Day 13

I really had every intention of staying up to date on these but I haven't even been on my own computer in almost 2 weeks and that is where my photos live. I made it tonight so I am going to try and get caught up quickly.

A photo of my best friend(s) Wayne & Rick
For those of you that don't know - Wayne is my internet buddy. We have been friends for something like 9 or 10 years now. We have been able to have our families travel to spots together twice now and hope to be able to do it again. He was my friend when I started dating Rick and know all of my secrets from dating.
Then of course there is Rick and we all know how in love with him I am. They make a great team tolerating my crazies!

Thanksgiving #20

I am thankful for sporting events. I know that sounds a bit lame when you aren't into sports like we are, but we have had so many fun experiences because of them. Most people don't know, but I started college with every intention of becoming a sport broadcaster. After spending some time working in baseball I realized it wasn't for me. It hasn't changed how much I love watching sports. We have traveled to Phoenix and Vegas for NASCAR, and Seattle for baseball. Ok baseball wasn't the only reason be went to Seattle but we saw a game while we were there. We have had several seasons of Utah Utes season tickets and this past weekend we even braved enemy territory and went to a BYU game.
Our favorite is soccer! We went to matches while ReAl Salt Lake was still playing at the U and were there when they raised the Championship flag at Rio Tinto.
We spend lots of time watching sports on tv as well but attending in person is much funner. In the future we plan to visit Green Bay and Lambough field and Talledega at some point in time.
I love that we have the ability to attend and share together so many sporting events.

Taco Bell

Last night we were discussing different things in life when Taco Bell was brought up. It was discussed that each of us has our guilty pleasure there. For one it was Nachos Bell Grande and another it was a #8 - I don't remember what the #8 is. For me, it is the Crunchy Fresco Tacos. I gave in today and purchased fast food for lunch for the first time this entire year! Ok I really ran out of time last night, talking with family, for me to make lunches so Rick said, why don't you just go buy lunch tomorrow. I have a million+ options near work but one place stood out very clearly in my mind. I had to go to Taco Bell.
I remember the VERY first time I ate there. I was 17 years old and had just graduated from high school. I was visiting my dad and family in Seattle. The boy across the street was a bat boy for the Mariners and he took me to a game. After we stopped at Taco Bell. Prior to this time, we had always had Time Time. (The Taco Time on 400 south which was next door to a Taco Bell to be specific. We ate there 2 or 3 times a week in my memory. They had felt pictures on the walls of bull fighters. But Taco Time is not the point of this blog.)
I believe I ordered 2 tacos. I don't know if I specified soft or crunchy and really don't know which I received. I do remember the lovely yellow wrapping. So this boy and I were eating out Taco Bell at like 11:00 pm - really the only the acceptable time to eat Taco Bell. I do remember that for some reason I didn't eat my second taco. Not only that, I slid it under the seat of this guy's car. It was some yellow mustang type car. Something I am sure he babyed.
Now here's the thing, he ended up being a jerk and later on in life I remembered that hidden taco and laughed to myself. Even now, more than 15 years later, I still laugh at the stench that he must have found in his car weeks later.

Rock Band - Seattle Tour

I finally was able to figure out my video editing software so that I could break this down. Enjoy!

Photo Tag

The rules: Go to the fourth picture folder on your computer and post the fourth picture in the file.
How stinking boring... like i haven't already posted this photo. It is the Concorde taken at the Air and Flight Museum in Seattle last month. It actually is 2 photos hooked together (panorama). We were able to go inside as well. It was SOOOO skinny!

Bellevue Botantical Gardens

While in Seattle we spent Sunday afternoon walking around the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. It was SO beautiful. I have waited to post this blog because I wanted to do some artsy fartsy stuff with my photos. I took a billion of the flowers. They were so gorgeous. I just can't imagine how pretty they were say a week or two before. I have also posted the photos individually on my "Point and Click" Blog
Not only was it beautiful, it was free. Why can't Red Butte Gardens be free?!?
{If I start "talking" too much like Seriously So Blessed, someone please tell me. I am into reading that site because it makes me giggle but I am worried I will start talking like her.}

Issaguah Farmer's Market

Some time ago, Marissa decided she wanted to make a coffee table book about eggplants. Whenever we went to the grocery store together an eggplant ended up in my shopping cart and it would end up in a new home, such as with the frozen food or baby clothes. (Smith's Market Place....man I miss that store!) We even grew an eggplant one year. It didn't grow to be very large but it grew nonetheless. ANYWAY~ As soon as I saw these beauties I had to take a photo for her. Even though she doesn't read my blog. She is way too much of a rockstar to take time to read my blog. (For those of you that don't know, Rissa is my youngest sister who happens to work for SaltAire with all of their concerts. She is 21, almost 22 and living the dream. NOT my dream!)

Back to the famer's market. We bought some lovely fresh veggies and some homemade bread. Rick picked out the bread, it was bread with spinach, onions and something else in it. It was delicious.

My favorite part about the market was the flowers. FLOWERS, FLOWERS and MORE FLOWERS! We bought some flowers for Grandma Jo as a birthday gift. We bought some for Maddy, who forgot to take them home. And we bought some for Laurie for letting us stay in their home. I wish I could have fresh flowers like that all the time. Seriously...the bunch we bought for Laurie was only $5. Talk about killer deal. Plus they are zinnias which just don't grow in Utah like they do in Seattle. This is the farmer's market that really got me going on the tree hugging too.

The Museum of Flight

Rick and I were able to go to the Museum of Flight while in Seattle. There were SO many things to see. We realized that if we lived there, it would be a place to visit all the time. We would definitely buy a membership.
Some of the cool things we were able to see were....The Concorde, Air Force One and lots and lots of planes from WWI and WWII.

Snoqualmie Falls

Here is another installment of our Seattle vacation.
On our first full day in Seattle we headed out to Snowqualmie Falls. Laurie suggested we visit and I am so glad we did. I had not idea something like this existed and not so close. It was about a 20 min drive from my dad's house and we took the "back way" which was also the scenic route. There really wasn't anything too special there but it was very beautiful.
At the top of the falls is a resort and spa, Salish. It reminded me of Stein Erickson Lodge by the warm way they have decorated it. I am sure that if one were to stay they that they would have a relaxing time.

Do I look like the tourist or what?!

Moving

I have created quite a stir in talking about moving to Seattle. Here is the deal... If Rick could get a job there that would make us enough money for me to stay home...then we would probably go for it. I applied to one job up there already for him today. I also found some homes that are probably in our price range if it were to happen. All of which aren't more than 30 min from Dad and Laurie.
As for those of you in my ward, don't get me wrong I don't want to leave this ward but living in an apartment for 2+ years stinks! Rick and I are SOOOOOOOOO sick of it. I totally want to buy the Rasmussen House but $1,000,000 - It ain't going to happen! Not even for that much land.
In all reality, Rick and I are planning on building in Saratoga Springs up on the hill (not down in the marsh lands) next year in April and hopefully move in September/October.
Things change a lot though in this market so who knows what will happen. I am so grateful for my friends in our ward. It makes me happy to know how appreciated I (we) am (are). Please keep these notes of love coming. =)

Tree Huggin Hippie Crap

Our Seattle was so spectacular in many ways yet horrible in others. The "green bug" bit my butt! I HAD to go to the farmer's market at Thanksgiving Point yesterday. I have for a long time tried to buy local fruits and veggies but yesterday there was an urge that was killing me. For 2 hours I sat at work thinking about it, waiting for it to open. I even went over 20 minutes before it officially opened!
While I was there some lady gave me a bag with some cool magazines about cooking, some sample spice things and something else. I was all excited to have my first reusable bag for shopping. I was able to buy some veggies and some awesome bread. It was from Great Harvest so in reality I could have just gone to their store but this was different. I bought Beehive White. The loaf is 2 pounds! It is so heavy and it is made with honey rather than sugar. It is mighty tasty. I had bread for dinner last night. I also bought a loaf of white bread with white chocolate and raspberries. It is utterly divine!
Then today Rick and I went to the regular grocery store, Harmon's, cause they just don't have a big enough farmer's market. We ended up buying 5 more bags. Now I have 6! I am totally excited to use them. Also when I go to Harmon's I get a $0.05 credit for using my own bags so eventually they will pay for themselves. Yes I shop there enough that they will.
Rick also changed on our dishwasher the drying cycle so it dries with normal air rather than the hot air. I guess it potentially could save us some money there too.
And a secret....we are going to see what jobs are available in the Seattle area and what homes are around too. Yes we liked it that much! We have no issues with rain as we both can't stand the snow anymore. Rick doesn't like the 100+ heat of the summer and I would be ok with how hot it still gets there. Rick told me that he just can't get over it, the trees and the lakes. I don't know that I see it happening, but hey we can't just be passive in our lives. Who knows what might happen. We might end up with moss growing between our toes...well I would cause Rick still would wear shoes!

Yankees at the Mariners

We arrived just as the gates were getting ready to open. We were given foam hands, but just tucked them away as souvenirs.
This was before I took the boys shopping.
Kenzie was good enough to sport the WaMu backpack that was given to me.


It has come time for me to blog about our baseball game in Seattle. It was AWESOME! My first pro game was back in 1993...Rangers at the Mariners. I was able to go in 1994 to see the Braves. (Can't remember who they played though.) Both times we were pretty far out, this time we were right behind home plate. My dad mentioned that we could check out batting practice beforehand so we were able to catch that too. McKenzie went with us and we had an awesome time. The pitcher for the Mariner's was in his MLB debut. He threw a no hitter for 7 2/3 innings. It was so much fun once the crowd realized what was going on. They SO got into it. I think that he did a great job.(if you see a resemblance between McKenzie and me, please comment. Rick says he can see it but isn't exactly sure what it is. For those of you that don't know, Kenzie is my half brother.)

The Space Needle

On Monday we were able to visit the Space Needle in Seattle with our friends from England. We met up with Wayne, Barbara, Chris, Peter and Stan at the Westlake Center where we had a bite of lunch. We then rode the monorail to the Seattle Center.
Having Wayne in a wheelchair has it's perks. We were able to ride up together and had a pass to get on the elevator all together and barely had to wait for it.

Wayne was unable to go out onto the observation deck but I was able to take his camera and get photos for him. Some nice lady out on the deck offered to take Rick's and my photo together. The weather was incredible!
We had a great time with friends hanging out watching the sea planes for awhile as well.

Clark Clan BBQ - Issaquah WA 2009

I am going to post about our trip to Seattle in several different blogs. I ended up having 470 photos on my camera and it looks like not more than a dozen are fuzzy or just accidents. I wanted to start out with our BBQ on Saturday night. This way I can post the photos of Maddy so she is happy to look at them.

Drew was in the house watching football much of the time we were on the porch talking. This was the first time Joanne, our aunt, met Drew and Rick. It was the first time Grandma Jo met Rick as well. Grandma's birthday was 2 weeks ago while she was visiting family in England so we bought her flowers for her brithday that morning at the farmer's market. (Story and more photos to follow.) We had a nice time with everyone. Even Kenzie stuck around for most of it before sneaking off to the Sounders game.
My photos look like they are going to have a funky layout which is cool with me so I am not going to try and rearrange them. For those of you that don't know... Red and yellow sweater = Laurie, my stepmom. Dude with grey hair, Jimbo, my dad. Joanne is in the blue shirt and is my dad's sister just 16 months younger than him. Guy in the black sweater, my half brother McKenzie who is 19 and last but not least, the lady in the vertically stripped shirt, my only living grandparent, Grandma Jo. (Don't forget the photo of me with my arm around my invisible friend.)





Welcome to the Clark Clan!