James is contributing . . . and he has no idea

It's really me, Jesseca, writing this. I'm on James' computer that I just had to add my name to the dictionary of. It greatly irks me when a computer tells me I'm spelling my name incorrectly. I think I'd know better than you, inanimate jerk. But all that has absolutely nothing to do with the reason for this post, I really wanted to share a story from another blog I like because this is my dog. In fact she pooped on the carpet two days ago despite having not done so for ages. I'd like to think she'd remember me if she got lost, but for sure she'd love whoever found her as much if not more than me.

Some of you have seen the post, everyone else its worth a read.

Happy Birthday to James!

James is 24!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! I think I'm far more excited by birthdays than James is, I really wanted his day to be perfect and he was kinda like, "eh, its a day." But I was not going to let him ruin my fun. I made him Ableskeivers for breakfast, drove him to school, took him to J-dawgs for lunch and we got to have dinner with Sharon and Ru at the Melting Pot. Pretty much Awesome. Here's the break down of his booty:

This is a drawing pad. I had been saving since April for thins thing and then they raised the price, so I did what any mature wife would do. I called my mama who promptly agreed to go in with me so we could still get it. I kept this under wraps until a week and a half before his birthday when I had the page up on my computer and James saw it. I know what you're thinking, "you just played it off, right?" WRONG. I panicked and told him most everything. I was so disappointed in myself. Still am, but he seems to like it very much.

This is James with the book Nicole and fam gave him. Something he heard about at PAX? He was really excited when he opened it.

James was around the corner when he opened these, there was a scream of glee and he flew into the kitchen and almost broke my fruit bowl. My first thought was, "Somehow I will get you back for this, Julia." I kid you not we've already had to discuss areas that the nun-chucks are not allowed to be played with.

This was Ru and Sharon's gift and its so beautiful. Ru was disappointed its a Martin, he wanted to get a Taylor so it could be James' Taylor . . . (drum roll here). James already has sore fingers =)

The rest of James' loot, Alias, How to Make Web Comics, soy paper so we can do sushi at home, and cards from Grandma Donna and Casey. A pretty great birthday if you ask me!

Walked and walked and walked . . .

Baylee and I like to go on walks. Sometimes James comes, but not usually because we like to go 3-5 miles and let's face it, that is not my husband's idea of fun. Here are some of the things I like to look at on out 3.2 mile walk. I skipped over the first mile because it's not pretty. Things get better once you reach University Ave.

I love this house. I want it. It and the curved glass that is in the windows on the right corner. So cool.

I was actually walking while taking this picture because I didn't want the people in the house to see me taking a picture of their freak painted tree. Who does this?!

I can't actually decide if this is a cool sculpture or plagiarism from The Creation of Adam.

I took this days before they announced it would become a temple. I am SO happy they are going to save the building!

The Provo Court House is beautiful. Sadly some of the carvings up near the roof are severely damaged and fading away.

Baylee likes the garden at the court house. There are probably some awesome smells in there.

I've pretty much decided that I couldn't live in a true city unless I had a seriously sweet building to remake into a house. This would do.

On Center Street there are more pretty houses that I'd be okay with owning.

I covet the porch on this one, it wraps around the side.

I thought I took some of the weird Chinese place that I think is a drug front and the cemetery, but apparently not. Maybe later.

Kill me.

This is the current view of my desk. Its a mix of things we used in class and things that need to be graded/entered. I don't want to. So there.

Here's what we've been up to . . . for the past few ages . . .

I kept thinking that I didn't want to get out of order and let things get behind, but the post I wanted to write before all our summer stuff I can't bring myself to do yet. So, I'm skipping it and will come back to it at another time.

Here's our summer!

Lancaster:

Last time I did better! Actually, last time Disneyland flipped our scores. It was awesome!

I talked James into taking me to the Queen Mary, I'm mildly obsessed with things like this. She was beautiful and made me want to be ridiculously rich and living in the 1950's so I could travel 1st class. Interesting fact, the 1st class swimming pool can be emptied and refilled with heated sea water in about 20 minutes.

There was also a retired Russian sub anchored next to the Queen Mary that we went through. IT WAS SO SMALL! The last executive officer was six foot four! He could stand straight in about two areas, he couldn't even stretch out in bed! Nightmare.

Aspen Grove:

James is so cute when he plays with little kids. =)

Nicole and me at Stewart Falls. The entire Beesley family loves hiking with me. Please see here (look at #4) and here (Scroll down to until you see this picture, which I stole from Nicole)

This was floating around on our trip home, I missed Darth Vader.

Waterton, always cold, Canada:

James and I got to golf twice while we were there! I now want to take up golf because, you know, as a teacher I have SOOOO much spare money floating around.

We did Red Rock Canyon, which is a beautiful, fun hike. Part of me wonders if the way we do it is actually frowned upon because I don't really see other crazy people up to their chins in arctic water.

The lovely Miss Ella loving on Baylee, or Baylee loving on Ella, how ever.

Ah, horseback riding . . . on the short chubby horse. Seriously I spent most of the ride trying to prevent "Snacky McSnackerson" from eating. At one point she charged into a freezing cold pond trying to eat the weeds on the bottom of it. She's short. My legs are not. Think about it.

Please note, my legs have to be further apart than Nicole's whose horse was at least 4 hands taller I swear. Um, but really, the next day my legs were sore from Chubby's girth.

For some reason I'm fascinated by the US/Canadian border. Its like they mow it . . .

Oregon/Susanville:

Do you see the view in front of him? And he's looking at a computer . . .

More proof that Baylee is dumb and has no boundaries. I have NEVER seen a dog brazen enough to sit on my Dad's lap.

Baylee checks out the world's smallest natural harbor at Depot Bay, Ore.

I love the Oregon Coast.

My Mama does too! She really loves tide pools and she always is on the look out for crabs of all sizes. She picks them up and then is shocked if they pinch her. It's hilarious!

Totally picked this from Mom's garden. I wish I lived closer, I'd "shop" there all the time!

From then to now.

Ours is the typical story I suppose; boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy receives medical clearance to serve a two year mission, boy leaves girl, girl is devastated, girl has to find things to console herself, boy and girl get married six weeks after he comes home. You know, that's how we roll in Utah.

I thought I might tell bits and pieces of the story with some pictures.

While James was gone I worked and dated, but I was horribly lonely so I bought this to help me feel better!

I went to games and spent time with friends like this!

I took trips to places like this!

And all that was well and good, but it was no substitute for this:

So I made sure to sucker him into this before he could think any better of it!

And of course, we had to do lots of this =)

We went to Maui with out cameras, oops, and came back to try to figure out how newlyweds live. We think it involves taking pictures like this:

Having to deal with little things like this:

Very sadly saying goodbye to precious things like this:

James no longer wanting to hear me cry every night and buying this to pee on the carpet and chew holes in the wall:

Me getting a job at a school where students do things like this:

And being blessed to spend lots of time with both of our families at places like this:

We're just about ready to start our summer extravaganza. I'm going to Trinidad with Aunt Les, then we're going to Lancaster to see ALL of James' siblings(!), Aspen Grove with the whole Beesley clan, Cherry Hill with my family, Waterton with the Beesleys, and the Oregon Coast with my Mom, Aunt, and Grandma. Doesn't sound like much rest, does it? =)