Random Happenings of February

I guess that I am becoming a once a month blogger. These are the happenings of February.

Trisha and I are both in full-on running mode. We are running four or more days a week. Whenever we can manage to both fit it in. It has been a bit hard logistically but we are making it work. When I first started it was wicked cold outside and my awesome face mask would freeze solid. Now, it is finally starting to get into the thirties and that feels amazing. Salt Lake City Marathon April 16, 2011

We ate this creepy lookin crab (It didn't taste like the crab we had at Joe's Crab Shack last month)

Trisha beat the crab to death but then couldn't handle the rest of the cleaning, so she called me into the kitchen.

Sam loves to chew on the apply atop his exersaucer

I made a massive batch of sugar cookies and the most delicious frosting to go with it and then Trisha decorated them all. We also celebrated Valentine's Day with an amazing and romantic dinner at home. Trisha went all out and it was delicious. Four course meal and an amazing dessert. Thanks babe! I love you!

A visit to Richmond for me and my brothers to sing a musical number at my brothers ward. Plus, time to hang out with the family.

This picture is Logan and Clara riding in her car.

Sams new favorite trick is to poop in the bathtub as soon as his little bum hits the warm water. This time was a few weeks ago while I was bathing him and he just laughed at me while I tried to wash down all of the poop. I thought it was just a one time thing but the last three nights in a row he has done it again. Little turd!

 His other new trick is to sit up on his own and he is getting so good at it. He usually only falls over with sudden movements and excitement.

Sam trying to hold his own bottle. Not quite there, but at least he's trying

This is how he always eats. As if he is going to starve if this bite doesn't go into his mouth right this second.

I also started working a 3-day week at work and so far we are all loving it. I feel like it has been a great blessing to spend more time with Trisha and Sam and hopefully it will allow us to do lots of fun things together as a family (since I have worked almost all weekends for the past year and a half). I'm really excited!

DENVER

Denver, CO

We had the chance to go to Denver last weekend for a friends wedding. We had the added bonus of seeing a lot of our friends from Boston and it was so much fun! We were at the temple when the married couple came out, we went to Cafe Rio with everyone and then gathered again at the reception that night.

Mike and Kristy Reintjes, Happily married!

Katie holding Sam oustide the temple



The Boston crew chillin at the reception

Jared

Esther

Mike and Kristy

Jacosa and Melba

We got to meet up with them a second time and go to lunch at Cracker Barrel. We haven't seen them forever so it was great to catch up and hang out with them again.

Laura (and expected baby). Jason was off doing something awesome so we had to take the picture without him.

The whole bunch of us at the reception (except Jared, who had already left)

Mike, Sam, Trisha, Jacosa, Melba, Diana, Blaire, Kristy, ___, Leah, Lisa, Esther, Katie, Janae, Jenny, Laura and Jason

Katie and Esther dancing. Reminds one of all the dance parties that were had on Nottinghill

This is a video clip of the dancing- Plain awesome!

Colorado Springs, CO

The next day we went to Colorado Springs to meet up with our friends, Brandon and Arianne. They were kind enough to escort us to a beautiful park called the Garden of the Gods. We got there just at dusk and it made for some very pretty scenery. We walked around in the 50 degree weather and enjoyed the view. Then we went to their house for dinner, talking and some wicked fun games (Moods and Five Crowns). Thank you Brandon and Arianne, we had so much fun!!

Sam bundled up in his winter suit

Meditation

Brandon and Arianne

Boulder, CO

We wanted to go to the Celestial Seasonings (they manufacture teas) Factory but they told us that children cannot go inside because it will damage their ear drums. Makes you wonder what they do in there... Anyway, instead we just made the drive to Boulder and went to a little sandwhich joint, The Dish,  on Pearl St.

Pearl St.

Denver, CO

Our final activities in Denver included the Downtown Aquarium and a walk up the 16th St. Mall. The aquarium was amazing and I took so many pictures, but I'll spare you all the misery. We saw so many different kinds of sea creatures. Mean sharks, fatbellied seahorses, eels, stingrays, etc...

Sam by the trout case. Maybe when he grows up he will enjoy catching these

The scary-lookin underside of a stingray

Me petting some stingrays

Trisha and Sam outside of the Aquarium

One of our favorite things at the aquarium was this Flash Flood display, it was so cool.

On our way from the Aquarium to the 16th St. mall, this fish jumped right out of the cobblestone and tried to eat me whole

16th St. Mall

Artsy modeling

Me and Trisha "One Mile Above Sea Level" at the Colorado State Capitol Building

A look at the city from the Aquarium

We loved Denver and all of its surrounding areas and maybe we'll go back

Christmas after New Years

Since we spent the Christmas holiday in North Carolina, we decided to leave all of our presents back at home in Vernal and just open them when we got back. We spent new years day at my parents and went to a birthday party that evening. We left the party early to get home early, but as we drove away we had some car difficulties. Looking back on it, there were definite signs of a flat tire, but neither of us realized it at the time. The car was tilting to one side, the drivers side. We both thought that it was because I was on that side of the car and we had to fit 4 suitcases from our NC trip also on that side of the car. The alignment also seemed to be off. Again, we just thought it was because of the extra baggage in Trishas small car. Well, once we got onto the freeway and the car started making a weird repetitive thumping, we both realized something else was going on. I was trying to drive to the next exit so I could pull off the freeway and check things out, when there was a blowout and I knew the tire was gone. I immediately pulled over and called my dad and brother who came to our aid and helped us get the spare tire on. We were so glad that it happened when it did and that we had family close by to help us out! What a great blessing that was! My mom was also nice enough to lend us her car so that we could get home for commitments at church and work the next day. Everything worked out in the end and I was able to drive back to SLC on Monday and get all new tires on Trishas car so hopefully we'll be good for a while. Needless to say it was 1:00am when we got home and Trisha couldn't wait to open our presents.

We got lots of fun things from Santa.

Highlights of our gifts:

1. Huge Nerf gun with 3 magazines that hold massive amounts of amunition. One day Trisha went to run errands and I set it up in the living room behind something so she couldn't see me. When she got home I bombarded her with every single bullet I had. It was hilarious!!! I know I'm gonna have lots of fun with it.

2. New bedroom

3. Barbeque grill (which I won at my work party)

4. Jazz tickets (which I bought as part of a blind charity auction at another work party. I also bought a super sweet sunkist skateboard.)

5. Exersaucer for Sam. He loves it and learns how to use more of it each day. He first would just suck on things. Now, he turns around and pushes buttons and plays with everything. He loves standing up in it too.

So Christmas in January is just as fun as Christmas in December! Merry late Christmas to our family and yours

PS- Didn't Trisha do a great job decorating our Christmas tree?!?!