A Hess Family Reunion

In May all of Mike's siblings, and their families, got together for a little family reunion in Burbank, California --his home town.

Thanks to their family friend, Cynthia Eccles, all of the family from out of town were able to stay in the same condo throughout our stay.

It was so much fun to see everyone and hold/kiss all the new grandkids! We certainly can't wait to see everyone again!

  Highlights from the trip

1. Trying the Apollo breakfast burrito for the first time --loved it!

2. Seeing/kissing/holding Areta for the first time!

3. Seeing/kissing/holding Miles for the first time!

4. Getting a professional massage with all the ladies (also for the first time)

5. Having Jamberry nails applied by Susan (and my hair braided by her too)

6. Experiencing the glorious cooking of SMP Catering (Steve Marshall Productions)

7. Chilling at the pool with Genelle and the rest of the fam!

8. Seeing Marilyn (Genelle's Grandma Hess) in a bathing suit for the first time! (She looked gooood!)

A Mini Vacation with Friends

Towards the end of Genelle's sixth month we decided to go on a little vacation to the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful and so much fun!! The water was too cold to put Genelle in, but she had a ball hanging out with our friends over at My Life of Checked Boxes!

Highlights from the trip

1. Waking up to see/hear/smell the Ocean EVERY MORNING!!

2. Seeing all the green and brown loveliness that is Oregon

3. Getting to see and touch Sea Stars and Anemone during low tide

4. Eating Seafood!! (Even Mike tried some oyster, crab and fish!)

5. Relaxing for a whole week and playing games with some of my bestest friends!!!

6. Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Blue Heron with it's petting zoo

7. Visiting Portland (specifically, VooDoo Donuts, Powell's Book Store, the Washington Park and some Food Carts just down the street from Washington Park)

8. Breakfast on the Smelt Sands Beach in Yachats

9. Newport!

Baby Showers and a Christmas Playlist

I am a big fan of parties, small, big, it doesn't matter.

This last Saturday I had the opportunity to host a friend's Baby Shower. I decided to to give it a winter picnic theme...

The invites had a splash of plaid

 (as did the party favors) and for the most part I just threw pinecones and candles around the room.

The Pinecone Banner

Chocolate Cake!

The Sign-In table with the Mom and Dad to-be

The Baked Potato Bar

The Guests pt.1

The Guests pt.2

The Playlist I had going on during the Shower (and have had since in my head):

Playing Catch-Up

To say it's been a while would be an understatement.

A lot of things have happened since I last seriously blogged that it's hard to know where to begin... Several changes have occurred at home, but as for Mike and I one thing will remain the same: we are going strong! 

We just celebrated our 2nd anniversary and Mike is in his last semester at UVU so we couldn't be happier! Recently Mike joined a softball team and I was promoted to full time at work so life can get pretty busy, but we also like to make time for fun...

 We participated in several 5ks over the summer, went to the State Fair,

Just a night at the Fair

All the Gates & Hess Ladies

 the Whittaker Family Reunion,

There was Potato Sack Races,

Cattail Coloring

and Slingshot Practice

 as well as a Family Reunion on Mike's side,

It was up in Heber Canyon

Landon in his shades

The Hess Representatives

 and we saw Wicked!!

We had a lot of fun doing other things as well but to understand the fullness of the summer you will just have to follow us on Instagram!

The 4th of July

The Fourth of July really started the eve before. 

Mike and I were invited by his cousins to a block party. 

There was...

Face Painting

Cotton Candy

Sparklers

Some better than others

And a Dance party!

The next day...

Mike and I woke up at 5:50 this morning to prepare for the Freedom Run.

The Running Group (minus Suzie R.)

Mike and I

The Course

It was a hot day, but this has got to be one of the funnest runs I've ever been on (with the exception of my first run)! For the first mile there were speakers pumping inspirational music and for the majority of the race course there were people lined up on the sidewalks, cheering us on (okay, they were really there for the parade later in the day, but it was still nice of them to cheer for us). 

My time ended being 32:26, which is better than my other times (38:40-1st race, 35:10-2nd), and I beat Mike so I'm pretty proud :). 

At the finish line volunteers handed out medals (cool!) and water bottles. There were Gatorade and water stations, fruit, ice cream, bread and chip stands... it was pretty sweet!

Mike and I after the race

After everyone had had their fill of goodies, we headed down to University Avenue for the parade! Mike needed a 'shower' so he left for home, but he promised he would join up with us for the parade.

Olden Patriots

Navajo Representative

ROTC Rep

 It was so much fun watching the balloons, floats and Utahn State/City Leaders go by. (I made sure to hoop and holler when the UVU President and float came by -represent!) After almost 2 hours into the parade (approximately 2.5 hours after we split ways) Mike showed up for the parade. Within minutes he was bored, so we left.

After we got home and watched a little bit of Independence Day, our friends, Kim and Casey, came over and together we went to Bicentennial Park to play Disc Golf. Now, I've only played the game once before, and never on the field we played on so it was no surprise to me that I completely and utterly lost (with a score of 14 over par). But it was fun anyways (and you know that I'm going to sneak over there and practice every change I get).

Later, we all went over to a (random) Apartment Building's pool. Of course when we got there there was two guys from my old high school playing basketball so Mike HAD to join in. So the boys splashed around while Kim and I chatted to the side. 

After about an hour it was time for us to go, so we said goodbye to Kim and Casey and rushed home to change for our friend's barbecue! It was sooooooo good! After it was over Mike and I were only too happy to take home two heaping plates of left-overs! 

The night was not over yet tho, when we got home we picked up some ice cream and root beer then made our way over to our friends, the Lewis's. There we played games and had floats until the Fireworks began. 

It was awesome!

Aye Yai Yai

What's a blog for, if not to document your life, right? 

So, in honor for there to be a record of what Mike and I did this past week, here are some tid + bits I maybe shoulda mentioned...

Cinco De Mayo Party at our cousin, Jordan's (that's Matt and I being napkin twinners).

Weeding and preparing the back yard for the Family Garden!

Second night of weeding and preparing the garden layout.

The Laker's game, because what would life be like with out them?!

The latest of my Country Streak, Alabama's "I'm in a hurry"!

Not pictured, but equally fun events:

Lazer tagging/mini golfing at Trafalga Thursday night and Comedy Sportz on Friday!

Well, that's my week. What did you do for fun?

A Friend!

I have a friend, Brianna, who went with me to Italy on my Study Abroad 3 years ago.

The Whole Group (Brianna is standing above me)

This cute lady studied Art Cuisine in Arizona, met and married her husband in the months following our return from Italy and is now currently living in Bologna, Italy!
Today I found out that she has a blog!

She, and her family, are the cutest people ever! And I love the little insights she has about the food in Italy and the architecture around her. If you, or anyone you know is thinking about living in Italy for any amount of time I would highly suggest reading her blog, T, B & T !

A DIY Christmas

Some things are just too fun NOT to share...

Like these stockings made by yours truly...

               Not too bad for my first time working with felt and stockings!

 These pencils ordered from Explicitly Yours...

Warning: Don't make the mistake of believing that because a pencil has colorful wrapping that the lead is also colorful... You will feel really stupid afterwards. Trust me in this.

and....

THIS SHIRT!

I call it... 

The Chalk Shirt

 It's inception came about as the result of a bad joke after my unsuccessful attempt to convince my husband's friends how cool chalk vinyl is.

To help prove my theory I made the doubtful friend a shirt that I hope will for ever live on in Christmas Gift History.

It was a very easy project and just in case you decide you to ever make The Chalk Shirt yourself one day I'll show you how to make one!

Instructions

First, you need all THESE things:

-1 washed shirt

-Fabric Glue

-Chalkboard Vinyl

-Scissors

-Pencil 

-Chalk

(and something to place between the front of the shirt and the back so you don't end up gluing your shirt shut)

Second, trace out the chalk bubble you would like to appear on your shirt on the vinyl (make sure the image is the opposite of what you want to appear on the shirt)

Third, decide where you want the bubble to go and trace along the outside of the bubble on the shirt (for correct placement after you apply the fabric glue)

Fourth, place protective layer between front and back of shirt and apply glue to the back of the chalkboard vinyl (make sure you take off any backing there might be on the vinyl)

Finally, Set onto shirt and let dry!

It's so cool I might have to make one for myself!

Holy Guacamole!

What an eventful weekend!

So as you know, Mike and I left for California on Friday.

At 8am (not 6- that was just WAY too early) we met up with Mike's cousin Jordan and started our caravan to Cali. As we were leaving I found out that at that exact moment my Dad and brothers were on their way from Nevada to Utah so we made plans to meet up with each other in Beaver to say hi as we wouldn't be seeing them in Nevada as we had hoped.

Mike, concentrated on driving

Well, about 45 minutes into our drive Mike's and my car broke down. Luckily we were able to pull it over to the side of the road but it wasn't going to move after that. Jordan, after realizing we weren't in the caravan anymore pulled over to the side of the road and began to drive backwards (at 40 mph) along the freeway to meet up with us.

Before the break down

After a lot of revving the engine and contemplating what was wrong with the vehicle we called our Insurance agents and made plans for a tow truck to come and take our car back to the house.

After calling our family in California and letting them know what happened Mike's mother and sister quickly arranged for an airplane flight for us to take on Monday to get back home. In the mean time Mike and I loaded our luggage in his cousin's car (at the expense of another cousin's bedding/luggage). The rest of the drive went fairly seamlessly and we actually enjoyed the extra time together.

Over the weekend we stayed with Valerie and Steve, Mike's sister and brother-in-law. They were SO kind and welcoming! They encouraged us to use their hot tub and watch t.v., Valerie drove 25 minutes away to get some Tacolita fmous tacos for all of us AND Mike's and my favorite cereal... It was incredible!

A fun statue by Val and Steve's house

The spanish park also by Val and Steve's house

On Saturday Mike's mom, him and I went to the LA temple for his best friend's wedding. It was a beautiful day and the couple looked incredible!

happy couple

Handsome Mike

After a luncheon, the reception and a brief stop at a halloween/birthday party (complete with a taco truck) Mike and I were exhausted!

Sunday we went to TWO mission home comings and then spent the rest of the day with family. 

We played Phase 10, UNO, Scum and ate a lot of good food with each other. 

It was incredible.

Then, Mike and I realized I did not have my driver's licence on me. It wasn't in my purse, I couldn't be sure whether it was at home and to my dismay I did not have ANY documents with my name printed on them!!

At the time I wasn't too worried about the consequences, but after talking with the rest of the family I started to worry about whether or not I would be allowed on the plane. So I looked up the Airport's Customer Service and called to speak with the Manager of that Airport's TSA. The phone operated machine stated that the office wouldn't be open until 9am (a full hour after my flight was supposed to depart). So I left a voice message and then prayed that somebody would be able to help me at the airport, but just in case I was ready to change my flight.

Monday morning, Mike, his mother and I left Val's at 6am to the airport. About 40 minutes later we were at the gate and I told the security lady my situation. She radioed her boss and together the four of us waited for my verdict...

When the Manager arrived she had me fill out a form stating my name and address and then she began an interview intended to determine whether I was who I said I was... or not. 

It wasn't particularly lengthy but I was glad when it was over. Afterwards, Mike and I were 'randomly' selected for additional screening and we were done! 

After it was all over I was famished! I scarfed down half of the snacks we brought and then waited with Mike and his mother for our plane. It was a particularly foggy morning so our flight was delayed almost 2 hours! 

We finally arrived in Utah around 12:30 and had to hurry home and then to work in order for me to make it to my first day at my brand new job!

I was supposed to bring my driver's licence and birth certificate, but after searching the car and the house I had to leave without my driver's licence (the item that I thought I had left at home). 

My driver's licence is still currently on the lam but fortunately I still have my new job and the car's going be looked at on Friday. So if everything goes well, life will be back to normal by the end of the week...

maybe.