gma and papa musick's 60th

 "We fell in love and just kept falling."

-Papa

 

Manti will be jealous.

 

santa barbara

Matt is so lucky to have grown up here. Nothing but sun, palm trees, Spanish architecture, mountains and beach. Beautiful.

bakersfield

back then it was called devon's

I had to go to the place where my parents had their first date before we leave. It was a different name then and may not look the way it did 40 years ago, but it was still special.

 Matt loves when I take pictures of him.

dear santa/matt

In case you feel that moving me to Dallas & considering me getting a dog isn't enough.

 Thanks, Bu. I love you!

run and tell that, homeboy

I know this is so 2 months ago, but Matt is in Huntsville, Alabama this week where this all started. After watching Conan last night I was surprised to see this guy on the Lopez show. It is so catchy and makes me laugh every time.

the gift that doesn't want to be given

Matt doesn't want to give me this gift, but is going to. Matt dropped a huge bomb this weekend, but only under stipulations. I can get a dog for my Christmas present. At first, I was so excited! Even though the stipulations decreases my options and is causing me to consider breeds I have never considered before. The stipulations are: (1) has to be a medium size dog at largest, which is fair because we will probably end up in a small place, (2) can't shed (too much), (3) can't step paw on the couch or in the bedroom, and (4) cannot be in any family photos.

Now, I was thinking why would I want to bring a dog into our family when Matt doesn't want it? Is that fair to the dog and me?

Friends with the same experience say that Matt will end up loving the dog, like their husbands, family and friends unexpectedly do. I hope so. Anytime I ask Matt a question about the kind of dog to get, his response is, "I don't care, it's your dog.". No fun! I think Matt has had bad experiences with dogs, he says he hasn't.

I have been searching petfinder.com like crazy and looking up rescue shelters to go to when we get to Dallas and I don't know when the right dog will enter our lives, so I figure this will be a long process. As badly as I want a dog, I don't want to rush this.

Since Matt's stipulations automatically nixed out my all-time favorite dog, the Golden Retriever, I have to search smaller, less hairy options. My brother Steve, introduced me to the Stafforshire Bull Terrior and I found out about the American Staffordshire Terrior after research and this is my top choice, as of now. Even though they look tough, they are sweethearts.

(My first print screen, woop woop!)

I am also so excited to report, that when we get to Dallas I will have a chance to meet and help take care of Steve's new English Bulldog, Walter. Hanging out with Steve will be cool, too. I am hoping this will help Matt ease into dogs more.

 Steve and Walter

it is crunch time

Even though, to Matt, it won't look like I did a lot this week for the move, I feel good about it. Since Matt has literally 4 more days left in Utah, I will being packing most of the stuff. He is getting worried we won't be ready for the move and seems to think that there is a chance I would let that happen by the time December 4th rolls around. Tisk-Tisk, Matthew.

I'm glad Matt's mom is backing me up about getting a dog, since this past couple of weeks, I have developed TMJ. She helped Matt and I to realize that since I don't have Matt with me at night, I am unconsciously grinding my teeth and the right side of my jaw is in a lot of pain.

I will be listening to Christmas music via the radio all the way to Salt Lake tonight and once I pick up Matt, he will change it. He says it's not Christmas time until the day after Thanksgiving. That is rubbish. When it is Christmas in the stores and there are Christmas commercials on TV, it is time to listen to Christmas music. Then again, you don't need any of that. I'll listen to it anytime of the year.

I am thinking of ways to kidnap Rach, since it is too late now to take back the moving idea. I hope I won't regret this move too much. I will have to learn how to use Skype.

K, I'm done.

everyone should have a rach

 (Photos taken while in AZ with my phone, not the best quality.)

  Even though she is younger than me, I look up to her and want to be just like her.

its all gotsta go

It's not fun to pack, but it feels so good to just let go of stuff I have been carrying around with me for years and not using. I feel freed!

Pictures of a few of my drawings from my design classes before I tossed them. (As you can tell, I haven't taken the best care of them. Colors have faded and rubbed off onto other drawings.)

lazy sunday

Matt enjoyed going to a famous bar in Texas while working in College Station last week and brought me back my first present from his weekly trips.

 

I asked Manti if he could lift Rach over his head, like you would see in pairs figure skating. It did not turn out as graceful as how I imagined it would.

 

Matt didn't think I saw him pick up leaves off the ground, but I did.

 Yes, I took pictures of him running after me to throw the leaves. Doesn't he look like a happy, little boy in these pictures? I'm glad I captured this. He is so cute.

And yes, I took a picture of them while they were in the air.

 

 View of the Provo Trail from our apartment

 

No snow, yet...

bu's birthday

 

Thanks Mom and Dad for the GPS system! We will never get lost!

 

We took the opportunity to have a party for Matt's birthday and to see friends before we leave.