Happy Birthday Press and Gwen!

Sunday was Preston and Gwen's

BIRTHDAY!!

Julie made them the best birthday treats.

Homemade chocolate bowls

with pudding and homemade whipped cream

We spent the day at Mona Lake, relaxing, swimming

(except Gwen who refuses to swim and

will only sit on water noodles in the water.

What kind of dog hates to swim?)

and jumping off the rope swing.

Preston attempting to show Danny up

in the muscle and tan department.

Happy Birthday Press, I love love LOVE you.

Thanks Matt and Jules for such a fun weekend

DAD

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy

who I love soooooooo much.

He is the best dad in the world.

He...

*Works so hard so his girls can have everything

*Finds the best garage sales and sends Jules and I packages of treasures all the time

*So smart and So funny.

*Loves my mom so much and makes sure everyone knows

*Reads his scriptures everyday and is such a good example

*And the list goes on and on and on.

I love you, Daddy and am so so grateful

for everything you are and do.

Today

Today I...

mowed our jungle of a backyard

before and after

Joined a Gym. And got a trainer.

I never actually worked out.

That starts tomorrow.

But I felt so fit just for joining that I treated myself to a

big fat burger

Finished My Name is Asher Lev.

Which took me a really long time to read cause its a real thinky book.

But very good. Very.

Next on my endless book list is Franny and Zooey.

Oh and when we went to Vegas a few months ago I definitely entered a drawing to

win a Chris Angel car in the Luxor.

Didn't win the car

but I got a phone call this morning saying that we

DID win a 3 night 4 day stay at the Luxor.

FREE! and its good for a year.

fine Luxor, we'll take another Vegas vacation. My arm is twisted.

Today I feel like a champion

wind up

The Parents

We got to spend Mother's Day in Tahoe with my fam.

I LOve Love my parents. These are just a few reasons why...

Their names are Gary and Terri. Its funny. They rhyme.

They just had their 29th anniversary. Whoa.

They sleep on a select comfort bed, you know the ones where each person can choose how much air to put in their side of the mattress so both sleep perfectly?

This is their bed.

My dad's side is set to like -20 and my mom's is +100.

I laugh every time i see it.

Since all us chillins moved out they have gotten 5 dogs

my dad said he'd have a hundred if he could.

(Sydney, Bosley Beans, Zoe, Pico. not pictured, Spencer, the 5th Bell dog)

My mom is an amazing photographer. She is so passionate and sees beauty all around.

She took this in San Diego on a photography retreat she went on.

Pretty huh?

And EVERY time we go home, she does a photo shoot of us.

This one accidentally looks like a senior portrait session.

My dad LOVES The Beatles. He is a master collector. There is an entire room in their house dedicated to his collection. The Beatles Room. Floor to ceiling with the coolest original memorabilia. He has everything Beatles you can possibly imagine.

Its like a museum.

This is just one small corner of the room.

A few more reasons why I love Them...

*They are super supportive of everything we do

*Whenever my dad finds cool stuff at garage sales he puts together surprise packages to send to Jules and me

*My mom thought my dead grandma (her mother in law) was haunting her through her Bosch mixer... so she threw it away and bought a new one.

She also says my grandma haunted her by typing A55 A55 on to her paper reel calculator repeatedly. She says Gma Bell was trying to call her an A-hole from the other side.

They are so great.

Never a dull moment when we go to Tahoe.

2 Years

For our anniversary a couple months ago we took a trip to Vegas.

It was a dream. Here's the highlights...

Lazy river at our hotel

Preston got Disappeared and then reappeared by David Copperfield,

We found my twin at Mandalay Bay

We went to the Tournament of Kings dinner show. AMAZING you get to eat with your hands, scream Hazaaaa!! and watch jousting, knight fights, fireworks, wizards and midgets. It might have been my favorite dinner ever.

And then we got to go to the Beatles LOVE Cirque show. Dream. It was so beautiful. The music and the acrobatics and the dancing and the flying girls were perfect. Words can't describe it. We went with our friends Oshri and Inbal from Israel. They were on an Israeli Newlyweds television show and won a honeymoon to America. I think for our 5 year anniversary we will go to Israel and visit them.

LOVE

Everything is amazing and nobody is happy.

Its great. Take 4 minutes and watch it. Really. You're welcome.

BBQ

For a wedding gift we were spoiled with the nicest stainless steel BBQ grill ever. We spent our whole first married summer grilling up a storm. I don't think i cooked in the house once. Dream.

Then one tragic, dark Rexburg winter death day, A block of ice the size of a train came tumbling off our roof a demolished it to smitherines.

R.I.P. Grill

And its been a bummer for like a year now. And we probably talk about getting a new one twice a week, but we were so spoiled with the first one that we'd have to splurge quite a bit to get a satisfactory replacement.

Last week we were shopping and our dreams came true when we saw that all the grills were on super sale 1/2 off, plus when you buy one you get a $50 gift certificate to go with it! Score.

So we came home with this beauty.

And the grilling season has begun again.

(Even though it's rained or snowed everyday in Rexburg since we got it. Awesome.)

On the road

So the last few weeks we've been here

and here.

(and everywhere in between including a Beatles LOVE Cirque show that changed my life, but more on that later.)

And both were so great, But I gotta say, If this were a contest and I had to pick one I'd say that some dude carving 4 presidents faces out of a mountain and it looking so legit and presidential is a little more Grand to me... To me.

But maybe when we go on our Havasupai trip this August, the Grand Canyon will steal my heart back.

Til then, Mt. Rushmore has my vote for America's awesomest national park.

Two Years

Its been Two Years today. We got up early.

Kissed a bunch.

Did a quick imac photo shoot to document the day. Went on a walk and Press made us lunch.

We're taking a Vegas Vacation tomorrow for our anniversary which will include two Cirque Shows which I'm reeeeal excited about, a lazy river at our resort, Belagio fountains and good food.

Our Vegas trip will be followed by three weeks on the road for Preston's shows. Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota then back home. Its real fun that we get to travel so much and have adventures and its Preston's job.

He is the funnest husband. smart, funny, outgoing, creative, inspiring.

I adore him.

Top Five Celebrity Dream Boats

1. Michael Scofield from Prison break. Hands Down

2. Zac Efron who is so funny in 17 Again and Justin Bieber ,who's new album My World 2.0 is my inner pop lover's dream, are tied in second place for hottest young thangs

3. Jay Z

4. George Clooney preferably with a little bit of salt and pepper scruff on his face

5. Justin Timberlake I think he is on Preston's top 5 list as well.

book worm

So, last summer I read my first novel all the way through. really. I have no idea how I got through junior high or high school. Oh yes i do: cliffs notes and Julie telling me about books and i'd re-tell them to the teacher for credit. I know. I'm 25. Its just never been my thing. Julie was always the hard core reader and she'd tell me all about every book in so much detail that I never needed to read it, right.

Then one day last summer when I was jobless and had too much time on my hands I actually read one of the books Julie said was too good to retell. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Brilliant. I couldn't put it down. I was hooked. And I've been reading book after book after book since then.

And sometimes I feel real frustrated at myself and real far behind because there are so many amazing stories and I am just now getting started. I just finished This one and I love love loved it. Thank you, Rayna.

If you haven't read it, really its great and a fast read except it took me like a month cause I purposely drag every good book out so the story won't end as quick.

But you will love it. Whoever you are. Trust me.

Next on my list is a comic book, or graphic novel maybe sounds smarter, called Maus about WWII. From Julie. Who is the best book recommender of all time.

Anyway to all you book worms, what are some of your favorite books?

I'm making a To Read List. And I want it to last me a long time. I think I've used my library card more this past year than I have in my entire life all added up. It feels great.

Anaconda Opportunity

Montana:

If you get pulled over for speeding 12 miles over the speed limit, the cop gives you the option of taking the ticket and sending the money through the mail or

...paying him right there. $20. And he only takes cash. But he gives you a receipt so its legit right? Kinda shady, but more cool. And I was real glad we happened to have cash on us.

There isn't too much to see driving through Montana, but every 5-10 miles for 50 miles are billboards advertising the 50,000 Silver Dollar Truck Stop/Casino/Gas Station/Trinkets Galore. Turns out one of my favorite things is HUGE truck stop trinket /gas stations.

So we had to stop.

So some GENIUS people decided to make the theme of their truck stop 'silver dollars' so everyone who ever went there since it started just gave them a silver $$$ and carved their name by it. And over the years it all added up. Now silver is worth a whole lot more than 1$ and these peeps are rollin' like Jay Z in the bling.

Only all their bling is mounted on the walls and in the counter tops... all 50, 000 blings and counting. Smartest people I ever heard of. Why didn't I think of it? I could be a ten thousand maybe hundred thousandaire if they didn't beat me to it. But they did.

I maybe am too into this place, but it just blew my mind.

Also in the middle of nowhere Montana is this little gem. And I feel like these opportunities don't really come around too often. You know? I'm also glad that this anaconda opportunity is at the same exit as a hospital. You really have no excuse not to seize it.

Lately...

Its been a while.

Here are some highlights from the past few weeks:

Press played UNLV and they paid for us to stay in a sweet room at the Hard Rock, so we decided to make a mini Vegas trip out of it.

Saw the Belagio water show and gardens.

We spent an entire day walking down the strip and maybe saw 1/10 of what there is to see. Maybe.

We went to a Mentalist show that blew my mind. Awesome. Cause he knew my birthday and star sign. AND threw confetti on me.

Terrible explanation of the show, but trust me it was amazing.

Oh, and Preston's Grandma is serving in the Las Vegas mission so we got to see her and her missionary life. Senior Sister Missionaries have it made, man. They have NO rules. For real. No curfew, they can watch tv and go to Vegas shows and call home and their families can visit. But they still get to do missionary work and be a huge part of the mission and changing people's lives. Its a dream life.

We loved spending time with her.

This is Kason, Preston's youngest brother.

He asked Preston to baptize him last Saturday.

Look at that face.

Perfect.

His baptism was amazing. Strong Spirit. So much Love and truth.

...Life is great. Lots of traveling and i've been substitute teaching all the days we're actually home. I think that real teaching is so much cooler than being a sub, cause the kids are always always pushing the limits with subs.

And I think i'm a way meaner sub than teacher, cause I've gotta hold my own with those show off kiddies.

I'm real excited for my own classroom this Fall. Real.

Diploma

I am an official college graduate.

I feel like a genius or a doctor or a scientist.

Just brilliant.

It was supposed to happen in December.

But the school told me I couldn't graduate because I was deficient 1 credit even though I wasn't.

So I petitioned it twice and was denied twice.

Turns out a couple months later they realized that I really was right, but instead of telling me they just mailed me a diploma. I thought it was a joke.

Turns out its for real.

I framed it immediately and Press and I had our own little graduation party since I missed walking and graduating with a tassel and all that.