The Count Down

We are finally on the count down for our move! Eleven more days - we have a count down chain and everything! On the 29th we will be pulling out! Would you believe that I have lived her for 5 and a half years?! Just in case you wanted to know, that is more than a quarter of my life! It really is bittersweet. I'm so excited to start our new adventure and we have several fun things planned before Logan starts pilot training but we will be leaving lots of good friends and memories here.

This is our last week of work and our last day is on the 21st. I can't believe it! I will have been almost a year and a half working at my company and one day short of our year and a half anniversary. I promise that since we have been married I've stopped keeping track of how long it has been but a year and a half is still fun to celebrate. We're not sure what we are going to do (it'll probably involve some packing) but I'm sure we will have a fun time!

In the last while we have been trying to get all the thing done here in Utah that we want to do. So we have been hitting up our favorite local restaurants one more time. I couldn't leave without going to Aiyara Thai in American Fork or Demae on Provo Center Street, our favorite place in the world to get sushi! Other things we have also been doing is our drives up the canyons, frozen yogert, seeing dollar movies and of course seeing our friends that are still around!

So the moving is going well so far. We are less than two weeks out but I'm happy with what we have gotten done so far. We are renting a trailer and so we cleared out the corner in our second bedroom and tapped out the dimensions with duck tape and yarn. We practiced putting all our large items in the space and decided that it will be the right size for us.

The only sad thing is that we are going to have to get rid of most of the furniture. We planned on that before the move but I was most sad at getting rid of my chairs and table. I loved them but will have to let them go! It is okay because Logan has promised me knew ones :)

The hardest part of the move so far has been to eat up all our random foods, selling our things and coming to terms that this is really happening! I think it will hit closer to home when we are done with work and our apartment is empty.

Another thing that I have had to keep in mind is packing for the next three months and deciding what we will need and what will stay in storage. I feel like I am packing for three different trips and we really are! The hardest one will be when we get to the base. They will put us in temporary housing so we need to have available all our necessities for anywhere from two weeks to a month. Good thing I have so many good friends that have been really helpful with advice!

When Logan got his dates, it was later then we were planning on. That left us with the choice of staying in Provo or just moving home until January when he reports. Since we are both graduated, we can't stay in Wymount anymore (Oct 31st is the last day). We prayed about it and felt that the best plan for us would be to stay with our parents instead of trying to move somewhere for three months. Logan was reluctant but I told him, he would not really have any breaks for the next year and he needed to take a break. We are super excited to have all the family time too!

The plan is to move all our stuff to Albuquerque, NM (my parent's home) and we will be with them for my birthday and Thanksgiving. Then, in December we are going to Bellevue, WA to have Christmas and new years with all of Logan's family! It will be great!

We also have one more thing planned on November 1st. WE ARE FLYING TO EUROPE!! I really didn't think it was going to happen and then all the sudden tickets dropped and after much financial planning and talking we bought them! We will be there for two weeks and we plan on seeing Belgium, Paris, London and Madrid! This trip is really only possible because we get to go and stay with Logan's sister in Brussels.

I'm super excited to see Spain. Since I was in Jr. High, I have always dreamed of going to Spain. We did a class project and I just fell in love with it! How fortunate that I married a man that served there! Lucky me! I can't wait to have Logan show me around. It really makes me feel more comfortable knowing that he knows his way around to places and can speak the language fluently! He is the best!

I always figured that we would go there someday but never could have imagined that we would do it so soon after getting married! I feel so blessed!

So that is what we will be up to for the next few months and all our adventures until we move to Enid, Oklahoma at the beginning of next year. I can't wait!

Nebo Loop Road

This weekend me and Logan did the Nebo Loop ride. I think we picked the best weekend to do it because the colors were just amazing! My favorite trees were the ones that were bright yellow - they almost looked florescent. 

This was also one of the dates that Logan took me on before we were officially dating. He was in a Geography class and one assignment was to pick a coordinate and go find it. I think he chose me to go with him only because I had already taken the class and knew how to use a GPS but for his sake we will just assume it is because he liked me. 

We drove around and found all the places that we visited before and then some. When one person found or saw something interesting we would stop and check it out. We even stopped to have a snow ball fight. So we definitely took our time and I think we were gone for over 4 hours with driving time too! It was so much fun. 

Logan did a great job taking my picture! 

Beautiful trees and Mt. Nebo.

This place you see us in to the left is called the Devils Kitchen. This is one of the places we stopped at two years ago. To the right you can see a picture from the first time. See anything different? - I'm not in it! haha. At that time we were not even holding hands so we took turns taking pictures of each other. Now I am the official picture taker. Every time we are the only ones somewhere,  I hold the camera out as far as I can and take the pic. I think that I am getting pretty good! 

This is called Payson Lake and there is a great little path that goes all the way around it that we walked. 

Sunday Drives

This last Sunday Logan and me went on our fall drive down Provo Canyon and up in the Mountains. When we started to see the colors change on the Mountains we knew that it was time to go. Last year, we went but it was too late and they had already closed the mountain roads. So this year we got there in time and it was beautiful!

I was surprised how many people there were but it was still great! Another thing that made it fun is that driving up to Mount Timpanogos was one of our first dates we went on 2 years ago just before we started dating! I can't believe it has been so long!

We came out the American Fork Canyon and then Logan also wanted to take me up Highland Blvd/ Suncrest Dr that goes over the other side of the Point of the Mountain so we went! We got some really beautiful pics from there too! 

Panoramic Views of the Valley and Utah Lake 

Logan's Commissioning 10/1/11

I am so proud of my husband. He has worked for years and is finally a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. 

It was a great weekend. Lots going on between all the family, General Conference and the commissioning. That morning we got up and I made cinnamon rolls, we watched General Conference and then it was time to go! Logan was very excited and I don't know why but I was a little nervous! 

When we got there we got to meet everyone! It was great to see all of the friends and family that came to support Logan and Clark. Even our Bishop over the ward me and Logan met in came. We found out that Bishop Comish went to the same pilot training at Vance Air Force Base. It is crazy what a connected world we live in. 

Here are some of the pictures from the occasion. 

Oath

Me and his Mom pinned on his ranks and neither of us dropped anything!! Before hand, Logan had freaked me out by saying that it happened at every commissioning. When we were at home I made sure to practice, Sue was a natural. 

Then we got certificates, flowers and pins! Wow! I really feel like I didn't do much but it is so sweet that the AF is so supportive of family. It makes me happy and excited for all our future adventures! 

First Salute from Grandpa Finley - he is the best! 

It's Official :)

The best part was all our family that came to support Logan! Look at all these great people! 

At the family luncheon all the kids picked their seats first! They were so cute all in a row! Grandpa Finley found a seat with his crew. 

It was an awesome day and thanks to all our friends and family that are so great! 

Cedar City pt 2

We went to Cedar City again this past weekend for the half marathon!  Michelle, Logan Elise and Bren all did an amazing job! (I was completely happy staying at home with the kiddos).

Looking good after 13.1 miles.

Back after the race. They all look like champions to me! 

Logan is the best uncle ever and played with the kids although none of us knew how he had any energy left! Even though he didn't train at all, he got 3rd in his division and 16th overall! Wow! 

That night we had a "Cougar Party" for the game. My favorite part were all the goodies that we made! Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites, Lemon Buddies and Muddie Buddies!

PS. Thanks Elise for emailing me the pics!! 

9/11

On the day before 9/11, We went to the Memorial at the Healing Field in Sandy, UT. 

There were nearly 3,000 flags that represent every person who died that day. Every one had a story attached to a card.

This year they dedicated a new sculpture called Hope Rising by Stan Watts.

Vernal, UT

Here are all the pictures I took when Log and me went to visit Megan and Drew Long in Vernal, UT.
Four Wheeling!
Getting ready for our hike to see the Petroglyphs!

Crazy antler fence and alien petroglyphs
Pondering the meaning of the Petroglyphs
Me and Mego
Couple pics
We decided the one to the left is the Plan of Salvation diagram and check out the feet on the middle dude to the right!
Family Portraits
Flaming Gorge Dam
I don't remember what this place is called but it is really cool!
Thanks Megan and Drew for letting us come! It was way fun!