oh yes we did.

i made these. and they were freakin awesome.

john's exact words were: "these are the best cupcakes i have ever had in my life."

so, go ahead and make some.

you're welcome!

hello!

we had a very fun pioneer day, with family, ice cream, and many many fireworks. at one point during the night, my uncles reenacted the final duel between voldemort and harry potter in hp7p2. they each had a "wand" {firework} and it was classic....

blame it on the tetons.

over the weekend, we traveled to the teton mountains for some fun backpacking with our friends!  we got about 50,000 mosquito bites each.... but, thanks to janessa's bear bell, came home without being mauled by bears.  it was a wonderful trip.  we sure love our dear friends.

i'm completely smitten with muti's garden.

monkey likes it, too.

over the weekend....

we have done nothing but cook/eat yummy food, enjoy time with friends, and watch great movies.  

1-2.  the product of a lazy saturday.
{3.  my $6!!! diet coke at the movie theater}
3-4.  dinner and harry potter with these friends.
5-6.  my old man's birthday.  {love him!}

mango sticky rice.

honestly,

jump on a plane, or a bus, or a train

RIGHT NOW.

come to salt lake city,

and walk straight into this restaurant.

order....

the crab won-tons:

 the red curry:

 some pad thai {a classic}:

 and don't forget the mango sticky rice! {honestly, the best i have ever had}

 

while you devour the meal, you can enjoy the cool artwork on the wall,

and also observe this elephant carving.

and play with little umbrellas in your drink.  

and don't forget to sneak a pic outside to remember your wonderful adventure,

to an extremely delectable thai place.

{that plane ticket was totally worth it, no?}

as we sat down to eat, i contemplated all the fond memories i have of dating john.

we ate thai food a lot.

our first date even, was at a thai food place.

as i contemplated, i said to him:  

"i think our relationship was built on thai food!"

"and love!" {he said, defensively}

swim.

a photo of my brothers, swimming at their neighborhood pool.

swimming lessons.  ah, swimming lessons.  we have a love-hate relationship, you and i.  at times, i really like showing little tikes how to swim in the pool.  other times, i feel like i should like to sink to the bottom of the deep end.  sometimes, those two full hours of pruny hands and a freezing body to teach kids to move their uncoordinated bodies in ways they aren't familiar with, just does me in.  and the coaxing.  ah!  the coaxing, and pleading, and encouraging to just put your face in the water, dangit!  i mean, how hard can it be, really?  when a strong {if i do say so myself} person is there to catch you at a moments notice?  we all have irrational fears.  i was {am} scared of zombies and that's an irrational fear, because no zombie is going to exist ever- right?  right?  

and then, oh, swimming lessons, the joys of teaching little ones to do bubbles under and monkey-airplane-soldier.  and how cute they are when they say do their big arms out to their animals in the water.  and the smile that spreads on my face when a student says, "thanks for the swimming, teacher.  i love you".  it melts my heart, it does.  and, despite the exhaustion, i will always remember the joys of felt whilst teaching swim lessons.

mosquitos and rodeos.

we have spent the past couple of weekends in island park, idaho.  besides the mosquitos, i loved every minute of it.  we tubed, 4-wheeled, went shooting, lit fireworks, ate delicious food, and enjoyed time with family.  we truly love it up there.  and if we had any choice, we would ditch work and go spend the entire summer up there....

highlights of the trip:

on sunday evening, we went for a long atv ride through the mountains.  the trip could be easily described as a fine mess, because so many things were fine and lovely - while so many other aspects of it were a mess.  for instance:  we enjoyed the scenery, but at times i would duck my head behind john's to avoid the bugs flying at our faces.  {he would get the worst of it.}  we lusted after ranches along the way, but we went through treacherous trails off-roading. we found ourselves at a beautiful stream, and then got eaten alive by mosquitos.  we found a beautiful hike, but i had to pee along the way.  

we also went to a rodeo as a family.  it was such a cute small rodeo.  at times they would call for people in the crowd to participate in an activity in the arena.  john and his brothers went out of course, and i got it all on film.  the task was to take a ten dollar bill from a rubber-band around the calf's neck.  {see below}  we ate a delicious meal made by the good people of meadow view ranch.  and our nephew fell in the creek, getting soaking wet.  

happy tuesday!

ok go stop-motion.

oh, how we love the weekend.

we love island park, idaho.  

love love love.

we spent the fourth up there with john's family and pretty much had a blast.  

it was an adventurous weekend - from magazine clip pinches to firework mishaps - but, despite a few minor injuries, we are safe and well.  

we are excited for many weekends in island park up ahead.

the top of sawtelle.

oh i just want to fly far, far away to island park and go on a 4-wheeler ride with you.  

i want to feel the brisk wind burn my cheeks like it did that last summer.

and then i want to stay there until all the snow has melted and we can go kayaking in the snake river.

and then i want to ride up to the top of sawtelle and see the spot where we got engaged.

and then i want you to ask.

ask it again.

ask me to be your wife just like you did a year ago.

and let me die of happiness once again and cry like i did in that moment.

when we laughed, and cheered, and we thought our hearts would just burst from happiness.

and we knew.

knew that we would be:

together,

 forever.

believe it or not, i am proud to be an american.

it is the fourth of july weekend, and we are sitting around the kitchen table, enjoying a delicious meal {made by my mother in law} and great conversation. over the past few days, i have been contemplating the things that make this nation great, and i am compelled to think that if it weren't for the freedoms we enjoy, i wouldn't be sitting here eating lunch and enjoying time with family. i probably wouldn't have had the freedom to go to church this morning. i probably couldn't have married john, the love of my life. and i might have not been able to choose to be a nurse.

i can accomplish what I wish, say what i want to say, do what i want to do, and be who i want to be because of this great nation- and {as feeble as this statement may be considering the price with which we buy our freedoms} i am so grateful for the people who have given so much to keep this nation free.

this weekend, why are you proud to be an American?

sometimes, the sibs and i go to 5 guys.

yesterday, sam, eden, and i went to five guys for some delicious food and some sibling bonding time. we ate burgers. we chatted about life and change and the future. we laughed. we laughed a great deal when sam inadvertently dumped cajun seasoning into his eyes. {i'm still laughing out loud just thinking about it.} and finally, we took pictures. and sam and eden refuse to smile nicely in any picture whatsoever.  so, umm.... enjoy!

 i love my dear brother and sister so much.