This thankful list item deserves some recognition, and I have not had a chance to write about it until tonight. On October 25, Bryce Brown, a long time friend of my family, lost his battle to cancer at the very young age of 33. He put up an amazing fight, and was an incredible example to all who knew him. He stayed positive, and continued to focus on the blessings in his life as he was being taken over physically by this disease. He left behind his wife of 5 years, and his 9 month old daughter. The best part about all of it, is that he and Tammy were married and sealed in the temple for time and eternity. So although their time together here on earth was tragically short, they will be able to be reunited with their beautiful daughter to live together forever because of their faithfulness and diligence in keeping their covenants and living amazing lives.
Reading about their experience through Tammy's blog (noted in my links of blogs to visit, should you be interested) and being able to attend his funeral services has made me reflect on the importance of living each day the very best we can. I am so grateful that I was able to find true happiness in the teachings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and be sealed to the love of my life. Now it's just a matter of continuing to live by those covenants we made, and keeping ourselves worthy of the blessings promised within those holy walls.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Catching Up
Sorry for the delay in posting. It seems since we moved in, there have been a million other things to do. Thank goodness for Sundays when there is time to concentrate on other things! I apologize for the randomness of this post, but I've got to throw in all those thing that I have left out in the past month since I last wrote...
September is a fun month for us. We celebrate both our anniversary and my birthday within ten days of each other
. Brock and I switch off who plans the anniversary happenings each year, and this year was my turn. Brock had never been up to the Alpine Slide, and when we went up to Park City last year for our anniversary, there was snow on the ground, so it wasn't an option. This year we went up and went all out. We went do
wn the Alpine Slide, did the zip line (not necessarily as fun as you think it would be) and the new Alpine Coaster which was awesome! We had a great time. We came home, took a nap, then got ready to go do some sealings at the Salt Lake temple before we had our reservations at The Roof. It was a fun filled day, and a great reminder of our special day two years ago. I have the best husband ever! (Sorry girls, don't be disappointed, second isn't all that bad:))
My birthday was interesting this year. For some reason it was hard for me to turn 27. Perhaps it is because I'm now only three years away from the dreaded 30, or perhaps it is because I'm now a homeowner, which must make me an adult. Or perhaps it is because I was sure I would have at least one child by now. Most likely it was a combination of all those things. But it was a great birthday nonetheless. It's always nice to be surrounded by people you love. As I have grown up, presents have become less and less important, and time with family and great friends has become what I really want for my birthday. The celebration was drawn out, as we celebrated with the Anderson side, then with the Barrick side, then with just me and Brock, and finishing gloriously with an ALF outing to the canyon. Thank you to all of you who made it a wonderful time of year for me! A special shout out to my mom who made my favorite cake ever: fruit pizza--you're the best!
We have been getting settled in our house. It is so much fun to have a place of your own that you can do whatever
you want to! We had a neighborhood clean up day at the beginning of October, and we had quite a bit of yard work to do to get ready for the garbage trucks to come and haul it away for us. Our biggest project by far was taking down the ivy. I used to think that it was pretty, and though I still do think it looks nice, we will never again allow it to grow where we live! That stuff is INSA
NE!!! It is no longer a beautiful plant in my mind, but a pernicious weed! The tentacles on that thing are strong little suckers, and it took a whole lot of man power to detach it from our house. It had completely overtaken our chimney, and the south side of our house, and had actually grown a trunk! Who knew? We took it down from the front of our house, because it had started growing in to the attic. It has left an awesome residue on the bricks--any pointers on how to get that off would be very much appreciated.
It wouldn't be a complete update on what had happened in the last month if I left out our little guy, Cooper. We took him to the vet at the beginning of the month, and he had DOUBLED in size in the 5 weeks since we got him. Less than two weeks later, he has grown even more. He's now nearly 40 lbs, and when we go the little squirt, he was only 13. He's definitely a growing boy! He is so adorable, and we are so happy to have him! He is really learning how to "sit," and we are now trying to teach him to "lay." He's not that great at staying still, so "stay" is a little tricky, but we'll get there. He is the funniest little dog, and has brought so much happiness to our little family.
Listening to Conference this month, as well as reading an awesome book called "Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy" by Richard G. Scott, has inspired me to concentrate more on my blessings than on those things which I don't have, or can't change. That has brought me to the new section on this blog ent
itled "Things I'm Thankful For." I figured if I was held responsible to add something new to the blog every day I would be more inclined to really think about what my blessings are, and be a little more creative than the typical things one thinks of. Though I won't necessarily explain all the things I put on there, occasionally there will be some elaboration, such as today... I work downtown, and every single day I get to look at the Temple and the beautiful Joseph Smith Memorial Building when I go to work, and when I leave for the day. It's something I shouldn't take for granted, thus the reason for "Beautiful Buildings." I encourage you all to think of those little things that are really blessings in your every day lives. I think the more we realize what we have been given around us, the more we will realize how much we really have been given.
September is a fun month for us. We celebrate both our anniversary and my birthday within ten days of each other
. Brock and I switch off who plans the anniversary happenings each year, and this year was my turn. Brock had never been up to the Alpine Slide, and when we went up to Park City last year for our anniversary, there was snow on the ground, so it wasn't an option. This year we went up and went all out. We went do
wn the Alpine Slide, did the zip line (not necessarily as fun as you think it would be) and the new Alpine Coaster which was awesome! We had a great time. We came home, took a nap, then got ready to go do some sealings at the Salt Lake temple before we had our reservations at The Roof. It was a fun filled day, and a great reminder of our special day two years ago. I have the best husband ever! (Sorry girls, don't be disappointed, second isn't all that bad:))My birthday was interesting this year. For some reason it was hard for me to turn 27. Perhaps it is because I'm now only three years away from the dreaded 30, or perhaps it is because I'm now a homeowner, which must make me an adult. Or perhaps it is because I was sure I would have at least one child by now. Most likely it was a combination of all those things. But it was a great birthday nonetheless. It's always nice to be surrounded by people you love. As I have grown up, presents have become less and less important, and time with family and great friends has become what I really want for my birthday. The celebration was drawn out, as we celebrated with the Anderson side, then with the Barrick side, then with just me and Brock, and finishing gloriously with an ALF outing to the canyon. Thank you to all of you who made it a wonderful time of year for me! A special shout out to my mom who made my favorite cake ever: fruit pizza--you're the best!
We have been getting settled in our house. It is so much fun to have a place of your own that you can do whatever
you want to! We had a neighborhood clean up day at the beginning of October, and we had quite a bit of yard work to do to get ready for the garbage trucks to come and haul it away for us. Our biggest project by far was taking down the ivy. I used to think that it was pretty, and though I still do think it looks nice, we will never again allow it to grow where we live! That stuff is INSA
NE!!! It is no longer a beautiful plant in my mind, but a pernicious weed! The tentacles on that thing are strong little suckers, and it took a whole lot of man power to detach it from our house. It had completely overtaken our chimney, and the south side of our house, and had actually grown a trunk! Who knew? We took it down from the front of our house, because it had started growing in to the attic. It has left an awesome residue on the bricks--any pointers on how to get that off would be very much appreciated.It wouldn't be a complete update on what had happened in the last month if I left out our little guy, Cooper. We took him to the vet at the beginning of the month, and he had DOUBLED in size in the 5 weeks since we got him. Less than two weeks later, he has grown even more. He's now nearly 40 lbs, and when we go the little squirt, he was only 13. He's definitely a growing boy! He is so adorable, and we are so happy to have him! He is really learning how to "sit," and we are now trying to teach him to "lay." He's not that great at staying still, so "stay" is a little tricky, but we'll get there. He is the funniest little dog, and has brought so much happiness to our little family.
Listening to Conference this month, as well as reading an awesome book called "Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy" by Richard G. Scott, has inspired me to concentrate more on my blessings than on those things which I don't have, or can't change. That has brought me to the new section on this blog ent
itled "Things I'm Thankful For." I figured if I was held responsible to add something new to the blog every day I would be more inclined to really think about what my blessings are, and be a little more creative than the typical things one thinks of. Though I won't necessarily explain all the things I put on there, occasionally there will be some elaboration, such as today... I work downtown, and every single day I get to look at the Temple and the beautiful Joseph Smith Memorial Building when I go to work, and when I leave for the day. It's something I shouldn't take for granted, thus the reason for "Beautiful Buildings." I encourage you all to think of those little things that are really blessings in your every day lives. I think the more we realize what we have been given around us, the more we will realize how much we really have been given.Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Home Sweet Home
Brock and I started looking at houses at the beginning of the year. We weren't really looking "for" a house, per say, just looking "at" them; kind of scoping out our options, but not very seriously. We actually toured probably four houses during that time. Brock has been thinking about changing his employment, and we decided in July that we would look at the few houses that I had found on line, and if we didn't fall in love with one of them, we would put off buying a home until he found a new job. That way, he could concentrate on one big thing and put all his energy into it, instead of trying to split his free time between the two.
We were looking primarily in South Davis County. We both grew up here, and we both wanted to come back--at least for a while. We drove to one of the houses, and it was just the most dated one we had looked at. It had a nice flat roof, with painted white brick, and though we could have put a lot of work into it to make it look more updated, we almost drove right by and headed to the next home. But something told me to hang back, and think about it for a minute. We actually reversed, and sat in front of the house to talk about it. As we sat there, realizing that we really didn't want to have to put all the work in that would be required, a couple rode up on their bikes. They passed us, and then, the guy rode back smiling at us. We both thought, "What's up with this guy? Is this his house?!?" Brock rolled down the window, and the man introduced himself, and asked if we were looking for a house. We told him yes, and he proceeded to tell us that he and his wife had just put their home up for sale, and suggested we go take a look. They were a really nice couple, and we figured "Why not?" We weren't serious about it anyway; what would it hurt to look?
We called them about 45 minutes later, and headed over. We walked in and fell in love. They had updated the upstairs, and especially the kitchen just put me right over the top. The basement is a bit of a disaster, but none of it is structural. They had begun to remove the lovely wood paneling, and had started to put up sheet rock, but were still in the middle of the project. We walked through the house, thanked them for their time, and said we'd be in touch.
That's when we got serious about looking "for" a house, because we had just found it.
We loved that we would be able to put sweat equity into the house without disrupting our everyday living too much. We loved the neighborhood, and the wonderful yard (perfect for a dog)! We invited our parents to come over and give us their opinions, did some more research to give an educated offer (neither the seller, nor us were working with a realtor), and decided that we wanted to make an offer.
Two weeks after they stopped us on the street, and we fell in love with the house, we had a signed contract. Less than a month later, we were homeowners. Things just seem to fall into place when you are trying to do what you're supposed to. We both feel very strongly that this is where the Lord needs us. And we are so excited to be here!
You're all welcome to come visit. We would love to plan a big get together-once we get out of boxes :).
We were looking primarily in South Davis County. We both grew up here, and we both wanted to come back--at least for a while. We drove to one of the houses, and it was just the most dated one we had looked at. It had a nice flat roof, with painted white brick, and though we could have put a lot of work into it to make it look more updated, we almost drove right by and headed to the next home. But something told me to hang back, and think about it for a minute. We actually reversed, and sat in front of the house to talk about it. As we sat there, realizing that we really didn't want to have to put all the work in that would be required, a couple rode up on their bikes. They passed us, and then, the guy rode back smiling at us. We both thought, "What's up with this guy? Is this his house?!?" Brock rolled down the window, and the man introduced himself, and asked if we were looking for a house. We told him yes, and he proceeded to tell us that he and his wife had just put their home up for sale, and suggested we go take a look. They were a really nice couple, and we figured "Why not?" We weren't serious about it anyway; what would it hurt to look?
They gave us the address, and it was about five minutes away, so we went and looked at the outside of the house, and grabbed a flyer. The house has an awesome curb appeal. They did a great job at keeping the front yard looking beautiful, and the house was in really good shape. We both knew the neighborhood, and decided that we would take them up on their offer of taking a tour later that night when they returned home from their bike ride.
We called them about 45 minutes later, and headed over. We walked in and fell in love. They had updated the upstairs, and especially the kitchen just put me right over the top. The basement is a bit of a disaster, but none of it is structural. They had begun to remove the lovely wood paneling, and had started to put up sheet rock, but were still in the middle of the project. We walked through the house, thanked them for their time, and said we'd be in touch.
That's when we got serious about looking "for" a house, because we had just found it.
We loved that we would be able to put sweat equity into the house without disrupting our everyday living too much. We loved the neighborhood, and the wonderful yard (perfect for a dog)! We invited our parents to come over and give us their opinions, did some more research to give an educated offer (neither the seller, nor us were working with a realtor), and decided that we wanted to make an offer.
Two weeks after they stopped us on the street, and we fell in love with the house, we had a signed contract. Less than a month later, we were homeowners. Things just seem to fall into place when you are trying to do what you're supposed to. We both feel very strongly that this is where the Lord needs us. And we are so excited to be here! You're all welcome to come visit. We would love to plan a big get together-once we get out of boxes :).
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Our New Addition...
We would like to introduce the newest addition to our little family:Cooper Nariz
He came to us on August 16, 2007 from Spanish Fork, UT. We absolutely adore him! It's so much fun to have a little puppy around to keep us on our toes.
Brock and I have wanted to get a dog since we first got married (two years ago this coming Saturday). Living in our apartment in Sugarhouse just didn't allow us to do that. But when we decided to buy our house, the first thing we did was start looking for a dog. It was finally time to realize our dreams. Actually, we bought Cooper before we closed on our home. It just seemed like the right dog at the right time, so we did it. For the first week he stayed at Brock's parents house, which was so helpful, but hard. He loves being at home, and exploring the backyard, and all there is to see.
He's a very active little pup, and is growing like a weed. He is a Treeing Walker Coonhound (Walker Hound for short). He'll get to be anywhere from 50-70 lbs, and 25" tall. He loves little kids, and did I mention he was active? He is always sniffing out something, and his bark is adorable! It's been fun (and sometimes frustrating) to try and train him, but we are trying to be patient with him, and realize that he still is just a little puppy. He'll be 12 weeks tomorrow, so he has plenty of time to learn.
We love our little boy!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Two days of ...fun?
When Brock ran the Wasatch Back Relay last year with the inaugural Best Buddies team, Sheridan and I volunteered at one of the check points. We talked about how fun it would be to get a team together and run. This year, that wish became a reality for me. Brock recruited me to be on the Best Buddies team.We had a team meeting at the beginning of the year (with our 12 man team) to plan which legs we were going to run, and hopefully give us some time to prepare. Unfortunately, Brock and I didn't do as much preparing as we should have.
The race began in Logan on Friday morning, and ended in Park City on Saturday afternoon. 178 miles of whatever it is you want to call it. We ran on about 5 hours of sleep in two days, in 96 degree weather. I have never pushed myself that far physically. It gave me a great 
sense of accomplishment that I was able to finish, and for some reason I am not totally opposed to doing it again in the future. Brock did an amazing job, as I'm sure you would all guess. He doesn't even need to train in order to be in good shape! His knees started bothering him on one of his 8% grade declines, but you wouldn't have heard him complain. He even ran 3 miles of another team member's leg (voluntarily) when our team member couldn't run any longer because of a blister the size of a golf ball on the inside of his foot. We had awesome people in our van who we were able to bond with, and we really did have some fun (along with lots of sweat, and a few tears on my part).
sense of accomplishment that I was able to finish, and for some reason I am not totally opposed to doing it again in the future. Brock did an amazing job, as I'm sure you would all guess. He doesn't even need to train in order to be in good shape! His knees started bothering him on one of his 8% grade declines, but you wouldn't have heard him complain. He even ran 3 miles of another team member's leg (voluntarily) when our team member couldn't run any longer because of a blister the size of a golf ball on the inside of his foot. We had awesome people in our van who we were able to bond with, and we really did have some fun (along with lots of sweat, and a few tears on my part).We recruited Colin, Trish, Brooke, Briana, and Andy to come and volunteer, and truly appre
ciate them being willing to help out. Thanks guys! With all the donations (thank you!!!) and the money we earned from the volunteers, Best Buddies Utah was able to earn over $5000. It was a great success!
California
As most of you know, we recently went on vacation to visit Sheridan in California. It was so good to see her, where she is living, and who she spends time with. We sure miss her, and look forward to having her come visit soon. While we were there, we had to stop by Disneyland and check out the new California Adventure. It was so much fun to be there together. We were able to forget all grown-up life, and just act like kids! We also went to San Diego, and spent some time at the temple. It was absolutely beautiful inside and out. We went to the beach, and Brock's favorite part was going to two baseball games. Luck would have it that his two favorite teams were playing against each other the night we arrived: San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners. It was so great to see him act like a giddy little school girl:). He was all smiles the whole time we were there. It was nearly a disaster because as soon as we got inside of Petco Park, our camera decided to break on us. We were grateful for the miracle that occured 10 mintues before game time was up when the camera decided to turn back on and we could take some pictures inside. We were so blessed to be able to spend an entire week together: just the two of us (and Sheridan, and Shiloh and Myka, and the million other people in So. Cal.). It was hard to come home, but we're happy to have the memories!
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