Graduation

Time for another blog entry of an event that happened a long time ago!

Bryan's Graduation! July 18, 2008

~Bryan's parents and two sisters drove down to celebrate graduation and to help us move out of our apartment. They helped us out a great deal and it was a blast having them here. Since our apartment was so small, we had another apartment (our new one) where his family could stay. We were high rollers and had 2 apartments! 

Since I wasn't graduating until December and since Bryan was going to be away from me and probably wouldn't be able to come to my graduation, I walked with him. I wanted us to walk together anyways so it worked out well.

Here we are at the banquet 

Here we are smiling for the camera. We were 

running late due to some last minute tenant 

check outs and since parking is really non-existent

we had to run all the way to the MC. I was so 

exhausted and sweaty by the time we got there

and I'm pretty sure my make up melted off my face 

so just look at how good Bryan looks!

  

Here we are at Commencement. (Sorry the 

picture is a little blurry). It was so hot in there 

I felt like I was going to die. (We're in the middle

just in case it was hard to tell).

 

I think the heat took a toll on Bryan's dad! 

(Do we know that guy (that's looking at us)

in the background?)

Another blurry picture of us on our way to move

up closer to the stage. 

Here's a cute picture of mom and dad Winston!

Bryan and I waiting to receive our diplomas

After Graduation-we did it! 

Well Bryan did anyways. 

Congratulations!!

Happy Day!

WE'RE BACK! Since we have been out of town for a couple of weekends and since we had graduation and moving apartments, we haven't been able to update our blog. Then once we got settled in our new apartment (which is still in progress) our internet stopped working so it has been a fun summer! Well we will start with the 4th of July!

We went and visited Grandma and Grandpa Winston in Boise and had a little BBQ with Grandpa Winston's siblings!















Here we are in the backyard enjoying the shade
away from the hot sun!
















Grandma Winston and Aunt Linda
















Don't ask what happened to this cat because we have no idea but we HAD to get pictures!
(I think it's supposed to be a lion but...)
















Here are the Lame-o fire works we saw
















Here we all are eating Chinese food! Grandma and Grandpa are so cute!

CAMPING

A new week and new post. This one I'm afraid is going to be rather lame, at least if you check it tomorrow. It seems like we are making a habit of posting something on Sunday and then updating it during the week to make it more interesting. So check out our past blog posting to be sure to you haven't missed anything. Don't have super high expectations though, the changes aren't usually that big, normally we add a picture or two or if it is like last week we added some more text. Anyway...
This weeks blog is going to be about our camping trip. Finally the weather has been decent enough and we were able to muster up some free time. We went with our dear friends Dustin and Cassie. They are the best! Props to them for being able to put up with us so much. This outing was a much anticipated adventure. We had talked about camping long before the snow had melted off the ground. However, this was probably one of the shortest camping trips I (Bryan) have ever been on. We didn't leave till about 7:30 and I had to be at work by 8:30 the next morning. Never-the-less it was fun. We left so late because Rachel and I had been invited to a Luau the Business and Communication department was putting on. It was fun but I was expecting more festivities and not so much food. I guess it didn't help that we left a early. They fed us first and then the entertainment came latter. From where we were sitting we couldn't really see and besides, we were eager to go camping so we left. We went home grabbed our stuff and met Cassie and Dustin and we were off. The plan was originally to camp at Beaver Dick Park. That plan was changed about two minutes after arriving. I have never seen so many mosquitoes in my life! It was ridiculous. Everyone but me, I believe, got at least one mosquito bite. I managed to go unbitten partially with luck and partially cause I was slapping my skin like a raving mad man. I hate mosquito bites. Anyway, we decided to go camping somewhere farther less appealing to those annoying bloodsuckers. We ended up camping near a place known as the crack. It was a pleasant enough place. It was fun to chat around the fire. I tried to sneak up on Rachel to scare her after I went off to take care of some business but she knows me too well and figured when I didn't show up for a while that I was trying to sneak up on her. Bummer, she was right and I failed, despite the help Dustin was giving me by trying to keep the girls distracted from the cracking sticks behind them. Well, after filling our tummies with hotdogs and s'mores we called it a night. It got a little chilly and the ground was not exactly a mattress but it was still a pretty good nights sleep at least for me, Rachel said she could of had a better night though. We woke up around 6:30 and about 7:00 I started making breakfast. We had scrambled eggs and sausage. I made it on Dustin and Cassie's handy camping stove and platter. Its an investment I think Rachel and I will make in the near future hopefully. Moving on, breakfast was good and by 7:50 we were all on the road back home and then it was off to work for me. Work was kind of a pain. I was tired and I didn't get much done. Granted I was doing some stuff I don't do real often on my own but I still should of gotten more done. I was relieved when it was time to go home. At home, I had a couple of hours before Iron Man. That was our plan for the evening. We went and saw it with Dustin, Cassie, Amanda, and one of Amanda's roommates. It was a pretty good movie. I am definitely looking forward to its sequel. Well that about sums up our weekend of fun. I'll try and get some pictures posted before the end of the week.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Story

This story is one of my favorites. I know it as the Chocolate Chip Cookie Story, My Mom told it to my family for FHE one night when I was a kid. I found a copy at this website: http://www.sugardoodle.net/Sin/Tragedy%20at%20Rayad.shtml

I thought I would post it here on our blog so that others can benefit from it. You can also find this story in Ardeth Kapps book, I Walk by Faith.

Tragedy at Rayad

(R.A.Y.A.D.) is an acronymn for: Righteous Active Youth Aren't Deceived -
This excellent teaching story and parable was shared by Ardeth G. Kapp,
former president of the General Young Women's Organization)



Handout idea: Give this story along with some chocolate chip cookies

---

Once upon a time there was a little kingdom called Rayad. The tiny people who inhabited this kingdom were call Rayadites. They lived happily, sharing and caring about each other. Life was good to them. There were only a few things they needed to watch out for; for instance, chocolate cake or wearing the color red. If any Rayadite ever ate chocolate cake or wore red, his spirit would become weakened, and he would care less and less about himself and the rules of the kingdom.

Also living in this tiny kingdom was Zynock, an evil person who wanted to destroy the kingdom and all of the people in it. He hated for them to be happy and loving, for that made it harder for him to influence them. He knew what weakened their spirits and made them easier to capture. But Zynock also knew that he could not just offer the Rayadites chocolate cake and have them devour it - they were not that foolish! Nor could he make the most wonderful garment in bright red and expect them to wear it immediately. The Rayadites wanted to be good and strong. They had promised each other that they would help and strengthen each other in time of need. So how could Zynock weaken this people? How could he get them to succumb to him so that he could destroy them and thus the whole kingdom?

"Let's see," he said, "I can't get them to eat chocolate cake right off, but maybe I can get them to develop a taste for chocolate."

That's when chocolate chip cookies were introduced to the kingdom of Rayad. At first the cookies were ignored and scoffed at. Then some commercials and billboards were produced that showed handsome, wonderful-looking Rayadites eating chocolate chip cookies. And nothing happened to them, except they became more popular and sophisticated - at least that's what the message conveyed on the screens and billboards.

It wasn't long before a few Rayadites could be seen eating a chocolate chip cookies every now and then, and they seemed to be doing fine. They were still loving and caring and hadn't changed at all - so it seemed. So more and more Rayadites began eating the cookies. What they didn't realize was that the portion of chocolate chips in each cookie had been doubled. They were getting a double dose of chocolate, disguised in the cookie. You'd hear phrases like these: "That cookie is really good except for a couple of places where it tastes pretty chocolatey. But don't miss the cookie just for those two places. It's too good a cookie, and you can overlook the taste." "I heard that one of our friends has eaten a chocolate chip cookie, and she says it's nothing to be afraid of. It won't ruin your life if you eat it."

That was true: lives didn't seem to be ruined by chocolate chip cookies. Things were pretty much the same as usual. However, some of the teachers and leaders and parents in Rayad suggested avoiding the cookies because tastes for chocolate were being developed.

"Avoid the cookies?" came the cries of surprise. "What for? What's wrong with them? They're not chocolate cake! How stuffy can you get?"

Some who refused to eat the cookies were even laughed at and made fun of. Zynock himself started chuckling. He had no idea his plan would work so well. And Zynock was patient. He didn't care how long it took to destroy Rayad, just so it was destroyed.

Chocolate chip cookies seemed to be moving pretty well. Zynock didn't worry about the words of caution and counsel from the leaders, because his commercials and billboards were so exciting and enticing. He had to make them that way, or the truth of the leaders would have swayed the Rayadites away from the cookies.

Now it came time to introduce a new product of destruction. No, not chocolate cake, not quite yet. Rather, Zynock began advertising spice cake, white cake, yellow cake, carrot cake, any kind of cake but chocolate - but all with chocolate frosting, rich chocolate frosting. More commercials, more billboards, a few songs to hum and sing all day about how wonderful chocolate cake would be, although they're not eating it - yet! Get them thinking about it before they will actually succumb. Then in the kingdom of Rayad, you could hear:

"Have you tried that yellow cake with chocolate frosting?"

"Well, no. Is it good?"

"Oh, yes! Granted, it is chocolatey, but it's not chocolate cake. And it really doesn't have much more chocolate than those cookies we've been eating!"

"But the cake doesn't seem right. I mean, cookies are one thing, but cake?"

"Ah, come on! The important thing is the chocolate, and this is no more than you've already been eating. Everybody's eating it. You can't pass it up and be the only one left out."

In the meantime, the songs were subtly strumming away in the background, singing the praises of chocolate cake. Right, the words were not good, but the beat and the rhythm were so cool that many Rayad's listened just for the music. After all, what can music do?

Zynock began thinking again: "One thing that strengthens those Rayadites is when they are together talking to each other. What can I do about that?" Then he reasoned, "Well, it's all right for them to be together. In fact, maybe there is some way I could use their gatherings and parties for my purposes. Aha! I've got it!"

So parties in Rayad began changing. Instead of the Rayadites talking to each other and playing games so they could get to know one another and share their strengths and talents, a new trend began. Everyone who was anyone had the new kinds of parties.

"Have you been to a party over at our Rayad friend's place yet?"

"No, I haven't."

"You should go. It's really cool!"

"Oh? What do you do?"

"Well, it isn't like any other party you've been to. It's pretty cool. All you do is go and sit down and watch stuff on the screen."

"Stuff on the screen? Like what?"

"Oh, exciting, scary stuff that's pretty good. There are a few scenes showing people eating chocolate cake, but no 'biggy.'"

"People eating chocolate cake? But..."

"Oh, it's not bad, and besides, there's nothing anymore without a little bit of that. It's just fun to get together with your friends."

So Zynock stood back and watched his plot unfold. "Let's see now. They're eating chocolate and they're eating cake. They're listening to songs and watching movies about chocolate cake. They're becoming weaker and weaker, although they're not even aware of it yet because they haven't actually eaten it - yet! They are falling into my trap! They think their leaders and parents are square and stuffy. It's very helpful when their friends tell them what I want them to hear. Friends are my greatest asset!"

"Hey!" says a friend Rayadite, "have you seen the latest movie?"

"No," comes the response. "I thought it was C-rated, for chocolate."

"No, it isn't. It's R-rated for Red. There's no chocolate in it."

And so Zynock continues his plotting - this time a gorgeous garment, but not in red...yet. It's a luscious pink color.

This story....

Rigby Lake

I am so excited, and all y'all should be too. We are in for a special treat this week. Rachel is going to be the author of this weeks blog! Yippee!

It was a hot Saturday and I had spent the day doing trying to finish my homework but to no avail. Bryan had spent the day at work. We were ready for a break so when Dustin and Cassie called and suggested we have a barbecue at Rigby Lake, we dived at the chance. We grilled hamburgers on the Arbogasts sweet little grill (well Dustin did the work) but not without problems. No one had a lighter and so it looked like we were going to eat raw hamburgers or nothing at all. GROSS! Dustin asked the people next to us if they had a lighter and the lady said, "we're trying to be healthy" (do I look like a smoker?!) the husband laughed and got him one. Awkward! Then we started our grilling and enjoyed our delectable burgers. After that we made our way to the water. We never really got in other than getting our feet wet. We were on the rocky beach so we just sat down like little kids and skipped rocks! There was a bunch of skumish stuff where the water met the "sand" aka rocks and so when Bryan threw in a big rock and splashed some of us Dustin yelled, "I think I just got AIDS!" It was pretty funny. Even though we didn't get in the water, we had fun sitting on the rocks and skipping them into the water! We felt young again! ("Not that any of us feel old especially Bryan who is the most wise of them all" -Bryan)

Bryan dying to run and jump in the
cool water on a hot day


Dustin and Cassie eating their "home made"
hamburgers!



Me eating our "fake"-store bought- hamburgers



The men scoping out the perimeter

So its Sunday, the day I committed to updating our blog, and I have no idea what I am going to post yet. I asked Rachel if she would do the blog this time but she wasn't able to get around to it. As a result, here I am writing random jibber jabber in an effort to at least develop a habit of updating this blog even if the content is not the best. I just checked the photos on the computer hoping to find some recent ones to give this blog some flare and help develop a theme. Unfortunately, I haven't been doing well keeping the photo library very up to date. However, in honor of the snow we received this past week I have included a picture of Rachel and I having some fun sledding. Just so that you all don't get confused, this picture was taken at the end of January, not earlier this week. I posted this one because we don't have one of the snow this week. The snow wasn't that bad here, although in Idaho Falls I was told it was heavy enough that there was a layer of white everywhere. I wouldn't of believed it but one morning I saw a car pull in to the parking lot behind us with a bit of snow cover. Crazy, I know, but to add to the crazyness I ought to mention the sunburn I got from the scorching sun yesterday. I will have to post pictures of that later if. Yes indeed, the crazy weather of Rexburg left us shivering at the begininning of the week and sun burnt at the end. This upcoming week is forcasted to be nice and toasty and bright. We will see though. Well, I think I have here a decent posting. I think I am going to call it a night. Thanks to all who visit our little blog here. We are very greatful for all the comments we received on our first posting. Please keep them coming. Feel free to give us feedback as well as suggest ideas that we can create as post.

Well, so we don't get in a lot of trouble for not updating like we said we would today we are am adding this little snippet. We will add to it later and make it more interesting.