Brady and Chrissie

My brother-in-law's birthday is Saturday, so I made him this card...

2011-08-23T23:38:00.000-04:00

5x7 Folded Card

2011-08-23T23:37:00.001-04:00

Your Day Tangerine Birthday 5x7 folded card

Party invitations and announcements for college graduates.

View the entire collection of cards.

Matt's Birthday is on Friday so I made him this card...

2011-08-23T22:53:00.000-04:00

5x7 Folded Card

2011-08-23T22:48:00.001-04:00

Birthday Colors Blue Birthday 5x7 folded card

To view our collection of birthday card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

Mega Update

2011-05-23T13:54:00.031-04:00

The last four months have been full of family, friends, and fun. I have gone from being 19 to 37 weeks pregnant, and we have tried to do as much as possible before the baby comes. Brady finished his second semester of his MBA. This first year really has flown by so fast. I wanted to take the time to document what we have been doing, because I know life will seriously change in the next three weeks.

Going from most recently back to February...

Baseball in the Spring

We went to a Red Sox game with students from Brady's class. It was fun sitting next to people from other countries who had never been to a baseball game before and didn't know much about the sport; however, they still make for good fans :) They got a kick out of my foam finger and cracker jacks.

It was a good game for me to go to because the Sox played the Angels. Sox won, but I enjoyed rooting for both teams :)

Newport Ball
The end of April we went to Newport, RI with Brady's school section. We went to the ball at a mansion on Friday...

went walking along the ocean cliff and by the historic mansions on Saturday...

and we took a sunset harbor cruise before dinner.

It was such a fun weekend and the perfect opportunity to celebrate a great year with all of Brady's peers. We have made some fabulous friends here at school and we will miss seeing them over the summer, but we wish them the best in their internships and travels.

A little Royal Wedding Party

My friend Summer and I took a walk into Harvard Square to a English grocery/gift shop to purchase some snacks while we watched the Royal Wedding. We bought crumpets, lemon curd, and these cookies dipped in chocolate called Hobnobs. They were the perfect treat as we watched Will and Kate exchange their vows.

Baby Shower Mania
I am not the only expecting among my friends here at HBS. Infact, within my circle of church friends, there have been 13 pregnancies this school year! Needless to say I am in good company, surrounded by special women who have helped me make it through the last nine months. We have all taken turns throwing each other baby showers. I have had so mcu fun planning a few. Here are some of the themes we did:

All Star Baby Shower (for the two women having boys)

Jungle

Simply Pink

We have also done a Mexican luncheon, Owl Shower, and Cowboy Shower, but I don't have pictures to show. Some babies have already arrived, but in the next month we are expecting four more out of our group of LDS women. So exciting!

My friends threw me an Ice Cream Baby Shower. It was so adorable!

Girls Nights
Every Wednesday night, my church girlfriends that are a part of our school community get together for our weekly girls night. Every girl takes a turn planning something for us all to do. It is fun to catch up with each other and have a guaranteed weekly social outlet. We have done some fun things together, like:

Spa Night

Craft Night

Chic Auction

Miss HBS Pageant

Second Year Send-off (and yes we rented a disco ball for our dance party)

I always look forward to Wednesday nights!

Trip to Utah
Brady and I have managed to get some travel in this semester. Thanks to my in-laws, we got to fly home to see our families for a few days. My parents came from California and threw me a baby shower with my sister Vanessa.

My mother in-law threw me a shower as well, and we got to celebrate Brady's birthday.

Trip to Mexico
For Spring Break in March, we went to Playa del Carmen with some of our HBS friends. We stayed at this beautiful all-inclusive resort for six days.
We toured Chichen Itza...

snorkeled at Xel Ha...

and spent time on the beach and at the pool at the resort.

It was heavenly, especially the all you can eat buffet. It was the perfect vacation for a pregnant woman...I mean four pregnant women :)

Visiting Jay and Brian in North Carolina
I went down to North Carolina the beginning of March to visit my oldest sister and help her with her new baby. Sadly, her third daughter did not arrive until the day I left. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see what life is like with a new born, but I did have a blast playing with my nieces and hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law. I love them so much and wish we lived closer.

Baby Kate is simply adorable. I know she will be good friends with my little girl. How fun for her to have a cousin the same age! I can't wait to meet her, Kate, and my own baby soon.

Weekend in Rhode Island
We enjoyed Presidents day weekend and took a trip to Newport, RI. We toured the historic mansions built by the Vanderbilt's and other well-to-do families of the Industrial Revolution. These homes are so impressive. I am glad they have been preserved and are open for public tours. These people really were the American royalty of their time and their vacation homes in Rhode Island give you a glimpse of what their lavish lifestyle was like.

Well, that is what we have been up to for the last four months. Time has flown by and we are looking forward to welcoming our baby girl into the world in just a few weeks. Life has been good, and we know it will change for the better.

It's a Girl!

2011-01-09T21:53:00.009-05:00

Brady and I found out on Thursday we are expecting a baby girl. We are so thrilled. After five years of marriage, we are having a baby. I know what many of you are thinking..."It's about time!"

We have already started to brainstorm some names. Brady has informed me she will be a daddy's girl. I am fine with that; I am just glad he is excited to have a girl.

Here are some shots from her first closeup. This one is in 3D.
She had her hands up by her face almost the whole time we were watching her in the ultrasound. She was moving and bouncing all around, but she seemed to behave when the doctors needed her to. Already such an obedient child. :)

Nice legs huh? The nurse said you have to take pictures of these legs :)

Look at the size of that head!

Waving to the camera!

EDA: June 14, 2011

Wedding Videos

2010-12-07T17:32:00.013-05:00

I made these wedding videos for Nessa and Steven. There are pictures of them growing up in the first two and then pictures of them dating and from their engagement photo shoot in the last video. We showed these videos to both families the night of Thanksgiving.

The Wedding of the Century

2010-12-07T14:33:00.008-05:00

I got to go home to California for 10 days for my youngest sister's wedding. Vanessa Sant became Vanessa Meeker. Congrats to the happy couple. As you can tell, the wedding was beautiful, especially the bride.

I loved my pedi!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-04T16:30:00.005-04:00

Brady and I attended our church Halloween party. We did not have much to dress up with, so we went as cowboys, I know so original. At least we dressed up!

We ran into our friends Lois Lane and Clark Kent. They get the best costume award in my book. I love the press passes and everything!

Afterward, some friends came back to our apartment. We all crammed into our front room to watch a scary Halloween movie.

Vanessa And Steven

2010-10-23T19:17:00.002-04:00

A very important announcement came in the mail today. Vanessa and Steven are getting married! I am so excited for my little sister. She really has fallen in the love with a great guy and we are all so excited for Steven to be a part of our family.

I made a wedding website for these two so people can get to know more about them, and get to look at more pictures of the beautiful couple. Check out the website at http://www.mywedding.com/stevenandvanessa/index.html.

Regatta on the Charles

2010-10-23T18:11:00.004-04:00

Did you know that the largest regatta in the world happened right outside my apartment building this weekend? Head of the Charles is a two day event where rowers from all over the world come to race on the Charles River. The races are fun to watch and there are booths all along the river filled with delicious food and all types of vendors. The best part about it is it right in our backyard!

We watched one of Brady's section mates row for the school's team. The team wore white dress shirts and ties. Their paddles had dollar signs on them! Gotta love the business school and how they represent!

Cake decorating

2010-10-23T17:54:00.005-04:00

Since I am no longer in school, I have been feeling the desire to learn something new. I signed up for this cake decorating class. It is once a week for three weeks, so not too demanding...yeah right! After buying all of the A.C. Moore store cake decorating supplies and spending hours baking cakes and making butter cream frosting, I admit it is a little more intense then I expected. But it is fun and I feel like I am becoming a little bit more domestic-- plus I am learning some tricks to make a cake look extra cool. Here are some of the things we have been learning to do.

I have one class left and I really need to perfect my flower making skills :) I spent too much time on my spider web last week. But isn't it cool looking?

Got Apples?

2010-10-05T21:05:00.004-04:00

I have enjoyed being back in the city. Boston is a great place to live and there is so much to see and do. Luckily, I have lots of cute girlfriends that are currently unemployed and wanting to explore with me.

It seems like the most popular activity due to the season is apple picking. I have been apple picking twice in two weeks. There are farms outside the city where you go and purchase a bag and fill it up as full as you can get it. Each time we went, we got the biggest bag possible. Brady and I would both eat an apple a day so it is worth it. Plus, I have never tasted apples that were so fresh and delicious.

Boston Take Two and Brady's First Day of School

2010-09-07T21:12:00.009-04:00

Today was Brady's first day of school as an MBA student, so being the unemployed stay-at-home spouse that I am today, I figured it was about time to update the old blog. I don't know if anyone will read this post since it has been a year since I last updated, but I think this post is more for me- something to do to keep me sane between job applications, emails, and watching live streaming US Open matches on my computer.

Brady left our 500 square foot on-campus apartment this morning at 8:30 a.m. to start a two year educational endeavor. He was welcomed to school by the dean, met his learning team, attended his first case study discussion in his new section, ate lunch and dinner with his colleagues, and is studying his next case for tomorrow. Other than a few wireless internet malfunctions, the first day could not have gone better.

We started the journey here three weeks ago, driving across the country from Utah to Boston. But now that I think about it, we started this journey together over five years ago, and it seems as though Brady (while he may not have known he would end up at Harvard) was preparing even years before that to qualify for such an experience. Back in July of last year, Brady started applying to business schools with the hope that he would get accepted to a top business school program. We never expected to get accepted to a university of this prestige, and now that we are here, we are humbled by the fascinating people, the beautiful campus, and the professionalism of the staff and program.

Brady is already busy with team meetings, case studies and social events. There is plenty to keep me busy too with partner socials, ward activities, and my own on-going projects, but I am excited to find what Boston has in store for me this second time around. It is good to be back in Bean-town. There are many things we did not do last time we lived here that I am hoping to get the chance to do this time around.

Brady didn't let me take a picture of him on his first day of school, but he did let me share a spiritual thought with him while he ate breakfast this morning. I read this article yesterday and I thought the story was so motivational. It is from Elder Holland "An High Priest of Good Things to Come", Ensign, Nov 1999, 36.

"Thirty years ago last month, a little family set out to cross the United States to attend graduate school—no money, an old car, every earthly possession they owned packed into less than half the space of the smallest U-Haul trailer available. Bidding their apprehensive parents farewell, they drove exactly 34 miles up the highway, at which point their beleaguered car erupted.

Pulling off the freeway onto a frontage road, the young father surveyed the steam, matched it with his own, then left his trusting wife and two innocent children—the youngest just three months old—to wait in the car while he walked the three miles or so to the southern Utah metropolis of Kanarraville, population then, I suppose, 65. Some water was secured at the edge of town, and a very kind citizen offered a drive back to the stranded family. The car was attended to and slowly—very slowly—driven back to St. George for inspection—U-Haul trailer and all.

After more than two hours of checking and rechecking, no immediate problem could be detected, so once again the journey was begun. In exactly the same amount of elapsed time at exactly the same location on that highway with exactly the same pyrotechnics from under the hood, the car exploded again. It could not have been 15 feet from the earlier collapse, probably not 5 feet from it! Obviously the most precise laws of automotive physics were at work.

Now feeling more foolish than angry, the chagrined young father once more left his trusting loved ones and started the long walk for help once again. This time the man providing the water said, “Either you or that fellow who looks just like you ought to get a new radiator for that car.” For the second time a kind neighbor offered a lift back to the same automobile and its anxious little occupants. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry at the plight of this young family.

“How far have you come?” he said. “Thirty-four miles,” I answered. “How much farther do you have to go?” “Twenty-six hundred miles,” I said. “Well, you might make that trip, and your wife and those two little kiddies might make that trip, but none of you are going to make it in that car.” He proved to be prophetic on all counts.

Just two weeks ago this weekend, I drove by that exact spot where the freeway turnoff leads to a frontage road, just three miles or so west of Kanarraville, Utah. That same beautiful and loyal wife, my dearest friend and greatest supporter for all these years, was curled up asleep in the seat beside me. The two children in the story, and the little brother who later joined them, have long since grown up and served missions, married perfectly, and are now raising children of their own. The automobile we were driving this time was modest but very pleasant and very safe. In fact, except for me and my lovely Pat situated so peacefully at my side, nothing of that moment two weeks ago was even remotely like the distressing circumstances of three decades earlier.

Yet in my mind’s eye, for just an instant, I thought perhaps I saw on that side road an old car with a devoted young wife and two little children making the best of a bad situation there. Just ahead of them I imagined that I saw a young fellow walking toward Kanarraville, with plenty of distance still ahead of him. His shoulders seemed to be slumping a little, the weight of a young father’s fear evident in his pace. In the scriptural phrase his hands did seem to “hang down.” 15 In that imaginary instant, I couldn’t help calling out to him: “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it—30 years of it now, and still counting. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

I testify that God lives, that He is our Eternal Father, that He loves each of us with a love divine. I testify that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son in the flesh and, having triumphed in this world, is an heir of eternity, a joint-heir with God, and now stands on the right hand of His Father. I testify that this is Their true Church and that They sustain us in our hour of need—and always will, even if we cannot recognize that intervention. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. Of that I personally attest."

Hopefully we can remember this story when the semester gets more hectic, but I hope we can remember this story far beyond these next four months. May we all remember to not give up or quit. No matter how hard things can get, we need to keep walking, keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead so keep your chin up. In the end, if we embrace the gospel, it will all be worth it!

Ok, who cares about what Chrissie wrote...if you scanned down this far, it was probably just to see if there are any pictures right? Ok here are some things we have been doing since we got to Boston:

Kayaking on the Charles

Partners Clam Bake

Four Years!

2009-09-11T13:37:00.006-04:00

Last month Brady and I celebrated four years of marriage. He totally surprised me with a nice Midway get-away. We went up to the Zermatt Resort,
had a seafood buffet for dinner, stayed in our own romantic suite, walked around enjoying the Swiss atmosphere, and got couples massages the next day the resort's spa. We had so much fun and enjoyed staying at such a nice place.

Then we went horseback riding up to Stewart Falls from the Sundance Stables. We had a private ride with our own guide. The weather was perfect and the views were phenominal. I love the backside of Mt. Timpanogos. It is so beautiful.

I love Brady so much. He takes such good care of me. He is a hard worker, a spiritual giant, and a pillar of strength in my life. I think of all that we have done together- this blog covers some of it. Four years has really flown by, and when I think of all we have done together, I am amazed that it has only been four years :)

Sibling Birthdays

2009-09-04T16:38:00.019-04:00

All of my siblings' birthdays were within the last month and I just wanted to wish them all a happy birthday from the blog. (If I take the time to blog about John Hughes, I better take the time to blog about the people I really care about)

Jessica:

My oldest sister! And believe me she is getting old :) Jay, as I like to call her, has lived too far away from me for the last 5 years, but lets face it, unless she lived next door, it would still be too far away. She is still my best friend, my leader, my example. She is a wonderful mother and her testimony of the gospel shines through in all that she does. She has made me the favorite aunt, and her too little girls are so much like Jay and I were when we were little. It is fun to watch the two of them together because I feel like I am getting a glimpse into our past.
Jay has always looked out for me and helped me when I needed it, and even when I thought I didn't need it.
She is busy with her life, her husband and her kids, but when I call, we talk as if we were just hanging out yesterday. I love you Jay!

Matthew:

My only brother! Mom's sweet son. Matt, as I like to call him, but never Matty-Matt-Matt, he hates that.
I like to think that Matt and I have a secret understanding of each other. We don't have to communicate our feelings to each other, we know what the other one is thinking, feeling and going through. And the best part about that is we know how to help each other out, and when to give each other some space. Matt used to be like the Wizard as a young boy-he loved to watch television and play video games and he was really good at it. We loved to play in the street with the neighborhood kids together too- football, soccer, capture the flag, sardines.(Matt if you are reading this, I know you are remembering the time I flipped out during capture the flag :)) When we got into high school together, I noticed Matt really had a lot of personality and he became friends with my friends and their younger siblings. I loved driving across the street from seminary with him every morning. (Matt I know you are remembering that time I hit that weird man's car coming out of the parking lot all because I let Taylor sit in the front seat. If only you would have been in the front to tell me to watch out).
Matt became a spiritual giant on his mission for the Church. I love how tough he is as a man, but how sweet he can be especially to me. He is a pro surfer and living the dream in Hawaii right now- also too far away. I love you Matt!

Vanessa:

My big little sister! Nessa, as I like to call her, towers over me. I don't know how she got so tall- just lucky I guess. She is so beautiful, motivated and hardworking. She likes to look good and help others to look and feel good about themselves. Nessa is the best wardrobe and make-up consultant. I would be so ugly without her :)
When we were little, Jay and I would often leave little Nessy out. For a while she didn't catch on, and then when she did, she didn't like us very much. She was a sport for always letting us pick on her, and it didn't take long for her to learn to fight back. We had a lot of arguments growing up, but we became good friends as we got older and now we are best friends.
She just turned 22 yesterday. She dates boys older than me, she makes more money than me, but she is still living at home :) which is far away too, but close enough where she can come and visit! I love you Nessa.

Well now we are all a little bit older, wiser and let's face it, better looking :)

John Hughes

2009-08-08T22:32:00.007-04:00

“Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

John Hughes died of a sudden heart attack this week, and like thousands of other bloggers throughout the nation, I too had to pay tribute to the man who has provided me with hours of entertainment through his classic movies: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Mr. Mom, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation.
These movies all have a special place in my heart and have been a major part of my life.

Because of John Hughes movies:

1. My dream car is a red Ferrari
2. I eat my birthday cake sitting on top of the dinning room table
3. Going to prom in the perfect dress was such a big deal
4. I survived Saturday School
5. I wouldn't let the vacuum eat my woobie

6. I scream after I wear after shave
7. For Christmas, I give memberships for the Fruit of the Month Club
8. I lick my fingers one at a time after eating greesy pizza
9. I loaned my underwear to a geek so he could win a dozen floppy disks
10. I occasionally speak to the "camera" to explain my technique and thoughts

Some of these are true about me, and others, well you get the idea. These movies are classic and will live on through my generation. Thanks John Hughes.

Enjoy the new playlist, songs from John Hughes' movies.

St. George

2009-05-22T17:42:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we had a chance to go down to St. George and stay in the "Broadbent Compound." That's what Imlike to call it. My in-laws and their best friends bought two houses next to eachother in Green Valley. When we go down we can usually use both houses and we have twice the space. It is a blast. We swam and layed out (don't tell my dermatologist) at the Green Valley Pool and we went four-wheeling out in the wilderness behind the houses. We had such a great time with our friends and their kids. Penny loved staying at the compound too.

This picture is from dinner at Texas Road House. This has got to be one of the best eating-out experiences I have had in a long time. We had a great waitress (she looked like Megan Fox), the food was delicious, and even though we had to wait to get in, we could eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. Pretty awesome. I highly recommend it! It is a great family restaurant.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!

2009-04-22T19:16:00.016-04:00

I just finished my last final, and boy life feels good. I am done with my first year of my masters! I can't believe it. I thought I would take a minute and share that with all of you...are you there? I don't think anyone reads my blog anymore because I have not been posting all semester long.

For those still checking my blog, this is what Brady and I have been up to...

I started working for the Governor! I work for the State in the Economic Development Office. I have been enjoying it since February and it will be a full-time internship starting next week. It has been difficult to do work and school, so I am looking forward to just doing work now.

For the last four months, I was so busy with school, Brady was so busy with work, and Penny was keeping us so entertained. Here are some pictures from the last four months.

We spent a lot of time in January on the kitchen floor with Penny. We originally had her gated off in the kitchen, until she chewed the walls and baseboards! Now she has her own domain in the basement where she can play and chew up anything she wants while Brady and I go to work and school.

I went to Hawaii the end of January for "career week." I had a whole week off of school and it just so happened that my family was going, so I talked them into taking me. Brady was supposed to go too, but had things come up at work that he could not miss. I went anyway. Does that make me a bad wife? It was a lot of fun!

The best part of the trip was snorkeling off the catamaran and whale watching. I saw a whale jump out of the water, just like in the Pacific Life Insurance commercials! It was so amazing. Too bad none of us got our camera's up in time.

The church dedicated a new temple in Draper. Although we do not live in the temple district, it is real close to us. I went to the open house three times. It is a beautiful house of the Lord. My sister Nessa and her friend Julie came up to Utah from California and we went together. It was just two weeks before Julie got married so it was a special trip for us all to be in the temple together. I went down to the wedding in California and had fun being with my family. My brother Matt and my sister Nessa were both in the wedding line.

Brady got a beautiful day of snowmobiling in this winter.

He turned 27 this March 22nd. Pretty crazy how old HE is getting. Ha ha ha.

My parents came up for General Conference. It was still pretty cold in Utah, but we had a great time together.

My friend Holly graduated from the MPA program! I was so happy to get to attend the graduation. That will be me next year in the cap and gown!

Penny has gotten a little bigger and a little wiser too. We are glad she has taken up the oral hygiene so she doesn't have bad doggy breath.

I will try to post weekly throughout this summer. Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday Emily!

2009-01-15T21:13:00.005-05:00

Today is my nieces birthday. I wanted to pay her a little tribute and let her know she is not alone.

Emily, I know exactly what it is like to be the second daughter and to have an older sister who steals and plays with all your new birthday toys. But Emmy, don't worry. Jenna may be alot to handle right now, she may boss you around and make you play with the ken doll instead of your new Barbies (this may go on for several years), but someday she will clean up after you play together when you don't feel well, she will drive you and your friends to dances and parties, she will help you fit in at school and at church. You'll have a best friend for your whole life and example to follow.

Hope you have a great day Em. Wish I was there to see you blow out the candle and chow down on your snowman cake. Happy birthday!

Christmas Break

2009-01-15T20:25:00.018-05:00

We had a great Christmas with our families. Here are some pics of the fun.

Riding the Polar Express in Heber

Christmas morning with the Broadbents

Brady's favorite Christmas Present- no this is not an announcement

Christmas in California
We went to the Wild Animal Park

Hot Single guy at the animal park

Teaching Emily how to walk

We had so much fun with our families. Now we are back to work and back to school. So far we have had a great start to 2009. Happy New Year!

I love Christmas time!

2008-12-20T01:52:00.007-05:00

We made a patriotic gingerbread house this year...it is an election year so I thought it was appropriate!

We also got to walk around on Temple Square the first night the temple lights were on. It looked so beautiful.

Merry Christmas Brady

2008-12-20T01:19:00.008-05:00

I can't believe I did it, but I love my husband so much, I bought him a dog for Christmas. Not just a dog, A PUPPY! I fought it for a long time, but I gave in and now Brady is the happiest husband ever.

Last week on KSL.com we found the cutest little puppies. We drove up to Willard to look at them last Saturday. They are a chihuahua, yorkie, poodle mix. Chorkie-poos, poo-chi-kies, I don't know what you call them- maybe adorable. We walked into the room and there were six puppies sleeping together. One woke up and came right over to me and slipped into my lap. She was light brown with a black nose and black fur on her ears. I was done for. She even left her mark on me (just a little pittle), and I was hooked. She liked Brady too. We drove back home and decided she was the one. We even knew what we wanted to name her the moment we drove away- Penny.

I went and picked Penny up on Wednesday. We got her a kennel, a stuffed animal, some chew sticks, chrome dish-bowls, food, a collar, and two sweaters (one is too small the other is too big). Yesterday, I bought a little kid gate and we brought up a carpet remnant and set up her own domain in the kitchen. The potty training is coming along. It is difficult to train a puppy, especially when it is freezing cold, windy, and snowing outside...but we are working on it.

In the meantime, she is a bundle of joy. Brady loves her and I am learning to...as I type she is cuddled up in my lap asleep. So precious. I never thought I would have a dog, and I never thought I would ever love a dog. Penny is the best little puppy ever. We had a rough first day together, but things went much smoother today. She is pretty much used to us now, and I am getting used to having her around. She really is a sweet puppy.

She will get to be 6-10 pounds so she will be a nice little inside dog. Not sure what she will end up looking like when she gets older, but I bet she will always be pretty cute.

If you have any puppy advice, I would love to hear it. We are trying to condition her to ring a bell when she needs to go potty. It may seem like pipe dream right now, but some people say it works. Like I said, we are working on it.

This is just a dream

2008-11-13T23:24:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a dream I was wearing a gorgeous black dress and a big diamond necklace singing in front of thousands of people at the CMA Awards and moved people to tears. Wow, this can't be happening to me...this is just a dream...

No really it was just a day-dream I had while Carrie Underwood stole the show last night. She rocked! I love this new song. Sometimes I wish I was Carrie Underwood... I'm not going to lie.

The last two months...

2008-11-11T19:30:00.011-05:00

I am back in school and have not had time to blog! I guess because I am not being graded on it, it just has not been a priority. I love being back in school. I am getting my masters in Public Administration at BYU, Brady is still working hard for Sorenson, and we are loving our new town home. Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to for the last two months. I will try and blog more often.

First Day of School

Home Sweet Home

My new sweet scar from my first encounter with skin cancer

At the Larry H. Miller Raceway for Colby's birthday

From one of our many off-roading drives in the mountains

At General Conference

With Mom and Dad at the BYU Homecoming Football Game

Island Park

2008-08-20T18:11:00.022-04:00

After Colby got home, we went up to Island Park with the Broadbent family. It was so much fun! Island Park is just outside of West Yellowstone in Idaho, North of Idaho Falls and Rexburg. It is a beautiful place. Tom and Daryl have a cabin on the Island Park reservoir, so we had boating every day (that is when the boat was working. Colby found a sandbar while driving the boat the first day we were there so we had to fix the boat for a day, but got plenty of wakeboarding in after that).
This is Ellie, my neice. Isn't she a doll? She kept us entertained.
Austen is a great waterskier!

Colby did a shore start with the wakeboard off the back of the dock! He was still pretty good for being two years rusty!
Brady got some sweet air too!

This is Gracee! She is the oldest grandchild and such a sweetie!

Jason had some mad skills!

Brotherly Love!

We went four-wheeling as well and drove up in the mountains north of the reservoir. It is just gorgeous.

We enjoyed sitting in the hot tub and relaxing.

We played lawn games, layed out, ate well, and watched movies in the theater at night. It was so fun to be all together as a family again. We had a great time and didn't want to come home.

We went and checked out Mesa Falls on the way home.

And guess what? We went to church on Sunday and sat in the overflow a-frame next to a family we knew in Boston, Ali and Jim Harkness and their two little boys! It is such a small world.

Colby's Home

2008-08-19T19:08:00.010-04:00

Elder Colby Broadbent returned home from the Houston Texas Spanish Speaking Mission last Wednesday. Austen, Val, Gracee, and Ellie flew in from Phillie on Tuesday so the whole Broadbent clan was at the airport at 9:00 am waiting for Colby to step off the plane. Well we waited, and waited and waited until all the other Elder's greeted their families and were heading out. We asked one of the missionaries if they knew Colby. He told us he sat right next to him on the flight. We knew he was on the flight, but we couldn't figure out where he was now. Maybe he was really nervous and throwing up in the bathroom... or maybe he was messing with us and wanted to make us wait. Finally, we saw him wondering down the terminal. It turns out, he walked another elder to his connecting flight and then came down a different set of escalators. He didn't find us, so he went outside to check for our cars along the curb. When he didn't find us, he came back into the terminal and started walking toward the baggage claim, and sure enough, we spotted him.

The reunion was joyous! He was so excited! We were laughing, we were crying, we were hugging, we were rejoicing. It was a great reunion.

Doesn't he look great! He is such a cutie and so much fun to be around. Welcome home Elder Broadbent! Way to go!

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-19T17:10:00.007-04:00

One year ago, I created this blog for our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe a whole year has passed and Brady and I are now celebrating our third year of marriage. Happy Anniversary to us! We have been through so many wonderful experiences together. I never dreamed I would be where I am, doing what I am with the man I am doing it with. I love being married to Brady. I love the adventures we have been on in these last three years, and I can't wait to see what the next three years could bring.

I thought it would be fun to list a few things we have done together in three years of marriage and then make a list of a few projections for the next three years of marriage.

The First Three Years:

1. Sealed in the San Diego Temple

2. Graduated from BYU with bachelor degrees

3. Moved to and lived in Boston for nearly two years

4. Got our first jobs out of college

5. Served in the church, including a bishopric and the Creole speaking Haitian branch

6. Rented three different apartments, moved in with the in-laws for 4 months, and bought our first house

7. Traveled to or through nearly 30 US states, the US Virgin Islands, and Mexico

8. Bought two cars together

9. Enjoyed time with family around birthdays, holidays, weddings, funerals (sadly), and had two brothers return from missions

10. Love each other 3x's more than we did three years ago!

Projections for the Next Three Years:

1. Attend the temple at least once every month

2. Chrissie will graduate with her masters in public administration and Brady will be attending business school to earn his masters in business administration.

3. Live in Utah for two years then move to go to school, maybe in California or back to Boston

4. Chrissie will get her our first job post master degree and Brady will quit his second job post bachelor degree

5. Serve in whatever callings we are asked to

6. Live in our new home and probably rent our fourth apartment when we go back to school, and hopefully never have to live with the in-laws

7. Hopefully travel to Hawaii, Europe, and through whatever states we have to when we go back to school

8. Maybe have to sell a car

9. Probably attend three more weddings for siblings, maybe even have a few more neices or nephews, hopefully no more funerals

10. And what you have all been hoping to see on the list... have our first... DOG! Hahaha, or maybe our first CHILD! Or maybe both. That will probably happen in the next three years! CRAZY to admit it.

Our Home - FOR REAL

2008-08-12T18:20:00.008-04:00

With all these Parade of Home pictures, our place looks pretty simple, but we love it and we are so excited to move in. We should be in by the end of the month if all goes according to plan- keep your fingers crossed!!

Parade of Homes Part II

2008-08-12T17:38:00.017-04:00

Here are a few more pictures of these crazy homes they are building in Utah. It is just amazing to me what you can get for the money in Utah, especially with the market the way it is. Not like we can afford any of these huge homes, but you get a lot for the money. So here is what a couple million can buy you in Utah:

1. A Pirate Ship with a Hot Tub - This would be so awesome!

2. A Secluded Hammock Room on your Deck
3. A Man's Room too funny! The urinal is only half of it. It was part of a man's kitchen with a big grill, plus TV screens playing sports, plus his own bathroom!
4. Huge Closets in Master Suite A closet so big, you need a chandelier to light it.
5. A Two Story Library- this reminds me of Higgins house in My Fair Lady
6. A Temple in your Backyard
7. A Fancy Nancy Bedroom- I loved this, and the stripe painting on the wall is really popular. This room reminded me of Jenna!
8. A Posche Doggy Bed

We are so excited!!!

2008-08-11T18:56:00.002-04:00

Colby, Brady's brother (Elder on the left) comes home from his mission on Wednesday! He has been serving in Houston, Texas. It will be so good to have him home. Can't hardy wait!

Our home is almost finished...

2008-08-11T18:23:00.013-04:00

Just kidding. This is not going to be our new home. This was one of my favorite homes from what I saw of the Parade of Homes. I have been to the home show in St. George before, but this year I went to the home show in Salt Lake County. It is so much fun to walk through multi-million dollar homes and see all the cool features of lavish living. I also like looking at the creative decorating and furniture. I take pictures and make mental notes of things I would like in my own dream home someday...well probably not, but it is fun to dream. Here are some of the cool things I have seen (and when I upload the rest of my pictures I will put some of those on the blog as well).
Dream Home Must Haves:
1. Amazing Murals
2. Jacuzzi tub and lady's vanity
3. Long Castle-like Hallways
4. TV's in the kitchen next to...
5. A Theater Room(notice the murals)
6. A Place for the Kids to Play
7. A Place for the Adults to Play
8. A Spiral Staircase
9. A Patio
10. A pool

BYUSA Get-Together

2008-08-11T17:52:00.007-04:00

Not last weekend, but the weekend before, Brady and I went to a BYUSA 05-06 Reunion. Adam Larson and his wife Marianne planned a great pool party and barbeque at his dad's home in Salt Lake. The picture above shows the view from the backyard: B-E-A-U-TIFUL. We had a great turn-out of people we served with: Adam and Marianne Larson were the best hosts; Max Hunsaker and Brandon Dabling came down from Montanna; Meagan Lake came pretending to be engaged to Chris Giovarelli to throw us for a loop, but it didn't work ( bummer Chris couldn't make it). Tyler Hornibrook and his wife Kelsey and their daughter Lucy were there; Devon Glassman and his wife Whitney were there. It was so fun to see Whitney, not only do we have the BYUSA connection, but she is one of good friends from Corona who I went to church with and lifeguarded with. I love her! She is so much fun! They brought two friends with them, Eric and Ryan. We missed Trevor and all our other executive directors who couldn't come, but it was really fun to get back together after 2 years of not seeing one another.

The food was great, and the swimming was a blast. We played 4 on 4 basketball in the pool. We had one casualty...Devon got elbowed in the face and split his cheek, but Adam's step-mom bandaged him up.

BYUSA was such a great part of my college education. I had trendous experiences and great leadership opportunity, plus I made some great friends. Hopefully I will get to see them all more now that we are back in Utah.

Hiking in Utah

2008-08-06T15:24:00.005-04:00

While we are in Utah, one thing we should probably do more often is hike. There are some great trails that take you to the most pristine mountain lakes along the Wasatch front and we really need to take more advantage of them. Here are som shots from our hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon at Red Pine Lake. It was a nice 7 mile hike that we did on Pioneer Day with Tom, Dayl, Chelsea and Jason. It was such a nice morning hike. Afterward, we got lunch at the Silverfork Lodge up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was delicious.

Happy Birthday Jenna

2008-07-16T23:25:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was my niece Jenna's birthday. In honor of my favorite three year old, I wrote this little poem:

Three

Giggles and hair bows
Little pink polished toes
And Backyardigan DVD shows

Tossing beanie babies
Singing songs, dance parties
And eating yummy "byueberries"

Popsicles and swimming
Build-a-bear stuffing
And funny phrase saying

Smiles with a scrunched up nose
Rolling off of stacks of pillows
And don't forget Capabows

Minding manners, saying please
Throwing temper tantrums, oh geez!
Trained on big and little potties

Fancy Nancy book reading
Cell phone voice messaging
And videos of blue gum chewing

You won't be three forever
But each year I love you more than before
How you are now, I will one day try and remember.

It's not the best poem, but she can't read it yet anyways. I am glad she enjoyed the tea set I sent!

Happy Birthday Jenna! I love you!

Progress

2008-07-16T23:09:00.003-04:00

Our new town home is coming along. They have already put brick and stucco on the outside. We will hopefully be in the end of August.

First Boat Outing of the Season

2008-07-16T22:53:00.006-04:00

Tom and Daryl took us out boating at Jordanelle on Saturday. We made sure the boat was running well since it was the first time taking it out this season. We also got some great color, swam in the cold lake water,ate a nice picnic lunch, and I even got a wake-boarding ride in. If I look like I am in pain, it is because I am. The water was cold, and rough and my legs are so weak and out of shape... but it was so much fun to wake-board. I am still soar, but it was worth it.

Friends at Sorenson

2008-07-16T22:45:00.003-04:00

Thursday night we got to go to the Bee's game with everybody that Brady works with and their families. It wasn't the most thrilling baseball game, but it was really fun to meet the great people Brady spends every weekday with. We had a lot of fun sitting with Jon and Bridgett and their girls. They are so cute.

On Friday we went to dinner with a few of the same couples we know from Sorenson. We ate at a delicious French restaurant called Chez Betty and stayed the night in some nice condos in Deer Valley. Thanks Ashley and Tommy for making all the arrangements. We had a great time! And thanks Ashley for the pictures since I didn't take any!

I was out there havin' fun, in that warm California sun

2008-07-16T20:43:00.007-04:00

Brady and I got our annual California trip in this year (just trying to get a rise out of my mother). The sad thing is that it has become and annual trip. I have been home to Cali twice this year, but Brady and I have not been in California together since last July. Hopefully now that we live closer than Boston, we will be making it home more often together.

We got to enjoy the 4th of July with my family. My parents moved into a great house last fall. The house has a great backyard for parties so my parents hosted a 4th of July swim party and barbecue. It was so much fun. It was so much fun to be with my family and friends. We swam and ate, and swam some more. We had a great time playing around-the-world ping-pong. I think we had about 15 people playing. It was a riot. Brady won a few times, or atleast made it to the finals. I didn't last very long, but I sure had a good time playing. When it got dark, we went and watched fireworks at Santana Park. Here is a picture my Uncle Cole took of my cousin Julia and her husband Grant, Brady and me, and my sister Nessa and her boyfriend Ryan (can I call him that?)

(Thanks Cole for the picture, I copied it off your blog!)

Saturday, we got a nice beach day in at Newport with the family. I could not have asked for better weather. It was beautiful. why don't we live in California? I often ask myself that question, especially when I look at these pictures.

After the beach, we all went race car driving at Pole Position in Corona. Matt, My Dad and Brady were the best race car drivers (are you surprised?) and Nessa was the fastest girl racer of the group. My Mom and I came in last. We are pretty conservative drivers, but ask us how many tickets we have ever had for speeding? Thank you very much.

On Sunday, we went to church before Brady flew back to Utah. We got to see Ashley and Barrett Edwards which was a very pleasant surprise. (Shout out to Ash who told me she reads the blog. It was so good to see you!)

Monday was a nice relaxing day floating (as my Dad calls it). My parents bought these awesome rafts that are perfect for tanning and floating on in the pool. I think I could float every day. It is so relaxing. My best friend I have known my whole life, Courtney came over and we floated with Nessa and our friend Julie. We had a little left-over barbecue. It was so fun to see Courtney. We had a great time catching up.

On Tuesday, I went to the beach in the morning to watch my brother Matt surf. We had a great time at Huntington and then we went down to Newport to catch some more rays. That night my Mom took me to see Wicked, the Broadway Musical, for my birthday. We drove up to LA, ate dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe at the Beverly Center, and then went to the Pantages Theater. The show was incredible. I really loved it. I have been singing songs like "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" ever since. It was so fun to be with my Mom.She knows I love a good musical, plus I have always had a special place in my heart for the villians. I just loved seeing Elphaba for who she really is. I have to say Glinda was my favorite in this though. What a complicated character!Thanks Mom, and "so much of me is made of what I learned from you you;ll be with me like a hand print on my heart... and because I knew you, I have been changed for good!"
On my last day, my Dad made sure to spend some time with me. We went wave running at Lake Elsinore in the morning and we got a good "float" in together in the afternoon. Thanks Dad, I love you! It was a perfect trip. I got to be with Brady, and I got to spend one on one time with each member of my family. I miss them already!

Weekend in Logan

2008-07-01T16:16:00.002-04:00

I have been interning with the National MS Society for the past six weeks, helping them to prepare for the Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride, the largest top fundraising bike ride in the state of Utah. The ride was this past weekend in Logan. I drove up on Thursday and stayed through Sunday helping with the event. It was so much fun. I am still pretty tired from all the manual labor of setting up and cleaning up. I got to help the photographers at the event, but I didn't get pictures of my own so I will have to use some of theirs to show you how cool the event really was once I get some. The MS Society had 3,100 riders and have already raised $1.5 million already with fundraising still going on until the end of July. All the funds raised will go to MS research and programs for Utahans affected by MS. It was a hot weekend, but it was a blast and probably the most successful bike tour the Utah Chapter has done. I was lucky to get to be a part of it and I really enjoyed working the event.

New Family Blog

2008-06-19T01:16:00.004-04:00

I created a new blog for my family. Well, I really created it for my Dad! You'll understand once you visit it. Here is the address:

http://waynesworldfam.blogspot.com/

This is a great way for my family to keep in touch with each other and post thoughts and things to share just for each other. Of course, others are always welcome to check in on us and comment freely.

Happy Father's Day Dad. Rock on!

Loving the NBA Finals

2008-06-13T00:54:00.005-04:00

I don't know what is better than being a fan of two great teams in the NBA Finals. I will be happy no matter who wins. I feel so lucky. I get to enjoy great entertainment every other day or two and I don't get too emotional if someone wins or loses. I have always been a Laker fan,you have to be if you live in So Cal, but the Celtics have grown on me from living in Boston. I met Danny Ainge, so I feel like I owe it to him to root for his team. Plus they haven't won a Championship in so long. The Celtics have been really working it, especially tonight in LA. Kobe is a great baller, Mr. MVP and all, but Paul Pierce is playing with so much heart and soul. I love that guy. Way to go Celtics! Hope you can take the Finals in five games on Father's Day... sorry Dad. And sorry to Tom (my father-in-law) who is still heartbroken about the Jazz and complains every game about these teams buying their way to the championship. I told him he should move to a town with a better basketball team, like LA or Boston! Whoo whoo!
Three reasons why the Lakers are going to lose the championship...

Prince Caspian

2008-06-13T00:48:00.004-04:00

Brady and I went to see this movie last weekend with our friends Scott and Danni. I loved it! I thought it was a great show, better than Indiana Jones that I went to see on my birthday. I loved the story and all the acting was really good. The thing I like most about this movie is the cinematogaphy. It was so beautiful. Okay, I admit it, and I really like Prince Caspian's spanish accent. It is a must see, especially if you are into the C.S. Lewis books. But even if you are not, it is a fun, clean, exciting, epic movie.

Pro's to living in Utah

2008-06-08T21:21:00.011-04:00

I have started to make a list of the things I like most about living in Utah. Here they are in no particular order, just to name a few:
1. The majestic mountains. They are so green and beautiful right now.
2. Affordable, new housing

3. Brady's favorite, Fry Sauce!

4. Close to friends and family- We have so many old friends here and it awesome to hang out with them again. We get to see my family often and Brady's family all the time
(here is the family at Brady's cousin's play, "Annie Get Your Gun")
5. Brady's home ward - I love going to my in-laws ward. There are so many great people that have welcomed us into their ward with open arms for the summer
6. It's the crossroads of the west- so many people come through Utah to visit family or to make their mecha back to the holy land. Our friend's, the Ekins, came to visit Justin's family for the weekend so we go to see them and go to lunch. (we took them to see our new townhome.

7. Cafe Rio, Rumbi's Island Grill, Paradise Bakery, Pier 49 Pizza, Blimpie, Magelby Fresh, and all my favorite famous Utah chains!

Something old, something new...

2008-06-08T20:39:00.009-04:00

We had an exciting week. We bought a new car on Wednesday. After looking for a good, clean car that gets decent gas mileage but still has class, we found a great little Mercedes C230. We took all day Saturday to clean it up inside and out, and boy does it look pretty (not to mention smells a lot better too). I never enjoyed washing and detailing cars like I do now. I just love riding in a clean car. It made Brady so proud to hear his wife say that she can't wait to wax the front end! Brady has really enjoyed being back in Utah and at his parents house especially, where he has a driveway and all the car accessories needed to clean and detail his automobiles. I think he was in heaven yesteday. We cleaned up our Xterra too after it got all dirty from off-roading in the mud on Memorial Day and going down to Lake Powell for Brady's work trip. We love that car, we just wish it got better gas mileage.

Today we took a nice Sunday drive to go check out our new townhome. It is still being built, but it is coming along quickly. Hopefully it will be completed by the time I start school in the fall. The builders already have the house framed up to the second floor.

A few weeks ago, I got to meet with a designer to pick out all the colors, upgrades, flooring, etc. What a big project, I can't imagine doing it for a big home. I am so excited to live in a brand new place designed just the way we like it. I think we are really going to enjoy the community as well. We will have a gym, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a few pools as part of the club we are a part of as residents. I guess I better start playing tennis with great facilities just across the street.

The best thing about the townhome is that it is only five minutes away from Brady's work! Talk about a great commute!

Book Review

2008-05-23T20:14:00.007-04:00

I have read a couple of really good books lately and just wanted to recommend them.

God Wants A Powerful People by Sheri Dew

This was a great read. I read it on vacation in Mexico. It was funny to read about power that comes through living righteously as I was surrounded by people drinking and dressed immodestly, but I think it really brought the meaning of the book home. Power does come from reading the scriptures, praying, keeping the commandments, listening/following the spirit, dressing modestly, and through serving God and others. The book is filled with great Sheri Dewisms. Some of it you might recognize from previous talks she has given, but it is still fantastic (really would you expect anything less). It is one of those books you could (and maybe should) read once a year.

Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

I have never read anything like this one before. The author does a fantastic job writing in the character of an 11 year old boy groing up on the edge of the western frontier. Written by a non-LDS author, it still contains great religious insight as he witnesses modern day miracles in his every day life. This book really got me thinking about the miracles I have witnessed in my own life and the daily miracles that God blesses me with. Two talks help complete the thoughtand add an LDS perspective: President Eyring's "O Remember, Remember" from Oct. Conference 2007 and Elder Oaks's "Miracles" in the June Ensign 2001. I like how Leif Enger defines miracles on the thrid page of this book, but it is fun to hear the perspective of general authorities on the same topic.

The Peacegiver by James Ferrell

Speaking of miracles, this book I read a few months ago while I was commuting to the Romney Campaign, but I have to recommend it. This book teaches the principles of love, forgiveness and the atonement so beautifully. It will change your attitude towards others, especially those you are closest to. I really enjoyed it. I caught myself crying on the train as I read it. So good!

I have a few other books I hope to get through this summer. Share with me some of your recent reads so I could read them this summer. Now that American Idol and Dancing with the Stars is over, I don't know what to do with myself.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T20:38:00.007-04:00

"All that I am or ever hope to be,
I owe to my angel Mother."

- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

I have been blessed with such a wonderful mother. She is my best friend. She is the listening ear when I need to talk and offers the best advice. She always helps me think things through and always offers great ideas to help me be better. She is so thoughtful and can always make me feel special by her thoughtful phone calls are gifts. This week she sat on the phone with me for an hour while I told her about upgrade options in my new town home. Mom told me what to look for and what to ask with each product or uprgrade. She is so knowledgable about everything!

She has been my guardian angel to keep me from getting into trouble. She taught me the gospel, how to study my scriptures, and she taught me how to pray. Among others things, she taught me how to walk, cook, drive, clean, and bear my testimony. She continues to teach me how to overcome my fears and to never give up on acheiving my dreams. Mom, I love you! Thank you for helping me be the best me I can be. Happy Mother's Day!

"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

- George Washington (1732-1799)

I have been able to spend this 100th Mother's Day with my mother-in-law Daryl. She is so awesome. Now that I am living in her basement while we wait for our home to be built, she calls me her "peep." She is busy during the day, but she is so kind to invite me to be a part of what she is doing. I have really gotten to know her better than I have before. I have really enjoyed cooking with her. She is a wiz in the kitchen. She has taught me about gardening as well. Hopefully I will be a little more domesticated by the time we move out. Daryl also has the most beautiful singing voice. She often sings to herself or will sit down and play the piano and accompany herself. She is very talented and just a pleasent person to be with. Happy Mother's Day Daryl! I love you!

My Celebrity Look A-likes

2008-05-08T19:00:00.002-04:00

OK, I always find all these funny things on Troy and Erin's blog, but I had to do it. Here's Brady's:

How funny! Candice Bergen appeared on Brady's. That is hilarious. He probably won't like that one much.

What have we been up to?

2008-05-05T22:05:00.011-04:00

I am back on the blogosphere! But, I have probably lost all my readers because I have not been updating my blog for over a month. I hope some of you are still reading and care about what we have been up to. Brady and I have been all over the country and even to Mexico this last month. You can read all about it or just look at the pictures. But strap in and hold on for a long ride on the Brady and Chrissie blog.

In the end of March, I spent two weeks in California with all those beautiful people I gave a shout out to in my last post. It was so much fun. I got to be there for my cousin Julia's wedding and Easter. I got to swim in my parents new pool with my cute little nieces, I got to watch some great movies plus AI and DWTS with my entire family (even my Dad enjoys watching these great TV shows), I got to spend time with two of my best friends in the whole world, Courtney and Emily. I got to go shopping (Brady didn't like that all that much), I got to eat out at In-N-Out, Miguel’s and The Cheesecake Factory as well as enjoying all the delicious home cooked meals by my Mom and other family members. I got to see my cute new niece Emily and I played every day with Jenna. What a great trip! At the end of the second week, we flew out to DC where Brady joined my family for Emily's baby blessing. It was so fun to be all together in DC for such a great celebration of a new baby in the family. It was great to see my sister's in-laws. We even caught the cherry blossom festival. Great timing! We also took a stop at Great Falls, a most impressive waterfall just outside of DC.

Brady and I came back to Boston with my sister Nessa, and while Brady prepared for the GMAT, Nessa and I did some great site seeing during the day, and she pampered me at night with all of her skin care treatments. We had a blast. It was so much fun to spend one-on-one time with Nessa, away from all of her boyfriends and her work. Later that week, Brady nailed the GMAT and we are excited to put that test behind us. We spent our last week in Boston packing and trying to get out and enjoy the on set of spring. We went to the aquarium, we walked along the Charles River one last time, and we ate at our favorite restaurant Giacomo's in the North End. We already miss living in that exciting city and we miss seeing all of our good friends we made there. We tried not to say real goodbyes to any of them, hoping we would get a chance to see them again soon or hopefully someday. And thanks to cell phones, blogs, facebook, etc., we have so many ways to keep in touch.

Then the adventure began. We drove from Boston to Salt Lake City in four and half days. We tried to cram in as much site seeing as possible. We didn't drive a big moving van this time so traveling across was much quicker and probably cheaper due to the rising gas prices. We had a terrible experience with the moving company that put a damper on our trip, but hopefully we will get our stuff back one of these days without paying for all these surprising costs that were not clearly communicated before (if you can't tell I am still fuming over this!).

We drove from Boston to Palmyra on Monday night and got to the Sacred Grove visitor center before they closed. We were welcomed by Elder and Sister Pinegar and two darling sisters who gave us a tour of the old Smith cabin and the second Smith home that was built on the property. We walked through the Sacred Grove and really enjoyed being in there and thinking about that sacred experience that started the restoration of the gospel. We also saw the Palmyra temple, the Book of Mormon publication site, and Hill Cumorah. It was so cool to be at these places where it all started! The spirit is so strong there. My testimony grew just by being in these places and getting a better understanding of all the Prophet Joseph went through. Joseph Smith was a true prophet and has done so much to bless me personally, and bless the entire world. Wow!

We drove to Niagara Falls that night and went to the Falls in the morning. It was so impressive, although I will say they seemed smaller than I had imagined. We stopped in Kirtland and toured the temple which was another great and enlightening experience into the Prophet Joseph's life. Even though the tour was given by the Community of Christ, we still really enjoyed being in the temple and remembering to ourselves all the great things that we know happened there.

From Kirtland, we drove through Chicago to check it out. It seems like a nice place. Honestly, we didn't stop to see it. We drove on throught and spent the night in Iowa. Then we drove the next morning to The Field of Dreams movie site. There is an actual baseball field in the middle of no where surrounded by corn fields! "If you build it, he will come..." I had to run the bases, but because of how windy it was, we didn't spend much time there.

Is this heaven?

No, it's Iowa.

We drove down to Missouri and saw Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, Liberty Jail and Independence. All four of these were amazing church history sites as well. I particularly liked being at Liberty Jail. The church has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the structure and telling the experience of the prophet and his companions in the jail.

We drove through Kansas City and around Nebraska through Iowa. The next day we drove all the way through South Dakota to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore. The pictures say it all. It is one of the best monuments this nation has ever funded. And it is also cool that there is a city of gold hidden behind it (National Treasure!)

We almost made it from South Dakota home, but we got through most of Wyoming and had to stay at Flaming Gorge and we drove the rest of the way in the morning. Utah was a beautiful sight to behold, especially after seeing places like South Dakota and Wyoming. The mountains look fake, almost. They are so big and ominous, it is just breath taking.

It is nice to be with Tom and Daryl (my in-laws). They have been so welcoming and accommodating. To welcome us home they took us with my sister-in-law Chelsea and her husband Jason to some good old country cowboy poetry readings and a big dinner at the No Worries Restaurant in Park City. No they are not cowboys and Utah is not all that country, but some of it is. It was a lot different than what we would be doing in Boston on a Saturday night!

We spent the next week searching for a home to buy. We must have seen over 50 houses in five days. By Saturday, we think we found just the place. I will write more about it later once things move forward. But big thanks to our super realtor Brenda and all she did to help us find a place that will fits us best.

We left on Monday for Playa del Carmen with Tom and Daryl. We had such a nice vacation after this crazy whirlwind of a month. Nothing feels better than sitting on a beach in the Mexican Caribbean drinking pina colada's (sin alcohol - that means no alcohol for those who do not speak Spanish).

We stayed at an amazing resort, soaked up lots of sun, swam in the beautiful oceans and pools, ate at the all inclusive restaurants and buffets, went to a water park called Xel-ha, and toured the Maya ruins of Coba and Tulum. What a blast!
My whole family was here in Utah this last week for my Mom's 50th birthday! Brady and I made it home from Cancun to sing happy birthday and eat some cake with her. We also got to give her this awesome book that my siblings, grandparents and friends have all been working on for her. It was the best gift: "50 years of Memories for Cindy." She loved it! I don't know how I managed it, but I found the time to put all the pictures and stories people had contributed all together in the midst of such a crazy month. Thanks to everyone for helping, especially Jay and Nessa who did all the leg work finding pictures and getting stories from relatives and friends.
(Nessa went home early for work, but I got to see her on Sunday before I left for Playa)

Now we are back and trying to get settled-in in Utah. Brady started his new job today, I am trying to get our affairs in order and get a life in Utah now. Things are really going great. We have been so blessed to be here and to have been protected through all of our travels this last month.

Sorry this has been so much to read and take in all at once from one blog post, but it really has been a busy, but wonderful time for us. Hope you all are doing well. I am excited to catch up and read all of your blogs this week!

Beautiful People

2008-03-12T14:02:00.004-04:00

My sister Nessa sent me this picture of herself and my brother Matt. They are really attractive people so I thought I would post them on my blog to help its image. I love my siblings so much. I get to go home and see them all next week. It has been a while since we were all together. We will all get to be there for my cousin Julia's wedding and Easter. I am so excited to get home. It has been a while since I have been in California. I will miss Brady who will be in Boston studying, but I get to go meet Jay and my neices in DC, and together we will be flying out to the west coast. I hope the weather is nice so I can get some color on my pasty white skin and go swimming in my parents new pool! I am so pumped! It is all I can think about latley. Shout out to the beautiful parents and I look forward to seeing all you beautiful people next week!

Big News

2008-03-06T13:58:00.011-05:00

The secret is out. We are moving! I can not believe it, but it is true. Brady has accepted a new position with a private equity group in Utah. I have been busy finding a way to ship our things and studying up on how to buy our first home. It will be weird being back in Utah so soon, but the job is a fabulous opportunity for Brady, and we are looking forward to being closer to family and friends we have missed.
It seems like we are just figuring out how to live in and enjoy the city life, and now it is time to leave it all. I am so sad to leave my cute apartment, my wonderful friends and church members here. I am especially bummed that we have made it through the winter and won't get to enjoy the spring and summer in New England.

If anything, I have learned to take advantage of the opportunities that exist where you are and how to make the best of it. I will be sure to enjoy all Boston has to offer before we leave, and I will try to enjoy all that Utah has to offer while we are there. I am excited to be closer to Tom and Daryl (my in-laws) and Chelsea and Jason (my sister-in-law and her new husband). And I love the fact that I can drive home or catch a cheap, short flight to California to see my family and friends there (even though I can bet my mom will find a way to come up once a month to visit me)!

I am not ready to be sentimental or say any sort of goodbye's yet, so I am not going to even think about that, but here are some pictures we took last Sunday on a nice afternoon drive. Boston really is an amazing city and just sparkles in the sunlight!

Maine is B-E-A-U-TIFUL

2008-03-06T12:26:00.003-05:00

Brady had a few comp days from work so we took a long weekend and went up to Maine. We enjoyed the drive up along the New England Coast. We stopped in Kittery to visit my favorite outlets, then we drove up through Portland, then back out to other coastal cities. We stopped to see a few light houses and enjoyed the snowy beaches(does that sound right, snowy beaches?). There were lobster boats and cages all over the place, even during the snow storm. We stayed the first night in Bangor. It was a quaint town that looked like it hadn't changed much since the 50's.

On Friday we drove out to Acadia National Park and drove on all the open roads through the entire park for three to four hours. It was a beautiful sunny day with an arctic wind chill! We enjoyed seeing the jagged coastline with the pristine bays and rocky beaches. The park was pretty deserted. Most places in Maine are better to visit in the summer time, but we didn't mind having the park to ourselves!

Friday night we stayed in Augusta, the capital of Maine. This town seemed a little bit more modern with a huge shopping area and movie theater. Nothing sounded good at the movies, so we relaxed in the hotel jacuzzi.

Saturday we drove two hours west to a ski resort called Sunday River. Brady and I had not been skiing for nearly 10 years. Getting back on the slopes was a challenge for me, but Brady was a pro. I had a hard time keeping up with him. We had fresh powder all day because it was snowing. I got cold at times, but we got around and saw a lot of the mountain. By 3:00, I was tired and soar, but it was nice to be out and enjoing the winter that seems to drag on in New England.

Maine is a great place to vacate, but more enjoyable than the place was the company. I really enjoyed being with Brady. We realized that besides our honeymoon and our 2nd anniversary last year, this was the first trip that we had taken, just the two of us, and for no other reason than just to get away. Since we live far from family, all of our vacations have revolved around seeing them, and since Brady's work schedule has been so consuming, it has been tough to get away on our own since we moved to Boston. We really enjoyed the time together.

First Comes Love...

2008-02-21T16:00:00.017-05:00

This is in response to a tag from Jay. I don't know how interesting our couple trivia will be to read, but I hope you get to know more about us.

1. How did you meet your spouse?
I met Brady at church in our BYU singles ward. We served together on the Teaching and Leadership Council, Brady was Sunday School President and I was a teacher. He even helped to set me apart for my calling. We sat by each other in class and he complimented me on my shoes! Then we had a meeting at his apartment for our council after church. I came early and brought a bowl of candy!

2. Where did you go on your first date and who asked who out?
Picking up from the last response, after the council meeting, I went to have dinner with my roommates and some other boys in the ward, then we were planning on attending the CES fireside with Elder Holland. Right as we were cleaning up the dishes, my cell phone rang. I told my roommates it was a "fireside date" call. Sure enough it was Brady who was inviting me to go to the fireside with him. I wanted to go with him even though we had made arrangements to go with these other guys. We all went together, but I rode in Brady's car and we sat right by each other in he Marriott Center. He came back to my apartment afterward and we all played games. This was more the first group date. Our first date, just the two of us, was when he took me out to dinner a week and half later. We went to Red Robbin and ate and talked. It was a really special conversation and we got to know each other really fast.

3. How long have you been together?
We met in September 2004, got married in August 2005. We have been together for 3 1/2 years. That's the longest relationship I've ever been in (haha) and it's going to last a lot longer!

4. Who eats more?
Definitely Brady. I can eat a lot when I sit down and do it, but I forget to eat or I am too lazy to cook. Brady works most nights and gets to spend $25 on dinner each night he works past 8:00 so he is well fed.

5. Who said I love you first?
I did, sort of by accident. We had spent the whole day at General Conference attending both the Saturday Sessions. He dropped me off at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake to meet up for dinner with my roomates while he went to Priesthood with his Dad and brother. I was getting out of the car and I leaned in to give him a kiss goodbye and I nonchalantly said "Goodbye, I love you!" We both leaned in and kissed tight lipped and then there was this awkward pause and I got out of the car. I walked away and laughed at myself. When he came back to pick me up, we talked about it. I told him I might have said it flippantly because it is a saying I share with people I care about(i.e. every time I get off the phone with my family I say it), but I told him I really meant it and it felt natural to tell him that. He agreed and told me he loved me too.

6. Who is taller?
Brady. Wouldn't it be sad if I was the taller one? He is 5'11 and I am 5'2. It is the perfect fit and I can wear whatever shoes I want!

7. Who sings better?
I would like to think I do, but Bady will always point out when I am off key. Brady can keep his pitch and can harmonize better than me, but I like to think I have more soul and I know the words to every song. Brady has a hard time learning and remembering the words.

8. Who is smarter?
Brady, all the way. I definitely married a genious. I do have my moments, but with his brains and my creativity, we can get pretty far.

9. Who does the laundry?
Me, pretty much always. Brady will step in and help once it has been started if he is around, but I do it every week and I am also the queen of ironing. If you call me at night, I am usually watching TV and ironing. We save big time by not taking Brady's work clothes to the dry cleaner.

10. Who does the dishes?
I usually do, although I have been training Brady to wash his own plate off. But once again, he is rarely home to eat and there are usually no dishes associated with take out at the office. I have a little OCD with dirty dishes in my sink. I don't like things to get crusty because it takes too long to wash it off. I would rather attack the dishes right after eating.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Right now, I do, but we change it up whenever we move to a new place.

12. Who pays the bills?
Brady brings in the money and I write the checks. It is a good system for us.

13. Who mows the lawn?
What lawn? Brady says he can't wait to have a lawn to mow one day. He said it was very therapuetic for him when he lived at home.

14. Who cooks dinner?
This has already been explained, but dinner is rarely made. I make something quick and easy for me, and then when Brady is around, we usually cook together. When I do whip out a great meal, Brady is in heaven.

15. Who drives when you are together?
Brady will drive most of the time, unless I am dropping him off or picking him up from the train or work. I get serious road rage driving in Boston, so he tends to offer to get behind the wheel when we are together. Brady loves driving. It is a nice release for him from his stressful life.

16. Who is more stubborn?
We are not stubborn people. We are more peacemakers and people pleasers. This can get annoying sometimes, but we both are pretty easy going. I tend to get my way more just because Brady is a sweetheart, but I will make sure he is content as well.

17. Who is the first to admit when they're wrong?
When we fight, Brady is usually the first to apologize and tries to work things out. It takes me a few minutes to realize how hard hearted I have become, and his gentle forgiving manner really breaks my heart and eventually I admit I was wrong. I don't think Brady is ever wrong so he has nothing to admit.

18. Who's parents do you see the most?
We never get to see our parents. When we were first married, we lived in Utah and saw Brady's family more than mine. But now that we live in Boston, it is too long between visits. That's why I have a blog.

19. Who kissed who first?
This was also initiated by Chrissie. We had been spending time together the week after we had met and Brady asked if he could kiss me one night when he was leaving my apartment. I told him I wan't ready to do that yet. We hadn't even been on a real date, and my brother and sister were in town and I just wasn't sure I wanted to start a relationship even though it had already started. A few days later, we went out to dinner at Red Robbin and Brady really started to open up to me. We came back to my apartment and we sat on my couch while he told me about a special experience on his mission. He started to cry. I am such a sucker for tears. I had to kiss him. It was a sweet moment.

20. Who proposed?
Brady did. I was so afraid of getting married and I didn't even want to talk about setting a date until there was a ring on my finger. But I didn't even want to go ring shopping. Looking back, I wish I didn't shy away from all that, but I really just wanted it all to be this spontaneous, romantic surprise. Brady is more of a planner and knew better than to just spring it on me. He got a good idea about what kind of rings I liked. He found a great jeweler in Bountiful and had the ring in a few weeks.

He set up this scavenger hunt on the last day of classes winter semester. I got a surprise visit from our good friend Scott Dallas, who was dressed in a tuxedo and brought me four roses with poems attached to them. Each poem was a riddle that was a clue to a place Brady and I had some history at. When I got it right, we would go there and then I would open the next clue. We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Sandy, then to the Gateway where I said I loved him for the first time, then to the Conference Center where we had attended conference (or tried to attend, we always forgot to bring our tickets or we would be late). The last clue took us over to Temple Square. We were the only ones there at sunset. Colby, Brady's brother, appeared and gave us a big box. I opened it and found another small black box. Brady got down on his knee, I started to cry...I got down on my knees with Brady, it was so special! And I love my ring. I couldn't have picked out a better one myself!

21. Who is more sensitive?
Probably Brady. He can get offended easily so I have to be careful about how I tease him or respond to things he says. I have my moments too, but maybe not as many.

22. Who has more friends?
Brady has always had a strong group of guy friends that he has kept in touch with. I have many friends and I meet and make more friends all the time. Brady is often too busy to have much of a social life, but I depend on friends to help me get through when Brady can't be around. We have been blessed with such good friends in life and we try to be good friends to others.

23. Who has more siblings?
We have identical families with opposite genders. Brady is the second oldest of 4 like me. He has an older brother who is married and has two girls and lives on the East Coast. I have an older sister who is married and has two girls and lives on the East Coast too. I have a younger brother and sister, Brady has a younger sister and brother. We are all about the same ages and at the same stages in life. It has been easy to relate to each other when it comes to our family situation because they are so much the same.

24. Who wears the pants in the family?
Brady will often call me the boss and will refer to me before making a decision for us, but ultimately he makes the decision. I appreciate the fact that we try and share the pant wearing as much as possible. We have delegated different assignments to each other to keep our houseold in order, but we always try and make decisions together.

I tag Val Broadbent, Erin Richardson and Tamarie Stoker! I am not a tag nazi so do what you want. I would love to hear some couple trivia and see some wedding photos!

...Then Comes Marriage

2008-02-20T21:11:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures from our wedding day in response to Jay's tag. I was so glad that Dorit Solesbee agreed to photograph our wedding, even though she said she wanted to cut back on her wedding photography business. She is so awesome and she got some great shots of us and our families.

Mom and Dad really were a great help in preparing me for marriage. They knew that Brady was a great catch and encouraged me not to let this one get away! The big joke at the luncheon on our wedding day was that I did break up with Brady, but I got smart and we got back together after a month of figuring things out. It was awkward that even my grandpa mentioned it at the luncheon, but I guess I deserved it. My whole family knew he was the one before I did!

I am really glad that Jay and Brian and Jenna made it. Jenna was born a month earlier and had a few heath problems, but they flew out from DC to be there for me. I know it was stressful for Jay, but it meant so much to me that she was there. I was already missing one sibling with Matt being on a mission and I really needed Jay there! Thanks for being there Jay and Brian.

The day before the wedding, my sisters and Courtney tried on their bridesmaid dresses. It turned out that the waistline was around the waist when I wanted it to be aroung the hips. It just didn't flatter the girls at all. So our seamstress sewed new bodices for the dresses that night and they picked up the dresses the morning of the wedding. That was the only problem we had. It is difficult to plan a wedding in California when you live in Utah, but it all worked out. My mom is a great wedding planner!

Best moment: when Brady read a journal entry at the reception. It was so sweet.

Worst moment: when Chrissie sang the first verse and chorus of "God Bless the Broken Road" that lead into our first dance. What was I thinking? It is so difficult to sing on your wedding day! I applaud people who can pull it off. It takes some real talent, that I obviously don't have!
One thing I would change: the bridesmaid necklaces. I wanted to add a hint of green to the black and white, but we should have done pearls or something a little more classy looking. Courtney made that suggestion at the reception. Oh well. I was so glad Courtney was there for me. She was so helpful and made sure it was my day. Thanks Courtney!
I loved all the dancing at my wedding. We had the wedding couples first dance, the dance with our parents and a dance with the wedding party (this dance was mostly for Nessa and Colby who had little crushes on each other, emphasize HAD). How does that saying go... something blonde, something blue...

I also got to dance with my Dad. He is such a rocker, so I thought it would be more fitting to dance to a Van Halen song, "When It's Love." He got a real kick out of that! It was so much fun for our Daddy/Daughter dance.

My mother-in-law planned a great reception in Sandy after our honeymoon. It was another opportunity to dress up and see friends and family in Utah. Thanks Daryl! People still tell me how good the crepe bar was!
I can't believe it has been nearly three years! Crazy. Time flies. Our wedding day was a great start to a great marriage. Brady and I have been through a lot since we got married, but we love learning more about each other and learning how to love one another every day.

Class Party

2008-02-20T19:21:00.009-05:00

Since September, I have been teaching Sunday School to all the youth in the Boston Haitian Branch. There are about 20 of them and most of them come every Sunday. They all speak English, so naturally, while Brady is busy in the branch clerk's office, this was the best class for me to attend while we are called as service missionaries.

The youth have been talking about getting together for a class party since before Christmas, so Brady and I finally picked a date and had them all over to our place last Saturday. I underestimated the challenge of getting us all together. These kids live so far apart, but they all made the effort to come to our place, some traveling over an hour on the trains of Boston. Few of them drive and few of their parents would drive them, but they love getting together since they don't have activities with both young men and young women too often. They all go to different high schools in the greater Boston area so they love being able to be with each other outside of church. They are such a tight group and get along really well with each other. This is cool since their ages range from 12-18 years old. There is such a different dynamic with this group than with any other youth group I know. They don't take each other or the gospel for granted. They are so much fun to teach and to hang out with. They have been talking about trying sushi, so we had a sushi party. Most of them had never had it before, and some of them will never try it again! We also had tons of pizza and snacks to eat. We played several games, including my favorite game Celebrity. I was not surprised that the celebrities they picked were mostly African American, and if they chose a white celebrity, they would point to Brady or me to help their team guess who it was! I think Beyonce was in the bowl 10 times, clue word "Bootylicious." We also watched Transformers. We drove most of them home that night to make sure they all got home safely. Brady and I finally got home at 1:00 am. It took a long time to get them all home, but most parents didn't mind. I think the party was a hit because it was all they wanted to talk about in class the next day.

"Too Serious!"- I learned a new phrase from my student Woody. He kept saying "too serious!" Let me put it in a sentence for you. "I am too serious with this game right now." The phrase can describe a person or a thing, i.e., "This movie is too serious." The meaning of serious doesn't mean that it took deep thought or concentration, but it actually is just another way of saying you are way into something. It was a crack up to hear the kids use it over and over. When I realized it was a good thing, I felt cool when they would say the party was "too serious."
I love serving these kids. We have had some really special moments as we study the gospel together, and I am glad we had a chance to socialize outside of the church classroom.

Car Show!

2008-02-13T17:52:00.003-05:00

I found these great pictures of the car show and wanted to add them to our blog. We went a month or so ago. I have to admit, I had a really good time. Brady was in heaven. He loves cars. He gets really excited when he sees a nice car. Our blog would not be complete without some pictures of some hot muscle cars. My favorite was the mini cooper! I hope we can get one of those one day. I also liked the new BMW 1 Series. Oh, and the Ferrari's weren't bad either!

My Picture With Mitt

2008-02-13T16:56:00.005-05:00

Well I finally got to meet the man I have been working for for the past four months. I missed the official headquarters picture day on Tuesday, so my friend Liz told me she would help me get a picture with Mitt today. I went into the office and brought my camera. I was all ready to go to his office, I was just waiting for the que from Mitt's assistant. All the sudden a familiar voice says to my friend, "Have you seen Spencer, I'm looking for Spencer." Liz says no, but she asks me if I have my camera and then asks Mitt if he would mind taking a picture with me since I missed the photo op yesterday. We stood up against the nice white wall and took the picture. He offered to sign some things for me, so I had him sign two Mitt Romney water bottles that I had. He said that it is hard to see the signature on the bottles, so he said he would sign a copy of The National Review, the one he was on the cover of. And then he left. It was brief and impersonable, but atleast I got to meet him and have some signed swag to cherish from this whole experience. A few minutes later, his secretary came in with a signed magazine, just like he said. Thanks Mitt! And thanks Liz, for making sure I got a chance to finally meet him!

The New Do!

2008-02-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

I finally did it! I got my hair done! Ever since I moved to Boston, I have had such a hard time getting my hair done. For one thing, it is so expensive to get your hair done out here. I admit, I was spoiled for so long with cheap rates in Provo at the Paul Mitchell School, and then when Nessa got her license, I would always get her to do my hair everytime I was home. But for the last two years, I have had to find someone good to go to who is reasonably priced. It has been a difficult thing. Plus finding the time to get it done has been struggle as well.

Since it has been so long since my last visit to a salon, I decided to go all out and go for a totally new look. I cut off about six inches, got more highlights and added some bangs. I found a great stylist just down the street from my apartment. Her name is Rachel, and she owned it. She did a great job, was quick and efficient, but didn't rush the experience. The salon was pretty nice. I found this interesting: there was a seperate girl who rinsed and washed my hair for me. My stylist didn't wash my hair, but a special shampoo girl did! Delaria's in Coolidge Corner is a good place and I will totally go back there again to go to Rachel.

Ok, so here is the awkward part. Tell me what you really think. Does it look alright? I am getting used to having bangs. I haven't had bangs this thick since the sixth grade! They may look better once they are a little grown out, although Rachel said she would give me free bang trim anytime!

Big Bummer

2008-02-12T12:25:00.001-05:00

For the last four months I have been a full time intern for Mitt Romney's campaign. Now that he has suspended his campaign, I can openly blog about it and not get in trouble. I had such a great experience. I was volunteering in the finance department and helping to fundraise for the campaign in many different ways. I got to be the director of Women for Mitt and work with incredible ladies who loved Mitt and his conservative principles. I also got to help prepare for and work at the National Call Day back in January where top donors came to Boston and raised over 5 million dollars for the campaign (and that was after getting a "silver" in the Iowa and New Hampshire Primaries). I got to help in many other ways, including making phone calls and going door to door to get out the vote, but I was so thankful to have the opportunity to do a little bit more than the average volunteer. I got to see Mitt on a few occasions and hear him address the issues our country is facing. He is a wonderful man who has dedicated several years of his life to public service. He is so qualified to lead this country. I appreciate the stand that he has taken for conservative principles. I am sad to see the campaign come to a close. It will be interesting to watch Mitt and see what he goes on to do next.

If you have not had a chance to listen to or read his speech he gave last Thursday at CPAC, you really ought to. It was the best speech I have ever heard! Mitt had a three legged platform that he always talked about during his presidential race. He would talk about the three legs of a stool, and if all three legs were not strong, the stool would fall over. Just like a stool, our country has three specific areas that need to be strong to keep it from falling over. America needs a strong military, a strong economy, and strong families to keep it from falling. He talked about each one of these areas on Thursday. Out of all the speeches I heard him give, he seemed the most comfortable and the most passionate at CPAC. It is a shame the race didn't pan out differently, and more in his favor, but he still has time to make a difference. Good job Mitt! Hope to see you give it another shot in 4 years!

Here are some pictures of Mitt and me at the Super Tuesday Rally in Boston.

Sick on Sunday

2008-02-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I am sick at home. I came down with a bad cold this week that turned into a terrible stomach flu all the sudden yesterday. I never miss church, but after losing everything I ate yesterday, I just didn't have the strength to make it today, and no it is not because of the Super Bowl. I am just taking it easy here at home today while Brady is at church. I missed teaching my Haitian youth Sunday school class in the branch today. And I missed teaching my Relief Society lesson. Plus we had a new sister getting baptized after church today. I am so bummed. But I had some oatmeal for breakfast and I am already thinking about eating something for lunch, so it looks like I will be back to my old self again. I hate being sick. I ate it because I feel like I miss out on life when I am confined to my bed. But I am thankful I had a weekend to recooperate, and catch up on some blogs!

Yesterday, Brady and I watched President Hinckley's funeral online. I was in and out of the bathroom the whole time, but I was so moved by the spirit regardless of how sick I felt. I really love President Hinckley. He was the prophet of my youth. I am sad that he is gone now. I looked forward to hearing his voice every general conference. When the funeral started, and everyone walked into the confernce hall, and Presidnet Hinckley was not there, the reality of it all hit me. I wept through most of the funeral messgaes. It was so neat to hear all about this wonderful man. I read his biography by Sheri Dew this last year. I knew alot of the stories that were shared. I am glad I had that insight into his life. He really was a special servant of the Lord, prepared and groomed for years to hold the position of president and prophet of the church. He knew the church better than anyone else. And he knew the spirit and the Lord better than anyone else. He was a tremendous leader.

I was fortunate to have an opportunity to meet him when I was a student leader at BYU. We presented a book of student's experiences and testimonies from The Book of Mormon challenege he gave in 2005. It was a brief 15 minutes with him in his office, but it was the greatest experience. I will never forget his soft hand shake, his sparkling blue eyes, and the look of love and appreciation that showed on his face as he thought of the BYU students. I didn't get to say much to him, but I did tell him how much we love him. I am glad I told him that. Here are some pictures that his secretary took of us that day.

I Belong in New York City??!!!

2008-02-03T11:54:00.000-05:00

You Belong in New York City

You're the energetic, ambitious type.
And only NYC is fast enough for you.
Maybe you'll set yourself up with a killer career
Or simply take in all the city has to offer.

What City Do You Belong In?

I took this quiz I found on a friends blog. It is like one of those Teen Magazine quizes we all used to take to find out something we didn't know about ourselves. After answering the questions, it told me I belong in New York Ciy. I had to laugh. Living in Boston has really turned me into a city gal. I love living in a big city. At first I hated it. It was so hard to find my way around and there were so many people all living on top of each other in shabby apartments. But now, city life is so much fun, you just have to learn how to get along. For me, I had to leave all your west coast inhabitions behind and try and adapt to a new way of life. It was difficult to do, but it can be fabulous oce you get used to it all.

I do have moments when I miss the easy way of life in a suburban area. Ever since we moved closer to the city, we had to deal with complications of parking our car somewhere. In our town of Brookline, you are not allowed to park your car on the street over night. So we rented an over-night parking space a few blocks from our house. When I was driving to work for the first couple of months, it was no problem. I had a place to park from 5 at night until 8 the next morning. But when I quit my job, we had to move our car from the rented night time spot and park it on the street. It doesn't sound so bad, but to ensure that we got a spot on the street, we had to wake up at 6:00am to move it, every week day! This got pretty old. Then one day, I got home from work (I commute on the train into downtown now) and we had a parking ticket on our car. The ticket said we had violated the law of parking for more than two hours on the street. Turns out, you are only allowed to park on the street in our town for two hours max. We had parked on the street every day for the last two months and never gotten a ticket. I figured we would only get a $30 ticket every once in a while, but we were already paying $95 a month for our overnight spot. I didn't want to pay more for parking tickets. I was thinking about looking for a spot we can park the car for 24 hours a day and just pay a royal fee. I had never been so motivated untilt this last week. I got home from work, and my car was gone. I called the police department to tell them about my missing car. The secretary told me that today they had called a "snow emergency" and when they call a snow emergency, all cars need to be off the road so the plows and come through and clean up the streets. She proceeded to tell me my car was towed and I need to come down and get a release from the police station for my vehicle, and then go pick it up from the tow company. Brady was still at work and I couldn't reach any of my friends, so I walked to the police station. Then I jumped on the train and took it out to the burbs where my car had been towed. I had to walk about 20 minutes from the T stop to where my car was parked. I get to the lot, and the guy running the tow operation tells me they moved my car to Watertown, which is 20 minutes from there driving. He asked me if I had a way to get there and I told him no because my car was towed! I was so mad. He could tell I was frustrated and he offered me a ride with the tow truck. After I made sure it was safe, I jumped in the tow truck and rode around for nearly an hour with the tow guy, Bill. We had a pleasant visit. His kindess was the only saving grace of this whole dilemma. We talked about New England sports, politics, California, who knows what else. He took me to my car and even helped me scrape off all the snow. After paying $110, I had my car back and I made it home at 10:30pm. I jumped immediately on Craig's list to find a 24/7 parking spot to rent. I found one right outside my back door. It is perfect. We had to pay four months worth of rent upfront for it, but we even got it before February 1st so I didn't have to worry about any more parking tickets or emergency snow days! City living is great, if you can afford a poshe garage to park your car in. I am happy with my spot though. I love getting an extra hour of sleep in the morning and not having to move my car on cold snowy mornings. I have a new piece of mind now that I don't have to worry about my car. I know, we should have just bit the bullet and found a 24/7 spot from the beginning. That's what we get for being cheap, I guess. But now, it is worth every dollar!

Holidays with the ones we love

2008-01-30T22:37:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a month since Christmas and two months since Thanksgiving, but I was so busy then that I never got to post pictures from the holidays.

Brady and I hosted our first Thanksgiving with the Broadbents. I was so proud of making my first Thanksgiving dinner. I have a list of people to thank in the spirit of Thanks giving. Thanks to Daryl, my mother-in-law, for her expertise in helping me pull it all off; thanks to my sister Jessica, my cousin Katherine, my mom, and my Aunti Di for sharing their great recipes with me and anaswering any questions I had day of; thanks to Real Simple Magazine for making me believe I could do a Thanksgiving dinner and keep it simple; thanks to Austen, Val, Gracee and Ellie for making the trek to Boston from Phillie, we had so much fun the family here; thanks to Tom, my father-in-law, for making me feel like a million bucks by saying how good everyting tasted. And thanks to Brady for putting up with my grocery shopping trips and planning antics!

Christmas we spent on the East Coast this year. We drove down on Christmas Eve to Jessica and Brian's place in Virginia. We had so much fun playing with Jenna and visiting with Brian and Jay. Jay made Christmas perfect. She is such a good cook and homemaker. We really enjoyed our stay. It was nice to relax, watch movies, and play. Brady especially loved his introduction to Fusion Frenzy on XBOX (I love the fact that Brady is not a huge video-game addict, but he really likes playing them when he gets the chance).

We drove back through Phillie and stayed with Austen and Val for a few days as well. We had a blast playing with Gracee and Ellie. Those girls love their uncle Brady so much! We checked out the King of Prussia Mall, second largest mall in America, we toured Valley Forge, and we got to see the Amish country. It was a great trip. Thanks to our siblings and their spouses for letting us come and enjoy the holidays with you. We love you guys, we love our neices, and we look forward to seeing you guys again soon!

New York with the Laytons

2008-01-19T19:55:00.001-05:00

So now that you've seen the pictures from our great trip to New York, I'll tell you a little bit about it. We basically crammed as much New York City tourist attractions into two and half days. This was my first trip to the Big Apple and it was so much fun. We went with our good friends, the Laytons, Jared, Teresa and Tally. They had vouchers to stay at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square. We drove right into the city, thanks to our new GPS system, and parked at the hotel. We walked and took the subway for the next two days. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon, we walked around Times Square and down Broadway. It was pouring rain, so we ducked in and out of stores. We spent a lot of time in the Toys R Us, and the Laytons road on the indoor ferris wheel. We also had a celebrity encounter with soap star and Dancing with the Stars contestant, Cameron Mathison. Next, we went to the giant Macy's on Broadway and 34th Street and enjoyed shopping through the levels of clothes and shoes. We also enjoyed the Starbucks on each floor. We fell in love with the carmel apple spice ciders with whipe cream. Yummy!

Later that night we walked over to Rockefeller Center and saw the big beautiful tree all lit up and decorated. It stands above the ice rink by a becautiful plaza, lined with sparkling angel statues blowing their golden horns. On the far end of the plaza stands Sachs Fifth Avenue covered in lit snowflakes that put on a light show to "Carol of the Bells." Sachs (and Macy's) has decorated windows that tell a fun Christmas tale. This had to be my most favorite part of Manhattan at Christmas time. It is Disneyland for grown ups!

The next morning we took the subway down to ground zero. I could not believe I was standing where the World Trade Center once stood. The buildings surrounding the site had marks left from falling debris. There are a few monuments and a list of names of people who died on September 11, 2001. The deep construction hole covers an entire block. It is gated off and drills can be heard. You can peek through a chain link fence on one side of the block and see what the workers are doing. It has been over six years since that tragic day, and while it seems like the progress is slow on new development, the foundation for a new World Trade Center is being created. We saw the sphere that once stood in the plaza between the two World Trade Towers. The statue now stands in Battery Park by where you take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The Sphere represents world peace. The statue was damaged by the terrorist attacks, but it still stands today as an icon of hope for the indestructible spirit of America.

To continue with this patriotic theme, we visited Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty. She is as majestic as I imagined she would be. We only toured the grounds of the statue, but I was amazed by the beauty and grace nontheless. Maybe someday I will get to tour the inside of the statue and base. We spent an hour or so at Elis Island and learned about the immigrants and immigration process of America. I did not realize all that went into immigration in the late 1800's to the early 1900's. It was fascinating. I would like to study more on this topic.

We stopped for lunch in Little Italy. I tried veal for the first time. Veal always sounds cool in the movies, but I thought it was disgusting, and when I realized that it is baby cow meat, I was even more horrified. That didn't stop me from splurging on some delicious Italian pastries after lunch. They were delicious!

Next stop was the Empire State Building. We waited in line for about an hour and half, Brady and I. We rode the elevator all the way to the top floors and looked out over New York City at night time. It was breath taking; not only were the views tremendous, but it was freezing cold, and when the wind blew it really took your breath away. But I was so glad we waited and froze to death on top. It was the highlight of my trip. Especially the ride down in the elevator (wink, wink). We walked 5th Avenue and made some great stops along the way in my favorite retail stores. We met up with the Laytons in FAO Schwartz and played with all the toys there for another hour.

Saturday we walked through the brisk air in Central Park. We only got through the lower south side of the park, but I managed to see the places I wanted to from all my favorite movies. We watched the ice skaters slowly glide around body to body. Then we walked back to our great hotel and drove home. It was a short, but fabulous trip. I can't wait to go back. I want to try some delicious restaurants next time, do more shopping of course, and see a Broadway show on Broadway! Hopefully we can see New York City in the Sping! Thanks to our great friends, the Layotns for planning this trip and sharing their hotel vouchers with us! It was the best trip of the year!

I'm an Aunt, Again!

2008-01-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

The good news is out! My sister Jessica just had her second baby this morning! She had another baby girl...stil not named. I am at work just waiting for a call to hear an update, but I talked to my mom this morning who spoke to my brother-in-law Brian. Brian said Jay went into labor last night at 10:30 and had the baby around 9:30 this morning. The baby is three weeks early, but weighs well over 7 pounds and is healthy. Jay is doing great, although she is stressed because she was not ready. We all were expecting the baby to come closer to her due date, obviously, on February 4th. But Jenna came early too so we should have been expecting it. And another interesting tid bit, Jenna was born July 15th, and the new baby was born today, January 15th! Exactly two and half years apart. That will make remembering birthdays easy on the favorite aunt! I can't wait to see and hear more about the baby. I am curous to see how Jenna is going to respond to a new sister. And I can't wait until the gave her a name so I don't have to refer to her as "the baby." Hopefully I can get down to see her soon. I am already checking Jet Blue flights! Congratulations Jay and Brian! Personally, I think the second child is always the coolest, especially when she is the second girl! I think I am going to like this new baby! I love my Jenna. It will be interesting to see how you can love another baby just as much as you love the first.

Sorry I have been such a bad blogger lately. I promise to get posts up about our first Thanksgiving, our trip to NYC, and Christmas. Plus I have a good snow story for everyone who has heard we got burried yesterday. Got to love those "New Easters!" I'll be back with all the juicy updates so stay posted!

Sweet Caroline!

2007-10-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

They did it! The Boston Red Sox won the World Series! I must say I am pretty excited about it. Even though I have been an Angels fan my whole life, it is hard to live in Boston and not catch the Red Sox fever. This is the second time in four years that they have a won the World Series, and many are saying that this might be the beginning of a new baseball dynasty. The team this year was the perfect mix of older veterans, younger players, and rookies, and the younger players might be around for a long time, leading the team to many more victories. They are a perfect blend of dynamic pitching and stong hitting.

Some of you may be reading this disappointed because you wanted to see the Rockies capture their first World Series title, but remember, before the Sox won in 2004, it had been 86 years since they had won a World Series. Yes, the great curse of the Big Bambino was broken. Now they could have several more years of championships, unless they make another mistake and let Lowell go, or sign A-Rod. They are a pretty supersticious team ya know.

Speaking of the dynamic pitching, last November, the Red Sox purchased Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Japenese pitcher and MVP of the 2006 World Baseball Classic . They won the bidding war by paying over $51 million to speak with him and his agent. Dice-K (his name has since been Americanized) signed a six-year contract with the Red Sox worth up to $60 million if he fulfills incentives. He got a $2 million signing bonus and $6 million for this year. I was interning with Channel 5 here in Boston when the Dice-K buzz was going around, so it has been fun to follow him this year.

In May, we had some friends come out to visit and go to the Red Sox games. Troy and Erin lived below us in our first married apartment in Provo, and they are the biggest Red Sox fans we know. They got to go to two games while they were here. One of the games got rained out, so we picked them up and took them to dinner out where we lived in Chestnut Hill. We went to Legal Seafood, an East Coast favorite (if it's not fresh, it's not Legal). We had a quick wait and got seated at a really nice booth enclosed by glass in the center of the restaurant. The host told us that Dice-K and his family were here in the restaurant. Troy started freaking out! He was so excited he just could not believe it. I started to look around and noticed the family sitting right next to us was Japanese. I realized that Dice-K was sitting right there with his mom, dad, translator, wife, and little girl! We were so excited we could hardly order. Troy remembered he had baseballs in his bag in the car. He ran out to the car and came back holding two balls and a permanent marker. While we sat there plotting how we were going to get Dice-K to sign the balls, his little girl, who was about 1 1/2 years old, came over and started playing with my red purse. I started playing with her. His wife then came over and started talking to me. We asked her if her husband would be interested in signing some baseballs for us. She said he would when he finished eating. A few minutes later, his daughter came back over to play. I looked at his wife and she said to me, "she wants your baseball." We gave his daughter one ball and the permanent marker and she walked it over to her dad. Dice-K turned around and smiled at us and signed one. She brought it back to us and we gave her the other that she carried to her dad to sign. She was so cute, and that moment was so awesome. We asked Dice-K if we could take a picture with him, and he said no. He waved goodbye to us, and Troy got to touch his pitching arm. Troy was kind enough to give us one of the baseballs. It is in a glass case on our book shelf. This goes down as my all time favorite Boston memory!

So today I am at work reading baseball stats and singing "Sweet Caroline, (whoa, whoa, whoa) good times never seemed so good (so good, so good, so good) I've been inclined (whoa, whoa, whoa) to believe they never would..."

Trip to DC

2007-10-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

I got to go and visit my sister Jessica, her husband Brian and their daughter Jenna this last weekend. My mom flew me down because she and my dad were going to DC as well. It was so great to be all together just for the fun of it. It was the best trip, besides the fact that I came down with a really bad cold. I flew donw on Thursday night and Jenna and Jay came and picked me up from the airport. It made me so happy to see Jenna, and she was excited to see me. On the way home in the car, she told Jay to watch where she was going when she was driving. She is so hilarious. She talks so well for a two year old and says the funniest things. I got to play with her in little tent and she read me some books. "Hurry, Hurry" is my favorite, and she knows the whole thing by heart.

We got to go to the pumpkin patch on Friday. We saw all kinds of animals and rode on the tractor. My favorite was playing with Jenna on this giant bouncy blob called the pumpkin pillow. A little girl showed Jenna how much fun it is to roll down the side of the blob into the hay. Jenna gave it a try, but she couldn't roll over, so she slid on her tummy all the way down. We played ring-around-the-rosies and bounced around. It was a riot. We also went down the giant tunnel slide together. She has no fear. I felt like a kid again. It was a blast!

Saturday, my dad took us on a drive to Annapolis and St. Michaels, Maryland. We first checked out the state house and the small city. It was such a nice day to walk around the naval academy. We saw a beautiful cathedral. The campus was very well kept. We drove across the bridge above the beautiful Chesapeake Bay to St. Michaels. We ate fresh shrimp and crabs, a favorite Maryland pastime, and enjoyed some yummy icecream.

Sunday was a nice day to relax and go to church. I had a great chance to visit with my wise parents. They always give me the best advice and make me feel like I can conquer my fears and overcome all my troubles. I have been so blessed with the best parents ever! I love them so much, even if Jenna likes grandma and grandpy more than she likes her aunti chrissie.

Monday morning, I woke up realizing I set my alarm to wake up late to catch my flight. My dad rushed me to the airport. I ran to the gate, but I missed it by 10 minutes. I got to eat breakfast with my dad in the airport, and then I caught the next flight coming back to Boston. I lucked out and got the last seat. I was so sick that I stayed home from work anyway, but missing a flight is kind of stressful. I had never missed one before.

I love my sister Jay. She is so much fun to be around. She is pregnant with her second daughter and due the end of January. I am so excited for her and to have another neice. She is a great hostess and a great friend!

Teen Witch

2007-10-20T22:57:00.000-04:00

I had a pretty lazy Saturday afternoon. I was taking it easy relaxing on the couch, when I turned on the TV and started flipping channels. I stopped when I saw a familiar scene from one of the best 80's movies ever, Teen Witch! I had to watch it, and with Brady gone, there was nobody around to tell me otherwise. First of all, let me say, I love 80's teen movies. There is something about the music, the clothing, the way they depict high school,the weird story lines and empty plots that just enthrall me. After watching, I had so many thoughts about the movie and nobody to express them to, so I decided to blog about it.
If you have never seen Teen Witch, it is about a nerdy girl who is in love with the most popular guy in school who doesn't know she exists (sounds like a lot of other 80's favorites already). She comes into contact with a psychic woman who tells her she has special powers that will become available to her on her 16th birthday. Once she is 16, Louise discovers that she can get whatever she wishes. After testing her spells out on the weather, the popular girls, and her annoying little brother, she casts a spell on herself to be the most popular girl in high school. Brad, the football team captain falls in love with her, but Louise is not satisfied with the fact that Brad only likes her because she is popular. She puts his love to the test and in the end discovers that he really is in love with her and not under her spell. Totally cheesy I know, but it teaches some good lessons:
1. It's tough being the most popular girl.
2. High school teachers can be real jerks.
3. When Sperky Sperm reaches Edna the Egg, they make a baby.
4. The power is in the word, so be careful what you say (this is kinda deep)
5. Anything can happen
6. Men are like another species; they are really hard to get through to
7. Be yourself
8. Popularity doesn't bring happiness
9. Falling in love for reals is more than just a trick
10. The price of fame and fortune is to be envied, copied, and then discarded
11. It doesn't matter how other people see you, what matters is how you see yourself
12. The real magic is believing in yourself; if you can do that, you can make anything happen!

Such great words of wisdom. Besides picking up on these lessons of life, I realized that there are many recurring themes or ideas that are in several of my favorite 80's films. 80's movies tend to have:

1. Clueless parents
2. An annoying little brother who reads his sister's diary
3. Popular girls in the 80's had big frowy hair, lots of makeup and wear really short skirts
4. The character scores back stage passes to their favorite singer's concert
5. The good supportive girlfriend that struggles to see her friend getting more popular than her
6. The hottest guy that drives a sweet convertible
7. Everyone knows the same dance at high school dances
8. Rap is on the rise, i.e. Top That, need I say more
9. The best pop music and sound track that makes you feel like you are watching a musical

Gotta love 80's movies! Check out this clip. The dancing in the end is my favorite. I think I tried to do the turn into the locking arms with my sister and cousins before. If you so venture, the complete movie is broken down into ten 9:00 clips on You Tube. Check it out.

Teen Witch: My Finest Hour

2007-10-20T22:17:00.001-04:00

Thank goodness for Columbus Day and Mitt Romney!

2007-10-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, he found America while looking for another way, and now in October we have a holiday.

My freshman roommate from college, Sarah Stevenson, came to Boston this weekend with her sister and a roommate she lives with in DC. Monday was Columbus Day. I have never had Columbus Day off before, so I was really pumped to have the day to spend with my sweet friend. We met downtown and followed some of the historic Freedom Trail together, then we grabbed some food in the North End, which is notorious for it's delicious Italian Cuisine(especially the pastries!). Another past roommate of Sarah's joined us for lunch. It turns out that Kim is an intern for the Mitt Romney campaign. She works with my friend Mason in finance and fundraising. After lunch, she took us to the Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign Headquarters. They have a great building in the North End on the water. We walked around the headquarters, and visited with my friends Mason and Spencer. The office was full of people, several floors of people who work on all aspects of the campaign. Although we did not get to see Mitt himself, we saw several pictures of him and his family. In fact, every wall in the entire office building had a picture of Mitt on it. This unexpected HQ tour was the ULTIMITT!
I have been following Mitt's presidential campaign all year. His campaign has so much momentum, and Mitt is leading the polls in the first two primary election states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Governor Romney also won the Iowa Straw Poll, that helps to determine the leader for the Republican Party and often foreshadows the outcome of the primary election. Governor Mitt Romney is the best presidential candidate out there. Visit his website and learn more about him, his values, his family, and his plans for leading America- www.mittromney.com/. His sons' blog is great fun to read as well. http://fivebrothers.mittromney.com/. It gives you some insight into his family and life on the campaign trail. His wife Ann has a new blog as well. She posts Romney recipes on it (Katherine might like this one)www.mittromney.com/Ann-Romney/. This is not a political blog, and most people who read my blog are mostly Romney supporters anyway, I just wanted to brag about getting to go to the campaign headquarters! But 2008 is sneaking up on us quickly, and the first primary elections start the beginning of January. Now is the time to stand behind Governor Romney and give him the most support we can offer. God bless America, and God bless Mitt Romney.

Gypsy

2007-10-05T16:17:00.001-04:00

Last night I went to see my good friend Lauren in a play called Gypsy. Lauren is a senior at the Boston Conservatory and is studying music, dance and theater. She is super talented and just the cutest thing ever (this is her picture, she is the one with blond wig and pink dress on). I have been meaning to see her perform for a long time, and last night it just worked out that Brady was busy and I could go. I didn't really look into what the play was about. I just knew it was a musical, and I love musicals. I bought my ticket for a seat right in the front row. I wandered around the little town of Stoneham, MA and had dinner at an Indian Bistro across the street from the theater, YUMMY!
The play was really cute at the start. A mother, named Rose, pushes her two daughters to be Vaudeville performers, like she always dreamed of being but never was. One of the girls, June, has more talent and charisma than the other, Louise. Rose gets them opportunities to perform, comes up with the acts and costumes. They do the same cute act for years and the girls get older. June gets tired of the same old act and the stubborn, pushy mother, and decides to run away and marry a boy she had been performing with. My friend Lauren played June, or Dainty June is what they called her. She was really good!
The second act took a turn for the worst, and Lauren was no longer a part of the show. With Dainty June out of the picture, Louise was forced into the spotlight by her mother. The act she puts together was not very good, and her agent lined up a last-ditch effort at a theater of burlesque. What is burlesque you might ask, well to put it bluntly, it means stripping! Louise becomes a star, just like her mother wanted, but she becomes a famous stripper! Yikes. It is a good thing they didn't show anything, but all the sudden my seat in the front row was an awkward place to sit. I was so embarrassed. So Louise became known as Miss Gypsy Rose Lee, the most famous stripper of her time. She made millions of dollars and was a sexual icon for the 1930's (true story). I was thinking gypsy was about someone like Esmerelda or the gypsies in Babes in Toyland. I should have done more research on the performance.But I felt better knowing I was able to go and support my friend, who luckily had the most respectable part in the show. (Don't be fooled by her patriotism, the girl in the Uncle Sam costume becomes the naughty stripper).

This one's for Jay

2007-10-03T12:48:00.000-04:00

Not much to write about. Today I went to work, came home, did some Relief Society stuff, ironed, and that's about it.

Our first blog

2007-08-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

Brady,

You have wanted us to have a blog ever since we got married. It has only taken me two years to get things going, but now we have one! Happy Anniversary! These last two years have been filled with so much love and many cherished memories. I can't wait to keep track of all that happens to us this next year on our new blog! We'll start with this great weekend you planned for us to celebrate our two years of marriage. I love you sweetie.

Going to the beach

2007-08-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

We had one California beach day together this year! It was a fun time with the Sants and the Warners at Newport Beach. Brady and I went on a nice walk and had fun playing in the ocean with all our cousins. It reminded me of when I went to the beach with the Warners when we were little kids. This time Brady was there! It was so much fun.