The Big Three Zero!!!

Dustin just had his 30th birthday on Groundhogs day this year. We both had to work in the morning but we made up for it after work. After school I ran to the store and was just hanging out with Dust when Dani's present showed up! She organized a singing telegram to come to the store and sing to Dustin. It was one of her friends with her kids and they were decked out from head to toe, party hats, balloons, blowers, shakers and a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake, his favorite! It was AWESOME. They sounded great and even had harmony. He said it was awkward because he wasn't sure if he was supposed to know who they were or not. When she said it was from Dani it all made sense and we all had a good laugh.

Then we went home and opened presents. Dust got a clearplay DVD player which will be so nice to watch movies without all the crap in them. And he got the game Puerto Rico which was a recommendation from a friend. We really need a new game to play. He also is getting some new brown cowboy boots as soon as he can find some he likes.

Then we went over to the flow rider. They just put one in the Riverwoods here in Provo and it's one of Dustin's favorite things to do. It's an indoor wave that you can boogie board or surf on. This was Dustin's first time really trying the surfing stuff and he did really good. Here are a couple of videos for your enjoyments. Make sure you watch the end of the first video, or at least skip a head to about a minute. Dustin's wipeout is AWESOME! The second video is his brother Rodney and Dustin on their last run of the night. Both their wipeouts are pretty awesome on this one too!



After the surfing fun we headed over to PF Changs for dinner. Yummy, yummy, yummy! Lettuce Wraps, Changs Spicy Chicken Mongolian Beef. So delicious and they even brought him a raspberry cheesecake with a candle in it for his birthday.

We were planning on going to see True Grit to end the night but it was too late by the time we were done with dinner so we went to see it a few nights later and it did not disappoint. It was really good and Dustin especially liked it because the main guy reminded him so much for Pop (his grandpa).

It was so much fun celebrating Dustin's birthday and making him feel special. I am so grateful to have Dustin in my life. He is so good for me and I am looking forward to many more birthdays together!

Last 7 Months

Time for an update. We've been busy...probably not too busy to post a new blog, but getting around to it a few times a year seems to suffice. Since June, we've kept ourselves entertained with lots of work and a decent amount of play. We've had the opportunity to go to Yellowstone, Vegas (a couple of times), Texas (a couple of times), and the Carribbean since the last entry on here, so there's a little too much fun to write about. We'll try to post plenty of pictures and descriptions.

Yellowstone was a fun little vacation with Caren's family. It's a very beautiful place, so if you ever get a chance to go, it's well worth the trip. Not only is the landscape amazing, but there are so many wild elk, bears, buffalo, wolves, and moose just roaming around close to the roadside. Just watch out for the grizzlies! Those boiling hot geysers and springs look strangely enticing. They're so pretty that you seriously have to restrain yourself from jumping in for a swim.





We go to Vegas a couple of times a year on business, but it never hurts to have a little fun while in Sin City. Let's see - fun for the lds in Vegas??? Buffets, shows, and admiring the insane amount of money invested in those casinos on the strip are about the only things we figured out. Blue Man Group was really entertaining...not worth the price of admission but nevertheless - very fun to see. We also went down there with Rodney to meet up with Dustin's parents and Matt & Dani in November. Good food, good company, Bodies exhibit, and H&M shopping made the trip well worth while. Not sure about Rodney's grandma driving skills, but we made it there and back alive (very slowwwwwly). To think his nickname was Rocket Rod in high school...
I can't even remember why we went to Texas this summer or what we did when we were there, but I do remember that we sure wanted to stay. We've been waiting for our chance to move down there for several years now but no luck yet. Who knows what 2011 will bring!? No complaints about Utah - we are loving life here, but TX is calling for us. The only thing I remember is catching lots of catfish on the bayou...oh the joy! On another visit, we got to spend Christmas day with Dustin's family in TX for the first time since we've been married, so that was a treat. Again, weren't too excited about returning home to the freezing cold weather.

In October, we went on a cruise with Dustin's parents through the Eastern Caribbean. We stopped in Antigua, Tortola, Nassau, Puerto Rico, and St Thomas. Yes, the Caribbean is our drug...white sand beaches, crystal clear water, sunny weather, and COCONUTS!!! It's a blast visiting the islands and learning about the different cultures while constantly admiring the breathtaking scenery. Probably the coolest thing we did on this cruise was a Puerto Rican night time canoe trip through a mangrove swamp into a big lake where the water would glow as you touched it. It wasn't quite as dramatic as the Avatar movie effect but pretty darn close. The water was full of these single cell organisms that light up as very slight movements burst a luminescent membrane. You could scoop up a handful of water and watch it sparkle as it flowed down your arm, or you could hit the water and see the shape of the fish, stingrays, or turtles as they bolted away. Indescribably awesome.









On the more boring side of things, Caren is about half way through her year of teaching first grade. She also stays busy teaching piano lessons, serving in her young women calling, and helping out at the store. Dustin is having fun with the furniture business. We've been fortunate to have work that we enjoy. The business is growing, and we hope to try out a new location sometime soon. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Other than that, I just ran around the house in my skippies with shotgun in hand after hearing footsteps tromping around on my roof...some dumb cat almost lost a life.