10 DAYS

Only 10 days until I get to see Clark again!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh! YYYYEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

I am 100% stoked.

We plan on hiking Bridal Veil Falls though I am not quite sure if it's actually a hike or just a waterfall you can drive up to. I'm crossing my fingers for a hike. And then we plan on exploring the Mt. Timpanogos cave. Thank you, utahvalley.org website for the wonderful recreational info.

Oh how I've missed outdoor exploration.

Any other ideas??? We were thinking about camping on Antelope Island but heard that it is way ghetto and I'd prefer not getting mugged or having Clark's car broken into since everything seems to fall apart on it anyway and we'd like it to last just a tad longer. Although getting mugged in Utah would likely break all the stereotypes I currently hold regarding Utah and the residents therein... I know, I might be a bad person for stereotyping and that's probably why I can't sleep at night. Seriously, I could not sleep last night. And I wasn't stewing over stereotyping Utards (hey, I'll probably be one of you soon enough), I just could not sleep.

It's 6 am here. I've been up since 4. I went to bed at 1:30 am. I thought Faulkner would cure my insomnia around 4:30 but I'm still up. Guhhhhh. At least I made progress on the book and I only have a little over 100 pages to go. I've been working on it for a month now. It only took me 150 pages to get into it.

I'm hitting the benadryl HARD tonight. 50 mg baby. Usually 25 will knock me out. Nope, I need to sleep for at least 14 hours.

In other news, a HUGE congratulations to my sister in law who just became an American citizen and knows more about our country and how it works than those of us born here!!! I'm so proud of you Dagmara! I'm so happy Scott met you by chance in Prague and that you kept in touch with him throughout his first deployment! I couldn't ask for a better sister in law. Seriously, this girl is so generous. And beautiful. And one of the best cooks I have ever encountered. And, well, I just think the world of my brother so I guess they were just destined to be together.


Happy Monday to you all. I am going to get my run out of the way this fine am. I am also going to try to con someone into hanging out with me today. Wish me luck.

Urges to Spend

I miss my husband. I miss his laugh and his moment by moment updates of rating his pain when something on his body hurts. It's a 5! Ok now it's a 7, wait it's a 9.... Back down to a 5. Dang, I miss that. I miss being able to sing and clap along to mini sirloin burgers without feeling like a complete idiot. He's a great audience when I feel like acting like a 4 year old. I miss him making me lunch and dinner and being the house husband and having our home teachers come over and the house being a complete disaster. I miss wasting hours upon hours with him and then hearing him complain that he didn't accomplish anything. I find most everything he does and says to be so endearing its disgusting.

I get bored a lot without him here. I find myself winding up on ebay all of a sudden and looking for items I think I need but really don't need but it would be really sweet if I owned that sick Betsey Johnson dress or that Vera Bradley wallet. And then I find super cute cheap chinese fashion jewelry that I just can't live without. I get really excited and my heart beats really fast and I have to make sure my pulse isn't irregular so I don't have to self diagnose myself with atrial fibrillation. Uggghhh, ebay, you will be the death of me.

GUH. These earrings kill me. I actually have a pair in pink perhaps shipped to me by the same chinese factory. perhaps not. There's a lot of them. Bid: check. Waiting game is on. Why the image is so small I do not know.


Supposedly Betsey Johnson. Either way they kill me. Can't justify the price though so I may hold off if I can.


Why are flower earrings so dang darling to me and that's all I want to buy??


and then I searched citrine rings and then ended up on the Zales website...and I just can't help myself. Please, Clark? Pretty, pretty please? I won't ask for anything else but my birfday is coming up and our anniversary isn't that far off and I promise I'll never ask for an upgraded wedding ring or request a solitaire (I know I've done this at least once) in the future because I love the ring I have sosososo much and you bought it with what you had at the time and you know I appreciate and love you for that. But you know how I love my birthstone.





ok, ok, maybe the citrine ring can wait. but those blue flower earrings are MINE!!

For realies, these yellow shoes must soon be mine. They are so fab and my fetish with yellow shoes might finally come to an end. Again my heart starts to race when I look at these. Yum.


Downeast Basics, sometimes you just get it right. Like with your versatile lace tee shirts. This dress is right on. Nice work. I'm getting a wee sick of polka dots and circles so thanks for doing something different.

An Inspiring Movie

I am a huge fan of documentary films. The other night I watched this movie:



I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are not a runner, it is extremely inspirational and moving. Maybe I am just in an emotional state right now, but I came away from this movie with such an uplifted feeling.

The movie tracks 6 runners ranging from beginner to elite, and their preparation for the Chicago Marathon in 2005. Each runner has a different goal. The elite runners obviously are vying for the win while the novice runners want to finish with pride. It shows the triumphs and tragedies of training and running a marathon, injuries that some of the runners have to overcome. The elite female runner, Deena Kastor, is especially inspiring( or maybe I'm just a feminist). She is an athlete that most female distance runners look up to. It is just amazing to learn how many miles she puts in weekly and how much of her heart she puts into her running (she actually won the bronze medal in the Marathon at the Olympics in Athens in 2004).

Like I said, whether you are a runner or not, it is a quality film fit to inspire anyone. Give it a shot.

Clever

My husband is so resourceful.

Our little grapefruit tree started turning yellow and dead like 8 weeks ago. After a little research on The Google (after all, what would we all do without google?) Clark found that our little tree needed MORE shade and LESS water. So he built a shade over the tree constructed out of an old window blind, cinder blocks, and the window blind string. Resourceful? Oh, yes. Clever? Most definitely. Just one of the reasons why my husband has been dubbed #1 husband in the world ( by me).


Do you have a house like this near your neighborhood? I didn't think so. Clark pointed this out to me a few weeks ago. I wouldn't mind a triple grain silo house, personally.


Gretchen getting comfy in the backyard dirt late at night. Please don't judge our backyard. Yes, it needs help. It is just too hot out to be helped right now.


And getting comfy on the Foosball table. This one takes more adjustment.


In other news, I haven't washed my hair in 5 days. It has a nice sheen to it. I tried to capture it in pictures but the photos don't do it justice. I'm thinking about going for a new personal record. I think my personal best is 7 days. I just thought you might like to know how I am coping with the absence of my husband. Well, now you know.




Also, if you are every at the grocery store deciding between several different brands of chapstick, please do yourself a favor and go with the Chapstick brand. They have never let me down. A couple of weeks ago-right when we got back from the cruise and my lips were severely sunburned-I bought this:



Blistex, I am so disappointed in you. My lips never felt relief, moisture or soothing comfort promised by the product name. Apparently I didn't read the fine print and this product is meant to reduce fine lines and whatnot. But with the name "Deep Renewal" I expected my lips to feel soothed and renewed from the sun. Didn't happen. So save yourself $2.50 and get the good old Chapstick brand chapstick (because, let's be honest here, Carmex just tastes foul).

Marathon Superstar

Hi guys, meet Desiree Davila.



We used to run together





(DMR Madness at Indoor Nationals 2005)



We used to live together





We've been "so punk" (just like Avril) together


We've even spooned.




Des freakin rocks the pavement now. She has become an incredible marathon superstar. She placed 11th in the WORLD at the AIIF World Championships last week in Berlin. Her marathon time: 2:27.53!!!!

Way to go, Des! I am SO proud of you!

Our Super Quick SLC Trip (Belated) and Clark's New Adventure

Let's back things up here a few weeks, shall we? Rhetorical question, we shall, and you have no choice but to either read on or exit this page.

August 5th Clark and I road tripped up to SLC for Clark's very first (and successful) job interview! ( I just want to add my two cents in here: if anyone tells you that health care is recession proof, they are WRONG! Yes, there is a massive nursing shortage and there are jobs available at most hospitals, but those jobs are available primarily for EXPERIENCED nurses. New Graduate nurses barely stand a chance of gaining employment in this so called recession proof career field, hence the reason Clark applied to 40+ jobs in 6 different states and only received calls back from one hospital in TX and one in SLC.) Turns out, this hospital corporation interviewed over 200 applicants over the phone and only invited 50 candidates to come in for an official interview for 10 open positions. Clark thought he would have an "edge" over other applicants because he was coming in from out of state, but it turns out there were applicants who flew in from Washington, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming. We did not expect that. So....when Clark met up with us down on Temple Square after the interview, he was less than optimistic. But..... HE GOT THE JOB!!

I Knew he would.

May I say how proud I am of my husband?! He has pursued and persisted and his hard work is going to pay off! He is just so (pardon my language) damn capable and smart, personable and fun to be around. He was worried because he didn't wear a suit jacket to the interview and many of the other male applicants did...pppppshhhhhhhhh... obviously his personality set him apart.

As I type this he is driving up to Utah passing through Cedar City. Our current plan is for me to continue working down here in AZ until he gets settled, which will be 2-3 months. After that???????? I really don't know. I already miss him so so soooooooo SOOOOOO much. I don't think I can do this for 14 months. We'll see, but I may have to take on a travel assignment up in Utah before year's end. Even though I'll miss him like crazy we both know that this is what the Lord wants him to do right now and this is where he is meant to get his hospital experience.

Let's just get on with the pictures otherwise I might start crying again.

Our 11 hour road trip. Just me and my best friend. I just have to say, highway 89 is absolutely beautiful! We somehow missed the turnoff for the I-15 and stayed on highway 89 for most of our drive through Utah. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't so tired of driving, but it was honestly so beautiful! Mountains surrounding us on both sides... ahhhhhhhhhhh. Didn't have my camera out to capture the beauty, but if you ever get a chance to drive 89, you should take advantage!


Crossing over Glen Canyon into UT from AZ.




80 miles per hour? What!?? Gotta love Utah just for this! This was taken when we finally found the I-15.


We stayed with our good friends, Arian and Karemu Farvin. I heart them.


A tour of the Temple grounds isn't complete without flashing some signs.


So beautiful. I think I am obsessed with old, religious buildings. Maybe that is one of the reasons why I loved touring Europe so much? It doesn't matter whether it's an LDS Temple or an old Cathedral, there is something so serene and majestic about old religious structures.




I just had to seek out this spot where everyone takes pictures with the Temple in the background. Thumbs up for this pic.


I want this house....to live in.


Clark, right after the interview. You can tell he has a lot on his mind.


I made Clark pose with me to get his mind off the interview. He was such a good sport.


And I had to drag him back to this coveted spot.


I'm pretty the Lord blessed us because of this picture.


A quick trip up to Park City. The climate was perfect. I just don't know if I could tolerate the winter.



Group shot!


I wouldn't mind having a massive Rolex clock in my living room....er, yard.


We took the scenic byway 14 from Cedar City to Kanab. So freaking awesome. It was difficult for me to drive and not look at the scenery. Someday we'll go camping up there. Nick and Tally, you guys in?




So Clark is embarking on a new adventure in Salt Lake! Perhaps I will join in that adventure soon as well...

August Cruise Trip!

Clark and I have just returned from a super fun cruise trip with the Tobler family. The cruise hit ports in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. We agree that the most beautiful port was Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. It is an uninhabited island that Carnival cruise lines owns and it is just pristine and beautiful. We had so much fun and hope that you all enjoy these pictures. There's a lot of them so I apologize in advance. I just could not stop snapping pictures. And some pictures are redundant, so again, I apologize. I just wasn't selective with what I posted, I just posted everything.

Our trip started off with a one night stay in Miami at the Viceroy hotel. We definitely suggest it if any of you happen to go on vacation to Miami.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New Nurse

Congratulations to Clark, one of Arizona's newest (male) nurses!



I love you and I'm so, SO SOOOOOOO proud of you!