We Got 'Em

Dallan and I just got home from taking pictures with the wonderful duo of Enchanted Images and checking the mail. Lo and behold, what was in there? Our FINGERPRINTING appointments!!! Holy Freaking Crap that was FAST!!! We take them on January 6th. This is all moving so fast and its reassuring to my heart that it's so smooth; it just reaffirms that it's meant to be every single time and that my friends, is a blessing I'm ever so thankful for!

Thank You Immigration

I HATE paperwork on a good day and this adoption has brought stacks of documents that I couldn't have imagined in my worst nightmare. We have ALL, yes that's right, ALL of the hard stuff done. We just have to make photocopies of our passports and create a collage and then our dossier is done. We are skating now... But anyways, the biggest "hurry up and wait" hurdle is Immigration. We were told we could submit some paperwork to open a file and let them know of our desire and intent to bring a child home so that when we arrive in Ghana we don't have to start this paperwork. The agency helped us with the forms and we paid our fees and they told us not to stress and check the mail everyday. Oh geez! So today I go to check for Christmas cards and lo and behold there is a letter from Immigration. My heart sank; the only time things go this fast is when they need extra stuff from you or the fees we paid were incorrect. For the love....but I was totally wrong! They received everything they needed and have opened the file. They are just waiting on our home study (our social worker sent this out on Friday) and then they can issue us appointments to get another round of fingerprinting done. They said in the letter to look for a followup letter around the first week of January. Once we do these and they get the results (approx. 3 business days later...) we can have a date to TRAVEL AND PICK GRACE UP!!!! OMG this is really happening!!!!

That's where we are at. All is sailing just fine and we are getting the nursery ready for her. When its done I'll post pictures.

Meet our Daughter: Grace

So after many years, tears, trials and paper trails we are FINALLY parents! We became Daddy and Mommy on Sunday when our little girl was born. The people at the hospital named her Esi (this literally translates to Sunday born...). Isn't she absolutely perfect? I've often been told, as I'm sure many of us have been, that things happen in His time, not ours. I couldn't be more thankful for this lesson learned. She is the perfect little girl that we've dreamed of these last five years. The next few months will be crazy as we prepare to travel to Ghana to pick Gracie up. We will be there about a month while we wait for the courts to finalize all the travel documents and adoption paperwork. We can't wait to be amongst these beautiful people. The tentative time frame will put us home with her around February.

I can't be too deep here because my tears are flowing with excitement and nerves but I couldn't wait to share either. More to come when I can focus...

FREE HANDBAGS?!?!?

No joke, you guys know I wouldn't kid about something this awesome. Check it out...

www.handbagplanet.com

They have WAY cute stuff!

NKOTB

I'm ridiculous. That's it, in a nut shell....

When I was 9 I so desperately wanted to go see New Kids On The Block, but my mom wouldn't let me. After Friday night I can see why, but at the time I was devastated. I LOVED them, couldn't she understand that? Sadly they broke up when I was 10 and I never got to see them in concert. When I was 15 Joey Mac and Jordan Knight had solo albums. My sister, cousin and some friends saw them perform that summer. We were in the front row. They looked right at us. They were amazing and we cried....

When I heard they were reuniting I told Dallan I was going to the concert. When the concert dates/locations were announced I was bummed to see the price of tickets and came to accept my presence at their show would just never happen. Thursday afternoon, an old acquaintance sent an email telling me she needed to get rid of two tickets and was going to sell them at a loss to her. I called Morgan since she was planning on coming down anyways and asked her to come, she said yes. Then on Friday morning when I was talking with my friend she mentioned that there was a third ticket available and wanted to know if I'd like that one too. Heck yes I did! I asked my friend Emily to come along and she was just as excited as Moe and I.

We got there right in time. The lights dimmed and the screens started to display graphics. The band was hitting notes and the next thing you know there they are. It was absolutely deafening. I almost couldn't breathe and yes, I cried again. I totally embarrassed my sis and girlfriend but I couldn't help it. It was so freakin' awesome.

When we got home and Dallan asked how it went all I said was, "I could die in my sleep tonight and feel like my life was complete." Poor guy - he's so amazing for understanding my obsessive attachment to all things boy band related - he laughed and tucked me in to bed. I obviously didn't die, but its one more thing I can cross off my bucket list!

Catch Up: Sunny San Diego

My sister and her hubby took in a couple sporting events this summer. While we could care less about the Cowboys or Braves coming to San Diego we do know this: it means they need a baby-sitter for the evening (and in the case of the Braves game, and OVERNIGHT sitter; they were celebrating their third anniversary). Dallan and I were happy to oblige. Dallan was slightly nervous about going down to visit as he hadn't seen Kenna since April when she was about 4 months old, but he shouldn't have worried - Kenna was all about Uncle Dallan....

The first time we babysat, I went down early as Dallan had an interview and physical fitness test for the sheriff's department. Kenna and I played all evening; riding the jeep in the backyard, coloring on the floor, taking a bath and then it was time for bed. Dallan's flight was delayed so he made it to the house sometime around midnight and we went to bed. The next morning we got up an hour before we knew Kenna would be awake so we could shower and get ready and clean up our air mattress. Once I heard her moving around upstairs, I went to get her. She is so cute in the morning (actually she's WAY cute whenever she wakes up...) and was totally cuddly. Once we got downstairs though and she saw Dallan it was all over for me; she was like clay in his hands. The second weekend was much the same; once she had eyes on Dallan she didn't know anyone else existed.

What do you do with an almost two year old? You attend the Elmo and friends breakfast at Sea World of course. We also spent time on the US Midway ship and at Seaport Village in downtown San Diego. All in all, we had the most fun with her (and my sis and bro-in-law) and look forward to the next opportunity to see her!

Catch Up: Alaska Cruise

Our second adventure this summer: cruising the beautiful waters that are Alaska for 10 days!

Dallan has always wanted to go to Alaska. I was fortunate enough to go back in the summer of 2000 with my grandmother and sister. I've been putting off this vacation destination in favor of other things (basically I'd already seen it so I wanted something new), but I realized last year that only two things mattered... 1. We had survived the deployment and would be together and 2. Who cares, where we go - we're lucky to be able to afford what we want to do! So, I called a travel agent and she took care of everything. We left out of San Francisco harbor on the morning of Aug. 15 and docked back in on the 25th. Along the way we saw Victoria, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and the Tracy Arm Fjords. It was so much more beautiful than I remembered and Dallan says it totally exceeded what he thought it would be. We'd definitely go again some day. Even on our days at sea we managed to have the time of our lives. We went to art auctions, trivia in the library, swimming, the movies, photography lectures and so much more. We were also lucky enough to eat every night with the three best couples on that ship. They were so warm and amazing - what lives they've all lead - plus the one guy was a walking trivia game*; needless to say we were never bored and the ten days went by way too fast!

*My favorite piece of trivia from the cruise.... Name all the states that start with either M or N. I'll give you this much, there are 8 of each....

Catch Up: South Dakota

So I'm only like three months behind here....

Dallan and I were able to go to South Dakota to spend a week with my dad's side of the family. Along the way, we picked up my fave sister in law (although she is totally a sister and not an in-law) and her husband and drove Dallan crazy watching movies on the forever long drive to nowhere. (In case anyone is ever thinking of driving from Northern California to Custer, South Dakota - DON'T; it's a 24 HOUR drive...). Except for me getting sick along the way (it's official; I'm allergic to Utah) we had a great time. Some of these family members I hadn't seen in over a decade and it was like no time had passed at all. They loved Kait and Clint and haven't stopped talking about how wonderful Dallan and his sister are. We went to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Hill City, the National Woodcarving Museum*, Purple Pie House and lots of other cool places. All in all, it was a great little reunion!

*Disclaimer - I totally did NOT want to spend an afternoon doing this, however Dallan very nicely went along with dressing up in Hill City for old time photos so I couldn't very well deny him such a simple request...Luckily we didn't pass this up because it was AMAZING!!!! We saw the most beautiful chess set designed to be Custer's Last Stand and wanted it so badly, alas $16oo on a chess set was way out of our price range but it totally inspired some creativity. Plus the resident artist teaches wood carving at Davis during the winter/spring semesters so Dallan may take a class there to learn how to do his own Custer's Last Stand....

I've Got Some Living To Do...

So obviously I've been slacking on the blogging, I've just been so busy and I still HAVEN'T developed any pictures from vacations! Here's something though that I found on a friends page. Interesting to keep stock of what you've done (or haven't done). What I HAVE done is in purple.


1. Touched an iceberg (and will again this week; yay for vacation!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins (this happened all the time at Waimea Bay...)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula (with a sister like Chelsea, this was the least of your worries..)
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise (oh, for my glory days....)
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort (this was the fun part of living in Utah...)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31 Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (ask Dallan, this is what I do without even trying...)
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (both my father's and mother's side)
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow (surprising, I know...)
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason (my husband is the best in the whole world...)
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person (and they wrote back!?!)
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph (I really miss my Acura sometimes...)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing (ummm, always...)
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad (and loved it - I still re-read it from time to time...)
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103 Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse (this was a one time affair, please don't ask for a repeat performance...haha!)
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar (and don't get what all the fuss is about....)
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (in mini golf, hahaha!)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter (to William Shatner in the third grade. We had to for school; I was like one of five that didn't hear back from their celebrity...so sad...)
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away (I used to when I was little, but I never got far - I wasn't allowed to cross the street)
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane (every time I fly...)
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival (It was way more fun than I thought too)
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma (all the time; I have B- blood so they like me!)
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (if this is what I think it is, then no but I've made someone else do it by being late...)

Catch Up...

Dallan and I went to the family reunion and then headed straight down to San Diego and then back to work (for me) and job hunting/testing for Dallan. We also started school this week so time is limited but I want to post my pics and the details of July, I am just too busy running around with my head cut off...

Check back though, I promise to update it by the end of the week!

Strolling Down Memory Lane

Everyone seems to have this on their blogs, and it seems fun, although I'm scared what some of you might say! Hahaha

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, if it is recent or years old, silly or serious--anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Take a stroll down memory lane....

It Must be Thursday....

Bird man is totally growing on me. Here are the best of last night's performance. The first gave me crazy goose bumps and the second was just way too sexy not to mention. So, for your viewing pleasure....

Hello, hello....

So not much to say but thought I'd say hello to everyone. Dallan and I continue to stay as busy as possible and are LOVING the California weather! I've been in the pool more the last few months than I did in Utah, the entire 4 years I was there and I love it! We're recovering from one of the longest (and funnest, that's totally not a word but I swear it should be) weekends. Em Rocks and I threw a small brunch baby shower for our dear friend Emily and then Emily threw a surprise "concert" for her husband Austin that night. Austin and his friend Scott were our entertainment as they jammed on their guitars and we BBQ'd some burgers and hot dogs while swimming in the pool. I almost felt like a kid again, celebrating summer vacation like it should be celebrated.

Anyways, Dallan and I are gearing up for our first vacation this year to South Dakota and hoping (praying really) that the gas will not rise anymore before we get back (or at least that's its much cheaper in po-dunk Sioux Falls) from our adventure. We've registered for school this last week and are now busy trying to figure out what our assessment scores will allow us to take and how we'll fit those classes into our schedules. Needless to say, it's already shaping up to be a busy fall.

Hope all is well with everyone, we miss you guys!

(Except for Weston and Rosalyn; thanks for visiting guys; it was just the boost of family we were looking for. We loved having you guys for a few days and hope all goes well before the move back to good ol' Utah!)

Follow Up: Interesting Statistics

Curious who you selected to run the country?

Candidate A: Franklin Roosevelt

Candidate B: Winston Churchill

Candidate C: Hitler

Makes you think twice about judging a book by its cover, doesn't it?

Which Princess Are You

I'd say this is about 50% accurate, but me, naive? I don't think so! Still, it's kinda fun. Which princess are you?


You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and feisty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

So You Think You Can Dance

Yes, I do think I can dance but then I watch the show and realize I'm so going to be at the bottom of the barrel in my tap class next semester, but oh well! This season is off and running but I'm finding myself less than impressed with how they've all been dancing. Last night though, I was really touched by this dance and found myself saying, "Could it be that I love contemporary?" And then I remembered some of my favorite dances from last couple of seasons and they were also contemporary. So, for your viewing pleasure, starting with last night and work back....

Homecoming Pictures

Thanks to my fabulous little sister Kait; I've got some of the cutest pictures of Dallan's homecoming. Needless to say its taken me awhile to post these, but better late than never, and besides I needed help figuring how to get them off the external hard drive and on to the computer. These are my favorites...

A New Kind Of Tag

So while I was checking email, I was tagged with this.... Although I mostly stay away from these things, it's different so I liked it. The idea is to only answer with one word and it is harder than you think it may be....

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Dallan
3. Your hair? boring
4. Your mother? dramatic
5. Your father? phenomenal
6. Your favorite thing? Dallan
7. Your dream last night? sexy
8. Your favorite drink? Pepsi
9. Your dream/goal? happiness
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your ex? unimportant
12. Your fear? worms
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Florence
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? PC
16. Muffins? blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Wii
18. Where you grew up? Cali
19. What are you wearing? jeans
20. Your TV? necessary!
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? tired
23. Your life? hectic
24. Your mood? excited
25. Missing someone? Whitesides
26. Your car? clean
27. Something you're not wearing? shoes
28. Favorite Store? Target
29. Your summer? busy
30. Like someone? yep
31. Your favorite color? pink
32. Last time you laughed? Wednesday
33. Last time you cried? overwhelmed

Time For A Little Catch Up....

Wow, are we seriously half way through June (and more to the point, a whole other year?!?!)? It seems like Dallan and I have been running in circles these last few weeks, so here's a nice montage of what we've been up to....

On May 31st, we had two weddings that we were lucky enough to attend. The first one was at the Sacramento LDS temple in Rancho Cordova. We feel so blessed that we were included in this very special occasion and couldn't be happier that their faithful waiting has finally paid off. After their sealing, we made our way back to Roseville so I could take a nap before heading up to Winchester (due North above Auburn, CA) for the wedding of one of my dearest longtime friends, Kirby. I can remember a time before Matt, but before him Kirby was never this happy. One of the best things about good ol' friends, is other good ol' friends. It was the first time in years that we were together.

We thought that once we survived wedding season, life would be lazy summer days. I couldn't wait to get into the pool and just relax with Dallan. I soon discovered, however, that pool days are funner with a 15 month old.... Since Dallan is not working right now, he's been marvelous to some friends of ours by watching their little girl Bella while they are at work. She is hilarious and Dallan and her adore each other. Who knew Dallan would go from combat training to lunching, hair styling and phones non-stop. Here are some of my fave Bella pictures....

With Dallan settling in, and both of us adjusting, I've decided to break from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for an opportunity much closer to home. Although I will totally miss the mission, my coworkers and Raiser's Edge, I'm very much looking forward to a new challenge.

Basically, we're doing fabulous and having the time of our lives!

Interesting Statistics

So, last night Dallan and I were having yummy hamburgers with some amazing friends when we started talking about various political/religious leaders. It made me think of a forward I'd received awhile ago, so here it is for you to ponder. I'll post the followup in a week or so...

Question:It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts.Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A-Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists.He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B-He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C-He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.

Which of these candidates would be your choice?


Also, in light of an election year, when some feel like it isn't worth the time/effort/energy etc to vote, ponder this and make sure you know exactly who you are voting for....

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics?
*29 have been accused of spousal abuse
*7 have been arrested for fraud
*19 have been accused of writing bad checks
*117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
*3 have done time for assault
*71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
*14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
*8 have been arrested for shoplifting
*21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
*84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is? Give up yet? It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group of people that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

TAGGED

5 things on my list to do today
1. Plan Emily's birthday party
2. Pay bills
3. Change light bulb in hallway
4. Sort out dental benefits through Military
5. cancel hotel for this weekend (Dallan got us into military housing!)

5 snacks I enjoy
1. M&M's
2. Cheeseballs
3. Pepsi with Lime
4. Cheese :)
5. any sour candy

5 things I would do if I suddenly became a billionaire
1. Buy a plot of land and build Dallan's dream home
2. Take our World Cruise now
3. Adopt
4. Quit work, go to school full time
5. Start a foundation to benefit children's charities

5 places I've lived
1. Roseville, CA
2. Hau'ula, HI
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. West Jordan, UT
5. Concord, CA

5 Jobs I've Had:
1. Sun Splash
2. Nationwide Insurance
3. Chili's
4. Pier One Imports
5. Make-A-Wish Foundation (Utah and Greater Bay Area)

5 things people don't know about me
1. I actually do like to cook, I've just never really had to and I'm way out of practice.
2. People think that I'm just scared of worms but I'm scared of clowns and horses too. I can just hide these fears better.
3. While Dallan was home for leave we slept in twin beds. We'd gotten used to our own space. We're adjusting much better now, thank you! :)
4. I dig tattoo's. I can't explain it, but I think they are awesome!
5. I want to be a stay at home mom. I know, crazy huh?

I TAG anyone else who wants to give it a shot.

He's HOME (Kinda)

It's been awhile since I've posted anything but I figure I have a good excuse! Dallan is safely back in Utah and will be there for a few more weeks.

Here's a good link of their return. Dallan is the second Marine on the far right.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3210656

Thankfully, the Livingston's were on hand with cameras in tow so when they pass them to me (next week when I'm back in Utah) I will post some.

The Happiest Place on Earth

My sister and her husband took my way-too-cute-for-her-own-good niece to Disneyland this past weekend. She was a trooper; riding the rides (loving Dumbo), eating more than her weight, picking out Winnie the Pooh beads to make Nana a key chain and enjoying a day with mommy and daddy. When they were driving home, she asked for a chicken nugget and no sooner had mommy handed it over, she was dead asleep (with a death grip on the chicken nugget, might I add).

It's so amazing how fast she's growing up and how quickly the days go by. Everyday is something new and wonderful for Kenna; it's a lesson I've appreciated more than I could ever say this last year. Go figure, I had to learn that from a 15 month old, but she's been the best little distraction ever!

Isn't It Time for Vacation Yet?

First up is fun in the sun with the Dentinger clan....



Then we need some fun at sea with one another....



And finally, its about time we put our passport pictures to good use....

The ABC's of Me (Kirsten)

So this has been passed along... I normally don't do this type of thing but I'm pretty distracted at work right now and it seemed like a good waste of time....

A - Attached or single: Attached
B - Best friend: Dallan
C - Cake or pie: I LOVE either; as long as it's chocolate...
D - Day of choice: Friday..It's dress down day at work, parking is easy at BART and the weekend is oh so close!
E - Essential item: Blackberry
F - Favorite color: Pink
G - Gummy bears or worms: I like the sour gummy worms
H - Hometown: Roseville, CA
I - Indulgence(s): Coming home, grabbing a Pepsi a magazine and getting in the bath
J - January or July: July
K - Kids: Not for awhile...
L - Life is incomplete without: Dallan
M - Marriage date: January 31st, 2004
N - Number of siblings: 3
O - Oranges or apples: Apples. I love orange flavoring but I can't eat an orange; the white stuff is yucky!
P - Phobias or fears: Worms, slugs and snails; weird I know but I can't help it...
Q - Quotes: Consistency in performance is better than flashes of brilliance
R - Reason to smile: I'm finally back in Cali and Dallan will be home in two weeks!!!
S - Season of choice: Fall
T - Tag three friends: Janielle, Taryn and Moe
U - Unknown fact about me: I don't think there are any...I'm a pretty open book....
V - Very favorite store: Target
W - Worst habit: Procrastination
X - X-ray or ultrasound: Neither; both make me uncomfortable..
Y - Your favorite food: Country Chicken
Z - Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Olympic Torch

One of my most favorite things about being back in the Bay Area is that there is always something going on and instead of reading about it a few days later in the paper or on the Internet, I can leave my office, walk about four blocks, take a deep breath and jump right in to the chaos.

Both pro-China and pro-Tibet protesters lined the street (also, a small group of naked people who want the games to go back to the way they were in ancient Greece; I guess they assume that togas and nudity are one in the same?!?!). It was pretty intense but so cool to see so many people passionate about what's going on in the world today. Seeing the torch was pretty awesome too; it's like being part of living history.

Check out what happened on the bridge yesterday in prep for today. It's amazing what some people will do...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080407184511.x8a9s81y&show_article=1

Woo Hoo

So, Dallan's successful PFT has lead to a promotion; he's now Sgt. Livingston.

I am just so proud I can't help but share (and I'm grinning for him from ear to ear)!

We're about three weeks out now and the anxiety is totally setting in....

Why, oh why are these last DAYS seemingly longer than the last YEAR???

It's Pretty Cool...

Tattoo's are most definitely a personal taste kind of thing. They are (or at least should be) very personal; a reflection of a passion, time in your life or love. They are forever....

Two of my sisters now have matching tattoos. As young children we often talked about one day getting matching tattoos to represent everything that we'd been through and to solidify the bond we have. As we got older, and went separate ways, the ideas of our youth did too. My sister Chelsea stayed true to her statement of getting a "sisters" tattoo, albeit much different from the ones we'd always discussed.

When she turned 18 she did some research. She wanted something that embodied certain ideals and what she found were sparrows. Here are a few things we've learned in researching the symbolism behind these birds....

1. They stand for freedom, dedication, loyalty and trust.

2. They are fierce fighters.

3. They represent true love and soul mates, but not necessarily to a romantic partner. They are for your first love, whatever that means.

4. They represent leaving to chart your own course but finding a way to return "home".

5. They embodied the souls of the ones you love so that you can carry them with you always.

For those of you who know more than you'd probably like about my life growing up, you'd know how spot on the sparrow is for my sisters and I. When we heard these things we knew that Chelsea had definitely gotten it right for her first tattoo. She took it a step further, however. Her sparrows have a banner between their beaks with our names on it. Yes, she has inked my name on her body for forever. That's commitment folks. For better or worse she'll always have it there. Now, Morgan has turned 18 and followed in Chelsea's footsteps. Morgan is more conservative so she opted for one tattoo (not the two birds) and instead of our names, she has our initials. Again, WOW!!! that's commitment.

So...after much background....here they are.....

Whole Lot of Posting Going On....

First things first....

Dallan got a 1st Class PFT (physical fitness test)! This is the best of the best in the company. He's been working towards this for as long as we've been married and he was finally able to do it (and right before they discuss promotions; he has immaculate timing....)! He did 10 straight pull ups, up from 7 before. 115 crunches in 2 minutes, up from 98 and ran the 3 miles in 21 mins and 3 sec, up from 24 minutes and some odd seconds (side note: I'd be excited if I could do a small fraction of any of this...). He was pretty jazzed about all of this and I'm so proud of him.

On another note, I went and saw Stop Loss last night. I can't explain why I HAD to do this; I know it teeters on the sick and twisted but I needed to see what Dallan's been seeing-what they've all been seeing and feeling-so that I know what we may be up against when he returns. It was heartbreaking and horrific and honest. I was crying the whole time and even more when I left and got home to see Dallan's pictures; especially the ones in uniform.

This war is so much more than who's right and who's wrong. It's more than a religion. The price of oil. The pride involved. It's about the soldiers, airmen, marines that are doing something that most of us couldn't do. It's a tough job; an honorable job. So...thank them whenever you can. Love them unconditionally. Pray for them without fail and welcome them home where they belong.

Here's a link for the movie just in case you haven't see much about it....

http://www.fandango.com/videos/102121

Lake Bled, Slovenia

So my favorite magazine just got better; Real Simple did a special travel edition and the bug has bit me so hard I'm already trying to figure a way to get more paid days off from work to trek around the globe. Moving straight to the top of my list is Lake Bled, Slovenia. I'd never heard of it but reading the articles and doing some research made me squirm with excitement! Maybe it's because I swear they filmed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang here (?!?!?) and I LOVE that movie (I know that's awful, but I've got great memories from watching Ol' Chitty and signing...Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you, high low anywhere you go....), but realistically it's because this is an undiscovered gem that I know Dallan and I will both love....

Anyways, June/July 2008...I'll be in a pletna heading from Grad to Otok...

Ah Paradise...

I thought I had sent all these pictures to Dallan, but I had the forethought to download them to my computer first (just in case they got/get lost in transit...). My sister and I went to Oahu, Hawaii in celebration of my 4th anniversary... Moe and I braved the waters with sharks, ate tons of good Hawaiian treats and relaxed as much as we could....

We had a great time, here are the pictures to prove it!