Happy Birthday Captain Awesome!

The crazy events of this spring, starting with my SIL Emily's coma, ending with my BIL Brent's heart attacks, and including a million other instances in between, have reminded me of the frailty of our most important relationships.

My most important relationship is with this guy:
I could go on and on about how great he is and what a wonderful husband he is and how much fun we have -- and though he would LOVE that, I just don't think you guys want to read a bunch of sappiness.

I guess I have just really realized lately that we can't take relationships for granted. They are entities of their own -- growing, changing, and fragile.

Ok, I'm verging on sappy; so, in honor of Cash's appreciation of succinctness, I will say this: "Dude, you are awesome." :)
I love you.

Oh, and I think he would be super pleased if I posted this:

Home is where the heart is...

My friend Alisa tagged me a while ago and I've been thinking about it... She wanted to know what things you miss about where you used to live. The only rule: it can't be food. What?!?! That was so hard for me because, well, I love food. (evidence? see previous post) But, we have fond memories about places we've lived, even Pocatello. So, here goes.

THINGS I MISS...

From College Station, Texas:

• Swimming 322 days of the year
• Seeing half the town wearing maroon
• A Gold's Gym with FREE (!) babysitting
• Aggie Baseball games
• Sitting around and talking about rhetoric with great colleagues and teachers
• HEB (ok, technically "food" but it's the best grocery store! Seriously they would have "Meal Deals" where you would buy hotdogs and get buns, soda, mustard, grated cheese, and chips for free!! Plus, they had the best homemade tortillas...made right in front of you! Ok, I'm getting easily sidetracked...)
• The best thunderstorms ever...it would rain so hard you couldn't see three feet in front of you and the thunder was amazing.
• Fourth of July and Easter celebrations at the G.H.W. Bush Presidential Library
• Great friends who became our family while we were far from our own families

Cash's Answer: March and OctoberFrom Pocatello, Idaho:

• $285 rent -- for 5 years!
• The best ward Halloween parties
• Concerts in the Park at Ross Park (except for the one where we learned that baby Spencer was allergic to peanuts. That was scary.)
• The constant rumors that this big store or that nice restaurant were coming to Pocatello. Almost always false.
• A great, supportive department and advisor.
• $1.79 gas
• True friendships forged over the shared struggles of being poor and newlywed

Cash's Answer: Sunday walks through the neighborhood by ISU reading Dave Barry to each other.


So, how about you? What things do you miss about the places you've lived? If you have lived and loved somewhere else...You're tagged! You College Station and Pocatello friends...I can't wait to read yours!

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Emmett is a well-traveled little boy! While I have been MIA online we have been all over and it's been crazy fun. Emmett and I started the end of April going to California to be with my amazing sister Jenn and her beautiful girls. During that time Cash took Spencer to a conference in Sun Valley and he got to play with his cousin Preston.A few days after we got back I went with Cash and Emmett deep in the heart of Texas back to Texas A&M (whoop!) for a Public Management conference. We got to see lots of great friends (I wish I had taken pictures of everyone...Alisa, Diane, the Englands, the Wrights, others) and eat lots of great food (Korean burgers, Freebirds, kolaches, Rudy's BBQ, good wings). Ahhh, I am happy just remembering... Yes, Cash did actually work on this trip -- he presented a paper at the conference, got some good feedback, and outlined a few new ideas!

Here's some of our dear friends:

Left to right: Jonny's big TV, Rhiannon, me, and Emmett (yes, Jonny, Cash came home and somehow found that our tv looked a little smaller...)

With my neighbor Heidi, who I love like a sister and who got me to step foot inside a gym for the first time! (and taught me that crew socks must be replaced with ankle socks when working out. A good life lesson.)

And, best of all, Grandma and Grandpa surprised us by driving down! Emmett was so happy. We made sure that Grandma and Grandpa would remember who to cheer for! The Hill family also came back with lots-o-Aggie gear...thanks to the College Station Wal-mart. Best Aggie selection around!Thanks to Grammy Hill and Aunt JeNeale for watching Spencer and Audrey!!!

About a week after we got back from Texas Emmett and I made another trip to California for a week! It was beautiful weather and I got to do some organizing which makes me so happy. Truly. I love organizing -- not cleaning so much, but organizing.

Anyway, we are back and are finally getting settled back in. Emmett has had to go back to "boot camp" (more on that later if you don't know what that is) and we're getting back into the swing of things.

We'll probably get things down just in time to for us to leave again...we're going to the Shedd/Schroeder (my dad's siblings) family reunion at the beginning of June. We haven't been down to my dad's since we moved up here. We can't wait and Spencer and Audrey are really excited that they actually get to go this time. Part of the trip will be to Branson, Missouri. Cash is hoping to run into Donny...or at least Wayne and Jimmy! ;)

I'm not dead.

Ok, I know that you think I'm wasting space on your bookmark menu (which presumptuously assumes I'm on your bookmark menu...) but don't give up on me!! I'll be back soon; I've got lots to post about!

I'm currently in California with my sweet, amazing sister. I miss Cash and the kids but I'm so glad to be here. The weather, by the way, is beautiful. Although the price of cheese and milk would just about force me to by my own cow if I lived here! Yikes. Too bad it's my other sibling that owns cows...