All for fun and fun for all (pix to come. unfinished:)

Sooo, I graduated. You are probably thinking, wait, isn't she a teacher? Hasn't she already graduated? Are they letting people without degrees teach high school these days? This is what's wrong with this country, we need to place the value on education and get qualified people, rant, rant. But, wait, it's okay. I was hired as an intern and taught 1 year of high school for a reduced price to fulfill  my student teaching requirement. Feel better? Sooo, that means I technically graduated this year even though I was done with all my classes last year.
Here's a pic of me and the fam at a graduation picnic up the canyon doing a reenacatment of my graduation. We're big on re-enactments.

Sooo, finals week is over for Ollie and now he is just working and can come home right after. It is awesome. I love it so much and it is making me excited for next year when he is home when I get home. During finals week, Oliver took a trip to California to see his all-time favorite band- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. (I'm almost positive that's the name). At first I didn't like his raspy voice, but now I like it and I loooove when Oliver sings a Spingsteen song and sounds just like him- sexiness. Well, anywho, he went to see the show with his dad. It was a quick trip but I'm so glad he got to go and have a celebration of all he has accomplished this year.
here is Oliver and The Boss - still lookin' good boss man

here is Oliver and Gabe with matching Springsteen outfits- kisses all around!!!

The weekend after finals week was great. We went to the tulip festival on Friday night. We had never been before and were unpleasantly surprised by the lack of tulips. Yes, there were tulips, but not nearly as much as the name "tulip festival" leads you to believe there will be. It was a very pretty place to walk around, though, and we enjoyed the peaceful feeling as we strolled through together. It reminded me of the line in Spanglish, " I never knew God had a playground for the rich" cuz it's kinda weird that you have to pay to see nature. But they do have to tend to it and all, so it's okay. My favorite part was the tulip-lined stream but I guess we didn't get a pic of it.

here is our little Gabey amongst the tulips- he's the brightest thing in the picture

Saturday morning, we went to the temple- cannot get enough of that place. And then we went to Hannah's baby shower. It was in Kaysville, which is farther away than you think, so I rode up with Mary, Ashley, and Teresa. I'm so glad I got some built-in friends when I got married. We had 3 babies in the van and 4 ladies. It was a hoot. I did games for Hannah's shower and it was just a tad overwhelming cuz there were sooo many people there. As I've mentioned before, I like doing chees-o games so I had fun with it. Hannah was gracious and looked pretty and got a lot of good baby stuff.

Then on Sunday, I totally crashed and felt terrible all day. I didn't get enough sleep and I had a tired headache all day and felt grumpy and blah. I should have just taken a sleeping pill and gotten caught up on sleep but I kept trying to have a good day and it just wasn't working out. Crap day- loser day made of lame sauce. Hate it.
here is a pic of me looking as terrible as I felt

Then we had another busy week full of Shakespeare, parks and rec, walks, meetings, card games and Gabe for me and full of small children, singing, walks, parks and rec, card games and Gabe for Oliver. And then another weekend!!! Those are the fun parts.
Last Friday, we went on a date to the beautiful park right by the Timpanogos temple. I had never been over there, but I will certainly be returning. Big, beautiful trees and an AWESOME amphitheater that we had no clue was even there. It is old and made of stone and just so cool. We really want to go to a show there. So, we found a nice place to sit and Oliver sang me a BRAND NEW SONG he wrote just for me. I felt like a million dollars. It is about me and Gabe and our life together and we had Gabey there with us and it was just perfection for a few minutes. Then we took a walk and were gonna get snow cones but both of us forgot our wallets so we went home and played rock band out on the back patio. So fun to enjoy the nighttime nice weather and beauty. It was the perfect date and, even more perfect cuz it was free:) I'm a cheapskate and proud of it:)

On Saturday, my mom, Greg, Gabe, Oliver, and I went to temple square. My mom wanted see what there is to see there before she goes back to California. So we went. I just love being there. It is serene and beautiful and sacred. We went to the museum, saw the movie at Legacy theater (same movie about Joseph Smith but with lots of changes. I liked it much better before the changes, but it was still good. I'm glad we bought a copy of it pre-changes though) We had a snack at the Nauvou cafe and sat outside to eat it. We watched brides and grooms and just enjoyed the whole place. We went to city creek and, again, I did not like it much. Yes, it's very nice and pretty and lots of nice places to sit and lounge but the shops are almost all too expensive and too many people buying too much stuff they don't need. It's just a little yuck. Anywho, I tried on some stuff at HandM and, here's where you will feel good about yourself, every single thing I tried on was too small. I think I still am trying to buy clothes that would have fit me before I had a baby. I may have to start shopping the the "old lady" section. yikes. Anyway, I was a little sad, but that's okay because something that I have realized lately is that I really really don't want to come to work wearing the same thing as one of my students and I know they shop at HandM, forever 21, etc. So I think it's splitsvile for me and all those kind of stores.

 

After our adventure in Salt Lake, we had a fun night playing games. We played pinochle and then we had a good laugh playing "big booty". If you aren't familiar with this game, you should be. It's one of those games where you have to keep the rhythm and people mess up and it's just fun. Even more fun to play with Bob and Karen. Sunday we woke up and kept playing pinochle. I don't really remember the rest of sunday all that well, I know that I only went to releif society and that it was not the best day. Hmm, I think I need to do something about sunday cuz I am seeinga  pattern here. Anywho, Monday was great cuz Oliver and I went on another date!! We went to Mi Ranchito and ate delicious mexican food. I think this is my new fave mexican restauraunt cuz it's good and you don't feel gross after you eat it. Then we went to the Nicelcade. So fun. Love deal or no deal, love the hand dancing game, love the jump rope game (but we were too full to play it), love pinball and Oliver always wins big time tickets on the plinko game.
here is Gabey enjoying the fun carpet at the Nickelcade (love taking him on dates with us. He makes everything more fun)

On Wednesday, Greg and I went out for a date. Have I mentioned how much I love living with my family? I know it's probably most people's worst nightmare to live with other people, but I will be sad when they move out. Of course, it will be nice to have our own place with just us, but having a full house makes it feel cozy and homey and there is always someone to talk to or play with. I simply love it. Well, anywho, Greg and I went out and this is what we did:
1) Starbucks- we love to sip and chat and rate the bums of the patrons. We have many heart to hearts here.
2) The DI- why does anyone ever shop anywhere but used clothing stores? We got 3 shirts (1 for greg, 1 for Oliver and I) Then, Greg had the most brilliant idea of buying ugly skirts and hemming them so that they make adorable pencil skirts. I must have tried on 30 skirts and they were pretty much all too small. (kinda like at HandM the other day) Still a good idea, though.
3) Barnes and Noble- Greg got a book to read on the beach this summer!!
Greg is my absolute favorite. We have fun no matter what. 
One of the funnest things we have done with my mom while she has been visiting is hike to the Timp Caves. We set out first thing in the morning and made it to the top just in time for our tour of the caves. My mom is so stinkin' awesome. She just kept walking up the steep hill even though it was hard. (any number of metaphors for life can be inserted here:) We just kept giving her encouragement and she did great. The views were beautiful and the cave tour was very cool.

mom, me and greg under a cool arch toward the beginning of the hike

Mom and me at the top. She is the coolest. 

Oliver looking dead sexy inside the cave

Me looking like a crazy person inside the cave

A pretty view