Happy Holidays!

It seems that the time has flown by and Christmas is upon us. It has been a busy season thus far, but I am enjoying it. We spent Thanksgiving in South Pasadena with the O'Neil clan and had a great time. We played extremely hard, did wonderful activities, and ATE a lot. Our times together seem few and far between so we try and soak up as much as possible when we are all together.

The following weekend Chris had finals so I went down with him to see Whit and Ry. They were great hosts and it was fun to see where they live and what they have been doing. After Chris was done with school we all went to Redlands for a holiday dinner party with good friends. It was a whirlwind weekend, but got me in the mood for the holidays.

As soon as I got home I repacked and went with my mom to the Bay Area to visit my grandpaents. It had been a while, so it was really nice to see them. The motivation for the trip was having lunch in the city at Neiman Marcus. When we were kids we would go to the city for shopping, lunch, to see the decorations, and for the company office party. Good memories. Mom, grandma, and I took Bart in to meet one of grandmas friends. We had a such a delightful time. The food was fabulous, and the company even better. It is always so fun to see the enormous tree going up four stories in the middle of the restaurant. We of course did some shopping and enjoyed a girls day out. We help decorate grandmas house a little more, and worked on getting organized for Christmas.


Not the best photo, but fun to be out with the girls

Now that Chris has a month off of school he has been very gracious to help decorate the nursery. We've been working on making decisions for furniture, bedding, paint colors, etc. It is all coming up so quickly.


My good husband painting the nursery

I'm struggling to get my shopping done, and am having a hard time accepting the fact that Christmas is one week away. We had some good snow this week which makes it seem very festive. I'm just really looking forward to being with all my family for the holiday. I hope you are enjoying the season, and you are done with your shopping. Things seem less stressful when it is all done.

Frustration

We had agreed to show our house today, because they recently closed down the model home and they don't have a home to show of our floor plan. I spent HOURS cleaning, arranging organinzing, and missing sleep. 45 minutes before they were coming, they called to cancel because the house is too small for them. WHAT!

I know you must be thinking, but now you have a really clean house. True. I was going to have to clean for a shower I am throwing this weekend, but now we have to keep it clean all week long, which isn't always easy. The real frustration was packing everything back into the closet I was trying to organize for the nursery. Now I have to start over. Oh well, I just needed to get that off my chest, and now I feel better. Hope you are having a nice Monday.

Happy Halloween

Hope you enjoy this spooky holiday. For those of you that live in the great state of Nevada

HAPPY NEVADA DAY!

Did I mention....

we are having a girl.

October Greetings

My how times flies. I'm totally bummed as I sit here watching the snow fall. I'm just not ready for it this year. The leaves haven't turned enough and are still green, the flowers are still blooming. I don't want to turn on my heater, but it is chilly. I thought I would share a few of our September adventures to warm me up.

We had a great month hanging out with my family. Whitney and Ryan were in town for several weeks as they made the transition to Santa Barbara. Cami came to town due to hurricane evacuations, so we all had a great time together. It was great having everyone around to help celebrate my birthday, I love a good party. It was really nice just hanging out we ate lots (as per the usual), shopped, sewed, and just sat around and chatted. It was so fun being with my sisters. It was really nice because I had a lot of help throwing a baby shower, which was super fun. We had a great turn out and it was great to get to help Jenny celebrate her upcoming baby. Unfortunately I was busy working and I didn't get any pictures on my camera, my sister and mom took some so I hope to get those soon. All-in-all it was a good time had by all.

Our highlight of September had to be our vacation to Hawaii. It was much needed and very fun. We left on the 18th and got to spend about 10 days at my grandparents home on the Big Island. We went with our good friends Dan, Steph and little S. We couldn't have asked for a better time. It was great to relax, play, bask in the sun, eat yummy food, and just get away. It worked out to be able to attend the wedding of our friends Jeremy and Adar on Kauai. What a beautiful event and fun to explore another island. It was such a nice trip and as I write I am wishing to be sitting on the beach in the warm Hawaiian sun rather than hunkering down to stay warm from the snow. I have a few pictures on this computer I will share, I will look at Chris' computer and post more if there are others that are better.

Chris is officially entrenched in school and work which is keeping him plenty busy. I'm back to work and finally feeling a little better. Still very tired, but not as nauseated, which is a blessing. We hope all is well for you.


Out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Brown's


The beautiful sunrise ceremony


Chris at Waimea Canyon, Kauai


The last nights sunset, SPECTACULAR!

A Few More Details

Thank you for all your comments and well wishes. We are very excited for this new chapter in our life. A few quick details since many of you asked. I am about 13 weeks along, and so far everything looks good. We've been given a due date of February 21st. I feel pretty lousy most of the time, but I am hopeful I will begin to feel better soon. Thank you for all the prayers and so much support. We are enjoying our remaining few weeks before Chris starts school in September. We feel like many new and exciting changes are ahead.

I have to share with everyone, one of Chris' goals before school started was to run a marathon. He did it. He and a buddy went to Vegas over the weekend, they ran the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon at Area 51. It sounded painful and difficult, but they had a great time and both finished. I'm so impressed by their determination, it is quite an accomplishment. Chris is walking a little pained this week, but thinks someday he will run another.

As for me while Chris went to Vegas, I went to Northern California with my parents. We stayed with my grandparents and went to a party my cousin was having. They live on a beautiful farm outside Santa Rosa, Phoenix Farm. It was fun to see all they have accomplished in the two years they have lived there. They now have 21 horses they take care of, goats, miniature donkeys, dogs, cats, etc. It was great to see my family and their beautiful home. Unfortunately my camera battery died, I will have to get photos from my mom

Top Ten: June to August

Summer is my favorite time of year, I love the weather, food, activites, etc. This is just a sampling of some of the activites we have enjoyed so far. Instead of boring you half to death with all the details of everything I haven't shared for the last two months, I'm counting down the top ten things we have been up to:

10. 50 Mile Hike
Chris was in charge of organizing a hike for the boy scouts in our ward. They spent 5 days hiking around Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe. He put a lot of effort in to this, it was a huge success!


Chris and the boys after the 50 miler

9. Family Reunion
We drove to Altamont, Utah to meet up with Chris' family for a great reunion. 4 full days of playing, talking, eating, sleeping, and a lot of relaxing. The O'Neils always seem so spread out, it is so fun when we can all come together.


Chris learning to play video games with his nephew

8. Fourth of July
For years we have been going up to Lake Tahoe for the fourth. This year we decided to enjoy the water closer to home. We had a nice afternoon, hanging out with friends and family at my parents pool. Chris enjoyed hiking so much with the scouts he and some buddies went for an overnight hike in the same area for the fourth. We really live in a beautiful area.


Beautiful views from the second hike

7. Police Concert
Chris has always wanted to see Sting in concert. This seemed the best of both worlds, a one time reunion tour and Sting. We had a blast. We went to Roseville, CA for the concert, met some friends for dinner then we all headed out to the ampitheatre. It was a great evening. We had great seats, but the screen was so big you could have seen it from miles away. Chris was in heaven, I think it was better than he ever expected.


Rocking Out

6. Hot Air Balloon Ride
Two years ago Chris got a gift for a balloon ride in Napa. We've been meaning to do it, but haven't found the time. After the concert we headed to Napa. We had to be up EARLY, but what a fun experience. Unfortunately, it was too foogy in the Napa Valley, so they drove us about 45 minutes away where there is more farm land and no fog. It wasn't quite the same as over the vineyards, but it was a great morning and beautiful views. So quiet and peaceful.


Waiting while they filled the balloons


You can see our reflection in the creek


Above Haines Nursery

5. Ad Hoc
For our anniversary Chris made reservations at another of Thomas Kellers restaurants in Yountville, CA. It was a little belated celebration, but it worked out for us to go the day we were in Calif for the balloon ride. Many of you know I am kind of a foodie, this restaurant did not disappoint. The menu changes every night and is a set four courses. We loved everything they served that night. It was a fun filled two days, but the best part was hanging with my husband. We hadn't been away together in a while, I had the best time.


Belated Anniversary Dinner


Mushroom and Leek Salad (First Course)


Duck Breast (Second Course)


CHEESE! (Third Course)


Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches (Fourth Course)

4. Hair Cut
I couldn't take it any longer (no pun intended). It has been warm this summer and I was getting tired of doing it every morning, and I was hot. I like it, which doesn't always happen after I get my hair cut. It is nice to make a change occasionally. (I know this isn't very exciting, but I've been talking about it for months, I had to report that I finally did it.)

3. Oshkosh
Chris and my dad, being the avid pilots they are, have always wanted to go to the big airshow in Oshkosh, WI. This was the year, they flew their plane out there and had the best time. The first night I talked to Chris when he was there, it was like talking to a kid in a candy store. They and their 600,000 closest aviation buddies spent a couple days together. I really think half the fun for them was flying out and back. It was a great week for them, I'm so glad the weather held ok and everything worked out so they could go. If you want all the details you will have to talk to Chris.


Chris and Dad were in heaven


They enjoyed a trip out to the Seaplane Base

2. New York
Well if the boys get to play so should the girls. My mom, Cami and I met up in New York to see Whit and Ry before they move. I LOVE NEW YORK. Cami came for three days so we packed in a ton while she was there. Then mom and I stayed to the end of the week while the boys were gone. We shopped, talked, went to museums, ATE A LOT, Statue of Liberty, did a concert at the Today show, packed a little, walked a ton. It was a fabulous trip, I can't thank my mom enough for getting the girls together. Unfortunately, Chris had our camera and I haven't gotten any pictures from my sisters or mom, so I stole some from my moms blog.


The Big Green Lady


Views of Central Park from Whitney's Office







drum roll please.....








1. We are pregnant!

I haven't forgotten

I had the best intention of getting my big update posted, but then I left town. You know how it is when you are leaving, everything builds up and you don't have enough time to do all you hoped before you have to go. I enjoyed a fun filled week in NYC, which now gives me even more fun stuff to tell about. Get ready it is going to be good.

Dear Reader:

If there are any of you left, thank you for your patience. I have not completely abandonded the blogging world. On the contrary, I read everyones blogs almost everyday. I seem to suffer from an illness that doesn't let me post on my own blog. I fully intend to add something every few days, but something goes terribly wrong and it doesn't happen. I even have a post-it note on my desk with a list of all the things I need to write about, I just keep adding to it. The good news is that I have an awesome post with great pictures and stories coming, the bad news is I'm not really sure when this entry is going to happen.

I am offering my sincerest apology, seeking your forgivness and hoping you will check back soon for some really good stuff.

Thanks for your support,
N

PS I'm adding a picture for a little preview.

Time Slips Away

You post on May 7th thinking you are doing really good, then it is June 2nd and you realize you aren't doing that good. From then until now we've: gone to Calif for Mother's day weekend (had a great time), been to baby showers, wedding receptions, graduation parties, garage sale, Chris went camping, book group, gone to the movie (Indiana Jones), celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary (YAHOO!), Chris spoke in church, and I'm sure many other things I just can't think of.

Oh how could I forget, LAST DAY OF SEMINARY. It was bitter sweet, they were awesome kids, I really enjoyed getting to know them, but I'm really looking forward to sleeping in a little bit. We had seminary graduation last night, it was fun to see some of the kids I've worked with in the youth programs for many years graduating. It was a nice evening. I gave a feeling of closure for this year of seminary.

Now it is June and our schedule is already filling up for the summer. We've got BBQ's planned, a few short trips, and hopefully some pool time mixed in there. I hope you are looking forward to summer as much as me.

Recap

We have returned from our trip, just a little delayed in posting. We had a great time in So Cal. Great weather even better company. We loved seeing the fam and hanging out with friends. Chris got to go see UCLA as he gears up for school in the fall. We had a fun dinner out at our favorite Thai restaurant in Pasadena. Went to the beach on Sunday afternoon, with every person that lives in LA. Loved the sand between my toes, can't do that at home. Did two days at Disneyland. We had a great time with our friends and riding the rides, two days was enough. We hadn't been to California Adventure, loved Soarin' California, the Tower of Terror was new and exciting. We forgot the camera so unfortunately don't have any photos proving we were there, maybe next time. All-in-all it was so great to get out of town for a few days. Vacations are fun!



Highlights of the last week:
Saw Made of Honor with friends (chick-flick)
Desert at the Chocolate Bar- very swanky
Cinco de Mayo party- lots of food and good friends
Got my teeth cleaned- not a highlight, but needed to be done
My seminary kids are liking working on scripture mastery more- hooray!
Summary: It's been a good week.

The Happiest Place on Earth?

Is Disneyland really the happiest place on earth? I'm not sure, but I will let you know when we get back next week.

We are off to LA to visit the fam and go to Disneyland. We are so looking forward to a few days off and a little fun. Hope you have a happy and fun filled weekend.

Bye Bye Birdie

For the last couple of weeks, I've had these birds on the porch of one of my model homes. They have been building a nest on this ledge above the front window. The first time I saw them I told the superintendent so they could move it before there were eggs. It was making a huge mess on the porch. Well, they just keep coming back. Then one morning I found an egg that had fallen and broke on the porch. We cleaned it up and about a week later, another nest and another broken egg, we cleaned it up again. It's been another week or so and this is what I found yesterday morning:





I must be a little emotional lately. I was so sad for these birds. They just keep coming back and trying. Granted they don't seem to be learning that the place they have chosen isn't very safe. But what a disappointment it must be. To bad I can't sell them a house, then they would have a safer placer for the family. Ok, so I'm talking about a couple of birds. I haven't seen them back yet, so maybe they are learning.

As for the rest of the week, relatively uneventful. Highlights include picking up yard furniture in 60 mph winds at my parents house who are out of town, played a little Wii with Chris and friends, watching The Office, a clean garage (Chris did a FABULOUS job, he is the best), and the most important: finishing my book- Katherine by Anya Seton SOOO GOOD, I can't quit thinking about it. We have stake conference this weekend and look forward to hearing from the two 70 that are coming, it should be a nice weekend.

Saturday Pedicure

It is a beautiful day outside and I am here working. I've got the doors open to my office letting in the bugs, but giving me the fresh spring air I need. My mom called me before work to go get a pedicure with her this morning, what a treat. It is so relaxing. I was just reading Hailey's blog and thought I should see if the color I picked today fit my personality (thanks for the idea).

Your Nail Polish Color is Pink

How you're unique: You're girly without being high maintenance Why your style rocks: You're the perfect blend of stylish, preppy, and cute What this color says about you: "I am secure enough not to follow every trend"

What Color Nail Polish Best Fits You?

It worked, I had pink put on my toes. Hope you are enjoying a sun-filled Saturday, have a great weekend.

Congratulations!

After much hard work and many prayers I am happy to share that Chris has been accepted into the UCLA EMBA program. I'm so excited for him.

Many of you may ask, what is that and will you be moving? EMBA is an executive masters of buisness administration. It is for people who are working full-time, which means that no we are not moving. Chris will keep working, but goes to LA just about every other weekend (Friday & Saturday) for classes. Classes start in September for 2 years. It is a great program and will be a lot of work. We are both very excited about the new experiences ahead. Go Bruins!

You May Not Have Known

I guess it is good Kristen tagged me, I've been trying to come up with something to write, I know you are all sick of looking at that corned beef.

10 Years Ago
I was a junior at the BYU, living in that crazy blue house on the corner of 7th E 1st W. It was crazy cold with single pane windows,lousy insulation; it had a dishwasher that you hooked up to the kitchen sink and one bathroom for five girls. I was living with Whitney, Heather, Melissa, and LeAnn. Oh the memories of college. I still hadn't picked a major, at that point I was deciding on nursing or dietetics, which then resulted in 3 more years of college.

5 Things on My To-Do List This Week
1. Seal my new tile in my shower and on my bathroom floor
2. Go grocery shopping
3. Watch General Conference
4. Read my book (Man's Search of Meaning)
5. Work, Work, Work

5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Kashi Crackers
2. Chips and Salsa
3. Fresh Fruit (berries lately, any kind)
4. Ice Cream even though it gives me a belly ache(Haagen Daaz- Hawaiian Honey)
5. Chocolate (any kind will do)

3 of My Bad Habits
1. Eating too much (I LOVE FOOD!!!)
2. Laziness (I'd much rather read a book or watch tv then do what I need to)
3. Critical (I'm critical of myself and others)

5 Places I've Lived
1. Pasadena- culinary school, where I met my great husband
2. Provo- go BYU
3. France- study abroad
4. Israel- study abroad
5. Santa Rosa

5 Jobs That I've Had
1. Caterer
2. Real Estate Sales
3. Nordstrom- Men's Department
4. UC Berkeley- International House Food Service Department
5. BYU Catering

5 Things People Don't Know About Me
1. I love shoes and handbags
2. I'm intimidated by blogging, I'm not a good writer & don't know what to say
3. I'm a perfectionist
4. I'm scared to try new things (my husband says it limits my opportunities in
life, he is right)
5. I hate drinking water in the morning, it makes me gag

5 Things I Would Do If I Were Suddenly a Billionaire
1. Service (there are some great organizations, especially the church and it's
humanitarian aid programs)
2. Because I wouldn't have to work, I would take a long trip, there are so many
places I want to see in the world
3. Retire our Jeep and get a new car for Chris
4. Update my wardrobe
5. Finish my backyard landscaping
There are dozens of things I could do with billions, couldn't we all, it is always fun to dream though.

Bit-O-Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It may only be a name, but I feel a little Irish. My husband is the one who can really take credit for the Irish blood (being the heir to the throne of the isle of man). In celebration of this lucky day, we are having a little soiree. I'm attempting a new recipe, homemade corned beef, cabbage, and veggies. A traditionally appropriate menu, or so I thought until C informed me that an Irishman on NPR said he had never heard of corned beef and cabbage until he came to the states. Well, the meat has been brining for 8 days, we are eating it Irish or not. Hope your day is full of green, leprechauns, and maybe even a pot-o-gold.

Nothing to Post

I truly have nothing to post, just felt like I needed to update. Very little has been happening around here. Had a week off from responsibilities, which is always nice. Had book group, throughly enjoyed the Count of Monte Cristo. It was an interesting discussion finding out the differences between the abridged and unabridged versions. I can only take credit for reading the abridged version. I read the next months book, The Goose Girl, in a day. It was a fun read, now I am looking for something else to read. Finally got a library card, don't think I have had one since middle school. Hoping to start saving money by not buying books. And....well not much else. Boring I know. I'm hoping for something more exciting soon, whatever that may be. As for now thats my life.

Catching Up

I just looked at my blog and realized it was time to update. Unfortunately there isn't much to report. Last week my mom and I ran off to California to see my grandparents. It was a nice retreat. The weather was fabulous, and it is so green there right now. It gives me hope that the brown barren winter of Reno won't last forever. It is always so nice to see my grandparents. We enjoyed a little shopping, lunches out, and good conversation.

When I got home I had to get busy prepping for the Stake RS Enrichment Activity. I was in charge of the brunch for 200. I believe it was a success, I served a new recipe, Overnight Blueberry French Toast (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Overnight-Blueberry-French-Toast/Detail.aspx) and was nervous it wasn't going to work out. We ended up having roughly 175 women, a good turn out and not a lot of left overs. Happy it is finished. I spent the rest of the weekend, laying low, always nice to relax after a busy event. Hope you all have had a good week.

Our New Prophet

It was so wonderful to watch the press conference as they announced the new President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and his counselors. What humble men. They will be great leaders.

Me

Chris & I at Iguazu Falls, Argentina

1. What time did you get up this morning? 9:30 am, Cancelled church due to snow

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. Last movie you saw in the theater? 27 Dresses

4. What is your favorite TV show? The Office, Ugly Betty, Chuck, Heroes, etc.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Bowl of Cereal (lately, Mini Wheats)

6. What is your middle name? Corrine

7. What food do you dislike? Mayonnaise

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Tango Music from Buenos Aires

9. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Camry

10. Favorite sandwich? Turkey, Cranberry, on Dill Bread (Cheribini's Alamo, CA)

11. What characteristics do you despise? Dishonesty

12. Favorite item of clothing? J. Crew Parlour Skirt

13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation,
where would you go? Someplace Tropical- warm, beach, nothing to do

14. What color is your bathroom? Najavo White

15. Favorite brand of clothing? Lately: Banana Republic, J.Crew, Gap

16. Where would you retire? Hawaii

17. Most memorable birthday? 12th when no one remembered it

18. Favorite sport to watch? Not Sure, not a big sports buff

19. Furthest place you are sending this? Unknown

20. Who do you expect to send this back to you? Depends who reads it

21. Person you expect to send it back first? Whitney

22. Favorite saying? Seriously

23. When is your birthday? September 8th

24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night

25. What is your shoe size? 9-9.5

26. Pets? None

27. What did you want to be when you were little? Doctor, Dancer

28. What are you today? Real Estate Agent/Caterer

29. What is your favorite candy? Something Gummy (Swedish Fish), Sour (Sour Patch Kids)

30. Your favorite flower? Gerbera Daisy, Orchids, Tulips

31. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? February 11, going to California to see my grandparents

32. What are you listening to right now? Chris on the phone with his mom

33. What was the last thing you ate? Chocolate Chex

34. Do you wish on stars? Yes

35. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Wild Blue Yonder

36. What is your pet peeve? Hearing people chewing their food with their mouth open, or smacking their gum

37. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Melanie

38. Do you like the person/people you are sending this to? Yes, absolutely

39. Favorite soft drink? If I indulge- Sprite or Root Beer

40. Favorite restaurant? How do I narrow that down? Near home- Le Bistro

41. Hair Color? Light Brown

42. Favorite day of the year? Christmas Eve, with all my family

43. What was your favorite toy as a child? Strawberry Shortcake

44. Summer or winter? Summer

45. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

46. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate

47. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? Yes with a comment

48. When was the last time you cried? President Hinckley's Funeral

49. What is under your bed? Nothing

50. Who is the friend you've had the longest? Family

51. What did you do last night? Played fun games and ate yummy food with Camille & Nathan, Ryan & Julie

52. Favorite smell? Fresh plumeria in Hawaii

53. What are you afraid of? Spiders

54. How many keys on your key ring? 4- Car, Work, Church, Seminary Closet

55. How many years at your current job? 3

56. Favorite day of the week? Saturday when I don't have to work

57. How many states have you lived in? Only 3- Nevada, Utah, California

58. Do you make friends easily? Kind of, I have a hard time putting myself out there to meet new people

59. How many folks will you send this to? I'm not sure if people actually read this blog.

*Rachel, thanks for the idea. I've had people send these to me so many times, I decided this was a great place to post it.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I have mixed emotions over the passing of this beloved man, our prophet. Sad- because we will no longer get to hear his voice and testimony, Happy-because he is with his family and has lived such an examplary life. He was loved by so many and will be missed.

Such a Girl

My mom and I went to see 27 Dresses last night. I have to admit I thouroughly enjoyed it. There is something about weddings, so fun. All the details, the colors, the celebration. It is so fun. Go see if you need a feel good chick-flick.

Real Life

There is something guilty about vacation. It is so easy to leave everything, forget your habits, forget your responsibilities, and be lazy. The real problem comes when you have to come home from vacation. Reality after vacation is a little like a glass of water thrown in your face. The last week has been a little rough, but now our trip is a wonderful memory, we are back into habits, we are fulfilling our responsibilities, and we are hard at work.

Chris immediately turned around to go to Utah to be with his family for his grandfathers funeral on Friday. We are glad we were back and he could go. He said it was like a big family reunion and a very nice weekend. He then had to be in San Francisco Saturday at 9am for a meeting. He then rented a car and drove home Saturday night. In the midst of it all he is catching up at work and busy studying. He has a full plate. He did take the night off on Saturday and we went to see "The Bucket List" with my cousin Holly. We went back to church after being gone for 4 weeks, it felt like we had been gone for months, but it was great to see everyone. Even though monday was a holiday, I still had to work. We woke up to snow starting to fall, by 11am the roads out by us were crazy messy. My "boss" made the decision to close the sales offices, because it was a holiday and snowing, we were likely to get no traffic. It was an unexpected day off, always nice. That is a small summary of the goings on. We are finally not feeling jet lagged, and accepting real life. We are looking forward to our next vacation, whenever that may be.

While Chris was gone, I decided it was my public duty to participate in the caucus on Saturday morning. All I can say is that it was a unique experience. I don't know if anyone has ever experienced one, but it was different than I expected. It was to start at 9am. I got there around 8:30 to find a giant line of people. Good thing: great turn out, Bad thing: took forever. It was held at a high school, so once inside we had to find the room for our precinct. It was fun to be in a room with all the people from your neighborhood (lots of people from our ward), but different to see peoples.....enthusiasm for politics. Our precinct was the largest so we needed to appoint 22 delegates and 22 alternates to go to the county caucus. That took an hour or more. Following that someone explained the delegates role, everyone misunderstood, so wanted to re-vote. That was vetoed, due to time because we still hadn't voted for a presidential candidate. By about 10:35 we were told we needed to wrap up for the next parties caucus. They started handing out ballots, only to run out 1/3 of the way around the room. In the end we were writing our votes on a piece of scratch paper and stuffing them in an envelope. It was a little like voting for student body president. Everyone was frustrated and we didn't accomplish everything we were supposed to. It was a little crazy and not sure our votes even counted, but it made me realize the importance of participating and the blessing of having a free country to voice our opinions. All in all I will be interested to see how things play out this year for this election. I don't consider myself a real political person, this may be the only pollitical post you see from me.

Happy New Year (Better Late than Never)

Well it has been exactly one month since my last post. I've been away from a computer for about a month. It has been a nice break, but I've found how reliant I am on technology. We have enjoyed a wonderful holiday season. I was taking down my holiday decorations today and felt a little sad that everything is over, until the end of the year. We had a lot of fun celebrating with family and friends. There is something magical about the season that brings everyone together. I will try and keep my update brief, but here are some of the things we have been up to.

Dec. 21st was my last day of seminary for three weeks. My sisters came into town and we celebrated an early Christmas as a family. We all then headed in different directions. Chris and I flew down to Pasadena to spend Christmas with his family. It has been a while since we were ALL together. It was so much fun. We had a packed house with people everywhere, it was great. We played games, watched movies, ate lots, went shopping, just hung out. Christmas day was so fun, watching the niece and nephews open gifts and the excitement over so many new fun things. They are the cutest kids. I love being with family.

Two days after Christmas Chris and I went on a holiday adventure to South America. We've been married for 5 years and Chris has talked about going back to Argentina since then. We decided now was the best time of any. Things are slow at work, we had a break from school and work, and why not. We had a great time. What a neat country. So much culture and history, it reminded me a lot of Europe. We flew into Buenos Aires, and then did about everything we possibly could in 2 1/2 weeks. We went to Uruguay for two days, we took a bus to Mendoza (where Chris served his mission), visited many of the areas he served in (San Rafael, Tunujan, etc.). We visited with families he knew (they were so kind and welcoming). We spent time with Thomas and his wife Sabrina (Chris and Thomas served at the same time in Mendoza). They were so nice to take us around so many places, we even spent New Years with Sabrina and her family. What a great party, we didn't get home until 4:30am. We also went to Iguazau Falls with them, spectacular. We spent the last days in Buenos Aires. Such a great city, beautiful architecture, good shopping, fun food, and great sites. We went to a Tango show, shopped the San Telmo flea market, ate great beef, and walked around a lot. It wasn't the most relaxing of trips, we were on the go a lot, but it was worth it. We have found it to be rather unpleasant coming back to life and reality, but you have to pay to play.

It was a great Christmas and New Year, we feel so lucky to have such wonderful opportunities. I will try and post some pictures, when I get my camera hooked up to the computer. I just have a few right now. Hope the new year has been good to you so far.