C and C Blog Factory

2011-10-27T10:39:00.010-06:00

So it turns out that I have fallen off the blog band wagon entirely... and even though my last post was called "update central" it is possible this post is the true update central. It doesn't really feel like much has happened since May but, in all reality there have been a lot of changes.

First, we moved! Only a few blocks from our last apartment but, we have been loving this new place. We feel like we have more space even though there is one less bedroom. We have great neighbors, no more walking through a cloud of cigarette smoke to get the mail. Really, this was a great change for us.

This summer I had the opportunity to be on the Girls Camp Committee for our ward. I had so much fun and I love the girls. To my surprise, I was called to be the Young Women's President in July. Yes, I know that may seem like a typo because I am barely even out of young women's but apparently, this is where I am supposed to be. This calling has been challenging for me. My ward is very different than the ward I grew up in but, it seems to be going well.

As far as work goes, Cameron is loving his new job in ICU, this is where he is supposed to be. He doesn't seem to dread going to work like he used to. I was lucky enough to get hired at the hospital too, I am now working on the Medical Oncology floor and I have loved every minute of it. I do miss all my friends in the Alzheimer's unit at my old job but, I still get to visit them every once in a while.

Cameron and I were lucky enough to visit Hawaii again in August. It was so much fun! We are so lucky that my parents have a time-share-like hotel, and that they invite us to go with them.

The Cook's even came out for the Cook Family reunion in July and it was so good to see them and catch up in person rather than over the phone!

Here are some photos of our summer time adventures!!

The Waterfalls at Gunlock for Brittnie's Birthday (Sorry no Cameron, he was working)

Pretending to Fall

Actually Falling

4th of July Firework Extravaganza

Sparklers!

Cameron's New Breakfast- Eggs in a Blanket

Ice Blocking with the Young Women

We took an overnight trip to Las Vegas and stayed at the Golden Nugget on Fremont Street. These are the only photos we have because our camera died. At our hotel, there was an awesome pool with a water slide that went through a shark tank. We also ate at the Rio Buffet, there was so much food and it was all so good!

Our Hotel Room

Fremont Street

The Cook family reunion
Sarah, Alisha and I just before our lip sync to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

Cameron and Braeden being Susan's stubborn Oxen for our Pioneer Day celebration with the Wise's

Hiking in Zion

Maui!!

Our amazing hotel

Celebrating Cameron's 29th Birthday, he got some sour candy and a new swimsuit!

Snorkeling

Playing Bocce Ball

My new friend Sophie and I at the Blowhole

Cool Tree in Lahaina

Duke's Beach House with the Burr's

Cameron and his finished bucket of sea creatures

The Dolphin Tour

My mom got in the water!!

Scenic Photos

In September, Kevin had a work conference in California. We drove out to see him and spent a day at Disneyland! We made a lot of fun memories!

Cameron and Braeden were super excited!!

The Grand Californian Hotel

The Giant Lego Giraffe

The Haunted Mansion

3D glasses Photo while in line for the New Star Wars Ride

Well, that's about all for the Summer of 2011. We look forward to many more adventures to come!

Update Central!

2011-05-31T09:35:00.007-06:00

It seems like the past few weeks have just flown by! Cameron and I both graduated from school. I received an Associates Degree of Applied Science in Nursing, and Cameron received a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. It is so nice to finally feel like I am done with school (I'm trying not to think about the fact that I still need to get my bachelors...) Cameron recently started a new job, he is now working as an RN in the ICU here in St. George. Cameron is one amazing dude, not very many nurses can get an ICU job with less than a year of experience so we are very proud of him!

Giving my speech, yes I had to speak at graduation, and yes it was terrifying!

Getting pinned by my professor, Jane Edwards.

Cameron doing the traditional graduate march. (yes, he is wearing a t-shirt and soccer shorts)

Cameron with his diploma, did I mention he graduated Magna Cum Laude?

We are trying to make this summer a fun one and have planned to go on a few fun trips and to do some fun stuff here in town. Thus far, we have been busier than expected but we have still been able to do some fun things. We have gone on bike rides, a few hikes, and to this new place in St. George called Antigravity. There are just a bunch of trampolines and you jump around. It was lots of fun and more tiring than you'd expect. Our friend Micah even beat the record on the running bungy cord thing and won a free pass!

Here are some photos!

So I really didn't want to put narrations about these photos but, please notice Dan's extremely sweaty back! haha

Angel's Landing

2011-04-19T21:02:00.007-06:00

So I have been wanting to hike to the top of Angel's Landing for a very long time, but every time I bring it up Cameron has some reason why he doesn't want to. My friend Brittnie and I decided that we could just hike it without those husbands of ours and we had the time of our lives!! If you ever get a chance to go to Zion I highly recommend this hike!

The Angel's Landing Peak

Along the Trail

Just before going up Walter's Wiggles, a series of 20 switchbacks. Our photographer didn't really get the switchbacks in the photo... but that's ok.

Almost there...

At the top!

The view

Looking down

It's Been A While

2011-03-31T10:06:00.012-06:00

Oh man, I have been a horrible blogger these past few months. on a side note, I also haven't felt like Cameron and I have done anything that was worth blogging about until now. We have both been quite busy with school and work, Cameron even got "Employee of the Month." They made a little billboard for him at work that has a bunch of photos and random facts about Cameron. Most of the facts came from his list of 50 things that he wrote back in 2008.

For Spring Break this year Cameron and I and our friends, the Sumko's spent a week down in Cancun! We had so much fun just playing at the beach and snorkeling. It turned out that my parents planned to be in Mexico during that same week so we were able to go on a zip line adventure with them. Thanks guys for the tickets! Cancun has a water park, Wet n' Wild that we went to, it was so much fun! We spent most our time in the lazy river and going down the toilet bowl slide. All in all, it was a super fun trip and we hope that we can go back one day!!

Getting ready to snorkel!

Riding the bus into town, blurrying photos- we were moving

Buying some delicious street tacos

Eating some delicious street tacos

Watching the locals entertain their children

Dan and "creeper" Brittnie with a huge pork rind

Wacky shirts, one even said "He lovers me, he lovers me not."

Some local animal life, there were iguanas everywhere!

The view from our hotel room.

Hanging out at my parents' beach.

The Toilet Bowl!!

Our fancy night dinner, they almost didn't let Cam and Dan in because they were wearing flip flops.

Picture in the elevator.

Crazy Drunken Pirate Man Dancing at our hotel

Our "End-of-the-night-debriefing."

Last day at the beach.

Christmas Time

2010-12-29T10:13:00.007-07:00

This Christmas was a a little different for Cameron and I. We both had the lovely opportunity of working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, sort of sad. But, that's what happens in the nursing world. We did get the chance to go up North and spend some time with my family before Christmas which was very nice.

We got to see my dad perform with The Mapleton Chorale at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, which was pretty neat!

We also had a White Elephant party with my family. That was so much fun! We even got a surprise guest visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus! All of the kids were very excited!

Uncle Phil, Colin, and Cameron with their gifts.

Springville was hit with a crazy snow storm and we woke up to about 12 inches of snow. We were able to build this pretty ugly snowman while we were there! haha My mom, Cameron and I picked out a Christmas wreath for my dad. (If you feel confused, I'm sorry, I have 2 dads.)

Cameron and I had to be home for work so our trip was cut short but, my parents still spoiled us rotten with Christmas gifts. We love them and are so grateful for everything they do for us. Growing up, Cameron's Grandpa always took the grandkids out to McDonald's for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning. Cameron and I had good intentions to wake up before work and go to McDonald's but when the alarm went off at 4:45am we both decided that sleeping was a better idea! haha That night, we had Chinese food for dinner (a long standing tradition in my family) and we opened one present that was pajamas. Christmas morning we went to work bright and early. I enjoyed being with all my residents on Christmas, a lot of them had no idea it was Christmas day and when you said "Merry Christmas" they got very excited. One lady said, "the is the strangest Christmas I've ever had!" While I was at work I was able to call my brother Colton, who is in Brazil on a mission. It was so good to talk to him, he sounds like he is doing well and like he's grown up a lot in the past year. After Cameron and I got home from work we headed over to a friend's house for a Christmas dinner. There were four couples total and at least one person in each couple had to work that day and none of us had family around so it worked out. We came home and around 10:00 we opened presents and went to bed so that we could wake up for work the next day. All in all it was a pretty good Christmas. I am so grateful for this time of year and that we can remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. I am so grateful for the Savior and his sacrifice for all of us. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our friends and family!!

This is your reward if you happen to make it through this really long post...

Cameron singing Wooly Bully with Dr. Casillas at his work Christmas party!

Thanksgiving!

2010-12-10T17:06:00.006-07:00

Cameron and I had a great Thanksgiving. We were able to go to Pennsylvania and have the holiday with Cameron's parents. We had an amazing dinner with the Brown's, a family in the ward. I wish I would have taken photos of our dinner, but I always forget... Cameron and I did have the opportunity to walk around downtown Phoenixville. It was cool to see the old buildings and here memories from Cameron's high school years.

Here is the mural that tells some of the history of Phoenixville.

The famous Colonial Theatre that made an appearance in the movie "The Blob."

Cameron and the town.

Eating at the Black Lab Bistro.

Cameron's crab cakes.

While in Pennsylvania we were able to help put up Kevin and Susan's Christmas tree.

We also went to Cameron's 10 year class reunion. It was a lot of fun and Cameron really enjoyed seeing old friends.

Phoenixville High School, Class of 2000.

TJ, Scott, Scott's date, Kevin, Cameron, Cassidy, Brian, Brian's date.

Kenny, TJ, Cameron and Luke.

Us with Lucy and Nate Tyler.

We had so much fun on our little trip and can't wait to go back! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pine Valley Mountain

2010-10-17T09:07:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Cameron and I and some friends hiked to the top of Pine Valley Mountain. It was probably one of the hardest hikes we have done in a long time. It was 12 miles round trip and it took us about 6 hours. The whole hike was so pretty, the leaves were changing colors, the views were amazing, all in all it was definitely worth it!

Here we are at the beginning of our journey, about 1.5 miles in.

A few years ago an avalanche came through here and wiped out all the trees, it's just barely starting to grow back.

The miles mile of the hike was brutal, it feels like you are going straight uphill. The trail is a mixture of loose rocks and boulders you climb over, so your legs are screaming at you to just stop walking. Even with our legs being as tired as they were, it was so worth it! Here is the group sitting at 10,000 feet up, enjoying the view.

The was a family of ladybugs that ate lunch with us, you can only see 6 of them, but down in that crevice there are like 30 ladybugs!

Cameron, sitting on Burger Point

Cameron and I sitting on a cliff, with St. George below us.

The view of St. George!

I feel so grateful that Cameron and I live in a place where we can go outdoors and see all of these amazing places. It is so humbling to see so much of the world that isn't covered in houses, and fast food restaurants. I feel like I need to thank my Grandpa Nilsen, because if it wasn't for him I know I wouldn't love to hike and be outdoors! Thanks Gramps, for taking me on all those hiking/camping trips! I am not sure if Cameron feels the same as me but, I can't wait to do this hike again!

A Utah Man, Sir, Will Be Till I Die; Ki! Yi!

2010-09-29T11:34:00.005-06:00

This past weekend Cameron and I went to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah's homecoming football game. It was so great to see old friends and to finally be able to go to a game. The university's marching band and Crimson Line (dance team) invites the alumni to come back and perform for halftime at the homecoming game. Cameron and I were able to drum and dance at the game. It was so much fun!! Here are some photos!!

Cameron went and played ultimate frisbee with some of his old roommates before the game.

Roman, Ed, Cameron, and Rocky

Warming up before the game.

The stadium!

Cameron, Stephanie, and Tyrell

Trisha, Tasha, Cassidy, and Swoop

The Crazy Lady! Every game after the 3rd quarter the band plays a song from Blues Brothers and the "crazy lady" dances to it. Sorry the song is really quiet, I was on the other side of the stadium when I filmed this.

Crimson Line Alumni, I danced with all of these girls except five of them during my 2 years on the team.

So, Cameron and I just took turns with the camera so we never actually got a picture together! So sad!! On the drive back to St. George our tire blew up! Here are some photos of Cameron fixing the tire, I wanted to get better ones but he kept telling me to stay on the other side of the car... haha

All in all it was a fun trip, we were very glad that we got to see some old friends and hopefully we can do it again some day!!

YEEHAW!!!

2010-09-19T17:07:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we had to chance to go to the Dixie Round Up Rodeo. It was a smaller rodeo than the rodeos I have been to in the past, but it was still lots of fun!! Cameron was a little disappointed that he didn't get to see any cars smashing into other cars (sometimes he gets demolition derbies and rodeos mixed up.)

Here are some photos!!

Buckin' Bulls

Braeden and Cameron

Brittnie, Alisha, and I

Steer wrestling, this one makes me a little sad,I always feel like they are hurting the Steers...

Last Bit of Summer

2010-08-27T17:04:00.006-06:00

So, we didn't have a super exciting summer due to Cameron still being in school and both of us starting new jobs as nurses. But, we were able to take a quick trip to California for the weekend. It worked out perfectly with our schedules and it was over Cameron's birthday which made it even more fun! Here are some photos!

This is the Oceanside Pier. For some reason or another we have fallen in love with Oceanside! At night people line up along the pier and fish, you have to be careful not to lean on the wood railing because you might just put your arms in some nasty fish guts! Gross! We ate dinner at Ruby's Diner (The building on the very end of the pier) and we happened to see some dolphins while we were eating. So fun!!

It was Cameron's birthday while we were there and we decided to make the trip to Disneyland. I thought it was going to be super crowded because it was Friday but, the longest we ever had to wait for a ride was 40 minutes, no too shabby! Maybe, it's because it was Friday the 13th and people thought they were going to die or something.

This is us at California Adventure. Shortly after this photo was taken, I learned that Disneyland has nurses that work there. This has become my new career goal!

3D glasses photos are my favorite, I told Cameron to be silly, he told me that he didn't know how to make a silly face...

Here we are in Tarzan and Jane's tree-house. It could have been a much cuter picture, but I am doing awkward things with Cameron's arm... haha

Here we are moments before going on Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Toon Town fun!

To end the Disneyland photos I leave you with my favorite picture! The $8 spent on the turkey leg... totally worth it!

He we are freezing our butts off at the beach. I don't think the sun came out from behind the clouds one time that whole day!

Even though it was cold we still managed to get some sweet skimmin' in!

So I'm pretty sure we should send this photo to Victoria Skim Boards because it looks like a pretty sweet add to me!

And, last but not least, my favorite photo of the trip: Cameron trying to kiss me, and me shutting him down. Come on Cam, you can't kiss people on the beach, what if someone else sees us?? haha I love ya Cam!

CliffJumping

2010-08-03T10:34:00.009-06:00

Cameron, Braeden, Alisha, Dan, and I went cliff jumping at The Sand Hollow Reservoir last week. It was lots and lots of fun! I am super scared of heights but, I somehow always give in to peer pressure and jump off anyway. I guess if my friend's name was cliff I would jump off him! haha (Jimmy Neutron reference) Here are some photos and we are very excited to go back!

The boys were not afraid and went right for the high cliff!

Me, debating whether or not I'm going to jump.

Me, actually jumping. I did eventually give in and jump off the high one.

Cam and Dan swimming around. Notice the dog just in front of him, his owner is behind Cameron and Dan. I felt so bad for this little guy, his piece of crap owner jumped off the cliff while holding him and then let go of him half way down. The poor dog was built like an English Bulldog and had these tiny little legs that could barely keep him a float. I wanted to steal him away or call the dog police to come take him. It was very sad.

Thanks Alisha for being the photographer!!

Brothers are the Best!

2010-07-21T21:51:00.004-06:00

I always wanted to have an older brother. I think this is only because I had friends who had older brothers and they were over protective of their little sister and for some odd reason or another I always wanted that. Instead, I am lucky enough to have 3 of the best little brothers a girl could ask for! Then after I got married, I adopted 3 more brothers!

Colton- We are like two peas in a pod, I feel like I can talk to him about anything. It seems like just yesterday I was mad he didn't get in trouble for throwing a power ranger action figure at me.

Colin- I admit it, I did cry when my mom told me she was pregnant with him but, my life would not be the same without my little Colin! I am glad you are my little bro!

Bryson- My brotha from anotha motha! haha Remember when you spied on me and my friends and you ripped your chinese pajamas? Good times! Bryson is leaving to go on a mission to France next week, I know he will do great!

Braeden, Clayton, Spencer- You guys are pretty neat, I feel lucky to be a part of your family!!

P.S. Look at Cameron's short hair... oh how I miss it! haha Maybe one day we will be reunited!

ICE BLOCKING!

2010-07-07T20:54:00.006-06:00

So anytime I mention a fun but, sorta of different activity we should participate in, all I here is, "What? That must be a Springville thing?", "Just because they do that in Springville, it doesn't mean it's cool." blah blah blah. Well, I am pretty positive that ice blocking is not just a Springville thing, AND it is an activity that everyone can enjoy! Yesterday, Braeden, Alisha, Brittnie, Dan, Cameron, and I went to a park to eat tin foil dinners. This park happened to have a fairly good sized hill, so we (Alisha and I) thought it would be fun to participate in the sport of ice blocking. Though, this may sound pretty self explanatory, there is a technique that can make it much more enjoyable! haha Really, all you need are a couple of ice blocks, that can be purchased at most gas stations, and some towels. Fold up your towel, set it on the ice block, sit on your ice block, slide down the hill and have the time of your life!

Here are some photos!

Mine and Cameron's attempt at a train...

The end of our train...

Cameron going backwards and forwards!

Dan, being Dan... He also tried to go down the hill standing up... he may have a severely bruised tailbone now...

The Girl's Train

Alisha's perfect form and Braeden's not so perfect form.

Our wet/muddy butts! (Mom, how do I get grass stains out of my pants??)

If you haven't gone ice blocking I highly recommend it!

Summer Time!

2010-06-01T11:32:00.007-06:00

Over the past few weeks since school has been out, Cameron and I haven't done anything extremely exciting, but we have done a few things. Here are some photos

Road Runners baseball game with Braeden and Alisha. It was very windy!

Cameron has had many soccer games. This photo is just after he headed the ball.

We went to Hannah and Sydney's softball game. It was very exciting! Jess and Sarah even got to play!

Emmy throwing rocks into a puddle.

Over Memorial Day weekend Cameron's cousin came down from Provo with his friend Cassie. We went to Zion's National Park. I forget how much I love that place. We went on a few different hikes, saw lots of animals (squirrels, frogs, deer, turkeys). It was a lot of fun! The next day we had a BBQ at this cool park we had never been to. This isn't just your normal park, at this park everything on the playground spins! There are teter toter swings, places to rock climb, spinning bucket seats, a spinning circle thing. It was great!

Hiking on the river walk to the Narrows. We wanted to hike in the river but the water is too high and there is a high risk for a flash flood right now so hiking in the river was not an option during this trip.

This is our friend the frog that we met while doing the Emerald Pools trail.

While hiking to the Weeping Rock we just happened to run into Braeden and Alisha.

The three boys.

I thought it would be a cute picture if Cameron and I were trying to catch the water dripping from the rock in our mouths... Cameron did not agree.

At the park trying to figure out how this strange contraption works.

You're supposed to move your body back and forth with your arms, and it makes you spin!

Dan and Brittnie while riding the spinning wheel!

Cameron did not like the bucket seats as much as some of the others.

We love summer time and we are hoping that there will be many more adventures to come!

FIRE!

2010-05-23T15:18:00.004-06:00

This morning sometime close to 6am Cameron and I were sleeping when our fire alarm started going off. I was so confused and I couldn't figure what was making all that noise, Cameron jumped out of bed and left the room super fast. As soon as he opened the door I could smell something burning. The first thought that went through my head as I climbed out of bed to see what was going going one was, "Crap, did I leave my straightener plugged in?!" Cameron always gets mad when I forget to unplug my straightener because I could, "Burn the whole house down." But, luckily the burning smell was not coming from the bathroom and it was not my straightener. When Cameron saw that I was up he said, "Cass, just go back to sleep." I'm pretty sure I responded in a not very nice tone when I said, "Are you kidding me? You think I can just go lay back down when it smells like smoke and the fire alarm just went off?" We couldn't find anything in our apartment that was burning, smoking or even remotely hot. Cameron went outside to see if it was the apartment below us, it wasn't. Then I realized that our heater had turned on that the vent was hot. Cameron turned it off and decided that we were fine to go back to bed. I was still a little shaken by the whole thing but eventually I was able to go back to sleep.

I hope this isn't a problem in the winter when we actually need our heater!

Graduation Day!

2010-05-06T23:58:00.004-06:00

Cameron graduated from Nursing School today!! It has been a tradition all around the world for new nurses to be "pinned" at their graduation ceremony. Cameron chose me to pin him. It was a good ceremony and a great way to end his journey in the nursing program. I'm so proud of Cameron for finishing this program I know that it was hard and somewhat stressful, especially during these last few weeks. Cameron doesn't really feel like this graduation is that big of a deal because it's just for his associate's degree and he's going to more school anyways but, really it is a big deal! Way to go Cam! I love ya and I'm proud of you!!!

This is us just before I "pinned" Cameron, my camera decided to turn off when I was doing the actually pinning so we didn't get a photo of that part. I dropped the back of the pin and it was pretty embarrassing...

This is Cameron and some of his fellow students, they lit candles (battery operated, because we were outside) and stated the nursing oath.

Cameron and I after the ceremony,

Visitor Fun!

2010-05-06T23:38:00.003-06:00

This weekend Cameron's mom was in town! It was so nice to see her, we haven't seen her since last summer! We were able to spend some quality time together during her short visit. On Sunday, we had dinner at the Wise's and played a very fun/competitive/entertaining game of Catch Phrase. I had forgotten how much I enjoy that game. Then, on Monday we went hiking in Snow Canyon. I had never been there before and it's so cool!! On Tuesday we did a session at the St. George Temple, we ate at the cafeteria, it was super good! Susan even took us to paint cereals bowls, it was a lot of fun!! Even though, it was a short trip we really enjoyed the time we spent together.

Here are some photos from Snow Canyon... I'm not the best at remembering to take pictures so these are the only ones we have...

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-03T14:07:00.004-06:00

For spring break this year, we were lucky enough to be invited to go to Maui with my parents and little brother. It was so much fun!! This was Cameron's first trip to Hawaii and my first time to Maui. We really enjoyed ourselves, we did lots of snorkeling and we were able to see turtles, eels, a squid, and lots and lots of cool fish. One of the coolest parts about snorkeling was when you dove down into the ocean and listened, you could hear the whales singing to each other.

One day, we made the hike to the blowhole, it was way cool! We hiked on this volcanic rock out to a cliff that dropped off into the ocean. When the waves came, the water splashed up through a hole in the rock and created a blowhole like effect. It was super cool!! While we were there we noticed these rainbows and then it started raining. By raining I mean it was a down pour, you would have thought we jumped in the water!! Aren't you supposed to see a rainbow after the rain not before?

This is us after we made the trek back to the car...

We were also able to drive the road to Hana. I really enjoyed this day, not really the driving but I did really like the hiking to various waterfalls and such. Also, if you decide to take the road to Hana, I think it's important to know that Hana the actual place isn't all that neat, but the stops along the way are super fun! We also were able to do some skimboarding at a beach in Hana. That was good because it's been forever since we've been. Cameron did some boogie boarding and was pleased with some of his good rides.

I have always loved watching for deer growing up. In Maui we were able to watch for whales! It was the greatest thing ever. We would just be sitting on the beach enjoying the ocean when all of a sudden a huge whale would just jump up and make a huge splash. We went on a whale watching tour and we were able to see a competition pod! They were so close to our boat, it was crazy!!

Here is a movie of our Whale Watch, it is super neat!

We also, did a lot of lounging around at the beach and lots of eating. We had so much fun and can't wait till we can one day return!! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us!! We love you!

Here are some random photos of our fun!!

2010-04-03T14:07:00.001-06:00

The Bachelor??

2010-03-29T22:58:00.002-06:00

So, I have been a loser and haven't yet blogged about our amazing trip to Hawaii. Mostly I don't want to blog about it until I have photos, since I am horrible at remembering to take pictures I am going to get them from my mom. We have been having technical difficulties, but as soon as I get the photos I will blog about all of our adventures. Until then I have some random stories to share.

Our first bit of exciting news is: Cameron got accepted to SUU's bachelor program! WAHOOZIE! I am so proud of him, he is such a smartie!

I work with some very unique people these days, and no I'm not talking about the residents, I'm talking about the other employees. I work with a few girls who used to be polygamists. Lately, I have had an added interest in polygamy, I think it's because I see them on a regular basis these days, and polygamy is an odd but interesting culture. One girl that I work with is very open about her past, she once told me that the reason polygs don't say hello to you at the store is because, as a whole they think they are better than you so they don't need to talk to you. I worked with her on Sunday and she opened my eyes to a whole new view on the polygamist lifestyle. A bunch of the staff was talking about random stuff when she brought up the TV show, The Bachelor. She went on to explain that she really got into the show this past season, but that it sort of hit close to home. As she elaborated on this, she explained that while watching the girls bicker and fight over the guy, and complain that he was spending alone time with another girl, all she could think of was when she was married to her ex and would have those same feelings about the other women in their marriage. I thought that was so crazy! Can you imagine living in a real-life Bachelor show?? HAHA I just felt like that story was worth sharing, so the next time you watch The Bachelor, you can now think of the everyday life of a polygamist woman!

HAIR

2010-02-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

So, one day almost exactly one year ago, Cameron and I had this conversation...

Cameron: "Hey Cass, I have something to tell you."

I was feeling a little nervous because he had never acted like this before.

Cassidy: "What is it? Are you ok?"

Cameron: "I'm going to grow out my hair, and there's nothing you can do about."

At first I was a little shocked because this was not what I expected. Then, I thought to myself "no way," I'm positive that Cameron will get sick of his hair soon enough and eventually he will cut it. At this point all I can say is, "Boy, was I wrong!"

February '09

May '09

October '09

November '09

January '10

Since Cameron's hair is curly, these photos don't really show all of the growth that has actually happened. Here's one I took today to emphasize how long his hair actually is...

Cameron also said that I couldn't post this blog unless I put up a photo of his ankle. This injury happened on Wednesday during ward basketball. Long story short, a guy took a cheap shot at Cam and now his ankle is pretty messed up.

Ice Skating

2010-02-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

An ice skating rink was built here in St. George this winter. We had a buy one get one free coupon and attempted to go a few weeks ago but, it was too crowded so we decided against it. We finally went last night and it ended up being so much fun!!

I was attempting to go through Cameron's legs...

Here's a Video of Cam and Dan's ice skating talents. I don't think that you can rotate videos... sorry it's sideways!

January...

2010-01-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

So we haven't blogged for a while and the last blog I wrote was somewhat boring so I figured I would let everyone know how our January has been going. Mostly, we are doing school stuff all the time. I feel like I ever do is read from textbooks. Cameron just started his last semester and he seems pretty excited about. I am taking a Maternal Newborn class this semester, which has honestly been the best birth control I could ask for. When the textbook described giving birth as squeezing a softball through a tube sock, I decided that I could wait a while before I needed to experience that type of pain! haha

Anyways, on Martin Luther King Day my parents, Colin, and Tulo came down to St George for the weekend. It was a lot of fun, we went to Zion which is always good but, we also took the drive to Colorado City!! I didn't really know what to expect but I am telling you it was crazy! Polygamists don't finish building their houses (rumor has it that you don't have to pay taxes on the part of your house that's unfinished) which gives the whole town sort of an eerie look to it. Also, the little kids playing in the street ran and hid from us when we drove by. That was pretty odd too. So, the next time you're in St. George I would really recommend taking the drive to see how the Polygs live, it's an experience you'll never forget!!

Hiking in Zion

One of my residents passed away today, it has been really hard for me to watch him decline these past few weeks. I am usually OK about everything and I know not to get too close to residents because they will be going on to the next life soon but for some reason Gray has always had a special place in my heart. Gray was always laughing and smiling, he was just a good guy. He is a cowboy through and through. I know that he is in a better place now, that he is no longer hurting, and that he can remember.

I will miss him so much, love ya Gray!

Lots of fun in 2009

2009-12-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

I decided that we should give 2009 a farewell! 2009 has definitely been good to us, we are grateful for all of the blessings we received over the past year. Here are some of our best memories!!

January:
1/2 Marathon

February:
My little brother performing as a D'Male

March:
San Diego with Courtney and Marc

April:
Coloring Easter Eggs

May:
Our Trip to Nicaragua

June:
Skim Boarding

July:
San Diego with Brittnie and Dan

August:
The Storage Ottoman

September:
We are both in nursing school!! (Sorry, no photos for this month...)

October:
Awesome Halloween Costumes

November:
Thanksgiving with the Cook/Keil side

December:
Christmas with Tudor/Nilsen side (The only photo we took over Christmas, at the Jazz game)

Happy New Year!!!

School's Out For Ever!

2009-12-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well, ok school is only out for a few weeks... But it will be extremely nice to have a break! Cameron and I both had a very productive semester. He finished his 3rd semester of nursing school and I finished my 1st. Cameron is very excited to only have one semester left, hopefully by the time he gets his RN he can find a job. At the moment it looks like he may be commuting to either Mesquite or Las Vegas.

In order to celebrate the end of the semester we planned a fun filled day of soccer, food, and movies! We made pierogies which, according to wikipedia are a dish consisting of boiled or baked dumplings of unleavened dough stuffed with varying ingredients. They are usually semicircular, but are square in some cuisines. We filled our with cheesy mashed potatoes and they turned out pretty darn good!! After our feast, we went and saw the movie Avatar. I'm positive that in our group I was the only one who actually wanted to see this movie, but it turned out to be pretty good. We saw it in 3D and at times a felt a little dizzy so unless you're really a high tech person I would just pay the lesser price and see the movie in 2D.

Here are some photos of our fun!

I forgot to take a photo of the finished product, but they were very tasty and worth all the work! Hooray for school being out! We hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas!! Love you all!

Random Thoughts

2009-12-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

After reading Jessica's blog I felt I needed to also blog about the random thoughts I have been having.

#1 I love my knee socks!! I know here in St. George it isn't near as cold as other places but it is still pretty darn chilly at times. I now have a new love for knee socks. I have always thought that knee socks were cute but now I know that wearing knee socks is a fantastic way to keep your legs warm at all times! I have about 5 pairs and I wear them everyday!!

#2 I love my job! I work in an alzheimer's unit at a local nursing home and I love it there. I am positive that one day I will be in a place like that. The other day I had an interesting experience with one of my friends that I help take care of. I went into his room to ask if he'd like to get in the shower. When I went in his blankets were pulled up over his head and our conversation went like this:

"Hey friend! (I didn't really say friend but for HIPPA reasons I can't state his name) Would you like to get in the shower and get ready for dinner?"

"I can't right now." he sounded a tad distraught.

"How come?"

"I'm prayin! I need to know God and God needs to know me!"

I was surprised by this answer at first because normally this man just goes with the flow but, he seemed really set on praying. I let him pray. Now, as I look back on the experience I realize that my friend had just given me a friendly reminder that, "I need to know God, and God needs to know me."

#3 Last year after Cameron and I returned home from Pennsylvania our ceiling had started to cave in from the weight of rain and snow. We had it repaired but it seems that it still leaks whenever it rains.

It has been raining for the past 24 hours here in St. George...

#4 I love our little Christmas tree! Thanks Mom for all of the Christmas decor!!

Flagstaff Arizona, don't ya know wynonna!

2009-12-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ok so we weren't in Flagstaff but we were in Phoenix! haha. This year for Thanksgiving Cameron and I traveled to Arizona to be with Cam's side of the family. It was a fun week and it was even better to see family that we haven't seen in forever! We played spoons, did some karaoke, went to two movies, ate way too much food, and we were able to visit Ashley. We are so lucky to have such a great family!

I am really good at remember to bring the camera but, really bad at remembering to take photos. Luckily, we had cousin's to document our trip or else we would have no pictures!

Here is Tegan and I reading stories.

We watched the boys play FIFA, a lot!

During our karaoke night they decided that we we go from youngest to oldest and we wouldn't change the cd so you didn't get to chose your song. It made the evening a pretty funny one! Now, I'm not that big of a singer but, I even got up there, but Cam didn't take any photos so I don't even have proof, darn! Here's cam "singing" a jessica simpson song.

Ashley was back in the hospital because she has shingles but we went and saw her everyday while we were in Arizona. She has such a cute personality, we just love her!

I love the photo of her and Braeden, when I was taking the picture she was smiling and just before I said three she grabbed his nose, what a funny girl!

Here's Ash and all of us!

I feel like I need to do a shout out to these three because if it wasn't for them, I would have like 2 photos from our trip!!

Tegan!

Bryce!

Ally!

Thanks guys!

We also had some family photos taken but I don't have those yet I will post them as soon as a get them!

Halloween! Plus Photos!

2009-11-04T00:09:00.000-07:00

Last week here in St. George it was quite chilly, it even snowed a little one morning (no, it didn't stick, but flakes were formed...) On probably the coldest night of the week we had tickets to go see Thriller. I was so glad because I absolutely love the show, I was like a kid in a candy store I was so excited. After we bundled up in our gear we headed to Tuachan.

Even most of the night was spent shivering like this:

We managed to laugh a little like this:

And yes we did get a photo with one of the Zombie like people there to greet you:

As I have mentioned many times before I love Halloween, it's one of and could possibly be my favorite holiday. Every year I try to be something different and I feel as though no matter what your costume is it should be made. I also have a strong belief that either hair or face paint must be used. My friend Brittnie and I enjoy playing a game on the xbox called Viva Pinata. For those of you that may not be familiar with this, it's basically just a fun family type game of friendly competition. The characters in this game are a variety of pinata's, hence the name Viva Pinata. After playing this game we decided that being a pinata for Halloween would be a fantastic costume!

Making our costume:

It was lots of fun, and time consuming but, we enjoyed ourselves.

Cameron decided to reuse a costume that we made together two years ago, I don't necessarily agree with this action but, it is a pretty sweet costume! Basically, Cam was a grim reaper, it's actually some character from Lord of the Rings but I can't ever remember the name.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!!!

Pumpkins of All Kinds

2009-10-25T10:29:00.000-06:00

CARVING PUMPKINS!!!

Look how long Cameron's hair is getting!

From left to right:
Brittnie- witch, Dan- pirate, Cassidy- silly face, Cameron- unicorn & rainbow/ USA

This past weekend we had a girls craft night. The girls consisted of Jessica, Sarah, Alisha, Marci, and Cassidy. We went to the local scrapbooking store to get some paper, ribbon, and buttons. Then, we went to Brick Oven for dinner. We made a last stop at Lowes to get some wood blocks. I'm pretty sure that the guy who helped us cut our 2 x 4 thought we were crazy but, we sure had fun!

We did some sanding.

Also some sawing/ laughing.

Then painting, glueing, more sanding, the some mod podging, followed by hot glueing, and some ribbon tying!

This is what we got!!!

We made some other things too but, those might be Christmas presents so I can't post photos!

Happy Halloween!!

Let the Halloween Festivities Begin!!

2009-10-21T14:17:00.000-06:00

I have always been a huge fan of Halloween! I love everything about it, haunted houses, spooky decorations, candy, dressing up, pumpkin decorating (carving, painting, or vegetable-ing), I really just love it!

To start off our wonderful Halloween fun Cam and I, and our dear friends Brittnie and Dan went to the nursing home where I work and decorated some of the doors in the Alzheimer's unit for Halloween. We had so much decorating! I have received many thanks from the residents family's.

Here are some photos to document out fun!

My favorite door ended up being the ghost door! Hooray for Brittnie and her tissue ghosts!

The boys decorated the spider door but apparently out spiders were too scary and they had to take them down...

Hooray for Halloween and the many adventures to come!

Stuff That Really Grinds My Gears #2

2009-09-23T20:48:00.000-06:00

So, I feel like I'm a pretty easy going person and most things don't bother me for example, crickets. I don't mind listening to the crickets at night while I'm going to sleep. To be honest, I find it somewhat soothing, I've lived around crickets my whole life and their has chirping never really bothered me.

Most people that know me, know that I am an animal lover. I like all type of animals, even reptiles. There was a period of time when I wanted a lizard of some sort but, I could never bring myself to getting one because you have to feed them crickets and I hate bugs and I didn't like how the crickets looked all crowded in the bag. I could never get a lizard, or any reptile for that matter because I would be more scared of the crickets than my actual pet!

Well, in the past few months or so I have learned that in St. George crickets don't just hide in the grass, they are all over the place! And wild crickets are even creepier than the ones in the pet store!! Every night that I work I have to take the trash out and every night I have to walk along a sidewalk that seems to be infested with these weird, chirping, jumping (yes, crickets do jump) bugs! They gross me out and I don't like them. I hope it gets cold soon so they will go away!! For anyone who hasn't seen a cricket in the wild I do not recommend it, be sure to stay clear of the sidewalks in St. George during the months of August and September!!

P.S. that picture may have to come off of my blog because it's totally creeping me out!

The Storage Ottoman

2009-08-16T12:55:00.000-06:00

I am so lucky to have a husband that is easy to please! For Cameron's birthday I decided to get him an ottoman. He always complaining about our coffee table because I won't let him put his feet on it... It has a glass surface and I hate cleaning it all the time. Cameron has had his eye on this ottoman at Target ever since we doing our gift registry last year.

Now, this isn't any ordinary ottoman it has a storage compartment. I'm not quite sure on what the storage compartment was intended for initially, but Cameron enjoys using it for snacks such as these...

I never thought that this little ottoman could bring so much joy to a person, but apparently it does. I received this text message the day after the ottoman came into our home, "I can't wait to go home and use my storage ottoman!" What a goof!

One Year of Marital Bliss!!

2009-08-09T22:53:00.000-06:00

Well, we've made one whole year of marriage! It seems crazy that it's already here. Cameron and I have been very lucky to have such a lovely first year!!

One of our first dates, Friday the 13th in Salt Lake!

Minutes after the proposal at "Dixie Rock."

The wedding day!!

This past year has been wonderful and we plan for many many more wonderful years to come! Love ya Cam!!

My Geeky-ness

2009-08-06T23:50:00.001-06:00

So basically, I have dance for the majority of my life and I will forever love anything and everything that has to do with dance, including the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. I am obsessed with this show, for the past three seasons I have watched it every single week, probably every episode multiple times. Season five ended tonight and I felt like I should let everyone in my favorite dances this season! I couldn't figure out how to put the videos on my blog but here are the links to watch them on youtube.

This first dance was done by Kayla and Kupono, and was choreographed by Sonya (my favorite!)

Click hereto watch

My next favorite dance was by Kayla and Janine choreographed by Mia Michaels. It was the skirt dance, I couldn't find it anywhere so that's too bad!

Then my very very very most favorite dance of the whole season was the addiction dance choreographed by Mia Michaels and preformed by Kayla and Kupono. For some reason the link takes about 15 seconds to start but it works so just be patient! HAHA

Click Hereto watch

If you can't tell I really really liked Kayla, I wish she could have won but, oh well I guess! I hope you enjoy these crazy good dances!!

San Diego

2009-07-29T10:00:00.001-06:00

Over the 24th of July we decided to head out to San Diego with our good friends, the Sumko's. We basically played at the beach all weekend! On the 25th we did go to the zoo in the morning which was so much fun, I love the zoo!

Here are some photos of our trip!

Cameron, skimming at Oceanside Beach.

Cam and Dan posing with their boards.

Saturday morning we went to the San Diego Zoo. Here is Cameron with an otter. Otters are Cam's favorite animal!

Brittnie and I with the Zebra.

We happen to go in the Bug House, it was the most disgusting thing ever! I am super scared of bugs and these were the nastiest bugs I've ever seen!! Here is Dan with one of the creepier of the bugs, I don't remember what kind of bug it was...

At night we would head down to the Pier and people watch. Here are some photos!!

Cam and I sitting on the beach.

Me, Cameron, Brittnie, and Dan on the Pier.

Here are some of the videos of Cameron skimming at the beach. The boys never filmed Brittnie and I but I promise we did Skim and we both came home with injuries on our knees! HAHA In the first video Cameron does a trick called a "Shove It." He jumps up and kicks the board so it spins underneath him 180 degrees. In the second video Cameron is just messing around, this must've been fun because Cam and Dan did it over and over again.

We had so much fun this weekend and we are so lucky to have such good friends to join us!

The Month of July

2009-07-27T10:39:00.000-06:00

This month seemed to be jam packed with family, friends, and fun!! We spent our 4th of July with Braeden and Alisha, and Dan and Brittnie. We had a late night BBQ and watched the St George fireworks. We also had lots of sparkler fun, I think I was the most excited about the sparklers...

Those of you who are close to Cameron know that he is a drummer and he loves it! He marched in a drum line during high school, and at the University of Utah, as well as in a drum corp, which is basically a professional marching band. Well, every year there is a Drum Corp competition in Ogden, and we were able to attend the show this year with our friends Chuck and Heather and their little one, Andy. It was so much fun and I was amazed at how loud and intense all the corps were. I was a loser and didn't take very many photos but at least I took some right?

Here is the Vanguard Snare line.

Heather covering Andy's ears, he was such a good sport!

We also had multiple Family reunions! Cameron's parents and brother, Clayton flew in and we made the drive up North to the This is the Place monument and park. This reunion had all of Cameron's cousins, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd as well as great aunts and uncles on his Dad's side. We rode on the train, made candles and arrowhead necklaces, and we enjoyed a overall nice day outside!

Me, Alisha, and Susan with our matching shirts, the boys were party poopers and wouldn't join in on the fun...

Cameron making his candle.

Alisha, Clayton, and I with our pioneer hats on.

For the rest of the week just the Cook side came down to St. George and stayed at Cameron's Uncle Shawn's and Aunt Geraldine's Condo. We went up to Zion, went swimming at the washington rec center, had a big BBQ, went swimming at the condo, went to ancestor square and played on the splash pad, played many games and went swimming at the condo again. basically we ate and went swimming. It was lots of fun and I was very glad to finally meet most of Cameron's "Cook-side" cousins! My camera freaked out during all the fun so I wasn't able to take too many photos but here are a few!

Sydney and Olivia in the Splash pad.

Living in St. George we have the opportunity to go on some sweet hikes that are close to our house. Our most recent one was to Kannara Creek. It was lots of fun and extremely pretty!

Dan and Cam cooling off in the River.

Brittnie and I before entering the Slot Canyon.

Cameron and I giving a thumbs-up to the Water fall.

And last but surely not least, Cameron taking a shower...

We also went to San Diego over the 24th of July but I don't have all the pictures of that trip and this post is already way too long, so I will have to post about that later! Sorry for the novel like post!!

Called to Serve!

2009-07-04T09:12:00.000-06:00

So this past week I was able to go to my Parents house in Springville to spend some time with the fam. When I called my mom to tell her that I was almost there she informed me that Colton got his mission call in the mail. After handing him the letter she said, "Cass, he got a smile and I got sick." We were all super excited for him, mostly because this is such an exciting time in his life!

That night a bunch of family came over to watch him open his call and to hear the big news!
You can watch him read it on the video, people's reactions are quite funny!

For those that didn't watch the video, Colton has been called to serve in the Londrina, Brazil mission speaking portuguese and will report to the Brazillian MTC on November 18th. I'm very excited and very proud of my younger brother for making the decision to go on a mission!!

Good luck Colton! Remember Casseron loves you!

New Hobbies!

2009-06-10T00:06:00.000-06:00

Summer has been lots of fun so far and it seems that Cameron has found a new hobby! Skimboarding! I feel like this sport is a lot like surfing but without the waves and a lot like wakeboarding except there's no rope and no boat. The water can only be about 3ish inches deep and it's best when there's sand rather than rocks to fall on! Here are some photos from our last adventure!!

Cameron is practically a pro!

I'm falling down....

Dan, Cameron, and I in the waterfall below the dam.

Final Nica Post

2009-05-10T14:33:00.000-06:00

As of right now, Cameron and I have made it back to the states! We are waiting to get on a plane to Las Vegas here in the near future. Our last day in Nicaragua was an interesting one, we woke up on Saturday morning and started our journey back to Managua. There were tons of cops on the road and we didn't really know why. Cameron thought that maybe they were looking for someone specific. Then, we got pulled over, I was a little nervous, but the cop just looked at Cameron license and let us go. We didn't think much of it, then about ten minutes later, we got pulled over again. Like our first experience with Nica cops, Cameron pretended to only speak english. The cop tried to tell us that Cameron drove over the yellow line a little bit and that was a 400 cord fine. Cameron gave him money so he would let us go and we were on our way. We were a little annoyed that we kept getting pulled over for really no reason. After another few minutes we got pulled over again, for the third time!! By now, Cameron was super annoyed about it all and I just kept hoping that we could just make it to Managua and return our car so that this would stop happening. The third cop was a little harder to pay off but eventually Cameron gave him the money. We were about to start going but then he saw our camera and thought we were recording him, the cop sorta freaked out. Cameron tried to explain that it was just a camera and we showed him pictures of our trip and of random stuff that just happened to be on our camera. Finally, he was convinced and let us go. We made it back to our hotel without any other run-ins with the police.

Back in Managua we ate dinner at TGI Fridays which was like a taste of home! Cameron even remembered a couple of the waiters that worked there when he was on his mission. After dinner we headed back to the hotel went for a swim and headed to bed. We woke up early and were at the airport at 5 AM! We got to fly first class to Atlanta and it was great!

Overall we had a wonderful trip! It was so great for me to see the people that Cameron was able to introduce to the Gospel. I'm so grateful that I was able to marry someone who gave everything they had while he was on his mission! We are truly blessed to have a home that has air conditioning, to have a running toilet, to have hot water, and many other things that we take for granted every single day. Our trip was fun and exciting and full of many memories, we can't wait till we can return!!

PS Happy Mother's Day! Cameron and I both got another mom this past year and we are very blessed to them both in our lives! Thank you for all you do for us! We love and appreciate it!

Still alive and well!

2009-05-08T18:57:00.000-06:00

For the past two days Cameron and I have basically just been vegging out. Yesterday we woke up early, rented a surf board for Cam-dog, and headed to the beach. I was a little nervous because we were going to the same beach Cameron went to with Cannon a couple years ago, and it was full of vagos (streets kids) who tried to rob them. Our new friend we met at the surf shop, Marlin, told us that they had cleaned up the beach and there were hardly any vagos now. We followed the owner of the surf shop to the beach, he was taking a group of people out there already. Marlin rode in our car because there wasn't enough room in the other car. Marlin was way cool, he had a spirit about him. The nica's have trouble saying my name, and they usually think I'm saying Katherine instead of Cassidy. Cameron decided that from here on out he would introduce me as Fatima. Marlin was the first person he tried the new name out on. Marlin, was surprised that Fatima was my name but he continued to call me that for the rest of the day. The next day, Cameron went to rent a boogy board and Marlin was working, he said hello and remembered both of our names, Cameron and Fatima.

Cameron and our new friend Marlin

Unloading the surf boards at Remanso Beach.

Cameron and his surf board, he wouldn't smile and look at the camera, because you can only have "action shots."

Here is the random helicopter we saw on our way to the beach.

The next day, we woke up and decided to drive to Coco beach. This beach was much farther away and we had to drive on a dirt road with lots of pot holes but, it was worth it! We were the only people on the whole beach, it was crazy! We played in the water for a while and hung out.

The white sand beach that we had all to ourselves.

At dinner, we went to a pizza place and ordered a BBQ chicken pizza, it had too many onions and I thought the chicken tasted weird. So I had pizza crust with BBQ sauce for dinner. For the record, I only hold my fork like that if I have to cut...

We ended that night with a walk on the beach during a lightening storm. Cameron was sad that it didn't rain, but hey, we still have tomorrow.

Ok I guess this is really how we finished the night....

Nicaragua- Freakin' Nica's

2009-05-06T20:35:00.000-06:00

Turns out the Benson's just had bad luck with bugs and the bedspread, we didn't wake up with any strange bites! This morning was nice and relaxing, we woke up, had breakfast, and made our way to the Isletas (the little islands). We took a boat out and around these islands in Lake Nicaragua. There are about 1200 people who live on the islands, each island is big enough for about one house. It was so pretty, and so green!! We stopped at a restaurant to have a drink, it was very refreshing! Then we made our way back to Granada.

This is Mombacho, the volcano.

On our tour of the Isletas, we visited monkey island. Our guide told us that if we had food the monkeys would have come on the boat with us.

Just being silly.

More of the islands.

After the isletas, we were headed for San Juan Del Sur. As we left we accidentally were going the wrong way on some oneway street. A police man stopped us and in perfect spanish Cameron asked for directions Then the police man asked for our documents, as Cameron was getting the car registration out of the glove compartment he said, "Oh crap, I don't speak spanish." Cops in Nicaragua have a history of pulling over gringos (white folks/Americans) and asking for their drivers license then not giving it back until the driver pays the cop. For the next 15 minutes, Cameron pretended to not speak Spanish, the cop continued to ask for the drivers license and Cameron continued to ask for directions as well as attempt to give the guy 100 Cords. Then finally Cameron pulled out his license and the guy took it to look at it. The cop told us he was going to get someone to fine us for driving the wrong way on the oneway street. Cameron continued to play dumb and took his license back. The whole time the cop was talking to us I was just trying not to laugh, it was so funny. Eventually, the cop got frustrated with Cameron took the money and let us go. Cameron asked if we could take a photo, he agreed but only if he could get his gun. As he ran to get it, I was a little nervous that he was just going to shoot us! But he didn't and we ended up with a sweet picutre and a funny story!!

We were finally off to San Juan Del Sur, the drive was pretty neat we passed sugar cane and banana tree fields. We were also able to get a pretty good photo of Ometepe, the island in Lake Nicaragua with two volcanoes!

We arrived at our amazing hotel, and it turns out that the American guy who owns it is doing renovations and it's actually closed. But, he's such a nice guy that he let us stay there anyways! We had the whole place to ourselves it was the coolest thing ever!

Here is the photo of the Cemetary across from our hotel. Mom, I took this for you! HAHA It's pretty crazy, they don't bury people here, they just build a cement block around the casket.

We drove down to the bay to play on the beach and have dinner. It was fun and nice to just sit and relax for a while. We had dinner at El Globo, Cameron ordered Lobster and I had the best friend chicken I've ever had in my whole life!! We liked it so much so mich even go back tomorrow! We were able to watch the sun set over the ocean which is always beautiful.

After dinner our plan was to head back to our private hotel and swim! We as we drive down the street we notice a bunch of cars parked outside our hotel and wondered what was going on. There were all these nicas on the inside of the fence like guards. We see Mike, the owner, outside and ask him what's up. It turns out these people took over his property illegally and paid off a judge to sign some paper that says they can kick him off the property. It was pretty messed up! Since we had already checked in our bags were all inside our room with the most important thing, our passports!! Cameron walked over to see if he can talk the nicas into letting us go grab our stuff and leave. I was super nervous that they were going to go through our suitcases and find our passports and we wouldn't be able to get back into America. I said a little prayer and with the Lord's help Cameron was able to retrieve our bags. We are so lucky that the situation didn't turn into something much much worse!! I guess that's one of the reasons that there aren't a lot of nice resorts here because people can just pay off the judge and kick the owners off the property.

Cameron and drove back into town and checked out a bunch of different hotels. We found one, it's definitely not as nice but it works, I'm just glad we are safe!

Nicaragua Day 3

2009-05-05T20:48:00.000-06:00

Today was a super busy day like the last two, but still it was so much fun!! Last night we stayed in a really fachento (classy/fancy) hotel, The Real Intercontinental. It was crazy!! This morning we had an amazing breakfast consisting of Gallopinto and scrambled eggs, and lots of fruit! The pineapple here is so good, I feel like I'm in heaven!! HAHA :) Today wasn't the same without Saia and Line, and we miss them and hope that there journey home was pleasant!

First, we went to La Fuente, this is where Cameron lived for six months and Cameron and his companion Justin Su'a were the first missionaries to live in this area. Part of the area was Reparto Schick/18 de Mayo, this is the most dangerous neighborhood in the whole country! Don't worry mom, we didn't go in!

Here is the house Cameron lived in with both Su'a and Jared Benson.

It was the worst house Cameron lived in during his whole mission, rats used to crawl in through the slats in the window. The family that lived in the house next door loved when the missionaries lived here. We got the chance to visit with them and once again they were so excited to see Elder Cook.

Here is El Don, his poor wife is dying with cancer and she is super sick so we weren't able to visit with her.

Next we went to La Union to try to find crespas, with no luck! Sorry Benson!

We made our way to Jinotepe, it was a pretty drive and you could feel the temperature drop the higher we got, it was very fresca! Cameron served as a Zone Leader in Jinotepe with Elder Hirshi. We visited a family that owns a bakery by the church, they were very friendly and excited to see Cameron. Next we visited the Cortez family that Cameron and Hirshi baptized. When Cameron was on his mission he gave Ms. Cortez a hymnal and she told Cameron that while she was at church on Sunday she read the message that he wrote in there and it made her think of how blessed she was that the elders stopped by her house to teach her and her family.

Here is Ms. Cortez and her kids. Cameron baptized both the daughter and the mom, the boy was too young at the time. The other photo is the family's backyard, notice the chickens, they aren't pets...

We walked around the market in Jinotepe it was crazy.

The members were so excited when the church in Jinotepe was finally built, they no longer had to hold church in a member's house. Here is the back patio, this guy didn't want to sell his house so they just built around it!

Next we were on the road to, Catarina. Catarina is in the more artsy part of Nicaruagua. We were able to sit and look out at the Lagoon, there were some Nica's playing music in the background, we ate a churro, and fed some random dogs that wouldn't leave us alone. It was very romantic! HAHA

The beautiful view!

The dogs we fed. The dogs here are gross and dirty, yet I still want to pet them every time I see them!! Cameron doesn't let me, just in case they have a disease or something...

Here is a video of the Nica's and they're music.

Next we went to Masaya, this was Cameron's very first area and he can't really remember the people so we didn't visit anyone here. We went to the market and bought some really neat paintings and a vase. We paid a guy to watch a car and then another guy followed us in the market like we needed help, it was kind of annoying. When we were finished shopping, he asked for a tip, Cameron gave him 20 cords and the guys said that it wasn't enough so Cameron took it back, the guy was kinda mad, but really we didn't need his help so whatever I guess.

There was a funeral while we were there. They put the body in this carriage and walk around town, family and friends of the passed on person follow the cart as sort of a memorial to the person. It's kinda wierd but still a cool thing to see!!

We happened to drive by this Nursing home. I guess this is where I would work if we lived here.

Next, we made the drive to Granada which is where we are staying the night. The next part of our trip we will be doing more touristy stuff, but it should still be fun and we are super excited! Tonight we walked around Central Park and looked at the old architecture. Granada was settled by Spaniards so the buildings are really cool and usually painted bright colors. We ate dinner at a little Italian restaurant, it wasn't true Italian, it was more Latino Italian but it was still good!

Here is Cameron next to Granada's Cathedral.

Here is the courtyard of one of the hotels. The hotel is built around the garden, the hotel used to be someone's house, I want a garden like this in my house some day!!

Tomorrow should be another exciting day in our Nica adventure! I'll try to update everyone!!
Oh and it turns out that we are staying in the same hotel that the Benson's stayed at when Jared sat on the bedspread and got those crazy bug bites, Cameron and I both sat on the bedspread... lets hope we don't get any crazy bug bites!!

NICARAGUA!!

2009-05-04T23:39:00.000-06:00

WOW!! We actually made it to the beautiful land of Nicaragua!! It has been an exciting journey so far! We left St. George at 3:30AM on Saturday and drove to Las Vegas. After boarding our plane we flew to Atlanta where we met up with Saia and Line Hafoka. The boys were so excited!!

Waiting in the airport.

We were flying stand-by and lucky for us, all four of us got to fly first class!! It was so cool and a great way to start off our adventure!! After arriving in Nicaragua they checked everyone for Swine flu and we all passed! We waited at the airport for Hermana Flor to pick us up. Driving back to her house was crazy!! They have stop lights and lanes but it seems like they are optional. Also, the locals honk there horns every chance they get, either to say "hey I'm not stopping at this red light," or to let you know they're getting close to you and then again when they pass someone, or to see if you need a taxi. They mostly just honk a lot.

This is us at the airport and the porch at Hermana Flor's house where we stayed.

In the morning we woke up and took a taxi and a bus to Leon where we went to church. It was so neat to see the members who knew Cameron. They were all so excited to see him, they even called him fat! HAHA it was funny. After church, we went to Chichigalpa where Cameron and Saia lived in the same house. We were able to make it to meet up with the Quinantilla family before they left church. This was the sweetest family they have 5 kids who were so polite and sweet to all of us! They even took us to lunch which was greatly appreciated by us!

Cameron and with the Quinantilla's. This is there little boy, he is six and is an entertainer!

Cameron and I with President Quintantillo and his wife at lunch.

We fit 12 people in this car to go to lunch!!

"Adios!!"

After we finished eating, we went to visit some families that Cameron baptized. They lived in one of the poorest areas in the country. It was very humbling to see how these people lived. We are so lucky to have the things that we tend to take for granted at home When we finally found Elba and Malin Luz's house they were so excited to see "Elder Cook." I am so grateful that Cameron was able to teach the gospel to so many people, you can tell how much they love it!

The Luz's and all their kids!!

Cameron and Saia's house in Chichigalpa.

After driving back to Leon we split up from the Hafoka's to go visit some families. Cameron and I walked around Leon the night life here is so different than in the States. Everyone just opens there front doors and sits outside and visits. I loved it, I wish it was like that at home! After our little walk we went to Johanna's house, Cameron ate at her house often as a missionary. She made us the typical Nicaraguan dish Gallopinto (rice and beans) with scrambled eggs and it was actually pretty good!

Cameron with Johanna and her three kids.

Our Hotel in Leon, Los Balcones.

The Cathedral in Leon. It's the biggest Cathedral in all of the Americas.

This is the creepy Jesus statue inside the Cathedral

On Monday, we made the trip from Leon to Esteli. On the way we saw lots of farms, the cows don't even look like cows because they are so emaciated, I felt sad for them! The road was crazy, there were these huge pot holes and kids would fill them with dirt and stand on the side of the road expecting to get get money for their work. The bus/van that we rode in didn't really have enough room for the four of us but that never stops the nicas!!

Cameron and I aren't sitting on the actual car seats we are sitting in these homemade chairs that are balanced in the aisle. It was pretty crazy!

While in Esteli, we ate quesillo! It's a soft corn tortilla filled with onions, cream, and cheese. Cameron was super excited to eat these!!

So far we have had a wonderful trip! I'm super excited to see what the rest of the week brings! I will try to post again tomorrow! Goodnight and we send our love!

Oh yeah, Heather we found ceresas and we got come for you!!

Lately...

2009-04-17T09:22:00.000-06:00

Over the past few weeks and over the next few weeks Cameron and I have been and will be super busy with school. It's getting close to finals so of course it's getting crazy! Luckily, we have been able to make some good friends down here in the land of St. George! Since I didn't get to go up north to see my family over Easter I made Cameron color Easter eggs with me. I never knew he had such a knack for coloring eggs! Here are some photos!

Cameron was really focused! Ps that's his purple egg!

Dan and Brittnie had fun too, Dan even got a little worn out!

We went on a camping trip a few weeks ago too! It was lots of fun, we slept on the ground, roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, starbursts, and basically anything that could burn! We hiked the Emerald pools hike in Zion and it was so much fun!! I forgot how much I really do enjoy hiking!

My little nerd!

2009-04-09T22:09:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I knew when I married Cameron, that he was a nerd. I knew he enjoyed playing video games of all kinds. But, I never thought I'd come home and see him with a head set on talking to his buddy from school trying to figure out the best tactic to kill zombies... I have been proven wrong.

*Those are his nursing books on the table, he does study sometimes... I guess I should give him a break, I mean, he did watch 2 C-sections and a live birth today. He's been scarred for life!!

HAHA j/k I still love ya Cameron!

Finally, Something Exciting!

2009-03-18T13:58:00.000-06:00

It has been so long since we have had something exciting to blog about! It is Spring Break and we were lucky enough to be invited to spend the weekend with Courtney and Marc Hansen in California! We had a weekend full of fun and exciting activities. We went to the San Diego Temple, which was just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. We walked through Balboa Park, looked at a botanical garden, and listen to a man at the veterans museum tell us his life story! The next day we got to go to the beach! The water was freezing, but eventually the whole gang got in and did some serious body surfing!! We had planned on trying not to spend too much money on food so we made PB & J sandwiches for lunch, it's too bad the seagulls got to them first!! On Monday, we went to the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland! It was more crowded that we expected, but we still had so much fun! We didn't go on Splash Mountain until like 9:30 when it was dark and a tad bit chilly, we all got soaked! Good times! We had so much fun and we are super glad that Courtney and Marc invited us!!

Here are some photos from the weekend!

This was right after Courtney and I tried to chase the seagulls away from our lunch... we were too late!

Yes, we still take cute and ugly pictures!!

This was right after getting off Splash Mountain with our wetness!!

2009-02-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

So, I have come to a conclusion that Easter time is the best time for chocolates and treats and goodies!! I went to the grocery store today and I was drawn to the easter candy aisle. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING!! I think I was enticed by the pretty pastel wrappers. Easter candy always seems so fresh, the chocolate always seems just a little softer than normal. Some of my favorite easter treats are: Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Reeses Eggs, Springtime Oreos, Easter Mini Kit-Kats, and even Peeps! I really don't like Peeps at all, but there is something about those yellow chicks and pink bunnies that makes me want to buy them!!

But seriously, the next time you are at the store pick up a bag of Mini Eggs!! If you leave them in your car on a warmer day they will get melty and then when you eat them, it's like heaven on Earth!! Cameron recommends the Cadbury Creme Eggs, though he is mad that they continue to get smaller every year! Well friends, have a lovely day and make sure to chack out all the Easter Candy fun!!!

D'Males

2009-02-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

So every year the Springville Drill team seniors choreograph a dance for the Seniors boys to perform at a halftime at a basketball game. Ever since I graduated I couldn't wait to watch my little brother, Colton (right) perform. The game was on Friday and I am so proud of him, he was even chosen to be the Drill Mister!

Yes, I did do his hair and make-up. Also, a video of the dance is posted on my parents' (The Tudor's) blog, I recommend you watch it!!

Being a Missionary

2009-02-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote a blog about Cameron playing soccer and how I have learned to enjoy the sport. Well, it seems that because of him playing soccer we were able to be blessed with an opportunity to go to a missionary discussion this evening. OK so it's not only because he plays soccer, it was also because Cameron can speak Spanish and he plays soccer with other Latinos from aroud town. One of the boys in the family that the sister missionaries are teaching plays soccer, but he always plays on Sunday. So, the sisters felt that Cameron could be a good in because his group of friends play everyday and not just on Sunday!

It was such a neat experience for me to sit in on the discussion. Yes, it was all in Spanish and I couldn't understand anything that was being said, but I could still feel the spirit so strongly. It amazes me how strong the Spirit was in that small room and I truly hope that that family will open their hearts and let it teach them. I am so grateful that I have the Gospel in my life and that I don't have to deal with the tests of life without Christ there to carry me! I am so lucky! Also, being able to watch Cameron teach this family added to the amazing experience. I am so lucky to have a husband that loves the Gospel and wants to share it with others!

1/2 Marathon

2009-01-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Recently. Cameron and I celebrated our 5 month anniversary. i know it's pretty crazy! HAHA Anyways, I guess I made too much out of it and Cameron felt like he needed to get me a present. Now, when Cameron said, "Cassidy, I have a prize for you." I was expecting a caramello or something a long those lines but I was mistaken. Cameron signed us both up to run in the Painter's Half Marathon...

I thought, "Hey this could be fun it will force me to get into shape and start running more consistently." Then Cameron informed me that the race was in 8 days. Isn't he a sweety? So on the 17th Cameron and I woke up bright and early to run 13.2 miles. I kept telling myself it would be too bad but then, the logical part of my brain reminded me that the longest I had ever run in my life was only like 4 or 5 miles. I was nervous.

The first half wasn't too bad I felt pretty good about it but then, while running miles 8-10 I turnied into a beast. I was so mad at Cameron for signing me up and making me do this without even training. I was mad that Cameron could still carry on a casual conversation. I told him more than once that he didn't need to run with me and could go ahead. Mostly I was just hurting. But, by mile 11 I told myself I was finishing and I said a little prayer and just kept going!

No worries everyone, after 2 hours and 20 minutes of running we saw the finish line, it was a glorious sight! I do reccomend running a half marathon but, don't train for it, just do it! As Cameron reminded me during the last 4 miles when I complained of my legs wanting to fall off my body, "Just think about how good it will feel when you're done!" And when we were done it felt good!!

This isn't a very cute picture but I needed proof that we were there! We asked a man to take our picture when we finished but it didn't work... so this is all we have!

Christmas Fun!

2009-01-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

So, I guess it is time to update everyone on our Christmas! We were both so very blessed this year, we had to opportunity to celebrate Christmas for like 2 weeks! I was able to go to Springville and see my fam then we flew out to Pennslyvania to spends time with Cameron's family. Which was great! While I was in Springville my mom, my dad, and I went last minute Christmas shopping where they, once again, realized what I bad shopper I am. We also made a trip to Salt Lake where we went to see Body Worlds. It was seriously the coolest museum/exhibit I have ever been too! If you get the chance to see it I highly reccomend that you go!
This is the snowman that is convincing us we need to recycle.

I also had to opportunity to visit my friends back at Art City Nursing and Rehabilitation. This is Mary, she is one of my most favorite people! When I worked the graveyard shift she was always awake and always willing to sing and dance for us. She is wearing her halo because she's "an angel of course!" She could always make me smile, and she was convinced that we went to high school together in Fairview.

After spending some good quality time with my family I headed back for St. George. Cameron, Braeden, Alisha, and I headed out the next morning for the Las Vegas Airport. The security line was ridiculous and it made us late for our plane. At the end of the day we made it to Pennsylvania safe and sound, Braeden and Alisha did fly in 2 hours later than Cameron and I but oh well...

On Tuesday all of the family headed to Longwood Gardens. ]The boys complained of the cold but, all in all it was a fun trip, we got to see some very beautiful flower arrangements and christmas lights!

On Christmas Eve morning Cameron's Grandpa used to take all the grandkids to breakfast at McDonald's so, we chose to carry on the tradition! That night we had a big dinner with lots of yummy food!! We also made gingerbread houses and watched "The Christmas Story".

Then, on Christmas day we had a big breakfast and opened presents. After, we planned on going for a walk around Valley Forge park but, it was way too cold for that! We had the missionaries over for dinner which was really neat to be able to share that time with them. We finished the day with a game of Mexican Train and watched "Elf".

Then on Friday we headed to the Big Apple!! I was so excited because I'd never been to New York before. The drive seemed long and there was definitely traffic. We drove to Staten Island then we took the ferry to the city. I was like a little kid in a toy shop, I watched through the window as we drove past the Statue of Liberty and as we walked the streets I just stared at the tall buildings the whole time, I'm kinda surprised I didn't get lost! We went to ground zero, rode the subway to time square, then walked to central park. We found a local pizza place and had lunch then we took the subway back to the ferry. It was a super fun day and I can't wait to go back!! There were tons of people but it still was lots of fun!!

Saturday was kind of a free day. We went to the King of Prussia mall which is the biggest mall I've ever been in! They had like 2 of every store! We got Auntie Anne's soft pretzels and those were way good.

Sunday we went to church and after is was surprisingly warm so we went on a walk by French Creek. There were these crazy old houses and a cute covered bridge. We had a stick race in the river and Braeden was the winner!

Monday, we went to Philadelphia. We waited in line to see the Liberty bell, we went into the building where the House of Representatives and the Senate first met. We got to look at a chair that both George Washington and Johns Adams sat in. It was all very exciting! And don't worry we got a Philly Cheese Steak from Pats! Ordering was kinda of intimidating but luckily Kevin (Cameron's dad) ordered for us so I didn't mess anything up. And yes, we did stand in that super long line just to get a cheese steak...

On Tuesday the guys wanted to have a free day (aka play video games day) so just us girls went to amish country. It was a lot of fun to look at all the different shops and it's always fun to see how people from different cultures live. We happened to find a cute English shoppe with English candy. Susan bought everyone Crunchie Bars. They are a candy bar that you can't find here in The States, it's chocolate covered Seafoam. If you are ever willing to try something new you can find something very similar to a crunchie bar at The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory it's called seafoam and it's one of mine and Cameron's favorites!! We summed up the day by going to see the movie "Austrailia". I enjoyed the movie it was long but not boring.

Then on New Years Eve we got ready to head home. Don't worry we were two hours early for this flight so we all got to ride on the same plane! We landed in Las Vegas at about 9:45 PM Utah time and on the way home we stopped in Mequite to get some food at Del Taco that's about when the clock struck 12:00 AM in Utah. Then when we crossed the state line into Utah is was about 12:45 so we basically missed New Years. All in all it was an super fun trip with lots of memories!! Oh yeah, and this is what we found when we got home....

Well, I guess that's what happens when you live in an old building with a flat roof and there is an unexpected snow storm! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and we apologize for the lack of Christmas cards, maybe next year! :)

Christmas Tag

2008-12-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper but, I prefer using tin foil.
Real tree or fake tree? We don't have a tree this year because we are losers but if we did, I would want a real tree.
When do you put up your tree? I think the day after Thanksgiving is the best time to put up a Christmas Tree.
When do you take it down? New Year's Day
Do you like eggnog? Nope! It's better if you add some milk to tone down the taste.
Favorite gift received as a child? Once I got a Barbie Grocery Store, and that was pretty cool! I played with it all the time, it had all these little food packages and a cash register that talked.
Easiest person to buy for? My little brother Colton, one CD and he's set!
Do you have a nativity scene? Yes I do, it is currently the only Christmas decoration in our apartment but my cute Grandma gave it to me and it's way cool!!
Mail or Email Christmas cards? Mail.
Worst gift you have ever received? One year my Aunt sent us gifts and she gave me a math book. I'm still convinced that I was supposed to get the butterfly stamps that she gave to my brother Bryson, but he wouldn't switch with me.
Favorite Christmas movie? Well, "The Christmas Story" is definitely at the top of the list but i would have to say "Elf" I laugh my head off every time I watch it.
When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'm not a good shopper, I get mall sick so I don't go to the store unless I know what I'm getting. So, I didn't start till last week...
Have you ever recycled a Christmas gift? Nope, and I'm proud of it!!
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Wassel (I'm not sure if that's how you spell it) and my grandma's raspberry jello!
Lights on tree? Of course!
Can you name Santa's reindeer? You bet!! I would have to sing the song but, I can still name them!
Favorite Christmas song? Little St. Nick by The Beach Boys
Travel or stay home? Stay home, this year we are going to Philadelphia to be with Cameron's family so it will be a little different but, I'm still excited!
Angel or star tree topper? Neither
Open presents Christmas eve or Christmas day? Christmas Eve we always open Pajama pants, everything else is to be opened Christmas Day!
Favorite Christmas tradition? We have chinese food on Christmas Eve. Cameron's favorite is going to McDonald's for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning.
Favorite ornament, theme or color? I have way too many favorite ornaments to name, my Grandma has given me an ornament every year for my whole life and they all represent something special. So they're all favorites.
Favorite Christmas dinner? Turkey, Rolls, mashed potatoes at my grandma's house
What do you want for Christmas? I really want Grey's Anatomy scrubs... I know it's kinda boring but really they are way cute!
Best Christmas present you have ever given? The first year Cameron and I were dating I made hima blanket and that was pretty neat. I

I shall tag Madelyn, Jentrie, and Lexi

Stuff That Really Grinds My Gears

2008-12-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, Cameron being the good husband that he is decided to take me to see the movie Twilight tonight. I was super excited because I am a fan of all the books. Anyways, so we get to the theater like ten minutes early and we were the only ones in the theater. Like any normal human being we sat in the second row of the higher seats so we could put our feet on the bar. Well, this lady comes in and was searching the theater as if it was a full house and then she tells us she and her 2 friends are going to sit in front of the bar. So, we put our feet down as to now bother her. Well, about 2 minutes later I guess she changed her mind about where to sit so she moves (now, remember it's just Cameron, her, and I in the theater). She decides to sit right next to me and Cameron... What the heck? Hasn't she heard of personal space? HAHA Mostly it was funny, and I just felt like I would share that random story with you all. But seriously, if there are only two other people in the theater don't sit right next to them. :)

Black Friday

2008-12-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

So, I have never really been a big fan of shopping. After about thirty minutes of shopping I get a disease, I call it "Mall-Sick". This is a real problem for me and when I am shopping it hits me unexpectedly. Yet there are people who are crazy enough to wake up at 4:00AM just to deal with way more people than necessary, crazy huge lines, and just shopping in general. Yep, you guessed it I am talking about the crazy "Day-after-Thanksgiving" shopping craze! I have never been apart of this loony-ness. But, last Friday when sitting with my family I was convinced that if I went to the outlets at Park City on Thursday night at midnight there really wouldn't be that many people. They were wrong. I never been in a shopping center that was so full of people! Every parking spot was filled and every line was at least 20 minutes long! I personally stood in line at the j. crew store of 45 minutes, by the time my mom and I checked out I had a new little group of friends. It was definatly a good experience and I did gets some sweet stuff for the Christmas season but I doubt I will go shopping on Black Friday for a very long time!!

Here are some photos of the crazy traffic before we even got into the parking lot. It was backed up in every direction you could see! It took us longer to get from the freeway exit to the outlets than to get from Sundance to Park City.

Soccer

2008-11-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

So, soccer has never been one of my favorite sports. If any of you read my mom's blog about my dad then you know that he broke his leg twice, both times while playing soccer. Therefore my brother, Colton and I were never exposed to the lovely game. Well, it turns out that my little Cameron loves soccer so over the past two years I have been to watch Cameron play in numerous soccer games. At first it was really boring and I honestly hated going but, I knew I needed to support him and his soccer-ness.
Well, since moving to St. George Cameron has found a new group of soccer buddies, most of them/all of them being from mexico and only speaking spanish has been a dream come true for Cameron. Now he gets to play soccer as well as speak spanish. It has been and continues to be really fun for me to go and watch Cameron play. Now, it is much easier for me to pick out which player he is, since he's the only tall, white guy out there. I have even learned to like soccer, sometimes it even gets intense!

Here are some photos from his last game! Cameron's team scored four goals in the first fifteen minutes of the game, two of those goals were Cameron's. Before the half ended the other team had scored one goal. With only fifteen minutes left in the game Cameron's team scored two or three more goals then the other team gave up. It was a slaughter!! HAHA

RANDOM 7

2008-11-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, i was tagged to write seven random things about myself so here is goes!

1- I love comfy clothes, pajamas, sweats, etc. Sometimes, I like them just a little too much. At one point and time I had 76 pairs of pajama pants but, don't worry I only have like 7 now.

2- Most of my friends are older than 75. I work at a nursing home and I love it! Old people are the best! Especially, the ones that are a tad confused. Just the other day I was helping a lady get in the shower and she said, "I only want a paleontologist to take care of me." I couldn't help but laugh.

3- Around 10:30/11 PM I get this strange want to talk about everything i can possibly think of. Cameron will agree that after he's been asleep for about 15 minutes I wake him up with my useless chatter.

4- I scare extremely easy and I'm super jumpy. Cameron scares me everyday just by walking into the room I was in or lots of times when he comes through the front door and i'm sitting on our couch I jump because will it was unexpected. Just the other day I was at the mall and walked into a store that was darker tan normal and the music was really loud and walked into another section and a worker was folding clothes and well he scared me. HAHA but it does always make out for a good laugh!

5- I have a strong testimony of the Gospel My heavenly father leads in me in everything I do, I am so grateful for all the blessings He has given unto me.

6- I struggle with making simple everyday decisions, such as what should we have for dinner, or what movie should we rent. Yesterday Cameron and I celebrated that I chose what to make for dinner and what to do after dinner, it was an accomplishment.

7- I don't like my food to touch. Buffets are really hard for me because I don't want my food to touch on my plate so I end getting for 4 plates and people probably think I'm a fatty-fat kid eating all the food but really I just don't want my food to touch so I can' fit as much on my plate.

There ya go, 7 random things about me!

I shall tag, Mom, Melanie, and Jame!

Cabin Fun

2008-11-07T16:03:00.001-07:00

On Halloween night we were able to go with some friends up to a cabin. It was a fun-filled night with gun shooting, dutch oven, birthday suprizes, and a scary movie! Dan brought "Sweetness" up and we all had a chance to shoot some old drink cups, a can of peaches, a clock, a box of sardines, and basically anything we could find that was shootable. It was Dan's birthday the next day so we celebrated with cobbler and ice cream. Then we watched The Skeleton Key. Some said that this movie wasn't scary enough but, I think the movie was plenty scary just not jumpy scary like most movies, it was more of an intense one. All in all we had lots of fun and we finally feel like we have friends!

Halloween Pumpkins

2008-10-31T11:01:00.000-06:00

My family has this tradition that for Halloween rather than carving pumpkins we make vegetable pumpkins! It's different, kinda wacky, but definitely less messy! This was the first year Cameron has made a vegetable pumpkin but I felt he did a wonderful job.

Cameron's is on the left and mine is on the right!

Thriller

2008-10-28T11:23:00.000-06:00

Last night Cameron and I went to see Thriller! It was so much fun! I was even lucky enough to see Matt Dorame from So You Think You Can Dance so, that was pretty cool! The dances were all really good and it made me miss dancing but, it was still loads of fun!!!

Also, Hafoka sent Cameron this photo from the mission... I have the wackiest husband!

My 50 things

2008-10-22T12:25:00.000-06:00

I am following in the footsteps of my cousin here. His list was 100 things, but im younger so ill see if i can fill 50.

1. I am a realist.
2. Cassidy is an optimist, which I think makes us the perfect compliment to each other.
3. When I was in elementary school, without provocation, I got beat up by a special ed kid. In my defense, it was a blind attack, but it still hurt my street cred.
4. I cry every time I hear Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". I can't help it.
5. I love Shasta creme soda.
6. We were so poor growing up that we would steal toys from our Mexican neighbors, until they put a cactus by the hole in the fence to keep us out.
7. If I were a girl my name would have been Kamela.
8. I love being a male.
9. The driving age should be raised to 18.
10. After you're 65, you should have to retest every year to keep your license.
11. I drink tons of water, I always have a big nalgene bottle with me.
12. I learned recently that excessive thirst may indicate diabetes, more on this as the story develops
13. I'm part Samoan, though I try to not bring it up because it always leads to, "no way, but you're so white".
14. Because of my grandparents, I didn't like Tongans. Until my mission where I served with a lot of Tongans. Now I like them more than Samoans!
15. On the last day of high school, I recited the lyrics to "If you don't know me by now" over the PA system.
16. I love america's funniest home videos
17. When I was in 2nd grade, I won the San Francisco fleet week poetry contest. I got $200.
18. I still write poems sometimes but only for my wife
19. My parents left the Bay because they thought me and my brothers were going to join gangs. I never told them the bloods were hecka recruiting me in '93 haha
20. Elvis is overrated
21. My theme song throughout high school was "Enjoy the Silence" by depeche mode.
22. My motto throughout high school and to this day is "who cares what people think, screw em'"
23. Tipping is the worst idea ever. It's ok if you earn it but it shouldn't be expected
24. I have basically the same wardrobe that i had since I was 15.
25. My official stance on politics is, "Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss".
26. Life was better before cell phones.
27. I love babies, I was the kid in the ward everyone had babysit for them.
28. I feel like I was born in the wrong country and 60 years too late.
29. I haven't puked since I was 7.
30. If the wind and the waves are right, I could live on a beach forever.
31. People think because I'm tall I play basketball. But I play soccer, and basketball is my least favorite sport.
32. I'd rather ride a bike or walk than go by car.
33. Once in Nicaragua, I saw an old man riding a schwinn around town, sweating and exhausted, but happy. I remember thinking "this guy should be in a cadillac". I decided then that I needed to rethink what it meant to be happy and successful.
34. There are no moral dilemmas
35. I love 80's movies
36. I don't like money, earning or spending it.
37. I own multiple Michael Bolton and Neil Diamond shirts. Cassidy hates them
38. For senior prom, my friend TJ and I singlehandedly got the whole school to vote for Peter Gabriel's "in your eyes" for the last song.
39. I'm afraid of the dark
40. I've never owned a good pair of jeans.
41. I'm 95% sure that I will die in a drowning accident.
42. When I was in boy scouts I thought that all boy scouts were LDS. It led to some awkward conversations
43. During the mission i'd take notes everyday of new words I didn't know or random thoughts. I still do it to this day
44. I think reality tv needs to die a horrible death
45. I don't know any of my family member's birthdays, just Braeden, june 19th.
46. Once at a party, somebody was DJing with their ipod and I put mmmbop on repeat. It was an hour before anyone even noticed.
47. Professional athletes should have a salary cap of $15 dollars an hour. No pay for time-outs.
48. I eat lots of weird foods, due to my Samoan-ness. Cassidy tries to pretend she doesn't mind.
49. When hiking in Havasu Pi, an Indian confronted me alone in the woods. He was convinced I was Andrew McCarthy and wanted my autograph. And that was the closest i've ever been to being raped.
50. I could live in shorts and jandals. The first 13 years straight of my life were in jandals

2008-10-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

So, since gas is so expensive Cameron and I have decided to ride our bikes anywhere and everywhere that we can. About a week ago I was riding my bike to my class and I had to cross a parking lot exit. There was a car waiting to turn right. A truck was coming so the car had to wait to turn. I assumed that the car saw me so I started to cross the street when all at once the car started to pull forward and next thing I know, BAM! the car's front bumper hit my leg and luckily I managed to use my crazy skills to stand up so the bike fell and I was just standing in the middle of the road shocked that I had just gotten hit. The man driving the car kept asking, "Are you ok? Are you ok?" I said yes and quickly got out of the road. Long story short I was 20 minutes late to my class because I had to walk and the back tire of my bike is now bent. Don't worry I'm ok I just thought it was a funny story.

2008-10-10T20:35:00.000-06:00

OK so we are determined to figure this whole blog thing out!! HAHA

We felt like we should post some pictures and fun from our honeymoon. Since I have the greatest parents, we were able to go to this freakin sweet resort in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. We had kind of a crazy experience and we were a little nervous when we saw the billboards advertising the resort. They said things like, "I want to make her blush." and "It's time to heat things up." When we finally pulled up this is what we saw...

Good times! HAHA so yes, this resort was somewhat of a "Sex Village" but, it turned out to be way nice and we had a ton of fun!! We were able to go hot tubbing, canoeing, swimming, play pool and lots of other things! It was great!!

www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts

2008-09-11T12:34:00.000-06:00

This is our blog. We don't know how to do anything on it yet