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Utah vs. BYU / Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T19:33:00.007-07:00

I'm a little slow at updating the blog lately. Even though the Utes lost to BYU this year I still have to brag about our pranks with the neighbors. It first started in August w/ JC making a stencil of a U and fertilizing it onto our neighbors lawn so that over time it would green up and there would be a super green U in the lawn. Well it took 3 weeks, but it worked! I don't have a picture, but it looked awesome! We didn't think that the neighbors noticed until one day we came home from work to this....

If you can't tell it's a Y that has been mowed down to the dirt! We decided to call a truce until the week of the game. So the Wednesday before the game, which was also the day before Thanksgiving, JC made this awesome sign (which he so creatively made the stencils by hand) that we hung from the neighbors back fence. They so happen to back a very busy road which was a major plus!

And the front of their house...

The best part was as we were hanging the sign at 1AM people were already honking! We woke up to people honking and it continued all day long! By noon the neighbors next to our BYU friends came over to complain that they would like to enjoy their Thanksgiving in peace so we had to take it down. :-( Is was so worth it! Later that day we began to receive calls about our car that was for sale on KSL. (Um, we aren't selling our car so we knew that it had to be the work of the neighbors!) We thought it was them calling so JC began to say things to the callers like, "the car is stolen, it's hot and I need you to take it off my hands", things like that. The callers seemed to be confused. Come to find out it was real and the car was really for sale on KSL! These were real people calling about our car. Too funny! The neighbor soon marked it as "sold" on the website so that we would no longer receive phone calls. I guess next year we will need to step it up a notch! Even though the Utes lost we are glad that Max Hall has provided us with entertainment for the months ahead. We so willingly purchased these shirts..

And on that note, Stay classy Utah!

Here are some pics of the fam at Thanksgiving. This year we had Thanksgiving at Grandpa Bill's house. We then had JC's family over to our house for pie later that night. I'm thankful of all of them!

October in a nutshell!

2009-11-04T20:49:00.006-07:00

October was a busy month for us. Between Utah Football, Bre's wedding and Halloween every weekend was full of stuff to do. We had so much fun!

Utah at Colorado State (it was freaking freezing!)

Utah at UNLV

Bre's Endowment Day

Bre and Eric's Wedding/Reception

Dante in his many Halloween costumes!

All tuckered out after all of that!

Bre's Bridal Shower

2009-10-04T20:54:00.002-06:00

Friday us girls threw a bridal shower for Breanne. It was a lot of fun and it was good to see so many of our relatives and friends. She got a lot of good stuff that will help the newly weds get started! I still can't believe she's getting married. Time flies by so fast!

Happy 30th Birthday JC!

2009-09-28T21:59:00.004-06:00

My sweetie has officially turned the big 30! I threw him a party, much to his dismay, he's not one for the spotlight but he completely deserved to be king for a day! One thought: University of Utah stuff = JC is a happy guy! I hope you had a wonderful birthday Ghurky! I love you!

It's that time of year again!

2009-09-22T21:54:00.004-06:00

Football season is upon us and once again JC and I are going to try and travel to all of the games. So far this year we have been to San Jose and Oregon. We were able to spend a few days in Portland and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery that Oregon has to offer. It was nice to get away and have a nice relaxing week! One thing that we noticed is that Portland has A LOT of pan handlers. A LOT!! Mostly it just looks like a bunch of young kids that decided that living on the streets was a better idea than getting a job. So we saw one particular girl "showering" in the fountain! I don't think our pic does it justice!! We saw a lot more than these pics portray! Anyhoo, it was pretty funny and quite sad. The Utes lost, but it was worth the trip. We had so much fun!! Looking forward to the next one.

Oh yeah, JC got me a new camera for my birthday so I've had fun taking a lot of pictures so bear with my many, many very unprofessional pics!

Since we have a camera now we have taken pictures of JC's man room. Can we say obsessed much?!

We Have an Announcement....

2009-08-24T20:52:00.006-06:00

We know many of you have been wondering how long Emily and JC would wait to make their big announcement. Well here it is, our baby is finally here, again! After nine long months since the party and good times in New Orleans we are pleased to present our baby, Utah Football. We thought this day would never come but finally we can gear up for another BCS run. In keeping with the theme of many of our friends and family and their new arrivals, we also have pictures of our "newborn". Enjoy and always GO UTES!!!!

Happy Birthday Dante!

2009-08-23T18:20:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Dante Wante! A little late, I know, but on August 13th Dante turned 7 or in dog years 49! We took him to the vet last week and apparently he is now in the geriatric years which means he is officially an old man. Every year we have a birthday party for him and invite the fam. Our family's are nice enough to humor us coming to a dog's party!! We get a lot of laughs and smirks, but we don't care. Dante is our baby for now and we love him to pieces!

Congrats Bre!

2009-07-29T18:19:00.004-06:00

Congrats to Bre and Eric on their engagement! Bre I cannot believe that you are getting married! Time has flown by so fast!! I am so happy for you and wish you all the happiness in the world! I have been so proud to be your big sis. You know that I have always felt a need to protect you. With that said, Eric, remember these words of wisdom from Watts from Some Kind of Wonderful (only the cool people will know this movie!) "You break her heart I'll break your face" Hee hee!!

Bre, is this what you said when Eric showed you the ring?!

We've Landed on the Moon!

2009-04-21T16:36:00.006-06:00

So yes, I am one of the skeptics that thinks that the U.S. Moon Landing of 1969 was filmed in a studio. JC makes fun of me every time it is brought up. I guess rightfully so because I sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but really I'm not. So we were watching Myth Busters and it just happened to be about this very thing. Basically, they busted every myth of why conspiracy theorists believe it was fake. I'm not sure if I am a believer yet or not, but not gonna lie, the proof is pretty undeniable!! I'm almost disappointed! Oh and this clip of Dumb and Dumber cracks me right up!!

In-N-Out vs. 5 Guys

2009-03-23T22:49:00.002-06:00

I don't post very much on the blog, so when I do you know it is important. While we were in Las Vegas we dined at a couple of burger shops that are coming to Utah. The first was In-N-Out. If you talk to any Californian they will tell you In-N-Out is the be all end all in burgers. However, they are not. We have had In-N-Out in San Francisco, Reno and now Las Vegas and they are all the same, not very good. They are building several of these in the Salt Lake Valley this year and they will be packed, but trust us they are not nearly as good as 5 Guys or Crown Burgers.

The second place we ate at was Fatburger. This place is actually pretty good, the only down side to Fatburger is that in Las Vegas it seems to be frequented by a rougher crowd. Most of the patrons of Fatburger had on Raiders gear, as opposed to all the Zoobs in BYU gear at the In-N-Out. Fatburger is definitely better than In-N-Out but certainly not as good as 5 Guys or Crown.

What happens in Vegas....

2009-03-22T18:38:00.003-06:00

Last weekend JC and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniverary in Las Vegas. We love Vegas for the good shows and good food. Yes there is more to Vegas than alcohol and strip clubs!! We decided to go see David Copperfield's show. We sat down in our seats and someone from the crew came to ask us if we would be willing to participate in the show. Before I could say no, JC said, "absolutely!" We were in the first act and helped out with one of his illusions. I honestly do not know how he does any of it!! Pretty bizarre, but it was a lot of fun!
I can't believe that we have been married for 8 years! Seems like just yesterday, but I'm sure JC will tell you that it seems like forever!! I love him more and more everyday and I look forward to many years to come.

2009-02-17T14:22:00.003-07:00

For Valentine's Day JC and I went to the Little America Cafe to eat dinner. We went later so that we wouldn't have to wait. As we were walking in JC says to me, "is that who I think it is?" Sure enough President Monson and his cute wife were walking out of the restaurant towards us. I thought to myself, there is no way that I can let him walk by without saying something! So I say, "hi President Monson!" He shook our hands and said, "looks like you two are out on a Valentine's Date". He is such a cute old man and yes, I did say old!! I think they put a lot of makeup on him when he's on tv! All joking aside, it was an incredible experience. I had such a warm feeling when I saw him. I know that he truly is a Prophet of God. For a second there I thought, I wonder if he is reading my mind right now!! HAHAHA!!

Best, Food, Ever!

2009-02-09T22:24:00.004-07:00

It is no secret that JC and I love to eat out. We justify eating out every night because there are only two of us. We have our regulars to fall back on if we are in a hurry or want something familiar. Lately, we have been trying new restaurants to broaden our horizons! Having said that, I think that we have eaten enough $#!t to justify our critiques! Hopefully y'all will find our reviews helpful in your own dining experiences.

Burgers and Fries

1. Five Guys (Best burger in Salt Lake, and the Cajun fries are delectable)
2. Crown Burger (It is hard not to put a local joint #1 but the fries are, meh)
3. Training Table (Dipping sauce and cheese fries make this an easy choice)

Mexican Food

1a. Mi Ranchito (On 21st and State not the others! JC's favorite)
1b. Rancho Grande (Freakin' awesome fajitas! Emily's favorite)
3. Guadalahonky's (We get gas at Guad's!)

Italiano (non pizza)

1. Cafe Molise (Pricey and small but best atmoshpere and food)
2. La Dolce Vita (We hate to put anything from Provo on our blog but...)
3. Spaghetti Mama's (Great prices, we are the only ones who like this joint)

Pizza

1. Nevole's (best pizza, it is classic Brooklyn style)
2. Gepetto's (wood fired, yummy)
3. The Pie (the original by the U. not the others!)

Fish Houses

1. Market Street (the old firehouse by the U. of course!)
2. Little America Cafe (fish Fridays, also has great home style cooking)
3. Neil's (everything is fried, the way it should be!)

Chinese

1. Chin Wah (Phoenix chicken, 'nuff said)
2. Janbo (good, fast Chinese food)
3. Chinese Gourmet (we needed at least one buffet on our list)

Steakhouses

1. Ruth's Chris ($$$$)
2. Christopher's ($$$)
3. Carver's ($$$)

Brazilian Steakhouses

1. Braza Grill (most authentic and best price)
2. Grille de Ipenema (authentic and very good grilled pineapple)
3. Rodizio (the original in Salt Lake, way overpriced)

Specific menu items

1. Johanna's Kitchen (scones with raspberry jam)
2. Virg's (giant pancakes)
3. Beto's (breakfast burritos)

Soup and Sandwiches

1. Village Baker
2. Paradise Bakery
3. Kneader's
(note: JC does not care for any of these establishments!)

This is how we stay slim and trim! Let us know what you think and if we have left your favorite off of our list!

Bon apetit!

New Orleans, Nawlins, Big Easy? How you say?!

2009-01-07T20:41:00.008-07:00

The Utes football season has come to end and what a year it was. What a way to finish it off at the Sugar Bowl in the Big Easy!

We began our trip by flying into New Orleans just minutes before the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. We raced to Bourbon street to celebrate the new year. It was so fun to see so many Ute fans there. Bourbon street is CRAZY!! I don't think I could have prepared myself for that experience! Lots of boobs, well lets just say body parts, puke, pee, garbage, horse poop (from the police on horses) and I think I even saw a human turd on the sidewalk. Needless to say, I did get many beads, but not sure if I earned them the way that JC expected! When you look beyond the filth, that city is a pretty neat place. I loved the old buildings and history that is there.

We went on a swamp tour which was freaking awesome! Our tour guide was hilarious! Have you seen Joe Dirt? This is exactly what our tour guide sounded like. So funny!

After the swamp we drove to the Oak Valley Plantation which was probably the best part of the trip, besides the game of course! It was a complete throw back. I loved the history, the beautiful mansion and grounds. I would have loved to spend more time there, but it started pouring rain.

We also took a boat ride on a steam boat on the Mississippi river. We were able to see some of the effects of Katrina which is so sad. After three years there are still abandoned buildings and houses. We saw a lot of the importing and exporting that goes on there. A lot of sugar!! It was interesting considering that is my line of work. Our tour guide played this organ type thing that was on the boat. I'm not sure what it is called, but it was so loud! I had never seen anything like that. It was fun!

We took the trolley to the outskirts of the city, we'll call in the ghetto, to see the old cemeteries. They say that this is one of the most dangerous places to be in because people hide behind the mausoleums to mug you. It was recommended that you travel in groups there. Luckily there was a group that followed us in. The cemeteries are completely different from ours here because everything is above ground. Everything was so old. A lot of the mausoleums had been destroyed due to the hurricanes and were left empty. It was pretty weird, not gonna lie!

Last but not least, the Sugar Bowl was freaking awesome!! I knew that the Utes could put up a fight, but I had no idea that they would come out and punch Alabama in the mouth!! We were so out numbered by the Alabama fans there. Every where we went we heard the annoying words, "Roll Tide" in that horrible Alabaman accent. I can't even tell you how many times we heard it. By the time the Utes had scored three touchdowns in a row and lead 21-0 I don't think I heard it again! That alone was worth winning the game! I was so proud to be a Ute! They deserve to be the real national champs.

All in all it was such a fun trip. Good food too! JC is my most favorite person to be with and we had the time of our lives! My friend Adrienne and her husband were there also, so it was so much fun to hang out with them. I guess it's time to focus on Utes Basketball, or something. I don't think we will know what to do with ourselves!

2008-12-20T11:28:00.003-07:00

Flight to New Orleans..... $840

Tickets to the Sugar Bowl..... $270

Making Emily "earn" Bourbon Street Beads..... Priceless

Rivalry Week 2008!

2008-11-26T22:39:00.007-07:00

One of the best aspects of the Utah-BYU rivalry is the proximity of the rivals to each other. It is fun and exciting to be apart of the fun surrounding the annual game between the 2 big local universities. Earlier in the year our Cougar loving neighbors started the pranks with a big "Y" mowed into the lawn (see Zoobie Grass post). It concluded with us spray painting big red block "U's" in their grass.

Not to be outdone the following morning this aberration found it's way to our yard.

The neighbors were not alone in yard decorations this year, however. Earlier in the week we came home to Cougar decorations all over the garage door, front lawn and driveway. There were Cougar paws, blue glitter and a sign on the garage door that said "Cougar fans live here". We naturally assumed it was our neighbors but later discovered it was the handy-work of Diane, Julie and the biggest culprit of them all Lynn.

We quickly gathered the evidence into a planter pot and proceeded to destroy it.

They thought that we would never find out who did it but they received retaliation similar to or neighbors only with more "U's" and paint. We will post pictures soon. We feel that we did them all a huge favor by painting the winning team and two-time BCS Busting Utah Utes logo on their lawns!

12-0

2008-11-23T22:47:00.005-07:00

The rivalry game is over and the Utes came out on top! Congrats to the Utes for crushing BYU and finishing the season 12-0. We now await the BCS bowl game assignments. I can't wait!!

Yes We Can!

2008-11-08T00:13:00.005-07:00

After what seemed like a never ending campaign for the Presidency, America voted and it was clear that we, as a nation, wanted a change. That change will come through President-elect Obama. It is no secret that we are supporters of President-elect Obama and are very excited for this historical change in American politics. After 8 years of failed domestic and foreign policies, it was good to see the political pendulum begin to swing back the other way. Election night was highlighted by a very powerful acceptance speech by President-elect Obama, it was a moment that we will certainly share with our children and grandchildren.

For those that think that President-elect Obama does not have sufficient executive experience here are a few other notable Presidents and their experience prior to the White House. Franklin D. Roosevelt served a term as Governor and 2 years as a state legislator. Woodrow Wilson only served 2 years as a governor. Abraham Lincoln served 2 years as a U.S. Senator and 8 years as a Illinois State Senator, does that sound familiar (same amount of time in each office as Obama)? They all turned out OK. I guess the electorate, the American public, decided that he was qualified and right for the office. Hopefully with good executive decision and good old fashioned American hard work we can get the greatest country in the history of the world back on top.

There's a New Mexico?!!

2008-11-03T19:47:00.009-07:00

Halloween was a little different for us this year. Instead of dressing up and handing out candy to trick or treaters, we decided to go to New Mexico to see the Utes play. Imagine that!!:-) The drive really wasn't that bad at all. The Utes won by a squeaker, but we had a good time. Parker and Dante made the trip with us and I think by now we have learned our lesson that Dante can't come with us anymore. He does so good when we are traveling, but once we try to leave him in the hotel he freaks out. He does not stop barking. So with that in mind from the last time we tried to leave him, I decided to call the vet to see if there was something I could give him to settle him down. He gave me a sedative that was supposed to relax him and make him sleepy. Well he was plenty sleepy, but that didn't stop him from barking. He basically just layed there and barked. I could tell he was so tired, but he's a stubborn little turd! I felt so bad for basically drugging him. Not sure if that makes me a bad doggie Mommy, but it sounds pretty bad doesn't it!? I don't think I'll be doing that anymore! Other than that it was a fun weekend!

The Utes are 9-0 and hopefully are on their way to bust the BCS. I guess they will take it one game at a time. The TCU game is this Thursday here in Salt Lake. They are calling it the blackout because the players are wearing black uniforms and the fans are supposed to wear black as well. I think it will be cool, but at the same time I think it's bad timing. The weather is supposed to be cold and so I think the blackout will turn into whatever the color of your coat is! I guess it doesn't matter what the fans are wearing as long as the Utes play friggin' awesome!! :-)

2008-10-20T21:43:00.002-06:00

Look at my cute Dante after a walk around the block!! We all know that Dante is a little "round". He is usually exhausted when we get back from a walk. I love this picture because he's spread eagle on all fours!! Bless his heart!

Home Safe and Sound

2008-10-12T20:44:00.004-06:00

So this weekend we went to Laramie, WY to watch the Utes play. The ride there was a nightmare and so was the ride home. It was a whiteout for a lot of the way there, not to mention horrible fog once we made it out of the snow. The ride home was a little more interesting. We started our journey making "good time" as JC calls it! We could see these awesome clouds all around us and knew that up ahead could not be good. It was snowing pretty hard once we made it to Rawlins, WY and the only way we could see was by following the tracks made by the truck in front of us. So we had driven quite a ways and then we came to an incline on I80. We could see all of the trucks stopped on the hill in the middle of the road. On the other side of the road we could see that traffic was backed up and in front of them were trucks blocking the road. Their wheels weren't turning, but apparently the road was a huge sheet of ice because the trucks were sliding down the hill. So as we get closer on our side we could see that the same thing was happening, but in our case the trucks were sliding backwards. I said to JC, "Don't stop! Keep the wheels turning!" We weaved in and out of the trucks and we were the last car to make it out and not get bogged down. It was pretty weird being the only car on I80 all the way to Evanston. So after all of this JC and I decided that the Wyomingites my be the toughest people in the country! I say this because I talk to a lot of people for work that are from New York, New Jersey really anywhere on the east coast. They are seriously the biggest wusses when it comes to weather. They would get eaten alive in Wyoming! Something like the weather that we just experienced would have been all over the news if it were back east. This was just an everyday winter occurrence in Wyoming! Needless to say, I don't think that we will be making the trip to Wyoming again unless it's a guaranteed sunny drive! Kudos to those that live there!!

Zoobie Grass

2008-10-08T20:48:00.007-06:00

We have the privilege of living next door to a great family that we have become friends with. Unfortunately, they are Cougar fans. Usually pranks between Ute and Cougar fans is reserved for the week of the Holy War. This year it came early to our neighborhood.

One afternoon as I was coming home from work and as I was getting closer to our neighborhood I could sense that there was something wrong. As I entered the cul-de-sac that we live in, I immediately saw the cause of my uneasy feeling.

Zoobie Grass.

Not to be out done and not to let them get away this blatant disrespect to my grass, we were able to get them back. We had discussed a number of ways to retaliate, several of these ideas included a white vinyl fence. However, it seems that most fences in our neighborhood were coated with some sort of anti-graffiti coating that keeps anything from sticking to them! This is what we settled on for round 1 of this rivalry war between neighbors.

For the love of the game!

2008-10-06T22:16:00.008-06:00

So far this year we have been to all three of the road games and all of the home games for the Utes. So we have to decided to keep the streak alive and go for the ultimate in football fandom. We are going to attend all of the Utah football games this season, hopefully including a great bowl trip. Unfortunately two of the three remaining road games are in Laramie Wyoming and Albuquerque New Mexico, YIKES! We can't let the lack of tourist attractions in Laramie deter us from supporting the Utes. The only downsides with this weekend on the high plains of Wyoming is it is going to snow with high temperatures in the upper 30's. Also, it is Laramie, so not really the place you want to spend extended amounts of time but what else would we do this weekend?

As for Albuquerque, we have never been there so we don't know what to expect. We have heard that there is a lot of IROC Camaros and turquoise rings so that should be exciting. Too bad the hot air balloon festival is this weekend and not over Halloween, which is when we will be down there.

The last roadie of the year will be at San Diego, not a bad place to spend a weekend in the middle of November. This game is between the BYU game and a bowl trip so we will not be able to spend as much time there as we would like, but better than no time at all.

Saturday Blues

2008-10-04T15:25:00.002-06:00

Today is the first Saturday in a long time that we haven't had a Ute football game to attend. We are bored!! Plus it's raining and has been all day so it's not like we can go outside and do something. We have been lying in bed watching tv now for hours! It's actually kind of fun! I guess I could clean the house, but I know that's not going to happen! I think I'm just going to enjoy some free time since this is what I dream of when I'm at work.

Happy Birthday JC!

2008-09-23T22:39:00.002-06:00

Today is JC's birthday and I want the whole world to know how much I love him! Today he is 29 so here are 29 things that I love about him:
1- He makes me laugh 2- His openmindedness 3- His cute bum! 4- He's a hard worker 5-Our inside jokes 6-His strong hands 7-His passion for the Utes 8-His willingness to help others 9-His brilliant mind 10-His eyes 11-The way he treats animals 12-His knowledge and love of the gospel 13-He is always teaching me something new without even knowing it 14-His patience with me 15-His outgoing personality 16-His laugh 17-His sensitive side 18-I love that he can't sleep at night unless he is cuddling me 19-He always knows how to make me feel beautiful 20-He knows the horrible side of me and still loves me 21-His desire to find equality in life 22-That he calls me throughout his day just to see how I am doing 23-The way he takes care of our home 24-How safe he makes me feel 25-His romantic ways 26- The way he is with children 27-His adventurous side 28-The subtle and not so subtle ways he sets me straight when I need it. And last, but not least 29-His selflessness

JC, I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I love you so much!

Rocky Mountain High

2008-09-22T22:42:00.003-06:00

This weekend JC, Parker and I went to Colorado Springs to watch the Utes take on Air Force. The drive was worth it! We took Dante with us and he was such a good doggie, well for the most part. We left him in the hotel while we went to the game and he would not quit barking. We even ending up calling a "Pet Hotel", but they wouldn't take him because I didn't have his vaccinations with me. So we ended up buying a muzzle for him and I starting crying the second I put it on him. Pathetic, I know! By the time we got back to the hotel he had gotten the muzzle off and it was wrapped around his neck. I'm pretty lucky that I didn't kill my own dog! I think he has forgiven me now!
The game was fun! It was neat to see the cadets on the field. Nothing like a man in a uniform! Their fly over was quite lame. I was sure that because it was the Air force they would have jets of all kinds flying over head, but all we got was a quiet refueling plane. I guess all the jets are busy fighting in a war or something. Der! Anyhoo, JC is trying to get fresh with me so I gots to go!

Aggie Graffiti

2008-09-14T22:37:00.005-06:00

As most of you know we enjoy traveling around the country watching the Utes. One of the best parts of away games is taking the Utah Red car with window flags flying, and U of U plates shining into the enemy territory. This weekend in Logan was certainly no exception.

On the freeway ride from South Jordan to Logan we passed several cars that had Aggie fans showing us their "A" (what ever that means). The car ride is a great pre-game ritual where fans can show each other who is number 1, using either the index or middle finger. Usually it is the index finger (unless we are headed to Provo). We never feel like the car is a target of opposing fan angst, unless we are in Provo.

After we found a spot near the campus and stadium, we parked the car and began the walk to the stadium not worrying about retaliation from Aggie fans. The game turned out the way Utah vs. Utah State games usually do with the Utes crushing the Aggies. When we returned to the car we found it had been decorated by Aggies, using clever artwork and design to voice their displeasure with the loss to the Utes.

Amazingly, the Aggie fans used some sort of magical make-up or marker that is only visible up close from the outside but from the inside is very visible and very blue. I have to hand it the the agricultural school kids, they were far more innovative and creative than those Cougar fans in Provo who simply smash blueberries all over the car.

Of course I can write about this with out any anger or harsh feelings because what ever they used to write on the windows comes off very easily. This blog entry would have sounded different had the car been scratched or damaged. We will post pictures but keep in mind that what ever they used does not show up very well on film either!

Goodbye Summer

2008-09-07T22:37:00.005-06:00

Saturday JC and I purchased a little grill so that we could go tailgating this year before the Ute football games. Saturday morning we got it all set up and prepped for our big tailgating debut! We went up to the U early so we could get a good spot. We were able to find a shady spot that worked perfect! JC grills a killer steak! We had such a good time w/ JC's family and hope to make it a tradition with whomever wants to join us! The Utes won their home opener and they had fireworks after the game. I'd have to say they were better than any of the fireworks we saw during the Fourth of July. I think that last night was probably the last night that felt like summer to me. Today I was thinking how sad I was that summer was over which is funny because Fall is my favorite time of year. I just can't believe how fast time is going by.

On a different note, my cute little Dante Wante cracks me right up! For anyone that knows him it's no secret that he loves chapstick. Today JC and I were taking a nap and we wake up to a clicking noise coming from the living room. I get up and apparently he found a tube of chapstick because Dante was out there squeezing the chapstick out with his teeth!! The tube was destroyed and apparently there was still some left in the cap because he was hording it in his mouth and would not let me have it. I had to bribe him with a "cookie" to get him to drop it! I guess he'll be good and lubed!! Tee hee! This may sound lame, but I really feel that he is prepping me for children! I'll be good and ready by the time they come, well probably not, but I like to think so!

A big city and a Big House

2008-09-01T20:35:00.004-06:00

What a great week it has been! In Chicago we were able to enjoy a handful of the activities that the city has to offer. We were able to see popular attractions like
the Navy Pier and the shops and stores of Michigan Ave. We enjoyed the great architecture from the skyline tour from a boat on Lake Michigan, and up close at the Sears Tower. Also, even though Emily and I are not museum buffs we thoroughly enjoyed the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum.

The highlight of Chicago for me was the atmosphere and electricity surrounding the Cubs game against the Philies at Wrigley Field. From the throngs of fans that packed the CTA Red Line from the "Loop" in downtown, to the tailgaters and parties when we got off the train on Addison. It was truly a great experience and coming from someone who literally hates baseball that is saying something. Oh, and also the hot dogs and nachos at Wrigley were to die for!

Then there was the Big House. What a great venue to watch college football. There was an announced crowd of almost 109,000 people, however, not once did I feel crowded or too close to other fans. The first thing that impressed me about Ann Arbor was the number of Michigan fans that took the time and talked to us and offered their pre-game food and wanted to know about Utah and what exactly is a "Ute". However, even though they were very friendly with the Utah fans they were quick to point out that we came all that way just to watch our team lose.

The best word I can use to describe our time in Chicago, Ann Arbor and the game in Michigan Stadium is: Incredible!

Vacay was Awesome!!

2008-09-01T19:17:00.005-06:00

It's amazing how fast 6 days goes by! We just got back from Chicago/Michigan and we had the time of our lives! Chicago was such a fun city with so much to see and do. Everyone there is really friendly and the only complaint I have regarding people is....... stink!! Foreigners, please use deodorant!! At one point we were stuck on an elevator in the Sears Tower with some of the stinkiest body odor I have ever smelled!! 90+ floors was a long way to ride, believe me!! It was extremely hot with the humidity and now I know what people mean when they say "oh you live you Utah, but it's a dry heat right?" The highlight of the trip was the Utah vs Michigan football game of course! The Utes made us proud! Ann Arbor was a fun college town. JC and I compare it to Logan on steroids! It was a true college town like something you would see on the movies! The Michigan fans were so friendly and made us feel welcome in their town. We had such a good time and good food, well good food for the most part. All I can say is never ever eat at White Castle. I have heard people compare hamburger joints to our beloved Crown Burger, places like In N Out Burger and White Castle. JC and I love Crown Burger and so when we went to Cali we had to try out In N Out Burger to compare. Not even close! Crown Burger takes the cake! So we are driving along the freeway in Michigan and low and behold we see a sign for White Castle. Sweet, we thought, now we can do some comparing. White Castle is the worst fast food I have ever eaten! Not even kidding. I was so sick after eating there and spent the night running to the bathroom. I wouldn't recommend it! Overall, the vacay was freaking awesome and I love that JC and I have so much fun together. Now it's time to look forward to something else!! What will it be....?

Let's take the Big House!

2008-08-24T22:40:00.002-06:00

I have been looking forward to this upcoming week since the Utes beat Navy in December of 2007.

Emily and I have had many opportunities to plan vacations and trips around the Utah football team and where they play. We have been to such great and historic venues like the Rose Bowl, Pac Bell Stadium, Quallcom Stadium, SunDevil Stadium and so on. This year is no different and perhaps the best road trip we have ever been on. On Wednesday we will be flying into Chicago to spend a few days enjoying America's Second City. While we are there we will take in all the sights we can cram into a few days including a night game at Wrigley Field. From there we will head to Ann Arbor to watch the Utes take on the Michigan Wolverines in the enormous Michigan Stadium (aka the Big House). We will help add a little Crimson Red to a sea of maize and blue the ratio will be: 3,500 in red to 104,000 in blue. We like those odds!

I am very lucky to have the opportunities to travel and enjoy so much of this country and what it has to offer. I am even luckier to have a wife who enjoys these trips almost as much as I do, almost.

Happy 50th Birthday to my Poppy!

2008-08-24T00:13:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had a surprise party for my Dad's 50th birthday. Him and I share the same birthday and I don't think he has had a party of his own in 27 years! It was fun to do something just for him. We had all of the family there, except Bree :-( , but it was a lot of fun! Tonight I was thinking that I seriously have the best Dad in the whole world. He means the world to me! I know it's a few days early, but I love you Poppy and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday! Thanks for sharing it with me all of these years.

Alas, we're blogging!

2008-08-20T22:13:00.003-06:00

Hooray! We finally have a blog! JC has been trying to get us up and going for a while now and tonight I decided to make it pretty! We are excited to become a part of internet world.