The Hill Family

It's A Boy!

2010-08-09T12:25:00.000-05:00

Our little guy is getting Big! From the sonogram information, he's in the 92 percentile for his size. We're getting pretty excited. We put together a crib about a week ago to make sure we had all of the right parts as it was a hand-me-down from Britt's Dad. It's works just fine. We've taken it down until it gets closer to needing it - about 3 months now! Britt is due on November 12th.

We're Pregnant!!!

2010-05-16T17:00:00.004-05:00

Hey Everybody! We're Pregnant!!! We're in our 2nd Trimester now. Brittani is due sometime during the middle of November.

Don't feel bad if you didn't know before hand. NOBODY (not even parents) has known until now! I figured this is the easiest way to tell everybody. Wish us luck!

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - RGM version

2010-03-04T14:12:00.002-06:00

I'm so happy to be here!

2010-01-31T15:42:00.006-06:00

A few weekends ago Natalie asked me to do her hair for the Winter Formal Dance at her school. While I was living in Utah I would dream of the day that I could do her hair for school dances and now that I'm living in Texas my dream became a reality. Ok, so I'm being a bit sarcastic, but seriously this meant a lot to me. Being able to do her hair is just one example of many of why I love being back in Texas close to my family again.

This hairstyle was inspired by the beautiful Dietz sisters who wore their hair in low side buns as the bride's maids in Whitney's wedding.

CHRISTMAS

2010-01-07T19:46:00.024-06:00

My dad's house during Christmas time was so festive. I'm sad to say that I didn't decorate for Christmas this year, so I had to go to my dad's house to feel the Christmas cheer. Needless to say I was over there A LOT during the month of December!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

And the Stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

You better watch out, You better not cry...

You better not pout, I'm telling you why...

Santa Clause is coming to town!

This year I want to dad and the kid's Ward Christmas Party. Wynston and Garrett were SO excited that Santa was there!

Garrett

Wynston

Garrett & Wynston

After the Christmas party all the kids hung out in the Living Room watching a movie.

Natalie & Garrett

Nate & Wynston

Christmas Eve was so much fun! We all spent the evening at dad's house. We ate a delicious ham dinner followed by the famous Falk Family Nativity Production. This is one of those traditions I remember doing every year as a child. Dad reads the story while the kids act it out. Natalie was the costume designer this year, and I think she did a wonderful job!

Joseph and Mary (before baby Jesus was born)

The Cast:

Nathan & Natalie: Joseph and Mary

Kristin (our cousin): Angel

Garrett: 3 Wise Men (all in one)

Wynston: Shepherd (hence the wolf stuffed animal)

After the production, we opened one gift from our Secret Santa. This is another fun family tradition. Everyone had fun seeing who picked their name and what they bought for each other. We even had Josh and Sharon on ichat with us while we opened gifts!

Kristin, Aunt Gayle & Mark

We were so happy they were able to spend Christmas Eve with us!

Family Night

2009-11-17T13:56:00.006-06:00

Last night we had family night at dad's house. Usually all the bigger kids come, but I was the only "big kid" there last night. It was still a lot of fun! We ate yummy goulash and corn bread for dinner and then for our activity/dessert we made cute little turkeys! This is such a fun, cute thing to make around Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey day to everyone!

My Favorite!

2009-11-12T17:38:00.005-06:00

My new favorite thing is Taylor Swift! I have loved Taylor ever since her first song came on the radio and I love her CD Fearless, so it's not really a new thing, but, she recently came out with 6 NEW songs! I came home from work last week and Jason started playing her new songs and I was so excited! Pretty much everyday after work I need my Taylor "fix" and I turn on itunes and listen to her new songs. They are so cute and fun to sing along to! I also love her because she seems so sweet and innocent! I decided to change the playlist on our blog to play a couple of her new songs. So if you are a fan of Taylor and you haven't heard them yet, you should turn up your speakers and enjoy! (Four of the songs they didn't have, so I'm going to keep checking to see if they get them.)

Also, Taylor won lots of awards last night on the CMA's, one of which was Entertainer of the Year! So many artists work years and years to recieve that honor. Taylor made history last night by receving that award at age 19!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-10T22:04:00.005-06:00

We didn't do anything special on Halloween day, but the Monday before Halloween we went to dad's house and carved pumpkins! It was a lot of fun to do this with all the kiddos! I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Better Late Than NEVER!

2009-11-10T21:30:00.013-06:00

I know, I know, I have been really horrible at updating my blog since I moved to Texas. I hope you all haven't totally given up on me! Here is what we've been up to over the last couple of months. I suppose it's better late than never to post pictures!

Nathan and Natalie's 16th Birthday

It was a whole weekend of celebrating!

Day 1 of the Celebration:

Birthday Party with Friends

Lynsi and I threw Nathan and Natalie their Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party! There was plenty of food and cake, plus a video scavenger hunt and a movie to finish off the night. All of their friends came and they all had a great time celebrating!

Day 2 of the Celebration:

Family Party at Aunt Gayle's House

We got together and had a family dinner for their birthday and more cake! Nathan and Natalie opened up their presents from all of us this night.

Day 3 of the Celebration:

Birthday Dinner at Chey's

The whole family went out for a birthday dinner! This is when dad gave Nathan and Natalie their car keys! They are so excited to be driving and to have that new freedom! They are doing a good job sharing a car, so lets hope they continue to share nicely!

What We've Been Up To...

2009-09-08T22:12:00.011-05:00

We are here and we are settled... mostly. It has been so awesome living in Texas and being close to friends and family. We have both been working hard and playing hard. Most of our free weekends have been spent at THE LAKE. This is such a fun get away and an awesome place to relax and have a good time!

This is Jason's office. He wakes up at 8:45 and is working by 9:00 a.m. Jason was able to keep his job from Utah and is now working from home! He does all kinds of web updates and things on the computer, so he is able to do his work from out of state. Since he is such an amazing employee, they didn't want to see him go, so now he contacts his co-workers by e-mail or phone. We feel so blessed that he was able to keep his job, especially in this economy!

When we first moved out here, Walt was able to take Jason on a flight. They flew from Arlington to Addison and passed over Lovefield Airport. It was really fun for Jason to spend time with him in an airplane doing was Walt does best, flying.

We're Moving to TEXAS!

2009-07-11T17:24:00.008-05:00

It's official! Jason and I are moving to TEXAS! Most of you already know, but this is my official announcement to all of our friends and family that we are moving! I'm really excited about this move and the opportunity to be closer to my dad and siblings. I know we're leaving Josh and Sharon, but they wont be too far behind us in moving down there. I'm really excited to be more apart of Nathan and Natalie's lives. I'm SOOO excited to go to Nate's football games and Natalie's drill team performances and choir concerts. I've been gone for 7 years and it's time for me to be back and be more involved! Plus Lynsi and I will be able to share clothes again! :) I realize we are moving down at the hottest time of the year, but I will be thrilled when it's snowing in Utah around Halloween and we're still wearing t-shirts! However, I will miss Utah. Utah is a beautiful place to live and I will miss all of my family and friends here. It will be hard to leave, but we will definitely be visiting Utah often! This will be our new vacation spot for holidays and summers. We have a lot of family here and we definitely still want to be a big part of their lives. If any of you want to come to the Lone Star State, you'll have a free place to stay and we'll show you a good time! It is going to be quite the adjustment to move, but Jason and I both feel the timing is right, and we're suppose to be going down there right now. I'm so grateful for a husband who supports me and loves me enough to move to TEXAS! I tease him that we've lived in Utah for 5 years near his family and now it's my turn to be near my family for 5 years and then... who knows what the future holds. It will be fun to start this new chapter in our lives!

Happy 4th of JULY

2009-07-06T23:35:00.008-05:00

Nathan and Natalie came in town this weekend and we headed to Tremonton for the 4th of July. We had a lot of fun hanging out with family and relaxing!

SISTERS!

We went to dinner with Jacki and MaCade and then we went to the fireworks show in Logan.

Hangin out waiting for the fireworks to start. It was really cold outside so we had on our jackets and a blanket. Crazy that it was cold in JULY!

Our Trip to the RANCH

2009-07-01T22:27:00.012-05:00

Last weekend Jason and I were able to go and visit our Nephews & Rex & Shauna in Nevada! They live on a ranch where the nearest walmart is about an hour drive. It is beautiful out there and very peaceful. It is definitely a change from being in the city. We love going to visit them and enjoyed our time there! Montel is such a sweetheart and is getting so BIG! Everett is so hilarious and very entertaining! He is at that age when he says the darndest things and you wonder, where did he get that from? Some of his favorite phrases while we were there were, "Holy Cow", "Do you wanna build a road?" (we built a road with his blocks that he could drive his tractors on), "Where's Jason?" (anytime Jason left the room, he wanted to know where he went), "Lets watch Bolt!" (that is his favorite movie right now). We had so much fun and miss all of them already!

MONTEL

Can you say cute or what!! He is such a happy baby!

EVERETT

He is such a cutie! He is a busy boy and keeps his parents busy too!

Jason was Everett's bud while we were out there. Everett LOVES his uncle Jason!

Color Me Mine

2009-06-05T20:00:00.003-05:00

Last week the Dr. I work for took all of the staff to Color Me Mine. It's a really fun place where you can pick a piece of pottery and paint it any way you want. Once you finish painting, they put it in the kiln to fire it and make it have a polished look. Here is my masterpiece! It's a fun shaped bowl that I thought would be cute to put salsa or dips in. I will probably use it for cereal too. :)

Jon Schmidt's Creation

2009-05-28T12:40:00.005-05:00

Check this out! I love these songs (Love Story by Taylor Swift, and Viva La Vida by Coldplay). This arrangment is amazing! Just thought I would share it. (STOP THE MUSIC PLAYER AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE BEFORE PUSHING PLAY)

Weekend Picnic

2009-05-20T22:40:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday we got together with my cousin, Jacki, and her husband MaCade. We went to the park and had a picnic. We made tin foil dinners and played catch while we waited for them to cook. Our dinners were so delicious! I love summer food and summer activities!

Brittani and Jacki

Our yummy dinners

Me and Jay

Jason playing catch w/ MaCade and Jacki

Our Nephews

2009-05-17T21:55:00.010-05:00

Two weekends ago Shauna came into town with her boys. Jason and I love it when our nephews come so we can spend time with them. We walked Everett down the road to feed the ducks. He is such a cutie!

Montel is such a cutie too! He is such a happy baby and a joy to be around! He didn't make it to the duck pond this trip, but maybe next time. :)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T14:58:00.007-05:00

Mother's Day is always a time in my life when I reflect about my mom and the important women in my life. No matter how long my mom has been gone from this Earth, I never miss her less. If anything I miss her more as I get older and experience new things, always wishing I could get her advice or ask her questions about her life. I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life and knowing that I will get to see her again and that families are forever. That's why I can think about her with a smile on my face, so grateful for all she did for me on this Earth and grateful to know we will get to see each other again.

"The Best Day" by Taylor Swift makes me think of my mom. I was talking to Lynsi about this song and she brought up that this song makes her think of mom too. Especially the line "I love you for giving me your eyes," because everyone knows Lynsi has my mom's eyes. Also the part in the song when she talks about a home video of when she was 3 and her mom was the prettiest lady in the whole wide world. That line makes me almost cry every time I hear it. I think it's because all of my memories of my mom are from when I was a little girl and we have a ton of home videos from when we were all young kids back in the day. I just picture her in our home videos and think that she IS the prettiest lady in the whole wide world. I love the lyrics of this song and I think it's sweet that it's about spending the best day ever with your mom. This song is tender to me and I wanted to share that with you.

I'm grateful for all the special women in my life that have helped fullfill my mom's abscence. I will never forget all the amazing women who helped our family during the hard times. I think of you all often (you know who you are) and I'm so grateful for the love and service you gave to our family. My Aunt MerLynn is also very special to me. She is "my mom on Earth." Everytime I get to see her she gives me a piece of my mom. The way she sings, talks and laughs reminds me of how my mom used to sound. She is such an amazing woman and I know her and my mom were a lot alike, so she helps me to remember her. I love you Aunt MerLynn.

I hope all of you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Happy Anniversary

2009-05-08T18:36:00.014-05:00

May 1st was our 5-year anniversary! I can't believe how time flies! These last few years have gone by so fast and now Jason keeps reminding me that we're closer to being married for a decade. Crazy when you think of it that way. These last 5 years have been amazing. Jason and I have learned so much together and have grown as a couple. I'm pretty sure it's a good sign when we can both say we are more in love now than the day we got married, and we continue to grow closer together each day. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and a happy marriage. I'm grateful for my hubby, he is my whole world!

We celebrated our anniversary by going to VEGAS BABY! Josh and Sharon celebrated their 2nd year anniversary on May 5th so the two couples drove down and had a fun weekend together. We drove down Thurdsay night and stayed in St. George at Sharon's grandma's condo. Friday morning (the day of our anniversary), we went to the St. George temple and did temple sealings. Then we drove the rest of the way to Vegas and went to dinner and lounged at the pool that night. It was wonderful! Over the next few days we played and played. We went to the strip (of course), we went to the Blue Man Group, we drove to the Hoover Dam, we layed out at the pool, ate yummy food and enjoyed every minute of it! Thanks to Josh and Sharon we stayed at a really nice place with some of their time share points. It was a really fun vacation!!

This is on the balcony of the Condo we stayed at.

St. George Temple

St. George Visitor Center

(this was kind of like the one in Salt Lake)

View from the balcony of the pool.

Hoover Dam

Josh and Jay being goof balls (what they do best!)

Behind us is the unfinished bridge they are building over the dam.

The Blue Man Group

Jason was in the Blue Man Group show! They picked him out of the audience, that's why he has paint on his face. He was such a good sport, I'm so glad they didn't pick me!

Serendipity

They built a new Serendipity in Vegas! We got to enjoy a famous Frozen Hot Chocolate.

... more Frozen Hot Chocolate the next day...

We had such a great time!

Treadmill Trouble

2009-04-17T20:47:00.005-05:00

Seriously, we have had the worst luck. Jason and I purchased our first treadmill about a year and a half ago. We were having some trouble with it for the past few months and then it finally decided to die last week. Jason called the place we bought it from and worked out a deal with one of the guys that works there. He is a friend of Jason's brother, so he is being nice and helping us out. He gave us a sweet deal on a super nice treadmill plus is crediting the price of our old one towards the new one. Basically we got over half off and it was worth it to buy a new one. The treadmill arrived today around noon and Jason spent a good 3 hours working on it. I got a phone call around 3:15 and it was Jason telling me the treadmill was broken. He was setting the incline on the treadmill and it got stuck in an up position. Jason called the place back and is trying to figure out what we can do to fix the problem. Jason talked to the same buddy and he said we have the worst luck because he sells these all the time and he never gets calls with any problems. Our first treadmill had problems and now this new one has problems and we've never even used it! Hopefully everything will get fixed, or we are just going to send it back and get our money back since it's under warranty. So now there is a huge, massive treadmill stuck in the middle of our tiny living room for who knows how long. Best thing is my cousin and her husband are coming over tonight to spend the night. I was planning on getting them settled in the living room, I guess it's time for plan B. Good thing we have a second bedroom!

Jason tore the thing apart trying to figure out if it was the motor. He concluded it was and hopefully they will be sending us a new motor free of charge!

More Photos...

2009-04-06T20:31:00.010-05:00

Here are some of the photos of my cousin Jacki and her husband MaCade that I took over a month ago! It took me way too long to get these pics edited, but I finally did it! Thanks for your patience Jack! I hope you all enjoy them!

Why Mormons Build Temples

2009-03-13T14:40:00.006-05:00

This video is from the Church's Website in response to HBO's Big Love series.

Click here to view the statement made by the Church.

Family Photo Shoot

2009-03-09T18:27:00.017-05:00

A few weeks ago I was able to take two of my cousin's family pictures! It was a lot of fun and really good practice for me. I haven't bought a nice camera yet, but thanks to Sharon I had one for this photo shoot! She rented one from her work that I was able to take to Tremonton for the weekend. Thanks Sharon! Here are some of my favorites after fixing them up in photoshop.

THE HALES FAMILY

THE KENT FAMILY

Now I'm going to work on my cousin Jacki's photos that I took the weekend after these. Those will be posted once I get them finished.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-24T17:03:00.006-06:00

We had a fun Valentine's Day! We decided to celebrate on Friday instead of Saturday to beat the crowds at the restaurants. We went out to dinner with Josh and Sharon at a really nice place in Midway. It was a lot of fun! On Saturday Jason and I slept in, cooked a yummy brunch and went to a movie that afternoon. It was a great and relaxing Valentine's weekend.

When I got home from work on Friday these flowers were waiting for me. It was a fun surprise to come home to flowers and then go on a date with my honey!

Katy Perry - In the Venue - 2/10/2009

2009-02-15T21:33:00.006-06:00

We went to the Katy Perry Concert on Tuesday night! We had an awesome time! She is a relatively new singer. She performed on the Grammy's 2 nights before our concert. If you watched the Grammy's and still don't know who we're talking about, she was the one dressed as a fruit salad. She reminds me of Tom Cruise (not to put her on the same level as him); she seems like a complete weirdo, but she is really talented. The video is really blury because all we had was our little point-and-shoot camera that takes video. Needless to say, we didn't get the best pictures either. We had a way cool night!

We were about 50 feet from the stage in the corner, so we had a really good spot.

When we left the concert and walked back to our car, We saw a freaking Lamborghini! We started taking pictures and of course, the driver walks right up and opens the door to get in. We didn't feel stupid though; it was pretty dang cool!

Really!?! with Seth

2009-02-09T14:52:00.010-06:00

Michael Phelps & Kellogg's

Ok, this is Jason. I don't post much of anything on this blog, but I couldn't resist this video clip from Saturday Night Live. I don't care who ya are, this is funny!!!

I Finally Did It!!!

2009-01-22T19:51:00.009-06:00

I've been slowly getting more and more into this blog thing. For months I have been wanting to update our blog to be "cute." I knew what I needed to do, I just never made the time to do it. Today, I finally took some time out to upgrade the 'ol blog. Thanks to Lynsi I was able to add our picture at the top and add a playlist. Thanks Lyns! So for all of you with amazingly cute blogs, I hope you enjoy the makeover ours got today.

On a different note... I have recently been playing around with my bangs. I've had side bangs for a couple of years now and I have been brave enough to trim them as they have grown out in between hair cuts. Well, a few weeks ago I was brave enough to trim them so that I could have "front bangs." This was a very brave step for me because I'm usually not one to try something so drastically different. This new look was inspired by Reese Witherspoon from the movie Four Christmases. After Jason and I saw it I just had to try out the look on myself. Also, Kate Hudson supported "front bangs" in Bride Wars, which I thought was the cutest movie! I realize I don't hold a candle next to these Hollywood stars, but their looks encouraged me to try it out on myself. However, I cut them so that I could wear them to the front, to the side, or just pin them back all together. So in that case it really wasn't that brave of me because they still go many other ways. I just wanted to play around with it. Anyway, I was talking to Lynsi today and she said that she heard I got front bangs and she wanted to see them! I happened to fix my hair today with them in the front, which I haven't done in over a week, so lucky for her I could take a pic of them. So these pics are for you Lyns!

Beard or No Beard... That is the Question

2009-01-22T19:41:00.006-06:00

BEFORE

Jason decided to grow out a beard over the holidays. He enjoyed the extra warmth it gave him, but he decided it was time for it to go. It's been nice for him to have a smooth face again!

AFTER

What a cutie!

New Years

2009-01-20T15:03:00.012-06:00

I know the holidays have come and gone and we're all getting back into our normal routines. So, I hope it's better late than never, because I wanted to share what we did for New Years. This year my cousin Jacki hosted a family party. We went to Nibley, which is right next to Logan, and shared New Years with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle. All of you who hear us saying that we're going to Tremonton for the weekend can appreciate this post because these are some of the people we go and visit. Now you can put a face with a name. We had such a fun night at Jacki's house. We started out eating yummy food, then we headed up stairs and played a little Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution.

This was our set up. Very nice!

Jacki and Branson sing'n their hearts out.

We even got Aunt MerLynn to get on the drums and Uncle Rick to rock out on the guitar.

Cute little Trevyn. She was so good at the dancing game.

Cute little Sydney and Maggie. They were dancing on the mat next to Trevyn.

It was so fun to share New Years with family! Thanks Jacki for having everyone over and for making it such a fun night!

Our First Car Wash

2008-12-27T18:35:00.007-06:00

Many of you know that Jason and I bought our first new car! We've had it for two weeks now and we absolutely LOVE it! It was a big decision/commitment to purchase our new Toyota Corolla, but we are so glad we did! It seems ever since we bought it, the weather in Utah has been horrible! Our poor car has been packed with ice and snow and salt from the roads. Today the sun actually came out, so we decided to give it a good wash! We'll be doing this frequently throughout the winter since the salt on the roads will eat your paint and we have to take good care of our new baby! However, don't let the sunshine in the pictures fool you, it has been absolutely FREEZING today! The water on our sideview mirrors froze before Jason could dry them off! Crazy!

Thanksgiving in TEXAS!

2008-12-22T19:38:00.020-06:00

This year Jason and I drove down to Texas for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to see everyone and spend time with family! While we were down there, I did a photo shoot of Nathan & Natalie, Lynsi & Walt, and a few of Wynston & Garrett. The young boys were so cute to pose for me and smile for the camera. Nathan was a very good sport too. Lynsi was the one who started the idea because she wanted a pic of her and Walt that she could frame for their house. Walt was a good sport too, we took pictures for almost an hour and he hung in there!

Here are a few of my favorite ones...

While we were in Texas we went to the Dallas Mavericks game and the Dallas Cowboys game! Both of them were enjoyed in a suite thanks to Gayle who had extra tickets from her company.

And of course you can't forget good 'ol Spring Creek BBQ! That was my 1st job when I was 15 and everytime I go home I love to enjoy Texas BBQ!

Another Nephew!

2008-11-20T14:56:00.003-06:00

Our little nephew is here! He was born on November 4th and we were able to go see him that night in the hospital. Now we have 2 nephews and they are both so cute!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T00:22:00.010-05:00

This year for Halloween we went to Doe's house and hung out with family. Everett was a rodeo clown. He looked so cute and was having a blast!Shauna dressed up as a pumpkin. She looked so cute!We hung outside for a while because Everett loves going outside. He was carrying around this bloody hand and would call the skeleton on the front porch 'spooks.' I think he really was scared, but he kept laughing at it.
I'm pretty sure we have the cutest nephew ever!Jason was Everett's little bud this weekend. He really loves his Uncle Jason!When Everett sees Jason's backpack he calls it 'seat.' He thinks it's like his car seat because of all of the straps it has. Jason helped him get buckled in and he watched T.V. like that for a while. It was too cute!

My First Photo Shoot

2008-10-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

As most of you know I am taking some photography classes right now. My goal is to become a photographer, but I have a long way to go. For starters I don't own a nice camera yet because the one I want starts at $1,000. Yicks! But if any of you know much about photography you know it is an expensive hobby! I'm hoping to one day get paid for taking pictures but for now I do it for free. My friend at work is getting married and she asked me to take her engagement pictures. I borrowed a nice camera from Jason's work, and I did some research on-line before we went. I had all my ideas of poses written down because I knew once I got out there my mind would blank. I think it went really well and Hannah is very excited about her pictures. We've gone one other time to take pictures, but I haven't fixed the seconed ones up in photoshop yet. So here are some pics from the first photo shoot.

Jason's Birthday

2008-09-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Jason who turned 27 last week!

The party room....
Our guests...Our entertainment...Singing "Happy Birthday." Man they look like they're having a blast!
Who has the coolest wife ever? He looks as happy as a school boy in this picture.

Our Trip to NEW YORK

2008-09-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Jason had to go to New York for a work conference, so of course I tagged along and we made a vacation out of it! While Jason was at his conference during the day, I slept in and did my homework in the hotel room. He came back everyday around 3:00 and we were able to go play!

Our view from the hotel room.
We ate N.Y. pizza and walked around outside on our first night in town. We couldn't believe all the huge advertisements and billboards everywhere.
On our first day, we went to central park and visited the New York Temple. When we were walking to the temple we almost walked right past it because it blends right in with the other buildings.

On our second day, we visited ground zero. This was our first day to take the subway, it was pretty exciting! Once we got to a certain point, we walked the rest of the way. On our walk there, I stubbed my toe really bad on a sewer drain and it was bleeding everywhere. We were trying to find a band aid or something to fix it up. When we got to ground zero we visited the fire station and Jason talked to one of the firemen. We asked for a band aid and they invited us in to fix me up. While my toe was getting worked on, Jason was going crazy taking pictures in the fire station. When we left he told me, "Way to take one for the team, babe. That was so awesome getting to go inside!"

After our visit to ground zero we rode on the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry goes right by the Statue of Liberty, so we were able to see it and get some really cool pictures on the water.

On our third day, we went to the Empire State Building. It was fun to go up that high and see where Sleepless in Seattle was filmed a long time ago. It was such an amazing view from the top!
On our fourth day, we went to Serendipity. I wanted to go there so bad because I love the movie Serendipity! It is quite the famous place to go, a lot of celebrities visit when they are in town. We tried the famous frozen hot chocolate! It was so yummy! More pictures of the streets. There were cops everywhere, which helped us feel safe.
On our last night, we went to our Broadway show. It was my favorite thing we did! I'm pretty sure Jason was pleasantly surprised too. Ace Young from American Idol was Kinickie; he got a lot of attention from the ladies in the audience!
Most of you may already know this, but I couldn't leave it out. On our way home from the Broadway show we saw Tom Cruise! It was so cool. Katie Holmes is in a Broadway show right now along with John Lithgow and Diane Wiest. We saw all three of them walk out of the stage door and then, to my surprise, Tom Cruise walked out! It was the highlight of my trip!
On our last day, we went back to Central Park before we had to go to the airport. Jason and I loved going there earlier in our trip, so we wanted to go back one more time. Central Park is so beautiful and huge! It's amazing to have it right in the city; it's such a change of atmosphere as soon as you walk in. We loved going to New York and plan to visit again. It may not be for several years, but I'm sure we'll make it back there someday!

Our Camping Trip with Josh & Sharon

2008-09-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

We went camping with Josh and Sharon last weekend. We decided to go one last time before it gets too cold here. We had quite the eventful weekend...

Just setting up camp.

We bought matching camping chairs. They are so comfy!

Me and Hurley dog.

After we got all set up, we decided to go on a little hike. The trails close at dusk, and that is when we arrived. We decided to head out on our journey anyway thinking there would be enough day light left. After we had been walking for about a mile, Josh heard a noise that spooked us all. We decided the trails close at dusk for a reason and took off running for our lives thinking there was a bear or wild bore out there! Once we got to the car, we realized there really wasn't anything out there, but we were ready to leave. Josh reached in his pocket to get his car keys to open the door, and they were gone. We figured they fell out of his pocket when we took off running. So we headed back down the trail trying to find our needle in a hay stack. We decided to say a prayer for some help and guidance on finding these keys.

This is what the sky looked like after we had been looking for about 30 minutes. So we were out in the mountains stranded, about 30 minutes away from our camp site, and it was getting dark. One other thing you should know is that we didn't have a flash light. So we were using our cell phones as light, and they weren't working too well. Just a side note... On the way to the trail we talked about turning around to bring a flash light, but we decided against it. I'm pretty sure we were regretting that decision about now.

After about an hour and a half of looking, Josh found his keys! They were about 2 feet off the path in the tall grass. I know our prayers were answered that night and we were blessed to be able to find the keys and get back to camp. I am so grateful for prayer!

On our way back to the camp site we had an interesting experience...

So we just had this spiritual experience with being blessed to find our keys and we started the drive back to the camp. On our way down the windy narrow road, we saw a man running down the right side of the road. We thought that was kind of weird for him to be jogging late at night in the mountains. Well, it got even weirder when we got closer because the only thing this man was wearing was his socks and shoes, and the Burger King Man mask. (you know the burger king man you see on the commercials) Yeah... I am not lying to you! It was so random and after the fact pretty funny. We decided it was probably a college kid who lost a bet.

Once we finally got back we decided to build a fire and cook some dinner.

After we went to bed that night we woke up to animal noises in our camp site. At this point I just couldn't handle any more excitement in my night. We were scared thinking it could be a bear or something. Turns out is was a couple of massive raccoons who were eating Hurley's dog food. So the boys got up and put the dog food and the coolers in the cars. Finally, it was time for the eventful night to be over.

The next day we woke up and hiked the Timpanogos cave.
The hike was really hard, but so beautiful!

Our little chipmonk friend we met on the trail. Jason was feeding him sunflower seeds. He was so cute!

I am in school now taking photography classes. This is me taking some photos along the path.

Inside the Timpanogos Cave

We had such a fun weekend camping and we came home with lots of cool stories!

My 24th Birthday Surprise

2008-08-10T17:38:00.002-05:00

Jason surprised me this year with the best birthday present ever! The day before my birthday we went to the airport to pick up his brother, at least that's what I thought we were doing. We were standing where everyone walks through to get their luggage, and he put his face right in front of mine and asked me if he could give me my birthday present a day early. I looked up and there they were... Nathan & Natalie! I couldn't believe it! They were in Utah and I had no idea. Man that will be a tough one to ever beat. Jason did an amazing job making it a surprise. He had it all planned out and I was so oblivious! I will never forget my 24th birthday! I got the best present I could ever ask for!

We spent the weekend in Tremonton with our family; they were all so excited to see Nathan & Natalie! We had a little birthday party for me at my aunt’s house with all of our Kent cousins. It was a lot of fun!

On Saturday Tremonton had a firework show to

celebrate the 24th of July. We all got together for hamburgers and then went to the firework show together. Afterward Josh brought some sparklers that the kids had fun playing with.

On Sunday we went to the cemetery with Grandpa and Grandma Falk to visit mom.

We left Nathan & Natalie in Tremonton on Sunday night to spend more time with the fam. Then, on Tuesday night Grandpa & Ann met us in Salt Lake so that we could pick up the twins and bring them back to our house. Grandpa took us to dinner at The Garden before we headed back.

We spent the next 4 days just liv'n it up!

I'm not gonna lie..... This is gonna get a little bit weird .......
Jason dared Natalie to get in the shopping cart at Costco, and she actually did it! It was pretty hilarious!
On Friday we went to boondocks, which was a blast! Sorry I don’t have any pics of that I guess I was too busy having fun to take any pictures. Then on Saturday we had to say goodbye. It was sad seeing them go, but I was just soo grateful they were able to come. It was so much fun having them here!

Time For Some Campaignin

2008-07-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Watch the Entire Video. There is a surprise at the end

It's Official...Utah Valley University!

2008-07-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, July 1, 2008, Utah Valley State College officially became Utah Valley University. On Monday, June 30, there was a huge celebration here on campus. Activities were going on all day in the new library. At night, Josh Gracin, Collin Raye, and Joe Nichols performed in a concert on the Baseball field. Over 15,000 were in attendance! On Tuesday, the school was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a remarkable experience to be in his presence. He gave excellent counsel before offering the dedicatory prayer. Prominent Utah Leaders were also in attendance including Orrin Hatch, Bob Bennett, and Lt. Governor Herbert.

Josh Gracin tearing it up!

Joe Nichols

Boots & Jay

Josh & Sharon came to the concert with us!

The man himself, President Thomas S. Monson!

Bob Bennett, Orrin Hatch, Pres. Monson

2 Amazing Books You Can't Afford To Miss

2008-06-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

During this last Spring Semester, one of my professors required us to read Leadership and Self-Deception. This is probably the best book that any instructor has ever had me read. Without going into too much detail, the book is technically a business book written in story form, but it goes way deeper than business. The story follows Tom Callum, a person who has just been hired by Zagrum Company. Tom thinks that he is the best manager to step foot in the company as he walks to his meeting with one of the V.P. The story takes place over a 2 day meeting between Tom and the V.P. Tom learns that throughout his life, he has rarely seen people as what they are: people. The overall theme of the book is that we as society usually treat each other as objects. Only when we treat each other as people are we able to get things accomplished and achieve goals, whether those goals are personal, family, or business. Tom discovers that Zagrum has been teaching all of its employees these principles for about 30 years or so. Lou Herbert, the founder of Zagrum, introduced these principles after a visit to Camp Moriah.

The second book, The Anatomy of Peace, follows the story of Lou's visit to Camp Moriah. So it's a prequel to Leadership and Self-Deception, but it was written after. This book takes these principles a step further and shows us how we can find true peace in our personal lives as well as our family and business lives.

I can't stess enough how awesome these books are. Not only will you discover how to find peace in everyday situations, you will discover new ways of keeping peace in your family and work life. These books were written by the Arbinger Institute. The Arbinger institute was founded by C. Terry Warner, a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University.

Our Cruise

2008-05-27T23:57:00.000-05:00

Our first day on the ship. We left from L.A. and sailed for 7 days!

We went rock climbing on the ship. Jason was great at it, but it was really hard for me!

That's our cruise ship behind Jason. We were on a small boat headed to the dock at Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas

Our toes in the sand!

   Hanging out at the beach in Cabo San Lucas
   Sailing away from Cabo that evening
   We were at a show that evening on the ship
   Mazatlan

In Mazatlan we went on a kaiaking excursion in the ocean. Thas was a lot of fun. When we got to the beach area the waves just carried us into the shore. Once we arrived at the beach we went on a hike up a small mountain which is where this pic was taken.
Sailing away from Mazatlan that evening.
Puerto Vallarta

In Puerto Vallarta we got off the ship and went around to all of the shops. We also found this little jungle area where there were birds and lots of trees. That is where this pic was taken.
After doing a little shopping we got back on the ship and layed out at the pool. This pic was taken when we were sailing away from Puerto Vallarta that evening.

This was one of the formal nights on the ship. We had a very fancy dinner every night in the dinning room.

My weekend in Texas for dad's surprise party!

2008-05-27T21:39:00.000-05:00

Josh & I flew to Texas for the weekend to surprise my dad for his 50th birthday. He was shocked when he saw us there! I'm pretty sure we made his day. His best birthday present was having all of his kids home for his birthday!

What a good looking crew! The Vernon's came to dad's party, it was so much fun hanging out with them!

Dad blowing out his birthday candles with a little help.

Garrett, Britt, Wynston

These two cuties will be 5 yrs old in July

Britt, Natalie & Dad

We ate dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings and then went to a movie to get dad out of the house for the surprise party.

Graduated!

2008-04-29T13:01:00.000-05:00

On Friday, April 25, I graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Digital Media! The ceremonies were as boring as ever, but it is awesome to have it done! After doing 40 Credit hours this year, 21 in the Fall and 19 this Spring, I was able to don the cap and gown and receive my degree. Now I have to start worrying about career choices and all of that nonsense! Brittani and I are very excited! I could not have done any of this without her help and encouragement. She is amazing!

Spending Time with the Family

2008-03-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

This last weekend was Spring Break for me. On Thursday, Brittani and I took a 4 hour road trip to Ruby Valley, Nevada to spend time with Rex, Shauna, and Everett. It was the most fun we've had for a long time. We arrived Thursday night and had dinner. Everett is getting so big and has started taking a few steps. His birthday is coming up on the 27th. Brittani and I went in on a birthday present with my brothers for the little guy. We got him a little fire truck for him to ride on. It plays music and other sounds with the push of a button. Everett really enjoyed it. He played the song over and over again, and I could tell that his parents were going to really enjoy this addition to his toy collection. On Friday, Rex and I took out the four-wheelers to check on all of the recently-born calves. One cow gave birth to twins, but only cared for one of them. So we had to bring the other one back to the barn and bottle-feed it along with some other leppy calves. It was quite the experience. Rex and I also had the liberty of taking care of quite a few ground squirels. They tear up the field and make pretty big holes that are a burden on the cows. That was a lot of fun. On Saturday, Rex and I went out to check on the calves again and took care of some more squirels. Brittani and I came home Sunday afternoon and relaxed and got ready for the upcoming week.

2008-01-30T23:25:00.000-06:00

Me and Brit hangin out in SLC. This was takin a few months, ago, before the cold. Hey, if anyone sees my blog and wants to comment or get in touch, leave the URL to your blog in your comment. That will make it easier for me to respond. Things are going good for us. We're living in Orem. I'm attending UVSC. I met with my advisor yesterday and if all goes well, I'll be graduating in August! I can't wait to be done!

2007-12-01T22:54:00.000-06:00

Me and my beautiful bride Brittani. This is from our trip up to Jackson Hole, WY.