Songs About Corn Dogs and 2 Year Olds

Our friend Zach has been in town and we enjoy spending time with Zach and his girlfriend Ashley.  Friday night we were at Zach's house and he said that one of his favorite bands, Ryan Shupe and The Rubber Band, was playing Saturday night at Thanksgiving Point and he asked if we would like to go.  Considering I never turn down a concert I said yes, and fully expected Travis to protest; he doesn't like concerts (we really have nothing in common).  But, by some miracle Travis agreed to go (apparently he'll go to concerts with Zach but not when I invite him... go figure).

So, Saturday night we met Zach and Ashley at Thanksgiving Point.  The show was great.  I'm not terribly familiar with Ryan Shupe and The Rubber Band, I know a couple of there songs.  But, I loved this concert.  They are great performers!  They have some of the most interesting songs.  Seriously, they sang a song about corn dogs, and another song about 2 year old attitudes.  I'm going to put their music on my iPod.  I love good new music!

As is custom when I go to a concert, I need a concert picture.  It's nearly impossible to get Travis to smile like a normal person in a picture.  It took us several tries...

I finally got a good one.  See, he's got a great smile.  He should really use it more often.

Ashley noticed my dilemma and offered to help, which resulted in another decent picture.  Thanks Ashley!

Ashley and Zach enjoying the opener.

It was a beautiful night in Lehi.  We even got a brief but beautiful sunset.

 



Ryan Shupe and The Rubber Band

 

It was a fun night!  Thanks Zach for inviting us.  Thanks Travis for actually going to a concert with me!  It was a September miracle.

My New Roommate

Meet Shelby.  She is my new roommate.  She has lived with me for just over 2 weeks now.  She's a sweetheart.
Shelby is actually Travis' dog, but he had to move to a new place and couldn't take Shelby.  We figured she'd move in eventually so we moved her in 4 months early.

A few Shelby facts:

Shelby is quite good at playing fetch, but only when Travis is not around.  When Travis is around she has to be right next to him constantly so he's too much of a distraction.

Shelby nips at your ankles as soon as your running shoes are on.  She loves running.

Shelby is afraid of cats.  Darcy has figured this out and uses it to his advantage.

Shelby is very obedient, unless she is convinced the cats are trying to play with her when in fact they are either chasing each other or running away from her.

Shelby loves everyone!

If you let your foot hang off the couch or bed or something you are seated on she walks over and proceeds to pet herself with your foot.

Shelby doesn't like to be alone.

Shelby is super curious about everything.

Shelby doesn't like bedtime.

Shelby will attack your vacuum.

Shelby never barks or makes any noise unless she's just been put to bed.

Shelby gives good hugs.

And, Shelby loves Sarah more than Travis. :)

An Ending to the Suspense... A Date Has Been Set

I'm a lover of countdown chains.  Usually I only have 1 reason to make a countdown chain... the end of the school year.  This countdown chain, however, is not for the end of the school year (I would probably make myself crazy if I made a chain for that already).  This chain is for something even more exciting... My WeDdInG!  Yep, miracles do happen, we finally set a date.  Let it be know that on Saturday January 19, 2013 Sarah and Travis will be sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

Great Friends, KOA, Les Mis, Fortune Teller... Summer of Fun Finale

Saturday August 18, 2012 6 awesome girls loaded in D'Nell's car (DON'T OPEN THE BACK!) and headed toward Cedar City to see Les Miserables at the Shakespeare Festival.  I seriously have the best friends ever!  They are just so darn much fun!

The trip down was an adventure all on it's own.  As we drove south we saw a cute store and just had to stop (according to D'Nell they had apples that tasted like candy!).  After exploring there for a bit we loaded back in and were on our way again. 

 

Next we spotted a gas station with a petting zoo.  That turned out to be irresistible!  We piled out and went off to make some new friends.

 

This zebra with Nicole turned out to be starved for attention.  Insisted on trying to be in every picture we took.

 



Suzie in deep conversation with a new friend, who turned out to be her mortal enemy.  The birds seemed to have something against Suzie and eventually chased her out of the enclosure.

Apparently the goats and sheep can be bought with only a quarter.  All Gen did was get buy a little food and she was instantly surrounded.

As we left we found this sign, which then became the rules for our road trip.  We are NOT responsible for butts, kicks, and poo on shoes!

 



D'Nell's Summer of Fun wish list included staying in a KOA kabin.  Here's her wish come true....  Complete with Vegas style bathrooms.  Yes folks, there was music playing in the bathrooms!  We felt better about "kamping" after that.

After unloading and exploring our home for the night we headed toward SUU for our show.  Here I am with Nicole.

Here we are:  Suzie, D'Nell, Amber, Gen, me, and Nicole about to go in to watch Les Mis.

Nicole, Gen, Amber, Suzie, and D'Nell.  FUN friends!

 

The show was great, and we all felt as though we were qualified to make a few critiques (but really, the lead could have been a little better).

 

After the show we went back to our kabin.  We gathered around the table outside for a round of fortune teller.  After our unhappy neighbors slammed their window shut we changed locations.  Fortune  Teller really was quite epic, and as Gen said (about a thousand times!) "That makes sense."  We learned many interesting things about several guys after asking intriguing questions.  The cards never lie!

Here we are outside of our fabulous kabin Sunday morning.  The music in the bathrooms was Church music that morning, not even lying!  It made us feel a little more spiritual since we weren't going to be going to church.  We got all 6 of us and our stuff back into D'Nell's car and after a lovely breakfast at the All-American Diner we headed north.

Another Summer Of Fun activity in the history books... one that will not be forgotten.  I am so glad that I've been able to tag along on this Summer of Fun!  Really, I couldn't ask for better friends.  I thank Heavenly Father every day for them.  Love you guys!  "That makes sense..."

A Beautiful Sight

Living in Nauvoo 6 years ago made me a lover of a good sunset.  I have never seen sunsets as beautiful as what I saw in Nauvoo.  We have, however, had some the come pretty close to Nauvoo sunsets in Utah this year.  Here's one that I loved.

Can She Build It? Yes, She Can!

I have a cute little patio next to my front door.  For the last year and a half I've been dreaming of adding cute whicker furniture to my cute patio.  At the beginning of the summer I found the furniture I wanted, but I didn't want to spend what it was selling for.  So, I decided to wait until the end of the season when it went on sale.  That time came and I snatched it up! 
August 9th I got home from my first meeting at the district and decided it was time to put my furniture together... all by myself!  Apparently I'm more handy than I thought.

This is what my table looked like out of the box.

This is what my table looked like when I was done!

 



After the table I was brave enough to attempt assembling one of the chairs.  This is what it looked like out of the box.

Ta da!  Yes friends, I did that all on my own!

This is the finished product right outside my living room window.  Do you love it?  I certainly do!  I've already spent a few evenings out on my comfy chairs reading.  I LOVE it!

Something To Ponder

My parents introduced me to a book series by Richard Paul Evans, The Walk.  I just finished the second book, Miles to Go and some of the final words struck me and I felt as though I should share them.

"For there are moments in all lives, great and small, that we must trudge alone our forlorn roads into infinite wilderness, to endure our midnight hours of pain and sorrow-- the Gethsemane moments, where we are on our knees or backs, crying out to a universe that seems to have abandoned us.
These are the greatest of moments, where we show our souls.  These are our "finest hours."  That these moments are given to us is neither accidental nor cruel.  Without great mountains we cannot reach great heights.  And we were born to reach great heights."

Something to ponder...