Kade & Malorie Ence

Snowboarding 2010-11

2011-01-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Family Pic's 2010

2010-12-28T10:19:00.005-07:00

This year we had to do our family pictures up in Logan. Liz couldn't come to us so we went to her. We just did them on a weekend she had games so we all got to watch her play too. It was a beautiful fall up there and I think they turned out pretty good.

So it's been a while...

2010-12-14T18:59:00.004-07:00

Well, here I am. Not that anyone but Liz is reading this anyway. I'm guessing everyone gave up on me, which I don't blame them for at all. So, what have we been up to the last few months... Mostly I have been following my sister and her team around the country watching them play volleyball. They actually had an incredible season this year. The beat Hawaii, who was ranked I think 3rd in the COUNTRY at the time, in the WAC Championship which was incredible! They were the total under-dogs and it felt just like it did when Liz won the state championship for the first time, ok maybe this was even a little more exciting. It was broadcast on ESPNU and if you watched it you probably saw Kade lifting Liz up on his shoulders after the victory! Those two... Then to top off the whole thing Liz was named the MVP! So awesome! Anyway, after that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving on the beautiful sunny beach down in Encinitas and then I went to UC Berkeley with my parents to watch Liz play in her first NCAA tournament appearance. That one was a loss but it was still amazing just to get there. I am so proud of that girl. I keep praying that our children will somehow get her athletic genes through me. One can dream right? Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season so far. I LOVE this time of year!

Smuggling Raisins - Week 2

2010-08-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Mal's volleyball team-Week 1

2010-08-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Mal wake surfing July 2010

2010-07-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Fat Man's Misery Hike - Kade Ence

2010-07-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Italia

2010-06-26T19:04:00.004-07:00

ITALY!!!! Was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced, and I have seen some pretty awesome stuff. I could literally write a novel about the things I have experienced but I think I will let the pictures do the talking since there are about a million. We went to Florence, Venice, Pompeii, and Rome and words can't express how wonderful the experience was. I will just say the sites were out-of-this-world, the food was incredible, and the company couldn't have been better!
(P.S. Sorry it took me so long to post. We have been crazy busy!)
Here are a few of my fav's and I am including a link to my facebook if you want to see the rest. If you want to hear any more about the trip just ask me. I LOVE to talk about it but I don't want to bore anyone!:) Click here to see pictures

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-05-24T06:03:00.002-07:00

Wow! I cannot believe it has been 4 years. How time flies. Well, since we are leaving for Italy on Thursday we really didn't want to go all out on our anniversary. So, we went to dinner at Scaldoni's and then continued the tradition of going to Chili's for dessert for some molten chocolate cake. After, we played volleyball, since that is really one of our favorite things to do together. Pretty lame I guess, but I loved it! K, here comes the mushy stuff... I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband that is there for me and provides so well for me and loves me. I know when I look in his eyes that he truly, deeply loves me and I hope he can see the same in me. The End!

Jewelry

2010-05-06T11:48:00.008-07:00

So..Anyone who know's me very well knows how much I LOVE jewelry. My true love is the real stuff, but I also like playing with cute fun stuff too. We have a friend who makes jewelry and she is coming down. It is one of the moms of a teammate of Liz's up at Utah State so that is how we know her. She is INCREDIBLY talented and her peices are so affordable (pretty much everything is between $5 and $30) We have actually had her down before but I just wanted to let everyone know through the blogging world. She is amazing and it is so fun. She also does custom stuff so if you have something in mind and don't see it there you can just tell her and she will mail to you within the week. It is going to be at my parents house on Saturday May 15th and it will just be an open house from around 2:00 to 5:00 but if you have plans we can work with you. We will be hanging out there all day so just let me know. Leave a comment if you want the address or need my # for directions. (My page isn't private and I didn't want the whole world to know where they live and my number) Hope you all can make it!

Just a few examples. Go to www.debbierenee.com to see more

My dream come true...

2010-02-24T08:14:00.002-07:00

Well, as most of you probably know, Kade and I have traveled the world. It is what we love to do. It was ingrained in me as a child because I was so blessed to have parents who took me around the world to visit new cultures, learn more about my heritage, and pretty much just have a blast together. Kade started coming along with us while we were dating and has been hooked ever since. So, we both love to travel, especially out of the country, and we have been so lucky to have seen some amazing places thus far. But of course, Malorie is always wanting more. I have been telling Kade for a few years now, basically since we've been married, that I really, really want to go to Italy before we have kids. It has been a dream of mine for a very long time and I figured if I didn't go before then who knows when I would be able to go. Well, we went to a lot of other places and have had some amazing adventures and so I had basically given up on my dream and figured I would just make Kade take me when we were old and decrepit. But lo and behold, thanks to Kade and my WONDERFUL family my dream is coming true!!!! We leave for Italy on May 27th. It will be me, Kade, and my whole fam. Kade and I are STARTING to entertain the thought of having children SOMEDAY. So we all figured this could be like our last little hoorah. I know you are all probably mad at me for taking an hour to say something that could be said in one sentence but I am just so grateful for everyone in my life that is always trying to make me happy and I wanted to express that. Kade and my family are so good to me and I love them all so much. I also need to make a shout out to Teri for pushing me to try and go. Love ya Ter! Well, I guess the bottom line is it has been a little while since we went on a big trip and I couldn't be more excited about this one. Sorry for rambling. Peace out.

Happy Birthday Carter!

2010-01-26T17:50:00.003-07:00

This last weekend Carter turned 1! His birthday party was sooooo much fun. He is the most adorable little boy on the planet and we love him to death. We also love his parents, but we mostly just put up with them so we can see Carter. Just kidding, I love you Teri! You really are one of the best friends in the whole world!:)

Me & Carter's Mom!

The birthday boy getting ready for cake

The cake, it was a polka dot party so we had a blast making the cake. Teri and I also couldn't help making a cute fondant Carter to go on the front.

Me, Kade, & Carter

Happy 1st birthday buddy!

Malorieology

2010-01-21T09:27:00.002-07:00

Okay....tagged, you should do this too...Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology"
YOU! Yes, you reading this. You're tagged. Now that you know more about me than you ever wanted to know, play the game. Be nice.

FOODOLOGY

*What is your salad dressing of choice? Grandma Tobler's Raspberry Poppyseed (I want some now)

*What is your favorite sit down restaurant? Cheesecake Factory

*What is your favorite fast food restaurant? In-N-Out

*What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Chicken Soup from Cafe Rio (My sister will vouch for this)

*What are your pizza toppings of choice? Pineapple (no ham, just pineapple)

*How many televisions are in your house? 2

*What color cell phone do you have? Hot Pink (My favorite!)

" "PATTOLOGY:

*Are you right-handed or left-handed? Left

*Have you ever had anything removed from your body? wisdom teeth? does that count?

*What is the last heavy item you lifted? some 10-wire. that stuff is WAY heavy.

*Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No

*Have you ever fainted? Yes, multiple times. I'm working on that.

DookOLOGY:

*If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? Tough one, but probably not. I don't like to think about things I can't control.

*If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I really love my name. No changes, great job mom and dad.

*How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? Um...lets just say a lot of every kind of shoe(one of my many addictions)

*Last person you talked to? Zoey, but if we're sticking to humans then Kade

FAVOLOGY:

*Season? Fall, when relief from the summer heat comes it feels amazing. And I love fall clothes!:)

* Holiday ? Gotta go with Christmas, I am such a kid at heart.

*Day of the week? Saturday-because now that it is so cold it is the only day we can play volleyball cuz we have to play in the middle of the day. oh, I LOVE playing volleyball!!

*Month? December, I'm a sucker for the Christmas spirit. Sad, 11 months to go, haha. I love different things about all months though, this is a tough one for me.

* Color? Pink-always and forever

* Drink? Water-I drink gallons a day

CURRENTOLOGY:

*Missing someone? My sis. I hate her living in Logan, I know you're gonna read this Liz. COME HOME!;)

*What are you listening to? Boys Like Girls, Love Drunk CD, LOVE IT.

*Watching? Myself Type

Worrying about? An upcoming Dr. Appointment

*What's the last movie you saw? Music & Lyrics. Last night we watched it. So cute.

*Do You Smile often? Yes, I often find myself massaging my cheeks cuz they get sore from laughing all the time.

*If you could change your eye color what would it be? Just a brighter blue. I have wierd chameleon eyes that change color depending on what I'm wearing. I want them to be bright blue all the time.

*What's on your wish list for your birthday? Jewelry is always on my wish list.

*Can you do push-ups? Girl ones?!

*Can you do a chin up? Pretty sure that's a negative.

*Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Way excited most of the time!

*Have you been in a Car wreck? Nothing outside a parking lot:)

*Have you caused a Car wreck? No way.

*Do you have an accent? I dont think so.

*Last time you cried? When Liz went back up to Logan after Christmas break. I miss my BFF

*Plans tonight? Watching some AWESOME shows with my hubby. We have been busy lately and have some good stuff saved up on the DVR.

*Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? No, I have had a cushy life. Hope to keep it that way:)

*Name 3 things you Bought yesterday ? Nothing, for once.

*Met someone who changed your life? Definately

*For the better or worse?? Both

*How did you bring in the New Year? On the black hill with some great friends after a devastating loss in Cranium.

*Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Yeah, that would be fun. I think I would just appreciate being young more and spend less time wishing to be grown up. Not much I'd change though.

*Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? Yep, a few someone's

*What songs do you sing in the shower? Totally depends on my mood. Among the favorties are broadway classics, and Michael Buble.

*Have you held hands with someone Today? Not yet

*Who was the last person you took a picture of? probably myself and someone else. I like taking those self/group portraits. I have long arms so it works! haha.

*Are most of the friends in your life new or old? Hmm... That's relative. I guess new. Most of my friends now I met when I met Kade so that's only been about 6ish years. Wow, that's a long time though I guess. Well, there's my answer. I don't even know. I really LOVE all my friends though!

*Do you like pulpy orange juice? No way jose! I can barely drink regular orange juice but if it has a lot of pulp, it's not going down.

*What is something your friends make fun of you for? My spazziness. Especially when it comes to athletic things. I can usually get the job done, but I look pretty funny doing it. It also doesn't help if they've seen my sister. She makes me look really bad when it comes to sports.

*Last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? I'm more of a PB & H (honey) kinda girl.

*What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping. One of my favorite hobbies.

*What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? YAY! It's still raining. I love the rain.

Family Pic's 09

2009-12-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yay! Another year has come and gone which means another family picture session. Fun fun! Everyone looks pretty much the same as last year except Hunter who has grown about 2 feet. Really though, he is taller than everyone now but my dad. I think he is about 6'1" and only 14 years old. Now, if we could just get some meat on those bones!:)

Cousins

2009-12-03T12:01:00.003-07:00

Yay Cousins! Kade's brother Kolby got a new little puppy. It is a mini Zoey! She is the exact same color and breed as her. She is adorable and so little right now. Zoey wants her to be bigger so that they can play a little more rough. Zo is so cute with her and just plays really nice. Her name is Bella and we all love her.

Utah State

2009-11-08T14:57:00.003-07:00

We had another trip up to Logan to visit Liz and watch her play. This time Kade went. She has been begging him to come all season but he couldn't get off work until now. They played thursday and saturday. They won one and lost one. On the thursday game Liz set a new SCHOOL RECORD for most kills in a 3 set match. I am sooooo proud of her and how well she is doing up there.

Another Visitor from Japan

2009-10-23T08:30:00.004-07:00

We had another visitor from Japan this week. I always LOVE when they come. They are so sweet and it always makes you appreciate what you have when someone marvels at it. Everything in Japan is like miniature so to see someone's house like my parents with a big yard and stuff absolutely freaks them out. She was only here for a couple days so we took her to Zion and she mostly just wanted to hang out at our house so that's what we did. Thank for visiting Murata San. We love you!

OHIO!

2009-09-29T20:29:00.006-07:00

Well, sorry about the delay. Basically the last 2 months my life has consisted of work during the week, travel to wherever Liz has her volleyball for the weekend, come home, do laundry, repeat. It has been really crazy and my poor husband has been getting so lonely but hopefully it will settle down. The good thing about it is I have been able to travel to some really fun places and spend some quality time with my parents and little bro. Most recently we returned from Kent State, Ohio...Which just happens to be about half an hour down the road from Kirtland and TONS of awesome church history stuff. My testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel has become so strong from actually standing in the places the first saints of the church stood and seeing the sacrifices they made with my own eyes.

Lake Time

2009-08-16T08:30:00.006-07:00

This was actually quite a while ago but I get way behind on posting so sorry. We always love the lake in the summer! This trip we taught Liz how to wake surf, she caught on really fast. Of course she did cuz she is the athletic one in the family, so unfair! We always have a blast at the lake!

Me, Liz, and Cousing Brady

This is Zoey wishing she were anywhere but there, she hates the water but she gets so hot we have to cool her off. Poor puppy!

Liz surfing with her concentration face!

Just us!

North Carolina

2009-07-28T20:45:00.004-07:00

Well, about a week after returning from Cancun Liz, my Dad, and I headed for good ol' N.C. We went out to visit my dad's mission comp, Tim, who is awesome and it was so good to see him again. It had been a few years since the last time we visited so it felt great. Tim's plantation is called Summer Hill and it is like traveling back in time. We enjoyed the Southern hospitality and spending time together. Liz had to move back up to Logan just a few days after we got home so it was great to spend that time together. Kade gets bored with history so he opted to stay home this trip!

Cancun

2009-07-04T09:56:00.005-07:00

Well, we were finally able to go on our graduation trip to Cancun. We were supposed to go right after everyone graduated in May but because of Swine Flu we had to postpone it. Anyway, we went and had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect almost everyday. We spent time at the beach, by the pool, seeing the Mayan temples, time at the spa, and scuba diving. We also spent time being our goofy selves and having incredible amounts of fun with our awesome friends! Here are a few photos of a great trip:

Kade's New Car

2009-07-04T09:36:00.003-07:00

Well, since both of our cars were from the dinosaur ages we decided that if we were gonna upgrade one we might as well do both! Haha. I LOVE Kade's car! It is so sweet and fun to drive, it has a rockin' engine and lots of cool features. Anyway, just thought I'd let ya see the newest member of the Ence Clan, haha!

Sky Diving!!!

2009-06-17T08:06:00.003-07:00

Ok, so last Saturday Kade and I went sky diving for the first time. It was the thrill of a lifetime and I can't wait to do it again. We went with Kade's dad and brother and it was incredible. Since it was our first time we had to go tandum(with a partner) but I was glad. I was pretty surprised with how NOT nervous I was. I have always wanted to do it but I thought that once it came down to it I would be way scared but I wasn't. You can see the teeny, tiny plane we had to go up in behind us and it took about half an hour to get to 10,000 feet, which is where you want to be to jump. We were free-falling for about 60 seconds (which is totally the funnest part) and then pulled the chute and rode in for about 4-5 minutes. I got a little queasy on the plane ride,cuz I have such a weak stomach but other than that it was awesome! Any of you out there that are thinking about doing it, DO IT! We had the time of our lives! We actually had a guy jump with us that filmed each one of us so I will see if I can get the video up here. It is pretty cool, and really funny!

Presenting...Cami!

2009-06-17T07:07:00.002-07:00

Here is the new car. I do still miss Civi but having a new car definately takes away some of the sting. It is an 07 Camry and has tonz of features. I really, really love it and have had a good time driving around in a car 12 years newer than my last one. Kade actually got a new car too so I will have to post some pictures of his. It's funny cuz we both have been driving around in cars over 10 years old for the last few years and then all of a sudden we both get new ones. It's fun!

Farewell to Civi

2009-06-12T07:40:00.003-07:00

So...Many of you who read this blog will recognize the car in these photographs. That's because many of you have riden in this beloved vehicle because Civi was my main form of transportation from the age of 15 to about 3 days ago when Civi and I had to go our separate ways. Civi and I had been through high school, college, and the first 3 years of marriage together so you can see why it was difficult to part. I actually didn't want to get a new car until we had kids but someone made us an offer on Civi we couldn't refuse so we had to say farewell. Now I am ridin' in a sweet new car (pictures to come) but Civi will always hold a place in my heart. So, now begins a new chapter of my life without Civi...

Frowny Face

Weeping Over Civi

Civi in Profile

Another fun week in Encinitas...

2009-05-19T15:56:00.004-07:00

Ok, so we were supposed to leave for Cancun the day the boys graduated but because of freakin' swine flu we had to cancel. So we are trying to reschedule but we still wanted to celebrate graduation in an appropriate fashion so... week at the beach house! Yay! All of us friends went down and my whole fam came too so we had a grand ol' time! Now I have to warn you that Liz and I can get pretty weird when we spend too much time together so some of the pictures may be disturbing to some viewers! Oh how I love my friends and my family!

Graduation!!!

2009-05-11T14:18:00.004-07:00

I am so dang proud of my hubby! He got his MBA last weekend and I am just glowing with pride. He has worked very hard and totally deserves a reward for all he has accomplished. I can't believe I am married to a man with a Master's Degree. I am also grateful that he is officially done with school! No more lonely nights with Zoey! Haha! I am excited that our future children will most likely not have to miss spending time with their daddy on account of schooling. He got his degree with 2 of his best friends, Josh Hurst & Blake Frei, and all of us just couldn't be more excited! The only down side to this event was the fact that us 3 couples were supposed to leave for Cancun the day they graduated but on account of swine flu we had to cancel. We are rescheduling though and should be heading to somewhere beautiful and tropical in the next month or two. I will keep you posted. Anyway, congrats honey. I am so proud of you!

Congrats Kolby!

2009-05-11T14:10:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to Kade's little bro Kolby. He got his Associates Degree at Dixie last week. Great job Brother! We are proud of you!

Time Flies...

2009-04-21T19:15:00.004-07:00

Ok so my sister threatened my life if I didn't post something, so, this post is for Liz, Shelli, and anyone else who is bored enough to check on my blog. I was thinking the other day how fast time goes as I am watching my baby brother grow taller than me by the second...I swear he was a baby yesterday. So I found these pictures of Drew, who I used to nanny for, and when I look at his mom's blog now I seriously cry at how big he is. He is so old now, so what does that make me? Haha, I just wanted to post a few pic's of these happy times. I will always think of Drewby as my first baby, cuz I love him like a child!(Hope I'm not freaking you out, Shelli) He is so adorable and I miss spending time with him. Anyway, there you go Liz, hope you're happy!

Spring Break

2009-03-24T19:00:00.003-07:00

Well, my sister keeps getting mad at me for not posting so here it goes. I really do need to get on here more often it has just been so busy lately, and not really the fun busy of traveling the world like it used to be. We are just busy with real life...which is also fun. My sisters spring break was a week before everyone else's in the whole world so that was a little different. When Kade got done with school in December I thought to myself that I wouldn't really have to worry about spring break anymore. We could travel whenever we could get off work. Now though I am realizing that I do have to worry about it cuz it is about the only time in the year my sis can come down so. I guess I will still be looking forward to Spring Break for at least 3 more years. She brought down some of her friends, most of which played on the volleyball team with her this year and it was really fun to get to know them. We took them on Angel's Landing, made them lots of yummy homemade food, and challenged them to some sand v-ball. We had a good time and all of the girls were sad to leave sunny St. George for snowy Logan.
Other than that nothing too exciting. Just enjoying this springtime weather and realizing that I'm not quite ready for the extreme heat.

Me, Christine, Katie, Hymas, Liz, and Jenna
Such Fun Girls!

Logan Trip

2009-02-23T18:50:00.005-07:00

A couple weekends ago I went up to Logan to visit my sis with my parents. We had a great time in the frozen tundra! The weather actually wasn't too bad, I mean of course it was crappy, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I am so warm blooded from living in St. George so long that the cold and my body don't do too well together but I survived. I had a blast visiting with Liz and even spent one of the nights in her dorm with her. We had her volleyball banquet and a few boys basketball games and did some shopping. It was a fun trip but I am still counting down the years until she is done with school and comes back to us!

Goodness...Ence-ness

2009-01-20T16:38:00.012-07:00

Ok, So I am officially the worst blogger ever lately. K I have been going crazy. I am still working for my dad and have also started working at the Jewelry store AND got a new calling as the secretary in the YW presidency. I have been so busy lately that I just don't feel like I have time for anything. We have been doing some way fun stuff lately with any free time we do have and instead of wasting all my time with words I will just show you what we did with pictures...

ZOEY Is so fun. She loves her sweaters in the winter, since she doesn't have much of a coat and loves to cuddle. She also got totally spoiled this Christmas since she is the closest thing my parents have to a grandchild right now.

Snow in St. George, Gotta love it!

Christmas!

We did the usual, the weekend before Christmas, the boys go snowboarding the girls go shopping and everyone visits temple square and sees the MOTAB Christmas special and then we all go to the LIttle America for their incredible Sunday Brunch. Plus Liz and I found some awesome Christmas PJ's at Target.

Visitors From Japan

We had 2 wonderful friends from Japan come and stay with us for a week. Kade actually baptized both Mayumi and Hiromi while he was serving his mission over there and when we went back to his mission last year we got to see Mayumi go through the temple which was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. We had so much fun with these girls. We took them to the Narrows, Zions, 4 wheeling at the dunes, through Snow Canyon, Hot Tubbing, and down to Vegas. We also got to have them make us some Japanese food that we have been missing so we ate Akonamiyaki one night.

I guess that about sums it up. Sorry for the longest post in history but I just wanted to get it all done at once.

Hawaii

2008-12-04T07:39:00.004-07:00

So apologies for taking for freaking ever to get this post up. I have been going crazy the last couple weeks and I still don't have very much time so this post is gonna be pretty basic. This year the WAC tournament was in Hawaii so we all decided to be a really good family and go support Liz. Haha, it was a blast! We got to stay in the same hotel as Liz so she just came and stayed in me and Kade's room and my parents and Hunter were next door so we had the whole fam together. The team didn't win but Liz played awesome and we were so proud of her. I hadn't been back to Hawaii since I lived there so it was nice to return and see my "old stompin' ground" as my dad called it.(Yeah Bre it was crazy to see everything that had changed in 3 years) This was Kade's second time in Oahu (the first was when he came to pick me up) and the rest of us had been there multiple times so it was nice not to have to do any of the "touristy" things, we just got to chill and hang out a lot at North Shore. We had a wonderful time and it was so good to just relax for a couple weeks. My fam is the best and we all have so much fun together. Enjoy the pic's, I did :)

Yeah, Hunter took this picture of Kade and I, isn't he good!?

Family Pictures

2008-11-11T08:53:00.002-07:00

It's that time again...Time for family pictures. Thanks Richelle for some awesome ones. This year we just stuck around my parents yard. It was simple and fun. The best part was that Liz was home for the weekend. The first time she has been home since JULY!!! We were all dying with excitement for her to be home and we had an awesome weekend!

Wedding Cake

2008-10-30T09:50:00.003-07:00

Well last weekend my mom's cousing Matt got married to a darling girl. The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time with family. The only problem was that my mom volunteered me for the wedding cake, yikes! I haven't done a cake FOREVER and I'm not a crafty person so I'm not very good at it any way but I did my best. I made my mom help since she sucked me into it anyway and we were pretty proud of how it turned out. I think it's cute and the cupcake thing is great. People just come up and take one so you don't have to cut anything. Anyway, I'm glad it's over. I hate stress, that's why I avoid it at all costs!:)

Tagged!

2008-10-28T08:00:00.003-07:00

Ok Shelli, here you go. This is the tag where you open the 4th folder and find the 4th picture and describe it.

This is a picture of us and our great friends Pascal and Suzanna on our way to Florida for our first cruise together. We ate lunch at the Chili's in the airport and you can just see how excited we all our from the grins on our faces. This cruise we hit up St. Maarten and St. Tomas and had a freaking blast!

Riding

2008-10-21T06:56:00.001-07:00

So, this last weekend was an interesting one. Kade decided last minute to go to the beach house with his dad and brother. I got the invite but I didn't really want to leave on such short notice and figured the boys could have a fun "guy weekend" without me so I stayed home. I am so grateful for the relationship Kade and I have. We love being together but we are both fine with separate time too. We don't have to be conjoined to have fun. Anyway, I stayed home and my brother and parents talked me into spending the weekend at their house so Zoey and I had a sleep over at my parents which is exactly 4 minutes away from our own house! Haha! It actually was really fun though. I stayed in my old room and just spent quality time with my parents and little bro. So anyone that knows my family very well knows that we love our dirt bikes. I got my first bike when I was about 8, and learned to drive a clutch a few years later. We used to ride all the time as a fam (and with awesome friends Crys :) and Liz and I have tonz of motorcycle memories but poor Hunter is at the end and by the time he was old enough to ride we were all so busy we weren't riding as much so he actually never learned to drive a clutch. So this Saturday was the day. My dad and I took him out front and taught him the ropes. Then we rode to the desert and got some practice in and rode a few trails. I haven't riden for a while and it felt really good to just be careless and ride fast. I love the feel of the wind and the exhileration of being free. How cliche but oh well. Kade had fun in San Diego too and Zoey and I were very excited to welcome him home!

Liz's first start!

2008-10-07T12:45:00.003-07:00

Last weekend I made another trip up to Logan to visit my lil' sis. She had double home games and my dad and I really wanted to watch the team play. Then, a couple days before we left Liz called me and told me that she was going to be starting. She competes for her position with two seniors who are really good so she hasn't been seeing the court as much as she is used to so we were all really happy for her. We spent 4 days up there and had a great time watching her play and just being together. I miss her a ton and since she is so busy with volleyball she never gets to come home so although I freaking hate the drive I must admit that it is worth it to see my sis every once in a while. Liz played awesome and it almost made me teary eyed to see her play again. I am always so amazed at how talented she is and it makes me sad to think that I don't get to watch her all the time anymore like I did when she was in high school. I guess that's life. We all have to grow up sometime! Good luck Libbi, GO AGGIES! P.S. For those of you who want to know they lost to Fresno State in 5 and beat Nevada in 5.

Birthday Weekend in Vegas!

2008-09-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday was my birthday so Kade asked me what I wanted and I said, "I want to go shopping in Vegas!" So off we went with our BFF's Pascal and Suzanna. We left Saturday afternoon and shopped at the Fashion Show mall until it was time for dinner at Cheesecake Factory, which was amazing as usual, and after that we did some more shopping at the Forum shops. Of course I had to hit up A&F and I could never pass up the MAC store; which is technically my version of heaven:). After that we walked the strip a little and did some gambling-nothing too big. I did double my money at one point. I put a dollar in the machine to play some Black Jack and started winning a few and Suzanna told me if i made it to 2 dollars I should cash out so that's what I did. Haha, like I said "Big Money!" We spent the night at South Point, and it was a really nice hotel. It had a bowling alley in it so we bowled a few games, and I even beat Kade 2 of the 3 games we played. It was definitely birthday luck! Sunday we went to the new outlet mall at the south end of town and it was beautiful and they had an H&M so I was super excited. We also ate at YougurtLand and it was delicious. Sorry this is so long, I just had the greatest birthday ever! Thanks to Kade, Pascal, and Suzanna for an awesome birthday!

Good Friends=Good Times

2008-09-19T07:16:00.004-07:00

This last weekend we spent up at our friend's, Josh Hurst's, cabin in Beaver. It was a beautiful place and we had so dang much fun. Our friends Blake & Bre and Josh & Michelle moved to Cedar a while ago for school and since then we don't get to see them near as much which saddens us deeply. We are counting down the days 'til their return to sunny St. George but until then we will enjoy our few weekends together. We had a blast playing volleyball, horseshoes, pool, Scum, and watching some great football. Josh also fed the deer. They were so cute! We love our friends and appreciate them putting up with us! Thanks guys for the great times!

San Francisco!

2008-09-09T09:45:00.001-07:00

It seems like I have been gone doing something fun almost every single weekend. Don't get me wrong, I have had a blast but I think one weekend I just want to spend at my house. Until then I guess I will just keep blogging about all the crap I'm doing. Anyway, this weekend adventure was San Fran, Cali! Kade didn't get to go on this one since his boss is more strict about time off than mine (haha) so I went down there with my fam. Liz's team had a tournament down there so we decided we could go watch and do some sight-seeing as well. The team actually didn't do so good but we had a fun time besides. Plus, it was so awesome to see Liz again. We get to talk all the time on ichat but it isn't the same as real life. Dang, I miss that girl (don't tell her I said that!). Anyway, we got to do all the traditional stuff, ride on the cable car, eat a ton of sourdough bread since that's my fam's fav anyway, clam chowder, walk the piers, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, eat pizza, visit the Ghirardelli chocolate factory, check out Lombard Street (the most crooked street in the world), ya know... Stuff like that. I had a good time with my little bro and it was his b-day on Sunday so we decided to celebrate on Saturday since we would be going home on his actual b-day. We went to Rainforest Cafe and had dinner and a "Volcano" cake for dessert. San Fran is a beautiful city and it was fun to visit.

Mountain Meadows Cabin Trip

2008-09-03T08:16:00.001-07:00

This weekend was not only labor day but Kade's birthday so since the beach house was taken we decided to head up to the Ence's cabin in Mountain Meadows. It is a cozy little thing surrounded by grassy fields and tons of riding trails. We took up the 450 (motorcycle), the Grizzly, the Rhino, and Kim's latest toy a doon buggy that can haul butt. I think we all filled up on our need for speed and adrenaline bursts. Since I have riden motorcycles my whole life it was fun to become more acquainted with 4-wheelers. It was me, Kade, Kolby, and one of our very bestest friends in the whole world, Pascal and Suzanna. We love them and since they live in Nephi we don't get to see them near enough. As you can see in the pictures, Zoey thinks that everyone should be her friend and decided that the horses up there were her new buddies. She also tried to make friends with some wasps when we weren't looking and got stung pretty good. She cried for like half an hour, it was pretty sad. Oh, and the first picture is me with this cute little snake I found. I love snakes and think they are so awesome. Kade hates them so when I find one I like to chase him around and try to make him touch it. It's like him chasing me with a bug, only I think it's "funnier":). All in all it was a really fun weekend and we couldn't have asked for better company. Also, since it was Kade's birthday I just want to tell him how wonderful he is and how grateful I am to have such an awesome partner in all our adventures. We make the perfect team and no matter when or where I can't imagine being with anyone else. I love you so much Kade and am sooooooooooooo happy to have the best eternal comp. in the whole freakin' world. LOVE YA! Ok, sorry for all the mush. I am heading to San Francisco this weekend so I will update when I get back. Peace out.

Utah State...

2008-08-28T06:22:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago my dad and I drove up to Logan to officially move my sister in. She had actually gone up there at the beginning of July to start lifting with the team and getting better acquainted with their routines but she had come home almost every weekend and we had still seen her a lot. This time it was a for real move and now we don't get to see her unless we go to her games. It was fun to get her all settled but it sucked for both of us to realize that it will never be the same again. I am gonna miss her so much, she has been such a huge part of my life and it is gonna feel so empty without her here. She is my best friend and I love her to death! I am so proud of everything she has accomplished and I know that she will be an awesome volleyball player for Utah State. Go Aggies!

I got her the bedding for her 18th birthday and we have just been saving it until now. Please tell me that is not the cutest thing EVER!

Lake Powell

2008-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Our summer trip to Powell this year was a blast! We stayed on the Ence's house boat with family and friends and it was awesome. Everyday we would wake up early and go wakeboarding and then head home for lunch, go out to wake surf, head home for dinner, and sometimes we would even make a 3rd run. I love being in the water, I really think Kade and I might produce some kind of aquatic creature as our child because we both can't ever get enough of the water whether it's swimming pool, ocean, or lake we love it all. We got to spend some great times with our good friends Rhett and Sara Frei and Brian and Jenn Schiller and of course we can't forget the adorable Breckin, he made the trip even more fun! Kade's Uncle Jon and his wife were also there. It was good times had by all I think. We even got to go on a private helicopter ride around lake Powell, it was absolutely beautiful. Sorry we don't have very many pictures. Sometimes we get having too much fun and forget to snap the camera. I just want to say thanks to our great friends. We are so blessed to have such awesome people in our lives.

Return"ed" With Honor

2008-08-06T09:12:00.002-07:00

Kade's little bro Kolby just returned from serving his mission in Cape Verde, some islands off the coast of Africa. It is so awesome to have him home. Kolby and I have a great relationship and it feels good to have him back here with us. We really missed his jokes and his ability to make tense situations light. He served honorably and we are so proud of him. We picked him up at St. George airport. That night we took him to Texas Roadhouse for his first steak dinner in 2 years. The day after he got home all he wanted to do was go to the lake so that's what we did. He had his first homecoming in Nephi the following Sunday and he has one here this Sunday. Kolby also got to meet Zoey for the first time and as you can see it was love at first sight. Those 2 cuddle all the time and Zoey's butt wags almost as hard as it does when she sees Kade whenever Kolby comes over. Everyday since he has been home he has been wearing out his old brother and sister. He wants to stay up late and do fun things all day. We are having a blast and I just want to tell Kolby how much I love him and how proud I am of everything he has accomplished.

Bear Lake

2008-07-28T11:26:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago we had another family reunion. It was with Kade's, Mom's, Dad and Stepmom. (Haha, you have no idea how confusing Kade's family is!) Anyway, we grudgingly went up to freezing Bear Lake but we had a good time. Liz had recently moved up to Logan to get prepared for her first D1 Volleyball Season so we picked her up on the way which made the trip even more enjoyable. It was a freaking long drive but we all do crazy things for our families!

Walking down to the Lake

Zoey finally passed out after chasing the birds all day

Our little family

Out on the wave runner

Crazy man Kade on the wave runner

Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-18T06:48:00.002-07:00

K so anyone who knows my family very well knows that I have loved to travel before I met Kade because my family loves it. I have always been so grateful to my parents for taking us around the world to experience other cultures and just make memories. So this trip was of course another fun family vacation but I think I must say that this was the most high adventrue trip we have ever taken. We were going crazy the whole time. It ws so freakin' awesome. We saw tonz of wildlife, got to go to 2 different cities for church, saw the temple, hiked through the dense rain forest, went on 2 zip lines, played at the beach, and I'm sure some other stuff. I guess the pictures explain it pretty well. Sorry that this took me so long, we have been in and out of town for over a month now, but we are settling down for at least a couple weeks anyway. Anyway, we had a blast, just like all our trips, and I have to vocally express my love and appreciation for my family and my husband because none of these amazing experiences would be amazing without them!

McArthur Family Reunion

2008-06-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

So since both my dad's parents died we haven't been seeing his side of the family much. There are 8 kids and I think we all just get busy. So this reunion was the first in like I don't even know how many years but it was a blast! Friday night we had a BBQ and swam at my parents and then Sat. we went up to my uncle's cabin in Pine Valley. It was really beautiful up there and we had a great time. It is weird that now all the little kids running around are my cousins kids instead of my cousins and I. Time flies I guess.

SCHS Graduation

2008-06-04T05:59:00.001-07:00

Well, I can't believe it but Liz is actually graduated. It was fun to be there and remember my graduation exactly 4 years ago. I was kinda sad but very proud of her. Graduation was just another step towards her leaving, which I am not excited for but I know it will be awesome for her. Kade and I also got asked to help with grad night. The theme was Indiana Jones, we all looked pretty good and we actually had a really fun night. I'm glad we got to go. Kade had never seen a grad night, especially not one like the ones we have at SC so he thought it was pretty cool. The picture in the middle is what Indiana flew in on and jumped out of. It was crazy! So it was a very fun day!

P.S. Thanks for all your support as a brunette but I am just a blonde at heart. I also have some hot pink streaks in there, see if you can find them!

Anniversary #2

2008-05-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this year for our Anniversary we decided to keep it simple since we are heading out to Costa Rica in less than a month. We decided to do a take out picnic dinner on the lawns of the temple. We picked up our food from Olive Garden and packed our own sparkling cider and glasses. Kade had already given me my present of my very own girly life jacket so that I could get using it and it took me forever to decide what to get him. He doesn't like it when I buy him anything so I always have to get pretty creative. I decided to write him 104 reasons why I love him. 1 for each week we have been married. Some of them were pretty funny & on #87 my sister had snuck in her own reason without my knowledge which made us laugh pretty hard. Then Kade told me that he had gotten me another present that was really thoughtful. He said he decided to give me 3 trips to Lins with no whining, complaining, or questions asked. It could be with me or without me. Anyone who knows Kade very well knows that he HATES the grocery store and I always have to go by myself, which I usually don't mind, just sometimes it would be nice to have someone else there. So it was a very thoughtful gift! Haha! Kade and I usually go all out all the time and it was kinda nice to just enjoy the simple things like just being together without all the craziness that usually surrounds us. So it was a great anniversary!

The Dunes

2008-05-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well last week we got to go to the dunes twice in one week. It was a blast! The first trip we forgot the camera but I got it on our second trip. We went with my dad, Jake Palmer and his girlf Lindsey. She and I rode in Kim's new Rhino while Kade and Jake rode on the Banshee and the YFZ and my dad took the 250 motorcycle. We had so much fun even though it was like the worst day as far as wind goes. The picture in the bottom right corner is of the Rhino stuck! Thanks to me! :(
We love the dunes and most of all we love our AWESOME friends. Lindsey and I got to spend some time talking and I'm way excited to get to know her even better, since Jake and Kade are pretty much inseperable now that Jake works with him at Ence! Yeah for great friends!

Rich Electric Golf Day!

2008-05-16T07:44:00.002-07:00

My dad's company is made up of some awesome people. I think it is such a great place to work because not only do all the guys work well together, they are friends outside of work as well. One of the main tests you have to pass in order to become an employee is getting along with all the other guys! We all have so much fun together and all their families are wonderful as well. Since we have such a great time hanging out, my dad likes to treat everyone to some fun activities every once in a while. This time it was a day of golf. Obviously I'm not a great golfer but I ran around and took pictures and took a swing or two at my pink golf ball Broc gave me! I'm so grateful to have an awesome job!

Howard, Broc, Randy, & My dad (These are the guys who have been with us the longest)

Me with my radical pink golf ball and stylin' hat
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The whole Rich Electric Family

My dad taking a crack at it!

Costa Rica!

2008-04-24T08:59:00.002-07:00

So Liz finally decided where she wanted to go for her Sr. Trip. We have been tossing a few options around for a number of months now and the decision has finally been made. We are going to Costa Rica on June 21st for a week and a half! It is just going to be my family and Kade and I. The last time Kade came on a family trip with us was to Australia about a year before we got married so we are about due for another fun and exciting adventure! My dad actually went to Costa Rica with a group last year which is who convinced Liz that this is the place you want to be. We are looking forward to half of the trip exploring the jungles of Monte Verde and seeing the wildlife there and also visiting the active volcano in Arenal. The next half of the trip will be spent at the Marriott Jaco Beach Resort where we will swim, spa, and play tennis, golf, and most likely get some surfing in. We are all REALLY excited. It's always fun to have something to look forward to and you know Kade and I can't go very long without an adventure so this is our next big one! I think I have about lost my tan from the cruise so I better get working on the that again!

Jazz Game

2008-04-04T07:23:00.003-07:00

Well, since it is taking me so long to get those other cruise pic's on my computer I thought I would post about the Jazz Game that Kade and I went to. His dad got tickets so his dad took this girl that he met on the internet (AWKWARD) cuz they had never met in person 'til then and then Kade and I. They were on the 4th row behind the Jazz bench and the tickets included the dinner on the top floor of the Delta Center or whatever the heck it is called now. Anyway, we had a really good time and I have to thank my father-in-law for the great seats!

Dinner "On top of the world"

D. Will shooting some frees

Jazz playing some "D"

They played the Lakers and lost but it was still fun! It's funny how into it some people get. I guess I will always be a Jazz fan at heart since I grew up during the days of Stockton and Malone. I'm a Utahn, what can I say? Go Jazz! Haha!

Cruise 2008!

2008-03-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

All right, I finally got these pictures on the computer. This is just the first half (that's all that would fit on the memory stick) so there will probably be one more post of pictures from the cruise. We had an absolute blast. We traveled with 3 other couples and all became great friends by the end! Our first stop was Jamaica, then Grand Caymans, then Cozumel and this includes the first half of Cozumel, the next one will have the rest of Cozumel and the Bahamas! I am so very grateful to have a husband who loves to travel as much as I do and who I can share all these amazing experiences with. No adventure would be as fun without him by my side, so thanks Kade for being a wonderful you! Hope everyone enjoys!

Change of plans

2008-03-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

Well I don't know if any of you have been watching the news but there are some of the most severe blizzards in the east in 25 years, so due to all the snow we weren't able to do the church history tour, we couldn't even fly out there. I just flew home from Florida with the rest of my group so I didn't have to travel by myself but thanks everyone for all the advice and words of comfort anyway. I have been really busy with work but I am going to get some pic's from the cruise up here ASAP. And by the way we had an INCREDIBLE time!

Here we go...

2008-02-28T09:07:00.002-07:00

Well, tomorrow Kade and I leave for our cruise! I am really excited, but kinda stressed, I know it will be awesome once we get there, it's the getting there that is the problem. See, after our cruise I fly straight up to Palmyra, NY to meet up with my family for the church history tour, so really I am packing for 2 weeks for completely different climates. Kade has to get back to work and school so I am just going to be spending the time with my family. I am excited but kind of nervous, ok I am SUPER nervous because I have never traveled anywhere by myself. I have to spend the night in Florida by myself and then catch a cab to the airport and check in and fly by myself to New York, SCARY!!!!! Most of you are probably laughing at what a wuss I am, I mean I have traveled to a lot of places in my life, just never alone! O well, I will just have to get over it and know that I will have a great time if I make it there alive! Haha! So peace out for a few weeks, I hope things go well for everyone while I am gone!

I'm back and have been tagged!

2008-02-20T10:05:00.003-07:00

So I've been gone for a while, things around the Ence household, and McArthur household have been crazy but I decided I better respond to Mick's tag so here goes...
Five things on my to do list:

1- Get over being sick
2- Finish my sharing time for primary this Sunday
3- Start packing for both my trips
4- Find something fun for Hunter to do(He is staying with us this week, our house is boring for kids)
5- Find something for dinner that Kade and Hunter will both eat!

Five places I have lived:

1- St. George (where I was born)
2- Santa Clara
3- St. George (with my grandparents in between each of the 7 houses my parents built in Santa Clara)
4- Hawaii(Funnest time of my life)
5- And finally.....St. George with my wonderful husband!

Five jobs I have had:

1- Babysitting up until I was 16 and had the ability to do other things on the weekend
2- Durangos Mexican Grill (for about 1 month until my parents made me quit cuz they thought it was dangerous working late)
3- PCC(Polynesian Cultural Center) as a waitress at the Ambassador restaurant(it was a blast and i got to meet awesome people from all over the world)
4- SWFCU teller
5- Office Manager of Rich Electric, Inc.

Five favorite snacks:

1- Candy, candy, candy (my husband gets upset at my sugar intake, what can i say i'm an addict!)
2- Anything & cream cheese (it could be a bagel, crackers, i pretty much like anything with cream cheese on it)
3- Cookies & Milk
4- Fruit
5- Veggies with Ranch (they're gross plain!)

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1- Have a nice house
2- Travel to impoverished countries with humanitarian aid groups
3- Travel just for fun!
4- Buy lots of clothes!
5- Buy lots of clothes for my kids!

Five things I miss:

1- Having a husband (but he's done with school in the fall so I will get him back soon!)
2- Friends that have left us for lame places like Cedar!
3- The beach, living right next to it
4- Sometimes I miss living with my parents because i had no obligations or responsibilities
5- Eating whatever i wanted and not exercising and staying thin

Hope you all enjoy my brutal honesty!

Who says we don't have kids?

2008-01-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

So our precious little puppy Zoey did the craziest thing last week that I must share with you all. She loves stuffed animals, she loves them so much that she rips them to shreds. She knows exactly where the seams are and she will patiently pick at them until she finds her in and then rip out every last bit of stuffing. After cleaning up several of these instances I wanted to discontinue stuffed animals in our home but Kade thought it was the funniest thing ever (since he didn't have to clean it up) so he kept sneaking her some of her favorite toys! Sidenote: For those of you who have kids is this how it is? He loves her so much he gives her what she wants when I'm not looking? I'm assuming so and I'm not looking forward to that. ANYWAY a little while ago she found her alligator (one of the few survivors from Christmas) and ripped into it. I saw she was having fun and had already made a mess so I decided to clean the kitchen before I tackled her disaster. When I returned to the family room I found most of the stuffing had disappeared! What the...!!!!! Yep, she ate it! Almost an entire stuffed animal's worth of cotton stuffing. Zoey had cotton balls coming out both ends for 3 days and 3 nights! Needless to say that was the straw that broke the camels back and Kade and I are in agreement that Zoey doesn't get anymore stuffed animals! For those of you who have been trying to convince us to have kids, we ask, "Why? We already have one!"

Winter Wonderland in Zions

2008-01-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a Saturday Hike up in Zions to see the beautiful snow and icicle waterfalls. It started out pretty fun, we went to the Emerald pools but the upper pool was closed so then we decided to head over to weeping rock. When we got there sheets of ice were falling and icicles were crashing down and people were freaking out but we wanted to get a closer look so we passed the "Closed Trail" sign and snuck up closer to weeping rock. The trail was clear and easy except there was a patch of ice we didn't see until it was too late, poor Hunter slipped and his face hit the ice before he could even get his hands out of his pockets. His braces went right through his lip and he looked like he had just been in the fight of his life. It was a fun day but we all felt bad for H-dog!

Christmas!

2008-01-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well I know that it has been FOREVER since I've posted but I promise I will get back on top of things here. Now that Kade is back in school I will have tons of free time to myself! So as you can see I am now a brunette, who'd a thunk?!?! So everyone let me know what you think, you can be honest! We had a great Christmas this year, I hope all of you did too!

This is Christmas Eve at my parents. They got a love sac for an early Christmas present to themselves and Zoey decided that it should be hers, she's in the middle in all the blankets(her favorite place to be!)

Everyone thinks we look a lot more alike now hm.....

Zoey getting all her presents out of her stocking Christmas morning (is that stocking not adorable!) It was really fun with Zoey, its not the same as kids on Christmas morning but its a lot better than a couple of boring grown ups!

Kade totally spoiled me and gave me.... a CRUISE!!!! We leave on March 2 and I am so excited. We are going to Jamaica, the Grand Caymans, Cazumel and the Bahamas! I can't wait. We hope that everyone had a great Christmas, a little late!

McArthur Family Pictures

2007-12-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the McArthur families Christmas pictures. They were taken by my good friend Mikki and as you can see she is amazing, i would highly reccommend her for any event! When i look at the ones of me and liz it almost makes me cry to think that in a few months she won't be here!

Thanksgiving at the beach

2007-11-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving was so fun! This year we took my family down to the beach house. We woke up every morning, went for a long walk, then played sand volleyball for like 2-3 hours, went and walked on the beach, then usually ate something and surfed, played games, or read until it got dark! Then we usually played the WII or went somewhere fun for dinner. We had Thanksgiving dinner catered which was so nice not to have to make and clean up after and did plenty of shopping at all the good spots! I am very thankful for my husband and the wonderful person he is. I am also very grateful for my wonderful family, I can't imagine what life would be with out all of them! Happy Thanksgiving...now its officially Christmas Time!!!!!!

Japanese Friends!

2007-11-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

A little while ago we had some of Kade's Japanese friends from his mission come and stay with us. It was so fun to watch them experience Snow Canyon, the sand dunes, and one of my sisters volleyball games. These were all things that were totally foreign to them and things we all take for granted everyday. They couldn't stop talking about how beautiful the mountains are and how the sand felt between their toes. I remember how strange everything was for me when I went to Japan, so I knew how they felt. The older man in the pictures is Imy Kiori (a.k.a. Brother Imy) He lived in the Atsugi ward where Kade spent a whole year of his mission. Brother Imy was the first bishop in all of Asia! Is that incredible or what. He was also one of the first Japanese missionaries, the first Japanese stake president and the first Japanese Mission President. He is such an awesome dude! He even got to be President Hinckley's chauffer when Pres. Hinckley visited Japan. He carries a picture of him and President and Marjorie Hinckley around with him in his wallet. The girl travelling with him was his nurse. She was also a return missionary so she had a wonderful spirit too. We took them to the temple and got treated like celebrities because of Brother Imy. Everyone wanted to meet him! They also LOVED Zoey so that is why she is in every picture. They never wanted to go anywhere without her. It was so fun having them visit!

Consecutive State Championships!

2007-11-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

So maybe some of you will think that I am a little obsessed with my lil' sis but I can't help it that she is INCREDIBLE! On Saturday she led her team to their 2nd straight State Championship. Last year they played Dixie for the championship in the 3A class, this year they played Dixie in the 4A class. She played amazing the whole tournament but in the state game she had 24 KILLS! For those of you who are not volleyball savvy, that means when she hit the ball it hit the floor. She is so good and athletic. Last year she was awarded the 3A State MVP award and though there have been no official announcements we are pretty sure she will get the same award in her 4A victory! It was an amazing weekend and my whole family had a blast. After all was said and done we all felt sick. We were soar all over from the tension and adrenaline and our throats hurt, but dang it was worth it. I screamed so loud and cheered those girls on all the way through. I feel so blessed to be able to share in their joy in this awesome accomplishment. If you see any of the awesome girls from the Snow Canyon Volleyball team tell them congratulations because they all deserve it! WARRIOR NATION!!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pic's from our AWESOME Halloween party! It was so incredibly fun to have all our friends over. We had some crazy food and played some fun games! These are just pic's of all the couples and sorry for those of you who got your head chopped off, I don't know how to fix it. Anyway, everyone went all out on dressing up and it was really cute! We had a pirate and a witch, evil spiderman and spongebob, some cowboys, a nun and a priest, some runners from the Dunder-Mifflin crowd (The Office), Victoria and David Beckham, a cow and his milkmaid, and banana. Blake and Bre are at the top after just losing to Kade and I in the "Mummy wrap." We are so grateful for all our wonderful friends who came to celebrate with us. And I have to give a shout out to Bre who made all this possible. We love all of you and hope that everyone has a Happy Halloween!

Wedding Tagged!

2007-10-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Ok so I guess I'm it! I got "wedding tagged" by my good friend Mikki so here are some of my bridal pic's. Any of you who have used Nick Adams knows that you don't get a CD with your images on them so all of my favorite bridals are only on my walls or in my wedding book so these are some done by "Portia" which was a bridal package I won at the bridal fair. They aren't my favorite but you have all already seen the pic's from my wedding day so I figured these would be fun! Kade and I did our real bridals on the beach in San Diego so I liked these cuz they have the red rock in them which is totally who I am. St. George FOREVER! Ha!

Moving On...

2007-10-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last night my dad's sister Julie passed away. She was only in her 50's and still has 2 children in middle and high school. She has been suffering with cancer for over 3 years now but it didn't spread into her brain until recently. 2 days ago me, my dad, and my mom went to visit her, we figured she still had a few months left, but with the brain tumors spreading we knew she wouldn't be herself. I am so grateful for not procrastinating. We got the call around midnight last night and it woke me up, it just felt like a bad dream or something. It just made me realize how we need to live in the moment, because you never know when that moment will be gone! We need to show love to all those around us ALWAYS, because that may be the last time you see them. I know she is in a happier place seeing her parents and all the other relatives that have passed before her, but it is still hard for those of us left here.

Beach House Fun!

2007-10-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day weekend we took some friends down to the beach house for some VERY fun times! First you can see Hurst's beautiful body in his speedo that was his constant companion for the entire weekend. The boys had a great time surfing while the girls got some tanning in. Hurst turned my back into hamburger when he tackled me in the shallows. We had so much fun we had to crash on each other! On Monday the girls had a Temple day at the San Diego Temple. I had to drive so even though it is only like 30 minutes from the house, I have never driven in California freeway traffic before so we were all happy to get there in one piece. Me, Bre, and Suzanna had a beautiful time! It was so much fun and I want to thank all of our friends for all the good times. We sure love and appreciate all of you!

Sister of Mine!

2007-10-12T07:11:00.001-07:00

Any of you that know my family know that we are REALLY close, sometimes it seems like we may be a little too close. Anyway, I love my sister and she has had some exciting things going on in her life so I just thought that I would give a shout out to little Liz! She is a freakin' monster on the volleyball court and after long talks and some serious contemplation she decided on a college to attend. Liz is going to Utah State University next fall on a full ride volleyball scholarship. It is so fun to watch her play and I can't believe how old she is getting, what does that make me?!? Now my entire family has become Aggie fans! We just went up there last weekend for one of Liz's volleyball tourneys and my dad dropped like $500 bucks on Aggie gear for the whole fam! Haha! Well congrats Liz and I love you! GO AGGIES! These were the only pictures I had of her. This was Homecoming a couple of weeks ago. One pic is with her date, and the other is with Zoey, her "niece" as Liz likes to call her.

Japan

2007-09-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures of our many adventures in Japan. It was so much fun and the people were so kind and giving. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Kade and I can't wait 'til our next visit to our friends in Japan!

I love to travel!

2007-09-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

Russia #2

2007-08-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the pic's from the second half of our trip. More Russian food, here we are in St. Petersburg - Cathedral of Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg - This is the Temple of Kazan - These are water fountains and Peter the Great's Summer Palace, they are run strictly by gravity still today - More fountains at the Summer Palace the statues you see are pure gold - This is one of the 2 Da Vinci's at the Hermitage Museum, there are only 12 in the world so apparaently its a real treat to see one - Our boat cruise in Sweden - This is just a pretty building in Sweden - I love mentos and other countries have rad flavors!

Finally...RUSSIA

2007-08-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

So everyone can get off my back now cuz here are some pic's from our trip to Russia, Denmark, and Sweden. This is just the first half of the trip, we took so many pic's so it was hard to narrow it down. I will make another post with the rest. Ok, now for some explinations. Starting top left to right... Russian "rubles", their $$$$ - The Christus in Copenhagen Denmark. It is the plaster model, the first Christus statue ever made!!! The church actually bought the rights for this exact statue, that's why you seen it in all the temple visitor centers. - Cathedral of St. Basil, I think this is like one of the 7 world wonders or something, I don't know I just know that it is really famous! - This is another building/cathedral on Red Square, this is also the place where we saw Lenin's actual body, it was kinda creepy. - Russian food, it was edible - This is me and another lady from our group with some kids from the school for deaf and blind we visited, it was awesome to be able to help them but it was hard to see - These next 2 pic's are from a monestary enclosure. The women have to wear scarves over their heads the entire time you are in the monestary. The tower in the first picture was built by Catherine the great in the 1500's and the building in the second pic was built in the 1400's! Crazy! - The sleeper train. Oh my, what an experience that was, let me just say I am glad I came home free of disease. Sorry to bore you with all these details. Needless to say it was an incredible experience.

America the Beautiful

2007-08-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, after traveling to so many different countries it really makes you appreciate the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our trips were awesome and we had some incredible experiences...but at the end of the day I am very proud (and grateful) to be an American. Things have been crazy since we have returned but I promise some pictures in the near future!

Bye bye St. George...Hello WORLD!

2007-07-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you know, Kade and I are leaving for our Russia trip tomorrow. I am way excited! So I just wanted to let you know that I probably won't have a new blog for like 2 weeks and thats why. When we get back from Russia we are home for a week and then we head to Japan, where Kade went on his mission. Needless to say we have a crazy summer planned, but it should be really fun! Goodbye everyone! I love you and I'll miss you!:)

Angels Landing

2007-07-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you haven't ever hiked Angels Landing in Zion then you are missing out on an awesome experience! We hiked it a couple weeks ago with our good firneds Pascal and Suzanna and Matt and Ashley. The hike is very long and quite strenuous but once you get to the top and see those amazing mountains and canyons you realize that it was all worth it! I must say if you have a fear of heights at all, then this probably isn't the hike for you. While hiking the last leg of the trip there are just narrow strips of rock to walk on with like 1000' drop offs on either side. When we went we didn't bring enough water so while we were going up this last scary part I got really dehydrated and passed out. Luckily we got an area where they could lay me down and no one got hurt but Kade was a nervous wreck the entire rest of the hike.

Update on Zoey

2007-06-29T12:58:00.001-07:00

Well, today brings better news than the last post. Zoey has actually improved dramtically in the close to 48 hours since her accident. The swelling on her brain has gone down significanly and she can now recognize people. She can't walk yet but when she hears someones voice that she knows her little tail starts to wag. She can also eat soft foods and drink on her own. She gets really squirmy when she needs to use the bathroom so we take her over to her litter box and she squats and goes! The Vet said to give her a week and if she isn't moving around better then we might have to have "the talk" but the vet said that she would be surprised if she doesn't make a close to full recovery so keep your fingers crossed and Zoey in your prayers. I appreciate all the love and support from all of you through this rought time in our lives. Thanks!

The Worst Night of my Life

2007-06-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was officially the worst night of my life. The day started out just fine, went to work and then we went to the lake with some friends after work. We took Zoey to the lake with us, as usual, and she alaong with the rest of us had a good time. When we got back from the lake we were washing the boat out in front of our house and Zoey was running around the yard like she usually does. After we were done we couldn't see her and we had to take the boat up to the hanger so, not thinking too much of it, we took the obat and asked Jon to find Zoey and take her home 'til we got back. When we got to the hanger I just had this sick feeling lin my stomach, a few minutes later Jon called us and said that he found Zoey in the road and she had been hit by a car. They rushed her to the Animal Emergency and we met them there. She spent the night there and this morning the diagnosis was that she has some swelling in her brain. She didn't brake any bones or sustain any other injuries. The vet said that only time will tell if she will make a full recovery so we will just have to wait and see. To some of you this may seem wierd to be this freaked out about a dog, but Zoey is our baby. She means the world to Kade and I so keep her in your prayers and I will update this when I know more.

Random PICASA

2007-06-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

These are just random pictures I put together while
trying picasa for the first time. Picasa is fun!

Zoey on the Slide

2007-06-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is Zoey's first time down the slide. As you can see she is severely frightened. It was so funny in real life. She doesn't really like the water very much but Kade still wanted her to experience going down the slide with him. Poor Zoey!

M & M Cakes

2007-06-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the first cake from me and Mick's BIZ! We want to start decorating cakes on the weekends just for a fun side job. This was for a graduation/birthday party. It was our first tiered cake but it turned our pretty good. Making it was hilareous! It's amazing we are still friends! I love you Mick!

Encinitas

2007-06-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

I know its been FOREVER since I have put up a new post but I have been waiting to get my pics on the computer so here they are. Here are some fun pic's from another fun trip down to the Beach House. The one with the lights is just something funky our camera did-but we thought it was cool! We went out to dinner at a really nice restaurant that sat on a cliff over the ocean. It was a neat experience. And everyone that knows Kade and I very well knows that we both have an insatiable sweet tooth!

Happy Anniversary to us!

2007-05-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well Since it was our 1 year anniversary on Saturday I thought it would be fun to post some of our wedding pictures, for old times sake. These aren't our real wedding pictures, these were just taken by some friends but they are still fun. Great memories!:)

Family Pictures

2007-05-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Kade and I decided that every year around our anniversary we would get family pictures taken so here is Chapter 1 of our lives...

Cakes!!!!!!

2007-05-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Well, Since Micklee got to brag about the last cake we made in class

I figured I could brag about my very first fondant cake! I was

actually quite proud of myself. Hopefully with a lot of practice I

can get pretty could at this cake decorating thing. For now I'm

just an amateur having a good time! What do you all think?

Zion

2007-04-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

So my dad has always tried to enforce a sense of appreciation on me of nature and the beautiful world we live in. As usual, I didn't really care throughout my growing up experience. Now, however, I truly love how wonderful and beautiful this place we live in is. I can see why people who have never been here freak out when they see our mountains, blue skies, and red dirt. I feel very grateful for such beautiful surroundings and hope I can grow to appreciate them more as I get older...and wiser. We went on a little hike, Me, Kade, my dad, sister, and brother, and of course how could be leave behind ZOEY! It was so fun to just chill out and let the busy world leave our minds for a while. I also made me realize how lucky I am to have such an awesome fam! I guess this post is a post of gratitude! :)

I love my sister!

2007-04-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you have heard Liz has a big decision coming up! Utah State and U of U both want her to play volleyball for them. She has been really stressted trying to decide what will be best for her. I think NEITHER! I will miss her too much if she's that far away!:( Since I have been married, Liz comes over to my house like at least 3 times a week after school. We have become so close, she really is my best friend! So...I wanted to dedicate this post to her. I will miss her no matter what her decision is, but I am so proud of her and her many accomplishments! I LOVE YOU LIBBI!

Sick Puppy

2007-04-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Ok-ok here is a new post for all you whiners out there. I have been waiting to download some pics (which I still haven't done) so this one is just a story. On Thursday afternoon Zoey was acting really lethargic, she didn't even do anything but lift her head when my dad came over, which is really wierd cuz she usually freaks out with excitement. So for about 3-4 hours she wouldn't move, I was starting to get really worried. Then, all of a sudden she started acting better, she got up and started playing around. We thought that she was fine, until these wierd bumps started forming on top of her head. They got bigger and bigger until her eyes were swollen shut and her snout looked like it was going to explode. I stayed up late with her trying to not let her itch it. When we woke up in the morning the swelling was down and by that evening she was feeling all better. She's back to her excited self now! It was so sad and scary, we think she either got bit by a spider or ate a poisinous plant. Either way I hope it never happens again! Poor Zoey!

Good Morning!

2007-04-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

One of Zoey's favorite things to do in the morning is wake up her dad with some big wet kisses. Kade actually doesn't mind them too much. Even though its pretty gross, its nice to know that someone loves you when you wake up in the morning. (Hopefully Kade doesn't get as slobbery when he get his good morning kisses from me)

You're It!

2007-04-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

I tag...
Crystle and Rachel!

Easter Egg Hunt

2007-04-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

So you would think that at 20 years old I would be done easter egg hunting...NO WAY! My parents had a "grown-up" easter egg hunt at their house on Sunday. Each egg had $$$$Money$$$$ in them! Me, Kade, Liz, and Hunter were all knocking each other down trying to get the most eggs. Then there was a big egg for each one of us that had our names on them that were hidden really hard and they had a grand prize in them. All in all I made $30 bucks. Not bad for a leisurely Sunday activity! I LOVE EASTER!

Tagged!

2007-04-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I guess that I have been tagged so here are 5 things about me most people don't know...

1. I LOVE my DVR

2. I have become a "dog person," Gross, I know but love me anyway.

3. I love cooking (I am actually getting quite good) and am a professional cake decorator

4. My nick-name in my family is "Malbert" Don't think that I don't know that it is HIDEOUS

and 5. One of my most favorite animals in the whole world is a baby goat! Ha ha!

Vacations are the BOMB!

2007-04-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

These are some pics of our latest trip... A cruise through the Caribbean. We went with some awesome friends, Pascal and Suzanna, and had the time of our lives. I hope i'm not making anyone jealous!:)

2007-04-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is our puppy Zoey. She is the cutest thing and is my best friend while Kade has to be doing homework all the time.

Time Flies...

2007-04-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

So in one month and I dont' know how many days I will have been married for an entire freaking year!!!! That is so wierd. I'm trying to think of fun one year anniversary activities or get-aways. Suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks ya'll!

Hello Everyone

2007-03-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am...an official "blogger." I don't even know what that means but o well. I hope this turns out to be fun! I am excited to be in better contact with friends. I hope everyone has a great day!