My Older Brother

For some reason I am feeling pretty nostalgic. I guess being around Mark and all of his brothers makes me miss my brother Phillip. We had a lot of adventures together growing up, even though I am sure I got in the way a lot of the time :)

The adventures of Phillip and Laci

• When you would make me feed precious at night, by myself, so if the boogie man came he would get me and not you
• When Brandon had a laser pointer and y'all told me there was a murderer in the house.
• Toilet Monster.
• When we went hiking through the woods by our house and it was really cold and wet and we got lost and my socks and shoes were soaked so you gave me yours to keep my feet warm until we found our way home
• Putting China berries in the road at night and watching cars drive over them thinking they had popped their tires when the China Berries crushed
• Jumping from the top story of the tree house on to the trampoline
• Waking up at 4 in the morning on Christmas day and having to sit in your room until 6. 
• Wrestling in the den
• When I came up to Utah over Thanksgiving break and we made dry ice bombs
• When boys would call me and you would pick up the phone and interrogate them
• Watching you play computer games until all hours of the morning
• When you showed me around BYU when I went to school and helped me keep from getting homesick
• Sitting in the hospital with me for 2 days straight after my four-wheeling accident and threatening to beat up the guy who was driving
• When we got into a water fight in the kitchen at 503 post oak and soaked everything in sight
• Sitting under the kitchen table and eating sour punch straws, because for some reason we didn't think mom or dad could see us...

There are a billion more I am sure, but these were the first few that popped in to my mind. I am even grateful for all of the teasing  because it helped me fit in to Mark's sarcastic family. And for the pushing and wrestling because it kept me from being a girly girl.

I am pretty sure I have one of the best big brothers in the world.

Why I Love Him

He cracks me up. I told Mark that the window cleaners came by and cleaned the window in my office and it was pretty. Here was his reply:

"My name is Laci...I have a fancy office. I have a big window in my big fancy office. I'm fancy. Look at me everyone...I'm fancy Laci."

I don't think a day goes by that he doesn't bring a smile to my face.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So let me be honest. I am anti-Christmas before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my fav holidays and I feel like people completely glaze over it and skip to Christmas...But alas...this year I succumbed to the Christmas Spirit early. Mostly because Mark and I were thinking that if we waited until after Thanksgiving to put up our tree we would only be able to enjoy it for a week and a half before we left to go to Vegas for the Holidays. So here it is...our first Christmas together (okay technically we were married last Christmas...but with all of the wedding craziness it didn't feel like Christmas...so we're counting this one as our first)

Snowy weather for decorating

Look at how festive Mark is in his red and green

Mark sat on the couch giving moral support as I put on the lights

The finished product

Two turtle doves ;)

Last but not least, a beautiful nativity quilt that Sister Clay made for us :)

Bitter Sweet

Well, I put in my two weeks notice today at the Dean's Office. It was so hard. I LOVE my job there. I love all the people and how fun it is and the jokes and my work assignments. But alas, it was time to move on.

I interviewed with Targeted Learning, an HR consulting firm in Orem. I was only interviewing for a summer internship, but the way things worked out, they ended up offering me a job starting now. I was really really excited, but at the same time had a sick feeling that I would have to leave the Dean's Office a lot sooner than expected :(

Things to miss:
The Dean's Hilarious comments through out the day
Talking to Earl and Warren when I update the calendar in the hall
Being comfortable where I am at
The convenience of an on-campus job
The Holiday decorations
Helping Lonnie produce our college magazine
Working for BYU
Having Mark working right down the hall from me
Working in the school atmosphere helping fellow students

Things to Look forward to at Targeted Learning:
It is an HR consulting firm, which is my emphasis
It will give me great work experience for my future career
It is a "big girl" job
New challenges
New friends to make
New beginning
New experiences

"Ships are not built to stay in the safe harbor. They are meant to navigate the oceans and experience adventure"

Fall

B-E-A-utiful.

I am so grateful for the beautiful weather and lack of snow this fall!!! Not a flake and I am not crying about it.

Mark and I have turned off our AC and just love having the windows open! Mountain biking is the best with all of the pretty colors!!! These pictures just don't do the trees justice...

That is Bishop Stokes, my second dad :) 

A day in history...

After much reflection, I thought that I should post about a day in history, commemorating a feat that may not again come to pass for at least a year. Join me...

Happiness at a Football Game...

A Win by the BYU Cougars

Call me a pessimist...but things aren't looking bright for our team. In the dark hours of lost games and disappointment in the waste of potential in our young team, I hold on to these memories to get me through.
RIP BYU Cougars as Mountain West Conference Champions

Our House is a Home

After living in our apartment for 9 months, I finally feel like it is becoming more of a home and less of a college apartment. Thanks to Tammy and Rob for helping with the curtains and bringing up our new couches!

Shananingans (or how I spent the last day of summer)

So...The master plan was for Amber, Mark, and I to hike Timp on Saturday morning...however...we woke up at 5 to begin our trek, and Timp was covered in clouds...you couldn't even see the top. And we are talking mean looking clouds...I was really bummed for the second Saturday in a row! I will conquer you again Timp!!!

Well we sure as heck weren't going to let this day go to waste! So...we went to the Mona rope swings with Amber and her little bro Bryce! It was too fun! We did some swinging...some laying out...some more swinging...

Amber!

Bryce!

Me!

Mark!

me again...

mark again...

me+amber

mark about to jump

Then Mark and I came home and relaxed the rest of the day and then played with our friends Whitney and Gretchen and baby Micah! We ordered pizza and watched the Princess Bride. Great last day of summer...filled with sun, friends, and food!

Funning...Round 2, ding! ding! ding!

So over the weekend we were going to hike Timp...however, it was going to just be Amber and me and Mark didn't want us going by ourselves and he couldn't go...so we had to push that off until this weekend!

I was pretty bummed that I wasn't going to get to hike Timp, but luckily, our dear friends the Bennetts called us and invited us on a little camping/mountain biking adventure. Yay!

Bennetts!

So Friday night we camped out at Big Springs Park...Let me tell you a little story about that...So we finally get up the canyon to our campsite and we are setting up our tents...and lo and behold Mark and I forgot our bag of clothes!!! It had our mountain biking gear and everything in it...I thought that he had grabbed the bag and he thought that I had grabbed the bag...the funny thing is is that we were down in our car about to back out of our parking spot when we remembered we needed deodorant, so Mark ran back upstairs to grab the deodorant, which just happened to be right by our clothes bag...haha. So anyways I realized we didn't have it after we were already up the mountain so Alyse and I drove back down the canyon while the boys started a fire. One trip down and back up the mountain later we had our clothes. Alyse and I got back to a fire and cooked up some yummy zucchini she had brought while the boys chowed down on bratwursts. (gross) After a lovely chat around the campfire...we decided it was time for bed so we could wake up bright and early to go mountain biking! Mark and I froze the entire night due to the fact we only own one sleeping bag...then we woke up in the morning to find that my camelback waterpack had leaked a liter of water ALL OVER our clothes. So we got to put on freezing, wet, clothes to go biking in! I was so cold!

Brandleys!

We hopped in the car and drove up to Timpooneke Trail, which is by far the most beautiful trail we have been on so far! It took us about 2 hours to bike the whole thing, it was really intense but totally worth it! And...BONUS...we saw a moose! That's right! A moose about ten feet off the trail...he was ginormous! I had made it down some crazy rocks on the downhill and was feeling pretty proud of my self so I shouted out to the other three-"guys I did it! I made it down those rocks!" Expecting a "way to go" or some other form of enthusiasm...I got a "SHHHH" I didn't understand why until I looked up the trail and saw mr. moose. We sat there for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do...and decided that chad, alyse, me, then mark would ride in a tight line slowly by him. We held our breaths and did it! After we passed them we all peddled as hard was we could to get the heck out of there! Alas, we made it in one piece.

By far my favorite weekend of the summer!!!

View from the Top!

Mr. Moose!

Squaw Peak...sort of

So a few Saturdays ago Mark and I decided we were going to hike Squaw Peak. We set out with high hopes and a sense of adventure. That sense of adventure came in helpful...

So we found directions to the trail head and thought "easy peasy". False. We wound up the mountain searching for the Squaw Peak trail head but could never find it. But dog gonnit we were going to hike something! To add to our dismay, it started to rain, but as I said, we were determined to hike.

We left our car and journeyed out into the rain. It was actually really fun. We made it to a grove of trees, followed the trail through it, and came to the point where we would have to leave its protection. The rain was really coming down by this point, but I wanted to keep going so I had the bright idea to run to the next grove of trees...well...there was no next grove of trees. Oops.

We just kept going though and the rain let up and eventually stopped. Then, something momentous happened. I peed in the great outdoors. That's right folks. I finally did it. I have been camping a ton, but there have always been bathrooms or some form of outhouse/shelter to go to. Not this time...and I really had to go. I mean really had to go. Mark gave me the tip to aim downhill...well being a novice at this...I thought he meant face downhill. Bad idea. As I squatted behind my chosen tree and began to do my business, to my dismay a trail of liquid began to run towards my shoe..."Mark! It's going towards my feet!" I exclaimed. Beside himself with laughter he responded "I told you to aim downhill!" I thought I had but apparently for girls you have to face uphill. Lesson learned. Sorry...no pictures of that folks. When we got a little higher up the trail we realized we were on the mountain next to Squaw Peak. Not the legendary peak...but good enough for me! Our pride was slightly hurt that we could not find the trail head, but upon asking other couples, we realized we were not alone! I guess it is harder than the directions make it seem. Here are a few pics for your enjoyment:

Home Sick

I don't really know how to explain it, but sometimes I feel homesick for my Heavenly Father and Heavenly Home. Some days I get the strongest feeling that I just want to go home. Something inside of me starts missing the Heavenly Home that I don't even remember. Funny how that works...I have no recollection of it...and yet I get this yearning  to go back. Some days it almost brings tears to my eyes, just the feeling, the want to have my Heavenly Father hold me again. I can't even imagine what it will be like to see His face again and have him hold me and talk to me.

I wish I could explain this better...I just find it amazing that I can have such strong feelings and emotions and yearning for a place that I don't remember. Especially since it is such the distinct feeling of homesickness...the missing of something you know you had. I know I was there with Him. I know He loves me. I know I want to go back and have my family there with me. I am so grateful that I am sealed to Mark for time and all eternity and that we will not be separated after death and we can live eternally with our families.

Home Home on the Range

So we did it, we finally made it down to Texas to see my niece. Here is our trip in pictures...

My beautiful niece

We fell asleep :)

Mark really wants a boppi....

 

We ate at Fogo de Chao's for Jason's Bday. All you can eat meat. mmmmmm

 

My Beautiful Sister and Me.

I love seeing hay bails on the side of the road...

Mark got a Texas History lesson. Here is the U.S.S. Texas...fought in WWI and WWII

Mark shot down a few planes with these anti-aircraft guns...

Swabbin the Poop Deck.

Ya. That's the Captain and the Admiral. We were v.i.p.'s

We spared you from a Titanic pose. 

Here is one of the highlights of our trip in words: So one night Mackenzie, Jason, Gigi (my 82 year old grandma), Mark and I were playing Apples to Apples and this is what went down:

Adjective: Chewy

Card Played: Carnival Workers

Player of said card: Gigi

It has always been my opinion that the best memories are made when you're not trying. 

In sum, we ate more meat than any person should...ever...we met my perfect little niece and loved her to bits and pieces...and played the day away on an old world war battleship.

FUNNING TRIP!!!!

So I (Mark) will be doing the blog post for this little trip. This is because I have to explain to everyone the way Laci thinks. According to Laci, if you looked up the word "fun" in the dictionary, it would look like this:

fun

   [fuhn]  Show IPA noun, verb, funned, fun·ning,adjective

–noun

-verb

Almost everyday Laci would say, "Mark we never have fun. (Insert name(s) here) are always doing fun things... like camping, and hiking, and camping..." It never failed. It's so funny. It never failed that she would always associate fun with camping as the first example. So... Laci and I finally went what we refer to now as "funning" with Danny and Amber. It was a ton of fun and we were able use the new tent that Larry got us! Thanks Larry! We were headed to Alpine canyon to camp but found out that fires were prohibited. Considering that camping... err... funning isn't funning without a fire, we decided to head over to Yuba Lake. We got there and had some amazing tin foil dinners and s'mores and roasted weenies! All of the basics.

The next day we got roasted and toasted while swimming at the lake. Man, our virgin skin still hadn't seen the sun yet this summer due to Laci's surgery and all. 

Yuba Lake

Laci, me, Amber, and Danny

The little boy that Laci was obsessed with... 

(The night we got there and the entire day we were there

 he not once took off his goggles.)

US!!!