Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
7/12/09 6:05 PM
Lesley and I have gone on many adventures lately. The summer has brought many dry days. We went 29 days without any rainfall. It was nice, but weird at the same time. Before I get into my spill, I wanted to wish my momma a Happy Birthday. It was yesterday. (I hope she enjoyed my hand-drawn card)
For the 4th of July, Lesley and I made plans to go to La Push, Washington with Lesley’s mom and her co-worker Christi. It is the very northwestern-most part of the state. It also happens to be the place where Twilight was filmed. The place has become a holy place to the Twilight readers. People are regularly making pilgrimage to this itty-bitty town. We stopped at a hamburger joint in Forks and I got a “Bella Burger.”
La Push is on or near an Indian reservation. Fireworks are legal on the “rez.” Consequently there were tons of little Indian kids shooting off fireworks. We camped right on the beach. The next morning we spent about 4 hours surfing. The waves were awesome. It is my new favorite place to surf. It is second only to Hawaii. Lesley and I have also surfed together on Huntington Beach, Ca, and Westport, Wa.
This weekend, Lesley and I went camping with some friends from the ward. We went to some church property in Arlington, Wa, about an hour and a half north. There we again camped on the side of a river. Saturday morning, we woke up and went for a swim in the freezing river. The swim only lasted about 5 minutes. We quickly drove home and got ready to travel to eastern Washington. Once we crossed over the Cascade mountains, it looked exactly like Utah landscape. A hot, dry desert. We went with Lesley’s mom, dad, and Christi to the Coldplay concert at the Gorge. It was the most beautiful outdoor amphitheater I have ever been to.
We ended up getting home at 3am this morning.
I am headed to Utah this coming Saturday, the 18th. It is going to be so much fun seeing my family and friends. Lesley will arrive on the 24th. My family and Lesley will be going to a Bees game and watching fireworks. We will head to Lake Powell on the 26th for the following week.
So that means that I have to really crack down on homework this week so I have nothing hanging over my head while I’m on vacation.
Luego!
Lesley and I have gone on many adventures lately. The summer has brought many dry days. We went 29 days without any rainfall. It was nice, but weird at the same time. Before I get into my spill, I wanted to wish my momma a Happy Birthday. It was yesterday. (I hope she enjoyed my hand-drawn card)
For the 4th of July, Lesley and I made plans to go to La Push, Washington with Lesley’s mom and her co-worker Christi. It is the very northwestern-most part of the state. It also happens to be the place where Twilight was filmed. The place has become a holy place to the Twilight readers. People are regularly making pilgrimage to this itty-bitty town. We stopped at a hamburger joint in Forks and I got a “Bella Burger.”
La Push is on or near an Indian reservation. Fireworks are legal on the “rez.” Consequently there were tons of little Indian kids shooting off fireworks. We camped right on the beach. The next morning we spent about 4 hours surfing. The waves were awesome. It is my new favorite place to surf. It is second only to Hawaii. Lesley and I have also surfed together on Huntington Beach, Ca, and Westport, Wa.
This weekend, Lesley and I went camping with some friends from the ward. We went to some church property in Arlington, Wa, about an hour and a half north. There we again camped on the side of a river. Saturday morning, we woke up and went for a swim in the freezing river. The swim only lasted about 5 minutes. We quickly drove home and got ready to travel to eastern Washington. Once we crossed over the Cascade mountains, it looked exactly like Utah landscape. A hot, dry desert. We went with Lesley’s mom, dad, and Christi to the Coldplay concert at the Gorge. It was the most beautiful outdoor amphitheater I have ever been to.
We ended up getting home at 3am this morning.
I am headed to Utah this coming Saturday, the 18th. It is going to be so much fun seeing my family and friends. Lesley will arrive on the 24th. My family and Lesley will be going to a Bees game and watching fireworks. We will head to Lake Powell on the 26th for the following week.
So that means that I have to really crack down on homework this week so I have nothing hanging over my head while I’m on vacation.
Luego!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
6/6/09 9:50 PM
I have a whole bunch to write about today. Lesley and I have been on a lot of adventures lately. Every weekend for the last three weeks, we have been away from home. (This is one of the reasons I have been a slacker and have not called my momma for a while….sorry momma! I love you!!!) Lesley and I went camping over Memorial Day weekend. Last weekend we went to Seaside, Oregon. And today we were in Poulsbo and spent the day sailing.
Our Memorial Day camping trip was a lot of fun. We went to Lake Wenatchee in central Washington. It was a couple hour drive across the Cascade mountain range. We found a place to camp in a book I bought Lesley for her birthday. The book is called “The Best Tent Camping in Washington.” The camping place was off the beaten path in a really secluded part of the forest. We arrived in the dead of night. We set up our tent and went to bed. (I’m surprised we were able to sleep after seeing signs that said “BEWARE of Bears.” We awoke to see what a beautiful place it was. We camped pretty close to a river that fed into Lake Wenatchee. We walked around and found beautiful overlook views of the river. I would take Lola into the woods to help me find firewood. Lesley and I were able to get Lola to get in the water up to her belly. I don’t know how she did it because the water was ice cold. I tried standing in water below my knees and I almost died of frostbite. Another highlight of this trip was visiting Leavenworth, a small alpine Bavarian village.
Our trip last weekend was also a lot of fun. It felt as though we had gone back in time 9 months to our honeymoon. I took a day off work and we headed down the Oregon coast to Seaside. Lesley’s parents had reserved a couple condos at the Wyndham resort in Seaside. A couple of Lesley’s sisters and their families came from Utah and California to be with us. It was a lot of fun playing uncle that weekend. We went to Tillamook, OR and toured the cheese factory again. We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the swimming pool. Lola loved running around on the beach and getting in the cold water. She also enjoyed playing in the sand and meeting other dogs. Lesley fell asleep on the beach and got a good sunburn on the back of her legs. Lets just say she struggled to walk the next couple of days. It looks like she is wearing really high red socks.
Today Steve, Tyler, David, and I spent the day sailing in Poulsbo. It was my first experience ever sailing. It was tons of fun. It was an overcast day but there was a good amount of wind. We raised the sails high and hoped the wind would blow in a constant direction. We had to weave our way through the water, changing the direction of the sails in order to propel the boat. There were times that I thought we were going to tip over because we were leaning 15 to 20 degrees. I learned a lot about how to sail and direct the boat. It is a great feeling to get out there and be pushed by the wind. I wouldn’t mind having a sailboat in the future. Taking a few weeks off work and sailing to ports along the coast.
Well, I’m pretty tired and a little sunburned. I better get to bed.
Oh, PS…I’m excited to go to the 311 concert on Monday with some friends!!!
I have a whole bunch to write about today. Lesley and I have been on a lot of adventures lately. Every weekend for the last three weeks, we have been away from home. (This is one of the reasons I have been a slacker and have not called my momma for a while….sorry momma! I love you!!!) Lesley and I went camping over Memorial Day weekend. Last weekend we went to Seaside, Oregon. And today we were in Poulsbo and spent the day sailing.
Our Memorial Day camping trip was a lot of fun. We went to Lake Wenatchee in central Washington. It was a couple hour drive across the Cascade mountain range. We found a place to camp in a book I bought Lesley for her birthday. The book is called “The Best Tent Camping in Washington.” The camping place was off the beaten path in a really secluded part of the forest. We arrived in the dead of night. We set up our tent and went to bed. (I’m surprised we were able to sleep after seeing signs that said “BEWARE of Bears.” We awoke to see what a beautiful place it was. We camped pretty close to a river that fed into Lake Wenatchee. We walked around and found beautiful overlook views of the river. I would take Lola into the woods to help me find firewood. Lesley and I were able to get Lola to get in the water up to her belly. I don’t know how she did it because the water was ice cold. I tried standing in water below my knees and I almost died of frostbite. Another highlight of this trip was visiting Leavenworth, a small alpine Bavarian village.
Our trip last weekend was also a lot of fun. It felt as though we had gone back in time 9 months to our honeymoon. I took a day off work and we headed down the Oregon coast to Seaside. Lesley’s parents had reserved a couple condos at the Wyndham resort in Seaside. A couple of Lesley’s sisters and their families came from Utah and California to be with us. It was a lot of fun playing uncle that weekend. We went to Tillamook, OR and toured the cheese factory again. We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the swimming pool. Lola loved running around on the beach and getting in the cold water. She also enjoyed playing in the sand and meeting other dogs. Lesley fell asleep on the beach and got a good sunburn on the back of her legs. Lets just say she struggled to walk the next couple of days. It looks like she is wearing really high red socks.
Today Steve, Tyler, David, and I spent the day sailing in Poulsbo. It was my first experience ever sailing. It was tons of fun. It was an overcast day but there was a good amount of wind. We raised the sails high and hoped the wind would blow in a constant direction. We had to weave our way through the water, changing the direction of the sails in order to propel the boat. There were times that I thought we were going to tip over because we were leaning 15 to 20 degrees. I learned a lot about how to sail and direct the boat. It is a great feeling to get out there and be pushed by the wind. I wouldn’t mind having a sailboat in the future. Taking a few weeks off work and sailing to ports along the coast.
Well, I’m pretty tired and a little sunburned. I better get to bed.
Oh, PS…I’m excited to go to the 311 concert on Monday with some friends!!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
4/21/09 9:54 PM
What a beautiful weekend it was here in the Pacific Northwest. God seemed to smile down on us as the clouds parted and the sun shone. I want to think that the rainy season is over. I hope you all are enjoying comfortable weather wherever you may be. I can imagine my momma cracking the whip and getting my dad and brother raking the yard and getting everything ready for the summer. I was telling Lesley’s parents that I actually somewhat kinda sorta miss yard work. Crazy, yes! Lesley and I hope to have a little house of our own in the next couple of years. We are anxiously waiting to complete school and start making some money. If we have a little yard, we’ll just send Lola to mow the lawn. (Lola loves to eat grass when she’s not eating her own poop)
Lola is such a cute little beast. She continues to grow and develop her adorable little personality. She is really obedient some days. Some days she just does what she wants. For example, last weekend when Lesley and I were at the Miles’ home, Lola decided she wanted to run under the fence and into the horse pasture in the neighboring property. After eating a mound of horse turd, she decided to go say hello to the horse. Meanwhile, we are all calling for Lola to come back. She walked over to the horse and tilted her head, as dogs do, and stared in awe. She was probably thinking that the horse was a really enormous dog. I’m just glad she didn’t try to play with the horse.
Anyway, the 14th of April was my birthday. I wanted to thank all of you for the presents and birthday wishes. You all, especially Lesley, spoiled me. I had to work on my birthday. But after I got off, I went home and unwrapped presents and read Lesley’s funny homemade card. She made be a pan of brownies with a “P” made out of colored chocolate chips. We got some really good cheesesteaks from a nearby restaurant. We had about a half hour to kill before our movie, so we decided to get a little crazy and try the slots at a casino across the street from the theater. This was our first time ever trying our luck in a casino. We played $10 and won $23. So we came out with extra money in our pockets—just enough to buy some popcorn at the movie. I have no plan on returning to the casino. It’s just a weird and dark environment where people become slaves of a bad habit.
Anyway, we saw Mall Cop, which was a funny show. Kevin James is hilarious. He reminds me of my boy Mitch back home. (Speaking of Mitch and Sarah Perkins, they will be having a little boy in 2 months, and I wish them my very best and send my love. One day, their little boy will grow up and be an aggressive street walker like his dad.)
Lesley and I were able to get away last weekend. Lesley’s parents kindly watched little Lola as we went surfing this last Saturday. We drove a couple hours to a place called Westport--Lesley’s favorite place to surf in Washington. It was a sunny, yet windy day. The temperature was a brisk 62 degrees. The ocean was somewhere in the 50s. We rented some thick wetsuits equipped with hoods and booties. I rented a longboard and Lesley used her own short board. Lesley was fun to watch because she is so good. I often struggle to position myself in front of the good waves. Sometimes it feels like I paddle and paddle, somehow managing to get washed up on the beach. I swim a lot for exercise, but surfing kicks my butt. The water is so cold that when you dive under a wave, it feels like somebody is sticking tons of needles in your face. But once the adrenaline gets going, you don’t notice your cold face or numb hands. Anyway, it was a fun trip and I’m glad I married a girl like Lesley who loves to do things like surfing.
Well, it’s my bedtime. Luego.
(Surfing Westport)
(Beacon Rock on the Washington side of the border between WA and OR)
(This landmark made it into Lewis and Clark's journals)
(Overlooking the Columbia from Beacon Rock)
(Lola's First Hike)
(Lola walked a mile each way next to some steep drop-offs. She likes to look over the edge)
(Some Pretty Scenery)
(On the way back down from Beacon)
(My car. Her name is Ruby. I sold my Xterra 2 months ago)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Happy almost Easter
First I must announce that Lesley and I have known each other for one year now! We met on St. Patricks Day last year. Happy one year honey!
Holy crap! It has been a long time since I updated the ol' blog. It seems to have fallen between the cracks as I've been bogged down with work and school. Over the last month, I haven't seen Lesley very much. For the first two weeks in February, I was in New York for work. It was a really long time to be away from my hot wife. I think it was easier on her with me being gone. She said the house was cleaner and there was a lot more food available to eat. I don't know what she's talking about. Ok, so maybe I leave my stuff all over the house and eat a lot of food. I can't help it, I'm a dirty and stinky boy. (My mom would agree and sympathize with Lesley) My mom always warned Lesley of what she's getting herself into.
Anyway, I took an online class with the U of Phoenix and it was really intense. I spent hours and hours at school in front of a computer writing one assignment after another. All of the writing assignments I have completed would make for one long book. Thank goodness that I have since started a new class that got me back into my regular schedule.
Lesley has been kicking butt at her school, especially in her "pickle-ball" class. Her clinic rotation has moved her to downtown Seattle. I'm sure she will do great and make a good impression on all the therapists and patients there. Hopefully one day she will be able to work at Valley Medical Hospital, a half block away from our apartment complex.
Lola continues to grow like a weed. After two weeks in New York, I barely recognized her. She had some long legs and was missing some baby teeth. Lesley has been finding random teeth on the floor. As for Lola, she had the toothless smile of a hockey player. Her adult teeth have all grown in, I think. Lesley and I have taken Lola to parks to run around. There is a fenced dog park in Kent where the dogs can run around without their leashes. This was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I watched as little scared Lola was approached by big dogs who surrounded her and sniffed real close. I got nervous a few times as Lola was jumped on and growled at. But Lola had fun, I think. We also take her to a nearby elementary school and let her run free. She can fun for a half hour straight and not get tired.
The day I went to New York, I sold my beautiful Xterra, "Negra," to a nice little Mormon couple. The day after I got back from New York, I bought a sweet 2003 VW Passat. Her name is "Ruby." She's really fun to drive. We took her to Steven's Pass. Lesley and I went snowboarding for Valentines day. It was so much fun. It was our first time boarding this year and we are now both going through withdrawals. We both can't wait till we are filthy rich and can have season passes. Until then, we will have to sacrifice.
Last weekend we went to downtown Seattle and browsed the skate/surf shop near the Bremerton Ferry. We then went to the North Face store so Lesley could get another jacket. (As if she didn't have a million jackets already) After that we went to a place called Ivers for some amazingly yummy/expensive fish, chips, and chowder.
This weekend, we are going to Samamish (sp?) in Oregon with Lesley's parentals. Hopefully the rain will shut off so we can play outdoors.
Umm......I think my well has run dry and I'm out of things to write. So, adeu till next time.
Parker
Holy crap! It has been a long time since I updated the ol' blog. It seems to have fallen between the cracks as I've been bogged down with work and school. Over the last month, I haven't seen Lesley very much. For the first two weeks in February, I was in New York for work. It was a really long time to be away from my hot wife. I think it was easier on her with me being gone. She said the house was cleaner and there was a lot more food available to eat. I don't know what she's talking about. Ok, so maybe I leave my stuff all over the house and eat a lot of food. I can't help it, I'm a dirty and stinky boy. (My mom would agree and sympathize with Lesley) My mom always warned Lesley of what she's getting herself into.
Anyway, I took an online class with the U of Phoenix and it was really intense. I spent hours and hours at school in front of a computer writing one assignment after another. All of the writing assignments I have completed would make for one long book. Thank goodness that I have since started a new class that got me back into my regular schedule.
Lesley has been kicking butt at her school, especially in her "pickle-ball" class. Her clinic rotation has moved her to downtown Seattle. I'm sure she will do great and make a good impression on all the therapists and patients there. Hopefully one day she will be able to work at Valley Medical Hospital, a half block away from our apartment complex.
Lola continues to grow like a weed. After two weeks in New York, I barely recognized her. She had some long legs and was missing some baby teeth. Lesley has been finding random teeth on the floor. As for Lola, she had the toothless smile of a hockey player. Her adult teeth have all grown in, I think. Lesley and I have taken Lola to parks to run around. There is a fenced dog park in Kent where the dogs can run around without their leashes. This was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I watched as little scared Lola was approached by big dogs who surrounded her and sniffed real close. I got nervous a few times as Lola was jumped on and growled at. But Lola had fun, I think. We also take her to a nearby elementary school and let her run free. She can fun for a half hour straight and not get tired.
The day I went to New York, I sold my beautiful Xterra, "Negra," to a nice little Mormon couple. The day after I got back from New York, I bought a sweet 2003 VW Passat. Her name is "Ruby." She's really fun to drive. We took her to Steven's Pass. Lesley and I went snowboarding for Valentines day. It was so much fun. It was our first time boarding this year and we are now both going through withdrawals. We both can't wait till we are filthy rich and can have season passes. Until then, we will have to sacrifice.
Last weekend we went to downtown Seattle and browsed the skate/surf shop near the Bremerton Ferry. We then went to the North Face store so Lesley could get another jacket. (As if she didn't have a million jackets already) After that we went to a place called Ivers for some amazingly yummy/expensive fish, chips, and chowder.
This weekend, we are going to Samamish (sp?) in Oregon with Lesley's parentals. Hopefully the rain will shut off so we can play outdoors.
Umm......I think my well has run dry and I'm out of things to write. So, adeu till next time.
Parker
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Smart little Lola
It has been a minute since we have last updated our blog. Most of our attention has been spent on Lola, our new puppy. She requires constant supervision to make sure she doesn't spring a leak or leave poo nuggets on our carpet. She is doing well in her potty training as well as her other training. She sits, lays, shakes, gives high fives, and rolls over. I've even taught her how to fart. Ok, maybe I didn't, but she still does it and they stink. She lets stinkers every time she rides in the car. We have taken her to Petsmart to get shots and go shopping. She likes to play with the other doggies and look at the kitties. We love her very much and are excited for the day when she doesn't try to bite our faces and can cuddle with us on the couch. I give full credit to Lesley for her good training. Lesley is so easy going and calm. I hesitate to do any training because as you all know, I lack patience. (My mom is probably nodding her head in agreement!)
Other than that, everything is going great. I have been working some overtime at my work trying to keep my head afloat during this most busy time of the year. On Feb. 1st I will be flying to Rochester, NY for training at our corporate office. I will be there for a couple weeks and will come back and train the Seattle branch on a new payroll software system for 5 or 6 months. I will do nothing else but train. I look forward to it.
Speaking of teaching and training, Lesley and I were todays speakers in sacrament meeting. Lesley did a great job, but left me with tons of time. I now know from seeing Lesley speak, that I married a prophetess.
Lesley has been back in school since early this month. She continues to commute to Tacoma to work in the clinic. She is making a good impression I'm sure.
Well, I think that's all I have today. I'm going to attempt to post another picture and video of us and our pup.
--Parker
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