ROAD TRIP

Dave and I recently took a road trip from Provo to Spokane...

We were given the grand tour of Spokane by Dave sister Kari and fell in love some more with Washington State. We also spent a few days in Cour De Lane at their cabin with them.

Here is Dave and our nephew Alec riding up the mountain to pick Huckleberries. Alec was the allstar if the trip and was never afraid!

Us.

Chad let Dave chop down a dead tree in the back yard....He loved it!

Dave Jumping the wake

Getting back in the groove. I miss wake boarding too much!

I was having fun....promise lol

What a cutie.

Up the road from their cabin was the perfect swimming spot and a mountain side full of huckelberries we spent an hour picking!

I officially love this place!

Can't wait to go back soon!!!

Summer to do list

Here are a few things I plan to do with the remaining summer season.....

1. Throw an outdoor dinner party

2. Find an Orchard where we can pick our own fruit

3. Go camping

4. Find a great piece to add to my collection of pitchers and dishes

5. Make our own popsicles

6. Have a picnic in the park

FYI July is National Picnic month

7. Go to all the antique stores as humanly possible this summer and score

This will be and has been an amazing summer.

My #1: enjoy "summer Dave" while he lives....once he starts school again in Fall and me too, I fear we will just be busy bodies with little time together.

Pappy's BBQ

Dave and I found this amazing restraunt in St. Louis.

It's name....PAPPY'S.

If you are ever in St. Luois and are a lover of BBQ this is the place to be. It is just scrumdiddilyumptious!

Dave took the liberty of ordering "The Big Ben" which could have easily fed the whole family, but know we took the challenge and kept it all to ourselves!!!

( and in no way got near finishing half of it )

I'm pretty sure Dave was in heaven here!

Behold two lovers of Pappy's BBQ!

Lucky Lincoln

On our recent trip to the Land of Lincoln we visited New Salem, the small town where Lincoln lived for a few years. While walking down the dirt road touring the different cabins I became obsessed with the wild flowers and how beautiful they looked against the rustic wood. Needless to say I took way too many pictures of these beautiful flowers and very few of the town itself.

I am not a False Advertiser...anymore

Some scrumptious Oatmeal cookies courtesy of my trusty Henderson Cookbook!

I used to make treats or baked goods about once a week while dating Dave ( They say the stomach is the way to a man's heart...I believe it. ) but in the whole time Dave and I have been married I have yet to make a batch of cookies. Dave likes to call this False Advertising lol. (which makes me giggle) His would be that he actually liked to dance when we were dating but will barely lift a toe now. Well I was trying to think of something special I could do for the future father of my kids on Father's day when the thought came to me...so I opened up that dusty cook book and made a delicious batch of oatmeal cookies. It feels good to be a baker again. ;) And Dave has hope to have a happy belly again!

Oklahoma

          Dave left to play basketball for a few hours and I had a night to myself....so I decided to flip on the telli and see what was on. Flipping through the channels I came across Oklahoma and thought I would give it a go........I forgot how amazing that movie is. It made me want to wear a big dress and live out in the middle of no where and pick peaches and make pies (and don't forget sing out loud, which I did). Dave just happened to walk in the door just as it was ending, he then proceeded to tell me he had been looking at Ranches online earlier and began to sing "Oklahoma" with me.....lol. Sometimes I think we were born in the wrong era! 

I edited this photo awhile ago...another day of wishing we lived back then!!  

However I do love the internet, and planes and phones and cameras and, and, and....lol

Knitty Bitty

My sister in-law Angie taught me how to make baby beanies over Christmas break last year. This is the first one I made for my neice Kamryn (her mom just gave me this photo). Isn't she so precious....I think I want one! Just have to convince Dave to jump on that boat!

Mac Troubles

OK....I have recently purchased a Mac and it has been glorious. Dave and I watch movies in bed a lot and editing photos has become so much easier...I love it but when it comes to uploading pictures to my blog it's like pulling teeth. It never wants to cooperate, but once in a blue moon will gloriously work. It also barely works when we try to upload pictures on Ksl and other sites like that. Does anyone have any tips or any ideas why this happens.....I think I will call the Mac helpers tomorrow....

Ugh

I feel like our apartment is falling apart. 

Our sink is clogged for no apparent reason.

Our dishwasher stopped working and flooded the kitchen.

Our air conditioner won't turn off. 

And some how a mountain of clothes is growing in our bedroom!!! 

EEEEEEK!

paintballing

We took a group of friends Paintballing at an indoor arena in SLC. It was painfully fun. I was so proud of all the wives for hanging in there even afer the sting of being shot. Dave and I have moved into an amazing ward full of so many fun and adventurous young couples. We are excited for all the fun things we've been planning to do together and have really enjoyed all the fun things we have had a chance to do with them allready. Life just wouldn't be as fun without any friends. 

Our Afternoon at the BYU Pond

The family of turtles.

Sarah thought if she waited long enough the ducks would start to like her and let her pet them. 

But.....they still quacked at her! 

Our day at the pond we decided to get our hearts pumping and make it to the top of the BYU stairs.

Sam would wear this shirt everyday if I let him. He really is the best big brother, always looking out for them and teaching them all the fun facts he has stored in his mind!

Mary's favorite spot to wait for Sam and Sarah to get out of school. She jumps out and says boo everyday and then rolls on the grass laughing...thinking she has scared them good every time.

Mary and her best friend Cowie tree climbing. They have a special relationship those two. Cowie has a magic power...if you hug him tight enough he will send his hug to mom and she can feel her hugs!

We made it to the top finally...."and now we have healthy heart" -Mary'.

The duck pond was lots of fun. We read books to eachother, fed the ducks, played with bubbles and had relay races around the grass. 

These kids ROCK my socks!

Festival Of Colors

2009

Dave and I went to the festival of colors in Spanish Fork, Utah. There were thousands of BYU students there and a few followers of Hari Krishna. The story I heard over the crowd was that this man would cover his followers in many colors so they looked all the same and then he would wipe them clean. They had a rock band and ethnic dancers and made a huge fire...Then on the count of three everyone threw their colored flour into the air, like thousands of poofs at once. And when the flour settled everyone was covered in multiple colors. Dave and I stayed up on the temple terrace so we stayed clean. Afterwards we walked around the temple grounds and pet all the fun animals they have. We will definately be going next year.

Us looking down from the temple terrace

This is the only photo my computer let me upload so hopefully I will most more later.

Nanny Diaries

Right now I nanny for a wonderful family of three, ages 4, 7 and 9. They are great kids. Smart, funny and very creative. I have realized lately how much they REALLY learn from me and mirror my actions. I am constantly thinking of how to better teach them manors and how to be responsible and self reliant and to always always have some fun project for them. Being a nanny isn't like a regular 9-5 job....I find myself thinking about them and their problems and how to have a great next day way after I've left their home.

Lately at night there had been lots of tears because they miss mom or dad (they are divorced) It's hard for them and for me....I hate seeing their little tears. That's why I invented the HUG-O-METER. They tell me on a scale of 1-10 how big of a hug they need before they go to bed to help cheer them up and then we either give baby hugs or squeeze eachother till it hurts....(they feel better after and are all smiles) of course we have long talks some nights too. I just sit and listen to them about things that make them sad and help to let them know it's okay to feel that way but look at how much we have to be greatful for. Every morning this week we've done sometihng extra special to help cheer them up before school. Monday morning we made waffles, Tuesday morning we frosted our sugar cookies from family home evening the night before, Today we played telephone, which might not sound that special but with these kids it can be the funnest game ever. They think of the craziest things to say and just sit and laugh for a long time after it goes around and comes out butchered. (usually due to little miss 4 year old ). I can't wait for summer to come, I have so many fun trips planned and lots of outdoors activities to play. Their favorite being t.v. tag and cruising in their power wheels....Our spring ambition is to make a garden. Each child has picked out what they would like to plant and they are in charge of the planting and watering and weed pulling.....we are pretty excited!! April 1st is our day to plant! I'm thinking about planting a small fruit tree. I think that would be so fun for them to go pick their own fruit and have some shade while they work in the garden. I wish I could take them to California and have them walk through the orchars filling their baskets with their fruit. It's one of my favorite things to do back home in the summer! Maybe I will find some out here in Utah Anyhoo.....I love being a nanny! Life is good! ANy tips or fun ideas are always welcome!

Bromancin'

My Dad and Garrett ( my little brother ) came to Utah to see Kamryn, my new neice. This was only the second time Dave has ever met my dad and so the boys went shooting to do the bonding. I went along to take some pictures. It was so funny to see them all turn into little boys while they competed to see who was the best shooter. I hit a clay pigeon with a shotgun on my first try and was proud of myself! After shooting for a few hours we went and got lunch at Chadder's and took a quick nap before going snowboarding at brighton. It was Garrett's first time boarding and all though he did great for his first time he spent most of the night face first in the snow. I had so much fun with all my family and was so greatful we could all go do something fun like that together. As time passes I realize what awsome sisters and brothers I have. I just wish our oldest sister Janae lived closer so we could see her family more! So that night we were all exhausted from such a long day but it was so worth it!

Married Life is Bliss

I'M LUCKY TO BE IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND!!!

Dave and I have been married for only 6 months but they are hands down the best 6 months of my life! We have so much fun just giggling at the little things in life. Dave has become an even more amazing cook and I have become an even more amazing dish washer. :)We have both gained a ton of weight so our next endevour is workin it off. We are working on our summer bods! The sun just started to peak it's little face out in Provo and it's so refreshing after months of snowy and icy days. It amazes me how much you can know someone before you marry them but learn just as much after you get married. Knowing we are married for time and all eternity is such a comfort. Currently Dave is workin' his tush off at BYU so he can graduate next December. He works in a research lab on campus as well. I'm just working full time as a family assistant/Nanny lol. It's been an amazing expirience. I do just about anything you could think of for this wonderful family of three and I enjoy every minute of it. I'm working of getting going at UVU to earn my business mngmt degree. Dave and I have been volunteering for Habitat for Humanity building houses on the weekends for people in need and it has been soooooo much fun! We are looking into volunteering at the pet shelter a few times a month as well because we love animals but aren't allowed to have any in our apartment. We dream to get a little shitzu one day and name it T.J. for twitchell Jr. (the name of Dave's childhood dog who just past away). I'm just so completely happy. I'm so thankful to have an amazing husband and a wonderful marriage filled with so much happiness!!!!


p.s. having so many adorable neices and nephews to come makes me want one of my own!!! Imagine alittle davy+meggy baby.....what a big head they will have yikes! ANyhoo I'm am going to start being a lot better about keeping this updated with our lives so stay tuned.....


Snowbird

Kamryn Marie Schoepke

our newest niece.

Born January 18, 2009

6:55 a.m.

8 pounds 1 ounce

21 inches

We couldn't be more proud of her and her loving Parents who brought her into this world.

She is AMAZING

and

BEAUTIFUL

and we can't wait to see how she grows and get to know her!

XoXo, Uncle Dave and Aunt

 Megan

p.s. We swear to be the best aunt and uncle EVER to you!!

Speeding through life with the wind in our hair

Every summer kids get new toys....so in honor of tradition Dave and I got our first toy of the season....

This little baby gets 80-100 mpg and it came just in time for the skyrocketing gas prices. Dave and I take it for rides up to the temple or through the valley by our house. It's just a blast and perfect for dates for two. PLus it gives me another excuse to squeeze dave :) You can't see in the picture but there is an eagle on the front of the bike with red eyes that light up...so Dave named our bike "Eagle Eyes". He's just dang cute on it too!