Brit's Birthday

It was Brit's birthday yesterday and we are both glad to be old enough to rent cars at the "responsible adult" price. (we never have taken advantage of that privilege)

We weren't able to celebrate much on her birthday because you know who was at school all day and at work all night. Some husband I've turned out to be. In my own defence we did go to dinner at Iggy's with Eric and Andrea Ruben the night before to celebrate. I also got her some things to help keep her busy when I'm not home at nights and also to encourage her new interest in quilting.

Les Miserables

This entry is about a year in the making. For the last year I have been reading the novel by Victor Hugo Les Miserables. Though it hasn't been regularly read (mostly at work) it has taken me that long to get through it. I also need to mention that the book I read was the unabridged version and was a total of 1200 pages. I enjoyed reading the book though it was a little slow in parts. Hugo likes to throw a lot of philosophy and history in to help appreciate the story. It helps in parts but others just seems to drag on. Well, I gues I can get to the point I was trying to make to begin with. I FINALLY FINISHED! It happened a week ago. After I read the last line I closed the book and said "Hmm, that was a good book.", and just thought about it for a while.

I picked up Les Miserables after reading the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo (As of yet my favorite book) and thought since The Count was 1400+ pages that Les Mis would be just the same walk in the park. It wasn't. But both were excellent books. That is probably why they call them Classics.

OK- So we are really bad at this! However, not a lot is going on in our lives. Zac is enjoying school and working really hard at it. Basically, he works and goes to school, and does homework. We do find time to have a little fun. We went to a USU hockey game recently. It was fun-lots of fights! Plus USU won so thats a bonus. I have also just been working. I am enjoying my new job and especially my weekends off! We are excited for the holidays to see all of our family! Plus there will be more going on, which means more to write in the blog!

New Job!!!

This week I was able to start a new job! I am now a customer service rep in the utility billing department for Logan city. Woo Hoo for 8-5 hours and weekends and tons of holidays off! It is fun and challenging to learn a new job and new set of skills. I work with a lot of fun people and I don't have to listen to Hannah Montana or High School Musical music anymore! Anyway, it will be a great job to have until Zac is finished with school!

Happy 4th of July

Brit and I were able to spend the 4th with her family in Paris......Idaho. We went camping which was really fun. I got started on a really great looking walking stick that just may rival my dad's. If you have ever seen it you know what I'm talking about.

We left Logan early on Friday and got to camp and set things up and lounged pretty much the rest of the day. Saturday we spent a good portion of the day at Bear Lake on the North beach. After the beach fun we went and got a La Beau's shake. We tore down camp on Sunday morning and headed for home. Overall it was a pretty relaxing weekend. The only thing that would have made it better is if I had a Idaho fishing license.

Yeah!!! I'm a llama again... oh wait!

BOAS NOVAS!!! (That means "good news") My "little" sister has had her baby, making me an uncle once again. Her little boy is named Nathan Joshua Clare. Brit and I happened to be in Blackfoot the weekend after so I was able to zip up to Rexburg and see the little guy. I was a little leary of holding him since I have this uncontrolable fear of babies, but Brit made me. Here's a picture...not of me holding him, but of the little guy.

I was informed that I was to be the best-looking/humblest uncle. Who needs "favorite" or "coolest" when you have best-looking/humblest?

On another note... Brit and I, like I said before happened to be in Blackfoot, ID. We were there to volunteer and help with the Relay for Life. Brit's Mom was pretty much in charge of the whole thing so we thought that we would go and lend a helping hand. When we got there we ended up just doing little odds and ends jobs, but when midnight rolled around it was my time to shine. Let me explain...

At midnight the people that were in charge ot the music decided that they would rather sleep than stay up all night. Saps! So Devin (Brit's brother) and I stepped up to the plate and ran the show. It was a classic rock fest. We played everything we could think of, and some songs we just happened upon. We were the genious behind the kariokee (I have no idea how to spell that) and we got quite a few compliments on our choices for the music we played. It's quite simple really... we didn't play crappy music.

Better Late Than Never

As many of you may have noticed, Brit and I are horrible bloggers and we haven't posted anything since March. Well the realization of our pathetic attempt at blogging has driven me to catch everyone up on what has happened since March (at least some highlights). I have written everything as if it were posted when it really happened and in semi-chronological order.

Start at the bottom with "Schools out..." and read up.

Sorry for the delays!

Summer of Softball

I was invited to be on the hospital's softball team this summer. So far it has been really fun. Our first game the other team didn't show up so we just had a practice. The next week we won 24-4. I think we are going to have a pretty good team.

It has been really fun to put the glove on and play. I'm a little rusty because I haven't really played since I was about 10 or 11. Brit said after she watched the first "game" that she learned something new about me. I asked her what it was and she said that I was good at softball. Who knew?

Also our stake has a co-ed league going on every Wednesday night with a barbeque as a fellowship activity. So I get a double dose of softball every week. Our ward team won our first game in a David and Goliath matchup. The other ward had easily 3 times the number of players we had. We won 12-4. I guess it really is quality not quantity that matters.

I'm an uncle!

On May 28, 2008 my brother Jesse and his wife had their first child which makes me a first time uncle. I'm not sure what new responsabilities or privileges come along with this new title. I'm sure not many. They named their daughter Sadie Kaye Roberts.

Garrett already called dibs on the coolest uncle and since he is in Brasil I can't argue, so I'll settle for best looking uncle and humblest uncle.

They should have Uncle's Day. I'm going to write a letter to my congressman.

My life has SOME direction

I got a letter from the University the Friday before we left on our cruise that I was accepted to the upper division of the Landscape Architecture program at Utah State University. That made Brit happy! She doesn't have to worry any longer.

School is out and that means cruise time!

May 19, 2008

Brit and I were able to take a week off and go on a cruise. We went with Eric and Andrea Ruben and Matt and Tracy Pine (friends of ours from our ward). We left from Los Angeles and made stops in San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada Mexico. Our trip down was fun. We drove down with Eric and Andrea. Matt and Tracy live in San Diego and met us in L. A. Our pit stop for the night was Whiskey Pete's Hotel and Casino. I had stayed there before with my dad on a trip to a soccer tournament and thought it may be fun to stay again. Turns out it was. The next day we headed to the port in L. A. and got on the boat. Brit and I were the experienced cruisers since we went on this same cruise last year. We didn't take very many pictures and the pictures I took were mostly of park elements and other Landscape Architecture things. I'm a nerd! We borrowed most of our pictures from Eric and Andrea.

~San Diego~

This is an example of the lame pictures that I take. This is a courtyard in Balboa Park. We really enjoyed San Diego. It was nice that Matt and Tracy lived there because their parents dropped off a car for us to drive around. The Pines were our personal schoufers and carted us around town showing us the sites. We first went to Balboa Park, which I could spend weeks in.

Here are a few pictures from Balboa Park (you can probably tell which pictures I took and which I didn't)

We then went to eat lunch in old town at a mexican restaurant named Fred's. It was good food but I was still stuffed from breakfast that morning.

We then headed to La Jolla beach, saw the San Diego Temple (from a distance) and saw some seals at the beach. We didn't have much time for anything else.

~Catlina Island~

Brit and I decided that we wanted to relax a little more while we were in Catalina. So we spent most of the day on the boat and worked on our tans (I don't know why people use the verb "work" in that sentance. It's not much work at all.) Anyway this is how we ended up...

OUCH!

~Ensenada~

We only had one plan for Ensenada...Buy Vanilla!. It didn't take long to do so it was a get off get on visit to Mexico. We spent the day on the boat again and were able to have some fun with some of the games and contests they had. Brit and I went to the Tri-bond contest and were on the winning team. Later that evening we played Classic Rock Trivia. We were easily the youngest team there and there were a lot of teams. We were playing against people who were actually alive when these songs came out. The object though was to get the name and band from just a clip of a song. There were a total of 30 points possible. Eric, Matt, and I had no trouble answering the song names but missed a few of the artists. In the end we had a score of 27 points, which also happened to be the winning score. I think what won it for us was that we knew the song "We are an American Band" was sung by Grand Funk Railroad. Listening to 104.5 back in Green River payed off.

~The Trip Home~

On the way home we decided to drive all the way back. When we got to Whiskey Pete's again we decided to take a pit stop to ride the rollercoaster. Eric and I were the only ones with the guts to go on one of the tallest fastest rollercoasters in the world. We then headed back to Utah. It was a long drive and I'm suprised we all survived it with out going crazy. All in all we had fun on our cruise vacation

Little Brother's All Grow'd Up

This weekend we had a uniquely (I don't think that's a word) different experience. My younger brother Garrett spoke in church this last Sunday. He wanted to speak in Green River which is where we all grew up and is more his "home ward" than the ward in Colorado. So, Brit and I hopped in the car and made the three hour treck to Wyoming. We got to thinking that the last time we had been back was to help my parents pack up and for Garrett's high school graduation. That was almost 2 years ago. That bit of information made this trip a little weird. We headed up Saturday and stayed with a good friend of our family's that night. Another wierd thing was driving by my old house and not pulling into the driveway. I'll be honest and say that I had to catch myself from doing it a couple of times. It was really nice to see people that I haven't seen for quite awhile. It was good to catch up on things and also it always nice to visit with family.

Here's a twist in the story. Even though it didn't happen this weekend, it is closely related. Garrett was called to the Brasil Curitiba Mission. He came up to Logan to say his final goodbyes before he left. While visiting me at the hospital this afternoon while I was working he got a phone call from our mom to inform him of some interesting news. It turns out that the church hasn't recieved his visa to be able to go to Brasil yet and they gave him two options 1) stay and wait for it to come or 2) Enter the Provo MTC and start his training there. Here's the twist he has been planning on leaving the 25th and entering the Brasilian MTC (CTM) on the 26th this month. They told him if he went to Provo he would have to report the 19th of this month. That is the day after tomorrow. Let me note that Garrett is in Utah.... all of his stuff is in Colorado. He spent a good portion of the day on the phone with my dad telling him what to pack and what not to pack. They will fly out with his bags and meet him in Salt Lake City. As soon as the Church recieves his visa he will be able to fly down to Brasil and finish his training, hopefully sooner than later.

Garrett will be the only one of us three boys to experience the Provo MTC.

Spring is here...well almost.

This week starts Spring Break, although it is not going to be much of a break for either of us. We aren't going to Mexico, San Diego, or even St. George like most other college kids. Brit will be working and keeping up her usual routine. I seem to be getting busier and busier. Although I get a week long break from school, I am starting up again at the Temple taking care of the grounds. This will be the third summer I have worked there doing this and I enjoy the work. Besides working at the Temple, I have to get my portfolio together for matriculation which is just another iron in the fire. Sometimes I feel like my only relief will be when I finally graduate and can take the "school iron" out of the fire for good.

Brit and I are anxiously awaiting warmer weather. We've both endured this winter. Neither of us really enjoy being cold. And it seems like Spring is just around the corner taunting us. We can't understand how it can be so warm on the other side of the mountains and be so COLD here in Cache Valley. The snow is finally melting, but that really doesn't mean that we haven't seen the last of it. This winter we've seen a lot of snow. I'm just plain sick of it.

Hockey withdrawls

One thing that Brit and I really enjoy doing is going to the Utah State Hockey games. They play just about every weekend and it makes for a pretty good time. But because of my job I haven't been able to go to a game at all this semester. It seems like the team is always on the road when I'm not working and always at home when I am. I really miss going to games.

Not much else has changed with us. We're the same old people that we have been. Pretty boring, I know, but it's comfortable.

Just another Sunday

Hey everybody!



Brit and I thought this would be a fun way for us to keep in touch with people. So far we've heard from a few people that we haven't kept in touch with very well. So... it's working. Today is Sunday and unfortunately both Brit and I have had to work. I work at the hospital here in Logan in the Emergency Department checking people in. It's not the most energy consuming job but it is pretty interesting. Brit is still the manager of Claire's in the mall. She got a little burned out after Christmas and I don't blame her, but right now it is smooth sailing for her. She enjoys her job and enjoys the benefits. Her only headache is keeping a full and capable staff.

I'm going to school and it is dragging along. I really wish I would have decided to study what I am two or three years ago that way I would be finishing up my degree instead of just another year. Oh well.

Check out my Slide Show!

My first post!

So... this is my very first blog! I even figured out how to add a picture! Hopefully I will get better and more creative as I start to figure things out. This will be fun!