Memory Lane - Valory Comes to Visit - UT Edition

Valory and I met our freshmen year at BYU. Quite by chance actually. I was downstairs with a friend studying our physics homework. It was the first assignment of the class and I was already stumped (that didn't bode well for the rest of the semester.) While we were there a young girl came in and asked if it was okay if she could watch TV. She saw what we were working on our physics 105 homework and stated that she was in the same class and asked if she could join our study group and that was the beginning of wonderful friendship.

We lived together our Junior and Senior years...such great times! So many stories, but not to be shared right now.

I left for my mission in July and Valory in November. It was almost 2 years before we saw each other again...and that was when Valory came to visit me and my family in Utah.

We had the BEST time every!

We went camping...



Becky showing us the true way to cook a bagel over an open flame :)


The next morning...there's nothing like day after camping look.
For FHE during Valory we played Nephites and Lamanites, which consisted of PC pipes and mini-marshmallows. :) We won...we being the Lamanites.

We went to watch a movie...yes we took a picture of ourselves in the movie theatre...don't worry it was before the movie started.

Lastly and most importantly we celebrated Valory's birthday.

I've never been so blessed as by the 'happenstance' that ended with Valory and I both taking physics our freshman year and meeting oh so long ago downstairs and bonding over homework.

Memory Lane - Illinois Thanksgiving 2006

For my first Thanksgiving after moving to Falls Church I was invited by Julie to join her family in Illinois for a Thanksgiving celebration.

We started out in Tampico, IL (the birth place of Ronald Reagan) where Julie's brother's in-laws own a bed and breakfast and a diner.

We stayed here at the Bed and Breakfast. It was us and all the in-laws. We watched movies and played games. We had a bomb fire and overall just had fun.

Thanksgiving Day Julie and I took the grandkids out to play and to keep out from underfoot.

We made a friend on the way to the park to play.

We went over to the diner for Thanksgiving dinner.

Can we say Pie! They had several different kind of pie...and I'm happy to confess I tried a little of each :)

That next day we headed out to Nauvoo. I hadn't been there since Valory and I made our grand trip across country after our BYU graduation in 2003. It was a truly lovely experience. I love the Smith's. They are such wonderful people. A family away from family.

I went to the temple
And later we went on a horse and buggy tour with some of the Senior missionaries. SO much fun!
Nauvoo really is City Beautiful. Right on the Mississippi River. Even in early winter the landscape and atmosphere is brilliant!

Melly - One Day Older and Wiser Too!

Yup! It's true! Mel has survived another year and we had a wonderful time celebrating her birth.

I know...shocking, Mel got military footage for her birthday :)

To finish the collection - HP #7

Happy Happy BIRTHDAY!!!

The famous triple chocolate cake!

Congrats Melanie!