Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Last Thursday, September 24, was Josh's 24th birthday. He ended up having to work, but I was able to take the day off, and had a great time trying to make it a fun day for him. I love being a wife and spoiling my husband!

We woke up together and had breakfast and I gave him his first present: a box of .223 ammunition. As you all know, my husband loves guns and the number one thing on his birthday list was ammunition. As a girl, I couldn't just get him the ammunition (what kind of a birthday present is that?) so he had a few other surprises throughout the day.


Josh works at American Express and I had never been to his office, so we decided to have lunch together that day. I picked up some fast food and also brought him balloons and cookies. Because of security I wasn't able to see his desk, but I was able to see the main hall, lobby and cafeteria. Before I could even get in to these I had to sign in and put on a "visitor" badge and the security guard had to let me in.



We decided to eat lunch beside a beautiful pond that is outside of the cafeteria. It was such a peaceful place-like a little oasis in the middle of a busy city. Several trees surrounding the pond almost completely block out the sights and sounds of I-215 which is just behind the grounds of American Express. Several ducks and geese live on an island in the middle of the pond and it was the perfect spot to eat lunch on a fall afternoon!


After lunch, I headed to Comcast to get another remote as ours hadn't been working very well. We had needed one for awhile, and I know that Josh doesn't like to stand in line waiting, so I decided to make it a fun birthday surprise. I also decorated the apartment and picked up a cake the "cake lady" had made. Brenda Chance is the "cake lady" and she does a fabulous job making and decorating cakes! She also decorated a cake for Josh last year on his birthday. We were only dating at the time, but I wanted to do something special for him and had a Superman cake made.


Josh had decided that he wanted to pick up dinner and bring it home to eat while we watched a movie. So we ate chicken from KFC and watched "Chicago". After dinner Josh opened his last present: a necklace he had seen at a street fair we went to a couple weeks ago. That necklace was too small, so I collaborated with the amazing lady who makes the jewelry, and she was able to make another one that was longer. It turned out really neat and Josh really likes it. He's worn it every day since.

Last, but not least, was the cake and ice cream. Josh blew out the candles and made a wish after I sang "Happy Birthday" to him. The cake was german chocolate and it was so good! The decorations are all edible and Josh tried one of the bullet casings, but said it wasn't too good.


I hope Josh had a wonderful day and that this year is one of the best ever! I also wish him many more in the years to come! Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Outdoor Adventures

About a week after our first successful hike, we decided to venture out on another one. We invited our friends, Matt and Christy, to go with us to the living room which is located behind the University of Utah. There's an area where someone has carved a table and chairs out of rock that you can overlook the valley and view the sunset. We took a picnic dinner with us and were ready to discover this new trail.

Well, we didn't quite make it to the living room. Our guide book wasn't very clear and there were several trails that intersected with the main one, so we had a hard time deciding where we needed to go. We asked for directions from another couple enjoying the mountain and still ended up on the peak just across from where we wanted to be. We could see the living room, but as it was getting dark, we decided to stay where we were and have dinner and enjoy the sunset from there.

While the smart and beautiful wives were making dinner, the silly and adventurous husbands decided to scramble up the rock face close to where we stopped. Here's a picture Josh took from their extremely high vantage point (the pink and green dots are Christy and I). We were worried about the boys falling off the cliff, but thankfully our husbands were sure-footed and our worries were for nothing.

While eating dinner, we watched the sun set over the valley. It was so beautiful! The night was so romantic and we all enjoyed our night time foray into the mountains.


The following week we went on another hike. (I'm proud of us for being so athletic. Lol!) This time we went up into the Uintah's with my dad. He had invited all of my family but Josh and I were the only ones who didn't cancel on him. The rest of my family definitely missed out! We hiked to Notch Lake which is by Bald Mountain. It was 5 miles round trip and was a tough terrain of rocks, trees and sand. It was also very beautiful. Once we reached the lake we plopped on the ground to enjoy lunch and the peaceful scenery.


I really enjoyed this hike until we started hiking back to the car. Little did I know that we actually descended in altitude on our journey to the lake and the hike back was all up hill. It was actually really fun, but I was breathing much harder on the way out!

Hiking and Camping

About a week ago, we bought a guide book for the best day hikes around Salt Lake City and yesterday we ventured out on our first hike. We went to the top of Ensign Peak, the knob directly north of the state capitol where Brigham Young and eight other men climbed to survey their new home. The trail head is a memorial to these men and displays plaques that give the history of this location.

We decided to wear jeans and boots since it had rained earlier that day and we thought it would be muddy and cold. Boy were we wrong; it was hot and not muddy at all. But even though we sweated a little more than we needed too, we had a great time.

The trail isn't very long-only 1 mile out and back-but it is steep and ascends 400 feet pretty quickly. The view from the top is incredible! You can see the entire valley with the capitol building in the center. There was a cute, old couple already at the top and they had brought binoculars so they could see all of the temples in the valley. Josh and I both decided that we would still like to be hiking when we're as old as they are.


At the top is a 15-foot rock marker with a historical plaque and other signs pointing out prominent sites in the valley. It is a fun little adventure for the day and if any of you want the same information, the book is called Best Easy Day Hikes Salt Lake City and we bought it at Barnes and Noble.


On the 24th of July we went camping with Josh's family at Mahogany Cove Campground on Beaver Mountain. We stayed the three day weekend and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fresh air of the mountains. Of course we took Big Blue and it did a great job. It seats 5, so Josh's mom, Kim, his brother, Nate, and Nate's friend, Josh, drove down with us. It took about three-and-a-half hours to get there and the campground had been reserved, so it was only our family. We were the second family to get up there and had our pick of the campsites. After picking the best one, we started setting up camp. I haven't been camping since my young women days, but I am happy to tell you that I can still set up a "mean" tent!


Okay, okay, I can't take all the credit because my sweet hubby helped. But I was pretty proud of myself. The experience was much better than my earlier camping days because we had a queen-size air mattress and a sleeping bag for two. It is so much easier to sleep when there aren't rocks sticking in your back! And the temperature was about 15 degrees cooler than in Salt Lake which was a welcome change.

The second day of our trip, we drove to a reservoir about an hour away. Those with licenses went fishing and I tried my hand at kayaking. I had done it before, but in a two-man kayak, and wasn't sure if I could keep a one-man kayak afloat. Thankfully there were no dunkings, and I absolutely loved it! The day was beautiful and I rowed the entire perimeter of the reservoir.


Kim and Nate also went kayaking and Josh helped those who were fishing, fix many snagged and knotted lines. But those diligent fishermen did a great job and caught seven rainbow trout which they later enjoyed chowing down on. Josh and I decided to wait for the dutch oven dinner being prepared and stuffed ourselves with delicious chicken, potatoes and apple crisp. Kim also made a salad out of Snicker's, pudding and apples. I know it sounds like a weird combination, but it was incredible!


That evening Josh and I took Nate and his friend, and Nate's cousin, Jordan, shooting. We had brought our 22-rifle and targets and Nate's friend had never been shooting before, so Josh had a great time being their teacher. All three boys had a fun time and took their targets home with them.

We had such a fun time and I know we'll be taking Big Blue out again so we can enjoy more of the beautiful nature in Utah. Here are some more pictures of the reservoir and our campsite.

The Wedding

On July 23rd my baby sister got married in the Draper temple. She was a beautiful bride and it was a perfect day! It started out early-Mary and Ryan got married at 9am. But what a perfect way to spend the morning. It was the first time Josh and I had been to a sealing since our own almost eight months ago, and it was so neat to hear the vows and covenants we had made to each other. I don't remember much of what was said that day, so it was nice when Mary's sealer explained the promises they would make before he sealed them together.

After the ceremony we took pictures on the temple grounds. The view from the temple is amazing! You can see the entire valley and if the tall buildings weren't surrounding it, you could see the Salt Lake as well as the Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples.


The little kids got bored as more and more time was spent in picture taking, so they started rolling down a hill close to the stairs we were using.


I had to take a picture of the groom and my own handsome husband. Josh introduced Mary and Ryan back in February. Mary had asked Josh if he knew of a guy who she would want to date, and he thought of Ryan who was a fellow student from the police academy. Ryan had gone to the singles ward with Josh and I before we got married and we knew he was a great guy. The two love-birds started texting before their first date and after meeting each other face-to-face could not be separated. It's such a cute love story and it's pretty cool having two cops in the family!


After the wedding we enjoyed a yummy luncheon at Mama's Plantation. It's a small restaurant in West Valley and we were the only customers during that lunch time. We sat around several tables shaped in a U and were served fried chicken, potato salad and all the fixin's.

The reception was held at my parents' stake center-the same place our reception was held at. More pictures were taken before the reception started. The one of the Mathis family is the cutest. Presley stole the show in her red and black tutu.


I ended up standing in line and had fun greeting Mary and Ryan's guests. While I was shaking hands, Josh was combing the cultural hall for people to go through the line and give condoms to the groom. He and his cohorts would palm a condom and when they got to Ryan, would shake his hand and make him take it. I don't know how many were distributed, but Ryan had two bulging jacket pockets before the night was over!

The cutest part of the night was when Ryan threw the garter. There were no single guys so our young nephews stood in line to catch the chance to become the next groom. Maclain, our sweet 2-and-a-half year old, was the lucky winner. I'm sure he won't be using it anytime soon!

A Truck and an Arrest Warrant

We are now the proud owners of a truck. We've been talking about buying one for a few months, and decided on our day off-July 3rd-to seriously look for one. Josh knew what he was looking for, so we drove up and down State Street looking at several dealerships. As soon as we drove this one, we knew it was the one. It's a 2001 GMC Sierra, four-door, short-bed. We've nicknamed it "Big Blue."

The next day we used it to deliver a birthday present to my mom. All of the kids got together and bought her a BBQ grill. It was great to not be dependent on other people to haul things around.

Later that day we took the truck to watch fireworks. We went to Wasatch Blvd and about 4500 South and parked by a small grassy area. Then we put our camping chairs in the bed and watched the sun set over the valley while enjoying dinner. Soon afterwards several fireworks shows began. We were able to see most of the valley from our vantage point and it was beautiful! It was the best fireworks show I've ever seen!

 

Yesterday we took the truck out for it's first real test. We drove to the top of Butterfield Canyon. We were above and behind the copper mine with the Salt Lake Valley in the distance. It's been several years since I've been up there and it is truly an awe-inspiring sight! We used the four-wheel drive and Big Blue didn't have any problems.


Now for the intriguing part of this blog. Thursday afternoon I got a call from Josh. He said that a certified letter had come for me and asked if he could open it. A few minutes later, he told me it was from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation stating that I could not receive a concealed weapons permit (I had applied for one earlier in the year) because there was an arrest warrant out for me. He said it was in West Valley and had been issued in June of 2008. As soon as I heard this, I totally freaked out and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. When I had regained my composure, I called West Valley and found that I had not fully paid a ticket I had received in 2006, so they had issued a warrant and now I would need to pay $258 to post bail. Josh had unknowingly married a criminal!


We raced to the court house as soon as I got off work. Of course Josh drove because as soon as the warrant was issued, my license had been suspended. How great is that?! I've been driving on a suspended license for a year!? I had heard nothing about owing more after I paid this ticket and thought it had been taken care of long before. The clerk we talked to said that we could contest the ticket or just pay it and have the warrant recalled. He also said that a letter had been mailed, but it was returned and they had stopped trying. We had decided to just pay the fine, but Josh asked to see the ticket before we did. When the clerk came out with the copy, he said that we were right and that I had paid the ticket. It had only been written for one violation-when the city thought it was two-and it had been taken care of three years before. The clerk apologized, saying that this type of mistake never happens. He then quickly had the warrant and the suspension revoked. He gave us a copy of these papers and I've been carrying them with me ever since. I want everyone to know that I am a law-abiding citizen!

Our Balcony Garden

In March Josh bought seeds and supplies so he could start a "greenhouse" in our spare bedroom. He set up a heat lamp above the dresser we keep in there and then potted seeds for flowers, tomatoes and herbs. He also bought a couple strawberry plants for me. We had had fresh strawberries when I was a little girl and I thought it would be fun to have them.

After our greenhouse was set up, Josh diligently watered and fed the seeds until green shoots started to appear. The plants grew quickly after that and it was exciting to see the difference from one day to the next. After we got back from Disneyland, Josh re-potted the plants and put them out on the balcony. A couple weeks later we had our first strawberry. It was small and tart but soo good! Josh was such a gentleman and let me enjoy the whole thing. He's so sweet!


Our herbs died while we were on vacation, but Josh replanted the seeds and now they're doing just fine.


He also strung twine around the posts of the patio, so the tomatoes would have something to grow up on. We planted some jelly bean and grape tomatoes and I was given a regular tomato plant for mother's day from our ward. All of the tomatoes are huge now, but have no flowers on them.

Officer Woodland

On April 30th, my wonderful husband graduated from the police academy. He started back in September at the police academy at SLCC, and continued to work part time as he attended classes in the evenings and on Saturdays. While we were dating, he would come over after class and many times fell asleep in my lap. :) Then the first four months of our marriage, we only saw each other in the mornings and late evenings, as he continued to pour his whole heart and soul into his studies. His face lit up each evening as he told me what he had learned and I even got to attend one class, which was to help the spouses not to worry too much about our officers when they took to the field.

The night of graduation, Josh looked so good in his uniform! The ceremony started out by each cadet pledging to the honor code of the police officer. It was so neat as it talked about how they would protect the community and keep themselves of the highest conduct. There were several speakers and then awards were given. Josh won the fastest shooter, which we knew he would, as it was a contest he had won earlier in the semester.

But the surprise of the evening was when he won the second award, the highest academic performance. He had no idea and neither did we. As soon as his name was called, the crowd erupted in cheers; no where louder than where his mom and I were sitting. We both started crying and I thought I would burst with how proud I was!

After the ceremony, a class picture was taken, which I've put at the end of this blog. With this economy, only a few cadets have been hired, and Josh is still looking. We've been praying and keeping our fingers crossed that he's able to be with a department in the valley. I know wherever he goes, he will be an amazing officer! He's been chomping at the bit ever since he graduated to get out and make a difference.

The other night, we decided we needed a place to put all of his police memorabilia, so we made a "police wall" in our front room. We bought a shelf to display his hat and awards and hung up the class picture and his certification. As you can all tell, I'm very proud of my husband and I hope you won't mind if I brag about him every so often. :)

Thank you to everyone who came to the graduation and supported Josh! His mom and brothers came as well as his aunt and my family. And a big thank you to the Bishop and Deb who contributed to the cheering section; it was great to see you! Now you all need to come over to our apartment so I can show off our "police wall".