tidbits

Let's see, what else have we been up to aside from cash mobbing local businesses (see previous post)?  Here are a few tidbits for you:

• Our ward men's basketball team made it to regionals so Dan was really involved in that all weekend.  He is our ward's coach.  Unfortunately they didn't make it to the championship game, but they still had a great season and went really far!
• We saw the Hunger Games!  I really wanted to wait til the crowds died down and I didn't have to wait in line an hour just to get a seat... but alas, after hearing lots of good things I broke down and bought tickets!  We went Saturday night and both enjoyed it.  Of course I always think the book is better than the movie, but they still did a great job at portraying the book.  The camera work was not my favorite though and made me feel a little sea sick with all the shakiness!  
• I went teaching with the Sister Missionaries again.  It was awesome!  I had a lot in common with this girl they are teaching (she teaches special ed too), so we had a lot to talk about and the lesson went really well.  
• Last week we started our backyard!  And by "we" I mean we hired someone to do it :).  So far the sprinklers are all in and the plants/trees have been purchased.  This week everything should be finished, complete with grass, stairs, firepit, fence and all!  Can't wait to show pictures of the final product.  
• It is really starting to look and feel like spring.  I am hoping to even make it to the pool this week!  
• Dan and I bought new workout clothes!  We figure if we invest money in it we are more likely to do it. haha... I really did need new running shoes, I've had mine since high school!  Which was 7 years ago, in case you wanted to know.  We are loving the new Dick's Sporting Goods store in St. George.  I am ready to get out there and start playing tennis again!  

Life is busy, but good!

Celebrities

A lot of you have probably seen me post about this on facebook, but Dan started something in St. George called the STG Cash Mob.  It was quite a success and he was even on KSL news!  You can see me too :).  Click on this link to watch the news segment about it.  I am really proud of Dan for getting this idea and making it happen.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=19732402&title=cash-mob-surprises-local-business-with-show-of-support&s_cid=featured-3

Spring Break

Back in January I knew I wanted to go somewhere for Spring Break, I just wasn't sure where.... until Jet Blue had flights to California for $29 each way.  Sold!  So last week we went to Newport Beach with my sister and her husband (they couldn't pass up such a great deal either!)  Here are some highlights of our trip:

• Found out Jet Blue is the best airline!  More leg room (major plus for Dan), each person gets their own tv, actually left on time, better variety of snacks, and great ticket prices (when on sale)! 
• Visited Yogurtland twice!  It is my favorite frozen yogurt place.  Only two exist in Utah, neither of which are in St. George.  Since it was just down the street from our hotel, we had to take advantage of the goodness!
• Whale watching.  More like dolphin watching, but fun nonetheless.  The dolphins were actually my favorite part.  They would swim right next to the boat.  We probably saw 100 dolphins and only 1 whale.  
• The Beach.
• Walked around Balboa Pier.  
• Rented a surrey and rode it along the boardwalk.  Surreys look so ridiculous, I have always wanted to rent one!  
• Knotts Berry Farm, where I rode some of the scariest coasters of my life!  
• South Coast Plaza- the largest mall I have ever been to.  
• Rainforest Cafe.
• Lots of games of Bohnanza each evening.

Now for my loads of pictures (most of which I stole from Jannifer, I forgot my camera)!  Disclaimer:  For some reason my hair is crazy in most of these photos.  I blame the humidity, my poor hair is used to very dry weather.

Our whale watching boat.

Ready to see some whales!

Janni & Danny, our travel buddies!

Dolphins!  They're so cute!

The best whale picture we got. I promise there is a whale where the water is a little white-ish.

Sea lions just bein lazy.

The beach!

Our surrey!

More Beach

Rainforest Cafe

The aquarium by our table.

At South Coast Plaza.  This mall was so huge they had 3 Macys!  Regular Macys, Macys for Men and Macys Home.

Jannifer & Dan on the ride that takes you really high and drops you.  I hate these rides.  Danny and I passed on this one!

Me in my car!

On the ferris wheel.  I don't like ferris wheels much either, but this one wasn't too high.

Our prize from the basketball game!  Another stuffed animal for our collection- you have no idea how many carnival games Dan has played!

I just like Dan's face in this photo.

Meeting Snoopy!  I always wonder who is really under that costume!

I got soaked on the rapids ride!

And yes we did pay $5 for the dryer.  Which for your information, doesn't really work.  Don't waste your $$$!

And that was our trip!  There were so many pictures you probably felt like you were on vacation with us :).  

missionaries & temple cleaning

Wow, I am blogging a lot today!  I guess life has just been interesting lately.  Haha... this past week I had a few unique experiences.

First off, I got to go out with the Sister Missionaries!  Since Dan is the Assistant Ward Mission Leader, we actually know the missionaries for our stake.  They have come to our house for dinner twice and this past week I drove them around because they didn't have a car.  If it was Elders, I'm sure they would ask Dan for his help.  But since we have sisters in our area, they call Dan asking if I can help them :).  It was a lot of fun to be around them and to see what they do each day.  We kind of had a weird experience though.  We went to visit this lady and she was outside on her cell phone.  She saw us and apparently she wasn't interested but she didn't want to tell the sisters, so she handed them the cell phone and made the person on the cell phone tell us to go away!  It was so random!  One sister told me it was the weirdest thing that has happened to her on her mission.

Then last night Dan and I helped clean the temple.  When we lived up north we were never asked to do this, in fact I didn't even know they asked members to help clean the temple.  But I guess since St. George is a much smaller area there are more opportunities like this.  It was actually really cool!  I'll be honest, I complained a little bit at first because you go from 10 pm to midnight.  I was tired on the way there but once we got there and started cleaning I had energy!  I think it was a major blessing.  I helped this lady vacuum all of the sealing rooms.  It was probably the best vacuuming job I have ever done.  I tried to be extremely careful and not run into any of the furniture.  It was a really neat experience.  Even though I wasn't doing temple work, I still felt the Spirit while I cleaned.  I also loved the lady I helped.  She was from New Zealand and she told me she had been cleaning the temple for 26 years!  I think if I had a cleaning job I would want it to be at the temple.

What a great week!

Yard Work

Guess what?  We finished our garden boxes!  And by "we" I mean Dan finished our garden boxes (thanks, Dan!).  I helped him carry them into the yard though.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture.  I can't wait to get some vegetables growing in them!

I also planted some flowers!  Surprisingly they are still alive.  I put them in pots because our soil is kind of horrible.  I thought they'd have a better chance at surviving in a pot.  So far so good.

My pansies

They add some color to our front porch.

Last week I potted pansies and this week I did some tulips (which are not picture).  I'm now thinking I want to put up a garden box in the window.  As you can tell, I love house projects!