Brett and Dyana Valdez

Leah May makes her arrival

2011-04-30T10:02:00.010-06:00

Leah May made her arrival on March 30th weighing 6 lbs 11 oz and 20.5 inches long. Just like her brother she made her arrival in record timing 1.5 hr labor. We are excited to have a girl in the family and are getting use to the colors pink and purple. This is the first grand-daughter on the Valdez side of the family. Needless to say, she will be spoiled by Grandparents, have several body guard boy cousins to protect her and receive lots of love from her daddy. Here are just a few pictures.

A Family Photo- Bracken was so happy to meet his "sister"

A Proud Older Brother

Brackens Birthday!

2011-01-15T21:43:00.007-07:00

How did our little boy grow up so fast! It is amazing how much a child learns and grows in their first year of life. It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital welcoming Bracken into this world and our family

Bracken's First Cupcake!

We celebrated his birthday with a BBQ with close friends and family. The weather cooperated and the children enjoyed playing on the bounce house thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Valdez.

Aunt Tina helping Bracken into the Bounce House!
Bracken attempting to get his Cousin Andrew, who can't walk yet, to jump or play catch with him.
Bracken was overwhelmed with the presents and after a few attempts opening the gifts he soon let his older cousins help out.

Pictures of Bracken By Chad

2010-07-14T16:51:00.002-06:00

Chad (Brett's Brother) invested in a new camera and we get to benefit from his purchase.

Eating Like a Big Boy

2010-03-27T23:00:00.000-06:00

It took a little longer than we thought and a little ingenuity, but Bracken finally began to regularly eat the rice cereal and oatmeal. He didn't seem to dislike it in the past, but he just didn't understand how to get it from the spoon down his throat.

So when Brett was giving him a little Tylenol, we realized he was pretty excited and lunged for the syringe. Therefore, we just put the cereal in a syringe and he loves it. It looks like he even has the tongue thing down now and would be fine with a spoon. But one step at a time.

He is getting so big!

Okay, Okay... Here are some pictures!

2010-03-13T07:41:00.004-07:00

We have been hogging pictures of Bracken all to ourselves. Here are several pictures over the past couple of months with a little input from our little BC himself.

Hanging out in my Bumbo. This is where Mom and Dad put me when they are tired of me crying and they are trying to make dinner.

I had fun hanging out at Uncle Darren and Aunt Chelsea's wedding. All of these people I had never met sure liked holding me. I don't see what all of the fuss is.

What is that crazy face Aunt Nettie is making? Does she know she looks funny?

This is my Grandma and Grandpa Bracken and cousin Logan on my first Christmas. For some reason Grandma and Grandpa seem to really like my name.

My mom always likes to dress me up in all of these "cute" clothes, even if they are a little too big on me. Doesn't she know I am just going to spit up all over it anyway?

There that camera thing again... and now mommy is making a crazy face.

My cousin Candice really likes me. I wish she didn't have to live all the way in California.

Why do mom and dad take so many pictures of me on this blanket next to this black thing? It seems a lot smaller than it used to.

Daddy, now that face is just plain scary!

Just chillin' with my cousin Nicholas at Grandma and Grandpa Woolley's. We look pretty cool, don't we. It will be fun having three of my cousins the same age and two of them born in the same month.

Do you know all of the cool stuff this thing does? It is amazing. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Candice!

It may not look comfortable, but this is my favorite position in my bouncer regardless whether I am awake or asleep.

My Grandpa Bracken sure does love me.

Here is that blanket again. My parents thought it would be fun to put me in the same clothes they brought me home from the hospital in when I was 4 months old.

Ode to Utah State Basketball

2010-02-27T07:06:00.006-07:00

Hey, even if you are not a basketball fan nor a Utah State fan, you really have to check this post out. Pure entertainment!

Last weekend we went up to Logan with our friends, Mark and Jen, to catch an Aggie basketball game. The Spectrum has always been a great place to watch a basketball game. The team is always solid and the fans have always been great, maybe sometimes even a little over the top. BUT... until you have experienced a game from inside that stadium within the last two years, you don't know what you are missing.

The incredible student section is one of the craziest, loudest, and best-choreographed that you will find in the nation. Have you heard the Scottsman? Have you witnessed the "winning team" chant? Have you ever seen Wild Bill? Well if can't answer yes to those questions, it is time to head on up to Logan and experience it for yourself. You don't even have to watch the game to be thoroughly entertained, Dy didn't.

Check out these clips and I challenge anyone to tell me of a better experience anywhere in the nation. According to Wichita State coach... there isn't.

Out from the Darkness

2010-02-19T23:43:00.003-07:00

So, after a year of barely catching neighbors wireless signals, trips to Brett's parents, and very few blog posts, WE HAVE THE INTERNET!

It took a year, but we finally caved in earlier this week. The primary reason is so we can talk to Dy's family through Skype (and anyone else who wants to), but there are obviously other benefits for us. It was nice to have an excuse for not updating the blog, though. I guess that means we better be more diligent about it.

We will get some other things going here shortly... stay tuned.

The Bracken Blog

2009-11-18T22:09:00.004-07:00

As most blogs do at this point in one's life, this will turn into the Bracken Blog. Eventually we will find some creative ways to mix it up, but for now it will be a steady dose of Bracken pictures, stories, and perhaps even a video or two.

One of Dy's coworkers is expanding her photography portfolio to include baby pictures. Here are some examples of what she did for us. If you want to check out more of her stuff, go to her blog at www.kimeskelsonphotography.blogspot.com.

We love the pictures...thanks, Kim!

Bracken By The Week (4 weeks)

2009-11-08T09:08:00.004-07:00

As requested, here is a week by week picture update of Bracken. Yes, we already missed one. Anyway, it will be fun to look back over several months as he continues to grow. We placed him next to one of Brett's gloves to help give some perspective of his size.

0 Weeks

1 Week

2 Weeks

4 Weeks

The Story of Bracken's Arrival

2009-10-22T18:16:00.002-06:00

We are back. Still don't have internet, but we are making due with the resources available...thanks momma and pappa Valdez. We figured you are all interested in some updates about our little addition to the family. Well, we have each wrote about the birth of Bracken for everyone to enjoy. It really is quite the story; long, but worth it.

As told by his mother:

Well my friends it’s been an eventful and joyous week. Here are the details that led to us welcoming Bracken Carl Valdez to our family.Friday I went to my cousins wedding and towards the end of the night started to feel what I thought were contractions. They were slightly stronger than normal. At the wedding I helped serve some refreshments and clean up afterward and thought I probably just over did it a little bit. Everyone kept telling me I looked ready to have the baby…in other words they are saying that you look like crap.I was planning to go back to my car that was parked at Nettie's work with her, but I decided to leave earlier with my parents so I could get home. My mom was pretty confident I was starting to go into labor and wanted to drive me home. I insisted, however, that I was fine and made the trek alone. While driving home on I-80 I had some contractions and actually put the car on cruise control to help get through them. When I got home, I told Brett I felt very uncomfortable but probably had just over done myself at the wedding. I attempted to watch the end of the Red Sox game with Brett, but opted for a hot bath and bed instead.Around midnight, I woke up in a lot of pain. Brett asked if I was in labor. I doubted I was since my doctor told me just two days earlier "it would be a miracle if you delivered by the 16th." Unsure, I called my mom to see what labor felt like. We timed the contractions being every 8-12 minutes apart and finally decided to take off to the hospital. We arrived around 1:30 a.m. where they got all of our information and eventually admitted me.By this time I was so uncomfortable and wanted something to relive the excruciating pain. Before giving me any pain medicine, they had to check me only to tell me I was barely dilated to a 1. For the next hour they hooked me up to the computer to monitor the contractions to see if I progressed. After 90 long miserable minutes of intensifying labor, annoying vomiting and being extremely uncomfortable, the nurse came in to check me again. I was positive after the tears and squeezing Brett's hand for what seemed to be an eternity, I would have progressed to more than a one. I was pretty bummed to find nothing changed! The nurse said it appeared the contractions were the beginning of labor, but she said she had seen mothers like this take up to 36 hours to deliver...or longer. I told Brett I couldn't do this anymore. Well, I should of thought about this labor thing nine months ago. They gave me a shot of morphine and sent us out the door. By the time we arrived home at 4:30, I was feeling pretty loopy and out of reality. I slept pretty well for about two hours only to be awakened once again with strong contractions. For the next five hours I laid in bed next to my sweet husband who coached me through every contraction. In between each one I was mentally trying to relax myself. By 11:30 am we decided to log the contractions once again. In the middle of one of them, I felt a little pop and a small amount of fluid excreted. I turned to Brett and told him I think my water just broke. His response, "I think I just heard it!" At that time I doubted it was my water and thought I probably just peed my pants. But Brett insisted we head back in, so we got in the car and started driving. As we were leaving Tooele, I felt like I just had to push. In my mind I wanted to tell Brett to just go to the Tooele hospital, but after doing the math (the ride is 40 minutes and each contraction is around 7 minutes apart), I figured I could handle around eight more contractions before getting some meds.As we got to the airport I finally confessed to Brett I felt like I had to push. At that point we suddenly went from speedy 85 mph to an intense 100 mph. The whole way Brett was trying to help me breathe through each contraction. By now we had reached I-15 and I turned to Brett while I was in between contractions and notice he was doing the deep breathing himself. I asked him if he was okay and I thought I heard "I am faint," not "I am fine." He told me his stomach and neck were tingling and his fingers were getting stiff. Now I was worried he was going to pass out on me and we weren't even going to make it to the hospital. From that point on I tried to downplay my contractions. For those who don't know, Brett doesn't handle blood and guts so well.We eventually pulled up to the hospital doors where Brett ran in to get a wheel chair and get me inside. They started asking all the same questions again from earlier this morning when I finally persisted that I needed to push and wanted my epidural. The receptionist finally realized I was serious and said "this one doesn't look too comfortable. Let's take her back to room one." They wheeled me back and got onto the bed with assistance from the nurse and Brett. He then went out to sign the permission and consent documents. By the time he returned three minutes later, there were 15 people in the room. Now I was pleading with the nurse for my meds. After ignoring my repeated requests, she looked at me and said "I see the baby’s head. It is time to put you legs up and start pushing.” I finally conceded the fact I was not going to get an epidural and better just make the best of this. After just a few minutes, Brett turned to me and said, "He is almost here. I can see his head." Referring back to the comment earlier, Brett is not good with blood and I was surprised he would actually watch our child be born and stay awake to tell me about it.
Sixteen minutes after being admitted, Bracken Carl Valdez entered this world. What an amazing moment to think he’s so recently departed from heaven. Weighing in at 6 lbs 9 oz. and 21 inches long, I was grateful Bracken didn't take after the Martin side being a ten-pound baby. I did tear a bit and had to have an episiotomy, but the recovery has been pretty easy. So far he only wakes up once around 3:00 each night after we put him down so I even sleep better than I did prior to his arrival. I feel great and I love being a mom. I truly was blessed with a little angel.

As told by his father:

What an incredible experience it has been to welcome little Bracken Carl to our family. It was a pretty good story of him getting here, too.
October has always been a special month, especially in 2004 and 2007. Now I get to add 2009 as probably the best of them all. Since Dy was away at her cousin’s wedding, I decided to skip out on the Friday night Elder’s Quorum activity to get ready for game 2 of the division series. While I was depressingly watching the Sox let game 2 slip away, Dy returned home from the full day of wedding activities. After a few minutes of watching the tragedy unfold on the television, she said she was feeling pretty worn out from the day and needed to take a hot bath. I too was feeling pretty bummed, but for obviously different reasons. By the time Lowell flied out, I thought I had better follow Dy upstairs to see how she was doing.

Since it was already 11:00, she was unsurprisingly wrapped up in bed and trying to go to sleep. The next hour was pretty miserable for her. She explained she thought she was having contractions, but honestly didn’t know what the real ones should feel like. With the doctor’s dismal outlook just two days ago where she said it would take a miracle to get this baby here before October 16, we were skeptical Dy was in labor. Since it was approaching midnight, we didn’t want to wake up our parents if it was nothing. Eventually we decided to call her mom to get some motherly advice. Carol’s motherly instincts were in full force as she was basically anticipating the call. She told Dy she thought it was the beginning of labor and advised us to start timing the contractions. At this point they were anywhere from 12 to 16 minutes apart. While Dy was reviewing the situation with her mom, I finally decided to get our backs packed. We had a couple things set aside, but we really thought we were at least a week away and I had to throw some things together. As the contractions continued to creep down towards eight minutes and the pain was intensifying, we finally decided to make the 40-mile trek to Intermountain Medical Center…Dy’s second home.

On the way in there, we hit EVERY traffic light green, even the ridiculously long ones that are supposed to make you wait a minimum of 5 minutes. I mentioned to Dy it really must be time with this unheard of good fortune. During the ride, the contractions seemed to come down to around 5 minutes apart and for the first time I TRULY thought Bracken was on his way. I could tell Dy was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable and needed some sort of relief from the pain. At 1:30 we arrived to the hospital and I helped my amazing wife inside leaving the X-Terra at the front doors…I always wanted to do that. I sat her on the mother’s wheel chair and we went through all of the admittance paperwork with the receptionist, which felt like it took an hour.

By time we got back in room number two, Dy’s pain had become excruciating. Therefore we were both pretty frustrated to learn she was still only dilated to a one! Before they would give her any meds, they had to get the computer readings of her contractions and the baby’s heartbeat to verify the intensity and frequency of her contractions. The next 90 minutes were full of squeezing my hand, vomiting into the garbage can, and constant readjustment to find any level of comfort. We did use this time to develop the Brett Breathing Technique (also known as the BBT found in recent medical journals) to get through the contractions. Since we planned on taking an epidural, Doctor Brown agreed we didn’t need to take the birthing and breathing classes. Though it probably was far from perfect, together we figured out a way to get through the contractions and try to relax in between. When the nurse finally came back in, the update was just as disappointing as before…still dilated to just a one. Dyana finally qualified for the shot of morphine that she gladly accepted. The nurse said we may be in the beginning stages of labor, but that even if we are we should get prepared for a long day as she has seen this go on for 36 hours…or longer. Because Dy wasn’t “progressing” she said we should head back home and return if the pain intensified or when her water breaks. This was a little much for Dy to take. After all, she was already to the unbearable pain threshold. I never felt as helpless when Dy turned to me during one of the contractions to say “Brett, I just can’t do this anymore!” I wish I could take some of her pain…I think. How much more did she have to take? Was she just not able to handle the real pain? Of course not, she is a Martin.

On the ride home, she could slowly feel the drugs kick in and the contractions become less painful. By the time we got back home at 4:30, she was pretty loopy and out of it. That at least gave her a couple more hours of rest before going at it again. By 6:30 she woke back up with the pain slowly returning. The BBT had been somewhat successful as she had now learned to breathe through each contraction and relax in between to make them a little easier, but they still really hurt. Once again, I felt helpless. I knew she was in pain so I tried to fight my urge to sleep. I just gave her my hand and let her squeeze away. By about 8:00 I was fully awake and began calling our parents with some updates. To find some comfort Dy again tried a warm bath, then the recliner, and different positions on the bed. At 11:30 we decided to again log the contractions. Since leaving the hospital when they were 3-5 minutes apart, they had gone back to about 7-8 minutes apart. During the second contraction at 11:39 am, I heard a faint popping sound coming from Dy’s general direction. It sounded like one of those bulb seaweeds that you can step on and they pop. I looked at Dy and she said “I think my water just broke,” to which I responded, “I think I just heard it!” Since there really wasn’t much liquid associated with it, she started second guessing herself that she just “piddled her pants.” This again goes back to the fact that the doctor said Dy wasn’t close and they just sent us home from the hospital still at a one. However, I was positive it was her water and insisted we head back in there. Once we gathered everything up again, loaded back into the X-Terra, and made the phone calls to the parents, off we went.

For the second time in a row, we got out of town…and eventually to the hospital…without stopping at a single light! I should probably call Guinness. This time I was a little more frantic since there was clearly more traffic at noon than in the middle of the night. I could tell Dy was getting more and more uncomfortable. I was cautiously weaving around the cars in my way. Each time I passed one I tried to make it obvious that I had a pregnant lady next to me by exaggerating the breathing and rubbing her legs as she reclined in the seat. With the tinted windows and elevated SUV, I am sure no one could appreciate my critically-acclaimed performance, though it sure made me feel better. By the time we hit I-80, I was carefully hovering around 85 mph, give or take a few. I was continuing my attempts to help Dy breathe and relax. As we passed Saltair, she turns to me and says, “I feel like I just need to push!” Horrified by the vision of me trying to deliver little Bracken in the car, I lovingly, yet sternly told her “DON’T PUSH!” At that point the needle seemed to be stuck near 100 mph. By now I was actually hoping to see a cop who could then escort us to the hospital, to no avail.

I was still working on my acting skills as I weaved around other motorists, but have to admit by now I found it had some practical uses to help me settle down, too. As we had now reached I-15, I found it kind of amusing that my neck and upper stomach were starting to tingle with my fingers becoming a stiff. Not thinking about how this would add to Dy’s level of stress, I mentioned to her my funny discovery. She looked over while in between contractions to notice me still using the now popular Brett’s Breathing Technique. I later came to find out this only made Dy try to downplay her pain so I didn’t pass out while driving. In the end, we both made it.

Just 32 minutes after leaving the house, we pulled back into the hospital where I once again was able to leave the X-Terra at the front doors. I literally ran into the lobby and grabbed a wheel chair to take Dy in. The receptionist again started asking the same questions we had gone through just a few hours earlier. Eventually she realized my wife was serious when she said she needed to push and wanted her epidural now. Along with a nurse I helped Dy into her room and on the bed. Once situated, I ran back to the receptionist to finish the consent forms. It took no more than three minutes and by the time I returned there were literally at least 12 people in the room getting everything prepped for delivery. Due to the quick arrival, not even the on-call doctor was able to get there in time to deliver so the resident got things going. At this point Dy was vainly pleading for the epidural. Though they never said no, it was clear my incredible wife was going to do this naturally.

It was once again time for the BBT, though we did receive some tips from some of the nurses and other medical staff there to help us out. Beside the miracle of birth, there was one more miracle I am sure Dyana will declare happened this day. While I was holding her head during the contractions, and no longer choking her in between, I was also needed to help hold Dy’s legs as her hands were getting tired. That perspective allowed me to watch our beautiful little boy enter this world and take his first breath of life…and yes, without any fainting. I did, however, pass on cutting the cord. A mere 16 minutes after being admitted into the hospital, our little family was joined by Bracken Carl Valdez. Though we were pretty sure that was his name, I still double checked with mom to confirm. Because of a little meconium ingestion into the lungs, they had the NICU respiratory team there to make sure everything was fine. It was a pretty special moment to be able to hand our little Bracken into his mother’s arms.

The rest of the details from that weekend all kind of a blend together. It was great watching the grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends hold our little boy. It was really special to see the pride from grandma and grandpa Bracken as they took their turn. We kept reflecting back to the thought that we are now parents and helped create this little miracle. Not that our priorities were too offline before, but Bracken’s birth helps put things into an eternal perspective of what really is important. So even after Paps blew the two-run, ninth inning lead on Sunday, it was much easier to handle holding Bracken in my arms.

Pictures

2009-10-12T20:33:00.001-06:00

By popular request and a few threats, we finally have some pictures of Bracken Carl Valdez, our little BC.

Bracken Carl Valdez - 6 lbs 9 oz and 21 inces long

Peacefully sleeping...which he has been pretty good at...so far.

As Nettie so nicely put it, a Bracken Sandwhich!

Drying off from his first bath...oh to be clean.

Gearing up for a Baby

2009-08-17T17:10:00.007-06:00

Only 8 weeks away and our little B.C. will arrive. (The first name is undetermined, but is between Brady and Bracken with Carl as a middle name) In the past few weeks we have decided to start getting things ready. The crib is up awaiting the arrival of the bedding. The stroller and car seat are assembled. Who knew a little guy could cost so much prior to his arrival....but its all worth it.

Recently Dyana feels as if the little guy has little to no room to move inside. The constant kicking at the ribs makes her feel like a punching bag, but on the other hand, when he isn't moving she wants him to kick her. It amazes us who much we can love a person whom we have yet to meet. We can only imagine the love we'll have once he enters into our arms.

The house projects continue. We have raked rocks till we have had enough. They seem to magically proliferate before your eyes. Thanks to the help of both families we are getting close. The plan is to have a sprinkling system installed with lawn before October 1st.

Yard Work

2009-07-24T18:05:00.003-06:00

So this is what our summer consists of, keeping a pregnant lady as comfortable as possible in the summer heat and putting in our yard.

In July, we were able to get our front yard ready for some trenching for our sprinklers. After getting the retaining wall put up, it took another 60 wheel barrows of dirt to finish it off...but we also had to remove about 15 loads of rocks. Our neighborhood has got to be the rockiest soil on earth. We were actually very excited with the way it turned out. We like the character and uniqueness the wall gives our house, plus it helps divert attention away from the AC unit and utility meters on the side of the house.

Now now our goal is to level the back yard, remove the rocks, plan out the rest of the design, create a grid for the sprinklers, and have some nice green lawn before the baby comes which gives us about 12 weeks. Wish us luck!

We need your help!

2009-06-21T19:47:00.005-06:00

Less than four months until we will be parents and we need to still buy some baby clothes, furniture, diapers, and a lot more...but we need your help with something more important...a name. Okay, so we still have plenty of time, but we thought we would get some of your opinions on some of the names we are stuck on. Who knows, maybe something completely different will come to us later, but it will be fun. Leave other suggestions with a comment if you have a good name.

Here are some quick thoughts as to why we like each of these names. Brett likes to bring up this subject, but we really haven't put too much time into it. When he is born we may completely change our mind, but we thought this would be fun to blog about.

Bracken: We would name him Bracken Carl using Bracken from Brett's maternal grandparents and Carl from three generations on the Valdez side. He would also copy his dad's nickname in BC. We like that it is unique but not crazy.

Brady: Brady Martin would be named after Dy's paternal grandparents (Brady) and her maiden name. It really is a name we like with the added perk of having family ties.

Carson: This has always been a top choice for the two of us. Carl would be the middle name with this as well.

Ian: This is a little bit of a newer name on our list that we have grown to like.

Jackson: This is one that keeps moving around our top ten or so. Brett really likes the nickname Jack, but Dy prefers the full name. Either way, we like this option as well.

Adventures in Marysvale

2009-06-13T18:35:00.003-06:00

Since Brett gets his birthday off for work, we decided to take an extra couple days and make a vacation out of it. Since we happen to know a few people who actually own some bikes and trailers, we headed down to Marysvale, Utah to explore some of the Paiute Trail. It is nice to have some friends and family we can free load off of...thanks Scott, Bri, Chad, & Kristi.

We headed down Thursday morning and came back Monday afternoon. After over 150 miles of ATV riding in three days, we decided to take it easy on the fourth and took a trip into Capitol Reef National Park in a vehicle.

After taking off nearly two weeks of work, Brett now has to save up his leave for a few days when the little one comes. Next up for us is tackling our rock and weed infested yard to replace it with some good soil, trees and grass. The goal is to finish it before the baby is here. You would think that would give us enough time, but we welcome any help we can get.

Here are a few pictures to enjoy from our adventures in Marysvale.

Nearing the end of our 86-mile day trip. Good thing Dy had on her helmet so she didn't have to force a smile when her pregnant body said...ENOUGH.

Apparently a kids body says the same thing, wedgie and all. It is amazing the kids assume this position for hours at a time. It can't be that comfortable.

Here is a picture of Scott, Bri, and fam. There really were some great trails down there that led to some lakes, wildlife, dense forest, and waterfalls like this one at Boullion Falls.

Relaxing at the camp after a day of riding. Notice Brett's beard is begining to actually look like a beard.

Proof that we visited Capitol Reef National Park.

Thanks Brian...and Jill

2009-05-31T15:45:00.001-06:00

Dy's brother-in-law rented a house near San Diego (Carlsbad to be exact) and invited the whole Martin clan to come and free load for a week. The agenda was packed full of the typical SoCal attractions; Disneyland, Sea World, the beach, Legoland, and for us it also included a Padres game. Brett's old roommate also lives in San Diego so we spent an evening with Kevin, too.

It was fun to get away for a bit for a pretty relaxing vacation. It didn't hurt that Brian and Jill made it pretty inexpensive for us, too. We are trying to petition for Hawaii or the Caribbean next time. :)

Here are some pictures from the week.

Just playing with some starfish at Sea World. For all of the places the Martin's have invaded as a family, surprisingly this was the first time at Sea World.

Just petting a dear at the San Diego Wildlife Park...or something like that.

Probably the funniest part of the park was watching the birds flying all over to drink the nectar out of our hands. Between Dy and Chelsea, we got quite the entertainment.

Doesn't Brian look so happy on the merry-go-round?

We stopped by the San Diego Temple before going to Cameron and Rachel's (Dy's brother) for church on Sunday. It sure is a beautiful building.

Dy was a good sport and went to a Padres game with Brett. That really is one of the nicer parks in the majors. We enjoyed some first row seats in left field and obviously had our ballpark brats for dinner. Good times.

Although overall Legoland was definitely more of a place for kids (as we expected), we really enjoyed "Miniland" that had cities built out of legos. New York City (above), San Fran, Vegas, New Orleans...it was pretty cool.

Dy being Dy.

After waiting for 25 minutes and thoroughly captivated by the log flume, Ethan changed his mind once he got splashed.

It's a boy!

2009-05-22T16:25:00.000-06:00

Before we headed out for a little vacation, Dy and Brett stopped by the doctor for the ultrasound to tell us the gender. We are both very excited to have a little boy. We would have been happy either way, but we both realized how much we also want a little girl. Now...picking a name. Any suggestions?

It's Harder Than We Thought!

2009-03-19T21:13:00.004-06:00

We sincerely apologize for our lack of posts. Without the internet at home, we are bad at making the time to regularly update the blog. We will have to start doing a better job, though, so we can update everyone on the status of Dy's pregnancy.

That's right, we are expecting! Though not official just yet, the due date is around October 16. Obviously, we are both very excited. Dy has been getting a little more sick the past couple weeks, but it is typically in the evening. Brett is great to help out and Dy is learning to accept his help more willingly.

Anyway, hopefully this will motivate us to find time to blog a little better.

We have pictures!

2009-01-31T13:41:00.005-07:00

It only took a month, but we finally have some pictures of the house. It is mostly put together, but there are still a few things left to put up. Enjoy!

Here is the front view of the house.

When you are in from out of town an need a place to crash, this is where you will sleep.

The entry way is one of the things we initially fell in love with.

It is so nice to have a kitchen with enough cupboard space to put all of our stuff...plus some. Dy was able to talk Brett into the cabinet upgrades and we both love the decision.

Our family room could use a little wall decor, but we are still deciding the setup option we prefer.

Family room part two. We imagine this will end up being some sort of additional sitting space, but furniture budget is spent for 2009...and no more window shopping.

After a year in storage, Dy was finally able to display her shelves and couch in the "Church Room."

We are still working on what exactly will go on top of the "Dust Collector Shelf," but we have a decent start. We stole all of the good deals from Pier 1 Imports.

We really love our master bedroom. Plenty of space but not too much. Even though there aren't any pictures of our bare Master Retreat room, when there are a bunch of teens and their friends running around in a few years it will truly become our retreat.

Master bath with the closet in the background. We also have a jetted tub and separate shower off to the right.

All in all, we are so happy to finally be in a home. Now we just need to break it in with a little house warming party. If you want to help us with that, keep Saturday, February 28 open for a little party. Leave a comment if you want to come and we will be sure to send details.

We are in!

2009-01-01T18:51:00.003-07:00

Good news, bad news. We are finally in our home. Bad news...no internet. Our updates may be limited, but we will try to do our best. We decided to go with television rather than internet. Who knows how long we will last before going crazy.

Well, we were able to officially move in on December 23. We absolutely love it. There are still a few things the builders are finishing up and/or fixing. Yesterday as the satellite was being installed, we found out they failed to put any insulation in our attic. There are a few more things such as missing light bulb, chipped cement, and our mailbox.

Last night for New Year's we broke in our house with a little party, kids included. it was fun to entertain a little bit with comfortably fitting 15 people where our previous limit was about 4. We will work on getting some pictures taken and get it posted.

Until then...we will start enjoying 2009!

Just a Night in the Hospital

2008-12-13T14:52:00.004-07:00

So we had an adventuresome little Thursday night. Brett started having a little stomach ache while at work on Thursday. After a couple hours he ended up going home to see if he could sleep it off. It just kept getting worse and by 4:00 his parents called the family practice. The practice is closed on Thursdays but the PA, or Dr. Darin as everyone calls him, met Brett and his mom at the clinic. His best diagnosis without blood or CT scan was appendicitis. Since Dy was working at IMED, Brett got a shot for nausea and headed to Salt Lake. It was nice to head to the same hospital Dyana was working at and eventually ended up on her floor with a few recommendations. While sitting in the ER for several hours Brett's temperature was 103 with uncontrollable shaking....even with 7 warm blankets heavily resting on him there was nothing that could make him comfortable. Thanks to Morphine Brett was resting comfortably before entering the operating room. After receiving a blessing from Uncle Bruce and Andrew, by about 11:00 Brett was in surgery and had his appendix removed. While not technically his nurse, Dyana pretty much did all of those duties. After a long night with many interuptions and little sleep we checked out of the hospital by about 10:00 on Friday morning.

Great timing as the Holidays approach, wrestling tournament, a busy week at work, and not to mention an upcoming move. We are still blessed that everything went so smoothly and there were no complications with the procedure. Brett is doing pretty well and is anxious to get out of the house and attend a few Christmas parties.

That brings up another point, we can especially use a few more hands now that lifting is limited for Brett. As things look right now, we hope to move into our new home next Friday and Saturday (Dec 19-20) with most of the big things on Saturday. Our walk through is scheduled for Tuesday and we hope to close Thursday or Friday. It all depends on how fast the appraisal and insurance stuff will be finished. Regardless, Castle Creek said they would work with us so we can move in next weekend.

Happy 1 year!

2008-12-01T00:00:00.003-07:00

So I just had to write a post letting my wife...and all of you...know how much I love her.

At the risk of sounding too sappy and gushy for a blog, I will leave out most of the details for in person. But she is my everything and makes life so mush easier and enjoyable to live each day. Thanks for making me feel so special and loved.

You are the best and I love you.

Temple Square

2008-11-30T18:23:00.002-07:00

This weekend we celebrated our first anniversary. It seems hard to believe it has been a year since we got married, but at the same time neither of us can imagine life without each other. It seems like we have been married for years.

To celebrate we went back to Little America were we stayed to start our honeymoon before heading off to Cali. Brett was able to get off work early so we checked in around 4:00. Just a relaxing evening of vegging in our rooms, checking our the temple square lights, and a great dinner at Olive Garden. Nothing too fancy, but we had both been dying to go there for months. It was also the place we went to eat the afternoon we got engaged. For our good deed we even gave our tasty leftovers to a couple guys on the street.

We loved this new feature in the middle of the reflection pool.

The camera on Brett's new phone actually takes pretty decent photos.
(We still should probably find the battery charger for our camera.)

Gas for $1.51!

2008-11-28T23:08:00.003-07:00

That is right, we paid $1.51 for gas. So we had some actual proof, we figured we had to take a picture blog about it. Plus it has been over a month since the last post and were desperate for a new entry.

Even though we love the house, we didn't want to put another entry about the house. It seems like that has pretty much been all we have done for the past while. For a quick update, we hope to move in the week of December 15. I am sure there will be a separate blog soon with an update.

House Update - Video walk through

2008-10-24T07:36:00.011-06:00

Here is a walk through of our home. As you can see, virtually all of the framing is done besides a few touch ups. Other than playing around at the apartment, this was also the first real use of our new camera.

There were a few problems with editing this video since the camera saves files in a pretty new and not popular video file. Thanks, Cody, for helping us out. It is really coming along and is fun to actually envision where things are going. We should be pretty close to moving into the house in just over a month. CRAZY!

Do you really know who you are voting for?

2008-10-15T20:26:00.007-06:00

We got this link from a friend (thanks Mark) and find it pretty interesting. A man asks people on the street who contest they support Obama if they agree with his political views...but they are actually McCain's.

This is only a small sample, but I bet many people would answer this very similarly...for both candidates. Check it out.

Link: Obama or McCain

If you are tired of these posts, we are working on a video walk through of our house that we hope to post soon. We are getting pretty close.

Vote for Righteousness

2008-10-13T00:04:00.003-06:00

Many of you may have seen this, but we watched it at Dyana's family's place tonight and thought it was definitely worth watching. We also received this email about the same sex marriage issue in California. It is imperative we all vote for righteousness. It is a little scary to see where the country is headed if we don't take a stand and draw the line somewhere. 50 years ago some of these issues wouldn't have stood a chance. The line keeps getting pushed back. If we don't stand up for it now, who knows where we will be in another 50 years.

Vote for Righteousness

Proposition 8

Sorry for the political posts. We should have some more pictures of the house soon. :)

Our Freedom To Vote

2008-10-09T22:35:00.008-06:00

I thought I would venture out and create a post with a little different twist. As Dy and I were watching the presidential debate the other night, we both expressed general frustrations with the process. While it is great to have each side share their views, I get so frustrated with the 2nd grade name calling that goes on. Rarely do they actually answer the questions posed and it seems to be more about the bad the others are doing rather than the good ideas of their own. Having worked for a public policy think tank for a couple years, I definitely appreciate all of the time public servants put in...and most of their intentions. But I still have a hard time with antics that go along with politics.

While I tend to lean towards one candidate, I have not entirely made my decision yet. While Obama tends to be very polished as a speaker and presenter (which I agree is an important characteristic for a president), he seems to spend most of his efforts ripping on the current administration and trying to tie McCain to it all. However, last I checked most all of that legislation is voted on by congress controlled by Obama's party. In fact, many of his votes in the Senate are in support of the very pieces he rips apart. It sounds to me like he often is trying to just say what will best get him elected and not what we need. I do get leery about McCain's age and he definitely isn't as smooth an orator as his counterpart. Although their views are different, his personality is too much like Bush's...plus, what is the "Maverick" campaign about. Should we elect Mel Gibson instead? I also don't like his *health* plan as much as Obama's. However, I do like his experience and feel he and Palin would bring sincerity and integrity to the Whitehouse.

The point of the post is not to create a debate or argument about the candidates, rather to see what some of your thoughts are about the election/debate process in general. I am opposed to those who blindly vote straight party tickets. I get annoyed by people who are so polarized and irrational in their views they don't listen to a word you say (i.e. - environmentalists and PETA). To be honest, my vote is largely influenced by simple integrity and sincerity.

If you have any comments about the process I thought it would be fun to see your thoughts. Most importantly, though, I am grateful for the right to vote and for a country that really is a great place to live. Too often we forget the freedoms we are blessed with and such a positive overall quality of life we live. Be sure to get out there and exercise your right to vote on November 4.

House Update - Exterior Framing

2008-10-06T23:09:00.008-06:00

So, here is the latest update. Almost all of the exterior framing is complete.

Back of House

Moving wall and window.

Kitchen from the family room.

Master Retreat

House Update - Framing Almost Done

2008-09-28T21:41:00.001-06:00

Here are the latest pictures of the house. The framing is almost done. It sure is nice to be able to see some shape to the house. Notice in the first picture the microwave for lunch. Kind of funny.

House Update - Foundation Done

2008-09-18T19:41:00.003-06:00

It appears things will start moving pretty quickly now. It doesn't hurt that we have really been on them when things weren't getting done, too. Since there isn't as much building going on, they expect us to be in possibly by Thanksgiving time. That would be great.

A "Colors"-ful Night

2008-09-13T18:03:00.006-06:00

We enjoyed a date night with Colors on Saturday. They had their second reunion concert at the Sandy Amphitheater. Although Dy doesn't know them too well, Brett enjoyed a few of memories of the good ole days from college. As expected, we even saw a few people we knew from Utah State and Turnberry. Since the Dave Matthews concert was ultimately canceled, we figured this would satisfy our concert fix for the summer. Good times!

There's a hole!

2008-09-04T23:00:00.003-06:00

So after nearly three months of paperwork and permits, we finally have a hole for our house. They dug the hole and are on there way to getting our house built. They still say they will meet a December 7 deadline. We hope to be able to be in and somewhat settled for Christmas. Exciting times!

Mexico

2008-08-31T22:42:00.011-06:00

Dyana and her sisters took a trip down to Ensenada Mexico with an organization from Utah called Family To Family Humanitarian Expeditions. (www.ffhe.org) For 7 days she lived at an orphanage help build some very humble homes for a few very grateful families. It was a great experience that really helps you to be grateful for what you have. Some of the upgrades we badly want as we build our home seem less essential now. It was an experience of a life time to feel the spirits of those less fortunate than us, but see how happy they were. Material possessions don't bring happiness. Dyana learned that God, family and love are what make a happy people. She fell in love with one family in particular.

The Hernandez family consist of 3 children and the parents that lived in a humble 8x12 foot box built from plywood a roof built out of tarps and scrap metal and plywood floors covered in dirt. One light bulb and no running water. ( unless you count a hose coming out of the out house up the hill running water.) Our expedition felt somewhat like extreme home make over. Our group arrived at the house and started to unload the materials to double their house in size. The father and mother came out with tears filled in their eyes. They were not given any information prior to our arrival that they were selected to be a part of our project. The words the father said next were so moving. He said, I have prayed for months to God to know what I should do next for my family. You are angels sent from him to answer our prayers. Over the week the FFHE group grew to love the Hernandez family. We filled Backpacks with crayons, coloring books and stuffed animals. Everyday we arrived the two young boys filled with joy showed us what they had colored that day. The stuffed animals accompanied them to church and other social functions. Nevertheless tears were shed at the last day when the Brick walls were in place to double their house in size. Although we didn't speak the same language we shared our thoughts through broken language, smiles, tears, and hugs. They are children of God just like each of us.

Dyana loved to play with the children. She sang songs, played soccer, painted fingernails and toes and even let an orphan Jose paint her toes. Everyday was filled with hard work and labor, but in the end was so rewarding. We left 2 families with new additions, an elderly lady with a retaining wall to prevent water and mud from flooding her house and several orphans with smiles on their faces.

One night during our Points to ponder moment- a group member made a very interesting thought. He said it's easy to serve the people in Mexico because their needs are so obvious. You can see that they need a better home, better blankets, more food and clothes. It's easy to meet these needs because they are so easy to recognize. But, we have people around us who have needs-that aren't as obvious-yet they still need that love and attentions. I have made it my goal to find those who are silently suffering and be an angel and answer their prayers here in my home town.

Although the week flew by, Dyana was happy to put her feet on US soil and be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy living in this great land.

Where's Dyana?

2008-08-16T10:23:00.002-06:00

Well, my wife left me for 10 days to spend time in Cali with her brother before heading down to Ensenada, Mexico to live at an orphanage for a week. She is going down with some of her sister in a group. Part of the time they will spend building a home, playing with kids and other stuff. Since I really don't know the details, I will just let Dy blog about it when she gets back.

We haven't been apart for this long before since before we started dating. I think this morning it hit both of us that we are going to miss each other more than we thought. It will be fun to see the pictures and hear the stories when they get back.

Meanwhile, I feel like I am a bachelor again. If I can work out the work schedule, I may head up to the Uintas with a friend, do a little golf, study for my fantasy football draft next weekend, get a few things done around the house (ok, apartment - but not for long), and watch a bunch of Olympics.

Kind of a lame blog, but it had been a while so I figured we would get an update on here so people know we are still alive.

Mack's Inn....er.....Island Park

2008-07-27T12:20:00.025-06:00

So our crazy month of July ended with a week long trip to Island Park. Brett's family typically has a little vacation up here every other year, but due to work and less lodging than in the past, we had the whole condo to ourselves. Even though the idea of just the two of us was tempting, we figured a few friends would be nice to help keep us company. It worked out pretty nice because we ended up having the place to ourselves for a few days before everyone else came up. We did some nice off roading, hiked to a few geocaches, went golfing, enjoyed a little swimming, played a little ping pong, and did a lot of nothing.

Our Tooele friends, Scott and Brianna, were able to come with their two kids. We also had Dy's sister, Michelle, and old roommate, Shan, with their husbands, Andrew and Jed. It was a great mix. We enjoyed a few nice ATV rides, spent a day in Yellowstone, floated the river, fed some BIG fish, did some more golfing, and stopped by Mesa Falls. We even have the pictures to prove it.

Brett & Dy excited about their geocache finds. If you haven't done it before, you should try it out. It is a fun way to hike and explore some different scenery. It is basically high-tech treasure hunting.

Playing around on the golf course.

Enjoying a nice ATV ride into Montana with Scott and Brianna.

What a view from the top of Two Top looking into Montana near West Yellowstone! We were suppose to remind Brianna it was pretty cold up there (see the snow in the background) even in the middle of July.

We got a little dirty from the ride back especially. The trail we planned to take across Elk Meadows was closed. Rather than backtracking over the top of the mountain again, we had the brilliant idea to look for a trail off of the highway. After 9+ miles of riding down the semi-busy highway with kids crying, wives cursing, and the boys looking out for the "Twig Pigs," we finally were off the highway. Although not the safest route, it was quite funny, much faster, and does give a pretty good story to tell. (I am sure the future grandkids will get tired of it)

Yellowstone

Some nice falls just outside of Mammoth.

What is it Dy and Grant see?

Oh, that.

We all made quite the hike down 324 stairs for this beautiful view of Lower Falls. Even though it was worth the hike, it isn't something we recommend doing daily.

Of course we did Old Faithful, especially since we had a few Yellowstone virgins with us.

Some of us took one more trip back into the park for the evening with the hopes of seeing more wildlife. We saw about five wolves, several elk (even within about 20 yards), the buffalo crossing the road, eagles, deer, pelicans, geese, but no bears. However, Scott & Brianna stuck around for one more day to see some grizzlies in Lamar Valley at the northeast corner of the park.

The bison are everywhere in Hayden Valley.

On the way home we stopped by Mesa Falls near Ashton.

Overall, it was a great trip. We still have to share pictures from some of the others and maybe post a few more pics as well. Can't wait for another two years to return.

Wet n' Wild

2008-07-16T00:46:00.007-06:00

July is our crazy month. After spending a busy fourth weekend with both families, Dy headed up on Monday to Bear Lake with the Woolley clan for the annual family reunion/party. With work, Brett wasn't able to make the trip until Wednesday evening. After several days of golf, beach, wave runners, floating tramps, and plenty of games, there were definitely some red skin being flashed around. And if that wasn't enough, Friday and Saturday was spent on the Snake River soakin' up some more rays.

This week was a great week to relax...almost. Since we have Island Park on Saturday, this week is crammed with work, errands, packing, and cooking to prepare for next week. We were actually able to fit in a Temple session in Tuesday night which was very nice.

We will work on getting some more pictures, but for now, this will have to suffice.

Wrigley Field

2008-07-06T08:43:00.006-06:00

So Brett took a trip to Chicago for work a couple weeks ago and was able to see his second favorite baseball field. It wasn't quite the same as Fenway was a year ago, but still a great ballpark.

Enjoying Wrigley

The view from the seat

The Chicago River

La Cucaracha

2008-06-30T18:40:00.002-06:00

Okay, after playing around with JibJab again, I figured I should make another post...this time with my parents. Enjoy.

Don't send a lame eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

The Dancin' Halls

2008-06-27T22:59:00.002-06:00

We found this amazing video of Dy's sister an just had to post it. Nice moves, Jill!

Relay 4 Life

2008-06-27T08:39:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, we had our walk for Relay For Life to help raise money for the America Cancer Society. First off, thank you to all of those who helped with any kind of donation. It was pretty fun. A lot of the teams sleeps overnight, but since our time was from 10:00 to 11:00 we just stayed at Brett's parents' house.

We almost feel a little guilty, too. They have a Luminaria Lighting Ceremony at 10:00. By the time that was over, we only ended up walking about 25 minutes. All in all, we enjoyed the evening and it was for a great cause.

Disturbing Pictures

2008-06-22T08:55:00.016-06:00

Warning!!!

Disturbing Pictures Below?

Below is an example of what you get when you combine a weekend of camping, two weeks of laziness, a razor, and an afternoon with two people who have a little time to kill.

We created this post a couple weeks ago but never posted it since there were several other posts at the same time. But after informing a few people the pictures existed, we finally succumbed to peer pressure and figured we could embarrass ourselves...or at least Brett. And don't say we didn't warn you!

What Brett and Dy might look like if they lived in a trailer in Alabama.

It's Official

2008-06-17T23:46:00.003-06:00

We heard back from the builder and everything is signed and ready to go. Now we just have to sit down and discuss some of the preferences we have with them. The complete date we signed on is November 14 with a little leeway. Bottom line, we should be residents of Tooele for the holidays.

Our Future House?

2008-06-08T20:12:00.012-06:00

After countless hours of searching for houses on the internet we decided to take the adventure to look in person at a few houses. Thanks to Kim (Dy's old roommate and now cousin through marriage) we saw eight different houses on the north side of Tooele. We originally were looking for Stansbury, but found a lot more house for the same money in Tooele.

The first home we walked in we fell in love with. It has 3,330 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 1 "great room" 2.5 baths and unfinished basement. The house wouldn't be completed until the end of June. It seemed like the perfect place. Here is a link to a website that has the layout. We checked out all the other houses, but still felt this house was for us. After coming home and checking on the internet the house no longer appeared available. Our hearts sank!! Oh no!!!

After calling our agent, we found out the house went under contract that afternoon. Someone had put an offer down the night prior to us walking through the house. But, the great news came when the listing agent informed us the contractor has several other lots in the area and would build us the same house for 5,000 less and add in a gift certificate for a fridge if we could get pre-approved this week and put some money down for an earnest deposit. He also noted we could pick the exterior and interior colors and designs etc..... He could have the house finished in about 5 months. We were ecstatic. After all, we are currently in an apartment with no contract and could can save more money to put down a bigger down payment. It couldn't be more perfect.

We are getting pre-approved this week for the loan amount and hope all turns out well. The most exciting thing would be to have all our belongings under one roof. Thanks to both parents, several siblings, and even aunts who have so graciously let us invade and store our "stuff." Hopefully it all works out!!! Tooele here we come..."forever and forever in Tooele!"

So technically, this wouldn't be our exact house, but it would be built almost exact with a few changes we can add. It will give you - and us - a pretty good idea, though.

Entry way from the top of the stairs.

Entry way from bottom of the stairs.

Master Bedroom

Brett Turns 29

2008-06-05T13:05:00.005-06:00

Brett turned 29 yesterday. That morning Brett had a golf tournament for the South Jordan Chamber, but after four holes the tournament came to an abrupt end, due to heavy rain. We spent the day doing absolutely nothing but, watching T.V.,relaxing and playing our new favorite game Scramble and Wordtwist together. Granted Brett rocks at these games, his vocabulary is astounding. Later that night, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We meet up with friends and family to enjoy the evening. Just FYI --always expect at least an hour wait when visiting the delicious diner. Brett's surprise for the day was tickets to the Dave Matthews Concert this August. It was a nice relaxing day spent with one another. Brett thanks for being so fantastic and the perfect companion. Once again, Thank you for everything you are for me and I love the life we share together. Hope you enjoyed the day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

How Time Flies

2008-06-02T13:32:00.005-06:00

Sometimes it seems like 6 months has flown by, but there is so much we have done that at the same time it feels like we have been married for years. We could review it, but the blog pretty much recaps it pretty nicely. We are still very happy and grow to love each other more every day. There have been some adjustments we have made, but it has all been great.

This past week also featured the last of the Martin clan graduating from high school...which also meant a reason to party down in Orem. Chelsea, Dy's youngest sister is heading to BYU Idaho, regardless of the great campus in Logan she will be passing by on her way up there. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't get her to even take a look at it. Apparently it is too close to Orem.

One of our other fun past times we seem to enjoy recently is looking for a house. We aren't in a hurry so it isn't too stressful. It was great to have a nice weekend with sun. Speaking of sun, Saturday Brett hit the golf course while Dy enjoyed Pool Day at good ole Turnberry. We are excited to get outside and enjoy some mountain biking, hiking, and camping. We hope to get a lot of that in this summer.

Sand Blasted

2008-05-25T18:20:00.015-06:00

For Memorial Day weekend we went down to the Little Sahara Sand Dunes just outside of Delta. We got blasted with wind, rain and lots of sand. Despite a few hours of difficult weather each day we enjoyed our time on the sand and saw plenty of sun. One of Brett's friends (Scott and Brianna Rounds) invited us along for a much needed vacation. Scott was the leader of the pack and encouraged all of us to be brave and become one with the dunes. Teaching us the technique of riding a sand bowl and going up and down the vertical hills. Sand Mountain was crazy (see top picture - and that was the less steep side) with people flying up it and flying down it.

Grant, Renee and Brianna chillin' on the machines.

Brett and Dy on top of a dune...getting sand all in the camera.

Brett (top) and Dy (bottom) riding in a bowl.

We would like to thank all those who made this weekend possible by borrowing some of their stuff...Mom and Papa Martin, Chad, Kristi, Cody, and especially Scott & fam!

Martin's (and Valdez') Invade Arizona

2008-05-18T23:42:00.009-06:00

Well, this was supposed to be included on the last post about the weddings as a pre-trip entry, but it was never published and now we have something to include in a second post, and even some pictures.

Dy left on Thursday with the rest of the Martin clan and Brett flew down Friday night with Andrew's Sister, Rachael. A weekend reaching 90 degree weather is quite nice after a cool and rainy few days in Utah.

After breakfast prepared by the newlyweds Saturday morning and some setting up for the open house, the kids went shopping and swimming. Be careful shopping with Brett, he finds more good buys than the girls. The swimming pool was pretty fun. It was outdoor in a neighborhood community center restricted to residents and guests (thanks to Andrew's grandfather we qualified as guests) and had a sanded beach entrance to it. Some of the white Utah skins were blinding to the experienced tans of the locals. Bad news, now Dy has caught a little poolside fever and the pool days in Utah can't come soon enough.

The yard was perfect for the open house and looked beautiful. The amazing weather didn't hurt, either, a perfect 80 degrees at night without the sun. Throw on top of that some good cheesecake with a myriad of toppings and you have yourself quite an enjoyable evening. Despite evidence with the last photo, the punch wasn't spiked. That is what you get when you put a few Martin's together and try to take a picture.

P.S. Happy birthday to Cody and congrats to you and Denise on selling your house! Also happy birthday to beautiful Dy on the 16th!

A weekend of weddings!

2008-05-06T01:35:00.003-06:00

Well, this past weekend was full of good ole weddings, and we will keep celebrating through this next week with a trip to Gilbert, Arizona.

Dy's sister was married on Friday, May 2, in the Jordan River Temple. After Michelle graduated with her Master's on Thursday, she decided to celebrate by getting married. Not a bad celebration. Since Dy's brother flew in and needed to do some shopping for the close that didn't quite make the flight, we ended up giving them a ride to Orem and spent the night there. Michelle was determined to have the reception in her parents back yard, regardless of temperature. It was a little cool but the sun came out (Brett's head can attest to that) and it really turned out great. By the time the reception was done we were exhausted and didn't even bother driving back to our home, even if that meant spending night #2 sleeping in the bunk beds.
That wasn't the end of our weekend of weddings. On Saturday we traveled up to Logan with Nettie and Aubrey for A. Lawlor's wedding (Dy's old roomate). We had some time to kill between the ceremony and the luncheon so we decided to visit Gosner's Foods. After we each ate a pound of the sample cheeses, we sat at a bench and enjoyed some ice cream, cheese curds, and root beer milk (and yes, it actually is milk).

We enjoyed attending two temple wedding ceremonies on back to back days, the first since we were married. It was great to reflect on those special promises and covenants we made just over five months ago. It was a busy, but great, weekend.

Our intentions were to get some pictures from Andrew and Michelle's wedding day, but we haven't been able to track any down. For those reading this with some pics you promised to send us, we are still waiting...and waiting.

We are still here!

2008-04-25T19:06:00.004-06:00

One month to the day of the last post, we figured we should let you know that we are still alive and kicking.

Time for the excuses...April has just been a pretty busy month and we still try to make a post only when there are some fun pictures to put on there. Dy has been working double time the past month (which is nice as we try to get a down payment for eventually purchasing a house) and Brett has been working late most nights with a name change and a few other big projects at the credit union.

We will work on being better and maybe even getting a regular post time each week. Don't give up on us yet, Nettie. Until then, chow!

Ode to Spring!

2008-03-25T23:09:00.006-06:00

There are many reasons why I love this time of year. The green grass and trees are beautiful, the days get longer, the Easter Bunny brings me treats (thanks dear), March Madness is in full force, golf courses open, and most importantly the Red Sox are taking swings that matter.

I really do love this time of year...my favorite!

With the Red Sox playing two games in Japan starting earlier this morning, baseball season is finally here. An extra inning win made getting up at 4:00 in the morning worth it. I had better get to bed since game two is in less than 5 hours away.

This isn't Dy's favorite picture, but with us both at Fenway it is a must.

Perhaps this one is better.

Jazz vs. Lakers

2008-03-20T08:44:00.006-06:00

For Valentine's Day we were treated with lower-bowl tickets to a Jazz game and enjoyed the night thoroughly, even if the Jazz couldn't set the franchise home mark for most consecutive wins by losing to the Lakers.

We weren't quite this close, but did enjoy the lower bowl.

Posing on the first row behind the basket.

Kyle warming up. This one if for you, Pierce!

I think it is primarily a Martin disease where you must take pictures of yourself whenever a camera is present....or maybe just Nettie's thing that rubs off on the others.

Slippers...My Newfound Love

2008-03-04T18:55:00.005-07:00

This is a blog dedicated to why I love slippers. I wear them to the store, to work meetings in the morning, around the house, and walks outside. This fascination started when I noticed Brett wearing his slippers everywhere.. From my observation slippers have requirements.

1. Slippers must have a hard sole on bottom for all environments.
2. Slippers must be comfortable.
3. The best slippers are those that are Blue. But if a Red Soxs Symbol is placed upon the slippers they are the best slippers ever.

I was shopping after Christmas at Old Navy and my eyes beheld a pair of Blue slippers. The slippers were comfortable, and had a hard sole. The best thing about these slippers the PRICE..... 3$. I bought them and every day since have fallen in love with these slippers. So I apologize if you think its inconsiderate to wear slippers other than around the house. I just LOVE my slippers. I'm already in need for another pair....maybe all find a Red Soxs pair for the up coming baseball season!

Snowshoeing...Successful This Time

2008-02-23T09:19:00.007-07:00

Between forgetting snowshoes and canyons being closed, we haven't had the most successful winter of snowshoeing. Well, we had a good adventure on President's Day.

We went up to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood. Since it was so popular, most of the trail was pretty packed, but it is a pretty hike and the fall were fun.

Dy playing between a couple of pools of water. It was really pretty cool. That skinny crossing through the rock wall the almost caused both of us to get wetter than we planned on.

This narrow was pretty cool!

Resting after scaling the mountain above the falls.

Taking the quicker way down.

Making a Mess...er...Cookies

2008-02-18T08:32:00.006-07:00

These are the closest thing we have to kids...besides nieces and nephews. As we live in a basement apartment, these are the kids from the family upstairs. Dy enjoyed an afternoon of making sugar cookies around Valentine's Day. They are fun and love having some people living in their basement. Every once in a while we would come home to some candy wrappers on the floor and the door to the main house mysteriously open. Now there is a child proof lock on the door. They are fun to have around.

Little Savanah is the one who likes to sneak downstairs for candy.

Miles

Lilly

President Hinckley Tribute

2008-02-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of these have been going around recently, but here are a few links to some nice tributes to President Hinckley that I found very touching and were a great way to celebrate his life. He was a great man and the prophet during so many influential years in my life. I am glad that he his happy and united with his wife. What an amazing man.

Tribute 1

Tribute 2

Tribute 3

Tribute 4

While I treasure those great memories from President Hinckley's life and tenure as prophet, I look forward to the leadership of President Monson. I had the opportunity to live in President Monson's stake for over 4 years and had his home teacher in the bishopric. This provided some incredible opportunities to attend meetings with President Monson and gain some wonderful insight to the amazing person he too is. I am grateful for the leadership of latter-day prophets to guide us the same way Christ instituted in the primitive church. What a comfort to know He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Sundance Film Festival

2008-01-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

Our intentions were to come up for a free main street concert for Ingrid Michaelson. Well, we weren't able to figure out where it was at so after a hour of searching and dragging Park City's main street (on foot), we figured we probably weren't going to find it. It is always fun to people watch in a crowd like that.

As I was writing this blog I figured I would look up to see if I could find any info on it. Turns out that the info is on the Sundance events website with time and address. It started at 2:30, not 12:00. (Thanks, Nettie. We still love ya!)

If you want a nice little laugh, just call out rather vocally for your friends autograph. Heads turn and people begin to mumble trying to figure out who the celebrity is. It was pretty funny. It even happened when we weren't trying to.

We ended up getting a caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory, some stopped by the outlets and got some lunch, and then headed home. Even though we didn't see the concert we intended on going to, it was still a pretty fun afternoon.

Snowshoeing 101

2008-01-04T00:02:00.001-07:00

With Dy's new snowshoes for Christmas, we are excited to get out and enjoy the beautiful white stuff that is so plentiful in Utah at this time of the year. I have had snowshoes for a few years, but this is Dy's first pair. To help encourage others to join this great winter activity that is cheap and fun, I thought I would put a few snowshoeing tips on here.

One of the most basic things to remember is keep your stride natural. Don't try to modify or exaggerate your gait. When you maneuver up steep slopes, a good technique involves aggressive use of the front crampons. When you are traveling downhill, avoid leaning backwards onto the tails of the snowshoes whenever possible. When you are traversing slopes, stay upright and lean into the hill with each step.

There is one last tip that is probably the most important tip of them all to ensure an enjoyable time snowshoeing...DON'T FORGET YOUR SNOWSHOES! Sadly enough I am speaking from recent experience. It will, however, help verify just how well snowshoes really do work. A few points if that does happen to you; crawling will work if you follow behind someone who was smarter than you and actually has snowshoes, but using just one snowshoe doesn't work. You will still sink past your knees with every other step (Michelle may try to tell you otherwise).

Besides the inconvenience of being short one pair of snowshoes, it was still an enjoyable time and made for a great story to laugh at. Below are some of the pictures from our New Year's trek. For those wanting to do a little snowshoeing and are in the Salt Lake area, there is a few of us going on Monday, January 21 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). The more the merrier.

Lucky Me!

2007-12-31T03:00:00.001-07:00

So....I'm not one to Blog often, but I'm fighting to stay awake at work in the middle of the night with patients sleeping soundly, nows the perfect time. ( Ok, I'm not that sleepy, my patients are in safe supervision) Life has been busy with family events, holiday parties, setting up house, and work keep our schedule full. I hope that soon it will slow down just a little bit. Brett and I have offically been married 4 weeks! Wow, does time fly! So this blog is a "Ode to Brett" 10 reasons why I love Brett.

1) He lets me sleep till my "eyeballs wake up" and my nose awakens to the aroma of a hot breakfast awaiting for me.
2) He treats me like a queen... Opens my door, warms up my car, clears the snow off my windshield, takes me to Jazz games, loves to help me cook dinner, will fold the laundry etc....
3) He tries to sing me songs..... even if he is out of tone, off pitch, or sings the wrong words... I still love it.
4) He'll hang out with me and my 6 sisters for hours.
5) He'll play Dr. Mario till the early hours of the morning. (I should have never taught him mad Dr. Mario skills, because now he is my competition)
6) He loves the outdoors and realizes how much joy it brings into my life to go camping, snowshoeing, stargazing, hiking, and biking.
7) He's always the driver and I'm always the passenger that falls asleep.
8) He brings me dinner to work at night or comes just to keep me company during my break.
9) He is my best friend and gets to hear about all my worries and frustrations, and somehow he always knows just what to say at the perfect time.
10) He is the perfect eternal companion.

I feel so lucky to be married to my perfect match! To friends and family thanks for all your support and love over the past 4 weeks.

Honeymoon In Cali

2007-12-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

For our honeymoon we flew to San Francisco and spent a day checking out some of the Bay Area sites. We then headed down the Pacific Coast Highway to a little town called Cambria where we spent several days at a beach front hotel with a nice little view of the ocean. It was nice and relaxing. After our stay there we continued down to LA on the PCH and were able to see Wicked and the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. It was a fun week away from the stresses of life and planning for a wedding.

Here are some pictures from our Honeymoon.

Enjoying a sunset on the ocean from the beaches of Cambria.

Dy posing on a cable car tour bus in good ole San Fran. The people there were bundled in winter coats, scarves, gloves, and beanies. They must have thought we were crazy but the 60s are nice when you are coming from snow.

Touring the Hearst Castle just outside of Cambria. The Neptune pool was pretty cool.

Chillin with the wind and the elephant seals along the PCH just before Cambria. There were hundreds of them laying out on the beach.

San Fran's fishermans wharf. We enjoyed a little seafood from Bubba Gumps overlooking the bay and Alcatraz.

Brett was able to surprise Dy with some tickets to Wicked. Since she has most of the numbers from the musical memorized, it was fun surprise her with some tickets.

Enjoying a nice vista along the PCH just before hitting Monterey.

The New World of BLOG

2007-12-24T13:06:00.001-07:00

It must be a married thing, but we figured this is the best way to stay in touch with everyone - both married and single alike - as we enter into the new realm of eternal bliss. The first few weeks have been great and we especially love the idea of saying "goodnight" rather than "goodbye." A quick shout out to all of our family and friends who did so much to help us with the wedding. Even though six weeks was pretty quick to get everything done, we both agree that anything longer was too long to wait.

So here is an update for those we haven't talked to for a while - and a little review for those who know. Brett is working at Tooele Federal Credit Union as the marketing manager and really enjoys it. He also referees high school wrestling and volunteers as a board member at the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce which keeps the schedule pretty full. Dyana made the 40 mile move north to the new IHC hospital on State Street and 5400 South. She is still working on the orthopedics and neurology floor and usually the charge nurse, too. Being still understaffed she is working like a mad woman and puts in a lot of extra hours. The crazy shifts at the new hospital has made the occasional shifts picked up down in Provo a breeze. Dy also has worked like crazy at the new apartment getting things in order.

After spending plenty of time on the east side in Holladay, we thought we would make the 54 block trek westward to West Valley. Our humble abode is the basement apartment of a newer home just off of Bangerter Highway and 4700 South. The family we live with are great and the kids absolutely love us...especially Dy. Since we are still getting settled in, there are no intentions of moving anytime soon. A great deal on a house could persuade us otherwise, though.

We are so excited to have entered into this great world of marriage and look forward to the challenges and joy that await us. This blog stuff is kind of exciting, too. It will be fun to keep in touch with those we don't see as often - and also communicate with those we do. Thanks again for all of your support in helping us get to this wonderful stage in life.

We look forward to many blogs in the future.