Holy MEGA Surprise Batman!!!!!!!

So, here I was, thinking that I'd had pretty much the most amazing birthday ever, when something came along to TOTALLY confirm that. I received a package in the mail today, and was wondering "What the heck?" After looking at the address, which stated it was mailed from Dearborn, Michigan, I asked Mom and Dad if they had ordered a surprise for me online. After two rather emphatic "No" responses, I became immensely intrigued. I know a grand total of NOBODY in Michigan. But I do know that is where a lot of my insurance licensing information originates. So, thinking that is what I was getting, I began to open up this package.

It was like trying to get into Fort Knox. The thing was giving me a REALLY hard time. All the while I'm trying to think what could be contained inside. Had I known, I would have taken a picture of the package before shredding it open. One of the other many guesses was Nicholas Spark's new book Safe Haven. While I was wrong, I was also not far off the mark. For what was inside was this:



There was no card, no tag, absolutely NOTHING to indicate who was kind enough to send me such a coveted device. You see, a while ago, I posted on Facebook how amazingly cool I thought this gadget was and that I was seriously considering making it my next HUGE gift to myself when I could afford it...which for the record, I knew would be a loooooooooong time away. The person(s) who went beyond generous and thoughtful remained anonymous, I think, because they knew I would FREAK OUT and think it was too much. But, they also knew how much I wanted one. In summary...they know me REALLY well.

So, to whomever I owe so much gratitude, know that I am in awe of your kindness and love. This is no mere gadget to me, but a very visual reminder of how blessed I am to have the people in my life that I do. I feel so loved, so precious, and so fortunate to know you...even though I don't know who you are. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

And yes, this amazingly cool gift is already on the charger! 

Happy Birthday to ME!

So, last week, I turned 29. And, it was perhaps one of the greatest birthdays ever. We did pretty much NOTHING. Mom, Dad, and I played games and enjoyed each other's company. Throughout most of the day...we had something pretty fantastic on our minds and hearts. And, it was this amazing guy.

Bryan Aaron entered the Missionary Training Center the very same day I turned 29. I can't imagine a more wonderful present than knowing I am privileged to call such a cute, loving, and happy guy my nephew. I'm so super excited for him and can't wait to see what the next two years bring him. Go Elder Cothran-Draper!

And then, later that night, one of my dearest friends up here stopped by with a bag full of goodies. You can tell who your true friends are when they fill up a bag with some of your favorite, and most puerile, delights (pens and stickers and a Planet Earth calendar because I never remember what day it is)! So sweet, and one of the best parts of the day was getting to see her mid-week because she is super busy.

It was also fantastic when another of my super amazing friends came by and had dinner with us. LOVED getting to see my Chrystal and hang out with her for a little bit. I have been blessed with tremendous friends since moving up here and am constantly grateful for the blessing of having them in my life. And along with the new friends, I was reminded how fabulous my childhood friends are too. I received the sweetest card from Lizz, who I have known since I was eleven. Old friends are the greatest.

And then, a week later, I finished celebrating my birthday. Mom and Dad decided to make me feel better about being one year closer to thirty by reminding me of things I loved in my youth. My late birthday presents consisted of Oceans (which I still LOVE), the Disney-mentary, and a sentimental gift of the entire "Felicity" American Girl series, complete with a miniature doll.

Now, that last was sentimental on a couple different fronts. Every year since I graduated high school, my father gifts me a doll either on my birthday, or at Christmas. So, that was covered in the "Felicity" gift. Additionally, as a kid, my sisters used to read the American Girl series to me. Each sister had their own girl that they loved, and taught me to love. For Amber, there was:
 Felicity.

For Catherine, there was:
Molly.

With Kimberly, I came to know:
Samantha.

And last, but certainly not least, my mom took great delight in putting me to bed some nights with:
Kirsten.

And so, starting my own American Girls book/miniature doll collection is something that means a great deal to me, for a few reasons...named Amber, Jennie (now known as Catherine), Kim, and Mom. I now have a very physical reminder of some of my absolutely treasured childhood memories.

And then, amongst all the other amazing gifts, Mom and Dad ordered one more thing for me.



I'm super excited for this book to get here. I completely fell in love with the Percy Jackson series, and I'm looking forward to this follow-up collection. It will be great fun to see if the new kids at Camp Half-Blood will be able to combine forces and find our previous and beloved heroic demigod.

And...here's the rest of the cool loot.

And the best present of all...feeling the immense love from all my friends and family. :)

Two Years!!!!!

My, how time has flown. Two years ago, I began blogging. I lived in TX. I was going to school online. Now, two years later, I live in WA. I am finished with online school...and I am preparing to go back to "regular" college on January 4, 2011. Life has definitely been full of adventure and great fun!

Yet Another Super Neat Place

So, here in my lovely hometown, there is a bit of national coastline. One of the great things about WA is the plentiful recreation surrounding, well, pretty much everywhere. And, to better it all off, very much UNLIKE Texas, the recreation is free. Which is pretty fabulous. Instead of paying $5 to picnic at a little community park, you can go watch whales and seals and porpoises, etc---and it's okay if you forget your wallet! I love it.

One of the places we've heard about since moving here, but hadn't gone to (until this instance three months ago) was Larrabee State Park...wherein one can appreciate the national coastline along with various other, and amazing sites. By far, one of the most amazing things at this park are the tide pools, especially during low tide. Herein are various marine creatures in so many colors it's unreal. So, take a look for yourself. These were just SOME of the amazingly cool things we've seen.

In addition to the purple and orange starfish, we've seen pink, red, and yellow. And these suckers (quite literally) are HUGE. Some of them are bigger than my two hands put together. And they're thick. It's amazing. I'd never seen starfish like them before. The longer I'm here, the more I realize just how different animals are in their natural habitat then they are in captivity...whether it be a clown fish, a starfish, or an Orca. They're so much healthier, active, and HUGE. I've never been a fan of wild animals being caged (or tanked-however you look at it), but suffice it to say, my soapbox is larger than ever.

Plus, this is sooooo much prettier than a zoo (whether land based or aquatic).

And, that is made so much better when I can enjoy it with people I love beyond measure.

A GREAT Reason to Go on a Trip.

On August 20, two of my dear friends were sealed for time and all Eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. They were kind enough to invite me, and I was blessed enough to be able to attend. LOVED it. CONGRATULATIONS you two!!!!!

We met Clark while he was serving his church mission down in TX. It did not take long for him to become a little brother. And somehow, we managed to brainwash him into thinking that we were cool enough to keep in contact with when he got home. How we love this guy! He is one of the family.

On one of our many trips to UT, we were privileged to meet his new girlfriend Natalia, and we instantly fell in love with her too. She's a gem...and she lets our Clark be himself...which is FABULOUS! This angel of a girl and I became fast friends as we bonded over our love for Harry Potter and of course...TWILIGHT!!!! How can I not be friends with such a cool girlie???

So, it was with much pleasure, when over a year later, two of my favorite people announced they were engaged!!!! Yay for true love. And, just a couple short months later...

Thank you soooo much for letting me be a part of your special days!

Attempting to Learn a New Talent.

So, here's another insight to me for those of you who are still in the process of getting to know me. I am very much into music...singing, listening, playing-whatever. It is a HUGE part of my life, and when I get a little down, music has the power to soothe my soul like nothing else can.

In my early childhood, I was blessed to have sisters with the voices of angels. Amber and Catherine were always singing something. My sister Kim played the clarinet. My brother...well, he was the athlete. My father was the biggest fan for all of us...whether we were musically inclined or sports minded. He had a little bit of everything to deal with amongst the four of us. But, I give the credit to my mother for teaching us music almost before we could read...and her father for loving music so much that it spilled over to her. To this day, my earliest memories of music are centered in our MD house's music room.

I can remember Mom trying to teach Dad how to sing. And every time, it went something like this.

Mom: "A little higher Dear." Whilst plunking a piano note.
Dad: "Mimimimimimimimi." In an unnaturally and somewhat frightening falsetto.
Mom: "A little lower Dear." Whilst plunking on the same exact piano note.

Repeat this about 100 times.

The memory still makes me smile. But I have other memories as well. Catherine would sit with me for hours in that most treasured of rooms and introduce me to various church artists while either playing on the piano or her guitar. I can remember getting the 8-track tape (yes, people who didn't know...I AM that old) of The Little Mermaid soundtrack and Catherine playing it over and over again while we sang along. Until she went off to college, she was my musical magician/hero. How I will always love and treasure her for the role she played in my childhood in introducing me to music.

As I finished up elementary school in a new state, far away from my musically gifted sisters, I determined to remember the lessons they had taken the time to teach me. So, along with constantly singing, I learned to play the violin. As I entered middle school, I wanted to be just like my musical mommy and play the flute, which I still do to this day. The piano has always, and probably will always, be my nemesis, but I'm now getting to the point where I can play simplified hymns, And, my newest project....

I am happy to report that I can play three whole chords (G, C, and D). And I can even switch between them (most of the time). So...here's looking forward to learning this new musical talent. Hopefully it won't take me as long as it has to get some of the symplified hymns under my belt. :D

Thank you Amber, Catherine, Kim, MOM, and Da for passing on a love of music to me. It is a gift that I shall always treasure from you guys. I'm so blessed to have you in my life.

Another Day on San Juan

So, the most recent summertime trip to the island happened a couple weeks ago. While there was not a single trace of the beloved Orcas, we did not get completely cheated. Which is good...because then I would have gotten up before the sun for no reason at all. Which would have then made me VERY grumpy. But maybe not. After all, I got to spend all day looking at sights like this.

And...I wanted to show you just how close we have been to Orcas before. Welcome to their favorite playground.

The killer whales will get just that close to shore (which is deceptively deep considering the proximity to land) all because of the lovely bull kelp. But...they aren't the only animals who enjoy the glorified seaweed. Take a look and see if you can find our fun marine mammal companion for the day.

Can't see our little friend? Well you can either click on the picture to get the expanded view...or, the much more fun way...look below (I recommend the latter)!



This lovely creature stayed floating and ducking amongst the kelp for HOURS. At one point, we worried if it was okay. But, then we'd see it dive or roll, and our concerns about the possibly dead sea lion would vanish. Especially when he lifted his head and looked right at me. It was soooo cute.

So, that was a fun day, despite the lack of Orcas, which I'm sure made it infinitely more enjoyable for our little showoff friend.

Have I ever mentioned that I love where I live?

Day on the Island.

So, come summertime, one of my favorite events happens. Anybody who truly knows me will not be surprised that this event is ALL about marine mammal happenings. But for those of you just getting to know me, here's a little bit of helpful information.

Ever since I was eleven and sitting in a theater in San Antonio, TX, I have been completely in love with Killer Whales. This adoring obsession is courtesy of a little movie called FREE WILLY. That's right people, I'm a child of the Free Willy era...and mostly proud to admit it. I was completely proud to admit it until the last one came out this past year. Now, just to clarify, I'm not hating on Bindi Irwin (who I happen to think is completely adorable), but I am totally hating on the CG whales that didn't even swim correctly. So...not going to step on that soapbox. But...see for yourself.

VS.

Anyway, returning to the point. I adore Orcas...so much in fact that they are the main reason I uprooted my life in TX and moved 2,800 miles away to the beautiful place I now call home in Northwestern Washington State.

And every summer, a group of three different pods join up in what is sometimes referred to as Superpod, which now numbers close to 90 whales. And....I go spend hours on an island in the hopes of catching a glimpse.

Well, this summer was no exception. I went to the island multiple times, and only got to behold these gorgeous creatures twice from REALLY far away. But...I did get to see them. Which is a miracle in and of itself.

One of the times I went, I was privileged to get to play tour guide to a couple friends who had never been over before. And we had a blast. So...here are a few pictures from that great day.

REALLY windy (and freezing) ferry ride.



The relative warmth inside the ferry.

View from the ferry as the DENSE fog was burning off (which then resulted in a BEAUTIFUL day)

My friend enjoying the sights. This may have been gazing off towards the whales (which were much too far away to photograph).

And...as we were leaving, some kind tourists took a picture of the Three Adventuring Amigos...or would it be Amigas?





Dad's Birthday

So, on August 14, Dad turned the distinguished age of 64. For a year, he's been saying he wanted to learn how to play the mandolin. So, among other things, that's what he got. He ordered the one he wanted from Ebay about three weeks before his birthday. Which meant we received it two weeks before the big event. Which meant we had to REALLY hide the sucker for that length of time.

Now, it is important to know that our apartment seriously lacks space in general, much less hiding space. Pretty much every nook and cranny is stuffed full of something. So, creativity was a must. But, thank goodness, we found a suitable hiding spot in the well known chaos that is otherwise known as my bedroom. And, despite many casual attempts (that I'm sure he thought were well disguised but sooooo not), Dad never found the not so surprising surprise.

Being that he knew what he was getting, Mom and I toiled long and hard on how to best make this birthday a surprising event. Which miraculously worked out quite well. I had sneakily purchased a DVD for Dad that he kept slipping onto the Netflix queue, despite my several covert operations to remove it from said queue. Seriously, he out it on (and I removed it) FOUR times. Sheesh. But, somehow, he never realized what was happening until the day he opened his coveted disc of Captain Correlli's Mandolin (are you seeing the theme here?).

But the best surprise of all involved the actual mandolin. Dad and I had this wonderful Friday night tradition of staying up obscenely late to watch Whale Wars. And when I say obscenely late, I mean the show didn't start until 1 A.M. But we were addicted and couldn't help ourselves. Well, on this particular Friday night, we were both lagging a bit. So, at about 11:30, I went into my room and wrapped his gift. At precisely midnight on August 14, 2010...this is what occurred.

Okay...once technical issues are resolved, video will be posted here.

Until then, here's the synopsis. At exactly midnight, Mom and I marched out of my room, wrapped package in tow, singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Dad was immensely surprised...and had no problem staying up long enough to watch Whale Wars. :)

My Father-the Umpire

So, once again, it's been a while since I've logged onto my blogger. So long in fact that when I couldn't post anything, I was worried that my account had been deactivated. But, fortunately, thanks to the help option, I discovered the problem, and I can now resume a more normal blogging schedule. So, yay!!!!

A little while ago, my eldest sister and her FIVE boys asked that we post some pictures of Dad in his official umpire getup. So...here you go Joyces. Enjoy!!!!

And what's this? A video too???? What good are pictures when you can shoot a candid moving shot? So, here's a taste of Dad in action.

Voila...and there you have it. Isn't he cute...I mean incredibly awesome and extremely manly?

WARNING: Non-Chronological Posting

So...at the urging of more than one of my dear friends and family members, I am committing a heinous blogger sin...an out of order post. I promise I will get back to finishing up the posts from our loooong trip, and if I'm lucky, that will happen before we leave on our next one...in just a coulple days. It seems like we can't stay put for more than three months at a time. But anyways....moving on.

On June 5, 2010, I did something that was really about eight years late. But I've said it before and I'll say it again...better late than never! Especially when the task culminated in this.....

!!!!!!

I FINALLY completed my Associates Degree in Business Administration. It was really hard-fought. I will now make an admission. Had I known what I was getting myself into when I decided to go back to school and do it online...I may not...revise that...I WOULD NOT have done it. If you're wondering why, well, I'll tell you.

You may have heard that online school is easy. Another misconception...it's not really like the normal college classes. Something else I hear, "People who go to school online are slackers." For those of that mindset, I feel I must tell you as gently as I can... W-R-O-N-G...in fact, completely wrong. It is obvious that the purveyors of such myths have never, and I mean never ever, taken an online class, much less a whole degree's worth of online classes.


How I would have loved to show up to a classroom to meet attendance requirements! How nice it would have been to only have to had to raise my hand once in a while to earn participation credit! I can't imagine what it would have been like to only have to take notes while someone lectured on the material instead of read, re-read, and then re-read again the ENTIRE textbook throughout the course of nine weeks...whilst taking notes as well.


But alas, that was not the lot I chose for myself. And so, this accomplishment was that much sweeter!



I could not have endured that eternal two-year process if not for those of you who showed love, support, and compassion for me throughout that time. So, I say THANKS SO MUCH and I appreciate everything you helped me with during the time I strove for my baby degree.
Also, a big shout out to my friends the Messegees for their fabulous photo skills from acres away from the action. They were awesome in snapping shots since, once again, our camera battery died. In fact, my buddy Alan even video-taped some of the action. You can witness Alan's skills at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhbX8BFzRRQ.So, along with that, there will be a couple more pictures posted soon, so keep an eye out. I'm just waiting for them to arrive!We followed up the festivities with lunch at a fantastic restaurant that some more friends who shared the day with me recommended. Then it was home to hang up the cap and gown for good...well, at least, for a few more years.

From MD to OK (sorry-post without pictures)

So...after spending a great deal of time in MD (thanks again Joyce and Washburn families!!!), it was down to OK we went. All I can say is that after a 57 hour drive, 16 did not seem so bad at all.

The main purpose of that trip was to help get Da's (my mother's father) house ready to go on the market. We engaged in some great manual labor which included pulling fluff and staples out of hardwood floors and pulling up severely stationary tackstrips. Mom spent a great deal of time hunched over in a chair yanking things out of the floor while Dad and I invested many hours on our trusty hands and knees...neither of which were so trusty the next day.

But, despite soreness, it was a fantastic couple days. We spent time with Aunt Cyndy, Uncle Dennis, and even Kara (for a few hours anyway). After two days, we headed out to the cemetery to see some ancestors' headstones. And then it was on our way again.

Whilst in MD--Beware: LONG POST (re-posted)

So, after two-and-a-half days in the car, it was with great relief that we arrived at the Washburn home in Abingdon. We were greeted energetically by six of the cutest kids known to humanity and had a blast playing with them.

While this is not how they looked as they came outside that morning, it's the best shot to show off their total adorable-ness. We loved every minute of it.

Also, we got to see our incredibly handsome and athletic Joyces while we were in MD. Unfortunately, it seemed that the boys were a little camera shy. Every time I asked to get pictures of them, they scampered off to locations unknown until the threat of the "Auntiecam" disappeared. However, I was able to get a darn cute shot of the oldest Joyce "boy" and the youngest.

There's nothing quite as sweet as a father/son bonding photo.

One of the great things about Annapolis and Abingdon is the proximity to our nation's capitol.

We took full advantage of that one day as we headed out to go visit the National Museum of the American Indian. There were soooo many neat things in that place that I completely wound up depleting my battery camera. I can't pick just a few shots, and so, cue the slideshow.

Then came one of the craziest/fun parts of all. Snowstorms descended...en masse. It literally hit in the time it
took for my sister and I to make a run to BJ's (a Costco type place). When we left the house, it had barely
started snowing. When we left the store forty minutes later, we were trapped. Enough snow had fallen, so
quickly that all the roads back to Catherine's house were closed. I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y!!! With only one way to
leave the store, we were inextricably trapped. The good news: it was cold enough outside to keep the cold
things, well frozen actually, AND there was a movie theater within walking distance.

Catherine and I sat in the parking lot for nearly an hour without moving more than 1/10 of a mile. At that point,
we went back into the store. They'd set up Hot Cocoa and a movie for all their trapped patrons to enjoy while
waiting for the storm to clear enough to go back home. It was in that store, over our respective slices of pizza,
that we decided what to do for the next two hours. Decision made, we hoofed it on down to the movie theater
that was a couple blocks away--in about 18 inches of snow. It didn't matter that Catherine nor I had on snow-
appropriate shoes or that we were not dressed for an arctic expedition, we tromped through the snow
anyways. With Catherine's love of Han Solo and my intense crush on Monte Kessler from With Honors, the
choice was obvious. And we weren't disappointed by this movie.

By the time it was over, the roads had been plowed enough for us to get back to Catherine's waiting husband
and children. So, while completely spur of the moment and totally unplanned, Catherine and I were able to
have some bonding time...and it was fabulous.

In fact, it wound up snowing so much that night that church was cancelled. Alas, that gave us an opportunity
to enjoy a fabulous session of home church. Then the children enjoyed a great time playing in the snow. Sadly,
due to my inappropriate trekking attire from the day before, I was pretty much on self-imposed indoor house
arrest. I know my body...and it does not get along with snow. So, I stayed indoors, and sadly was forced to
forsake a prime picture-taking opportunity...sadness.

But I did nab this a few days later

...before Snowstorm #2 hit us.    

I pretty much adored Briella's training session with

big sis Kamberlynne regarding the fabulous art that is

making snow angels. It was so stinkin' cute. And Ellie

seemed to like it too!

And the end result was something like this.

See all those snow angels in the background? Sooooo much fun.

And, way harder than driving 3,000 miles in the snow, harder than being confined to a car for two and a half days, way harder than the sleep deprivation, and temporary malnourishment was this.

There is still not a day that goes by where we don't think of our little angel up in Heaven. How we love our Angel Mariah and look forward to holding her one day, along with Baby Isaac and the little Joyce boy we never got to know. The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.

And so, amidst tremendous grief, there were moments like these that helped us through.

And so, that was our Maryland trip. Laughter, tears, fun, love, Olympics, athletic events, and oh so much SNOW! My only regret is that I couldn't snap more pictures of the Joyces. And so, I'll refer you to their blog spot, which you can access off the list on the right side of my blog. It was so much fun watching the boys dominate in Soccer, Wrestling, and Basketball. It was great showing Star Trek to a couple teenagers who just thought it was completely ridiculous. It was fun playing ball with the not even 2-year old and getting squeezes from the almost eight-year old. Basically, I learned that I'm the luckiest Auntie on the face of the planet and there is never enough time to get your fill of family...especially when you don't see them for five years at a time.

So, here's to pictures and memories...and not waiting so long in between visits. Thank you dear Joyces and Washburns for sharing your families and homes with us for sooooo long. It was a wonderful trip!