Cassity's Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza

As a tradition every Halloween we go to Rasmussen's Pumpkin Patch and to get our pumpkins for carving. We then spend a night at the Cassity house eating soup & bread bowls for dinner and carve pumpkins. Here's our finished product....

The Whole Family

Dasha's SUPER Free-handed Hooter

Pam's Happy Jack-O-Lantern

Dave's Demon

Mike's Tribute to all Nations but mostly AMERICA

Camille's Tribute to Twilight

Angie's Ode to America

Butch's Tribute to the Runnin' Utes

Ben's Lady Liberty

Ben's Opinion of Certain Protesters and their motives

Why do we live in a world where people think the purpose in life is to change things we don't like? How can a person progress (with or without religion) if they are not challenged and forced to overcome challenges? How does one learn if he/she can answer the questions of a test however they see fit, and upon finding the answers to be wrong, claim the test is faulty, flawed or unfair? When are people going to realize the inescapable fact that we all got where we are today because of choices we made for ourselves?

If you are wondering why the rant, look at the news.

We have been blessed with apostles and prophets to give us a roadmap for our decisions. They do not change nor will they ever change to satisfy the demands of men who would challenge the messages they deliver. The gospel has not changed nor will it ever change to accommodate those who would try to change its message to suit their needs. If you don't like what you hear, don't listen, but do not try and change the message because you do not agree with it. Realizing you can not change God or his principles simply because it doesn't make things easier for you would solve so many problems with the world we live in.

If you don't like my opinion, thats ok, its mine! :)

President Packer, you have my support!

I suck at posting...

I really struggle posting to our blog. So in a meager attempt to catch up, here is what we did the last couple months......NOTHING!!!!!


Ok, maybe there were a few noteworthy things....

Two 1 week trips to Las Vegas for work.

Ben got to come with me for part of my second trip, which I loved. We found awesome free parking downtown and went to the Cheesecake Factory in Caesars for dinner and wandered through the stores...it was a lot of fun. Yes, I know we both look a little drugged in this picture.

Memorial Day was spent relaxing at Bear Lake with the Cassity family. We all helped with the spring cleaning of the cabin and property and Ben taught me how to paint....and I was not very good at it but made a valiant effort. I couldn't get Ben to give me a nice (normal) smile for a picture...this was as good as it got.

Our poor little pup busted her tail. By busted we mean she pulled the muscles in her tail---we didn't know that could happen. This was only our 2nd trip up to the lake this year so she was a little too excited and wagged her tail too hard and too much and in combination with the cold water she ended up spraining it. That was as high as she could wag it for a few days...if you look close you can see the kink in her tail where it sprained. It hung limp and she couldn't even sit right...so she looked like a "special" dog all weekend. I guess we gotta get her out more.

We got the opportunity to go on Pioneer Trek with our awesome ward to Wyoming at the 6th crossing of the Sweetwater River. We were constantly wet. If it wasn't raining----which it did almost non-stop, we were wading in knee deep water along the trail. Despite the weather (and our broken tent, busted canopy, never having our clothes dry and a few choice falls for each of us) we had an awesome experience and loved getting to know the youth and other ward members.

I was in charge of taking pictures so this is about the only picture I got of us in the 3 days.

We went to the Lehi Rodeo with the my Mom & Dad, the Twede's, and the Helm's and we had a blast. We have gone the last 2 years and loved it, so I think we will make it a tradition.

8 years ago today....

Viareggo Beach, Italy at Sunset

Eight years ago I took an amazing trip to Italy to study Art History and met some of the best friends I will ever have. We spent time in Rome, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Luca, and Venice and saw some of the most beautiful country and art you will ever see. Tonight I opened my journal to see what we did today.... this is perhaps the only time I have been halfway good at keeping a journal in my entire life.....I looked back at the entry for today, it was Saturday May 25th and the 5 of us (the Fab 5) took a train ride from Florence to a beach in a town called Viareggo a couple hours away and spent the day relaxing in the sun. Its amazing that 5 young girls could find their way around a country thousands of miles away to take a day trip to the beach. One of the many highlights of the day was the ride home....if my memory serves me right we got to hear some Italian boys rocking out to Bon Jovi's "Its my Life" with their sweet stereo in the isle of the train.....it was choice. The whole trip was just an amazing experience, we had a fantastic teacher, I met the greatest friends ever and have memories that I will cherish and laugh about forever! To Keri, LJ, Lil Lisa, and Gibby all I have to say to sum up how great and memorable (funny) of a day that was is "Fend For Yourselves."

Seven Years Flys By So Fast...

At the end of April Ben and I just celebrated our 7th Anniversary! Its crazy how time flies! It seems just like yesterday Ben was in the Emergency Room on the way home from our Honeymoon in Mazatlan with a parasite.....That didn't start us off on the best foot, but luckily it has just gotten better every step of the way and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Happy Anniversary Babe!

2003: Blackpool England, competing with the UVSC Ballroom Dance Team....Just 2 weeks after we were married.

2004: Our first of many trips to California. Sitting outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena where Ben served his mission.

2005: Golfing at the Bear Lake Golf Course

2006: December in Disneyland with Ben's best friend in the world (aside from me)

2007: Summer Trip to Disneyworld, Expedition Everest in the background.

2008: Four-wheeling above the Bear Lake Cabin in the Fall

2009: Hanging out on the beach at Bear Lake over the 4th of July weekend.

2010: Watching REO Speedwagon Live! We were definitely some of the youngest ones at the concert but we had a blast. It was an awesome 7th Anniversary!

I said I would never....

We will call it a result of peer pressure but I have officially jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. I am still a little confused and feel like I need a Facebook tutorial. I update my blog so often, we will have to see how well I do at Facebook....happy networking!

A Boy & His Dog

We were up at Bear Lake for part of the Thanksgiving weekend and I took this picture of Ben & Roxy in the back of the truck and thought it was awesome. These to are tied at the hip. She sleeps on his side of the bed, sits by the toilet when he is in the bathroom, lays outside his office door when he is on the computer, takes Sunday afternoon naps with him and gives him the cold shoulder when he goes away too long. You really can't get a better dog than Roxy. She has been good since she was a puppy and she really is "man's best friend".