My parents' visit

Well, my parents left to fly back home about 4 hours ago. Actually, at this very second they are boarding their connecting flight in Detroit. I think today Ryan really saw how much I hate goodbye's... I was very sad, to say the least.

But this past week was so much fun! My dad got to go to Alta to ski on Monday, which was the perfect day for skiing. A quote from a text I got from him that day... "I didn't know skiing could get this good!" Here are some pictures my mom sent me on her phone from their day at Alta.

My mom and I tried to perfect chocolate chip cookies.. UNsuccessful. BUT she did make an amazing new cookie recipe.. chocolate macaroon cookies with big hershey kisses in the middle! Yummo! And we also did a ton of shopping, AND she got a makeover :) We had a lot of fun girl time.
Tuesday night, we all piled in the car and traveled up to Brighton for some night skiing/snowboarding. The boys went out and enjoyed the snow while my mom and I ordered some bottomless chips and salsa and relaxed by the fire in the lodge. It was nice because the lodge was all windows so we could watch my dad and Ryan come down the trails! Here are some pictures from our night at Brighton.

On Wednesday night, the four of us went to the Jazz/Timberwolves game in Salt Lake after going out to dinner at the Gateway. My parents were so excited because it was their first NBA game, plus my mom is becoming a pretty big Jazz fan. Thanks to Renee and Brent for giving us your tickets :)
My parents, who just happen to be very handy, actually showed us why our outlets on one side of our kitchen haven't been working! All I had to do was push the reset button (I felt so dumb... and to think I was about to call an electrician). And we also have a whole new underneath of our car! It sounded terrible because of a hole in our muffler... but now our car sounds much better. Last night, for their last night in Utah, we drove to Park City for dinner and a little shopping. It was such a fun week, and it went by way too fast. But, we will be home in 3 months for the cruise! This little visit was just the half-way point between Christmas and the cruise. I hope these next 3 weeks go by quickly! Thank you for everything Mommy and Daddy! Ryan and I appreciate everything you did for us while you were here and we miss&love you!

Tamara's weekend with us!

Tamara left about an hour ago, and we got back to our regular, homework/cleaning/studying lives. But Ryan and I had a blast while she was here! As she said, we "visited" places all around the world... Friday night we had Indian food at India Palace (only the BEST Indian restaurant in Utah!), and Saturday we had sushi for lunch and Mexican for dinner! So, India, Japan and Mexico in a weekend! Everything was so yummy! Also, Bailey came and stayed the night with all of us on Friday night, which was wicked fun. It's always nice to see family!
Also, Tamara showed me how to organize my food storage. For those of you who know me, like REALLY know me, I like to keep things organized. So, organizing my food storage closet was a blast! What used to be our "junk" closet where we just threw books and old bills became a food storage closet! Going through the closet when I was cleaning it out, I found old wedding presents that we didn't even remember we had received! I even put a piece of paper inside where you have to write down anything you take so I know what to buy next time I'm out to keep things stocked up. I think I'm getting the hang of this. Ryan and I just stand in front of it in amazement. At home, one wall of our basement is closets... HUGE closets. From the time I was little up until now even, my mom has filled those closets will tons and TONS of food! Bev always called it our grocery store... and now I have my own! My gramma has what looks like a bomb shelter in her basement back home that REALLY looks like a grocery store! I'm so happy that I finally don't have to freak out if I have no pasta or cereal to feed my husband and I :)

Tamara, thank you for a great weekend! And this Saturday, MY parents fly in from CT to spend a week with us! SOOOOOOO excited!!! Ryan and I are so grateful to have wonderful parents who will fly out to see us.

Good things to come!

Tamara is coming tomorrow for the weekend... and my parents are coming next saturday for a week! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! We haven't seen our parents since we were home for the holidays. Today at school we got on the topic of who would have the longest drive to their hometown, and I won :( It made me a little sad when everyone was like "WHOA I don't know how you live so far away, don't you miss your family?... blah blah blah" YES I miss them...

In my ESL class yesterday we watched this video. Why do I want to be a teacher? For this reason! Look at the passion in their faces as they sing. Music and the arts can touch childrens' lives like nothing else. Check out on YouTube the other PS22 clips. This teacher is amazing with the way he engages his students. You want to see something way funny/cute? Check out their Lady Gaga one! It makes you wonder if they REALLY know the words they are saying in that one haha anyways.. check out this video. And just look at the children's faces. Amazing, huh?! If this video doesn't melt your heart, then you need help.

Obesity: The real terrorist

In 2006, the U.S. State Department reported that 28 American citizens were killed by terrorism.

In that same year, the Center for Disease Control estimated that obesity killed 112,000 Americans.

Is America fighting the right war?

It was all Ryan, not me

Me: I don't want to put this on our blog

Ryan: Gotta put it on the blog... People need to know what's happening!

Ry's boo boo!

So we were making pasta for dinner and I asked Ry to help me shred some cheese, and since the grater that we usually use was in the dishwasher and it was running, I got out our other one that we only used probably one other time ...meaning it was very very SHARP! So he was grating the cheese as I'm stirring the pasta, when I hear AAAGGGHHHH! And I turn around and there's blood running down from the tip of Ryan's thumb! Maybe some of you can relate to that feeling, I know I sure can, and having a chunk of your finger grated off KILLS! Unfortunately, now Ryan knows the feeling too... so sad. I put ointment and a bandaid on it, but it was all awkward because HOW can you put a bandaid on the TIP of your finger!? And then it hit me...When I first moved out to Utah, my dad (Mr. EMT) gave me a giant first aid kit with everything I would need in case of an emergency! Well Daddy, thank you because we used it for the first time last night! I wrapped that thumb so much because blood was seeping through the bandaid so fast. Now, Ry has a bum thumb and he is really being a big boy about it :)

All For Love

This was given to me back at Utah State by one of my friends, Chris Smith. I was thinking about this all today at church and felt I should post it for anyone to read.

It’s a typical Friday afternoon and you are driving home. You tune the radio to the AM news station. You hear a story of very little importance: In a far away city, 3 people have died due to a flu that no one has seen before. You don’t pay very much attention to news story.

When you wake up on Monday, you hear that it’s not only 3 people, but 30,000 people have died in a remote area of India. People from the United States Department of Health Control have gone to investigate.

On Tuesday, the front page of the newspaper is covered with stories from the incident because it is not just India, but is now Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Soon the news is seen all over the news channels. They are calling in the “Mysterious Influence” and everyone is asking: “How are we going to control it?”

Then a news flash surprises everyone: Europe has closed its borders; there will not be flights to France from India or from any other country that has been affected with the “Mysterious Influence.” While watching the news report about Europe closing its borders, you hear the translation of a lady in France who is reporting that a man is dying in the hospital from the “Mysterious Influence.” Europe is quickly put into a panic.

The news reports say that when you have the virus, you have it for a week without even noticing that you have it. You then have 4 days of horrible symptoms and then die. England also closes its borders, but it’s too late. Another day goes by and the United States closes its borders to Europe and to Asia, to avoid contaminating the country until they find a cure.

The next day, everyone is gathered in churches across the U.S. to pray for a cure when a person enters the church shouting: “Turn on the radio and listen to the news: 2 people have died in New York.” In only hours, it seems as if the sickness has invaded the whole world.

Scientists work vigorously to try and find an antidote, but nothing is working. Suddenly the long awaited news arrives: They have decoded the DNA of the virus. They can now find an antidote. It is going to require the blood of someone that has not been infected by the disease and word spreads quickly for everyone to go to the central hospital to have a blood test done.

You go voluntarily with your family, along with a few neighbors, asking yourself what is going to happen. Will this be the end of the world? Suddenly the Doctor comes running out shouting a name written on his clipboard. The youngest of your kids pulls on your jacket and says, “Dad, that’s my name.” Before you can even react, they are carrying your son away while you shout: Wait! The Medics answer: “Everything’s fine, his blood is clean, his blood is pure. We believe he has the correct type of blood.”

After 5 long minutes, the Medics come walking out crying and laughing. It’s the first time you’ve seen someone laugh in a week. The oldest Doctor approaches you and says: Thank you Sir! Your son’s blood is perfect, it’s clean and pure. We can make the antidote to battle the “Mysterious Influence.”

The news quickly spreads throughout the world. People are praying and laughing due to being happy. While all this is happening, the Doctor approaches you and your wife and says: “Can I have a moment with you both? We didn’t know that the donor was going to be a child and we need you to sign this to give us permission to use your son’s blood.” While reading the form, you notice that the amount of blood that they will need is not included on the form and you ask, “How much blood will you need?” The smile on the Doctor’s face quickly disappears and he answers: “We didn’t think it would be a child. We weren’t prepared for this. We need all of it!!!”

While in disbelief you try and reply: “But….But...” The Doctor insists: “You don’t understand. We are talking about a cure for the whole world. Please sign, we need all of it!” You reply, “But can’t you give him a transfusion?” “If we had clean blood, we could,” responds the Doctor. “Will you sign? Please sign!”

In a dead silence and without even being able to feel your fingers that are holding the pen, you sign the form. “Would you like to see your son?” they ask. You walk to the Emergency Room where your soon is sitting on the bed saying, “Dad! Mom! What’s happening?” You take the hand of your son and say: “Son, your Mom and I love you very much and we would never let anything bad happen to you that weren’t necessary, do you understand?” The Doctor enters the room telling you, “I’m sorry but we need to start right away. People all over the world are dying.” Could you leave? Could you turn your back on your son and just leave him there while he is crying out, “Dad, Mom, why are you abandoning me?”

The next week when a memorial is held to celebrate and honor your son, some people sleep in, others don’t come because they would rather go on a trip or watch a sport’s game while others attend the memorial with a fake smile acting like they care. Wouldn’t you want to stand up and shout, “My son died for you, don’t you even care?” Maybe this is what God wants to tell us, “My Son died for you, and you still don’t know how much I love you!”

It’s interesting how easy it is for people to forget about God and then ask why the world is starting to become so evil.

It’s interesting how we strive each day to gain worldly treasures and we don’t dedicate a few minutes to gain celestial treasures.

It’s interesting how someone can say “I believe in God,” but by their actions show that they follow others.

More interesting is how someone can be so emotional about Christ on Sundays, but yet be an invisible Christian during the rest of the week.