Wednesday, June 23, 2010

iPhone 4 launch!


I'm posting this from the Apple store at the Gateway mall in downtown SLC. McKay has been up here since 1pm and I arrived a little after 5 pm. We'll be camping out along with hoards of other Apple fans in order to get on of the first new iPhones at 7 am tomorrow morning!

We have a large strip of grass designated outside to camp out on. It's officially off mall property so we can stay there all night (but it's basically at the mall).

We have a cooler of all kinds of snacks and drinks. Apple ordered a bunch of pizzas and drinks for everyone. It's an adventure! I just bought some flashlights so we can read/play pictionary when it gets dark. It will be a party!!

Yesterday night we sold our old iPhones so we have been phone-less for over 24 hours now. I know . . . crazy. It sounds ridiculous, but it really has been weird not being able to call/text/get email/check facebook/use maps/calculators/google from my phone. I got really used to the conveniences of the web at my fingertips! But in about 12 more hours we'll be equipped with the latest, greatest apple product

Here's to a night of good weather!

Friday, June 18, 2010

pizza party

Today was an amazing Friday!

First off, we got our ultrasound and we're thrilled to find out that our baby girl is healthy and measuring perfectly. To celebrate and announce our daughter we had all our family over (McKay's parents and grandma, and my parents and siblings and their families) for a pizza party. We watched the video clip that McKay put together of the event and had the ultrasound footage on while we ate and enjoyed each other's company.

Then, the adults left and the real fun began. The five youngest (minus 2-week-old Neil) stayed for a sleepover. We played games and ran around with leftover pink and blue balloons! And only a bit later than we had hoped we figured out a place for everyone to sleep happily - using two air mattresses, one sleeping bag, one super-special-closet-sleeping-compartment, one couch, several blankets, a pillow, and some pajama shorts - everyone was covered, cozy and comfortable.

Tomorrow morning there's a ward breakfast that we'll take everyone to. That should cap off a pretty great party!

Right now, the house is an absolute wreck. Balloons, plastic cups, jenga blocks, toothbrushes, clothes, soccer balls, baseballs, and backpacks. But I think I'll leave it for the night and tackle it in the morning (when I can put five little servants to work!)

It's been a great day. Good night!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Boston . . .

it was yours to lose.

Up for three quarters? Really?

Disappointing.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

family photos


Right before Rachel (McKay's sister) got married in May we took the opportunity to take Thomas family pictures while everyone was in town. We went up to Memory Grove Park in downtown SLC. We woke up to snow that morning, but fortunately by the afternoon the weather was beautiful. McKay and I got our engagement pictures taken at the same place last year - I think it makes for great pictures!

Here are some highlights of the photo shoot:

McKay and me


















McKay's older brother, Kimball + wife Wendy and little Jack























Rachel + Greg

McKay's parents, Rob and Monta






















Just the girls
The manly men

not quite what they had in mind . . .
success!

the whole gang


all the boys trying to get Jack to look at the camera


Friday, June 11, 2010

jukebox hero

Well my first day really working at the guitar has yielded some fruit!

I started by googling guitar lessons and found a few online tutorials that walked me through some basics.

I first learned Scarborough Fair, using just two chords (e minor and a minor). Since about noon I've been working on Blackbird (Beatles) and Blowin in the Wind (Bob Dylan).

So far so good! I am loving my new summer hobby (and hopefully the baby will be born with super musical powers)!


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

mid-week moments

Wednesday: the middle of the week. Sometimes a great reminder that the weekend is on the horizon, and sometimes a dull day halfway to nowhere.

Today was one of those rose-colored Wednesdays. I woke up early and refreshed. I had enough time to pack lunches before McKay and I left for work/teaching. I got done teaching early. I watched The Office while I made dinner for a woman who just had a baby (love being in a family ward) and chatted Philippines with her husband who is Filipino. Then when I got home McKay and I cuddled up on the couch for a bit . . . and woke up 3 hours later around 9 pm! We heard a thunderstorm while we dozed. It was one of those fun spontaneous moments that I'm sure we'll have fewer of when our little tyke comes along.

In other news, I've decided to take up the guitar this summer. And the organ.

My home ward building has a sweet old pipe organ that just got some costly upgrades and there hosting a free 5 week organ clinic. Guess who is going to be the next Linda Margetts/JS Bach? Me.

Also I've commandeered the little nylon string guitar that has been through all my brothers so I can become the guitar hero I've always dreamed of being.

We'll see how these musical endeavors go. Stay tuned.

Monday, June 7, 2010

one year!

This past weekend McKay and I celebrated our first anniversary! It's funny how quickly time has passed and how it didn't seem like it was time to celebrate the momentous first anniversary yet. We celebrated by doing lots of low-key, fun things over the weekend.

We started by getting massages on Friday evening (courtesy of the in-laws graduation present, thanks guys!). We went to Sego Lily spa and got wonderful treatment. I just wanted to fall asleep and breath those delightful aromas all evening! After our massage we treated ourselves to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

On Saturday we played various games: starting with a game I like to call "WWII Bomber". I made it up. It started out as an innocent game of paper-airplane flying and ended with us turning all four burners on our gas stove on high and flying the planes into the flames! They crashed and burned. It was fun.

Next we made up a 2-player version of Pictionary to hone our skills for the next time we go head-to-head with someone. We spent most of the day doing that. When we were all pictured-out we got some dinner, bought a frisbee at wal-mart and played outside until dark.

Sunday was our actual anniversary. I celebrated by playing the organ at church for the first time! The usual organist was out of town and asked if I was up to the task. So I picked the easiest hymns I could find and played - pedals and all! It was pretty cool. We got the news of our newest nephew during church (yes I was texting from behind the piano in primary) and headed to the hospital after church. You can read all about that adventure here.

After returning home, we enjoyed long naps, dinner, and some more games. Pictionary, Rummikub and probably our greatest achievement of the weekend: Spisbee.

Spisbee is an adventurous obstacle course type game that is played with frisbees, spoons, and various household objects. Here's how it goes (feel free to skip to the end if you can't handle it)
I Start by throwing the frisbee through the Poang footrest (in the living room).
McKay retrieves the frisbee with a spoon and hands it back to me without using his hands.
I toss the frisbee from my spoon to McKay who has to catch it with one hand.
He then has to throw the frisbee at an empty coke can which is balanced on a tower of stools (in the hallway).
Then I pick it up with a spoon and have to throw it up over the bannister to the upstairs landing (with the spoon).
Both of us run upstairs (oh yes, this whole thing is being timed) and have to make two consecutive passes of the frisbee from spoon to spoon.
Then I run downstairs, McKay drops the frisbee from his spoon and I have to catch it one floor below (this was a tricky part!!).
Then I throw it back to him, he rolls it down the bannister to me. Then I start it rolling it down the rest of the bannister - and here's the hardest part - and run down to the bottom to catch it before it hits the ground. Whew!
Then I toss the frisbee through the balanced stools for McKay to catch on his spoon.
The last step comes full circle as McKay throws it from his spoon in the hallway back through the Poang foot rest in the living room.
20 minutes later we were pretty proud of ourselves and a legendary Thomas family game had been born.

It was a great weekend!