A Late Honeymoon

Last week Ang and I set off on a belated honeymoon in Florida. Our trip included a cruise to the Bahamas, the Blue Man Group in Orlando, and a day at EPCOT. Unfortunately the weather was a bit chilly during most of the trip and we only had one day of good sun--just enough for me to get slightly burnt.

Just as it started to warm up in Florida, we flew back to southern California for a forecasted week of pouring rain and lower 40s temperatures.

Here are some photos from our vacation:

Claremont, California

Loyd and I made our move from Provo, Utah to Claremont, California about...1 1/2 weeks ago. We left Provo at about 5:30am and pulled into our apartment complex in Claremont at about 3pm. We rented a 16 ft Penske truck with a car tow. Yeah, it was a bit stressful driving with all our belongings and our car and a big fattie truck. But we made it.

Loyd's friends here in Claremont helped us unload our truck. They were great. We even had the little kids helping us. It took maybe 20 minutes to get everything up to our apartment. I don't even want to think how long it would have taken with just me and Loyd.

For the next 2-3 days we unpacked and tried to get everything organized. Then Loyd got sick. Now...we're about unpacked and organized. It might take another month or so to be completely finished :)I can not wait to not be moving anymore...or at least have less stuff to have to move.

When we got here the temperature was in the mid 70's, now it is high 40's and raining. Apparently we've some kind of noreasterly affect. Yeah, i don't know.

The college campus is nice. I love walking around the neighborhood looking at all the amazing houses. I'll get some photos for sure. I walk around and say over and again "I could love in that house. I could live in that house. I could live in that house." Hahaha.

The ward seems really nice as well. It's not so large that you feel like you get lost, but not so small that each member has 3 callings. And its nice that the Bishop was the 2nd councilor in Loyd's singles ward out here. It nice to already have a good relationship with the bishop.

I miss my family in Utah and also the comfort of being in the same place for 7 years...but...I am excited to make new friends. Now, its time to get a job.

Happy New Year!

Dec 31st 2009 - Loyd and I had the best New Year's Eve - ever - last night. We ate Mexican food with Jake, Sylvia, Tori, Macy, and Jake's parents, Wayne and Sherri. Then Jake, Sylvia, Loyd and I went to First Night Provo at the Provo Town Center Mall. They had a huge variety of activities to choose from. There were cultural performances, getting your hair done, face painting, sugar sand things, funny photos, make your own music video, a dance party, American Idol, and more!It really was a ton of fun and it was only $5. And at midnight there were fireworks. It was a great time and a great way to ring in the New Year.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Towne

Yesterday we made gyoza and gingerbread houses with Jake and Sylvia and our friends Jeff and Shasta. Of course my house was the best of them all.

You can see the rest here:

Merry Elfing Christmas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Our Christmas Tree

On Saturday, Angela and I picked out a small tree to set up in our equally small home. We then spent the next few hours making ornaments to decorate it with. I made the popcorn garland and star while Ang made the assorted ornaments. As you can see, it ended up being perhaps the greatest tree ever made by humans.

Yeah. We rock the holidays.

Wrestling

This past Saturday I went to my nephews very first wrestling match. It was fun, sad, violent, exciting, and skillful all rolled into one. Granted, these were 5 year old boys wrestling, so the skill level is still developing, but still. There were several little kids that were just good at wrestling and you could tell they had a natural ability for it.

But do you know how sad it is when a little boy loses, or knows he's losing, and he starts to cry! Oh that made me want to cry.

My husband and his brother wrestled in highschool and they both loved it. Loyd told me how it is harder to lose when you wrestle as opposed to team sports because it is just you that lost. So I felt even worse for those cute little kids.

When I mentioned how violent the sport was, Chris said "Yeah...well, these kids aren't as suave as highschool students". And that is true. I remember watching wrestling during the Olympics and thinking it was really cool. I don't remember thinking it was violent. Ofcourse I was in highschool.

And wrestling is one of the oldest sports around...I suppose if it has lasted this long it must be ok. I also think that it can help focus a hyper and aggressive kids energy, and teach them the correct places and ways to use that aggressiveness. Because its not like it is cage fighting or just free for all scrapping. There are rules and techniques to follow.

Even though I see the benefits I can not help but be concerned with the unhealthy habits that also come along with the sport. Making weight for instance. I have heard from more than one source about making weight. Starving and sweating yourself, trying to get every ounce of water out of you so you can be the heaviest in a lower weight class. And then after wards binge eating. Not healthy habits. And I have to say, a little unfair and unethical as well.

Also, RINGWORM! That is sick. Those mats are germ invested fungus farms. Kid after kid rubs his sweat and spit up and down that mat and then the next kid laps it up. UGH! That is sooooooo nasty.

My final qualm...the unitards. They are not attractive.

So I still don't know what I think about my kids wrestling. I won't stop them, and if they want to do it I will be there biggest and most supportive fan. But I really hope they will want to do something else.

*Loyd edit*

Here is the video of our nephew's matches. He won all three with pins.