Wannabe Photographers

Inspired by Meredith's post and pretty bored with Lesley out of town for work, I thought I'd get my blog on and share some photos Les and I have taken over the last while. Someday we'll take a class and attempt to get up to the level of Marci Romney. These will have to do for now. They are in reverse chronological order with the exception of the last pic.

Snow pictures at a park in Draper

Seals at Pier 39 in San Francisco

Dallas Ohler skiing at Bear Lake

Sunrise and Sunset in Caribbean

Classic Ute fan we found golfing - Friend of David & Theresa's?
(my favorite thing is his mullet....Lesley prefers the thug-style Air Jordans he's wearing. I wish the pictures showed the cigarettes he smoked at each tee box)

Shots Lesley took while on a work trip in Puerto Rico

My beautiful wife
(Come home Les.....I miss you!)

Rain & Refs Ugly Up Game for Pretty in Pink

It was a wet and gloomy day in Provo on Friday night as Pretty in Pink lost in the championship of the D-2 women's flag football tournament. All year long Pretty in Pink has destroyed their opponents on the strengths of their athleticism, skill, and finesse. These strengths were mitigated on Friday however by a monsoon and the worst refs I've ever seen in intramural history. (At one point, I threatened to turn one of them into the Honor Code Office for what I viewed as blatant dishonesty. My threats had no effect.) Pretty in Pink was clearly the more athletic and attractive team on the field, but they couldn't overcome the elements and the officiating and lost 2-0 and 6-0 in the double elimination tournament (yes, they lost the first game on a safety).

The rain was relentless, and the game was stopped time after time because the above pictured ref liked the sound of his own whistle. The refs completely took over the game and didn't allow the girls to play. It was disappointing to see a normally beautiful offense muddied up by the conditions, both human and natural, but I feel that we all know which was really the better team. After the game their were some tears shed, hugs exchanged, and harsh words passed on to the ref, but when reflecting a day later, it is evident that it was an exciting season for Pretty in Pink. A season in which junior standout Meredith Winter dominated both offensively and defensively. The domination for which she receives my award as Flag Football Player of the Year.

Meredith Winter: Player of the Year
Whether it was making leaping grabs in the endzone, running a reverse for a TD, or taking a pick back to the house, Meredith was the main playmaker for Pretty in Pink. In several games this year she scored all of her teams points and single-handedly led them to victory. Her agility, grace, and competitive nature are envied by all, but rivaled by none. As only a junior, Mrs. Winter has vowed to work hard in the off-season and come back even stronger next year. She attributes much of her success to her teammates, her husband Brandon, and her siblings and their spouses. "You know, I just couldn't do it without them," says Winter, "They give me strength to achieve the impossible. They're everything to me." And accomplish the impossible she has. Who would have ever imagined that this young woman from Albany, Oregon would grow up to become the player of the year? Kudos to you Meredith Winter, the 2007 Flag Football Player of the Year, kudos.

As for the rest of the team.....most of them will return for next season. Although they fell just short this year, the future is bright for this group of young women. The potential and expectations are high, but high expectations don't bother Meredith or the rest of the team at all. I think Bronco Mendenhall put it best when he said, "the best is yet to come."


Below are a few other photos from the game.

The Challenge

As I sit to write this post I'm realizing that Trevor and I like to pose challenges to each other. I'm not really sure where it came from. I know my older sister poses "challenges" to Trevor and I on occasion (taking their family portrait for example), maybe that's where it came from...who knows. But anyways...back to the challenge at hand.

Shortly after getting married Trevor challenged me to decorate our house using only garage sales, thrift stores, free stuff lying on the side of the road, etc., etc., etc. (I should note, this is not including items like beds/mattresses, couches, things that can't really be re-vamped) So, as I would any challenge, I accepted. However, I would almost dare say that Trevor has taken more ownership of this challenge than I. Home decorating seems to be yet another one of his "things."

The financials are as follows:

Coffee table at local garage sale (found by Trevor) - $5
Paint stripper - $12
Paint stripping utensils - $4
Black Beluga paint - $12
Sand paper - $4

Cost of coffee table made TV stand = $39 (this is a very sturdy TV stand, not the fifteen-dollar-will-break-when-you-sit-on-it-and-wobbles-when-you-walk-by-it-end-table-from-IKEA-stand.)

Below are pictures of the completed project and steps it took to get there. (side note: I did contribute to the physical labor portion of this project, it was just not recorded seeing as how I was the historian)

Expect more posts soon of our other finished projects...

Let the Spirit of Thanksgiving Guide and Bless You

It is already Thanksgiving, unbelievable. This year has flown. It's been a great one. There have been so many times throughout this year that I have found myself being struck with intense feelings of gratitude for so, so much. And I love it. Those feelings of gratitude are so grounding, and often assist in keeping priorities properly aligned.

Being grateful is the first "Be" of Pres. Hinckley's "6 Be's" that he talks about. I love what he says so much I thought I'd put it below...

"There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others. They are “thank you.”

"The habit of saying thank you is the mark of an educated man or woman. ... Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way."

"Thank the Lord for His goodness to you. Thank the Almighty for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who has done for you what none other in all this world could do. Thank Him for His great example, for His tremendous teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help. .."

"Thank the Lord for His marvelous Church restored in this great season of history. Thank Him for all that it offers you. Thank Him for friends and loved ones, for parents and brothers and sisters, for family. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find it will yield wonderful results."

On this day, the day of Thanksgiving, I just wanted to share a few of the things that fill my heart with so much gratitude.

1. This past year I have been especially grateful for my heritage, those that have gone before me. On Tuesday I lost my last grandparent, Dorothy Carlile. After her passing I was thinking about all that she had brought to my life - she always encouraged me to develop my talents, a level of independence, what it meant to work hard, persist, be strong and stalwart, an appreciation for things truly beautiful. I was so blessed to grow-up near all 4 of my grandparents, and now recollect how each of them contributed to building who I am today. For my wonderful grandparents who are all happily reunited, I am grateful.


2. This past year I have been especially grateful for the ability to learn, and always be learning. This life and this world becomes even more amazing to me as I experience and learn new things. Learning can be so fulfilling, from the small learnings - how to change my house with just color, differences between authors, how to snorkel - to bigger things - how life changes through marriage, what a friend is. For this life in which I get to learn and experience so much, I am grateful.

3. This past year I have been especially grateful for my family! Not that I haven't been especially grateful for them every year for the past 26 years, but I JUST LOVE MY FAMILY. I think this year has been especially fun though....or this past year and a half....We've had 4 new additions to our family in a very short time - my sister-in-law Whitney, brother-in-law Brandon, niece Jocelyn, and the best addition...my husband Trevor. These 4 have been such great additions. We have so much fun together. For my family, who are truly my best friends, I am grateful.
4. Speaking of family, I have been especially grateful for the family that now consists of Trevor and I, the new Winn family. There have been so many times this past year, and especially since July 21, 2007 that I have felt almost overcome with gratitude for my best friend and husband. I could never imagine being married to anyone else. I'm thankful for all the fun we have together, all the laughter, how smart he is, sharing so many passions, working on projects together, and figuring life out together. For the big guy that I'm so lucky to be with everyday, I am grateful.


5. Lastly, this past year I have been especially grateful for the guiding truths in my life. I can't imagine life, making life decisions, or just living life without those guiding truths. It's through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that these guiding truths or founded upon and for, and for that I am grateful.

Highlights and Lowlights for our trip to Rexburg

Let's see...over the last weekend in October Trevor and I headed up to the dream of a city, Rexburg, ID. We spent three short days with Ev and Whit speaking lots of germanglish, watching football, scootering, and laughing - both real and fake.

A tradition was started in our family...I'm not sure after which event, but nonetheless it has continued is a little something called "highlights and lowlights." What happens is after each family gathering, whether it be a wedding, holiday weekend, or other major gathering, we sit around in a big circle and discuss the highlights of the event as well as the lowlights. Aunt Mary is usually the "recorder" for these sessions, but since she wasn't with us on this trip, we will take a stab.

Lowlights

1. Trevor couldn't finish his Big Judd's burger. As a man who ate 27 tacos (Del Taco tacos) in one sitting, he is still embarrassed.

2. Me "accidentally" cheating to ruin our game of kerschnippets. (Trevor just made me put the quotation marks, but for the record, it really was an accident!)

3. The waitress at the Mexican restaurant. Ugh.

Highlights

1. My book. I think it was called "Hour Game." Ev, Whit, and Trevor all got very naysched at me a lot. I just couldn't stop reading. Work is work.

2. The new Carlile family mo-ped. This highlight includes riding it up to the Rexburg temple and having races on it against some random neighbor boy.
3. Rexburg Live/fake laughing at Rexburg Live. This was a "Tonight Show" type production that was pulled-off very well. Trevor actually boo'd the Mario Brothers World Champion guest they had on for saying that he listend to classical music while he played (Trevor was joking of course mom, he loves classical music). Anyways, the hosts referred back to the "booing of classical music" many times during the show - made Trevor proud.
4. Watching/listening to the conversation between Evan, Trevor, and Steve Hales. Brothers got to love...and hug.
5. Of course the fake laughing contest. See post below.

6. Ev's boots with jeans tucked in number. He pulls it off nicely.
7. Big Judd corn dogs. Yum.
8. Trevor's little modeling session on the moped. It looks a little too natural....nervous.
9. Last but the very best, spending time with our beloved bruter and schwester. You guys should surprise us at Thanksgiving.