A Surprise Ending to 2014

If I had know purchasing blu-ray player as a gift for Dan for Christmas...

...would have led to us purchasing this about a week later...

Photo from this site.

...I probably would have bought the blu-ray sooner.

Since we currently have an older model tv I was shopping for the converter and cords we would need to hook up our new blu-ray. I finally figured it all out and explained everything to Dan. He paused briefly then asked if it would just be easier to buy a new tv. I said it would help, however, if we were going to wait several months before we bought it, we might as well get the cords. He then suggested we get it in January. I started shopping then found a good deal on one and he gave me the go-ahead.

The new television is on order and scheduled for pick up at the store on Friday, June 9, 2015. If this sudden expense is any evidence, the next year will be full of surprises.

PS-New updates are being added so scroll down a post or two...

Mailbox vs Sentra

When backing up to check the mail at the student home...

...because you drove past it on the way into the driveway, use caution otherwise it can be extremely hazardous TO YOUR CAR!!! 

Ok, not so bad; I can live with that.

Yeah, not so much with that!

Yes, the all metal mailbox is just fine. It was leaning a little but a slight push and pressing down on the dirt around it was all the repair needed. Our car on the other hand...it'll be going to the hospital in the near future.

So if you see Dan walking everywhere, just know he still isn't allowed to drive the car. I suppose it's a good thing I love him more than my car.

(Yes,I know that I'm behind. Planning to come at the updates from both sides and meeting in the middle so it's not so maybe posts will happen sooner.)

Sid's Wedding Stuff

Earlier in the year we received a phone call from Sid letting us know that he'd found the girl he wanted to marry, but to not tell anyone yet. For several weeks we discussed wedding plans, made arrangements to be off work, and waited to be able to spread the news!!!

With this information, our time out west changed from a 10-14 days to all three weeks plus extra days to be in attendance for the wedding festivities.

The festivities included Liz receiving her endowment in the Logan Temple,

a Horrocks Family Wedding Shower,

an open house in Pocatello,

a wedding reception in Salt Lake,

 and the wedding itself, in the Salt Lake Temple.

For the Idaho Open House, Sid and Liz had a soft serve ice cream machine. Our job was to bring toppings. Off to Chocolate World to shop for all that might be needed for a sundae. We distributed the toppings, syrups, and sprinkles between our checked and carry-on luggage. Luckily all arrived in tact.

Yes, there was a Resse's theme. When it's the bride and groom's favorite, many must be purchased.

A very full few days but worth every minute to celebrate these two lovebirds.

Welcome to the family, Liz, we love you!

Non-Wedding Summer Fun

Between all the wedding festivities, we managed to fit in some other vacation-type things; meeting Liz, visiting our families, Yellowstone, and Bryce Canyon.

Dinner with the kids. Jake's a Party Pooper sometimes.

Chipper LOVES Dan. Too bad the feeling isn't mutual.

When visiting from out of town, it's always a good idea to check the Temple schedule before showing up.

When we headed to Cedar, we helped Deb with her children which included a stop in Scipio to visit a petting zoo:

Bryce was beautiful. It was fun to reacquaint Dan with the canyon I heard so much about growing up.

While in Cedar we enjoyed an evening with The Bard at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

The Green Show

Before the Performance of "The Comedy of Errors"

We joined Mom and Dad at the Cedar City Cemetery. I got to see my grandmother's new headstone that had been completed earlier in the year.

We took some of my nieces for an outing at Classic Skating. I roller-skated too, what was I thinking?!

Our time in Yellowstone was quick but great to be back in an area that played such a big part of our courtship. We saw a couple shows at the Playmill (Les Miserables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat), we went on a hike, drove through the North entrance of Yellowstone, and visited Old Faithful at night. 

With all we did, planned and unplanned, it was tough to return to our "normal lives."

Another Full Summer While Working in PA

This year we decided to work the first half of summer break. As it turned out, it was a good decision since Sid notified us in April that he would be getting married in August. We had three boys most of our time there (a couple came and went with sports camps) and we had a great time with them. Our dinner conversations were lively as one of the guys was working with goats in the Ag Program so his stories were very funny; the goat that refuses to move unless he's carried.

We had a limited amount of money to use with the guys for activities but we gave them the option to select what we did. They wanted to do go-carts and laser tag. We found a discount for a location that had both plus some other activities. Dan and I talked with the guys to decide how to make our money stretch. They opted to do the 1 more expensive activity rather than lots of little activities. We were proud of their decision and had a great time together!

Go-Carts, Laser Tag, Mini Golf, Arcade games...a little for everyone and we all had a great time!

One of the evenings we invited other student homes over for a "make your own calzone" night. It was fun to watch the students interacting together and trying something new. They had a good time laughing and teasing each other as they tried to create a delicious master piece.

One evening Dan and I were playing cards with a couple of the guys. I look over and all three of them are more into their electronics than the game we were playing:

Next time they'll have to put away their electronics so we can really have a game. And by away, I don't mean on the chair next to them.

Of course we caught the fireworks on July 4th. Before they started, we roasted marshmallows, hot dogs, and such around a campfire with a couple other student homes. We do our best to keep our summers full and enjoy every moment.

Winding up the School Year

After Spring Break ended it was back to work for us. We picked up our assignments and kept rotating around campus. We did our best to make the most of the warmer temperatures and longer amounts of sunshine.

May and June finished up with some random things. We made another trek into Harrisburg for the National Step Competition. Some of the Houses we joined last year were here again. We took a home who hadn't been before. It was another adventure. If we go again, we need to bring sack meals. It's a long night and the performances just get better as the night goes on. We left early since the girls we were with didn't believe us when we said it would be long & they needed to eat a big meal before we left at 3:00.

When we returned from the competition the power was out all over town. Our badges didn't let us into the student home; thank goodness for security having master keys that let us in. We gathered flashlights and made the best of the time playing games, visiting, and laughing together until Dan and I finally sent the girls to bed.

Dan's Birthday was approaching so we opted to celebrate a little early on our time off. We were going to head to Texas Roadhouse when Dan decided he would rather somewhere else for his birthday dinner:

Not my favorite but Dan was happy.

He opened his gifts a couple days apart, before we went back to work (on his birthday) and a few days after when the final gifts arrived from an on-line order.

This year we had several girls performing in the Spring Dance Recital so we made sure to go support them. They had been working all year for this concert and they did well! We recognized several faces on the stage and in the crowd; always a bonus to our time at a campus activity.

A couple days after that it was "National Doughnut Day." Dan took some of the boys to the outlet mall and then to Dunkin' Doughnuts for a true celebration. I made sure not to miss out on the fun when I was out and about myself.