Some Catching Up

Well, not a whole lot of new stuff going on in our lives. Katie is super busy with school and I just go to work every day, well not every day. Katie makes fun of me because I get federal holidays off like Veterans and Columbus days.

We do manage to get to the Temple about once a month, some sort of FHE, and of course our weekly BYU football games. We were able to go shooting on Saturday before the Air Force game. Katie is very impressive with her accuracy. Makes me a little nervous to tell you the truth. She still does have some improving to do. Luckily for her she has an expert marksman to learn from.

I have been able to go on a few hunts. I have had minimal success, but I went out on Friday with my buddy and we got into a 6x6 Bull Elk that he was able to get with one shot. It was pretty exciting. This was George's first Elk. He is still on cloud nine about the whole thing.

Fall Is Here

I guess that we are now officially into Fall. Things at work are starting to slow down a bit which is nice. It kind of stinks not having any leave built up since this is my favorite time of year to be gone.

I have been out two times now trying to find Elk with no luck, but both times I was able to get into a few birds. I am really hoping I can learn some stuff about this area that I am hunting so that I can get Katie into an opportunity. This is her first year hunting and I want it to be a good experience. Her school and my work schedules have not aligned very well so far, but the hunt goes to the end of the year so we should be able to get into something. Katie did go on her first Dove hunt and was able to bag four. I was pretty proud of her. She was so excited when she knocked that first one down.

The only other thing that we have been able to find time to do together is watch BYU football. This is the first time in four years that I haven't had season tickets. I also have been to every home opener since the 2001 season. It just wasn't in the cards this year. I have been working on Saturdays as well so that means that we have to watch the games delayed. Well, I do. It is too much for Katie to wait that long so I told her she could watch it live. I don't think that I could wait around. We sure have enjoyed the start of the season and really hope we can finish strong. Katie told me that she would take me to whatever bowl we end up at this year. I guess that will make up for not going to any in Provo.

08/08/08

It has taken me a while to get some updates on here. We have been pretty busy. I will get some wedding pics when we get them back. We sure have done a lot in our last three and a half weeks of marriage. A couple receptions, a trip to lagoon, HAWAII, Antelope hunt with Fred and Aaron... and as soon as we got home we were back to work. I am actually going to be gone for work the next week or so. It kind of stinks but I guess it is what it is.

I am continually impressed with my wife. She was so much fun on the hunt and it was so exciting for me to watch her take things so serious and have so much fun. I cant wait to get her out on her own hunt.

I was also impressed with her on game day when BYU opened their season. This was the first time in five years I haven't had season tickets and the first time since 2001 that I have missed a home opener. I had to work so we recorded it on the DVR. When I got home Katie had the house decorated and coupons to take me to what ever bowl BYU goes to this year. I think it was as rough on her as it was on me to wait tell later to watch it.

We are so happy together and so grateful to everyone that did so much to make our wedding and beginning of our marriage so wonderful. We are so blessed to have such great friends and such a wonderful and supportive family.

Katie's Birthday

Last Sunday was Katie's Birthday. It had kind of been over shadowed by the wedding planning and me working 85-90 hour weeks. Sunday is the one day I was able to have off between 7/14 and 8/5. I wasn't able to put a lot together because of my long day's and because her birthday was on a Sunday. I picked her up that after noon and gave her what she thought would be her presents (hair straightener, hot dog roster sticks...). Not real fun stuff. Anyway, when we were driving I had also given her a clip to a Ruger 10/22 and played it off like it was something I got a deal on and she could use in my gun. We went for a drive along the South Fork, then north into the mountains. I had a special spot that we parked at and I told her to look in the back of the truck to see if there was something back there to put the clip in. She found her gun and I think she was pleasantly surprised. We then took a walk through the trees to an opening where you could look out toward Swan Valley. It would have been pretty romantic if it wasn't for the all the smoke from the Flag Knoll Wild Fire Use fire. We finished the night with a BBQ with friends in Rexburg and cake and ice cream at Bart and Mindy's. Katie has the pictures on her camera so I just got one off the Internet of the gun I got her. I was pretty jealous of her and thought it might be a good idea for her and I to just trade...

We only have one more week tell the big day. It is a little crazy for me to really take in right now. Katie goes through the temple tonight. I cant believe how the time really does fly by.

Katie's Bridal Shoot

Things have been pretty busy for us the last month or so, and I don't see it slowing down for a while. Katie finished school Friday. She is really looking forward to her seven week break. She went down to Malad this weekend and did her bridal pictures. Now she is off to Yellowstone with her friend Kristen for a well deserved vacation. I have been working at the Fire Dispatch Center since last Tuesday. They have me working all but one day until the wedding. It is pretty good money so I need to take advantage of it while it lasts. The count down is now in full effect. I have little milestones that I use to make it go by faster. 27th is Katie's birthday, 1st is her endowments, then the 8th is the wedding. Sorry that I'm not a better blogger. I hope that Katie can get into it and keep us updated a little better.

Busy Summer

I think we have like 46 days to go and I think that I am booked about every weekend through Aug. This past weekend was the Upper Valley Parade of Homes. We had got Tony and Alli's home done just in time to show. Parade of homes is kind of bitter sweet. Sweet because you get to show off you work and maybe drum up some business, bitter because you get to spend three 12 hour days showing people around the house and that gets to be a bit of a drag. I would have rather been fishing. I'm not sure when I will get out again. I go to Ely this week to help Aaron roof my parents place, then Fourth of July in Malad, then something else..... I guess that is just how it goes.

Teton Dam Marathon

Katie ran the Teton Dam Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday. She had been running the past 7 weeks, but never that far. I was really proud of her finishing in 2 hours and 10 min. She really did well. I couldn't believe that she did it and looked so good afterward. She didn't look like she had exerted any energy at all. It was a big accomplishment for her. Her sister Mindy came up with Travis and we all went to the Air Show after the race. I think people that run for fun are nuts but I am so happy that she got to do something that she has always wanted to do.

Reception

We went to Katie's parents for Mother's Day. I just put up a couple pics of the yard where we are having our Malad Reception.

Spring, Finally...

Our spring weather has finally arrived. It has only been in the mid to low 80's, but the 30 degree jump made it feel even hotter. I have been so excited to get my boat out on the water. I brought it up last summer but was so busy finishing the town home that I never ended up getting it out. I was a little nervous taking Katie out because I knew nothing about fishing Ririe Reservoir. I am not one of those guys that say that it doesn't matter if they catch anything, and that they just enjoy being out blah blah blah. I want to be successful! My buddy Jason met us at the lake and we ended up with 5 Trout and 2 Bass. I learned a lot and plan to do better in the future. We did have a lot of fun and I was excited that the motor ran great.

Sunday we took a drive up to Mesa Falls and Warm River. There was so much run off that the fish wern't eating much at Warm River. Then when we went up the hill to the falls we found that the road to the upper falls was still snowed over. We are pretty far behind this year on our melt off. I heard that most of the camp grounds wont even be open for Memorial Day weekend. I hope that keeps some of the people away so there won't be so many on Henry's Lake. That is if the ice is melted off by then...

Ely Trip

We did finally get some nice weather, but it only lasted a few days. We had ourselves a little vacation last week. We seem to take a Nevada trip every time a semester lets out at BYU-I. My buddy from back home was having a wedding reception so we planned a trip around that. We did have an unforeseen detoure. A few weeks ago the Dr. found some cysts on my mom's ovary's. We were very concerned because of the size and due to the fact that my grandma died of ovarian cancer. My mom had a hysterectomy on the 16th and everything came back benige. We are so grateful for the blessings and support that has been shown to our family.

After spending a few days in Provo with my parents, Katie and I continued to Ely for the reception. I was hoping for some better weather so that we could get on the lake, but the wind was way too fierce. We had a pick-nik with my sister's family and a little four wheeler ride, and just spent the rest of the time relaxing and looking at photo albums. I didn't realize how proud I was at a young age to show off my boy parts!

We had a really good time and it was a much needed break for me from the stresses at work and for Katie to get away before starting a new semester.

Where is spring???

We are headed into the middle of April and still waking up to new snow here in Idaho. Katie and I cant wait for it to finely warm up so we can start doing some fun stuff outside. Two weekends ago we went to Henry's Lake in Island park to see the fish as they work their way into the hatchery for spawning. There were some monsters. We cant wait for the lake to open up so we can catch some of them. Last weekend we went to Nevada to visit Aaron and help him on getting his house finished. He has worked so hard and is in the final weeks before he closes. He has done almost all of the work himself. It has been rough but they will have a beautiful home when it is all done. Katie and I are headed to Utah next week then on to Ely for a wedding reception. Then it will be back to school for Katie as she starts her summer semester on the 21st. Seems like all we do is travel anymore. I am excited for a weekend at home!

She said yes...

I can't wait tell I get married and Katie can work on this Blog. I just like to put the pictures up. Anyway, I was visiting with Josh and Gnickie this past weekend and was getting razzed about my page so I thought I would try to write something real quick about my engagement.

Katie and I had been talking about marriage and actualy had set a date in the Temple for 08/08/08, but I had to talk to her dad first. We were going to be in Utah over the weekend so I had planed on taking care of that on our way back, at least that is what she thought. I was able to pick her up a beautiful ring last week and I called her parents and got permission over the phone. Then I mailed a poem with my proposal rolled up and sticking out of a bottle to her mom. She placed the bottle out in front of Katie's parents house where Katie and her mom always ride horses. I had Katie thinking I was way scared to talk to her dad and that I needed to go on a horse ride with her first. We saw the bottle and i promted her to check it out. When she finnished reading the poem she turned around and I was down on one knee with the ring box opened up and the diamond was shinning in the sun. She had no idea that I was going to propose so soon. It really worked out well and it was fun to get her family all involved.