There's Sea Life in Denver!!

Who knew?? Today we, Whitney, Heather, myself and the boys went to the Denver Aquarium. It was so much fun, minus the freezing temperature as we waited to buy our tickets. Poor Mason's teeth were chattering like crazy! The weather was terrible outside, but inside we enjoyed hundreds of fish, sharks, sting rays, jelly fish, seahorses, and even tigers. It even had that wonderful fish smell you smell at the end of the San Clemente Pier by all the fishermen. Poor Whitney wasn't a fan of that. The boys cruised around oohing and awing the entire time. Once we finished looking at all the exhibits, it was off to Costa Vida for some pork salad action- DELICIOUS!!!

Scottie, Mason, and Jaden


The aquarium was also above us- Jaden is checking it all out!


Mason- I finally have feeling back in my fingers!


There were 3 tigers that we got to see eat whipped cream- I know random!! Do you think wild tigers eat whipped cream??


The Gang!


These are pictures from the Nuggets game that Doug and his parents went to Sat. night. Check out Jaden's throw-back headband!


Grandma and Grandpa

P.S. LOST starts in a week and I am soooooooooo EXCITED!!! I may make a paper chain to count down the days!

My 100 Things!

I have had a number of friends inspire me with their 100 Things, so I thought I would give it a try (Tiff, don't worry this includes at least 6 weird things!!). . .

1. I can't wink my right eye.
2. I shook President Ronald Reagan's hand when I was in Junior High.
3. I am impatient.
4. I think I'm really funny and laugh at my own jokes.
5. I would do anything for my sisters and brother.
6. I took 63 8th graders to Washington DC and 2 of the chaperones were my sisters- so fun!
7. I love the feeling of salt water on my body.
8. I love to snowboard with Doug.
9. I asked a lady at CPK if she was on the Bachelor, only to realize she was with her husband- Mark Maguire- I felt a little dumb!!
10. My favorite book is "To Kill a Mockingbird".
11. I'm the worst movie critic.
12. I'm NOT a morning person.
13. I'm a night owl.
14. I drove a Dodge Dynasty in high school/college that had a bench seat in the front.
15. I hate my terrible sideburns.
16. I played tennis and soccer in high school.
17. I talk a lot.
18. I love to travel.
19. Doug and I want to be on the Amazing Race soooooo bad!
20. I told Doug I loved him before he told me.
21. I love Hollywood gossip.
22. My friends mean the world to me.
23. I miss the ocean.
24. In 4th grade I told my class I had a pet dolphin that I kept in my tub.
25. I love to write Thank You cards.
26. I love going to the temple.
27. If I love something like a show, etc.- I share it with everyone.
28. I love fashion trends- who knew leggings would be back in.
29. I gave my Grandma fish nets for her birthday one year.
30. I make lists just to mark them off.
31. I hate getting ready and wait until the last possible minute.
32. I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was little.
33. I miss teaching.
34. A student once said to me, "Nice hooker boots Mrs. Brown" and all I could say was, "Thanks."
35. I learned to drive a stick in college.
36. I love to buy clothes.
37. When I buy a gift for someone, I get so excited and want to tell them what it is.
38. I love photos, especially my Grandpa's old ones- he was a photographer.
39. I love to dance.
40. I get frustrated easily.
41. My New Year's Resolution last year was to make my bed everyday- I missed a couple days, but not bad.
42. I love being with family.
43. My Grandparents have been together since 7th grade.
44. I got the worst perm in 6th grade and wouldn't go to church the next day.
45. Doug makes me laugh.
46. Jaden makes me laugh.
47. I make myself laugh.
48. I talk to my siblings a lot.
49. My in-laws are wonderful with Jaden- they love to babysit.
50. I stepped on a sand shark at T-Street and it scared me to death.
51. I love The Office.
52. I don't like fast food- except In-N-Out.
53. Cinnamon Life is one of my favorite foods.
54. I love my memory of going on a Daddy-Daughter Date with my Dad in AZ.
55. I miss the beach trailer more than I can describe.
56. I went toilet papering last year with a bunch of my girlfriends.
57. Doug's my best friend.
58. It makes me sad to watch the news.
59. I love to read, but have to be in the mood.
60. I wear my white long sleeve Shade under-tee all the time- I need another one.
61. I love wearing hats, but don't think I look real good in them.
62. Same with ponytails- remember the sideburns from #15.
63. I love dance music.
64. I was the 4th grade Hand Ball Champion and still have the blue ribbon.
65. I love V8.
66. I don't like seafood, but wish I did.
67. I love to share clothes with my sisters- it wasn't always that way!!!!
68. The pillow I sleep with used to be my parents- I think it has about 10 feathers in it- my family thinks it's DISGUSTING.
69. I lost my brand new Roxy coat that I never got to wear on my flight to CA.
70. I talked to Karl Malone at the beach.
71. I love Dido.
72. I would wear my Rainbows everyday if I could.
73. I love getting pedicures- "you want flower".
74. I shook it to Bootilicious at my wedding.
75. I miss my drive up Provo Canyon when I taught in Heber.
76. I don't miss the snowy drives up Provo Canyon.
77. Doug cleaned the snow off my car and warmed it up everyday when I was teaching.
78. I love to talk to grandparents and hear their stories.
79. I wish I could sing.
80. I used to play the violin and now I can't even read music.
81. I love the feeling of taking off your snowboard boots after a great day in the snow.
82. I love to be outside.
83. Jaden and I start swim lessons in a little over a week- so excited.
84. I try to be a little better each day.
85. I've learned so much from my Mom and Dad.
86. I always ask my sister Lisa about child issues and she always has the answer.
87. I was scared and excited when I found out I was pregnant.
88. I love teenagers and their many quirks.
89. I love the movie "You've Got Mail".
90. I haven't thrown up in a LONG time.
91. I got 2 stitches on my tongue when I was little because my sister Cara did a somersault on top of me.
92. I think too much at night.
93. I'm a terrible picker- I could sit in front of the mirror and pick for hours.
94. I love to work and earn money.
95. I love that my blog has reconnected me with so many dear friends!!
96. I burnt a hole through 4 layers of my wedding dress.
97. I love long talks with Doug or on the phone while I'm laying in bed.
98. The Gospel makes me happy.
99. I get sooooo excited when I visit family or they visit me- my Dad is coming this weekend!!
100. This was harder that I thought it would be!!

Are we crazy?? Yeah, for the Rose Parade!!!

I have been wanting to blog about the Rose Parade, so I guess a little late is better than never! We (my Mom's side of the family) have been going to the Rose Parade for over 30 years. It's a wonderful tradition, but many people think we're CRAZY!!

Let me explain. . . in order to reserve a spot to enjoy the parade, a lot has to be done prior to Jan. 1st. My Aunt Shauna is pretty much a tagger- shhh don't tell. She goes out around Thanksgiving or as early as Halloween and takes field spray paint and marks our spot in the grass median. Now she informed me that she has to watch her territory because if there's a heavy rain or if the grass is mowed, she has to retag the spot. This process continues until Dec. 31st. She's pretty much a member of the Rose Parade Taggers- now that's dedication! The "fun" begins at about 2am Dec. 31st. She and my Uncle Mike, as well as the rest of the spot savers, sit in their cars and wait until the tarps can go down. Now this depends on how strict the police are being. Once the first person gets their tarp down without hassle from police
everyone else busts out of their cars and lay down their tarps on their precious territory. A few hours later chairs are allowed to be set-up. From then on, someone has to remain at the spot, or else you can lose it. This is when our parade shifts begin. We all have shifts and have a great time playing cards, Catch Phrase, football, eating In-N-Out, etc. Finally it's midnight and we all celebrate the New Year on the parade route. This includes poppers, noise makers, music, or whatever else we have on hand. If you drive down the parade route your car will more than likely get nailed with silly string- not the smartest thing to do.


Once we've celebrated, the fun really begins for those who sleep out on the route. This last year Doug and my Dad were the brave souls. The nice thing is that my Dad purchased 2 huge propane heaters a few years ago. This makes all the difference, or at least that's what I am told. The rest of us spend the night at our relatives homes in a nice warm bed- sorry Doug and Dad. Once morning comes all that Doug and my Dad want to do is have a warm shower. My Grandpa picks them up and other family members take their place on the route while they have a chance to freshen up- REMEMBER: It's all about saving our spot!!!
We really have the best spot on the parade route. The parade is 5 1/2 miles long and we sit at about the 5 mile mark. By the time they get to us they are pretty exhausted but with our many signs and treats we give to many of the members, they really do LOVE us.





I do have to admit we have one sign that is a little, well mean in some of their eyes. It says "You're half way there!" This is hilarious because so many of the band members, etc. are from out of town and have never been in the parade before. Now imagine having to play a tuba wearing a polyester band uniform and marching in the usually 70 degree weather for over 5 miles- exhausting. We hold up this sign and they about die because they think. . . WHAT we're only half way done!!!! In reality they are just about ready to put that tuba down and relax. I know a little cruel, but the faces we see on some of these people are priceless!!!!! Throughout the parade my Aunt Shauna pretty much runs a snack bar. We have hot chocolate, orange juice, danishes, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and muffins.

We watch in luxury and have the BEST time together as family and friends. I just want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone that has made The Rose Parade such a wonderful tradition.

Some great memories:
1. Holding my sign for Kirk Cameron that had hearts all over it. I so had a crush on him!
2. Uncle Mike daring us to put bright lipstick on and kissing the Boy Scouts. I think he gave us each $5!
3. Heather getting kissed by a USC (male) cheerleader.

4. Matthew holding a sign for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that said "I love a woman in a robe".
5. Screaming for Clay Aiken and O'Town- hilarious!!!!
6. Cara being Cara- LOVE it!!

7. Uncle Mike getting everyone to do the wave.
8. Grandma's plastic hair net that protected her hair from the crazy rain in 2006, Dad's Gumby rain suit, seeing him chew gum- he NEVER chews gum, the Gentry's first parade in the rain, and Mom's INTERESTING outfit- CLASSIC!!!




10. Our signs for Trista and Ryan from The Bachelorette (2004).




Fun from 2007's Parade

Passports

Jaden and applied for our passports yesterday. We're ready to travel the world! One piece of advice- don't get your pictures taken at the post office- pricey!!

A Bowl Bull Weekend

I love Jaden's face in this picture- I think he just got a strike!!

This update is a little late and I hate to admit that it's because I'm so uncomfortable on the Mac. I know that is so dumb. All I ever hear is how user friendly it is. Well, I haven't had much time to play with it, so that's my very lame excuse. I'm sure after a few hours of just playing with it, it will be a piece of cake. Anyways, we had such a great weekend. It's still cold, but warming up. Who knew 40 degrees would feel like the 60s. I'm ready to bust out my Rainbows for sure! Doug, Jaden, and I went bowling Friday night and it was a blast. Jaden thought it was the coolest thing ever. He really wanted to throw the balls, but they were a little heavy for him.

Hitting the arcades before our lane was ready.

Picking out his ball.

Bowling for a "strike"

Saturday we went to our first rodeo- yee ha!! It was a ton of fun and quite an experience for me. We went with Doug's parents and Doug's brother David and his wife Amanda. We sat in the front row and were right there for all the action. These guys are crazy! One guy got nailed by a bull and his head was all bloody- pretty gross. The part that shocked me were the 5 year olds that rode the sheep. They wore full face masks and hung on for dear life. It was hilarious!

Grandpa got Jaden his very own cowboy hat!

Grandpa and Jaden

YEE HA!!!

This was pretty cool to see!

The insane bull riders

The little guy getting ready to take off on the sheep.

The little guy holding on for dear life.

Rewind-Holiday Fun!

This whole Mac thing is really a work in progress (thanks Clairissa for your help thus far- you Mac genius). Here are some pictures from CA. I can't seem to be able to move them into the order that I want, so for now, this is what you get!

Jaden and Presley playing in Laguna.


The Taylor family with baby Alyssa and Jaden's favorite dog- Tessa.


Jaden's buddies Mason and Logan. They used to live in CO, but now live in Philadelphia. We miss them like CRAZY!!


Their adorable Mom- Megan. We went to BYU together and it was so great living close to them in CO. Now we'll have to meet up in CA- oh dang it!!


This really is the best!! Carter (my nephew) was missing for awhile and when Cara found him, this is what we discovered. . .


Grandpa got to clean up the mess!


Could he really do that?? I love Carter to death!! He and Jaden had so much fun together it was insane! His huge smile and big brown eyes are to die for.

Adjusting

Adjusting- not always fun but necessary.
1. From CA to CO: I was in CA for about 3 weeks and now I am back to reality- COLD and snowy. I know I will survive but it will take some adjusting. I know, boo-hoo!
2. From a PC to a Mac: I'm already frustrated because I have sooooooooo much to learn. I know, once again, boo-hoo.
3. From 3 to 1: In CA Jaden was with his 2 cousins the entire time and played and played and played, now it's just Mom during the day. A definite adjustment.
4. From the Holidays to every day life: It has been the holidays for us from Dec. 22nd until yesterday. It's a little late in coming, but we are feeling the sadness that the holidays are done. I took Christmas decorations down today.

Since I didn't have both cameras with me the entire trip, here are pics from Christmas in CO.

***PROBLEM- Since switching to a Mac, posting pics is all screwed up. I can't arrange them, write comments above them because I can't see them on my screen, only when I hit preview can I see any pictures. I can only see html stuff. Someone, please help with my "adjusting" so I can get my pics up!!