUgSivGdqXeYGr72lcp64ZdhxzO1AVP6T9x6WTJ4xKMSHIYZyCh2Wgm09qby_vkyiQSPlhMLTXjZOHL4RFN8P1/s320/CIMG0700.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534056929268122818" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-55964904427981283102010-09-02T10:57:00.000-07:002010-09-02T11:23:41.219-07:00Weekend VisitThis last weekend, Ruth got to come back to Cedar City for the first time since moving home. I was super excited to be able to be with her again. Sadly, I had to work quite a bit while she was here, but we did get to spend some time together, and we did get to go on a couple adventures. Thursday night we went out to Three Peaks to roast marshmallows with some old friends. It was fun getting the crew back together to hang out for a bit. Then on Friday afternoon Ruth and I took a drive up the canyon to go to Cedar Breaks. We had been up there once before with some friends, but it was night and we couldn't really see anything. I was really glad we went back up there, because it had some really nice scenery. The view was really nice, and we even saw a little wildlife. We watched a little chipmunk for about five minutes that was just below the lookout point. Then as we were driving back down the canyon we decided to take a side road to see where it went. Just as we turned off the main road, there was just a single lamb laying on the side of the road. We knew that there were a lot of sheep raised in the area, but it was really surprising to see one all by itself that high up in the canyon. The side road adventure didn't last too long because the road dead ended at some type of utilities plant. It was a lot of fun just to get out and go enjoy some more of the area around Cedar City, and it was all made better because Ruth was with me! Well, here are a few pictures from Cedar Breaks. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESEhyphenhyphen1PxuK9zfY14wrvVCYpIoDDHxmj9PFuzvy7TTW_M0s-0iOm_LQQ26l_VSF9BQFA87ck1JmWOgZ9mubhP2FQhCttfnyCrb-GccI4m3YWmGTTcsatvP99fWn1ByNn5eDXALWEnhV1tc/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESEhyphenhyphen1PxuK9zfY14wrvVCYpIoDDHxmj9PFuzvy7TTW_M0s-0iOm_LQQ26l_VSF9BQFA87ck1JmWOgZ9mubhP2FQhCttfnyCrb-GccI4m3YWmGTTcsatvP99fWn1ByNn5eDXALWEnhV1tc/s320/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512381962543705218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileSMhEn_yz-EA0UDsuI1QhOQizKsaq8wcBdias_F0uG7Ya4EzaWsStoJlhCjig1iMBJySZw8NyzTfpDJ35IjeiBy0Uxpj7t-LJT6QyvdVUUgMQlwgXAgrC3RA6sQom1j8MPRm-zJPHruq/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileSMhEn_yz-EA0UDsuI1QhOQizKsaq8wcBdias_F0uG7Ya4EzaWsStoJlhCjig1iMBJySZw8NyzTfpDJ35IjeiBy0Uxpj7t-LJT6QyvdVUUgMQlwgXAgrC3RA6sQom1j8MPRm-zJPHruq/s320/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512381977966074930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlMkxtgytGTVX8Nr3avltS6xzwS62on0QYDem006fREFR4KMLJQPUa9BVZaWNgTkG4afZeE3Eo5_tciKcDeFM_rvWaWn_7hub2a1NnErPggMtBdeshfJ1452d-fyjJLDCgNAuuXn8IVVU/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlMkxtgytGTVX8Nr3avltS6xzwS62on0QYDem006fREFR4KMLJQPUa9BVZaWNgTkG4afZeE3Eo5_tciKcDeFM_rvWaWn_7hub2a1NnErPggMtBdeshfJ1452d-fyjJLDCgNAuuXn8IVVU/s320/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512381978861613218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QkORPtuzzBZIZS-Tdqw0yIaIJa6zWxhKEvMFFrDeiqD3w5nCWdK4rb83oJnKGmvOFiNW6IlJ1U1ZHgtg_M71JyMtnVJbvjQxWAO7S3sUPoCEiqNbBuuqe0hPnWnmCYPiFKRIzPhrEPDs/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QkORPtuzzBZIZS-Tdqw0yIaIJa6zWxhKEvMFFrDeiqD3w5nCWdK4rb83oJnKGmvOFiNW6IlJ1U1ZHgtg_M71JyMtnVJbvjQxWAO7S3sUPoCEiqNbBuuqe0hPnWnmCYPiFKRIzPhrEPDs/s320/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512381986608533746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoguMyqP74uFteeRy_R-AvsuVZD81t0ILyYwvdzu9D4BrxWW3U7j7d9h-S2rwqc678I-2Bj185CbQXUNk-eTGVv1Mm23gQ3zOS1ZBArqLeeBsKYp91rQHCWaWg5woQhQxtMyxGBaASVoo/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoguMyqP74uFteeRy_R-AvsuVZD81t0ILyYwvdzu9D4BrxWW3U7j7d9h-S2rwqc678I-2Bj185CbQXUNk-eTGVv1Mm23gQ3zOS1ZBArqLeeBsKYp91rQHCWaWg5woQhQxtMyxGBaASVoo/s320/006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512383167177165698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLk8uk1xKDELCnw4wghJJVBLj9gH_YATMgg6e8NnzEl-mXqArCRH-NB2F-ZcgLLWFEnpbR68gpug40E20KWXH_XSTxnoCe0smtyfOgQmgY5rrxwB6WryH4kiNxig28Rg4FhySsYDtKW3U/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLk8uk1xKDELCnw4wghJJVBLj9gH_YATMgg6e8NnzEl-mXqArCRH-NB2F-ZcgLLWFEnpbR68gpug40E20KWXH_XSTxnoCe0smtyfOgQmgY5rrxwB6WryH4kiNxig28Rg4FhySsYDtKW3U/s320/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512383175687266146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuocZM9mQExByruLprozvLjHVbI_2SG6tWhVK3izfQZUg0viqNgnmnOg5Npq2si3rgXLhlMHniyYOqDUkYvIty95E8_FfazIGQrOAZGPVsaUuxgdL4PQnWNsLgEbvJJrYqVcdO8J9wADi/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuocZM9mQExByruLprozvLjHVbI_2SG6tWhVK3izfQZUg0viqNgnmnOg5Npq2si3rgXLhlMHniyYOqDUkYvIty95E8_FfazIGQrOAZGPVsaUuxgdL4PQnWNsLgEbvJJrYqVcdO8J9wADi/s320/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512383178579304018" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-45981267074899347342010-08-17T15:45:00.000-07:002010-08-17T16:36:23.819-07:00The Long Overdue TripAfter experiencing a super long period of separation from the beloved city of Blanding I was finally able to go home this last Thursday. On Thursday morning Ruth and I set out for home. It was a long drive, as always, but it was worth it to be with my family again. That night, we drove over to Monticello for the Charley Jenkins and Aaron Tippin concert. I was really excited to see Charley again because I enjoyed the last time I saw him so much. Aaron Tippin did a good job too, and he had a ton of energy. On Friday morning we went golfing with my dad and two of his co-workers. I hadn't played a round of golf in a year, but it was still fun to go. I am pretty sure Ruth would have kicked my butt had we been really keeping score. I was surprised that we both got burned pretty bad. I thought we wouldn't have got that red after all the hiking and stuff we have done this summer. Anyway, later on in the evening we got to hang out with Kyle and Dany. It was a blast to be with them again. We made an awesome pizza and some spam musibi. On Saturday afternoon we went and shot skeets with my dad and Farley. We didn't put on much of a show, but we had a lot of fun. It was Ruths first time shooting a gun, and she did pretty well. She took care of a can of pepsi on her second shot. That evening we went to the cabin for dinner. We played frisbee before dinner and bocce after dinner. It was lots of good food, including some amazing pecan pie, and lots of fun. On Sunday we stayed around long enough to go to church and have dinner with the family. Then on the way back to Cedar City we met up with Ruths dad so he could take her back home. It was really hard to let her go like that, but hopefully we will see each other again soon. Here are a couple pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6mGai4NdyDOPbOIhyphenhyphenDT910aXW82xr5tESxAI7b-0JUfI0yqen45w1KIA-QZP0tYNDxZeONPeVXj-JEjVLAH8hwtUvDUav4nqvtRSBS_FOi9IqLFG74qN-N5AlNdeu6OnNnb7W3R5RKba/s1600/016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6mGai4NdyDOPbOIhyphenhyphenDT910aXW82xr5tESxAI7b-0JUfI0yqen45w1KIA-QZP0tYNDxZeONPeVXj-JEjVLAH8hwtUvDUav4nqvtRSBS_FOi9IqLFG74qN-N5AlNdeu6OnNnb7W3R5RKba/s320/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506515668647698530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPEDumthXAfNq-XeKaC1M69UwT0fY6bE16u4zzdo7s4CTkVMMCkYcywUlznDdNCFaKdMJeJ4Wh-cayiAfRWE4bQThxWUmS0V-qr7K0j-Yt_hQ3OOOG35_dRZxz8WUJnqbl3gCRVb39-SV/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPEDumthXAfNq-XeKaC1M69UwT0fY6bE16u4zzdo7s4CTkVMMCkYcywUlznDdNCFaKdMJeJ4Wh-cayiAfRWE4bQThxWUmS0V-qr7K0j-Yt_hQ3OOOG35_dRZxz8WUJnqbl3gCRVb39-SV/s320/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506515679553066786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KHZZKK2C_mz7ms2ns-ZNA4DHB8iuIqyMl6_wSYREEkN0bE1_ryuL6m3Ce-CyhPi7b4DTNKZ2TPLYsyfQFRPMInp_bMgWLUl12NowYawowmD3008xynM-2aZmr5cQooGeQSfFkZZtcVJX/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KHZZKK2C_mz7ms2ns-ZNA4DHB8iuIqyMl6_wSYREEkN0bE1_ryuL6m3Ce-CyhPi7b4DTNKZ2TPLYsyfQFRPMInp_bMgWLUl12NowYawowmD3008xynM-2aZmr5cQooGeQSfFkZZtcVJX/s320/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506515686564826114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEesTAxwkZSOcDzT1NbUKryCLEomESMSmaWOApUaP8egPpBc0osVoy9idi6aPlAM_XAUuxuyuQ2-SzDIUZrJsENZif8y8Bv_j7Ng4bVYFjAmWrKEWPzIUXpYHpFjoZZjRWKmsVsdnLtE_/s1600/019.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEesTAxwkZSOcDzT1NbUKryCLEomESMSmaWOApUaP8egPpBc0osVoy9idi6aPlAM_XAUuxuyuQ2-SzDIUZrJsENZif8y8Bv_j7Ng4bVYFjAmWrKEWPzIUXpYHpFjoZZjRWKmsVsdnLtE_/s320/019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506515693350904802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZbiN3YNl9P2kC28eAhGd9LoytxlOOK3LvKm40E2FdABwsN1nq5CHAaNpGXSi8S_F1hKDeIBIaRN6fxVDA4pxUSgHFH2uNoSEhVTBhs1oW_eJRvIkVRu2QcXdyPjEQJTgJiXta5Kmzxm8/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZbiN3YNl9P2kC28eAhGd9LoytxlOOK3LvKm40E2FdABwsN1nq5CHAaNpGXSi8S_F1hKDeIBIaRN6fxVDA4pxUSgHFH2uNoSEhVTBhs1oW_eJRvIkVRu2QcXdyPjEQJTgJiXta5Kmzxm8/s320/020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506516689267377874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyCXNts-t4JapDSueUM_JNqh8sXh4T1V-K6k55ntEgQ5akUW8skR0yfg-CHBhPxH0tCT45MXji6tFCoZ7s2ZIR8wp4HRIRcO0POxGRapvsUzAu-oKxk_HT0Z77Ek6CL3iZ-GCYRIy_Xnr/s1600/021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyCXNts-t4JapDSueUM_JNqh8sXh4T1V-K6k55ntEgQ5akUW8skR0yfg-CHBhPxH0tCT45MXji6tFCoZ7s2ZIR8wp4HRIRcO0POxGRapvsUzAu-oKxk_HT0Z77Ek6CL3iZ-GCYRIy_Xnr/s320/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506516705919746706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UR50DYN-GzpOLmxm0yQyXQf1Z5i-9tevdHwE1FqPkhBZFpjR6QwD3p-ZAG0Xy_XxDkEmSquC8R4g9r98JPHcq9jgWWL9ufwR4-RTVy_x95AhBx1Mk5u3KXc19L1iOFUuWpmqRC-QZToM/s1600/022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UR50DYN-GzpOLmxm0yQyXQf1Z5i-9tevdHwE1FqPkhBZFpjR6QwD3p-ZAG0Xy_XxDkEmSquC8R4g9r98JPHcq9jgWWL9ufwR4-RTVy_x95AhBx1Mk5u3KXc19L1iOFUuWpmqRC-QZToM/s320/022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506516712117139026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztkhUw73YH1FP1DmY6LKGzHmbniJYPqtCj_XBkWUtbbvbOwfw2WIw0_5AZ2wGKV6YqjLRIqdKiu_eJRls7bJWJOtDkLbnZJENry5EF_E-acb1tDwSaE8wqbUfGCo_gb25aH-Isuf1CS5H/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztkhUw73YH1FP1DmY6LKGzHmbniJYPqtCj_XBkWUtbbvbOwfw2WIw0_5AZ2wGKV6YqjLRIqdKiu_eJRls7bJWJOtDkLbnZJENry5EF_E-acb1tDwSaE8wqbUfGCo_gb25aH-Isuf1CS5H/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506517512859152002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuueVKWbxGspxRptK8bEasH9kyMUvRckMXBkQkD_vEmw2TCQj7FFnzx_t-6anAAe34XKYthu70qg-kdUNwvlmUGyl_MrzjImbtvl2CtoOoXm9ikOW64tu4aTWdjXBFOSLDtZdh0vFc9VrE/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuueVKWbxGspxRptK8bEasH9kyMUvRckMXBkQkD_vEmw2TCQj7FFnzx_t-6anAAe34XKYthu70qg-kdUNwvlmUGyl_MrzjImbtvl2CtoOoXm9ikOW64tu4aTWdjXBFOSLDtZdh0vFc9VrE/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506517519750651362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPEDumthXAfNq-XeKaC1M69UwT0fY6bE16u4zzdo7s4CTkVMMCkYcywUlznDdNCFaKdMJeJ4Wh-cayiAfRWE4bQThxWUmS0V-qr7K0j-Yt_hQ3OOOG35_dRZxz8WUJnqbl3gCRVb39-SV/s1600/017.JPG"><br /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-2595880487207263332010-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:002010-07-28T12:48:16.092-07:00Wild Flowers To Wild BroncsThis last weekend Ruth and I went to visit her family in South Jordon for a few days. We headed out as soon as I got off work on Friday night, and stayed there until Monday afternoon. On Saturday morning we (Me, Ruth, Mom & Dad Allred, Betsy & Chris, Hannah, and Rachel) went for a hike in the Snowbird area. We hiked a couple of miles up to a place called Cecret Lake. It was fun getting to hike around in the mountains like that. There were a ton of wildflowers everywhere, which added a lot to the scenery. While it was a fun hike, we were all pretty drained, I think that was due more to all the sun we got, than the difficulty of the hike. After the hike we all ate lunch and then Ruth, Her Mom, and I did another small walk down closer to the Snowbird resort. After that we drove to La Caille to walk the grounds. It had been a while since I had been there, so it was fun to see it all again. They had the grounds looking very nice that day too, because they were getting ready for a wedding. After visiting La Caille, we went back home to take a break and eat dinner before heading off to see the Days of '47 Rodeo at the Maverik Center. It was a lot of fun to be there, and we had excellent seats too! We were able to spend the rest of the weekend just hanging out with Ruth's family. It was a lot of fun to get to know them all a little better. Here are a few pictures from the adventure. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNeQ7V8-wYoR-m8BxjB4SDS2v1aYrrzbAclirX_jos168-fQqGfnTDimKnZheL5PLIwERsXI6i4ofDNcDuwrHcJCiY_lke37j2mmETs9l3ecy0s-9-ELsJVmQSUnNmL8L_dZTWPtKO-QM/s1600/CIMG0632.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNeQ7V8-wYoR-m8BxjB4SDS2v1aYrrzbAclirX_jos168-fQqGfnTDimKnZheL5PLIwERsXI6i4ofDNcDuwrHcJCiY_lke37j2mmETs9l3ecy0s-9-ELsJVmQSUnNmL8L_dZTWPtKO-QM/s320/CIMG0632.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499041208285407378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSCAztm7ry9leAjDP15Ns-nuNHtMygDNEuzG2WiajTYCK2hEPh1YvFazRL3chMmo7tc6BzB3b3rxKkIM_PT2avydlUf_yOD9SMWj-U8tX_rou5chCtLF8cIgH50B1Zs4OW_nBTYIcK1GW/s1600/CIMG0634.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSCAztm7ry9leAjDP15Ns-nuNHtMygDNEuzG2WiajTYCK2hEPh1YvFazRL3chMmo7tc6BzB3b3rxKkIM_PT2avydlUf_yOD9SMWj-U8tX_rou5chCtLF8cIgH50B1Zs4OW_nBTYIcK1GW/s320/CIMG0634.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499041217563474930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3BSrJ6kvpDWGh-01s0CZIQp_jfVw-M_9eEkQYarZVsHSSkyb6J8dsu5gnwetn3aWjQOlNtQMms_RFoNmmtD84SKHpeaBEQjsx26aYbEDBdWMfrxo8000y5mqIp8Bv-3S5JbYcIeViYGy/s1600/CIMG0636.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3BSrJ6kvpDWGh-01s0CZIQp_jfVw-M_9eEkQYarZVsHSSkyb6J8dsu5gnwetn3aWjQOlNtQMms_RFoNmmtD84SKHpeaBEQjsx26aYbEDBdWMfrxo8000y5mqIp8Bv-3S5JbYcIeViYGy/s320/CIMG0636.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499041221742595586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrORcbrxqk9tVB-ApV-KJNRNwt0vw4j9NkXufwsakdPFvb-TACMzji5f8ysrGtGG1ocA3THdYDs8jPWong77egshR34SpI1bbsSyD1HBWyfZ6_NJmGeBzDodf20SOvmQUXeZXirwtzwO__/s1600/CIMG0639.JPG"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY8vJmCfIH7OiLxeUhLDGw8-MxnpdcX9A9n2ztzigGdL5eg_q0z16EcpemqxLXt2wTHo9fSHvnLNpoGrSGc3-MjrzsNiz8r37W5VrkXHevv2X5wOhUiMrWBjdPlmiHB7By4r4H5Rd6pm7/s320/CIMG0659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499044833936623186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzLMkKgm0p2dtqmU9J1-RspLWP2NZ7g_8ssWA51v_c6ZYKk1bC87wm01sKM7IT-DSZHUe7QDu1K-zVzlCey1pJiAwlZDDZGOC_NvWhPdVZZ4rHwkVNHwOoNdGaJgN2JUktA8yYWUWMb7S/s1600/CIMG0664.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzLMkKgm0p2dtqmU9J1-RspLWP2NZ7g_8ssWA51v_c6ZYKk1bC87wm01sKM7IT-DSZHUe7QDu1K-zVzlCey1pJiAwlZDDZGOC_NvWhPdVZZ4rHwkVNHwOoNdGaJgN2JUktA8yYWUWMb7S/s320/CIMG0664.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499044838426969650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_Ge5PLRYav3qXav74RZQdcCqJ-XMImI2s6uwS6lx8qvJa1Zgr-2lC3wkE-Dx1haNIeZrSJRix_rN9grEmCyFmrEAoUxx0QUf73m3mLjamFr1FTAE6RFIQr5Qfj-txvruK93bjgya6wI/s1600/CIMG0663.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_Ge5PLRYav3qXav74RZQdcCqJ-XMImI2s6uwS6lx8qvJa1Zgr-2lC3wkE-Dx1haNIeZrSJRix_rN9grEmCyFmrEAoUxx0QUf73m3mLjamFr1FTAE6RFIQr5Qfj-txvruK93bjgya6wI/s320/CIMG0663.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499045870348984386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mm7glEcwuDREQeETMYZtAuFVSz6Spg8dZMJnJfdSq9dTL25g0V77HuFKx2GKHE8OtQnPL_CbUCLb7iayVVE7-6NG822U5jxujqHcP5IeA-nCHYBlJXS0MLcHVBZVK3ZnM2K1JFYOoKyJ/s1600/CIMG0668.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Mm7glEcwuDREQeETMYZtAuFVSz6Spg8dZMJnJfdSq9dTL25g0V77HuFKx2GKHE8OtQnPL_CbUCLb7iayVVE7-6NG822U5jxujqHcP5IeA-nCHYBlJXS0MLcHVBZVK3ZnM2K1JFYOoKyJ/s320/CIMG0668.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499045884675455506" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-66388348312292039972010-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:002010-07-06T15:28:53.685-07:004th of July Adventures<div style="text-align: left;"> Well, I was unable to get back to the best spot on earth for the 4th, Blanding, but I was still able to have a couple fun adventures. The first adventure started after I got off work on Saturday. Ruth, Barry, and I hopped in my car and headed for Nevada. We had been invited by Ruth's roommate Lyndsay to go and celebrate the 4th in her hometown of Logandale, Nevada. So after the two hour drive to Logandale, we picked up Lyndsay and went to our other friend Alicia's house. We spent a couple hours at Alicia's house playing in her pool. We had a couple pretty intense (and I am sure hilarious to watch) games of volleyball. After enjoying the pool for a few hours we all went to the Logandale fairgrounds for the community celebration. They had a free dinner of bbq beef sandwiches, baked beans, chips, pie, ice cream and drinks. After dinner there was a small awards ceremony and then a fireworks show. After all the festivities, Ruth and I went back to Lyndsay's house. It was very nice of them to put us up for the night. The next morning we went to the singles ward down there, and then went back to Alicia's for her birthday lunch. So that was pretty much the end of the first adventure. Unfortunately I didn't really get pictures from the trip to Nevada, so you will just have to settle for the story. The other adventure though, will have plenty of pictures. On Monday after work Tara, Ruth, and I went to hike Kanaraville Falls. Ruth and I had attempted this hike in early May, but the water was just too high and too cold to finish it then. I was really glad we could actually get up to the falls this time though, because it was a very beautiful hike. So here are a few pictures and videos from the adventure.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU2-5Wqgnl97KBKweZWIalGPyfuiedd2EEcoGfEpWEr4UykEvV027qrmun_E6feid0yb9BRAsQELTAqNVYL_tIQteBHCIVOAAuJCKKqx4vvV0rw9a5tXN1rQNYQKVwPvMUxR-OcNjwGx3/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU2-5Wqgnl97KBKweZWIalGPyfuiedd2EEcoGfEpWEr4UykEvV027qrmun_E6feid0yb9BRAsQELTAqNVYL_tIQteBHCIVOAAuJCKKqx4vvV0rw9a5tXN1rQNYQKVwPvMUxR-OcNjwGx3/s320/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490916951605746066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2O_tsXj1sQDzSylWGbjSyVUYcpEC_5LFjfpW0ub9mle_b_vMN1O-z_RABdEvJ2hGCrWacZ-vCwdHZhEMSMhD_9dA64_9G2c1S4zdQrze3W6-vNkyjqbL56gQa-Wx0aIIhPtBwMSkL1Bo/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2O_tsXj1sQDzSylWGbjSyVUYcpEC_5LFjfpW0ub9mle_b_vMN1O-z_RABdEvJ2hGCrWacZ-vCwdHZhEMSMhD_9dA64_9G2c1S4zdQrze3W6-vNkyjqbL56gQa-Wx0aIIhPtBwMSkL1Bo/s320/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490916962443988834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUB_VW3Od38oKuFC2JC_hedhzj_aaEn9frXI95LnF1roBzdbLRFeAdA6765csiCnRH7qb8ccJK27I-wYUXJEnZqQQLnYPqhQzDuvdW96TkxVHIRKrTo_rYoG7wHHjaYXcexdTBC6hQCUq/s1600/013.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUB_VW3Od38oKuFC2JC_hedhzj_aaEn9frXI95LnF1roBzdbLRFeAdA6765csiCnRH7qb8ccJK27I-wYUXJEnZqQQLnYPqhQzDuvdW96TkxVHIRKrTo_rYoG7wHHjaYXcexdTBC6hQCUq/s320/013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490916964994054226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuK1v-F-WUsEUkfYKiczotifPIsVwmNQPBmExdt9usdo3Tix0HKIUM8FM3Plp-jmj9wOeeN_a90Dw8HvnzgI_K5cz2RrKnFlLq9PAh5g0FNUnwlQijRD2gskUvRgUWJdLLSGr8rLpfnVV/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuK1v-F-WUsEUkfYKiczotifPIsVwmNQPBmExdt9usdo3Tix0HKIUM8FM3Plp-jmj9wOeeN_a90Dw8HvnzgI_K5cz2RrKnFlLq9PAh5g0FNUnwlQijRD2gskUvRgUWJdLLSGr8rLpfnVV/s320/014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490918083863778402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_34OYglV1bKjUuJqKnUjH4gSHByRjO85afR3MCYWs7gGvxj224QWNp02nuvyNqEstN-pqgZc9mPRWlTd3WbpMaRIpVxXbFPUifkOYAElJrktLDzq0xsC7GQoXL5xd9zStZlfiCFF9SA9Q/s1600/016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_34OYglV1bKjUuJqKnUjH4gSHByRjO85afR3MCYWs7gGvxj224QWNp02nuvyNqEstN-pqgZc9mPRWlTd3WbpMaRIpVxXbFPUifkOYAElJrktLDzq0xsC7GQoXL5xd9zStZlfiCFF9SA9Q/s320/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490918091514104114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4dtZXITFX_p-t0NAvz4GLeN8S4bFALzMDyvPWY9d173PYu_k6ofvkBXBW6ybECLcZy8jbdSGku3YSe7amn5HRFld9DYVzQAXXxwR-LefGWKJiuuT5dYeLYgW2zf5zVcLXmwZT4b21DQg/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4dtZXITFX_p-t0NAvz4GLeN8S4bFALzMDyvPWY9d173PYu_k6ofvkBXBW6ybECLcZy8jbdSGku3YSe7amn5HRFld9DYVzQAXXxwR-LefGWKJiuuT5dYeLYgW2zf5zVcLXmwZT4b21DQg/s320/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490918101911294258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWupuLUseTDcHxyd7ylfvpr5lTkgkB6EGqcHnLhkxeqJhcvD4ApEnS7kbhJTG8KOVuTxFmJ6AZMfXgf4OxOxCOL4rA6GkTvKMXKIw8b7hI2C7XjCTs-RtphiCrpAfS9g41hb_oanL-39I-/s1600/021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWupuLUseTDcHxyd7ylfvpr5lTkgkB6EGqcHnLhkxeqJhcvD4ApEnS7kbhJTG8KOVuTxFmJ6AZMfXgf4OxOxCOL4rA6GkTvKMXKIw8b7hI2C7XjCTs-RtphiCrpAfS9g41hb_oanL-39I-/s320/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490919102846784786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR90taUy-miIBdl4X5WCt-1Q4zdfqZJZPeNgwEyRrkKJJ4UXDvPFRHkbHeWZGAASr68PE01xJLKgB5jcuBR5bAqoP0DmyKSQ1e0eOaCyNbGduRMJWPSJhSC9Ngm9N-HysvQmnOxrwcJzr/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR90taUy-miIBdl4X5WCt-1Q4zdfqZJZPeNgwEyRrkKJJ4UXDvPFRHkbHeWZGAASr68PE01xJLKgB5jcuBR5bAqoP0DmyKSQ1e0eOaCyNbGduRMJWPSJhSC9Ngm9N-HysvQmnOxrwcJzr/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490919699140208002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OjnS86xoTiFzBeRfPQJKTrtwbbwFBD6tg4NR4ZIwtmlahtXbwxATsLFYU_6_y0fycgircR1uzG3DrdUrol8QCFpEF7osKJBH3g-TQ9W28_4Oe4UZJI23zPnaCi-gEGElid1lY1J4oJ7s/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OjnS86xoTiFzBeRfPQJKTrtwbbwFBD6tg4NR4ZIwtmlahtXbwxATsLFYU_6_y0fycgircR1uzG3DrdUrol8QCFpEF7osKJBH3g-TQ9W28_4Oe4UZJI23zPnaCi-gEGElid1lY1J4oJ7s/s320/028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490919113134957426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0MkHPC-Hjy_o6lfpDTum3De3Twoerel9FlPKIh_tmqn56g-24YOSBZq_Xe9YtSPdQp9X8sae0RjmFGwkANFyBxjeA_r0o_2hNl0oSgLTaaYiWCre-gsDB4HjgrW9th2FwgPYr8cTs1Uq/s1600/029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0MkHPC-Hjy_o6lfpDTum3De3Twoerel9FlPKIh_tmqn56g-24YOSBZq_Xe9YtSPdQp9X8sae0RjmFGwkANFyBxjeA_r0o_2hNl0oSgLTaaYiWCre-gsDB4HjgrW9th2FwgPYr8cTs1Uq/s320/029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490920752700614818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LByyyeT3G6Q2ghyphenhyphenBry_IOL4ylaxc6QNheks_mLevuvp75BYWt2NiVXw7G_qz93LBKfvwxck5byC4iKdpN7dNY8IqyClImH5-7DZSeBlFsSDoj7_5_IEabmV_lYScJhB53-5I7IkozTIS/s1600/035.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LByyyeT3G6Q2ghyphenhyphenBry_IOL4ylaxc6QNheks_mLevuvp75BYWt2NiVXw7G_qz93LBKfvwxck5byC4iKdpN7dNY8IqyClImH5-7DZSeBlFsSDoj7_5_IEabmV_lYScJhB53-5I7IkozTIS/s320/035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490920762278394274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNA9ST4hKgVJjIubiqVBDFip4LK6QBvYTav9yEc0AY-j_PSr7s34I5EddN6aDJbBY1NewOahDmmyAzxTL4p5rln2WsRKxpztIQoIQQpo4piFftak8sl3HzMh3hwx3qdAlIximZ5gpb2SD/s1600/047.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNA9ST4hKgVJjIubiqVBDFip4LK6QBvYTav9yEc0AY-j_PSr7s34I5EddN6aDJbBY1NewOahDmmyAzxTL4p5rln2WsRKxpztIQoIQQpo4piFftak8sl3HzMh3hwx3qdAlIximZ5gpb2SD/s320/047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490920773104158098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzeuyxlEivD0s-IXNfxytTqq-esRBYCm5H1DqqAPa1DZqnRB0PVWGKIMFvA8LgYK5OYFZOJpSQYulRKsrBnyA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwHGuJE2rPBkV32u_JC-cLs1Txy0Ev5DIu5vVzuPCYGauzyQgZ7YJIYi6kX3uRx_RjPVi3KTXQeD6X8D5eQBg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPBJ4DaE9oU-NHweHWoa5znTj7vIithzyUBNibEgMoTjs1846yrbZ80rNbh2eWQtVVYlV0-7XdIWym2v_ceg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-60160283651814146582010-06-14T23:42:00.000-07:002010-06-15T00:47:46.252-07:00Bryce CanyonAt about 1:30 this afternoon (I guess it's technically yesterday afternoon now), Ruth and I headed out of Cedar City and made our way over to Bryce Canyon. We went and hiked to a few different spots. We hiked to Sunrise Point and Sunset Point, just so we could say we hiked from sunrise to sunset! We also hiked down into the Queens Garden, which was fun because of all the switchbacks and mini tunnels you had to go through. Then we took a drive to the more southern parts of the park. We decided after pulling over at one lookout point that we liked the scenery up in the northern part of the park better. So we went back up to Bryce Point, and then hiked around the rim to Inspiration Point. By the time we reached Inspiration Point, we were kind of regretting our last hike because we were now about 35-40 minutes from the car. Lucky for us we came across a couple from Houston Texas that were willing to give us a ride back to our starting point. After getting out of the park we got to meet up with some of my family, which was the real reason we were in the Bryce Canyon area. My Grandma Crofts is turning 90, so they were having a reunion/birthday party in her honor. So, right after leaving the park, we went to dinner with Farley, Tina and Colee. I could not believe it when I saw Colee walking. She is growing up so fast. After dinner we headed out to the campground where most of the families were staying. I was very excited to see my Mom and Dad, Hilary, and Camden. I wish Zeb and Jason could have been there too, but you can't win them all. I also got to see Grandma Crofts, Aunt Sue and a couple of her kids, and a few other relatives. I was so excited to see everyone again, but it was a short lived event for me as I had to get back on the road to Cedar City so I could be to work on time. It was definitely a fun day, and I can't wait until I can see my family again. Here are some pictures from Bryce Canyon. Hope you enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zStSuyFymxhOJPou3zBX1y_2E53fykcxWPV43QDR3ZBk9iStSHgQe3M17qkiw7Jfs6TaLBoINrwIyEceMmslIz_42X2A1gZscrFA_k7uyg63VLbKtqiyfnzD4GzlIjq_T9hjHKz_6ryv/s1600/CIMG0537.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zStSuyFymxhOJPou3zBX1y_2E53fykcxWPV43QDR3ZBk9iStSHgQe3M17qkiw7Jfs6TaLBoINrwIyEceMmslIz_42X2A1gZscrFA_k7uyg63VLbKtqiyfnzD4GzlIjq_T9hjHKz_6ryv/s320/CIMG0537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482893263554454386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcpJ72ZqInQ-FuhmZBZGirVUDGG2ApRv8qNzO6MhHv9SCug-9ZeFOEDf4JL7qe_cpp0xpK1o32BvhnhHnIChJeY5NQ1L4ADg-EInBcra63IJF56_QBZfoIATf9rYkZQ5-pSFkmmX3lsTW/s1600/CIMG0534.JPG"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuiJM1f17CAw8YcBqaXd1nAe4cVOEc9ne-VArcGXrl_FrEc78c484OQMK58orktMRvZtE7XLUbPSxCOHAnLnzwSOXR4WcRWrL6rrgsielucrnNldpesK1Qo4RfB6CNSrAtp1Zacsid-LS/s320/062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482903355445292978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvIKus7RljcaFevERtlFFHtxnfZrk3Jtts40Dh4Tw73bMe3ywmyuQuPJEHojuY4D2oEFrGHjsF6hS8U0iPsEfoXedCmIVCcrmR9mUPOmI2Brrb250VLrlsC9Mg467Dtcm14cBDY0YFTdR/s1600/065.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvIKus7RljcaFevERtlFFHtxnfZrk3Jtts40Dh4Tw73bMe3ywmyuQuPJEHojuY4D2oEFrGHjsF6hS8U0iPsEfoXedCmIVCcrmR9mUPOmI2Brrb250VLrlsC9Mg467Dtcm14cBDY0YFTdR/s320/065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482903359600866914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J-RwdaV3oAIuz33loydawLLdCfE10CQ6YPBCAO8dv0mxtx-5H1ACxDSYLouFqUt-PmUxjHSNsrv5WZd4BmXuN67UGASNDX4Tv1Yf2qqd4uupox_szOW-TDw73OtDkk3YQ7d8edM2T6QL/s1600/066.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J-RwdaV3oAIuz33loydawLLdCfE10CQ6YPBCAO8dv0mxtx-5H1ACxDSYLouFqUt-PmUxjHSNsrv5WZd4BmXuN67UGASNDX4Tv1Yf2qqd4uupox_szOW-TDw73OtDkk3YQ7d8edM2T6QL/s320/066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482903374962380434" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-25517050044281215982010-04-19T15:14:00.001-07:002010-04-19T15:35:39.296-07:00Update / Vegas TripIt has been a super long time since I have posted anything, but I am alive and well here in Cedar City. I am on the brink of finishing my second semester at SUU, and am really looking forward to taking a break from classes for the summer. The most recent news for me was being accepted into Beta Gamma Sigma, which is an honors organization for students in business programs. I was pretty surprised when I got the invitation which only goes out to those who are in the top 10% of their classes. Anyway, on to the fun stuff, this last weekend I got to take a trip down to Vegas with a few friends. We went down as kind of a belated birthday celebration for my friend Amy. So at a little after 6:00 on Saturday night me, Amy, Val, Dave, and Dani drove to Vegas. We went and ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in the Pink Flamingo. After dinner we walked around on the strip for a while. We tried to go and watch the show outside of Treasure Island, but we got there part-way through and it was too crowded to really see anything. So we headed for the Stratosphere so we could go and ride the Big Shot! It was pretty sweet just checking out the view from on top of the Stratosphere. I tried to get some pictures of the city, but they just didn't turn out very well. The Big Shot was a blast though, and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it. After the ride, we headed back down to the Bellagio. We hung out in the casino for a bit and wasted a little money. I think it would have been a loss for everyone, but Dave won $5 at the very end on some video poker. After we finished with that we made our way back to Cedar City. We didn't get back until 5:15, so it made it a little tough to get up for church the next day, but I still made it. I would definitely say it was worth the trip just to get away for a little and have some fun with friends.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC2Wok0USbKPLFwqCT7ROQ6i84sjZtWImOJ5EBft5-iZHy_kssLDaVNCMC8R2tl3kRHPyKoxYaRJFtKImegaZ8pBZC7xHYvmRm3BdJz07NFvC1ZLgZUPlAnQfUDTWpcP86ezkwtRf5BYE/s1600/CIMG0528.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC2Wok0USbKPLFwqCT7ROQ6i84sjZtWImOJ5EBft5-iZHy_kssLDaVNCMC8R2tl3kRHPyKoxYaRJFtKImegaZ8pBZC7xHYvmRm3BdJz07NFvC1ZLgZUPlAnQfUDTWpcP86ezkwtRf5BYE/s320/CIMG0528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461979980509062290" border="0" /></a>Val, Amy, and me waiting in line for the big shot!<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-OB_YhjQNN1AOG_tlXAo3MrnB50WPyGHmjNKmWCKovEBIu6GOOUG-bY1huVOFtKnD33m6ckNx0G7GBAYQQ58O92CThh8KFPxhXdCV6afAH8RHH9q2ePnk820GBeNqvcBBglqVQQ3bpp6/s1600/CIMG0527.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-OB_YhjQNN1AOG_tlXAo3MrnB50WPyGHmjNKmWCKovEBIu6GOOUG-bY1huVOFtKnD33m6ckNx0G7GBAYQQ58O92CThh8KFPxhXdCV6afAH8RHH9q2ePnk820GBeNqvcBBglqVQQ3bpp6/s320/CIMG0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461980285209242578" border="0" /></a>Dave and Dani on top of the Stratosphere.<br /><br /></div>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1498600119718636461.post-4471996921545861802009-12-24T09:07:00.000-08:002009-12-24T09:29:55.548-08:00Snowy UpdateSince it has been forever and a day since I have posted, I will hit a few highlights and share a couple of photos. This last month I finished my first semester at SUU. I was very excited to see that I made it through with a 3.83. After all the finals were over I made my way back home to Blanding on the 11th. I was super excited to see family and friends again. I was also excited to come back to work at the hardware store for a couple of weeks. One very pleasant surprise about returning hime for the christmas break has been all the snow. I thought Cedar City would have been getting a lot more this year, but Blanding has got a lot more! I got home just after the first storm which dumped about a foot on us. The last storm brought about another foot after snowing almost all day. While I really don't like trying to get around in the snow, I love the effect it has on the holiday season. I was really hoping that we would get a fresh blanket of white down before Christmas, and that wish definitely came true. I know they won't do it justice, but here are a couple of pictures of how awesome the snow has made things look.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudgYlzMzvgYB9IpEFhrRAijv6SZ3X5d-72OP08jQb2NcetM4UhiSU0ykIh4CvZPCWIermo6SC4W2l7qlYJHeZksoiYcGGApIejG3ioftWO-oJMnxU5WzBT8wDqzvsAGu1HM4zo6kv4XnD/s1600-h/CIMG0513.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudgYlzMzvgYB9IpEFhrRAijv6SZ3X5d-72OP08jQb2NcetM4UhiSU0ykIh4CvZPCWIermo6SC4W2l7qlYJHeZksoiYcGGApIejG3ioftWO-oJMnxU5WzBT8wDqzvsAGu1HM4zo6kv4XnD/s320/CIMG0513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418853224043876946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkURVc0CqcW3SIbJ6XzgjdPIWDrut1IvKbPJKt8Wzl3TG6DrqIrpX8yoP6x1dTFNy0RG8B88hg0uYBlhSpNxgJLpy9XwiWEyApt6nd3LiVoess-BA4kHjAYvtpzx5uA5ykNKWddoGXBSe/s1600-h/CIMG0514.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkURVc0CqcW3SIbJ6XzgjdPIWDrut1IvKbPJKt8Wzl3TG6DrqIrpX8yoP6x1dTFNy0RG8B88hg0uYBlhSpNxgJLpy9XwiWEyApt6nd3LiVoess-BA4kHjAYvtpzx5uA5ykNKWddoGXBSe/s320/CIMG0514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418853791385022306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTcR_-h7yDwn9GRzXoFjjpLUC73q0JcdPJmW5K594nPakxLpa970IPnJ2IGcLzosfXSkT_OEKKyeYFVE55UzpLcLGaZ8gdMvD2LAcBq6NVgAY54CJwPC0qRFNJacgDAbu3MAWJjM6c6QR/s1600-h/CIMG0515.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTcR_-h7yDwn9GRzXoFjjpLUC73q0JcdPJmW5K594nPakxLpa970IPnJ2IGcLzosfXSkT_OEKKyeYFVE55UzpLcLGaZ8gdMvD2LAcBq6NVgAY54CJwPC0qRFNJacgDAbu3MAWJjM6c6QR/s320/CIMG0515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418854312158444226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnqwzDcrrlYl2L2VLlwLg0qrytaFLlyVqTGpxQjXxNjUYT6RbFLu3ByqVi8lMvPgKFxs0tJDFiZHYszcjDG0sVPOwwpvBqx4BJxMWVAwAIEAfu1o8iV-f9GR7Z6fAogI-biFKgUjlAr6Z/s1600-h/CIMG0516.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnqwzDcrrlYl2L2VLlwLg0qrytaFLlyVqTGpxQjXxNjUYT6RbFLu3ByqVi8lMvPgKFxs0tJDFiZHYszcjDG0sVPOwwpvBqx4BJxMWVAwAIEAfu1o8iV-f9GR7Z6fAogI-biFKgUjlAr6Z/s320/CIMG0516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418854873613464946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgrTAEZYQC5KRaUAmnMZJI21GGCaUfj2Qc8hjPIEfp3VILdSNJEov7V0P9Z7VSMi8wfMP9qtkI18ZDJcTjeMJxF-sIktuo8VYzhF9d_8GsJz0Q31ZMN398X_O1nyTqI7Augai4uPTuDGP/s1600-h/CIMG0517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgrTAEZYQC5KRaUAmnMZJI21GGCaUfj2Qc8hjPIEfp3VILdSNJEov7V0P9Z7VSMi8wfMP9qtkI18ZDJcTjeMJxF-sIktuo8VYzhF9d_8GsJz0Q31ZMN398X_O1nyTqI7Augai4uPTuDGP/s320/CIMG0517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418855474138108322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXRtJRc9-CCQDI5sx2NNQbdh4f9fdsUfz2uw3puaJ3d9brIWHCDB9mRdnul8oZpbkDo1vT-5H6G37A3jBedeuIREAdDt7QWxnF7RzGXCur57UGMwjJfiO7EEmkPcNUVWnAPQNxf8QyNPP/s1600-h/CIMG0518.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXRtJRc9-CCQDI5sx2NNQbdh4f9fdsUfz2uw3puaJ3d9brIWHCDB9mRdnul8oZpbkDo1vT-5H6G37A3jBedeuIREAdDt7QWxnF7RzGXCur57UGMwjJfiO7EEmkPcNUVWnAPQNxf8QyNPP/s320/CIMG0518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418855980284204306" border="0" /></a>homerxx75http://www.blogger.com/profile/11080291318773360265noreply@blogger.com3