Catch-Up: Part 2!

Sorry, it's hard enough to stay on top of my facebook during the school year...let alone this blog site! Maybe starting in May (when I graduate) I'll be able to do a little bit better! Anyway, so instead of trying to pedal backwards, I'll just start up from now...we went in for the Ultrasound on Tuesday (two days ago) and found out that we're going to have a baby boy! It was the most exciting experience of my life! I teared up, of course! It's so amazing to see a living baby inside your tummy - yawning, getting the hiccups, rubbing his eyes! It's absolutely incredible! I'll post pictures of him, as soon as the library opens up (so that I can scan the pictures into the computer). It was a very spiritual experience. I can't believe I a spirit son of Heavenly Father growing inside of me! So Devon and I will be delivering baby Bronson in the very beginning of June!

So I decided that this blog area is more of a journal update than a photo album, so I'm going to cut back on the photos, and try to increase the text. I'm awful at going online, though. With the weather as amazing as it is right now, after work (inside), all I want to do is be outside, playing with my fun husband. We have had such an enjoyable time being married. We love biking, playing tennis, kiting, camping, and everything else outside. We always go for walks on Sundays, and try to ride our bikes to work and to run errands as much as the weather permits. We first began this in an effort to save on gas, but it has become more than that now. I feel my legs strengthening, and my body and mind are invigorated by the task. The days that it's raining or that I'm running late and end up driving are my slowest, most sleepy days. My body runs better when it begins the day with a workout. Since we've lived in the avenues of Salt Lake, Devon and I have both become much more "green". Everyone here rides bikes to school and work. Everyone (including us) has gardens. The only thing we have to start doing to fit in is take our own bag to the grocery store. Honestly, though, it is very inspiring to live here. So many passionate bikers, rock climbers, and skiiers. The outdoorsy spirit is contagious. And as I mentioned in the Moab blog, it is with nature that I feel closest to Heavenly Father. I have loved living in Utah, and will definitely miss it when we move (hopefully we can keep the outdoor spirit alive wherever we end up).

Moab - Our Anniversary Vacation

Dev and I escaped down to Moab after we took our last finals. It was a much needed vacation (after such an intense school year, and a new job for me) and was also a time to celebrate our first year together. It was some of the most beautiful terrain I've ever laid eyes on. It reminded me especially of my friend Laura, who would always talk about Arizona being pretty, but me never believing her (how can something so dead and barren as a desert be pretty?) But the hikes, bike rides, and rafting, even though physically exhausting, were so worthwhile, just to witness the beauty God has given to us. Since going I have such a testimony of this. He has created such a beautiful place for us to inhabit. I can't believe how often throughout regular city life I forget about these special creations.

Random Everyday Life

I crowned him king watermelon...after he crowned me queen, of course!

creepiest faces I've ever witnessed

missy, taylor, joc, nae, steiner, me

camping with the ward

one of many fun Sunday dinners

There are always those moments of random silliness, good old camping trips, and fun family dinners that keep Dev and I close knit and happy. We have hard work and school routines, but it's nice every once and a while (on the weekends) to relax and forget about life for a while!

Dev's Mexico Trip

Dev got the awesome opportunity of going down to Mexico on a Medical Trip. In a group of about fifty pre-med students, he was able to not only shadow physicians, but actually perform basic surgical procedures: catheters, stitches, abscess removal, etc. He was also able to witness several births, extensive surgeries, and mostly just hang out with some really cool ER doctors. They also took a bunch of toys and clothes to an orphanage there...it really humbled him. It was neat to see how much he cared for these children he had only known for a day.

Christmas with the Jackson's!

So I'm going to have to ask my folks to help me with this one. Our camera died in St. Simon's, so we didn't get any pics of time with my family. There was lots of excitement at the Jackson home though...Sunny came home from her mission on the 28th of December, so we all celebrated it late - on the 30th. Bryan came down from North Carolina, and Marshall was seen frequently too. (hehe) We had three straight days of celebration - Christmas Eve on the 30th, Christmas Day and then New Year's Eve on the 31st, and then New Years Day! We enjoyed playing volleyball, softball, and tennis on New Years Day with the whole family (even Grandpa and Donna, who came down for the Homecoming) It was so good to see everyone again!

Christmas with the Clarke's

AFter spending actual Christmas with the Clarke's at home, we drove down to St. Simon's Island, and spent the rest of Christmas week on the beach! We played football, fed seagulls, and skim boarded for three days. Dev was a bit sad that no wind showed up, though. He really wanted to kite with his more experienced and better-equipped cousins.

Our first Christmas!

Yes, our fish tank has antlers.

Dev and I have different opinions about tree light. Mostly I just like a lot of lights that are well-hidden. So I kind of took over the light stringing.

I was very excited...and yeah, those candy canes didn't last very long.

So we celebrated Christmas three times this year...the first by ourselves, before we left SLC, with the presents we bought each other. Dev surprised me with a keyboard! It was the most thoughtful present! (He had tricked me into thinking it was a Christmas village train set). I bought him a much needed blender, a shirt, and a violin (he's decided to start learning how to play). It was so nice...and Santa even visited...putting stuff into our crafty homemade stockings!

Skiing/Snowboarding

Dev's sis, Jocelyn, her boyfriend and Dev enjoying Snowbird's free cat track!

I don't even know when or where this was...but one ski/board day

Freezing cold, but awesome Brighton nightskiing - on Mondays it's buy one, get one free!

prep work on the bindings...ps we got those at DI for 2 bucks!

dev waxing it up!

So I have become a pro at wax a snowboard, and Dev and I both have become expert cheap skiiers. Alta has ski for free after three, Snowbird has a free cat track (great to learn how to board on), and Brighton has nightskiing for discounted prices everyday! So when there's no wind...

KITING! Part 2 - Snow

Yes, it really is that high up.

I love Utah mountains!

The kite is able to pull him up a mountain...pretty awesome, huh?

I tend to like kiting in the summer better...

See...I can do it too...haha...

KITING! Part 1 - Water

So Dev had been wanting to take up a new sport - kiteboarding - 2 years before he even knew me. So, after working overtime for about a month, he saved up enough to buy an old 16m kite on craigslist. Soon after, we found my 9 meter, and have been enjoying both since then. It's a kind of intimidating sport. I feel comfortable with the kite, but have only experienced about 5 seconds of it with a board on my feet. Dev is already a pro at it now, though. He's been jumping, riding upwind, and even uphill! He gets so excited when he does...it's like a kid at a candy shop...and now anytime there's wind...there's only one thing on his mind!

Utah Lake (or LAke Utah as Brandon likes to call it)

After Cali, we got invited wakeboarding with some good friends. I finally (kind of) jumped part of the wake. It may not look like much in the picture - especially compared to Dev's jump...on a wake skat, mind you, but man, it was exhilarating! I can't wait to get better this summer!

California and Mexico

So we got into Utah the very beginning of June, and our budget was rather tight. Through a series of huge eternal blessings, Dev an I both were able to find work, almost immediately. Once that was settled, I decided we needed to vacation for his birthday (I mean, it's not like we had had enough yet, right!) - I hadn't ever been to Cali before and we were both craving more beach time. Dev served his mission in LA, so I got to meet some old converts and companions of his. I felt a bit out of place, though, as all of them spoke very little, if any, English. The common question was "Habla Espanol? No? Ah, que pena!" (I guess that means too bad or something...Anywho, so we ended up going to LA (Hollywood!), San Diego, then Tijuana and Ensanada (in Mexico). To be honest, I wouldn't mind not ever going back to Mexico...the beach seemed like it was more trash then sand. San Diego was beautiful, though. I could stay there my whole life and be happy. Oh - it was also my first time actually doing a decent job at surfing! :)

Real Life Hits Hard

Before

After

Immediately after we got back from Wedowee, we packed up our truck to head back to Utah. Two hours after we left for Utah, We got rammed into, by five fifteen year-olds, who not only didn't have licenses, but also had stolen their step-father's SUV, sped through a stop sign, and then tried to run. We had to physically hold them on the sight until the cops came. One girl kept saying, "I gots to git outta here...I'm on probation!" Man, reality hit us hard. We spent an extra week in Georgia trying to figure everything out, missing our Utah reception (Sorry to those who didn't get that memo). No worries, though...we miss Ruby (our Tacoma) but we ended up being able to pay cash (with the insurance claims money) for Jasmine, our new 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue. So no more car payments - definitely a blessing in disguise.

Wedowee - Memorial Day

After our Honeymoon, we got even more vacation time - the Clarke's traditional Lake Wedowee Memorial Day trip! Dev is most happy with a board on his feet, as you may tell from the smiles he gives the camera during these times. He and his cousins also have this obsession with building things to slide any kind of board on - I was unaware of this this passion before I married him. It's a bit scary sometimes, but usually just really fun (I've even hit quite a few now). This particular "slider" was built with a railroad tie, found on the shore of one of Wedowee's islands. What else is there to do with that much wood in the middle of a lake? ;)