Our trip to Florence

BJ and I traveled to Italy two summers ago and have dreamed of returning ever since. We loved absolutely everything about it, except that we weren't able to visit all the famed cities we'd always heard about. Florence was one of those. So, BJ promised some day we'd go back together and see it.
Well, today we visited Florence! And boy was it memorable. While driving down the freeway on our way to visit The Gap Clearance Center i.e. The Happiest Place On Earth, we rounded a corner and were welcomed to Florence. Not exactly "Bongiorno" but a close second. There, gracing the Kentucky skyline was a giant water tower boldly declaring "Florence Y'all". We were both laughing so hard we almost drove off the freeway.

Come to find out, this lovely structure is actually a Kentucky landmark. No, I'm serious. Apparently in 1974 this water tower read "Florence Mall" to advertise the new mall constructed nearby. Once the sign was errected and the damage done, the Board of Highway Patrol or some such red tape bureaucratic organization informed the mayor that this water tower/billboard was above the legal advertising height and had to be repainted. Well, the mayor, being a practical man, didn't want to waste precious public funds on more paint, so he concluded that by simply changing the "M" to a "Y", the problem would be solved. $400 later, this Kentucky treasure was born.
So the next time y'all get the hankerin' fer a little vacation, just come on down to Kentucky and we'll take you to Florence. If nothing else, it will be a memorable trip. Besides, who wants pictures of famous art when y'all could have pictures of a gigantic Barnum and Bailey water tower?

Happy Birthday to Me!

The Fam and the Apple Pie!
Today is my birthday! All told, it was a rather quiet one, but still wonderful. BJ took our little alarm clock when he woke up bright and early, so that I could sleep in. Hurray for that! While I slept, Daddy and Baby made me a lovely breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs. Mmm!

McKay has been very sick and had to stay home from church, so BJ went to sacrament meeting while I got ready then I went to Primary while he took care of McKay. The Primary children sang happy birthday to me, as did the ward choir (thanks, guys) and my wonderful Visiting Teachee and Visiting Teacher both gave me gifts. So thoughtful. :)

When I got home, BJ had made a delicious dinner of steak, mashed potatos, and salad. Way to go honey! As far as gifts, BJ was so sweet and got me some fun movies and a flip video recorder!!!! I about died, I was so excited! I have wanted this for a long time but it is a real splurge, so I'm really grateful!

To top off the great day, my good friend Sarah Lassen brought over an apple pie which is tradition in my family. It was delicious...check it out!

Yum yum yum! Thanks everyone for the phone calls and well wishes. Love you all!

Happy Valentine's Day!

For Grandma

I know, I know another video you say? Well, yes. Don't feel obligated to watch it (though it's cute). This is for my mom who misses her little Grandbaby and wants updates on his crawling...and anyone else who wants to see a handsome little almost-8-month-old strut his stuff.
Up until today, McKay had still been a little wobbly. However, today he sort of took off. I set him down next to some toys which he played with for a moment and then noticed the window across the room. He was off like a shot, crawling toward the light. Unfortunately, he failed to realize that there was, in fact, glass between him and all that lay beyond. Before I could get to him, he crawled head first into the glass door, resulting in a loud wail and another bruise to add to the collection of crawling-induced injuries. Bless his little black and blue forehead!

Photo Tag

I've been photo-tagged. The rules are...
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on the computer
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc)

So, this picture was taken in Barcelona, Spain. In the summer of 2007, BJ and I went with his family on a totally awesome Disney cruise of the Mediterranean. We departed from Barcelona and returned there. Upon returning, we spent a few days exploring the city. This particular picture was taken in front of a beautiful old hospital. Seriously, it was amazing in its art work and architecture. But then in Spain, what isn't? (From Left: Kiarah, BJ, Mom, Dad, half of Dallin, Josh, and Tasha)



While purusing old photos, I happened upon this one which made me happy, so I decided to post it too. This was our last day on the cruise ship. It was close to our anniversery and since we actually were going to be apart on our official anniversary, we celebrated on the ship. To celebrate, our server brought us a huge piece of cake with a miniature version of the ship, carved out of chocolate. Mmmm...Good times!

Tagging:
1. Becky Boo
2. Sarah Nowland
3. Sarah Coiner
4. Ashley Lundquist

The Beginning of the End

Well, it's happened folks... McKay has successfully moved forward in his attempts to crawl. Up until this point, he's been quite entertaining to watch as he would attempt to crawl and only end up pushing himself backward (this always made him really mad). So, I decided to whip out the good ol' camera to shoot a few clips of him pushing himself backward. To my surprise, he, for the first time ever, managed to put one hand in front of the other for three, count them, three steps (or whatever you call it when you crawl...). Enjoy the clip!

Congratulations McKay!