Sedona and Slide Rock...

Kim and I desperately needed to get away from the city for the weekend, so we took a quick trip up north to Sedona, a beautiful little town just south of Flagstaff. We camped overnight and really enjoyed being outdoors. The next morning we drove a few miles to Slide Rock State Park, a cool little park set in a red rock canyon. There is a river that flows down the canyon and like the name says, you can slide down the rocks like, well, a slide. Even in 90 degree weather, the water was still pretty dang cold. It was a lot of fun and went by too fast.

Thunderbird Party...

Some awesome friends of mine from Thunderbird threw a big Luau party this past weekend. Their house was about 20 minutes north of the city, set in a sweet little neighborhood out in the country. It was a ton of fun and nice to get out of the city...

Good News

So as many know I've been applying to many, many med schools this past year. I am trying to get accepted to PA school and this last week I received a call for Touro University in Vallejo California, and they want to interview me!!!! Vallejo is located in wine country about 45 minutes from San Francisco. I am soooo excited. I applied last year and did not receive any interviews. So all in all it's been about two years that I've been applying, hopefully this year will be the winning ticket. The program in CA, is a joint program I would receive a Masters of Public Health as well as a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies plus Physician Assistant Certification. So it is an added bonus.
I also received word from a school called Lockhaven University in Pennsylvania for an interview in November. I am beyond happy and just wanted to share this with everyone. This has been a long, hard waiting game with many ups and downs. I know I'm not accepted yet, but an interview is a step in the right direction!

My sister Haley

My sister Haley came out to visit me (Kim) in July in St. Louis these pictures are from the St. Louis zoo in Forest Park.

More St. Louis visits

After we visited Nauvoo in June with Jake's family they came up to visit us for a day. We went to a museum there called "The City Museum" it was one of the funnest places I've ever been. Look closely at all of the wire tunnels. Everything in this museum was made from scrap metal.

Nauvoo (end of June)

I have not blogged all summer and so now I'm playing catch up. Forgive me, but I am posting some pictures of our Nauvoo, Liberty Jail, Independence, Farr West, Adam ondi Ahman trip with Jake's family. They drove out to Missouri in June and we met them at these places. We had such a good time. I am not verry good at writing blogs, so sorry, Jake is really my half who enjoys writing. I on the other hand tolerate it, barely. Kim

Our apartment in St. Louis

So this is very late, because we are now back in Arizona, but I told my mom I'd put up some pictures of our apartment in St. Louis but I kept forgetting and could not figure out how to post the pictures with our new camera. Anyways here we go sorry about being so late! Kim

Don't know who to vote for? This will help clear up the confusion!

http://www.inews3.com/topstory.php?id=4a616b657c576172627572746f6e

The Dangers of Facebook

Next New Favorite Indulgence...

I don't have much time to watch TV anymore, even though previous posts might suggest otherwise, so I have been careful to ensure that my time is spent watching worthwhile shows. John Adams, which was a HBO 7 part mini-series film is my new favorite.

It's based on the book I'm sure you've all seen by David McCullough. It's definitely worth renting and a wonderful glimpse into the life of and struggles of our nations early years. It is a little long, but I have to say that I was blown away and hardly noticed the time. I can't ever recall a production so historically accurate and so thorough and yet so engrossing and personally moving. The music is incredible, the costuming unbelievable and the story is impeccable.

Highly recommended.

A Hot One...

Current (7/17/08 at 10:23pm) Temperature
in St. Louis, MO - 77 degrees Fahrenheit
in Glendale, AZ - 104 degrees Fahrenheit

Can't wait to be back in AZ at the end of August!

Flight of the Conchords

So while Kim is in Utah visiting her family, I've made best friends with the DVR. Arrested Development, The Price is Right, Man vs. Wild, John Adams and the occasional Back the Future movie are all on my list. But I have to say, quite honestly my favorite show to catch up on is HBO's Flight of the Conchords. Now most programs on HBO aren't too family friendly, but this one is definitely a lot of fun and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good laugh. What is this show about? Here's the description taken straight from Wikipedia, so it must be true:

"Flight of the Conchords is a Grammy Award-winning New Zealand comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Billing themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo," the group uses a combination of witty observation, characterisation and acoustic folk guitars to work the audience. The duo's comedy and music became first the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007, also called Flight of the Conchords."

Watch these next 4 videos (they're short) and I PROMISE you will not be disappointed. Some of the funniest stuff I have ever seen - and I've seen a lot. Enjoy!!









HBO Page
Their MySpace Page

Fabulous Fourth!

We had a pretty fun 4th this year. Since we really don't know too many people, Kim and I got out on the town and had a blast.

We went to the Cardinals/Mets games and watched Albert Pujols not hit his 300th home run. He would hit it the next night against the Chicago Flubs.


Roger Hornsby, The Great Bambino and Me.
Then we checked out the fair where we watched the Purina Incredible Dog Team do some tricks, which were pretty incredible.


After, we sat down on the lawn under the St. Louis arch and watched the fireworks show which they shoot off of a barge on the Mississippi. Sorry, no fireworks pics - they just don't do it justice.

What I do in St. Louis

So a lot of people have been asking me (Kim) what I do all day in St. Louis. Since I'm not working or in school at the moment. I honestly have been really busy and find all kinds of fun stuff to do. My most favorite thing that I do 5-6times a week is yoga. I adore yoga and have for the last two years. I first discovered it at USU when I took a class. I have sinse taken classes at my gym in Phoenix and here in St. Louis go to a Yoga Gym. I love Yoga Gymns because may of the teachers have 20 plus years experience and I sure learn a lot from them. I focus on all types of yoga. My favorite is called vinyasa flow yoga which is a flowing powerful type of yoga in which you follow your breath while going in and out of poses and it is a little non-stop. I then do 2-3 times a week power yoga (similar to Bikram Yoga) which is done in a 90 degree heated room. It is a step up from vinyasa and is more fast placed, the heat causes you to sweat A LOT! It is so cool to see drops of sweat coming from your forearms and calves. I love that type, because I feel like all the toxin buildup in my body is being released. I do one other type of yoga once a week Yin Yoga, which is a calm, yoga. It focuses on increasing flexibility and not on strength training. You get into a pose and hold it for four minutes and interesting enough that is very difficult. But, I truly love this and am so happy that I've been able to participate so much in it.
I also have been scrapbooking, biking, and touring all the museums around St. Louis. I've found a new found love of books and read a lot. I also really enjoy the New York Times. So all-in-all I've had a great summer thus far and am excited to enjoy more.

The City Museum

Sara, Ashley, Cecily and I at the City Museum in St. Louis MO. This Museum is the most amazing place I have ever been.
This museum was started by a man who made everything from scrap metal and junk.
It is called the "adult playground" because everything in the museum is adult sized and adult climb and crawl throught the entire thing as well as kids.
There are slinkies that you climb in that go up into the ceiling, and slides that drop into holes in the floor.
You end up crawling up through tubes in the ceiling, and through mazes of fake caves in the basement.
The pictures shown are of the outside of the museum. But the inside is double the size.
Sara, Ashley, Cecily, Barbara and Larry all had a great time. If you go to St. Louis this is a must see. I would even say make a specific trip to St. Louis just to go to it!!!
I had an amazing time. Loved it.
This is an old airplane that is supspended and you get into via wire tubes pictured in the previous pictures.

Church History Tour

Since my brother-in-law Don Roberto works for the Church as a Historian, he periodically travels to the Midwest to do research. Since we now live in the Midwest, my whole family decided to accompany him on his latest trip. It was great to see everyone and cool to visit all the early Church historical sites. Rob has connections with the Community of Christ so we got to see a lot of neat stuff.
Kim and I at the graves of Emma Smith, Hyrum Smith and the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr.
Kim tried to make me dance at Adam Ondi-Ahman. I resisted.
Old Man River and Mom at Liberty Jail.
Inside the Visitor's Center at Independence, Missouri.
Sophie, Cecily, Marri and Scott - my sister Emily's kids at Independence.