Where is the Marriott when you need one?!

Not in Lovelock Nevada!  

At this moment I'm missing staying in the Marriott Hotels Amy arranges for us to use, but this will do in a pinch. (I hope, let's see if I'm alive in the morning!)   

lulu

I got to go to lunch with Janna today.  After lunch I went up to see her new little puppy.  So cute!!! 

Guess where we found Dex?

Dex was busy in the family room emptying out the toy box....not enough room for him and the toys in there, so the toys had to go!

I did it!

I've had this issue....I've never been able to make a decent batch of Chocolate Chip cookies.  Today Dean had meetings all day long, so I decided today was the day, I'd give it a try again.  Dean reminded me that this was a terrible idea.  We were having Caitlyn, Mike and Manda and Dex, and Krista and Charity over for dinner, and whenever I make cookies I'm in a terrible mood.  I read every article on the internet about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

 This is one of the happiest moments ever.  Cookies I could actually offer to guests to eat.  (Braden, so sorry you weren't here for this moment, but I wasn't sure if it was going to work, or I would have had you fly home for it!)

 The cookies looked right, but to be honest, eating the cookie dough was even better than eating the cookies!

 I used Janna's recipe, and the Perry's honey.  Kassidy would be proud!

Oh honey

Our neighbors have bees, and harvest this yummy honey.  Got 2 jars tonight, yum!!!

Yummy

My niece told us one of her favorite treats was Rice Krispy treats made with Fruity Pebbbles.  We decide to make her a batch, and trying to be creative we made some of them in the shape of eggs.....not as easy as it looks!  We need to perfect this a little.  Hey, how cool is that bowl?  Yep, our friends the Perrys made it for us!

Derek

Julie, Brandon, and Derek spent the night at our house last night.  When Derek got up, he started practicing the piano.  It was so awesome having this music playing this morning.  This kid is so talented!  

Olympic spirit

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 Krista invited us over for dinner tonight.  We had a great time!  This is Krista and her crazy cat.  The cat  just sits there and stares at his reflection.

 When it was time to leave Krista's house, it was a blizzard.  We had to change our route home because highway 111 was so slippery!  After we got onto safer roads I tried to figure out how to take pictures of it snowing in the dark.  I ended up cranking up my iso to 3200, setting my f-stop at 1.4.  Kind of grainy, so I'll have to read up on a better way to take this kind of a photo. 

I was taking all these pictures from a moving car, which didn't help at all. 

Nobody had driven down our street since it started snowing.  It looked so peaceful.

Dam to Dam

This morning we ran the Dam to Dam race.

 How is this for a beautiful place for a finish line?!

Sand Hollow Reservoir

We had perfect conditions for running a race.  Cool temperatures, and no wind....and awesome scenery! 

   Both of us made it to the finish line ahead of our goal times, and we both placed 2nd in our age groups.

 After the race we went and sat in the hot tub with Connie, and then of course we had to replace all the calories we just burned off by eating yummy pizza!

 We traditionally come home from a race, shower, and then take pictures in our race shirts.  This race gave us these cool running socks, and the arm warmers that Dean is showing off here.

30 years!

Yep, this is what 30 years will do to you!

We spent our anniversary driving down to Southern Utah.  We have a race down here tomorrow morning, so we are staying the night at Connie's house.

Connie's kids that are here in town came over to have cheesecake in honor of Richard's birthday.  It was fun to see her cute little granddaughters.

Bethany and Jane

 Kate

Amelia

 Leah and Kate

 Brooke and Luke

SNM

Dean tells me I'm only supposed to post one picture a day....who is making up these rules?!

It's Thursday, that means it's Special Needs Mutual night.  No way can I just post one picture.

...but if I had to pick one picture, I think this picture would be it.  This picture represents all the service that is going on here.  It's so fun to see how these teenage kids are so willing to love these people with special needs.  I love how this young lady got down to Carolyn's eye level to really try to understand what Carolyn needed.

..or maybe I would choose this one...Tiffany brings this cute smile with her everywhere!  It's impossible to be around her and not have her brighten your day!

 
Ok, this one is good too.  Marian asked me to take her picture, and she wants me to bring it back to her in a frame.  Um...ok...I would love to Marian!  (don't mind if I make a copy of it for myself too)  Too funny!

Maybe not my favorite picture, but definitely one of my all time favorite people!  This is Cami.  Cami is so talented, so sweet, and so shy.  Cami has special needs, and she is an amazing piano player.  Like I said, she is extremely shy, but so willing to share her talent with us anytime.  If we are in a bind, we know Cami will without hesitation step up and accompany us on the piano.  I really look forward to seeing her each week.

Sometimes I wish there were more Thursdays in a week, sometimes one is just not enough!

Manda's house (37)

Today we got to help Amanda move her new treadmill down to her house.  It is a really nice house.  Just thought I'd show it off.

Valentine's Day (day 36)

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have this awesome neighbor that lives by the quote "Everyday is a holiday, and every holiday is a gift giving holiday".  I don't remember her ever missing a holiday.  Thanks Angela for all the fun surprises over all these years.  You are a great example to us.

Day 35, I think

Sunday dinner

Today's picture.

I'm liking this picture because: 1) I like Dex;  2) I like the lighting (bounced it off the ceiling); and 3) I'm happy with the focus.

 As soon as Dex sees Caitlyn he totally forgets the rest of us are even alive!

Sunday dinner tonight was heart shaped pizza.

 I like these people!

Saturday Night

Ok, so the hardest part of this photo a day challenge is trying to remember what day I'm on.

So...this post is just one day after the last one, whatever day that makes it.

We had an evening at home, playing Dr Mario.  It's been a long time since we have been able to do that!  We were also able to go watch glass blowing tonight.  Made for a great evening.

Friends (day 32)

We got a pleasant surprise on our doorstep.

We have some awesome friends.  

I want to be more like that.

Dex's photo shoot (day 31)

I had so much fun taking these pictures!  Dex found my tripod, and got to work.  He didn't even care that I was snapping pictures.  He would press his eye into the tripod and then look and me and say "smile".  I was laughing so hard!  He was totally serious.  He would make adjustments to the levers on the tripod, and then again tell me to "smile" as he smashed his eye into the tripod.  This went on for quite a while.

 I think he must be checking the light meter here

Here he is telling me to "smile".