Santa Monica Pier

We went to California last weekend and had a wonderful time. Our last stop was Santa Monica Pier. We walked along 3rd Street Promenade but I was a little tired of shopping. We did visit the English stores to buy some Cadbury's chocolate and Fox's glacier mints. Yummy! I love English Chocolate. We also walked along the Santa Monica Pier. I just wish they had the $1 bumper cars. That would have been fun. Instead, we watched the fishermen catching fish, a lady writing names on grains of rice, and many people who were trying to earn fast cash. We did have a really nice time and hope to live in California someday. It will definitely be after we have lived in England for a few years but it is in our plans for the future.

Pageant of the Masters

On Tuesday evening, we went to the Pageant of the Masters. What is it? It is "Ninety minutes of "living pictures" - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind." The theme was Young at Heart and we even got to celebrate the Pageants 75th anniversary. It was an incredible show! If you are ever in Laguna, go and see the show. It is an amazing experience.

Laguna/Irvine California

On August 28th, we went to the South Coast Plaza for more shopping. We mainly went to Ted Baker and H&M to buy a suit for Adrian and clothes for Emilee. We had a wonderful time. Dad even made it the three or four hours we were there. Way to go Dad! Also, we ate at Ruby's (in the mall) which is a 50's diner and then took a fairy to Balboa Island. In addition, we walked on the pier but it was a tad bit windy. I was lucky enough to have a hat. Everyone else had wind blown hair.

Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

On Monday August 27th, we went to the Los Angeles Dodger game with my parents. It was Adrian's first Dodger game and he loves baseball so it was fun to go with him. We ate Dodger dogs, peanuts, and icecream sandwiches. We had a wonderful time. However, there were many children sreaming around us but once they left, we were glad. There were many beach balls that got confiscated so it was amusing to watch the people. The game was very close. The Dodgers won 5-3 and we know that it was because we were there.

Adorable Kennedee Roberts

Adrian and I went to California and got to visit Ryan, Ashley, and Kennedee. Kennedee is adorable! She is starting to sit up on her own and can do some incredible ab workouts. I think Ryan is teaching her early so she will be able to surf. Maybe she is born to be a surf babe. We had a lot of fun with her and it was neat to see Ryan as a dad.

In Rememberance of Dave Potter

I found out last night that my friend, Dave Potter passed away. He contracted pneumonia, and passed away Saturday morning on August 11th. I met Dave on my mission in Detroit, Michigan. I was serving in the Ann Arbor area and started teaching him the discussions with Sister Cluff, Sister Seamons, and Sister Olsen. He had been through many missionaries but it was never the right time. We had some of the best discussions and he even had icecream ready for us to eat afterwards. After about six months, I got transferred to Novi. At a Relief Society broadcast, I found out that Dave was baptized. Although I wasn't able to attend, I felt happy for the decision he had made. He has served in many callings, and stayed active in the city council and community organizations.

I was able to see Dave again when he flew out for a general conference in 2001. He was able to get many tickets for all of his "girls." I finally was able to give him a hug. I had always planned on returning to Michigan to see Dave but never got around to it. If you knew Dave, you know what a wonderful man he was. He was like a second grandpa to me. I will miss him dearly but I know that he is really happy with his wife. I know I'll be able to see Dave again but it still has caused some sadness.

Third Year Anniversary

It is official! We had our third year anniversary yesterday. I can't believe it has been three years already. Well, we have had our fun times and our hard times but it has all been worth it. I decided that we would go out to Joe's Crab shack and then to a movie at Jordan Commons. Yes, I was the official planner for our anniversary but I made Adrian drive. He usually likes it when I drive everywhere. I guess I'm the better driver. I had a horrible day at work so I was really looking forward to an eventful evening of the best salmon ever. Well, it actually wasn't as good as the last time so I was a little disappointed. However, we went to see Bourne Ultimatum afterwardsl. It was awesome! If you love action movies, go see it. You may feel sick in the beginning but it is a great movie. I highly recommend it. I didn't have to lean over and ask Adrian any questions so that was a good thing. Well, anyways, you may congratulate us on our anniversary. There will be more years to come.

Christmas is coming...

I just love this picture so much so I thought I would post it on our blog. This picture was taken at the Magic Kingdom in Minnie's backyard. We went to Florida in May and November of 2006. We were able to see Adrian's brother Stefan, wife Melanie, and their daughter Paige.

We used this picture for our 2006 Christmas card so if you didn't receive this picture then you are probably not on our list. It is pretty tough to get on the list! If we don't receive a card or picture from you, then don't expect us to send you one. That is Adrian's rule. Know that you have been warned! Anyway, Christmas is just around the corner and we are looking forward to spending Christmas Day in our small apartment. Adrian is counting down the months and days till he can decorate and believe me he will make sure that our apartment is fully decorated. However, I won't let him decorate until Thanksgiving is over so he will just have to wait. Well, I hope you enjoy this picture.

Rachel Roberts' Baptism

Rachel Roberts was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on August 4th, 2007. She had a huge smile on her face all day. She was really excited to be baptized. I was able to play the opening and closing songs at her baptism. I hadn't played for awhile so I was a little rusty but I managed to get through it. Adrian won't buy me a real piano. He will only allow me an electric piano since it isn't too hard to move so I guess I'll settle for anything. The Roberts had some refreshments at their house afterwards so we were able to visit with family and friends. It has been fun to be around family.

The Fray Concert

Adrian bought me tickets to the Fray concert for my birthday. The concert was on July 31st at the Usana Amphitheater at 7:30pm. We finally got there at around 8:30 due to a flat tire and traffic. We got to sit close to the stage so we had a great view. Isaac Slade dedicated a song to Adrian since he was having a bad day. It was actually to anyone that had a bad day but I like to think that he is buds with us. Anyway, I downloaded a few of their songs on my blog so check it out. Some of the songs they sing are, How to save a life, Over my head, Fall Away, Vienna, etc. You can also check them out on their myspace account. The Fray are a rock/pop music group from Denver, Colorado. They are one of my favorite rock bands at the moment. Anyway, I thought the concert was awesome!