Friday, September 11, 2009
Quickie
So we're in Korea, and I'd love to update you all on our trip to Disneyland and our flight here and everything else, but I can't get any of my pictures to upload. I'm wondering if it has to do with our hotel's internet service. If it's the hotel's fault, that's the only complaint that I have about the hotel. It's a VERY nice hotel. Anyway, you're all going to have to wait for a bit to get any good information out of me. I don't want to post anything major until I can include pictures. I think we found an apartment, and we could be in by the end of next week. We found an AMAZING apartment, and jumped right on it.....right after someone else did, who offered more money than we can pay:( So now we're settling for choice number two. Once we're there, I'll try to upload the pictures again. The flight over wasn't two bad. We're all adjusting to the time change. The older two kids are already going to school, and Madelyn is on a waiting list for preschool. Joe is busy in-processing, and he starts school next week. And we are all getting a lot of exercise walking around everywhere. We won't have our car here for a month or two. It reminds me of the time that Laurie and I participated in the base challenge to walk 10,000 steps a day (I think that's how many steps it was) - I'm putting that challenge to shame now. Luckily we came at a really good time of year, because it's just past the really hot and muggy part of summer, and we're having really nice days. I'm always thankful to not be more sweaty than I have to be:)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
What We Did
Well, we are in St. George right now, and this is our VERY LAST DAY in Utah. It is sad. This will probably be my last post until we get settled in Korea. We have had a great vacation here. Even though we were here for over 3 weeks, in some ways it just wasn't long enough. I wasn't able to see my friends that I wanted to, which is the worst part about it. I had every intention of seeing all you Utah people, but part of my problem was that I really underestimated how much time I would be spending on finishing up my classes while I was here. I'm so glad I got them done, but it really stole a big chunk of my time. It's not like I didn't have any time, that's just not true, but I just didn't plan my time good enough. So I'm sorry to all of you that I didn't see. I love you anyway, and I will miss you very much.
This post is all about the things that we did while in Utah. Like I said, we had a lot of fun.
This is the Petersen Family
This was hilarious because we found these ridiculously huge doughnuts, and guess what they were called? TEXAS DOUGHNUTS! I lived in Texas for five years, and I never saw doughnuts like these. Just in case you were wondering, Joe and I did not eat these by ourselves.
We had a BBQ up AF canyon, and then we set up the tent in my sisters backyard and slept in it with the kids.
We visited "This is the Place, Heritage Park" and "Cove Fort". We learned a lot about how the pioneers lived, and felt very blessed that we live in this day and age with all of our "modern-day" conveniences. We also had a near-death experience when Alex climbed up on a bench and leaned out a second-story window that had no glass or screen - scared the crap out of me.
We had some very red sunsets and sunrises, because of the CA fires. We even had ASH falling on us for a couple of hours. Very weird.
Whenever we drive from American Fork (where Ruth is from) to Manti (where Joe is from), we drive through Fountain Green, and we kiss there. Why? Because we first met at a BYU singles ward social, that was held in Fountain Green because the Bishop's grandmother lived there and had a huge yard. So our tradition is to kiss every time we drive through Fountain Green. Last month (August) marked 11 years since we met, and I thought it would be fun to track down the house where we had met. We didn't know exactly where it was, but the town isn't that big, so we drove around for a little while and we found it! And we kissed in front of it:)
My sister decided to draw chalk lines around all the cousins at my parent's house.
Everyone took a turn playing dead
Some looked more dead than others.
It looked like a massacre when she was done.
We had to stop and visit Grandpa Liddell and take the traditional "Four Joes" picture. You see, Joe's grandpa is named Joseph Thomas, and he goes by Joe. Joe's dad is named Joseph Michael, and he goes by Joe. Joe is named Joseph Matthew - I call him honey, but I think most people call him Joe. And then there's JT, who is named after the first Joe, Joseph Thomas. I didn't want to call him Joe. It's too confusing.
We went to temple square with a bunch of the Liddell cousins.
Then we went out for pizza. 6 adults and 13 kids. It was a little crazy, but we laughed a lot.
We went and took a tour inside the conference center in Salt Lake. Some of us were more enthused than others.
We went up to the resevoir in the mountains above Manti, and my kids tried their darndest to learn how to skip rocks.
We took the kids out on a paddle boat at Palisade lake. Joe worried the whole time that someone would fall in - I almost wished that someone would just so he could be assured that life jackets DO work:) Earlier we went golfing at Palisade with Joe's youngest brother.
We also went swimming and went to the splash park. We went to the temple with my sister for the first time. We discovered a bunch of yummy new places to eat - Our favorite was Paradise bakery and cafe, and if we lived in American Fork we would just be fat. And basically we just tried to stay really busy so we wouldn't think about the fact that we've already left a lot of our friends behind, and we're about to leave the rest of our friends and family behind for a very long time. We are very grateful that we had this time in Utah before our move, and we will be taking a lot of great memories with us.
This post is all about the things that we did while in Utah. Like I said, we had a lot of fun.
First of all we had our family pictures taken.
This is the Petersen Family
This was hilarious because we found these ridiculously huge doughnuts, and guess what they were called? TEXAS DOUGHNUTS! I lived in Texas for five years, and I never saw doughnuts like these. Just in case you were wondering, Joe and I did not eat these by ourselves. 
We had a BBQ up AF canyon, and then we set up the tent in my sisters backyard and slept in it with the kids.
We visited "This is the Place, Heritage Park" and "Cove Fort". We learned a lot about how the pioneers lived, and felt very blessed that we live in this day and age with all of our "modern-day" conveniences. We also had a near-death experience when Alex climbed up on a bench and leaned out a second-story window that had no glass or screen - scared the crap out of me.
We had some very red sunsets and sunrises, because of the CA fires. We even had ASH falling on us for a couple of hours. Very weird.
Whenever we drive from American Fork (where Ruth is from) to Manti (where Joe is from), we drive through Fountain Green, and we kiss there. Why? Because we first met at a BYU singles ward social, that was held in Fountain Green because the Bishop's grandmother lived there and had a huge yard. So our tradition is to kiss every time we drive through Fountain Green. Last month (August) marked 11 years since we met, and I thought it would be fun to track down the house where we had met. We didn't know exactly where it was, but the town isn't that big, so we drove around for a little while and we found it! And we kissed in front of it:)
My sister decided to draw chalk lines around all the cousins at my parent's house.
Everyone took a turn playing dead
Some looked more dead than others.
It looked like a massacre when she was done.
We had to stop and visit Grandpa Liddell and take the traditional "Four Joes" picture. You see, Joe's grandpa is named Joseph Thomas, and he goes by Joe. Joe's dad is named Joseph Michael, and he goes by Joe. Joe is named Joseph Matthew - I call him honey, but I think most people call him Joe. And then there's JT, who is named after the first Joe, Joseph Thomas. I didn't want to call him Joe. It's too confusing.
We went to temple square with a bunch of the Liddell cousins.
Then we went out for pizza. 6 adults and 13 kids. It was a little crazy, but we laughed a lot.
We went and took a tour inside the conference center in Salt Lake. Some of us were more enthused than others.
We went up to the resevoir in the mountains above Manti, and my kids tried their darndest to learn how to skip rocks.
We took the kids out on a paddle boat at Palisade lake. Joe worried the whole time that someone would fall in - I almost wished that someone would just so he could be assured that life jackets DO work:) Earlier we went golfing at Palisade with Joe's youngest brother.
We also went swimming and went to the splash park. We went to the temple with my sister for the first time. We discovered a bunch of yummy new places to eat - Our favorite was Paradise bakery and cafe, and if we lived in American Fork we would just be fat. And basically we just tried to stay really busy so we wouldn't think about the fact that we've already left a lot of our friends behind, and we're about to leave the rest of our friends and family behind for a very long time. We are very grateful that we had this time in Utah before our move, and we will be taking a lot of great memories with us.Monday, August 31, 2009
Manti Pageant
Growing up in Manti, Ut, Joe and his brothers participated in the Manti pageant almost every year, playing a range of parts from Nephite warrior, to handcart pioneer, to John Taylor, to Robert (one of the main characters). They practically have the entire pageant memorized, word for word. This year was special, because Joe's dad was called be one of the pageant directors. And on top of that, they asked if he and his sons would sing the National Anthem on one of the nights. This is no small feat, seeing that his sons don't all live in Manti anymore....none of them do. There's one in Oklahoma, one in Arizona, one in St. George, and one in Magna, UT. And of course we were in Texas. But everyone knew that this was important to their dad, so everyone made the effort to be there that night. So back at the end of June, Joe and I, and two other brothers, flew in on Friday night; the pageant was on Saturday night; and we all flew back on Sunday morning. This was made possible for us by our good friends the Haderlies, who so graciously watched our kids for us. The anthem is not actually done live....none of the pageant is. They record the music and dialogue before-hand. The Liddell gang went to the local radio station and made their recording there, and then handed it over to the sound guys at the pageant. It all went very well, and it was fun to be a part of. Please to enjoy.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Things I Miss About Texas
Dang it, I missed two days for my goal. 5 out of 7 days is 71%, and that's like a C-. That will really bring my GPA down. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm getting distracted because I've been spending so much time finishing up two classes I was taking. That's partly why I missed a day - because I was studying, and then taking a final on Friday (it was a killer). And I missed Thursday because I was an escort for my sister who went to the temple for the first time, and that was a family day. So today is the last day of my week of posting, and I've got to finish things off right. This post is dedicated to the home that we have just left behind, and all that we loved about it.
1. FRIENDS - First and foremost, I will miss my friends. I made some wonderful friends in Texas, who I'm already missing a lot. I hope they know how much they mean to me, because it's hard to explain. If I hadn't had the friends that I did, there would be nothing to put on this post, because I would have hated Texas without them. Thank you my friends. I love you!
2. THE TEXAS SPIRIT - This kind of has two meanings. First, Texans really do have a lot of pride in their state. It's kind of funny, but I also think it's great. They have a pledge to the Texas flag that they say in schools along with the Pledge of Allegience. They fly the Texas flag everywhere, and everywhere you see the Texas Lone Star on people's houses. Don't mess with Texas, and Everything is bigger in Texas are two phrases you hear often. The second meaning of the Texas spirit, is how friendly everyone is. Being part of the South, you definitely see the Southern charm in Texas.
3. DRIVING - speaking of friendly, I think Texas drivers are very friendly. It is the best state I have ever driven in. What I'll miss the most are the wide shoulders on all the roads, and if you want to pass someone, they pull over and drive on the shoulder. And when someone passes you, you always get a thank you wave, or they'll flip on the hazard light for a second as a way to say thank you. Nowhere but Texas.
4. SAN ANTONIO and AUSTIN - two great cities that we loved in Texas. Austin for the State Capitol building, the Botanical Gardens, and the Bats. San Antonio for the River Walk, the Alamo, the Temple, the Zoo, Friends who live there, and Sea World. Right before we left Texas, we got to take one last trip to Sea World, thanks to the Here's to the Heroes program - free tickets for military.
5. WIND FARMS - I love driving down the highway and seeing windmills as far as the eye can see. It's amazing how big those things are close up.
6. WILD FLOWERS - Texas doesn't have much to offer in the way of the four seasons, except for spring. Every spring there are wild flowers everywhere, all colors. It's really beautiful to see.
7. WIDE OPEN SKIES - As you all should know, I prefer majestic mountains over the flat plains of Texas. But every once in a while you get these amazing veiws of clouds and sunsets and yes, flat plains. It is really beautiful.
8. RAIN - Texas has great thunderstorms. I have never heard thunder so loud, and so continuous in my life - completely amazing. I also loved how the end of our driveway flooded every time it rained. My kids loved playing in it on a warm summer day.
9. OUR HOUSE - See previous post for more details on this one. Needless to say, we made this house our home, and we will miss it.
10. SAN ANGELO - San Angelo was a great little town, and their were things that were uniquely it's own. Christmas lights along the Concho River, old Murals around down town, Historic Fort Concho, Eggemeyer's General Store, etc. It really is a wonderful place, and if it wasn't in the middle of nowhere, and if it wasn't humid, I could maybe live there forever.
Goodbye San Angelo. Goodbye Texas.
1. FRIENDS - First and foremost, I will miss my friends. I made some wonderful friends in Texas, who I'm already missing a lot. I hope they know how much they mean to me, because it's hard to explain. If I hadn't had the friends that I did, there would be nothing to put on this post, because I would have hated Texas without them. Thank you my friends. I love you!
2. THE TEXAS SPIRIT - This kind of has two meanings. First, Texans really do have a lot of pride in their state. It's kind of funny, but I also think it's great. They have a pledge to the Texas flag that they say in schools along with the Pledge of Allegience. They fly the Texas flag everywhere, and everywhere you see the Texas Lone Star on people's houses. Don't mess with Texas, and Everything is bigger in Texas are two phrases you hear often. The second meaning of the Texas spirit, is how friendly everyone is. Being part of the South, you definitely see the Southern charm in Texas.
3. DRIVING - speaking of friendly, I think Texas drivers are very friendly. It is the best state I have ever driven in. What I'll miss the most are the wide shoulders on all the roads, and if you want to pass someone, they pull over and drive on the shoulder. And when someone passes you, you always get a thank you wave, or they'll flip on the hazard light for a second as a way to say thank you. Nowhere but Texas.
4. SAN ANTONIO and AUSTIN - two great cities that we loved in Texas. Austin for the State Capitol building, the Botanical Gardens, and the Bats. San Antonio for the River Walk, the Alamo, the Temple, the Zoo, Friends who live there, and Sea World. Right before we left Texas, we got to take one last trip to Sea World, thanks to the Here's to the Heroes program - free tickets for military.
5. WIND FARMS - I love driving down the highway and seeing windmills as far as the eye can see. It's amazing how big those things are close up.
6. WILD FLOWERS - Texas doesn't have much to offer in the way of the four seasons, except for spring. Every spring there are wild flowers everywhere, all colors. It's really beautiful to see.
7. WIDE OPEN SKIES - As you all should know, I prefer majestic mountains over the flat plains of Texas. But every once in a while you get these amazing veiws of clouds and sunsets and yes, flat plains. It is really beautiful.
8. RAIN - Texas has great thunderstorms. I have never heard thunder so loud, and so continuous in my life - completely amazing. I also loved how the end of our driveway flooded every time it rained. My kids loved playing in it on a warm summer day.
9. OUR HOUSE - See previous post for more details on this one. Needless to say, we made this house our home, and we will miss it.
10. SAN ANGELO - San Angelo was a great little town, and their were things that were uniquely it's own. Christmas lights along the Concho River, old Murals around down town, Historic Fort Concho, Eggemeyer's General Store, etc. It really is a wonderful place, and if it wasn't in the middle of nowhere, and if it wasn't humid, I could maybe live there forever. Goodbye San Angelo. Goodbye Texas.Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Splashin' Around
Wow, I can't believe I'm actually keeping up with this posting every day goal. Good on me:) Here's number 4.
One thing that my kids love about Utah is that they have some great swimming pools here. We always end up swimming a lot when we're here, and not just because it's too hot to do anything else outside, like in Texas. The other day, however, my sister introduced us to a whole new water experience - and it's FREE! I love the word free. It is such a beautiful word. It brings my checking account peace. Anyway, there's this "splash park" (I don't know what else to call it) close by where my parents live. It's got a little waterfall, and slow moving creek, and fountains, all man-made of course. Perfect for kids of all ages....and adults. JT thought we were going to the swimming pool when we told them to get their swimming suits on, so when we got there he said, quite dramatically, "This isn't the swimming pool!" But he was having a blast before he knew it. Here are a few pictures of our time there, with my sisters and their kids. I may have gone a little overboard with taking pictures, but....
Doesn't that look refreshing?
Where is it going to come out?
Water wedgy!
Right in the Kisser
cousin Kylie
Oh, that's cute
cousin Ava
cousin Jada
Uncle Antione with the kids
Joe trying to splash the kids
JT thinks it's funny that he's "peeing" the water
I think we'll be going back before we leave here.
One thing that my kids love about Utah is that they have some great swimming pools here. We always end up swimming a lot when we're here, and not just because it's too hot to do anything else outside, like in Texas. The other day, however, my sister introduced us to a whole new water experience - and it's FREE! I love the word free. It is such a beautiful word. It brings my checking account peace. Anyway, there's this "splash park" (I don't know what else to call it) close by where my parents live. It's got a little waterfall, and slow moving creek, and fountains, all man-made of course. Perfect for kids of all ages....and adults. JT thought we were going to the swimming pool when we told them to get their swimming suits on, so when we got there he said, quite dramatically, "This isn't the swimming pool!" But he was having a blast before he knew it. Here are a few pictures of our time there, with my sisters and their kids. I may have gone a little overboard with taking pictures, but....
Doesn't that look refreshing?
Where is it going to come out?
Water wedgy!
Right in the Kisser
cousin Kylie
Oh, that's cute
cousin Ava
cousin Jada
Uncle Antione with the kids
Joe trying to splash the kids
JT thinks it's funny that he's "peeing" the water
I think we'll be going back before we leave here.
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