Summer & Tyler

Our first baby hatched a couple days ago and two more have come to join him/her.  He looks like a little alien but I still think it's so cute!  They respond to voices and stretch their tiny necks to get fed when they hear us.  One looks a sickly yellow color so hope we don't have to witness any death or dying around here, and that the teeny thing pulls through. 

When we get any tv time we're watching the Planet Earth series (Ty is shut up in our room watching right now.)  It is the most fantastic show.  I have a hard time watching some parts, like when the walruses stabbed the polar bear and it just laid down to starve and die because it wasn't capable of obtaining food for himself.  Ughhhhh-just terrible...but watching is still worth going through those painful parts.  One photographer waited (and hid in one place mind you)  for I think around 8 weeks to get the first ever footage of the bird of paradise.  Wow.  

Last week Eric & Hailey hosted Leslie's 28th birthday at their home.  As always, Hailey did an amazing job with the food and decorations.  Eric was even surprised at the homemade desserts-they looked like she paid a fortune for them and am still craving and needing the recipe for the yummy little cakes.  I tried to take notes to file them in the back of my mind so I can eventually learn how to throw parties like she does.  I'm definitely behind in that department.  

It also was the Idol finale.  I was rooting for Adam...he gives both Tyler and I chills when he sings.  I have only heard the rumors of him being gay and the videos floating around but I still think he is an incredibly talented person who is going to be successful either way.  Still happy.  Kris is great too and I love how humble he is.  

{Leslie, Jimmy, & Sophie}

{Ty & Max checking out the cows next door.  So awesome-who has that kind of view?}

{love these guys.  MoOOOOooo.}

{Oh my...those little white things in the center called Heaven Drops are my favorite too}

{Hailey's creation}

{Snow White enjoying her candy "martini."}

{Our hostess}

The Shergills (Leslie & Jimmy) are going to be moving right down the street from us pretty soon.  Walking distance.  I'm so excited and can't wait for them to get settled!  

I found smilebox today and it definitely made me smile.  Not so much about the $5.99 monthly membership but am going to check out their 14 day free trial.  You can make recipe cards like the one I made below and also add pictures and text to personalize it along with making invitations and cards for different occasions.  I think I've found a fun tool to help get myself organized!

We're breaking out our passports and sailing the caribbean in September with Olane & Rocky and Chris & Sangvane. I'm especially excited because we're adding 2 countries to our list of travels, Belize and Honduras. ( 3 for me w/Grand Cayman) I just finished booking everything this week and can barely contain myself I'm so excited. It's my third cruise and Tyler's first--he's going to love it. Cruising is my favorite way to vacation. Only once to unpack, all you can eat food to die for, fun entertainment, and traveling to different destinations while you sleep...what more to ask for?

We're just crossing our fingers and praying that hurricanes stays far away from us since we're going going during prime hurricane season...

I've owned this violin for, yikes, at least over 6 years. Jonny gave it to me for my birthday and I have wanted to pick it up forever but never have had the time or the resources. Seth's girlfriend Alli is an extremely talented musician. She was in music school on the East coast and was given a music scholarship at Utah Valley University. Her whole family is musical and she plays amazingly! Alli has been giving me direction on how to get started and pointers here and there. I just got new strings put on last week at Burt Murdock and have been teaching myself and practicing from this really great beginner book that only cost me $8 bucks. As soon as I feel somewhat competent I'm going to take lessons from her. So far I've learned how to read music and can play Jingle Bells and some other beginner songs. (Horribly by the way)

This is pathetic really. My hair has been falling out like crazy. Not the normal blow drying and there's a few hairs on the ground, but clumps when I shower. Tyler was getting worried, and normally I'd brush it off but my normally thick hair is soooo thin! I went to the doctor and he told me within 3 or months or so of a stressful event like all the things I've been through lately, your hair will fall out. But it's just temporary. I'm so glad! It'll grow back!

I also found out I have ADD...(thanks mom for just barely letting me know you have it too. :) I always knew my brother had it and since I've always done fine in school/work, I never gave it a thought that I had a problem (uh, hinderance) . After marrying someone who has it, I've done a lot of research; and what do you know...I think I have it too! It takes me twice as long to study than most, I get distracted easily, start a ton of projects at once but have a hard time finishing, forget anything I don't write down...you get the point. I've managed it fine the last 26 years but the Dr. said the stress/a tad of depression can make the ADD show itself more. But you know...I'm excited! Ty and I are like two peas in a pod and I can totally see a difference when he is on his medication. Today is my first day and honestly everything seems so much clearer. We'll see how it goes in the next month or so.

So back to the house. It was broken into on Monday again. I got a call from someone interested in it and they told me the back french doors were left wide open on Sunday. I assumed the guy had closed the doors for me, but when I went to check on it the next day they were still open and the door on the stove/oven combo was broken off when they were trying to remove it from the wall. They must have tried to be quick or were just idiots, because they were unsuccessful at getting it out.

{The stuff broken off the doors when they were busted in}

{Detective Bart getting fingerprints}

Sunday after church and a little nap for Tyler after getting home from work, the 3 of us (Roca of course) hiked what we thought was the Silver Lake Trail up American Fork Canyon. Instead of 4.4 miles like I thought, we hiked the 7 mile roundtrip "road" to get to Silver Lake. The road was closed off to vehicles and were unable to do the real trail. It was still beautiful, and actually really hot for starting at 4:30 in the afternoon.

This was our view after making it. We were quite worried for a bit that we somehow went the wrong way...and did a little detour by some summer homes, but we did get to see a couple of deer. I checked a website before going up there for tips and directions-most of the comments said they saw Moose so hopefully we'll get to see more wildlife the next time we try to hike the correct trail. We relaxed, had a nice picnic dinner and were proud that our out of shape butts made it.

Roca was a trooper. She gave us quite a scare...after playing catch 4 or 5 times in the lake she started whining and her front right leg went stiff as a board. It looked like it had cramped up and she was shaking. She walked it off like she knew that's what was going to help, and within 10 minutes she was fine. I'm just glad Ty relayed the heart attack story of their old dog until after this little incident. Poor Nat...who I think was present. How terrible...

Saturday, May 16 (also Seth's big 30th) marked our 1 year anniversary of meeting each other at Seth's b-day party at Adrienne and Mike's house last year. Luckily for me Tyler's 24 hours of required education for mortgage licensing in North Carolina was cut short both Sat and Sun and were able to spend some quality time in this summer-like weather. We had such a great Sat...dinner at the Italian Place, shared a yummy cheese steak, had dessert at Smart Cookie, and saw Star Trek-we loved it!

Looking back over the past year we have had so many crazy connections that I am shocked that we didn't meet until we did. I thought I'd make a list...some of them short of unbelievable at the time we discovered them. Tyler basically knows EVERYONE. I'm never surprised when we go somewhere and he knows at least one person in the room, or when I introduce him to my friends/ex-family and they have some sort of connection or mutual friends. It freaked me out at first, but I think now I have just accepted that Tyler's explanation of being a bachelor for so long is a pretty good reason-and the fact that the Mormon community is soooo small. Even though I've been a member...wow...9 years this September, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. As the only member in my family I rarely have those connections of my own.

1.) Tyler's mom and Adrienne Barnett's mom were college roommates at BYU and thus family friends. (I probably met/saw his family when they were at their wedding!)

2.) Tyler's dad and Jonny's dad were on BYU's swim team together.

3.) My friend Eric Bork (worked at OGIO w/Jonny) and Tyler were roommates in 2004. I was Eric's real estate agent for the house that he purchased and Seth was his tenant for awhile. Seth was introduced to Tyler when he needed to move out of Eric's and is now our roommate.

4.) Tyler's best friend Greg McGrath worked at OGIO and whom I had hung out with and knew him and his wife Michelle through Jonny. Super weird!

5.) I am friends with Jordo Williams and his girlfriend Keli Elder (met thru Jonny & Eric) and went with him for his first time through the temple and found out he was also Tyler's good friend and roommate in 2004.

6.) My friend Ashley Ord's cousins were also Tyler's roommates.

7.) I went to Tyler's cousin's baby blessing and guess who was in the circle blessing the baby? Chris Mann, Ashlie's husband. (Ashlie is also my friend and Jonny's cousin)

8.) Tyler's has mutual friends in a random town in Northern Cal of my friend Heather Bird.

9.) My good friend Niki (also Jonny's cousin) knows Tyler's sister Natalie and they both live pretty close to each other on the East coast.

10.) I was catching up with my friend and old neighbor Emilie and Hugh Smith, the guy she just started seeing. Tyler picked me up and it turned out he used to work with Hugh and Hugh knows Trevor, Ty's brother.

11.) My good friend Olane (also met her and Rocky through Jonny and OGIO) and Tyler's friend and assistant, Jen Price worked together at PF Chang's.

12.) We found out the first time Tyler met Jamie & Nick, that Ty and Nick have a mutual friend named Aaron Christopher. (thx Jamie for reminding me!)

13.) Tyler's Dr. that I just saw is good friends with my old boss Jason.

{Clarification....Seth is also one of Jonny's best friends)

I'm sure there are heaps more that I'll need to add to the list later on...

It is pretty strange that all these connections are one way or another due to people I've met through Jonny or his family. Maybe a little too weird, but either way I am just thankful that he has come into my life by some means and at the time he did. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who treats me better than I could ever imagine or wish for. I am looking forward for all my friends and family to get to know what an incredible person he is!

After getting some sun, we got ready for our big eventful evening:

Sports Lounge, Sushi Samba, Britney Spears and La Reve!

Before dinner we watched some Lakers, had drinks, and played some old school Pac Man (I used to love that game as a kid)...so much my hands had cramps!

We had an incredible culinary experience at Sushi Samba, a Peruvian/Brazilian/Asian fusion restaurant. Our table had this:

offered only to entire table, vegetarian options are available upon request

{Entrance/seating area}

...and I'm so glad we did. They kept bringing out dishes that we would NEVER otherwise try on our own. I am in love with the Peruvian corn. They are like these oversized, sweet versions of regular corn but a bit more texture and not as soft.

There was so much delicious food, that I severely over ate. I'll spare the details...I was so giddy (I never thought I'd be that excited to see Britney Spears) that nothing was going to ruin the night. Hailey and her girlfriends had already purchased the tickets but some of the girls had other plans come up and were unable to make it. She mentioned the idea about trying to catch some of it during our 2 hour window before our group had to make it back for La Reve at 9 pm. Um...passing it up? No way-it was unanimous among the 4 of us. We'd at least give it a try. I prayed the whole taxi ride that my stomach would make it there. It hurt so bad I was getting hot and cold sweats. I actually had to break away from the group before even getting there..ugh..it was so bad but I made it just in time for the rest of the Pussycat Dolls. It was so much fun! The only concerts I've been too have been have been mostly men dominated...Metallica, Chicago, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Eat World, Smashing Pumpkins, Reel Big Fish, Angels and Airwaves, Under the Influence of Giants, Boyz II Men (my very first ever concert in Junior High :)...I'm sure there's plenty more big "bands" but I can't seem to think of many right now. So this was exciting and new and I think I'm going to have to go to more often to these girly concerts. So awesome.

Even though Britney took too long setting up and we completely missed her, it was still worth the excitement of going and at least seeing the Pussycat Dolls and making it back in time for our other show.

La Reve was undescribable. Jawdropping and awe-inspiring would mostly cover it. I hate the people who ooh and awe out loud and talk during the whole show, but that was me. It was insane. I couldn't help myself. We were able to get some pictures before Tyler was reprimanded by an usher. Oops.

But...

He has to be the luckiest guy on the planet because we got a call that night from the airport. He had left it in those little containers they use for electronics while going through the security check. It was returned in 2 days. A nice piece of news to end our fun trip!