Brady & Ashlin Sessions

Baby Girl!

2012-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Coming this May to a bassinet near me

Only 19 (ish) weeks left to go

Sad, sad, sad.

2011-09-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

What's more embarassing than buying a book called "How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends" on a Friday night?

...Having a cashier who reads the title of the book out loud for all to hear and laughs about it. (after you carefully hid the book under your arm while browsing so no one would see)

At such a moment you may be tempted to tell the clerk that the book is actually for your mom, which it isn't, so don't. All that does is prove that you really do need such a manual.

The Moping Pig

2011-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Buttersafe – Updated Tuesdays and Thursdays » Archive » The Moping Pig

Variation on the baby leash

2011-07-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

A new and unexpected way to keep a baby in one place. Tethered by his own addiction.

Ooh sooo satisfying.

PA the place of brotherly love or something

2011-07-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

If Wisconsinites are the nicest people in America, Pennsylvanians are the bossiest.

Last summer we spent a couple months in the WI and overall they were noticabebly more friendly than people in any other place that I've visited. Since coming to Pennsylvania over a month ago one thing I've observed is that they seem to be overly helpful, maybe even to the point of being rude.

For example, the Costco samples lady who told Brady, "you're not going to give that ham to your baby ARE YOU?!?!" Apparently its common knowledge that one year olds shouldn't have spiral cut honey baked ham?

And the random neighbor who knocked on our door to tell us we cant put our trash by our doorstep. Its not like we keep it there, I just wanted Brady to take it down on his way to work. It sat there for about 45 minutes total.

Or whenever I accidently drive the wrong way down a one way road (of which there are many here) they aggresively inform me that I'm going the wrong way (as if I'm supposed to just know that!) I'm like chill out people, I'm not from here. I'm from california where our roads go both ways.

Sorry Pennsylvania but you and your lack of sufficient road signs, and your bugs, and your sweaty air are wearing me out.

The incident

2011-05-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

There are some moments in parenthood where you start to feel like, "I got this"
You feel like you can handle the ups and downs of this constant responsibility. Well last night was NOT one of those moments.

Hunter turned one yesterday and we had the grandparents over for some presents and pizza and a practice monkey cake (I'm making the real one for his party Saturday). That was fun and after they left we went on a relaxing walk and I put him down for the night. After a couple hours of fussing he finally seemed to be sleeping but the crying began again and Brady went in to check on him.

He then came out of the room with Hunter who was covered from head to toe in VOMIT. My reaction was dramatic, to say the least. There was a lot of gagging and heaving and crying meanwhile poor little Hunter was more confused than anything. I pulled it together enough to peel away the soaked clothes and hose him off in the tub.

By the end of his bath he was quite content and good as new. I on the other hand was deeply traumatized. My legs were weak and shaky for the rest of the night and I couldn't get the smell out of my nose. The words keep going through my head, as I tried to sleep, "I can't do this, I CAN'T do this." Sure I've been spit up on, pooped on, and peed on multiple times sometimes simultaneously but vomit, I cannot handle.

...other than that it was a great first birthday.

Say It...Out Loud

2011-04-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

(my child is a) VAMPIRE.

He may look innocent but hidden behind that adorable smile and chubby cheeks are some razor sharp little teeth looking for their next victim.

This picture was from his most recent attack. My brother has a similar wound on his back and I have others in various stages of healing.

Shoes. Phones. Books. Metal. Glass. Remotes. Chairs. etc.

He'll bite it all as fast as he can grab it. But he especially likes to gnaw on mommy, I can tell because he smiles as he clamps down.

Some Things he won't bite:

Daddy (a slight that causes some hurt feelings)

Mission Tortillas (he only likes the kind you cook yourself)

Here he is sharpening his fangs. Notice the red eyes.

Luckily we have a couple years of training until preschool. Its one thing to be the parent of a nose picker or an ant licker but to be the parent of a known biter? Please. Not me.

Something I think we all can relate to

2011-02-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

Pot, I'd like you to meet Kettle

2011-02-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

I couldn't be more fed up with the liberal hypocrisy I'm seeing on the news. Before the Tucson shooter was even identified the media started suggesting that this was somehow the work of the "radical hateful tea party". Whenever the conservatives hold rallies they'll have commentators on to talk about how scary it was at the rally and how racist and hateful it was. Well I've been to several and this is what you can expect...
...old people and families milling about and sitting in lawn chairs feeling patriotic. If it weren't for the signs you'd think it was the Fourth of July.

There definitely were a lot more Hitler references than you'd typically see at a Fourth of July picnic.
Some of the signs were less creative than others...
Oh the hateful racist signs were awful. I even saw one that said, "Tea Party today: Tar and Feathers Tomorrow" I'm surprised someone hasn't been assassinated yet.
Except if I remember correctly I think some people didn't like Bush that much either. Some were maybe even hateful. Anyone sick of the Nazi references yet? Liberals in the news say its over the top and hate mongering to liken Obama to Hitler. But I guess it was just a reasonable comparison to make when it was Bush with the mustache on? I was in high school and college when Bush was president and I frequently attended rock concerts. I can authoritatively say that it was rare to go to a show where there you weren't subjected to an obscene screed about the evils of Heir Bush. It often ended with wishing death to him and Cheney. At Warped Tour for example I remember people selling stickers, shirts, buttons, etc. with images like this on them...
Imagine seeing something like this at a tea party event. Anderson Cooper might wet himself with fear if he saw Obama hung in effigy. Of course if it was Obama, the perpetrator would be taken into custody for the threat he posed to national security. People on TV weren't afraid to say they hope Cheney's heart would give out. But now its the liberals who say we need to tone it down? They who say that the Hitler references go too far? I for one thought the Hitler references were stupid in 2004 and they still are in 2010. But to pretend that conservatives have a corner on the "heated rhetoric" market is ridiculous and a lie.

Yeah we are angry. Angry that they spend our money buying themselves more power and then tell us we owe them more, that we have to pay our fair share.
But we must not get too worked up. If we are angry it must be that we have a black president. Although that doesn't explain all the anger towards Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi, or the Republican party. Oh well.

Half Year Old

2010-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

He's a whole 6 months old now and his personality is starting to shine.
Likes:
-Pulling my hair out
-Paper
-Jumping
-Dogs (except our neighbor's pit bull that scared him)
-Being outside
-Thomas the Train musical book
-Pacifiers & Bottles
-Sweet potato
-Biting/grabbing handfuls of my face
-Walmart
-Mirrors
-Airing out (aka: "nakie-time")
-Riding on daddy's shoulders

Dislikes:
-Falling over when sitting
-Rice cereal
-Fruit
-Getting four shots at once
-Spiders rappelling down his mobile while he sleeps

The Three Munchin-teers

2010-10-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Who woulda thought these cool girls hanging out on the waterfront at Camp Ritchie, wearing matching men's board shorts would someday have matching babies too?Look at these cuties, Christie Jr., Melissa Jr., & Ashlin Jr. sittin' in a row.I love them.

Murphy's Law

2010-08-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

According to Murphy's Law if you run out of diapers at church and forget to bring an extra outfit, your baby will have their second worst* blowout ever while you are introducing yourself to a stranger. You'll also be wearing a white skirt of course.
The baby didn't mind it though. He loved riding in his car seat naked with a burp cloth/cloth diaper wrapped around him. But don't worry, he long lecture when we got home about how to behave appropriately at church.

*if you're wondering about his #1 worst blowout, that was at the airport while waiting for the 3rd flight in our journey to Wausau. A kind passenger came looking for me in the ladies bathroom because the plane was actually shutting its doors and about to take off without us.

Hanging with Daddy

2010-08-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

On the Boppy
At the park
By some leavesOn the couch
In the air

Favorite Toy

2010-08-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is Hunter's favorite thing. He usually smiles when I turn it on and then will patiently watch it spin while I do other things. The music it plays has gotten nearly unbearable to listen to anymore but its worth it for the entertainment it provides.

Wausau, WI

2010-08-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the luxurious Landmark Hotel Apartments in downtown Wausau (pronounced: wa-saw), Wisconsin were we have been living since mid July.
The town is surprisingly cute and we are close to all the main attractions. City square is directly across the street from us. They have weekly farmer's markets, concerts, dog shows, and movie nights here.
The library and mall are both a block away. Its about 1/4 the size of the Roseville Galleria but its still nice to have a shopping center so close. There are also various cafes, pubs, and asian restaurants on our block.
This was a farmer's market we went to a couple days after we got here.

Hunter's Blessing

2010-08-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

Finally Brady flew back home on July 9th for Hunter's baby blessing. We greeted him at the airport in our "i heart dad" onesies and Brady was shocked at how much bigger Hunter was.
He was so good he slept through the whole blessing and sacrament meeting; Hunter, not Brady.
The Wheeler and Sessions families were out in full force to support us on our happy day
This photo courtesy of Aunt Ali

Utah Trip

2010-08-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

In June Brady flew to Memphis, TN to sell security for a month. Hunter and I stayed home and he was going to fly back for the baby blessing then we would all go back together.
While he was gone I decided to take a road trip with my parents and Brett to Utah. Brett went to EFY and we had fun just hanging around Utah for a week.I was nervous about being stuck in a car for 9 hours but Hunter slept almost the entire time.
We found the grave site of the beloved prophet

We also went here...
and saw this...
and toured this.

During the trip I had my 25th birthday in the town I was born, Provo.
We went to my favorite place for breakfast in Utah called Magelby's.
Utah's mountains are beautiful especially with all the spring green.
I got to introduce Hunter to Christie and Steve's baby Blake, who is only a few weeks older.

A much needed update

2010-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here's our baby! Almost 3 months ago, our favorite new person, Hunter Chase Sessions was born into this world. Since then I haven't felt a desire to make time for virtual journaling but I've been feeling a bit guilty now that 3 months have passed by so quickly.
Kaiser was great. The hospital staff was really nice and the midwife was right there for the whole delivery process. During my entire stay there the only men that I encountered were the pediatricians, which just felt right. No offense to the men who are great, but I think women are just better suited for the delivering of babies.
His name was a tough decision, not so much for Brady because he was fine with all the finalists, but for me it wasn't decided until we wrote it down on the birth certificate and the certificate lady took it away. Its not easy to decide for someone else what they're going to be called for the rest of their lives. The easy part was the middle name, for one, Brady and I both really like the name. Brady suggested it be Hunter's first name but we didn't want to have the trouble of two family members with the same name. The other reason for the middle name was that Chase is missing the first 1+ yrs of his only nephew's life because he's out serving a mission. And I thought it'd be a nice reminder to Hunter of the good example Chase and his other uncles are for him.
Hunter was such a good baby in the hospital, which was a relief for me since I couldn't send him off to the nursery if I wanted to. He didn't cry much but when he did it was so sad.
As most babies probably do he loves baths. This is his first real post umbilical bath. Sometimes he'd be crying but if we turned on the faucet he'd stop mid-cry. I wasted a lot of water that way.
I've got tons of pictures of baby+daddy napping because its sooo adorable. No pictures of baby+mommy napping though, possibly because it doesn't happen.
This was Hunter on his first day at church.
Hunter's first trip was a 3 day stay on a houseboat at Lake Shasta.
He loves being naked. Hopefully that doesn't last.

He's not as hairless as he looks, but he is pretty bald, for now.
More updates to follow...

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

2010-03-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today as I sit alone in my apartment wearing my four leaf clover pin, trying to recover from yet another sleepless night, I can't help but compare this day to the same day last year.

Last St. Patrick's Day was and will forever be the best St. Patrick's Day of my life.

I spent it in one of my favorite places: New York City...

with one of my favorite people: my Dad...

participating in two of my favorite pastimes: parade watching, and sight seeing.

It was the most perfect day ever but on this, the anniversary of that day I'm left feeling melancholy, wishing I was someplace else.

Like getting lost in a festively green colored crowd

or feeding hot nuts to bold squirrels in central park.

Mall Secret

2010-03-08T00:37:00.000-08:00

Friday night I discovered something that has somehow escaped my attention for the 10+ years that I've been a frequent mall patron.

With nothing else to do on a Friday night Brady and I went to the Galleria at closing time. We had half an hour to wander around aimlessly and look at things, my typical mall strategy.

As we passed Mrs. Fields I felt bad for all the uneaten cookies that were going to waste and jokingly asked Brady to see if they'd give us some for free. I was pretty confident that he'd get shot down but they told him that 15 mins before closing time they sell leftovers for $o.25. Not a bad deal considering they're delicious and normally about $1.50. So we walked away pretty happy with our 25 cent cookies.

Emboldened by our new discovery we walked up to the food court pizza place to see what they'd give us. We got a greasy slice for a dollar instead of the usual $3-4.

Even though we had actually just eaten cheeseburgers before arriving at the mall we thoroughly enjoyed scarfing down our cheap food and plan on going back again to see what other closing time deals we've been missing out on all these years.

(Next time I think we'll try Auntie Anne's Pretzels and Panda Express.)

31 Weeks down

2010-03-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

The weeks we have left until the big day are in the single digits now and we're really starting to accumulate a lot of baby supplies.

Last week we received our lovely crib. It only took four people and a little bit of bickering to put together. Of course we could have waited and left it in the box for a few more weeks but it was too tempting just sitting there all in it's cute little pieces.

We also have a stroller from craigslist that I've pushed around the apartment a time or two for practice. The look on Brady's face is pretty indicative of his interest level when it comes to picking out baby things.

My grandma got us this infant car seat. Brady decided to go for the deer-in-the-headlights look for this picture.

Since last week we have also acquired a bassinet and a swing among other things. I've quickly realized that babies need a lot of stuff and our cozy apartment is not really equipped to hold all of these necessities.

Sand and Snow

2010-01-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

The theme of the past couple months seem to be sand and snow as we've been alternating between the beach and the mountains. We can't decide which we like better, winter or summer, so we choose both.

First we went to the beach, Bodega Bay to be exact, with the whole Sessions family. We stayed in this big awesome beach house for a few days leading up to Christmas. It was only about 2.5 hours driving distance from Rocklin.

Being that its winter in Northern California and not especially warm out, everyone loved the hot tub...

and sauna.

Brady was very excited to go surfing, a rare treat for him.

Unfortunately he wasn't out there long before he came in complaining of shoulder pain. Here he is describing how his arm kept coming out of place from the socket.

He was disappointed that surfing didn't really work out but soon found joy in digging a giant hole in the sand. Don't ask me why someone would find that fun. It was so deep by the time he was done that it took several attempts to actually get him out.

Though I'm not having my little boy for another three months I often feel like I already have one. When he wasn't playing in the water, digging holes, or frolicking with his niece and nephews, he was jumping off sand dunes...

or screaming with fear and delight as he slid down them at mach speed.

After Christmas we headed to the mountains for a day of winter frivolity. On our way we saw tons of people on the ski slopes and I admit, it was hard to resist their siren call, but I'm sure the baby appreciates not getting a prenatal concussion.

Once we parked Brady and Talon wasted no time in building an igloo.

My dad and brother Brett did some tubing but Brady declined. He's still traumatized from his terrible sledding accident from 3 or 4 years ago that resulted in a bionic gimp leg. Apparently he felt safer on the sand dunes.

Building an igloo was more than enough fun for him. When they were done I wasn't brave or nimble enough to wiggle my way inside but I was told that it was big enough to stand up in.

After a weekend of snow Brady was itching to get back to the beach so we took a quick trip to Santa Cruz. Despite the gloomy clouds it was warmer than we anticipated, which was a nice surprise.

Brady got to try out some of his mountain biking themed Christmas presents while I entertained myself by watching the surfers out by the lighthouse.

Naturally a trip to the beach had to be followed by another weekend to the snow. It happened to be dumping snow and what was supposed to be about an hour long drive turned into 4-5 hours. At one point we waited, with our car off, for over 1.5 hours on HWY 80. After an hour had gone by I decided to risk it all and leave the car in search of a bathroom. Twenty minutes later, none was found and upon seeing people getting in their cars and start them up I began running back to our car and made it inside just as the van ahead of us started moving. Brady wasn't too pleased with my risky expedition.

The next day we had a great time playing in the deep powder.

Naturally Brady got to work building a snow cave with the other guys.

The result was actually pretty amazing. They put up lights and built snow platforms to sleep on and even a snow table in the middle.

Sadly after a few hours they realized the heavy snow was slowly sinking in the roof and decided against sleeping in their cave. Still we had fun just hanging out in there, until I got cold and went inside.

At last the new semester at Sierra has started and Brady is back in school so we're done with the sand and snow, for now.

If you're actually still reading this, sorry for the long post, but good job for sticking with it I'm sure that wasn't easy.

It's A Boy

2009-12-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

It's official, we're expecting an addition to our little family this spring. May 3rd is the estimated time of arrival and we can't wait. We can stop calling him "it" now since finding out the gender but we're still a long ways away from picking his name.

Granite Chief Wilderness

2009-11-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

Over a month ago Brady and I decided it was finally time to go on a backpacking adventure. So we headed off with our packs on a relatively short (8mile) journey into the Granite Chief Wilderness.

Before we started I made a decision to sever all ties to the real world and leave my beloved ipod in the car. This way I could listen to nature and my thoughts instead of drowning them out with music. But by the second mile I realized that walking is boring and I really missed my ipod. So for entertainment along the trail we searched for the best walking sticks we could find. Needless to say we found some pretty awesome ones.

Brady led me to believe that he had been here before and knew where we were going. Apparently he hadn't ever been this far into the wilderness and so we accidentally climbed this peak for no reason. After 8 miles of a more strenuous hike than I had anticipated I was having trouble moving my legs up this stupid mountain. Brady was kind enough to offer to take my pack, and I was too tired to let my pride get in the way.

Once we got down to the bottom we set up camp for the night.

After eating dinner and drinking some delicious mountain water I was feeling much refreshed. Camping was a lot of work but it was definitely worth it.

Life Lately

2009-11-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

We've been home from Chicago for over two months now. The drive home went great, we drove 30 hours straight through again, though we did try to stop once. It was almost 2 a.m. and we were in North Platte, Nebraska looking for a motel. Surprisingly the cheapest we could find was $70 so we took it, but upon opening the door to our room we were assaulted with the smell of a moldy old retirement home. I also soon discovered that there were quite a few too many insect corpses lining the perimeter of the room. Since we couldn't bring ourselves to touch anything in the room we got our money back and scrapped the whole 'sleeping' plan.

Once we passed Reno and entered California we were giddy to finally be home and see those beautiful Sierra mountains.

We had to get off the freeway and suck in a little mountain air.

My parents were leaving soon for a whirlwind Europe tour with all the original Wheeler siblings and Grandpa Les so Brady and I stayed with them while I searched for an apartment.

Brady's dad Jay took us to the State Fair soon after we got back, which was a lot of fun.

They had several kiddy rides from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. I was torn between being creeped out and intrigued.

This stunt show was my favorite part.

Finally we were able to move into our new place, Sunset Summit. After having been uprooted for a year and a half, we plan to be here for a while.

Its great, at last I get to live on the first floor, after 6 years and 7 different apartments with stairs. The distance from my car to my front door is about 8 steps total. I love it!

And I finally have a nice sunny patio where I can grow my own legal herbs. The basil has kind of taken over though.

One of Brady's dreams has recently come true as well, since he found a ridiculously cheap surround sound system on Craigslist. For the past 3 days or so he has been obsessively tinkering with wires and gizmos to get it all working right. Lucky for me he's really smart at fixing this sort of thing.

To test out its capabilities we needed a loud action movie which is when I discovered, to my horror, that the only one we own is 007 Die Another Day. I hope to remedy this soon by eliminating that debacle from our collection and adding to it, Iron Man or some other acceptable comic book movie. I'm open to suggestions.

Westbound Again!

2009-08-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

Its 11 days and counting until we're on the road again. And Brady and I are counting (Brady especially). He's looking forward to classes at Sierra College and a break from the crazy life of summer sales. I'm looking forward to a fiesty job hunt.

2009-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

I turned 24 a few weeks ago and so far it was the most fun day all summer. Here's what we did...

First we took the "El" train to the Shedd Aquarium (2nd largest in America). The line to get inside was over half an hour long.

We said hello to some friendly baby baluga whales

As you can imagine with a 30 minute wait just to get in, it was a little too crowded for us so we didn't linger longer than we had to, but we made sure to see everything before we left.

Speaking of crowds, we walked over to the Taste of Chicago festival, arguably the biggest Chicago event of the year. It was overpriced but we had some of the best pizza I've ever had and then tasted of some chicken and waffles (not as good as the stuff in NYC, but still pretty tastey)

Once we left that craziness we walked around watching the local "street performers." I guess that's what you could call them. Brady loved the street magicians. My most favorite was a otherwise normal looking 50 year old hispanic lady. She walked over to a spot in the sidewalk, pulling her outdated karaoke machine behind her. Then she set it up and started singing the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are made of This)" on her karaoke machine to a crowd of no one.

We enjoyed this type of entertainment while waiting for 5 o'clock, when the art museum let cheapskates like us in for free.

I didn't expect Brady to last long in here, maybe 15 minutes. I assumed he would be complaining within 5, but much to my amazement...he likes art?

Not only art, but modern art, the out there stuff like garbage bags painted gold. One of his favorites was...Blue. He does have a discerning palette though.

This for example, we both agreed had to be some sort of joke, no way could this be art.

I, on the other hand am less original in my tastes. Pretty much, if I recognized it then I liked it. "Hey I've seen this before! It's famous! Now I'm looking at it in real life. Take my picture by it!" That's about how into art I am.

I remember this one being in some textbook in high school or something. I actually kind of like the melancholy vibe I get from it, I feel sad when I look at it but don't know why. That's the power of ART.

Somehow we spent two hours walking around the art museum and by the end our feet needed a break, so to get to Navy Pier we took a water taxi.

It was just us and the Captain.

Then we did the ferris wheel. Overpriced, as expected.

Finally, we topped off the day with dessert and a view.

This sign cracked me up.

He's Gone, he's really gone...

2009-07-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

As of last Wednesday Chase has left us for the MTC in Provo. He'll be there for 3 weeks, then off to Toronto. For two years we won't see him except through pictures. We won't hear him except through tape recorders and possibly 4 phone calls. How do so many people do this everyday, be apart from family? It feels awful. I am proud of him though and I know he is happy to go so I can be happy for him.
Luckily I got to be home with him before he left. It may sound melodramatic but the last few days felt like a countdown to the gallows for me. One of those moments where you wish you could control time.

2 years and counting...

2009-07-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's now been two years and 8 days since we were married. I though I should mark this passage of time with a rarely seen glimpse into the dark depths of my heart.

When I first saw Brady, he was inexplicably barefoot, at a young single adult activity. I'll admit it--with the hopes that no one ever reads this--I thought he was rather handsome. He was kind of hyper and said things that people were thinking but would never say out loud. But I liked that I didn't have to guess what he was thinking. I tend to over analyze people but I found that Brady was an open book and that was a relief. He wasn't calculating, he was just himself, natural. I won't lie we all know his lack of filter has created many an awkward moment and a displeased wife. But I'd like to point out just some of the goodness about Brady that I have come to know.

He loves kids, and admits that he can relate to them very well.

He'll not only watch the shows that most husbands won't watch (ie. the Bachelor) but he loves them as much as I do.

He's more patient with me than anyone else could be.

He can pick out a good purse better than I can.

He always thinks I look good, even when I know for a fact that I don't.

He has a strong faith.

He's great at fixing things.

I know he would do anything to make me happy.

So here's to 2 years of marriage, spent at 5 different addresses in 3 different states.

2009-06-27T09:15:00.001-07:00

Don't you hate it when you have a dream that seems to linger all day? After taking Tylenol PM last night I had some very vivid dreams. In one of them my brother (who is leaving on his mission next month) had already left and I saw him at the MTC just long enough to beg him to stay for just one more week.

I know it is just a reflection of my great anxiety about him being gone for two years but its not easy to let the feeling of dread go and convince yourself it was just a stupid dream. When you wake up feeling depressed you know its going to be a long day.

Nature sucks

2009-06-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was going to make a posting about the cute swanlings that were born last week right out side of our apartment. I even have video of their second day out of the shell.

They are so adorable.

We love watching them swim around in the creek below our balcony. This is them a few days out of the shell.

I check on them periodically to make sure they're alright and no one's picking on them. So when I heard a strange bird call sometime after noon yesterday I went outside to see what it was. To my horror it was the swan song of a mother and father searching for their lost babies. For hours they swam up and down the creek looking everywhere and making the saddest sound and waiting to hear a response. I don't know what happened to those babies in the hour or so since I saw them swimming close behind their mother in the creek. All I know is that I'm done with nature.

2009-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like posting though a lot has happened lately...

My brother, Tyson, got home from his mission in South Carolina. (he's the one in the middle)

The aforementioned brother and I went to an awesome concert together, my fav band, Death Cab For Cutie, performed.

I got a drastic hair cut which has kind of grown on me (no pun intended). I'm gonna skip the embarassing before and after pictures I took...

Chase, my other brother, got his mission call. I just knew he'd get his call this day. (I even have a picture of the mailman coming down the street.)

My family and I risked the dreaded "pig cold" and went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We had a lovely time. We stayed in a condo at an empty resort, I could enjoy this view for the rest of my life.

We pretty much had the pools to ourselves.

Brady took precautions against drowning on a catamaran tour. I was more worried about the swarm of jellyfish we passed through.

The boys got super burnt

We went on the longest zip line in history. It was like 2 miles of air time.

I got to ride a half dead horse on a dusty trail while wearing way too much white. Luckily I brought a towel to sit on or it would have been just my bathing suit on that nasty saddle. I do love horsies though. On the way back I snuck a way better horse and even got it to gallop. (Which was extremely uncomfortable without my feet in the stirrups).

Brady quickly made friends with the local dogs.

We got to do awesome things that we could never do in yuppie animal rights-y california; Like entering a monkey cage and feeding the squirrel monkeys by hand.

And don't worry they scanned us for disease so that we wouldn't bring the swine sniffles into the US, except that it had already spread to the US... oh well, it made us feel important.

And finally, after a 30 hour straight driving marathon, Brady and I are in Chicagoland again.

General Conference Weekend... a few weeks late

2009-04-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

I tagged along with my family for general conference in Salt Lake a few weeks ago and just found some pictures of it on my Dad's computer.As you can see, there were some protesters but they were just the regulars. Most of them were almost more docile than I've seen in the past. Maybe they're getting bored with their own act, I know I am. They're such losers. (notice the only prop 8 sign was actually a "thanks for voting yes" sign. not a prop 8 hater in sight.)

Spring is here but we got to some skiing/boarding on that world famous Utah snow. (the snow was not great that day though, very spring-like conditions. but still fun!)

Don't Tread on Me!

2009-04-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

In the past couple days many in the media and government have called us hateful, Tools for Fox News, anti-tax, angry, radical, mobs. Those same snobs who cherish their power can sense ours and it scares them. That is why they try to dismiss us.

Despite our unprecedented showing at hundreds of rallies in all 50 states, many newspapers (ie. NY Times) somehow forgot to mention the story or if they did it was buried on page 18. Some reporters were even openly hostile in their interviews and reports. They would say anything they could to make us seem insignificant and stupid.

When I looked around at the people gathered, chanting "No New Taxes." I didn't see any career protesters, like one might see and an anti-war rally. I didn't see "radical right-wing extremists." I saw neighbors, I saw normal looking people with their kids, I even saw people I knew, people that had never been to a rally before in their lives. These were regular people trying to send a message that enough is enough.

We're sick of the government spending money faster than they can print it. We're sick of them arrogantly telling us to pay our fair share while they don't even pay their taxes.

I was there. This was not a group of "mindless Limbaugh republicans" angry at democrats. We are fully aware that the republicans had their shot to make a change when they were in power, instead they spent our money like drunken sailors. There was as much chanting and booing directed at the elephants as the donkeys.

We were simply a group of people who cherish freedom more than a free ride, who are concerned about the future we're creating for our children, and who fear what our government is quickly becoming.

5,000 celebrate 'Tax Day Tea Party' at Capitol Park - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

I Heart New York

2009-04-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

My dad and I went to New York for fun a few weeks ago since I had a free ticket there that I had to use. Here are some of the highlights if you're interested...

Can you spot me? We were there for the oldest and longest parade in America, the St. Patrick's Day Parade. It's like ten years older that the Declaration of Independence. This is a picture from the viewpoint of my dad who was actually marching in the parade with some other firefighters from Hayward.

These NY firemen each are holding a flag for a man lost on 9/11, there were about 343 of them.

Dad and I met up after he finished marching. I was so proud.

Down in the Battery Park area we found this sculpture that used to be at the World Trade Center. It was pulled from the wreckage and is now on display to show a piece of the destruction from that day.

One of the coolest things I saw was this little tavern. Its the place where George Washington himself said farewell to his men after the Revolutionary War.

We saw all of the city thanks to this awesome hop-on hop-off bus tour. It was a little chilly on top though.

We stayed with my cousins who live in Harlem just down the street from the world famous Apollo Theater so we went there for Amateur Night which was definitely an experience. We got to boo a few people off stage. I felt kinda bad about that but it was too fun to stop.

For a 360 degree view of the city we went to the Top of the Rock, it was FrEEEzing!

In conclusion, I really love New York. Everything that happens, happens in this City. There's always places to go, people to see. I really don't know when people sleep there, but I love it.

Were else do you get to hear such acts as the Ebony Hillbillies, only in New York.

Why I don't like art...

2009-03-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here I am in front of the world famous Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

And this is why I didn't pay to go inside.

It's an art display in the lobby. Real working microphones hooked up to working speakers, listening to real ice melt. I don't care about the meaning or the people who stand around it looking fancy, its stupid.

(More of NYC to follow...)

My weekend in 10 seconds

2009-03-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Out at the Ranch

2009-03-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

After a recent storm Brady and I finally headed up to the mountains for a day of powdery goodness. Of course we went to the cheapest place, Donner Ski Ranch, which is normally not too bad of a place to ski but with knee deep powder we ran into some problems...
It looked gorgeous on the ski lift but we couldn't help but notice the bodies strewn across the back side of the mountain. Like this guy... The problem was, there was too much powder, the puny mountains at Donner wouldn't be steep enough and if we fell we might never make it out alive.
And we did fall. We'd be riding down and our boards would get buried in the snow and pull us under.

Brady and I were stuck at this spot for quite a while as we tried to dig ourselves out.

Then once we were up we just tried to stay that way until we got to the lift. We finally found some steeper runs (black diamonds at Donner are a joke) and that was pretty fun but next time we might just fork over a little more dough and go to a real mountain, or try skiing.

One more thing about Disneyland..

2009-02-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

I thought this guy on main street was awesome.

Disneyland

2009-02-16T17:27:00.000-08:00

A little over a week ago Brady and I headed out for what seems to have become a traditional February trip to Southern California.

Last year we had a great time camping on the beach and riding bikes with sunny weather the whole time. This time, not so much.

I was super excited to go because Brady and I were going to Disneyland together for the first time. He hadn't been there since he was little so I was going to be his tour guide.

We burst through the gates as soon as it opened and rushed over to the big rides first. With little to no wait all day we hit almost every attraction in the whole park. The first half of the day was surprisingly sunny (we were expecting rain all day) so that was a major bonus.

We even got to spend an hour or so with Brady's sister and kids. It was fun to watch them experience the park.

Eventually the rain came and made up for the sunny morning we had. But with our parkas on we didn't let it slow us down and had a really great day.

The next day we hung out with friends and had camping reservations on the beach. The only problem was that it was pouring rain and the beach was flooded. Our site had about 3 inches of water, needless to say we didn't put up our tent.

Good thing I bought these rubber boots at Target the day before or else I wouldn't have been able to get out of the car, like Brady.

So it wasn't as fun as last time we went; or really fun at all. Luckily the weather cleared up enough the next day for us to enjoy Laguna Beach. It was a beautiful day.

We even flew a kite. Well Brady did, he didn't really want to share.

Hopefully our trip next time will have more of this less of rubber boots.

Have you seen me??

2009-01-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

All other known resources have been exhausted, so now I am turning to you, internet. This is a desperate attempt to recover Brady's Christmas-present-coat. It's a brownish-grey color, quicksilver brand, with faux sheep fur lining, as depicted above.

He misses it. I miss it. We only had it for a couple weeks before it was lost. It was last seen at the New Years Youth Dance that we were helping with.

Some may recall this christmas present from last year...

Maybe not, that one lasted a month before it vanished into thin air.

Sadly, I know someone somewhere is enjoying the warmth and comfort that these stylish stolen jackets provide. This terrible trend has to end before more coats have to suffer the consequences.

Rain Update

2009-01-22T15:22:00.001-08:00

Shortly after my last posting we finally got a little rain and I know it may sound like a coincidence but I think I'm the reason why.

The thing is, yesterday I washed my car. The last time it rained was actually the last time that I washed my car! So in an effort to combat the drought I will try to wash and wax my car more frequently.

You're welcome.

*Disclaimer*

This is definitely not me washing my car, it's my dad. (I didn't feel like taking a picture of myself washing the car so I used a pre-existing pic.)

My Rain Dance

2009-01-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

So as you may know California is in a drought. The gov't. is even saying that 2009 has the potential to be one of the droughtiest years in recorded CA history. This makes me sad.

Yes, the sunny warm January days are nice but I also happen to love rain. Especially all that comes with it...

The Watersports

The Kayaking

The Powder

The Refreshment.

We love the ever versatile and lovely Lady California. So if you do too, rain dance with us and lets end all of this drought nonsense.

First day of the season!

2009-01-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to go snowboarding for one beautiful day at Squaw Valley last week with my dear friend Melissa.

She's ready to go

Even at the top it was a wonderfully warm day. I loved using the new boots Brady gave me for Christmas.
Since neither of us had been there before we consulted a map often so that we could make use of all that Squaw had to offer. I found that ski-map reading is not one of my skills.
They had a pretty good terrain park there so we hit up the baby area so as not to get intimidated by the pros.
Story time:

So about 6 years ago, whilst snowboarding, I had a bad experience with ice & friction that resulted in a broken tailbone. I remember the horrible car ride home to the bay area afterwards. For the whole 4 hrs. I couldn't actually sit down. Then for several months in school, rather than subject myself to the embarrassment of being seen with a donut shaped pillow, I used sweatshirts for a little extra cushion to relieve the pain of sitting in plastic chairs for hours at a time. To this day I can rarely sit through a full 3 hours of church without some discomfort as a result of that accident.

So I think this is why I get filled with so much fear when I approach a box, like the one seen above. My worst fear is that my feet will go out from under me and I'll land at just the right angle and relive the horror of a tailbone injury.

But I tried it anyways and as pathetic as it may look, it was super fun.

One of my favorite things about a day like this is the gorgeous views. You can see a little bit of it in this picture but the Lake had an awesome fog resting over it all day.

Sno-Fun

2009-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

You couldn't tell it from this picture--somewheres around Foresthill-- but here we were about 10 minutes from...

...here. Lusciously fresh snowfall which made me wish I was snowboarding.

But we weren't snowboarding, we were snowshoeing, something I've never actually done before.

It was surprisingly easy to walk in the snow with those foot basket things on.

The boys decided to make a snow cave after about 5 minutes of walking.

It took three men 40 minutes to build and one Brady 4 seconds to destroy. Poor Eric barely made it out alive.

Lesson learned: When creating a covering for your igloo Don't lob a huge snow block on top of your roof of dried twigs it may fall through the aforementioned sticks triggering an igloo avalanche .

Feliz Navidad

2008-12-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas we got to go on a Pinnacle vacation to Cancun for 4 days. Which, needless to say, was pretty fun.

I want to live here

Brady and I really loved riding on the catamaran with our friendly guide, Pepe

We got to see some fishies in the World's second biggest reef (allegedly) the Great Mesoamerican Reef.

As I accidently gulped down about a cup of salt water I saw one of these freaky fish

After the snorkeling we got free chips and drinks at this beach bar, along with free mariachi musica y sombreros.

Brady said he wish he played more beach volleyball. He really liked showing off his farmer's tan.

Nothing New

2008-12-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well we really don't have anything new to share but I finally loaded some pictures from my camera so I thought we'd share some of the highlights from our 2 month stint in Utah.

We actually had a lot of fun out there and got to hang out with some people that we've missed.

I got to see my 'lil bro, Chase in his cute little freshman dorm. He's really loving his newfound freedom. But he was nice enough to take me out to breakfast at the Cannon Center on his Dining Plus card.

and took me to some football games.

I also got to see awesome parades including some of my favorite BYU clubs (to make fun of) such as, the Quill & Sword Renaissance Reenactment Club! They're a fun bunch.

I got to go on cool bike rides & cave adventures with my friend/past roomie Christie.

Brady & I got to take many hikes in the beautiful Wasatch wilderness

and camping with the Naegles at some smelly hot springs

Several Sunday drives with an accompanying nature walk.

One thing I love about Utah in the fall is their love of Halloween and elaborate haunted houses.

We tried a couple but the Haunted Forest in American Fork was the best. Despite running into walls/random wood posts/people in the dark, it was way fun scary excitement.

We also made a very good neighbor cat friend, named (by us) Baloo; who Brady (a self-proclaimed "cat hater") played with for many hours and grew to love.

In case you thought I was cool...

2008-11-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

So the movie Twilight is coming out next week and I can't hardly contain my excitement... Should I be ashamed that I already bought my tickets on Fandango? Or that I already bought the soundtrack? Or that I'm re-reading the series to get ready for it? Or that I dream about it?

Yes, definitely, I should be ashamed. But if you knew me you wouldn't be surprised to find that I'm a closeted Sci-fi/Fantasy nerd. Here are a few of my least embarrassing reasons why, in list form:

-Earliest favorite show was Out of this World (about a girl who's half alien and could stop time)

-My childhood hero was a Alex Mack (a girl who got powers after some secret chemical was spilled on her) And I wanted to be her so bad that I asked my teacher to call me Alex (he actually did)

-I used to watch The X Files twice a day

-I went through a major Smallville phase

-I was a Potterhead but now I'm a Twilighter

-I have loved Heroes since I first heard that it might become a show. Basically if its about people with super abilities I'll watch it.

-And lastly, sometimes when you're talking to me and I get a glazed look that's just because I'm thinking of a good super power for you.

Well I guess I'm out of the closet now. I hope you can still accept me.

Who do I want to be?

2008-10-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween is coming up and I've been trying to figure out costumes. Yeah, I know what you're probably thinking.

"You're 23 and still dressing up?? Why? Are you even doing anything on halloween or just sitting at home in your elaborately planned costume with no where to go like so many halloweens past?"

Well you bring up a good point but I will in fact be doing something this halloween, other than waiting by the door with a bowl of half eaten candy... so don't worry, its totally cool to be planning a costume.

Besides, I love halloween. For as long as I can remember I've looked forward to the one day each year that I can dress up and be someone else for a change.

As you can see this affinity for costumes began at an early age, as with most American children.

I was the pumpkin...

The cowgirl...

The sheep...

The...Alex Mack? That was not my best costume idea ever.

But I guess I never really grew out of it. It's just fun, whether I'm doing my thumb dance or casting a spell as fictional Hogwarts student Cho Chang

Or skating around as a bunch of grapes...

Or dressed up as a dalmatian pretending to be ten years younger so I could trick or treat with my brother...

Or...whatever I'm doing there..

Or my personal favorite...

Do you get who I am? Here, maybe this will help....

value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/6-Tjjtj7ua8dE0wyX8VzkA/54/112">

Obviously I have a long legacy of halloweens to live up to. Which brings me to my current question. What should I be this year?

So far I've considered, a spartan cheerleader (w/ Brady), ketchup, the crazy cat lady, sarah palin, a teenage mutant ninja turtle, and a penguin. Just to name a few.

In an effort to create a 'couples costume' I tried to convince Brady to be a penguin wrangler but he insists that no such occupation exists. So his costume is still very open to suggestions.

Maybe an adorable non-threatening ninja?

I know They can dance

2008-10-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

So my favorite summer show is definitely So You Think You Can Dance and at the end of the season all the top dancers go on tour around the country for our viewing pleasure. So last year my mom and I went to the show at the Arco Arena and liked it so much that we decided to go again.

Last year was awesome but this time was even better. It was like two or three hours of solid entertainment. I was sad when it came to an end.

Chelsie from Orem, Ut was my favorite girl this season.

Here are just a couple of the amazing dances we saw. Sorry they end kind of abruptly and don't look great since they were shot on my camera.

Apple Hill 2008

2008-10-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I participated in my second year of a grand new tradition since relocating to Rocklin. What is known simply as "Apple Hill", is a cluster of farms near Placerville, CA that specialize in apples (obviously) as well as various other fruits and produce.

"Here at the Hill there are happy apple people to welcome you at every turn."

We usually start out at the biggest venue, High Hill Ranch. Here they not only sell apples but also a variety of scrumptious homemade apple products. Their fresh apple juice will make you wonder what that yellow Motts stuff you bought at the grocery store was made from. There's also apple doughnuts, apple fritters, apple butter, apple jelly, apple pencils, apple sauce, apple pie, apple beer, apple fish. No, I'm just kidding, there's no apple fish. But there is a fish pond (as depicted below).

Brett was interested in their variety of honey sticks at the apple market.

Another must, if you ever partake in these fall festivities is the Fudge Factory. Here's the crew and me with my steaming fresh bag of fudge.

Here at the quaint farm, Larsen Apples, my mom displays yet another variety of delicious apple hill products, fresh grapes.

Some farms even let you experience the joys of apple farming by picking the fruit fresh from the trees.

Mom knew just which apple to pick.

I think this kind of sampling is generally discouraged.

And finally if you go to Apple Hill you must visit the Plubells Petting Farm, where overzealous goats will rip the feeding cup right out of your hand and eat it.

They even have chickens.

And cute pigs that may charge at you if you take your picture near their pen.

I was pretty sure that if I didn't move quickly they would put their little snouts through the wire to bite my arm.

Aren't they cute?

See you next year Apple Hill!

Tagged??

2008-10-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Mindy

A. Attached or Single? Attached
B. Best Friend? Braiden
C. Cake or Pie? Both..
D. Day of choice? Friday, when the weekend is still full of possibilities.
E. Essential Item? Brush, chapstick
F. Favorite Color? Purple
G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Sour worms
H. Hometown? Pleasanton/Rocklin, CA
I. Indulgence? Twizzlers
J. January or July? January, I love winter
K. Kids? nope
L. Life is not complete without? Music
M. Marriage Date? June 29th, 2007.
N. Number of brothers & sisters? 3 brothers
O. Oranges or Apples? Apples
P. Phobias? Sharks!!!! don't get me started.
Q. Quotes? "who let the dogs out?"
R. Reasons to Smile? Baby animals/humans
S. Season of Choice? I love autumn because of the anticipation of winter, pulling out sweatshirts & finding money in the pockets, leaves, pumpkins, and turning on the heater for the first time. On the other hand there's winter, with it's rainy days, and snowboardings, warm fireplaces, and holidays.
T. Tag some Peeps! MELISSA!
U. Unknown Fact about Me? I had a political career in the early/mid 90's but it ended abruptly when apparently no one wanted to "cash in with ashlin" as Proctor Elementary school treasurer.
V. Vegetable? Carrots, i guess.
W. Worst Habits? Eating when bored.
X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? Both. Neither. Huh?
Y. Your Favorite Food? Homemade mac & cheese
Z. Zodiac Sign? ugh...

Welcome to Lookout Pointe

2008-09-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, we got an apartment in Provo. It took me a few long days of very thorough searching but I found this one up on the mountainside.
As you can probably tell, I decorated. I'm going for kind of an eclectic look. I found the lovely floral recliner for $10 at a garage sale and got two camping chairs on sale for $5 each. I kind of splurged and got two folding trays for about $12 each.
I didn't like the closet doors so I removed them. As you can see I added a personal touch on the (donated) dresser with my BYU graduation bear statuette courtesy of my father-in-law. The bed is an aerobed from costco. Its actually not too bad.
There's the bathroom. Nice, but difficult to get ready in. I tend to hit my elbows on the door when I'm blow-drying because of the tight space.
Finally we're on the first floor!
Now I can just walk right out onto my patio.
Since we're pretty high up we have a great view of the valley. This is our favorite part of living here.
Oh, and we got a cheap chinese scooter, so that I can get around town while Brady takes the car to work. I know Dad, not the smartest decision I've ever made, but I only get to live once.

Goodbye Illinois...Hello Provo?

2008-09-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

So it's been a little over two weeks now since we left Hoffman Estates and a lot has happened since then including WE GOT INTERNET! So now I'm catching up on what we've been doing, starting with our trip home.

We left our apartment right around sunRise. Brady was so excited he actually woke up at 4:30AM but gave me an hour more of sleep before he forced me out the door. I never got a picture of it in daylight but I passed that water tower every day that we lived there. (it's really not as rural as it looks)

As part of our itinerary we made the pilgrimage to Nauvoo.

We walked around for about four hours before Brady decided it was time to move on.
The Fudge Factory is a family favorite but, unfortunately since we were there on a Sunday it was closed. So no fudge for me.
This is actually one of my favorite Nauvoo sites, the Heber C. Kimball home. I just like it.
Here's a little gem. Brady sitting in front of the ole' Sessions family cabin.
He said that these actually are his ancestors. So thats pretty neat in my opinion.

After Nauvoo, we went to Carthage to see the jail where the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and his brother Hyrum were murdered. It was a good experience but slightly tainted by our awkward tour guide who pointed out to the group, more than once, that there was a non-member couple among us. Leading the husband to say, somewhat jokingly, "Wow we feel like intruders here" And as they walked back to their motorcycle I heard the tank-top clad wife say to her husband, "But how did she know we weren't mormon?" I'm not sure if that was the best missionary experience.
In that same day we made it to Liberty, Missouri by sunset.
Although we missed all the other Missouri sites it was worth the drive just to see this jail. Its hard to describe but there is definitely a special feeling in there. As we heard about the suffering and growth experienced in the prison I almost felt as if I was there watching it happen live. I never really understood the importance of this place until I went there. For me this is right up there with the Sacred Grove, School of the Prophets, and Carthage as favorite sites of early church history.

By the way, the Kiwi sister missionary tour guide that we had was awesome. After the tour she offered to take a picture for us but I felt strange smiling in front of the display, so that's what my weird half-smile face is doing.
The next day we drove through Kansas. You might be wondering what Brady is doing in this picture.

He's just cleaning blood and guts off of the car.

I had to plug my nose while taking this picture to keep from adding to the mess (if you know what I mean).

I couldn't decide which was worse, the smell of deteriorating dead deer carcass partially cooked by the heat of the engine or the unexpected sight of thick red slime plastered to the front bumper.

So moving on from that horrible experience, it was great to drive through Colorado. There's not much to look at until we got past Denver, then it was really so beautiful.

Finally we made it into Utah just as the sun was setting on our second full day of driving.
Now we're here in the unique Utah Valley for about 2.5 months. I pretend like I don't like it but really Provo feels like home to me.

Lifeguard?

2008-08-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got a job (thanks to Britney's recommendation) as a "lifeguard" at a condo complex's pool. Since my certification is a little outdated and since an average of 4 people come to the pool during my 8 hour shift, I use the term 'lifeguard' loosely. My main responsibilities are staying conscious when people are swimming and making sure no one sneaks in from neighboring complexes.

Today is actually my last day since we're leaving soon but here's a glimpse of what I've been doing.

Yes, I alone am responsible for ensuring the safety of all these swimmers...

Better late than never...or is it?

2008-07-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

So we have been cut off from the internet for a month or so now, though it feels like its been forever. I have not gone this long without home access to the web since the days of AOL dial up and "you've got mail!" It has really made me realize what an impact the internet has had on my life. I almost feel crippled without it at my fingertips. How do I get information now? ...like movie times, weather, directions, phone numbers, all the little questions I have throughout the day that I rely on the internet to find an answer to. The only way that I can have internet access is by driving down to the local library.
So that is why I'm showing pictures of my birthday over a month later. The laptop I'm using is giving me problems so I can't see the pictures down below, But I remember the day because it was the 2nd day off (besides Sundays) that Brady has had since April.

Before we left Brady snuck out to 7-11 to get me flowers, not surprisingly they didn't carry flowers there, but not wanting to come home empty handed he picked (some might say 'stole') a handful of yellow flowers from someone's yard. Though I felt bad for the victim I appreciated the thoughtful gesture and was sad to find my flowers wilted away and covered with bugs in its little red Dixie cup vase by the time we got home that night.

So we went into the city and saw Cirque Shanghai, kind of a poor man's Cirque du Soleil, but it was pretty cool. We were in the very front, which was great because we could see everything but also bad for the same reason. (Their costumes were a little worn out and see through; the white panties kind of took away from the magical atmosphere)

Afterwards walked down to the waterfront because it was sticky and hot out that day. The water was cool but not very appetizing even jsut to stand in. Suspicious looking garbage covered the beach and rolled around in the little waves. I couldn't tell if it was mostly shopping bags or toilet paper but it didn't seem to bother the locals. I guess I'm just spoiled by my recent trip to Santa Cruz beaches where the only thing rolling around in the surf were a few dead baby seals and seaweed, nature.

What else did we do.... we had some pizza, the first pizza I've had in Chicago that I didn't like (the crust was cornmeal, I guess its one of the Chicago styles), we also saw a free outdoor concert in this beautiful pavillion, did some shopping with my birthday gift cards, and watched fireworks over a bridge.

Maybe the best part was right before we left we decided to check out the John Hancock Tower again (one of the most popular places to get a good view of the city) I wanted to go the the top but the price for tickets were rediculous so we found a loophole and went to the fancy restaurant at the top. We ordered a dessert (for my birthday cake) and got to eat it by the window overlooking the city for half the price of taking the elevator to the observatory. It was a great way to spend my 23rd birthday.

A Fond Look Back: First Year of Marriage

2008-07-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

Well its been a year now that we've been married and things are pretty great. Here's a reminiscence of what's become of us since that fateful day in June.

Ah, the engagement period. Such tumultuous and exciting times. The cake tasting and dress hunting and all that good stuff. Here were two different engagement photo shoots one in Santa Cruz and one on San Fran's Baker Beach. Notice a theme?

Then there was the wedding day itself. I know its cliche to say but it was pretty surreal.

Then was our first real vacation together.

We got to play catch with some local kids, then they showed off their cliff jumping skills. They were so funny.

We don't like to be bored so we've tried to get out and have little adventures when we can. (and no, I'm not wearing pants in this picture.)

With all the awesome camping gear we got for our wedding we were all set to do some real outdoor livin' on the weekends. Really we only went camping twice I think but when we get back from Chicago we'll take advantage of living in beautiful California again.

Brady has learned a lot in this first year. He's learned to do the dishes to my standards

(ie. clean dishes must be free from nasty food chunks)

He's also had to learn to deal with cluttered countertops which he hates, I guess. Sorry, but its hard to fit everything in the sticky old cupboards and then pull them out twice a day.

He has also learned to deal with my occasional quirkiness. But thats okay, I think I gave him fair warning beforehand.

But worst of all, he's had to learn to accept my hat. He really can't stand this hat but I like it and I know it bugs him so I wear it whenever I get the chance. Do you hate it too?

How about now?

But I've learned to do some things too.

For example I'm attempting to learn to decorate. Don't judge, I'm trying.

I also learned to accept the UPS attire.

But overall its been a really great first year, it flew by so fast and we're definitely looking forward to more good times to come.

Like snowboarding...

or kayaking with Buster...

(but probably not again because he hated it, and because there's nothing worse than petting a dog while driving home from a hike and realizing that ticks are crawling all over him)

or christmas...

or almost going into a cave but not really because there's a giant spider in there...

or hanging out on the beach with good friends...

(while wearing a UPS sweatshirt)

Chase's graduation

2008-06-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I was able to visit home for a while and see my brother graduate.

It was great to hang out with Buster.

My lil' bro is all grown up and going off to college soon. It's hard to believe.

After being home for a few days we took a little trip down to Santa Cruz. Buster knew we were leaving so he hid out in the car hoping he could come. We couldn't bring him but he was in good hands ;)

We had some of the best weather that I've ever experienced in Santa Cruz.

I don't know what he's doing but its amusing.

We got to walk around the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

(in the warm california sun)

We stayed in the most luxurious motel I've ever been to.

I've always wanted to see what this place was about and was not disappointed. It was actually pretty mysterious!! Plus I got a smashed penny to add to my dorky collection.

I'm just hanging out with the trees. Luckily we made it out just barely before the fires started burning in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Zipline

2008-06-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

My dad built a zip line in the backyard. I haven't tried it but it looks really fun. Brett and his friend Kevin video taped it and put it online at this address...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjlbmJPjJw

Bikes, BBQs, babies, & Bouncy ropes

2008-06-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired this beauty from a garage sale and I love riding it around town or to the grocery store to rent Redbox movies.

I found that even from the other side of the country my mom doesn't give up the 'worrying thing' and convinced me to finally buy and actually wear a helmet. I got this cuteish one but it still makes my head look huge (better than a smooshed head I guess).

To be honest I'm not very good at riding this particular bike for some reason and kept falling over/running into things so I figured that I might really need a helmet.

Here's some things I saw on this exciting bike ride. There are only a few pics because the ride home was too difficult and dangerous to take pictures since I was busy trying to balance a big ole helmet box in one hand and my ipod in the other while semi-mud covered due to a puddle I wasn't prepared for. Needless to say I got a few weird looks.

When I arrived home I was welcomed by the hiss of 4 geese parentals surrounded by 21, deceivingly cute, evil gooslings.

Recently we got to spend a Sunday with Brady's bro Garrett & sis-in-law Mindy. We went to church with them and had a delicious bbq with Omaha steak burgers in honor of Brady's 24th Birthday.

This is our nephew Carter. He's about 6 mo. and stinkin' adorable. Seriously cute.

While I was admiring Carter, Garrett was trying to teach Brady the skills of 'slack-lining' or walking on a bouncy rope. Its really hard.

Brady's Birthday Off

2008-05-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Brady got the day off yesterday so that we could take an architectural cruise on the Chicago River (much thanks to Jay and Gwen). Since his birthday is in a week (5/29) and he doesn't want to take off any selling time for it we made this day a kind of birthday celebration.

The tour was at 11:30 AM and since we decided to take public transportation into the city we left the house early and gave ourselves 2 hrs, plenty of time to get there, or so we thought. A series of events occurred that almost costed us the tour :

1. An incredibly long line at McDonald's (brady's birthday breakfast of choice)

2. Unforeseen traffic backup going to the rail station

3. Parking space shortage at the station because of people with nice cars that use 4 spots so that no one gets near their precious Mercedes

3. The train ticket machine that only took exact change

3. Painfully slow/stop 'n' go train ride due to untimely rail work

4. The Navy Pier bus that never came

Luckily Brady had his new phone filled with music to listen to while we waited.

Anyways, at the last minute Brady made a smart call and hailed a cab which got us to the ferry dock just before they lifted the gang plank. It was exciting though, like we were on the Amazing Race!

The tour was really cool and we could actually understand what the person on the microphone was saying. It was really high quality.

There's sears tower on the left, tallest building in America. Modeled after a bundle of cigarettes actually. I couldn't get many pictures because of those pesky white bars. Are they there in case we roll over?

Here's Navy Pier. We walked around for a few minutes. There was a ferris wheel and other stuff that looked fun but was too expensive.

Unfortunately Brady fell victim to a passing bird. "It" grazed the bottom of his shirt. This bothered him very much.

To lift his spirits we decided he should try an original Chicago dog.

I think it did help.

We did a lot of walking around but it was great. It's really a pretty city. Less giant hills and scary bums than San Fran and not as overwhelming and fast paced as New York.

The sun was out, not a cloud to be seen, but it was still pretty cold walking around in the shadows of skyscrapers (around 50 degrees). We were probably the most underdressed people in the city that day.

This thing was really cool. It's called Cloud Gate and known to locals as "the bean" but exactly what it is, we have no idea. I do know it is a favorite rendezvous point for tourists and seagulls alike.

Alien spaceship? Metallic flavored jelly treat?

Brady needed a rest from all the excitement.

This weird structure or 'art' is a tower that has water pouring out of it with digital faces of Chicagoans that smile and wink and sometimes spit water from their mouths to the delight of little children.

I liked this lion.

Here's a cool fountain. At night it has a water/music/lights show. We didn't get a chance to see it but it looked neat.

Finally when we had all the fun, walking, and Chicago stuffed pizza we could take we made our way home on the "L" train.

Ashlin's Thoughts: My arch nemesis

2008-05-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

nemesis (n): a bitter enemy, especially one who seems unbeatable.
Since moving to Illinois I have noticed the incredible number of ponds and lakes. They seem to be everywhere we go. It seemed nice at first until recently when I realized the problem that comes with this beautiful landscape. The Canadian Goose. They are literally everywhere here. Grocery store parking lots, rooftops, sidewalks, grassy knolls, wherever you look you see goose. It may sound lovely at first. But you don't know them like I do. These aren't the geese of Roklin who run away at the sight of my little poodle, Buster. No, these geese are brash, even rude. I've been hissed at, glared at, and intimidated by these creatures just for walking by them! They will even attack their own kind.

Not only are they scary, they are incredibly noisy. I get woken up on a daily basis by their demon chorus. Also I can't take a step without having to dodge their vestiges of having been there. (poop)

I haven't endured an attack yet but I feel that its just a matter of time before they find me in a moment of vulnerability. I am not a fan of geese.

Disclaimer: Brady wanted me to note that he actually likes the geese, he thinks they're cute.

A quick look at our apartment

2008-05-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here's our lovely little building that smells kind of like moldy cigarettes.

This is where we get our mail and begin the long daily trek to our apartment on the third floor...

then down the long dark sweaty hallway.
Here's the living room filled with rented furniture...
and the dining area.

We got a nice little sitting chair for the spacious balcony. Its a perfect place to watch lightning storms and such.

We have views of the pond, pool, and clubhouse which are all closed for remodeling. Lucky us.

Eastward

2008-05-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Before our cross country drive to Illinois we got to hang out with Talon in Rock Canyon.

It was such a beautiful day!
Then we drove for two days through Wyoming (which is as "beautiful in its own way":) as Nevada) and then Nebraska (which was prettier than Wyoming *in my opinion* but it smelled worse). Iowa was next and then Illinois. It got prettier the further East we drove. I actually liked Iowa. Brady was disappointed that Illinois wasn't more green but we hear winter just ended so it should soon get green and humid.
We made a lot of pit stops where we'd gas up and switch drivers. We're a pretty good tag team when it comes to road trips.
Maggie, our Magellan GPS unit (on sale at Costco) made the trip a lot easier. Though navigating I-80 wasn't hard, she did help us to know what state we were in, the name of the random towns we drove through, how far to the next gas station, and how many hours/miles we had left.

Graduation

2008-05-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

Graduation was freezing! It snowed that day and our gowns were very drafty.

I got to see old friends and professors
Nerdy I know.

Gwen and Jay even came out to support me. (Talon was already there but he came too)

Our stint at Stinson

2008-05-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Since a lot has been going on in our lives recently I thought I'd recap the past few recent events starting with our short trip to San Fran.

Brady's friend Raleigh had this little bungalow by the beach and he let us stay there with him.

The next day we explored what Stinson Beach had to offer...

Brady, being a boy, climbed a big rock

Then we took in some great views. It looked like the Sound of Music up there, except for the ocean in the background.

We could even see the little town of Stinson Beach

Then we paid $5.00 to cross the golden gate into the city.

We saw Coit Tower...

and drove down Lombard St. snapping pictures while driving like any good tourist.

Hello blogging world!

2008-05-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try out the blogosphere. So this is my test post to see how this works.