Tuesday, August 26, 2008
New blog
Hello all! I just wanted to let you know that Chad and I have started a new blog. chadandabbi.blogspot.com I thought it would be fun to have a couple blog instead of just a blog of my own. So if you want to hear from us, go there!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Good-bye July!
The last two months of Chad's residency were so busy, that in May and June whenever we'd talk about wanting to do anything fun or productive together, we'd say, "We'll do it in July." It kind of became a joke around our house--we had about a million things that we were going to do "In July." And now I can't believe July is almost over! And although we didn't do everything we had brought up, we sure did a lot!
We visisted my parents in Eugene, had the M* clan over to our home for a pot-luck dinner, went out to eat twice, went out for ice cream once, went to see a movie, went to the Salt Lake temple, went to a BBQ with some friends in the ward, spent an evening with Nate and Michelle at Sundance, went to Lamb Days with family, spent an evening with Dale and Crystal's kids, watched a movie together at home, spent a day in Midway with Joe and Kjirsten, three of their kids, and Adam and Jessie, spent an evening with the C* clan in Centerville, bought a car, Chad went backpacking with his brothers in the Uintas, and we got food storage and medical supplies for our emergency preparedness. Now that is a month well spent!
And August won't be too shabby either, what with the sweet two-week trip Chad has been planning for us. It will include a week of camping in the Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Waterton National Parks and then a week on a cruise to Alaska! What a wonderful summer. I know I've never said this before, but I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.
We visisted my parents in Eugene, had the M* clan over to our home for a pot-luck dinner, went out to eat twice, went out for ice cream once, went to see a movie, went to the Salt Lake temple, went to a BBQ with some friends in the ward, spent an evening with Nate and Michelle at Sundance, went to Lamb Days with family, spent an evening with Dale and Crystal's kids, watched a movie together at home, spent a day in Midway with Joe and Kjirsten, three of their kids, and Adam and Jessie, spent an evening with the C* clan in Centerville, bought a car, Chad went backpacking with his brothers in the Uintas, and we got food storage and medical supplies for our emergency preparedness. Now that is a month well spent!
And August won't be too shabby either, what with the sweet two-week trip Chad has been planning for us. It will include a week of camping in the Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Waterton National Parks and then a week on a cruise to Alaska! What a wonderful summer. I know I've never said this before, but I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
My Memory
I'm not going to lie--I have a pretty good memory. But there is one thing I am NOT good at remembering, and that is plot lines. After watching a movie or reading a book, I remember characters, but I do not remember what happened or in what order things happened! It is so funny to me. I can watch a movie or read a book for the second time and it feels like the first because I can't remember what's going to happen! This has happened to me with the Bourne movies, Harry Potter VI, Moulin Rouge, and other books and movies. I kinda like it, because it means I can experience many wonderful things twice! :)
And on a less random note, we got a new car today! Hooray! Our Nissan Maxima was giving us grief and not getting very good gas mileage, so we traded it in for another Honda Civic. We've loved our civic and we feel happy to have two of them now. It's white, and so now we have salt and pepper in our garage. :) I'm so excited because it's a manual and so now I get to learn how to drive a stick shift! I've always wanted to learn how to drive a stick, but never had any need to, so didn't get around to it. And now I will. Wish me luck!!! And the best part of it all is we just passed mile 111,111 in the Maxima, and so we were able to still experience that happy milestone in it before giving it up. Chad and I were together when we hit mile 111,111 and had a great celebration over it. And in about another 25,000 miles, we'll be able to celebrate that milestone together for the third time in our white civic! Life is bliss.
And on a less random note, we got a new car today! Hooray! Our Nissan Maxima was giving us grief and not getting very good gas mileage, so we traded it in for another Honda Civic. We've loved our civic and we feel happy to have two of them now. It's white, and so now we have salt and pepper in our garage. :) I'm so excited because it's a manual and so now I get to learn how to drive a stick shift! I've always wanted to learn how to drive a stick, but never had any need to, so didn't get around to it. And now I will. Wish me luck!!! And the best part of it all is we just passed mile 111,111 in the Maxima, and so we were able to still experience that happy milestone in it before giving it up. Chad and I were together when we hit mile 111,111 and had a great celebration over it. And in about another 25,000 miles, we'll be able to celebrate that milestone together for the third time in our white civic! Life is bliss.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Memories!
Memory Lane...the tag that gets everyone involved.
I got this from my sister Audra's blog. I hope you will play along. Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.
I got this from my sister Audra's blog. I hope you will play along. Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Hooray for Chad!!!
Chad finished his residency two weeks ago, and we are both loving this new life of ours! It's great to have him around so much more often. We've spent three Saturdays in a row together! I can hardly believe that this is going to last. It feels unreal that we don't have any more grueling rotations to look forward to. But even though I can hardly believe it, I am loving it!
The weekend after he finished we visited my parents in Oregon and went to two days of the track and field Olympic Trials. Talk about fun, fun, fun!!! If any of you ever want to have the vacation of a lifetime, visit my parents. They really know how to host guests. They treat you like royalty and you feel like royalty in their beautiful home. We just had a blast.
The Olympic Trials were awesome. My favorite events to watch were the women's high jump, the women's 1500 meter, and the men's 10,000 meter. The men's 10,000 (that's a 10K--6.4 miles, just going around and around the track) was so inspirational to me! It was the last race on the night of the 4th of July, so you could see fireworks in the distance while you cheered on these men who were running their hearts out. It was an awesome atmosphere to be in. Every time they passed your part of the track, you stood up and cheered for them. There aren't too many sports that are as inspirational as track and field is.
My parents got us amazing seats, and so we were able to see most of the athletes up really close, and even talk to some of them briefly. Not to mention that Michael Johnson was sitting within a few yards of us! The girl who won the women's high jump (Chauntel Howard) was SO personable, friendly, funny, and flamboyant. When we told her good job, she looked up at us and said, "I could hear you cheering for me!! Thank you!" I really hope she does well at the Olympics, she was so down-to-earth and nice.
One last Olympic Trials detail, and then I'll move on. We watched the women's 1500 meter qualifying races, and there was a girl who looked 14 who made it to the finals!! Later we found out she was 16, and that in that race she broke the high school girls record. It was so cool to be a part of that!
Another really fun thing we did in Oregon was tour the new hospital my dad has been working on for the last three years. He is the CEO of a hospital that will very soon have two campuses--the new campus (the hospital I just mentioned) and the original campus. They have put a ton of effort into this new hospital--not just to make it nice but also to change the structure of the hospital to make it more patient-centered. They analyzed the process of care in each section of the hospital, changed the processes to be more patient-friendly, and built the hospital in a way that would be conducive to these changes. It was so inspiring and exciting to see!
The hospital is beautiful and also in a very peaceful, natural setting (flanked by fields, tall trees, and a river). I think hospitals are such sacred places, and I was so proud to see how my dad has reflected this idea in his leadership of the hospital. Way to go Dad, you did great! And good luck with all the last-minute projects and with transferring the patients in a month!!! We'll be praying for you.
I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to post of this trip, but I actually have a good excuse this time. My camera broke. If it hadn't, I would have posted pictures of the Olympic Trials, the new hospital, and the beautiful wedding quilt my mom made for us and sent us home with. It's on our bed now, and I will post pictures of it once we get our new camera that we ordered last night. The quilt is a charm quilt, meaning no two fabrics are the same in the entire quilt. We did the math and found out that it includes nearly 800 different kinds of fabric. My mom says it is like a history of her quilting life--she remembers where and why she bought many of the fabrics. She can point out many of the fabrics and tell me where that fabric is in other quilts and projects she has made. It truly is a treasure. THANK YOU MOM!!!
We came home from Oregon a week ago, and then the next day all of the M* clan (except Wayne and Hillary) came over to celebrate Chad's graduation from residency. We had a delicious pot-luck dinner and talked and played games. It was wonderful to celebrate with family. It feels so good to love others so much and feel so loved in return.
In short, life is good because Chad is done with residency and we have the best family in the whole world.
The weekend after he finished we visited my parents in Oregon and went to two days of the track and field Olympic Trials. Talk about fun, fun, fun!!! If any of you ever want to have the vacation of a lifetime, visit my parents. They really know how to host guests. They treat you like royalty and you feel like royalty in their beautiful home. We just had a blast.
The Olympic Trials were awesome. My favorite events to watch were the women's high jump, the women's 1500 meter, and the men's 10,000 meter. The men's 10,000 (that's a 10K--6.4 miles, just going around and around the track) was so inspirational to me! It was the last race on the night of the 4th of July, so you could see fireworks in the distance while you cheered on these men who were running their hearts out. It was an awesome atmosphere to be in. Every time they passed your part of the track, you stood up and cheered for them. There aren't too many sports that are as inspirational as track and field is.
My parents got us amazing seats, and so we were able to see most of the athletes up really close, and even talk to some of them briefly. Not to mention that Michael Johnson was sitting within a few yards of us! The girl who won the women's high jump (Chauntel Howard) was SO personable, friendly, funny, and flamboyant. When we told her good job, she looked up at us and said, "I could hear you cheering for me!! Thank you!" I really hope she does well at the Olympics, she was so down-to-earth and nice.
One last Olympic Trials detail, and then I'll move on. We watched the women's 1500 meter qualifying races, and there was a girl who looked 14 who made it to the finals!! Later we found out she was 16, and that in that race she broke the high school girls record. It was so cool to be a part of that!
Another really fun thing we did in Oregon was tour the new hospital my dad has been working on for the last three years. He is the CEO of a hospital that will very soon have two campuses--the new campus (the hospital I just mentioned) and the original campus. They have put a ton of effort into this new hospital--not just to make it nice but also to change the structure of the hospital to make it more patient-centered. They analyzed the process of care in each section of the hospital, changed the processes to be more patient-friendly, and built the hospital in a way that would be conducive to these changes. It was so inspiring and exciting to see!
The hospital is beautiful and also in a very peaceful, natural setting (flanked by fields, tall trees, and a river). I think hospitals are such sacred places, and I was so proud to see how my dad has reflected this idea in his leadership of the hospital. Way to go Dad, you did great! And good luck with all the last-minute projects and with transferring the patients in a month!!! We'll be praying for you.
I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to post of this trip, but I actually have a good excuse this time. My camera broke. If it hadn't, I would have posted pictures of the Olympic Trials, the new hospital, and the beautiful wedding quilt my mom made for us and sent us home with. It's on our bed now, and I will post pictures of it once we get our new camera that we ordered last night. The quilt is a charm quilt, meaning no two fabrics are the same in the entire quilt. We did the math and found out that it includes nearly 800 different kinds of fabric. My mom says it is like a history of her quilting life--she remembers where and why she bought many of the fabrics. She can point out many of the fabrics and tell me where that fabric is in other quilts and projects she has made. It truly is a treasure. THANK YOU MOM!!!
We came home from Oregon a week ago, and then the next day all of the M* clan (except Wayne and Hillary) came over to celebrate Chad's graduation from residency. We had a delicious pot-luck dinner and talked and played games. It was wonderful to celebrate with family. It feels so good to love others so much and feel so loved in return.
In short, life is good because Chad is done with residency and we have the best family in the whole world.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Twilight
My Review:
It's not that well-written.
There are major parts of the plot and characters that bugged me while I read it.
I have very little in common with the main character.
The heart-throb Edward really isn't my type.
AND I LOVE IT!!!! I can't wait to start "New Moon."
(P.S. Sorry, Kjirsten! :) )
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Oh the Places We've Been
A year ago this weekend Chad and I got married! In some ways I can hardly believe it, but in other ways our wedding day feels like a really long time ago. We have done so much in our first year! We've had multiple people tell us to live it up and travel as much as we can before having kids, and we've tried our hardest to do just that. And I think we've done a pretty good job, thanks to Chad's amazing trip-planning skills. Chad has taken me so many places, I don't know how I got so lucky. Here are the highlights of our year in 31 pictures:
HAWAII--with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean.
Helicoptering over Maui.
Hiking through a bamboo forest.
Black sand beach.
The Hawaii temple (we've also been to the Jordan River, Bountiful, Provo, Manti, Ogden, Salt Lake, and San Diego temples together since we've been married).
We also went snorkeling in Hawaii, but I don't have any pictures of that.
UINTAS--with a beautiful view of the mountains.
My first time every back-packing
My first time ever catching a fish
OREGON--where we had a marvelous time with my parents.
THE CABIN--we've been there three times since getting married. While there we went four-wheeling, snow-mobiling, and snow-shoeing. Here's one picture of me on a four-wheeler, but not at the cabin.
PAYSON LAKE-- picnicing in the nice cool weather in the mountains--so refreshing when it's a hot summer day in the valley, and so fun to spend time with family!
TENNIS--I'm proud of how good my husband is at this sport.
NATIONAL PARKS TRIP--can be summed up in one word: WOW!!!
Canyonlands
Arches 
Camping--I'm a much better camper than I was a year ago. I've found that I really like it.
Mesa Verde--one of the many places Chad has taken me that has encouraged me to overcome my fear of heights.
The Grand Canyon.
Zion's
ST GEORGE MARATHON--Way to go, Chad!!!
GREEN RIVER TRIP--with beautiful views of red red rock.
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I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest girl on the planet. Thanks, Chad, this year's been the best!!
MIDWAY--with a beautiful view of Mt. Timpanogos.
HAWAII--with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean.
Helicoptering over Maui.Hiking through a bamboo forest. Black sand beach. The Hawaii temple (we've also been to the Jordan River, Bountiful, Provo, Manti, Ogden, Salt Lake, and San Diego temples together since we've been married).We also went snorkeling in Hawaii, but I don't have any pictures of that.UINTAS--with a beautiful view of the mountains.
My first time every back-packingMy first time ever catching a fish OREGON--where we had a marvelous time with my parents.THE CABIN--we've been there three times since getting married. While there we went four-wheeling, snow-mobiling, and snow-shoeing. Here's one picture of me on a four-wheeler, but not at the cabin.PAYSON LAKE-- picnicing in the nice cool weather in the mountains--so refreshing when it's a hot summer day in the valley, and so fun to spend time with family!TENNIS--I'm proud of how good my husband is at this sport.
NATIONAL PARKS TRIP--can be summed up in one word: WOW!!!Canyonlands
Arches Camping--I'm a much better camper than I was a year ago. I've found that I really like it.
Mesa Verde--one of the many places Chad has taken me that has encouraged me to overcome my fear of heights.
The Grand Canyon.
Zion's
ST GEORGE MARATHON--Way to go, Chad!!!
CEDAR CITY--for Caytee's Wedding:
GEORGIA--wonderful Christmas with my family, minus Adam and Jessie.
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL--fun times with Nate, Michelle, and Jon.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--pretend this is a beach on California (it's really in Mexico--I feel so dumb I didn't take any pictures in California even though we were there for a full week and we saw some very pretty stuff!).
MEXICO--such a fun trip!
GEORGIA--wonderful Christmas with my family, minus Adam and Jessie.SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL--fun times with Nate, Michelle, and Jon.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--pretend this is a beach on California (it's really in Mexico--I feel so dumb I didn't take any pictures in California even though we were there for a full week and we saw some very pretty stuff!).MEXICO--such a fun trip!Sea kayaking to the arch at Cabo.
Deep sea fishing.
Sliding down rocks.
SALT LAKE HALF MARATHON--Go us!! Too bad it's not the most flattering picture of either of us, haha. Oh well.
Deep sea fishing.
Sliding down rocks.
SALT LAKE HALF MARATHON--Go us!! Too bad it's not the most flattering picture of either of us, haha. Oh well.GREEN RIVER TRIP--with beautiful views of red red rock.
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I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest girl on the planet. Thanks, Chad, this year's been the best!!
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