Playing With Pickerings

The Long Road to the Temple

2012-02-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

We feel so blessed now that we live by so many temples, whereas before, the closest one was three hours away. One night we decided it was time to do a session, so we got all dressed up, and headed towards the beaming lights of the Provo Temple. Well, it was dark, and we really didn't know which road to take. We just went down a main road that looked like it was heading that direction. The road started bending slightly and we ended up going the opposite way for a while. Once we finally made it, we noticed that there were no cars in the parking lot. It was closed.
"Well, we could go to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple."
We headed out to the freeway, took the wrong exit, cruised on down a few residential roads, and finally made it there. By the time we pulled into the parking lot, I was car sick from all the detours. We decided not to do a session. But we got a picture.

Moral of the story:
We need a map.

Ice, Ice Baby

2012-02-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to actually do something for New Year's this year. For New Year's Eve, Steve and I went to our first ever HOCKEY game. It was fun. We were actually surprised with how many die-hearts lived in Utah. The most exciting part of the game is when the fans start chanting, "Fight, fight!" After the game, they let the spectators grab some skates and come out on the arena. I couldn't believe how well all the guys were skating, and how all the girls (including myself) were not. Anywho, they only let us on the ice for about an hour, so we went home and stayed up until 12, kissed eachother goodnight, and went to bed.

THE MOVE

2012-02-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

Steve and I love the ranch. We lived close to beautiful mountains, the traffic was great, and our little honeymoon cottage was perfect for us. Steve loved being a farmer. He got to work with his brother, drive tractors, and be outdoors. I loved my job in town being a dental assistant. I had a great boss and fun co-workers. We lived by the majority of our nieces and nephews and were able to see them a lot. Steve let me have a cat that could come in the house. We had fun Primary callings in our branch. Our neighbors (though few in number) were great friends.

We were missing a few things in our life. Steve needed an education. So after two years of thinking about it, we moved. It was hard. We love the ranch (like I said before). It was a huge leap of faith, but now we live in Orem, Utah, and Steve will be starting school in the summer to become a pilot. We both have good jobs and a cute apartment. Now we have to lock everything we open and close. We deal with traffic. We still live in a branch. The distance to the grocery store is ridiculously close.

We left the comfort of the ranch to better our lives. The next few years will be challenging, but in the end, it will be for the best.

Christmas Through Our Eyes

2012-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas went by in a whirl-wind! We packed up all our things and moved to Orem, then we turn around and head to Enterprise. We sure did have some fun though. We got to Enterprise late Friday night. Steve had to show off to the family how he could kick the mistletoe. Of course, it became a competition.

On Christmas Eve I got to spend a few minutes with the Israelsen's. That afternoon we watched Sherlock Holmes 2 in St. George. We had a nice Christmas dinner then bundled up to go outside. Eric and LaDawna put some bales together in the shed, where the Locke family portrayed Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. The Foremasters and Grandpa Pickering and Grandma Darrington all gathered together to sing a few Christmas carols.

After some hot coco back at the house, PJ Elf surprised us with custom made Pickering shirts. They were awesome. Then we played Minute-to-Win-It games.

On Christmas morning, I think my favorite part was watching Nixon. Steve spoiled me with boots, kitchen appliances, and chocolate. I got him the tv series House, a new belt, and a book about his motorcycle races last summer.

Later that night we were invited to Royd's for some yummy food and XBox Kinect games.

Next morning, the kids went to Anti Gravity. There were lots of trampolines. And dogdeball. I'm not one who is crazy about it, but it was fun watching my Pickering siblings play.

Steve and I had to leave that evening because of work. It was definately short and sweet and awesome.

Gobble, Gobble

2012-01-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was in Malta this year, (I mean 2011) and we had a blast. We had a fun filled Thanksgiving Day with the dinner, Turkey Hunt, and opening some Christmas presents early. Latara and Kenni had spent the day with us, which was way fun. We played on the Razor, and Steve and I took our Christmas picture with the 8285 tractor. The ladies then went to the Elba craft show.
Later that night, the Johnson girls participated in their first Black Friday shopping. We hit Walmart first @ 11:00PM which was crazy. We split up, and Sara and I went to Macy's where we waited outside until midnight. Then we went to Shopko, where we waited in line for 1 hour and 1/2. We stayed at Rick and Janelle's for the night and woke up to a splendid breakfast Rick and Janelle made for us. We shopped a little more, then I ate lunch with Dad and Steve at Upper Crust while the girls went home.
Aunt Vickie and Grandma Spencer came for a visit later on Friday. Then we played Don't Eat Pete with the family. On Saturday, we went to Zumba, Jacalynn's bridal shower, and played Steve's new card game.
Our Thanksgiving weekend was filled with family, fun, shopping, and yummy food. I'm thankful for my awesome family and all the fun memories we have created.

Steve made dutch oven potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner.

I made the more traditional mashed potatoes. (Notice the hair is still in curlers!?!)The FamilySteve with his sisters, Kenni and Latara

Rick and Alex prepared weeks to perform a Christmas song for us to get us in the spirit before we open presents.Steve and Riley looking at her new book.Steve and Elliott playing "Don't Eat Pete!"While at the bridal shower, Steve cut down a tree, then he stacked it back up! He says, "I cut 'up' a tree."

A Very Merry 22nd

2012-01-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

I love purple. I love temples. I love family. And once in a while I love my hair straight.

So how does a husband put together a birthday for his girl that is turning 22?

Put it all together.

He totally surprised me with a new hair straightener (with help from Erica).

He asked my parents to come down to southern Utah to celebrate my birthday.

He asked his parents to put together a yummy dinner.

He asked the Israelsen to come eat the yummy dinner with us.

Steve and I met my parents in St. George and went to the temple. We then ate at a delicious, chic bakery called Kneaders, which Steve was totally NOT into.

Later that evening we ate an AWESOME dinner that LaDawna made. She also decorated the dining room with purple. My mother in law is good to me. Israelsen's came over to celebrate with us.

My parents are awesome. My in-laws are awesome. My hubby is awesome.

It is going to be an awesome year.

More Halloween...

2011-12-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

With much going on, I am playing catch up.

Ducky eating pumpkin guts. Is that normal?

The cutest pig around.

Little Santa Claus

A Time When Adults Can Dress Up!

2011-11-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

Steve's Jack-o-lantern and my hissing cat

Since Steve was the only one to see my Halloween decorations this year, I wanted to share them with you.

I'm a big fan of black and white Halloween decor.

This year I got to dress up TWICE! For work, we went with the cowboy- western-1800's theme. My coworker Kathleen was the camp cook. I wore a dress that I played dress up in when I was little. I also had Steve's hat and my boots.

That night, Steve and I passed out candy at the Stake Trunk-or-Treat. Steve was a cowboy, and I changed into a "cute" witch.

I got this hat idea from Mummsie. Just spicing up the plain ole black hat with some ribbon and flowers. It didn't turn out as cute as hers, but I still LOVE it.

Girls' Weekend

2011-11-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

We Johnson girls like getting together once in a while. Janelle suggested we meet together for the Relief Society Broadcast. Jen suggested we meet in St. George and go to Little Mermaid at Tuachan. The rest of us agreed. We made plans and arrangements. Jen couldn't come to the show because of a family funeral. We missed her a lot. So I showed up in Enterprise a little earlier and was able to spend time with Jen and her kids before they left town. We watched Charolette's Web and had some cookie dough shakes at Marv's. Jen gave her ticket to LaDawna, so I was able to have both of my Moms there. LaDawna and I met up with Mom, Janelle, and Janeen in St. George where we ate at Guns and Barrells. We then saw Little Mermaid. I just LOVED the production! And Tuachan in GORGEOUS! I wouldn't mind going there every year to see a show.

The next morning I went shopping with my mom and sisters in St. George. We got some cute clothes and yummy chocolate. We ate at one of my favorites: Mongolian BBQ. After a little bit more shopping, the Idaho clan headed back up north. That evening I went to the Enterprise to watch the Relief Society Broadcast with LaDawna and Grandma Darrington.

It was great to spend some time with the women I love! Thanks everyone for the great weekend!

La Playa '11

2011-10-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love the beach. I love spending time with family. So, I obviously love this vacation that I get to have every year with the Pickerings. Steve and I got wetsuits this year, which made a huge difference (even if it isn't the most attractive thing to wear). We played hard on the beach, went to the Mormon Battalion Site, a Padres vs. Giants game, and ate yummy ice cream!
Fun Memories from 2011:

On our way down, there was a huge fire on the interstate. We had to take a two hour detour up the mountains. If we weren't in a hurry to get to the shoreline, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Most of the week when I wasn't in the water, I read Mockingjay. I really don't read for leisure, but I sure did enjoy it.

The only part of me that got sunburnt was my face. And it was BRIGHT red.

We went downtown San Diego to visit the Mormon Battalion Site. While watching the presentation, the lights go down and the wall turned purple to portray nighttime. Trace started frantically whispering (loudly), "Jessica, Jessica, where are you? It's your favorite color!"

I have always wanted to try a restaurant that was unique to San Diego. This year, Steve and I ate at a taco shop with REAL coca-cola.

At the baseball game, we told Trace if he would dance, he would get on the big screen. Sadly, Trace was wearing red, which was too close to the opponents color, orange. But Trace danced his little heart out.

The last night we were at the beach, there was a MAJOR power outage. It was interesting to cook dinner, take showers, and pack without electricity. Thankfully, it came back on after we all went to bed.

We added one more person to the clan this year, Nixon! He was so fun to hold and watch.

Harvesting the Grain

2011-10-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

All my post have been about a month late, but I'm getting further behind everytime. At the end of August, Steve and I try to make it up to Idaho for grain harvest. This year was short and sweet, but we had lots of fun.

Dad got a new combine, and Steve was all sorts of giddy about it.

Mummsie in her vegetable garden. She put me to work picking green beans.The new John Deere combine
Janeen and I made super yummy Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. It reminded me of our younger days when we made homemade oreo cookies.

I had lots of fun eating good food, exercising with my personal Zumba instructor and Mom, and visiting with my family. Steve had lots of fun driving a combine.

Cliff Bars and Gatorade

2011-08-31T18:43:00.000-07:00

On the 30th of July, a small group of adventurers set out to conquer the great Wheeler Peak.

The party started Friday, when Mom, Dad, Janeen, Jen, Riley, and Hyrum arrived in Spring Valley. We had a fun hot dog roast with smores.

Smack that!

The next morning we set out to climb 4 miles (in distance) and 3,000 feet (in elevation).

This was the "easy" part of the hike.

No one really wanted to take pictures at this point.Part of the ranch where Steve works.

Stranger: "Where are you from?"

Steve: "See that house down there?"

Terrific view! And this isn't even the top!

We had so much fun hiking with my family. It is really an incredible experience to be so high. Thank you family for coming with Steve and me. We enjoyed being with you that weekend.

So if anyone wants to feel like a mountaineer one weekend, give us a call.

Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked....

2011-08-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

... and Jessica gasps for air as she runs a 5K Fun Run in Enterprise, UT.

Steve and I celebrate Pioneer Day in Enterprise. We get up at the crack of dawn to RUN!!!! (Who does that?!?)

Then we soak up the morning rays to watch the parade.

Then we jump of cliffs (at some ridiculous heights) into some cold water.

Then Steve enjoys a refreshing beverage under the shade at the Pickering BBQ.

Then he decides to wrestle children at least 10 years younger than him.

In a few years, Reese is going to be able to whip up on Steve.

So we might do Pioneer Day a little differently than the actually pioneers, but we sure did have fun!

In Honor of Pioneer Day

2011-08-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Steve and I played pioneers for a week. For most of the week, we couldn't drain or flush any water down our septic line. For the last day of that week, the water was turned off. We had no running water. So we hauled our laundry and dirty dishes to the neighbors in baskets so we could have clean clothes to wear and clean dishes to eat off of. (Mind you, we only did this once. We can live without doing laundry for a week.) I felt like a pioneer using an outhouse when I ran over to Matt and Jenny's at two o'clock in the morning to use their facilities. Of course, there bathroom is NOT like an outhouse, but the distance to my bed to their toilet is. I was ready to stop playing pioneer when I saw my brand new septic tank in my back yard. Who would have ever guessed that this sight would make me so giddy!?! I also came home to a fixed sink and shampooed carpet. I was definately done playing pioneer. I love running water and a working septic tank.

Janelle and Rick's Wedding from the Pickering Camera

2011-07-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

After a long drive to Idaho, Steve and I made it to where the party was. We met in Almo, ID, where Steve and I would be staying in our very own little suite. I am pretty sure Mom and Dad gave us the nicest room to get some grandkids out of the deal. Anywho, Almo Inn is fabulous and thanks Mom and Dad for the room.

Steve's feelings about weddings.

Janelle and Rick got married 7/9/11 at Castle Rock. It was a gorgeous morning for a wedding.

Janeen was the official Pippa (the sister that tried to steal the show).

I was the wanna-be-Pippa (I couldn't be one because I'm married).

Riley, the flower girl. We are so proud of her, she didn't drop a single petal. :)

Janelle, Dad, and Rick. The archway was so beautiful, and the day couldn't have been more perfect.

"You may kiss the bride"

The Divas

After the ceremony, we had a delicious luncheon at Almo Inn.

Riley eating lemons. Janeen and I are the BEST aunts.

After the festivies, Steve was ready to go play. We took a ride in the Razor around the farm.

Riley and I share the same taste in flip flops.

Janeen eating. I love taking these pictures.

Steve and I took to Logan like Dobby to socks.

It rained on our parade...

2011-07-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

... but we had a blast!

Steve and I took Trace and Maddie to the Ely parade while Matt and Jenny were driving Jenny's dance float. We got there a ten minutes before the parade started, and it down-poured. I felt bad for the paper-mached floats. So Trace, Maddie and I took refuge in the car while Steve went to find his parents and Jeremy.

Right when the Pickerings got us, it stopped raining.

The candy was still wet.

The fire station's float was creative. A cat in a tree.

Jenny's dance group

Oh so fun!

Steve's 24th

2011-07-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

On Steve's birthday, we went up to Idaho. He got to play on his motorcycle all afternoon for the motorcross practice. I think he was in heaven. The next day he rode really well in his first moto. For the second moto, his bike broke, so he couldn't compete. But he still had lots of fun.

Because of a traveling birthday, and because I am a horrible wife, Steve had to buy his own birthday cake. But I did put on the candles.

My family was in the Logan area on the 4th, so we had a fun lunch at Big J's.

That afternoon, we had a bridal shower for Janelle. It was a great birthday weekend. Steve and I both got to do some fun things. Happy Birthday Steve!

What I Love About Dayton

2011-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

My best childhood friend, Libby Nelson, is going on a mission to Santiago West, Chile. I really wanted to see her before she left, so I made the trip to Idaho to say, "Good luck, you'll be a great missionary, and I'll miss you." And I am so glad I made the trip. Some other good friends of mine were also there, so we spent the afternoon recalling memories, and "remember when..."s.

Me, Natalie, Dawn, and Libby

(I would have graduated with them if I didn't move)

Libby's fan club

The Nelson/Johnson Girls

I love Libby, and I know she will be an astounding servant of the Lord. She has an amazing, strong testimony and a loving heart. The people in Santiago West, Chile are going to be so blessed to have her for 18 months. Good luck Sister Nelson, and may God be with you till we meet again.

We Burned the Boxes

2011-06-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

The pack rat in me loves to save boxes.

"Oh, I could use this box to wrap a gift in."

"Oh, if we ever move, we will need boxes."

The boxes started piling up in our back room. They took up a lot of space and looked trashy. There were a few days when I organized them to maybe throw a few out, but I always kept them. Finally, the clean freak in me overtook the pack rat and I asked Steve to build me a fire. He was more than happy to.

It was a tough thing to let go, but I am happy I did. Boxes are not hard to come by, and my back room is in a lot better shape.

Saturday Bliss

2011-06-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have never really appreciated Saturdays as an adult until I was employed full time. Since then, it seems that Steve and I are constantly going somewhere for the weekend. Today, I stayed home.
It was wonderful!
I slept in, did a long exercise routine, and took my time in the shower. I enjoyed the sunshine in the afternoon with Trace and Maddie. I savored a peach frozen yogurt as I sat by my flowers.

Jen gave me some columbine flowers last year. They grow in a bush of some sorts, but since mine are young, I have only gotten one blossom so far. This made my so happy that there is some beauty in my flower beds.

So now I am a firm believer in relaxing weekends! Hopefully, I can enjoy the summer with much bliss.

One Week Off Work

2011-05-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

I went to Idaho for a few days to spend with my parents and the Johnson's. Mom and I did yoga, ran, ate great food, went shopping, and did pedicures. I got to watch Elliott and Logan for a little bit. I love these two! So much fun! Thanks Mom, Dad, and the Johnson's, for a few fun days. It was a fun little holiday!

This month is such a special one...

2011-05-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

... it's birthday time for you!

The Pickerings have three birthdays that are very close together (Trace, Eric, and Latara). So we all gathered to St. George to celebrate!

We played in the pool, had some barbeque, and opened presents.

2 Years Strong

2011-04-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Steve is very tricky sometimes. We both agreed that the cruise was our gifts to each other for our anniversary. I came home from work a few days before our anniversary and found a bouquet of roses. I squealed and swooned over them and tackled Steve when he came home. He is a sweetheart! On our anniversary, I made him a very fancy steak dinner. We were both a very happy married couple.

We are loving, laughing, growing, learning, and understanding together.

Yay for 2 years!!

Death By Powerpoints

2011-03-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last February I got a job as a dental assistant at the office that I interned at. I am so excited for my new job and I am loving it. I feel so blessed! I didn't have my radiology certificate, so my boss paid for a radiology class that I could attend so I could be certified. The class was at a dental convention in Salt Lake City. Dr. Van Tassell described the convention as "Death By Powerpoints." And sure enough, my class was basically a powerpoint. I passed the class, and now I am officially certified to send radiation through someone's mouth.

That evening we ate with Dad, Mom, and Janeen at The Rooftop Restaurant. It was really nice, and it was fun to spend time with some of my family.

Other than an awesome new job, not much has been happening in the Pickering household. For Valentine's Day, I made this amazingly-shaped pizza. We were both surprised how well it turned out.

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2011-02-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Steve and I went on a cruise Jan 29th- Feb 5th with Eric and LaDawna. We are so grateful that we were able to take a week out of winter to enjoy sunshine, playing, and time with eachother.

We left Saturday early in the morning and drove all the way to San Diego. We were on the Oosterdam for lunch and wandered around. Every night we would eat a fancy dinner then go to the shows. The food was excellent, as my 10 lbs. heavier body can agree with. I wanted to try new and excotic foods, which I did. I tried estcargot! The shows were fun and entertaining.
On Sunday, it was a little overcast, so we spent the time playing shuffleboard, giant chess, little chess, and a movie.
Monday was a little bit sunnier, so Steve and I went swimming, played more chess, and walked around.

Our first stop was beautiful Puerto Vallarta. It was so green and lush. Once we were off the ship, we met up with our group. We piled in an inflatable speed boat to go across the bay. Once we got there, we piled into a yellow bus that hauled us up a bumpy dirt road. Then we went zip-lining. It was so fun! We rode mules up a trail, and zip-lined and repelled through the jungle and waterfalls. I would recommend it to anyon who loves adventure. Even if you don't love adventure, it was beautiful and fun (coming from someone who is terrified of heights.) We didn't get any picture because of safety reasons, and the professional ones they took were high priced.
But we ate some authentic quesadillas and got back on the bus. We stopped at a tequila factory. I was more interested in the pretty pink flowers than anything else. Once we were back on our speedboat, our guides were kind enough to let us look at some rock islands. During this time, LaDawna saw a whale JUMP out of the water. We sped over to see it. There were two of them, both jumping up and playing. We were so lucky to see that.

The next day we woke up to the most gorgeous sunrise that I had ever seen in Mazatlan. We went kayaking with a small group around Goat Island, then spent the day lounging at the beach, buying things from vendors, and eating real guacomole.

Thurday we spend in Cabo San Lucas. We watched LaDawna play with the dolphins, walked around the marina, and laid on the beach. Steve and I rented a waverunner, and checked out Lover's Beach, Divorce Beach, El Arco, and the rest of the bay. It was freezing. If there was no wind, it would have been perfect. But Cabo was really fun.

Friday we were on the ship heading back north. We watched movies, relaxed and swam in some cool pool water. By Saturday, we were back in San Diego.

This vacation was so fun! We both feel so blessed in our lives, and we are so grateful for so many opportunities. Thank you Eric and LaDawna, for letting us come with you. It was fun to spend time with you.

For all of my pictures, you can visit this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=330113&id=636902358&l=1eab277b67

Sanuks

2011-01-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

Last year at the beach, Erica's sandals caught my eye. They were Sanuks. I really liked them and wanted a pair for myself. We went to a surf shop on the beach, and they were super expensive. I looked online when I got home and found that they were the same price. I really haven't thought about them much until about two weeks ago when we found out we were going on a cruise, and Jen bought a pair. So I looked more online. I was about to pay $45 when I decided to search one more time. Then I found them! The exact pair I wanted for $15! I was so excited! I ordered them online and got them in the mail, and I am ready for some sunshine!

Welcoming the Year 2011

2011-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

It took a few times before we could get a picture with both of us and the special drink in the paper bag.

We watched SALT and ate a yummy chicken fried dinner with sparkling peach cider. We went to bed around 9:00. What it all comes down to is that we are "old."

I am excited to start a new year with Steve! There was so many great things that we did in 2010, and there will be many adventures waiting for us in 2011!

Happy New Year!

Christmas where the SUN shines in the VALLEY

2011-01-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad rented a cabin in Sun Valley, ID for our family gathering this year. It was lots of fun to go somewhere so close to many activities. We played a lot and enjoyed eachother's company. Everyone was there, except for the Israelsens, due to some bad weather, and we sure did miss them.

Steve and I made it up there Tuesday night, right in time for bed. Wednesday, Neener made a How the Grinch Stole Christmas Breakfast, and Steve and I headed for the mountain. This mountain was made for Steve; he loved it! I, on the other hand, prefer the easy slopes. I had a hard time keeping up because I didn't want to crash. After lunch, I stayed at the cabin while Steve went snowboarding. At the cabin, Mom, Janeen, and I watched "White Christmas", made sugar cookies, and played in the snow. After everyone gathered together, we all sat in the hot tub, ate dinner, played Sharades, and watched home videos.

Thursday morning, Steve made biscuts and gravy for everyone and they turned out delicious. The men went out on the mountain, while Mom, Janeen, and I went tubing and skiing at the little kid hill. That night we sat in the hot tub some more and watched more movies.

Friday, we lounged around until after lunch. Once again, Dad and Steve went up to the mountain. Mom, Janelle, Zoey, Janeen, and I took a little stroll around Sun Valley. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon preparing our Christmas dinner feast. Once our tummies were full, we acted out the Nativity. Steve and I were two of the Wise Men. Then PJ Elf left us some cute matching pajamas and we watched "The Christmas Story."

We all woke up to full stockings. After all the presents were opened, we all cleaned up and headed home. Once Steve and I were home, we opened the rest of our presents.

Christmas was so wonderful this year. I loved being with my family, but I missed my other family, too. We had good memories and and lots of fun! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making Christmas magical!

Sugar Cookies

The Wise People, Mummsie's Ham Dinner, Us with Logan, The Nativity Cast

Tubing

Steve the Snowboarder

Playing in a Winter Wonderland

Sharades, video games, and stockings.

You Have a Part in the Christmas Story

2010-12-21T09:39:00.004-08:00

This is a poem that our Primary president, Michelle Iverson, wrote for the children in the Garrison branch. I love the message and would like to share it with you.

You Have a Part in the Christmas Story

By:Michelle Iverson

To live a life as pure and clean as little Jesus did, is hard to do for me and you, we make mistakes and sin.

But when we make a promise to take upon His name, to hear His charge to change our hearts and let His spirit in.

We will shine as brightly as the star on Christmas night, and guide all those around us to His pure and perfect light.

And like the holy angels, who sang about His birth, we can tell the story of His coming to the earth.

We can kneel before Him, as the lowly shepherds did, and give our hearts and all we have, like the wise men gave their gifts.

Though we were not there, to hear the angels sing, we're here now to share the LOVE of our Savior, Lord, and King!

I love the nativity sets that I own! This year, I was blessed with two, one from each set of parents. The top one is from when I was a little girl. The second one is from the Pickerings. I love the Willow Tree figurines! The last one is from the Johnson's. It is made from olive wood and is from Jerusalem. I hope as you see many nativites this year, that you will remember the story of Jesus's birth, and that you can be a part of the story with how you live your life!

The Forgotten Carols

2010-12-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

For a Christmas present, Steve and I took my parents to The Forgotten Carols in Salt Lake City on December 10th. Earlier that day, we attended a live session in the Salt Lake Temple and ate at Rodizio's Brazilian Grill. It was so fun to spend some "alone time" with my parents.
Thank you Mummsie and Dad, for a wonderful Friday!

Christmas Tree #2

2010-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Steve and I tagged along with Matt and his family to get a Christmas tree. We found a spot where there were some prospects, so we got out of the truck and looked around. It started to get dark, and we ended up choosing a tree that we first liked. So the men shoveled around it and cut it down, and the only light was from a tiny flashlight that was running out of batteries. After we got Matt's, we headed home to decorate.

Steve and I were pleased with ourselves when it was finally put up and decorated. We were reading in the other room when we heard a crash, ok not really a crash, but a timber. To our dismay, all of my heavy ornaments tipped the tree over. Steve put more support in the tree stand, and we strung the lights and dressed the tree all over again. But now it is holding strong and looks festive.

I am thankful for...

2010-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

yummy food at the Darrington's,

spending time with family,

board games,

lounging around and watching football,

physical activity after lounging around,

finding Christmas trees,

warm coats and hats,

peek-a-boo with Maddie,

in-laws that love me,

and Steve!

I hope your thanksgiving was full of love, family, friends and many blessings to count!

Turkey Triathlon 2010

2010-11-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Jen started getting into triathlons. She found one in St. George and invited me to do it with her. I accepted, and we started riding bikes and running to be ready. Steve wanted to do a triathlon as well, so he talked Jeremy into do it. So we all got ready to race on November 13th at the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center.

The Racers

The Swim (200 yards, 8 laps): The only time we could practice swimming was two days before. I think we did really well considering that we didn't train in swimming.
My time: 7.35 minutes
Steve's time: 5.35 minutes

The Biking (5 miles): Jen has two nice road bikes that are amazingly fast. She let me borrow one. Steve and Jeremy rented bikes that were similar. We all did really great for the biking part of the race.
My time: 22.08 minutes
Steve's time: 19.09 minutes

The Run (1.5 miles): The last leg of the race was hard, but we all crossed the finish line!
My time: 18.25 minutes
Steve's time: 11.26 minutes

We all did it! Jen and I made our goal (under an hour), and Steve and Jeremy placed and got prizes.

My total time: 52.18 minutes

My place: 7th in division, 41st female, 66th overall,

Steve's total time: 38.36 minutes

Steve's place: 1st in division, 3rd male, 4th overall

It was so fun, and I'm excited to do another one!

Happy 2010 Halloween!

2010-11-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

This year, Steve and I went to Cleveland ranch to celebrate Halloween.

Carving pumpkins.

Since all of us live so far apart, we gathered all our candy together and put them in cute bags. The trick-or-treaters come to one house and get a bag of candy.

TRICK-OR-TREAT!

Riding the hay wagon behind the tractor.

All the pumpkins lined up. Can you guess which one is Steve's?

The night was filled with tasty food, yummy candy, pumpkin guts, and good company.

Birthday Surprises!

2010-11-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

I turned 21 last Thursday. No, I didn't go gambling or drinking, but Steve and I teased about going to a bar and getting virgin margaritas.

Jen surprised me with a birthday dinner the night before! As most of you know, I am a little carnivore. She made Cafe Rio Pork Salad. The pork was DIVINE! We also had chocolate dessert with trick candles. Super yummy! Later, we played games and were entertained by Hyrum and Riley. Thanks Jen, for the delish food, and thank you Israelsen's, for a kickin' party.

On my birthday, I did the usual sleep-in, run a little bit, and ho-hum around on the computer. Steve kept reminding me that a person can only have ONE birthday dinner, and I already had one. After lunch, I helped Steve on the ranch. During that time, Steve decided that MAYBE it was alright if we ate out, especially if we ate at Jailhouse. So we got home, cleaned up (I wore my new birthday outfit), and headed to town. I chose to eat at Jailhouse, much to Steve's enjoyment. We don't eat there often because of the price. But the steaks are the kind that just melt in your mouth. So if you are ever in Ely and you have money to spend, eat at Jailhouse. Anyways, I wanted to take a picture for the blog, but I chickened out asking the waiter to take one for us. So when we got home, Steve took a picture of my birthday outfit for me. Okay, shoes and sweater are the only new things, but Janeen wanted a picture of the sweater.

The heels from heck. They are so adorable, but one should never stand in them too long.

The day after my birthday, I received a package from LaDawna. Much to my delight, it was a Nativity set by Willow Tree! I love Nativity sets. I will blog about that closer to Christmas. Thanks LaDawna!

My parents sent me the perfect card and some money for my birthday. I love getting mail other than bills, and the card fit my personality. Thanks Mummsie and Dad!

I received phone calls, facebook messages, and even had visiting teachers. Thank you all for a wonderful birthday!

"I Know My Savior Lives"

2010-10-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

A few Sundays ago, our branch had our Primary program. Our program and this year's theme is "I Know My Savior Lives." The songs and messages were touching and beautiful. My favorite song was a new one called, "Jesus Is My Shepherd." Tears escaped my eyes when we sang that song. I love hearing children's testimonies of Jesus Christ. Their faith and trust in Him reminds me to become more child-like. Being a Primary teacher has strengthen my testimony of the Savior and His love for each one of us.

Silly Faces

Revival

2010-10-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

The definition for revival is:

restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.,
a showing of an old motion picture,
an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.

This spring I was really excited about planting flowers around my house. I bought and planted the flowers, and I was diligent about weeding and watering. There was a week where I started slacking off. I would only water them about 2-3 times a week, and I gave up weeding all together. About mid-July, I was pretty certain I failed as a gardener. Most of the flowers dried up and died; there were just a few shabby plants left with no blooms. One afternoon, I decided to try to revive the remaining flowers I had left. I plucked the dead blooms, weeded, and watered. I kept it up for a week, and still no blooms. I kept at it, thinking at least I'll have some type of greenery around my house even if it wasn't much. Then one morning, I nocticed that many of my petunias bloomed! I was so excited that I had to take a picture before they went away.

Maddie helping me take care of the flowers.

I was very optimistic, and I kept taking care of the flowers that lived. Day by day, they became fuller and bigger. A few other types of flowers revived as well.

This last weekend I have felt a revival in my spirit as my flowers felt a revival.

I love General Conference for so many reasons. Latter Day Saints from around the world are gathered together for a singular purpose, to listen to a prophet's voice. It is a time to be with family and other members. I love the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We get to sustain our Prophet, Apostles, and other General Authorities. But my favorite part of General Conference is the Spirit I feel, helping me realize what I need to do better. Every six months, I have a resolve to do a little better. In a sense, I am revived! I am now trying to keep the spirit of progress for my whole life, not only a week after General Conference. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and I try to live by it. I hope we can all try to progress every day.

Imperial Beach 2010

2010-09-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=264894&id=636902358&l=b9afcd0d19

I LOVE THE BEACH! This year was just as wonderful as the last. We (the Pickerings) were able to spend a whole week in San Diego. We did the same things we did last year, plus more!

Steve and I rode with Matt and his family and Latara in the Tahoe. We spent our first night of our vacation in Las Vegas at South Pointe. Trace couldn't grasp the concept that Las Vegas was a bunch of buildings that made up a city. When we entered in Vegas (still on the interstate), we would say, "We're here in Vegas." But we kept driving and he would ask, "Are we at Vegas?" When we stopped at a mall, he asked, "Is this Vegas?" Finally, we just told him Vegas was the hotel.

Bowling at South Pointe. Steve won.

I had the wonderful joy of sitting by Maddie. She was really good, and pulled some cute faces for me when I got out my camera.

By Saturday afternoon, we all made it to Imperial Beach. We kind of made it too early because we couldn't get our key for the room for another hour. So we made sandwiches in the garage from the back of the truck. Once we got settled in and our swimming suits on, we go out to the water to find that it's FREEZING! Needless to say, we did not play in the water long on Saturday. But, we showered up and went to Applebee's for some good food, and live entertainment starring Trace and Maddie.

I guess there was a lot of fish by the beach because there was tons of wildlife around. These huge birds would be circling around in the air, then, WHOOSH, they would dive in the water. There were some seals and my favorite, DOLPHINS! I have only seen dolphins at SeaWorld, so it was such a treat to see them in their natural habitat. For the longest time, I tried to get a good picture, but in the end, I decided to put the camera down and enjoy the view.

After churchon Sunday, we went to the tide pools at La Jolla Beach. It's a good Sunday activity to look at all of God's amazing creations and being with family. We fould starfish, slugs, crabs, and other stuff that I don't know the names of.

Under the pier, ooh, lala!

We played a game of Frizbee Football.
Taking a stroll to the pier.

Monday, Eric & LaDawna, Nick & Erica, Steve & I got to do a session in the San Diego Temple. It was BEAUTIFUL! I love temples so much, and I am so grateful that we were able to go this year.

We were going to be tough against the cold water and enjoy ourselves. Steve was so excited about the beach this year because of his new toy, his skimboard. It is fun watching him learn to do it. I tried a few times, but I definately don't have the skills or talent to skimboard.

I don't remember whose idea it was, but I'm sure glad I got a picture of the 4-person-tower.

The cold got the better of us, and by Friday, we had all bought/rented wetsuits. They really did help! We stayed out in the water a lot longer.

Monday night, we had our own baseball game, Big League Chew gum included!

We had so much fun, Nick gave the idea to go to a professional baseball game Thursday night.

San Diego Pardres vs. San Fransisco Giants.

In the end, we all cheered for the Giants because they were Nick's team... and they won.

Tuesday, we grabbed our passports (well, most of us), and headed across the boarder. The highlight was buying Chiclets (gum) and cute bracelets.

I absolutely love this vacation! We created some fun memories, and we get to know eachother a little better each year. Thank you Pickerings, for such a great time!

If you want to see all the pictures in a bigger format, click on the link on the top of the page!

Grain Harvest 2010

2010-09-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, my Dad harvests grain. 2 years ago, Steve came to Idaho to help, and that's kind of how we started dating. It has become a fun tradition to go help at grain harvest.
This year, most of the grain was already harvested, but Steve still got to do some work. We had a lot of time to play.

My dad is Bishop, so we got to crash a youth activity and go to Steadman's slide! It is just like a huge slip n' slide on a hill. We also played volleyball.

I spent a lot of time with Mom on Friday. We went to water aerobics and had our eyebrows done. Mom's visiting teaching partner wasn't available, so I was the substitute. Later that evening, we had s'mores.

Saturday, we went to the Twin Falls Temple with the youth. Steve helped with baptisms while I did intitatory. Later, we celebrated Janeen's retirement from Bake Central.

I love spending time with my family in Malta. Even though we didn't work much, we created some fun memories.

Steadman's Slide

S'mores with the family

Steve's favorite tractor

We didn't plan it, but Mom and I matched on Sunday.

"I Like to Look for Rainbows..."

2010-08-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

I teach the 8-11 year-olds in Primary in the Garrison Branch. I love my calling and enjoy getting to know the kids. The youngest member of our class just turned eight and was recently baptized and confirmed. He asked me to give a talk at his baptism. While preparing this talk, I was reminded of my baptism and the covenants I made with Heavenly Father. I want to share my talk, not because I thought it was great, but it helped me remember what I did when I was eight.

(The day I was confirmed)

Jesus is the perfect example of how we should live our life. One of the first things He did in His ministry was to go to John the Baptist. He went to John because he had the priesthood, just like your dad. This is the account of Jesus’ baptism found in Matthew 3:13-17.
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus didn’t need to be baptized because He is perfect. He was baptized to set an example. Jesus taught us be example to be baptized, but why?
When we are baptized, we make covenants. Heavenly Father wants us to make covenants with Him. A covenant is a promise between us and our Heavenly Father. Here are three promises we make to our Heavenly Father:
1. We promise to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. This means that we will become followers of Jesus and will become known as Christians.
2. We will always think of Jesus throughout our lives. When we have a decision to make, we will remember Jesus, and think of what He would want us to do.
3. We promise to serve Jesus by keeping His commandments and following Hi teachings throughout our lives. This means we will learn what is right and strive to live the example He has set for us.
Mosiah 18:10 sums up these promises. “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?”
In a covenant, Heavenly Father promises us some blessings. Today you are making a very righteous choice. Once you are baptized, continue to make righteous decisions like receiving the priesthood, going on a mission, getting married in the temple, and enduring to the end. By doing these things, you are able to have eternal life and live with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Without baptism, we cannot do that.
After you are baptized, Heavenly Father also blesses you with a very special gift, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. You get this gift when you are confirmed a member of the church. The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead that helps you in many different ways. He can comfort you, like if you feel sad or lonely. He can help guide you to make righteous decisions, like choosing good friends of keeping the commandments. He testifies of truth, like if you want to know if the Book of Mormon is true or if Joseph Smith was a prophet. The wonderful thing about having the gift of the Holy Ghost is that He will be your constant companion as long as you choose the right. He will always guide and comfort you whenever you need Him.
When you cam to earth, you were like this shiny, new penny. You were perfect, you never sinned. But as time went on, you got some smudges and marks by making mistakes. They all add up and you look like this penny. Today, when you are baptized, all those sins will be washed away, and you will look like this new penny again. But you are going to live a lot longer today, and because you are human, you will make more mistakes. How can you keep yourself clean? Heavenly Father loves all of us very much and created a way where we can become as clean as this penny every week. It is called the sacrament. Because we all make mistakes, we can partake of the sacrament every Sunday and strive to do better.
We are all so proud of you for choosing to be baptized. Heavenly Father and Jesus are happy, too! You are obeying Heavenly Father and following Jesus’ example. You are making promises with Heavenly Father and you will receive great blessings. Now, you will have the Holy Ghost to help and comfort you. And whenever you make a mistake, you can take the sacrament. I hope you remember your covenants and feelings you have today.

"The good Lord gave us mountains so we can learn how to climb!"

2010-08-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

August 8th, Steve and I hiked up Mt. Wheeler. This mountain is right by where we live. I get to see it everyday, and now, I get to see it and say, "I climbed that!"

Facts

Distance: 8 miles all around hike

Height: Starts at 10,000 ft. Top is 13,000 ft.

1st mile: nice gentle trail (see pic below)

The next 3 miles aren't so nice.

The home stretch to the top is really a challenge. We are higher in elevation, so it is harder to breathe. We already hiked a lot, so our muscles are worn out. The trail is ALL rocks and VERY STEEP!

We made it to the top!!! "Hey, I can see my house from here!"
There was a father and his two sons at the top when we got there. Steve asked where they were from. Michigan. They asked Steve the same question. "See that house down there... that's where we are from."

It was an amazing hike. I felt like I conquered the world! Or the mountain. Steve and I enjoyed our time together. It was nice just having us two. I love spending time with Steve!

Celebrating the 24th of July, 2010

2010-08-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

The weekend was full of adventures!

Movies and frizbee football,

cliff jumping at Sand Hollow,

swimming at the Enterprise reservoir,

Enterprise 5K/10K Fun Run,

parade,

rodeos,

eating yummy food,

and being with family and friends!

Ciff jumping at Sand Hollow

Enterprise 5K/10K Funrun (Clockwise: Steve, Jessica, Jen, Mummsie)

Mummsie, Jen, the Humphries, and I had matching shirts. "Will Run for Chocolate!?!"

"Look! I got some candy!"

The entertainment outside of the rodeo arena.

Great Basin Race

2010-07-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

There's a race track in Ely, right by us! July 10th, Matt, Steve, and Tony raced. Matt and Tony raced their four-wheelers, and Steve raced his motorcycle. Steve got 2nd in both of his motos and Matt broke his collar bone. It was eventful. It was nice not to travel so far and having friends and family there.

Spring Valley's 5th of July Party

2010-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Water balloons for the kids,

yummy fish and food,

volleyball for the "big kids",

fireworks to end the evening!

Camping at Cedar Mountain

2010-07-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

For the weekend of the 4th of July, we went to Cedar Mountain to camp with LaDawna's side of the family. Steve and I hadn't been camping for a while, so we really enjoyed the outdoors, company, junk food, and four-wheeler rides.

We took a nice, long four-wheeler ride on Saturday to Duck Creek.
Mud+ ATV= STUCK!

Upon arriving at Duck Creek, Royd treated us to ice cream.

We loved camping and seeing everyone that was there!

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

2010-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a sports fan. I don't know much about any sport. The World Cup started and I watched a game. Steve explained to me that the World Cup only occurs every 4 years and that it is bigger than the Olympics. Everyone in the world LOVES soccer (futbol), and they live and breathe it. In Argentina, the whole town would shut down and everyone would go home to watch when the team was playing. I have watched a few games and have liked it. I 'm far from being a true soccer fan and knowing a lot about it, but I encourage everyone to watch at least one game.

This is the official song for this year. I love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0&feature=related

Kitties!

2010-06-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ducky had kitties!

When: May 16, 2010

Where: In a nearby shed

How many: 6

I really do like cats a lot. I love kittens even more. I love their curiousity to new things, their fiestiness, and their cuddlyness. I love watching these 6 kittens grow and learn. They will all eventually end up at my parents' house, but for now, they are fun to have around.

PANDA: Curious, loves being w/ other kittens.

He got his name b/c he looks like a panda.

OSITO: calm, chubby.

His name is "Little Bear" in Spanish. He is like a teddy bear.

CALABASA: loves people, adventurous.

Calabasa is "pumpkin" in Spanish. We thought he would be more orange!?!

BANDIT: loves food, goes with the flow.

He was the first one to open his eyes. At first, he only had one eye opened, so Steve called him the One Eyed Bandit.

SABER: likes doing her own thing, always follows me.
We were naming her "Siberian Tiger," but we got confused and named her "Saber Tooth Tiger."

MOUNTAIN: fearless, climber.
He was the first one to climb out of their box. He climbs on everything.

Here's an older post of their mom, Ducky.
http://jessicaandsteve.blogspot.com/2009/07/ducky.html

Isn't It Ironic?

2010-06-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Steve loves riding his motorcycle. Earlier this year, he went to a race in Carlin, Nevada and got 2nd in his race. For his birthday, he wanted to race again. So we found a race in Delta, UT.

Latara and I came along to cheer for him.

The track

Get ready, get set...

GO!!!

Jumping the double

YAY! He got 5th in the first race, then 1st in the second race. He was 2nd overall out of 13. I'm so proud of him. He raced really good. There were no broken bones, black bruises, or scraped-up skin; just really tired, hot, and dirty.

We came home around 6:00-ish, and Matt and Jed wanted to go ride around in the gravel pits near the ranch. So we all got on motorcycles and four-wheelers. Steve went off a jump that he knew well, and it kicked his bike sideways. He thought it was strange, but didn't think much of it. He went on it again, and it did the same thing. This time, however, he crashed pretty hard. There were no broken bones or blood, but his neck and back hurt. I'm so glad he was wearing his helmet. He was sore for a few days, so yesterday, he went to the chiropractor. Steve is alright.

His black eye
Isn't it ironic that he raced really hard all day, then comes home and crashes his bike while playing around!?!

He's 23!

2010-06-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Even though the day was pretty normal, Steve was pretty happy about the day. He didn't get his presents on his actual birthday, but he didn't care. We did, however, have cake and ice cream. He also got to compete in a motorcycle race in Delta a few days after his birthday (diiferent post). So, in all reality, we celebrated his birthday for a few days.

He got dual exhaust on his truck.

New Oakley sunglasses

Happy 23rd Birthday, Honey. I'm so glad you are mine!

Cave Lake

2010-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day, the Pickering family came out to the ranch for some fun. We went to Cave Lake for a picnic and hike. This is a view of the lake from a very steep, slippery hillside.

For those who haven't figured this out already, I am TERRIFIED of heights. Even though the hike wasn't high, it was steep. I have terrible visions of me rolling head over feet down a rocky ridge. Anyways, I put my discomfort aside and really enjoyed the hike. Will I do it again? Yes. Steve says I'm becoming more Pickering everyday (in the sense of adventurous).

The cave

I made it!

Skipping rocks

The whole crew

We all enjoyed the day. We had good food, good laughs, and good memories!

Janeen, the Johnson graduate of 2010

2010-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yay for Janeen! The baby of the family graduated from Raft River High as salutitorian. She has done so many great things in her life, and has many more great things to accomplish. I am so proud of her. I had the great opportunity to go to her graduation and senior recital.

She sang and played the piano so beautifully. Janeen has a gift.

Opening her gift from me and Steve

The same cap and gown I wore.

There's a new dental assistant in town!

2010-05-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

In May 2009, I decided that I wanted to be a dental assistant. I found a program online to help me get there. The school would send me books and I would take the test online. Once I would finish a test, they would send another book. So, as you can tell,it took a lot of self determination to get it done. I completed it in 11 months (I could have done it in 6), and now I have a career diploma in Dental Assisting.

But reading about dental assisting can only get you so far. So I applied for an internship in Ely and got it! I go in 3 times a week for about 6-7 hours. I love it! The people in the office are so good to me, and I am learning so much. So now, I am armed with knowledge and experience to go out in the real world and get a real job!

Mom wanted a picture of me in my scrubs. :)

To All Moms

2010-05-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Wishing all mom's a wonderful Mother's Day. I hope you all felt loved and appreciated. I am so grateful for the mom's in my life. You all inspire and amaze me with your deep mother love for your children.

Alpine Potato Soup

2010-04-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

So, I've recently gotten myself into a new addiction... food blogs! I love cooking and trying new recipes. What better way to do that than with food blogs!?! There are so many out there with so many recipes. Poor Steve gets to try new recipes about 3 times a week.

This is one of the first recipes I tried from a food blog. The Pickerings were coming that night, so I doubled the recipe. It turned out so good!

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2008/10/alpine-potato-soup.html

Easter 2010

2010-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

I loved having Easter on the same weekend as General Conference. It helps me think of Jesus Christ even more by listening to the General Authorities talk about Him. There was an amazing Spirit that Easter morning. I loved General Conference. I learn so much every time. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to listen to church leaders.
Jesus Christ and the Resurrection is the reason for the Easter season. Sometimes, I get carried away with spring, bunnies, and eggs; so I made sure to put a picture of Jesus Christ up with my Easter decorations this year. I am eternally grateful for what He has done for me and for everyone.

I know Easter is about Jesus Christ, but it is still fun to celebrate spring with the Easter Bunny, candy, and egg hunts. The Pickerings all came out to the ranch. We rode four-wheelers, shot skeet, and enjoyed watching Trace and Maddie hunt for eggs.

I didn't expect the Easter Bunny to show up to our home, so I didn't buy baskets or anything. To my surprise, he did show up. He had to go through our cupboards to find some plastic bowls to put our candy in. And he also gave me dark chocolate. :)

April Fool's

2010-04-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

For a week, I was at the office for Annie while she was gone. On April Fool's Day, I go out to my truck to go home for lunch, and guess what I find!?!

Jen, Hyrum, and the Humphries kids put a snowman in the back of my truck. April Fool's!

April Snow Storm

2010-04-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Idaho, this really doesn't surprise me. Nice, warm weather comes for a few weeks, then BAM! it goes back to winter. I was getting really excited to work on the yard, open the windows during the day, and enjoy the comforts of spring. But, of course, Mother Nature always throws in that April storm. I would actually be more surprised if there weren't any storms. Oh well, I saw it coming, so I shouldn't be too upset. At least my house is feeling the spring vibe.

Spring decorations provided by LaDawna and Jenny

My pretty tulips

One Year of Wedded Bliss

2010-04-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Steve and I have been married for a year! Sometimes it feels just like yesterday we were being sealed in the temple. On the other hand, it seems like we have known eachother for a long time. This last year has been really wonderful!

Things I love about our first year of marriage:

I get to be with my best friend all the time,

we eat lunch together, which usually includes a movie (it feels like a date),

occasionally, I get to go to work with him,

I have become a better person because of Steve,

I have learned more about Steve (what he likes and doesn't like),

we have inside jokes and laugh together,

and we are there for eachother through trials and decisions.

To celebrate, we took the weekend off and played. First destination, Orem, Utah. We haven't seen Nick and Erica since their wedding, so we thought it would be fun to drop in and say, "Hello!" We went to the Draper Temple, ate at Texas Roadhouse, and enjoyed the Lockes' company. The next day we went to Jump On It (pictured above). It is a place with a bunch of trampolines hooked up together. So fun!!! We later watched a movie and drove through a storm to get to Cedar City that night.

On our actual anniversary, I had dance competition in St. George. Steve was a good sport and supported me, even though he kept reminding me that he doesn't like this kind of stuff. Sunday, we enjoyed our stay with the Pickerings and going to church in Enterprise. Even though some of our plans changed, we enjoyed eachother's company. I love Steve so much, and I'm so blessed to have him.

Steve's Levi Quilt

2010-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Steve never ceases to amaze me. I love him so much! At the end of last summer, Steve's new project was making a Levi quilt. He collected jeans a few years ago and finally started to cut and sew. He did the top of the quilt all by himself. I only helped when he was sewing the last parts together.

When the top was finished, he found some material (with help from LaDawna) to put on the other side. Steve bought the supplies to have a quilting frame. Steve, LaDawna, and others tied the quilt. LaDawna is such an awesome mom! She finished Steve's quilt for him! A HUGE THANK YOU, LADAWNA!!!

The finished product

We love our new quilt, and we are so excited to use it. It is so warm and durable; I can't wait to go camping!

Blog Makeover

2010-03-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

So, I've been thinking lately that I need to spice up my blog and really make it my own. I keep looking at the cutest blogs and wondering, "How do they do that?" or "Where are they finding these wonderful sites?" So I'm on a quest to make my blog more adorable with links to recipe and craft blogs; pictures of me, Steve, and family; and all that jazz. My good friend and neighbor, Annie, introduced me to some amazing blogs last night. I'm so excited to start my blog makeover. What I would like is some advice and some of your favorite sites. Thanks!

Welcoming the New Year 2010!

2010-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Dad, Mom, Janelle, and Janeen surprised us by coming to Spring Valley for New Year's. Of course, the grandchildren stole most of the attention, but we had a grand time and lots of fun!

We played Pictionary New Year's Eve. We drew events that happened to family members during 2009.

We also had some fortune cookies that told us how our 2010 year will be.

New Year's day we hooked up some tubes to the four-wheeler and drove each other around.

My mom, sisters, Riley, and I had a girl's party at my house. We gave foot rubs and watched "Little Women" (a female Johnson favorite).

Erica's Bridal Shower

2010-01-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

During Christmas break, Erica had a bridal shower in Enterprise. Its was so fun for me to meet some ladies in the community, and to see my new aunts and cousins. LaDawna, Latara, and Kenni did such a nice job putting it together.

Kenni was in charge of the front desk where she handed out invitations and had the ladies write down advice for Erica.

LaDawna taking care of the food.

Erica had to put gum in her mouth for every question she didn't answer right.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Steve and I spent Christmas with the Pickerings this year. Everyone was able to make it, so it was a full house. It was so wonderful to be with everyone. It was my first Christmas away from my side of the family, but I felt like I was home. Eric and LaDawna have a wonderful home, and I couldn't ask for better in-laws!!!

For Christmas Eve, we ate a yummy dinner and popped Poppers (an English tradition).

Then PJ Elf came (see post below), and Erica and Eric read to us some Christmas stories.

Christmas morning we woke up bright and early so Latara could open presents with us before she went to work. Trace didn't like the thought of waking up until he saw all the present Santa brought him!

That afternoon, we went to Royd and Natalie's house to have Christmas dinner with their family and Grandma Darrington. Later on, we played Rock Band.

We had an amazing Christmas!!! Hope you all did too!

P.J. Elf

2010-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

P.J. Elf came on Christmas Eve, and what did he leave?

Brian Head

2010-01-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, the Pickering siblings and their significant others snowboarded at Brian Head. Latara is working at the resort as an instructor, so we weren't sure if she would have a class or not. Luckily, she got to play with us. There were parts in the day where we splitted up into groups, but we got to snowboard together for a bit. Our noses were red and runny, our fingers and butts were cold, but we all had so much fun!!!

It was Jeremy's first time snowboarding. He caught on quick, and we were all impressed!

Kenni coming down the hill with her cute new headband!

The soon-to-be-married couple, Erica and Nick

Jenny and Jeremy

L-R: Kenni, Jenny, Matt, Latara, and Jeremy

Sand Dunes

2010-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

For Christmas break, Steve and I went to Enterprise. The Wednesday before Christmas, the Pickerings took all the bikes and four-wheelers out to the sand dunes. It was so fun having everyone there (except Latara b/c she had to work, which was sad). There was a blanket laid out for the kids and those who didn't ride the whole time. Whether if we were riding or playing in the sand with Trace, we all had a blast!!!

Dad's Christmas Present

2009-12-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Steve had Dad's name for Christmas this year (again), and we had a tough time trying to figure out what to get him. Steve came up with the idea to give him Jazz tickets. So we bought two for us and two for Mom & Dad, and we met up with them in Salt Lake City. We did some shopping, ate at Rodizio's Brasilian Grill (which I highly recommend if you LOVE meat), and walked about Temple Square to see the lights. We rode the tracks to get from place to place, and we stayed at a cute hotel called Little America.

At the Jazz game!

The next morning we woke up to SNOW! Can you imagine trying to drive downtown SLC with all this white stuff!?!

Thanks Mom and Dad for coming and spending time with us. We had a blast!

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas tree is so cute!!! I love it! It took us about 2 hours to find "the tree", and after looking at a good half a dozen, we concluded that one of the first trees we saw would do fine. Much to our dismay, (especially when Steve was putting it in the tree stand) we realized we should not have chosen a double stumped tree. But, with many "four-lettered words" j/k, Steve got our tree up. We trimmed the tree and it looks absolutely festive! We are enjoying the Christmas decor all around the front room, especially when it gets dark, and the lights are twinkling.

Have you ever seen "Christmas Vacation?"

Our first Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

This year we went up to Malta to celebrate Thanksgiving and my mom's 50th birthday. There were so many pictures, I put them on an album on Facebook. We took family pictures in Rigby, ate dinner with grandparents, target shooting, traditional Thanksgiving dinner, soccer games, arm wrestling championships, Christmas party with the Johnson side, and just enjoying ourselves.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165323&id=636902358&l=46d687228c

Trees are falling all around...

2009-11-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

...on the rooftop, on the ground!

Okay, so a tree didn't fall on our house, but I was pretty certain that it would. Much to my relief, it only got "close." We are getting a new pivot and some trees were in the way of its path. Sooo.... they chopped the trees down and dragged them away. Of course, after they get all the equipment out here, they decide to cut a few more trees down. The extra trees just happened to be in front of our house. I wasn't too heartbroken for the trees; they were a pain to mow around.

Before

During

After

This was the main project. I didn't get a before picture, so just imagine about 10 old trees in the field.

My Dresser!

2009-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

My wonderful husband surprised me with a dresser for my birthday. After we came home from Enterprise, he set it up for me. What a sweetheart!

This dresser is so beautiful, perfect for us! With it now, our closet seems empty! Thanks Steve!

Pumpkins

2009-10-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

YAY for pumpkins! I don't know why I love pumpkins so much. Maybe it's the fact that I'm a Halloween baby, or maybe I like pulling the slimy guts out of a vegetable and carve a face into it. I don't know, but I love pumpkins. When we did our garden this spring, we did 5 mounds with about 5 seeds in each mound. The mounds were about 6 feet away from eachother. We thought that was too much, but it turned out that pumpkin plants do need that room.

This little guy was one of our first pumpkins. I would say that this was in July. We were so excited that they were growing!

This was after the frost. You can see how much the plants spreaded out.
We harvested 39 pumpkins! Some were rotten, but we still counted them.

Decorating our front door with festive corn stalks and pumpkins.

Steve definately has a carving skill that I wish I had.

Trace decorated his pumpkin like a 'potato head'. He did not want to have his picture taken.

Me, Steve, crying Trace, Johnny, Jenny, and Maddie

A Birthday Surprise!

2009-10-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Steve and I went ot Enterprise to celebrate my birthday. We played Wii at the Pickerings, went to the movies, ate at a nice resturant, and went to the temple with Eric and LaDawna. Right after the movie, Steve had a surprise for me. We went to the furniture store next door. A man came up and asked if he could help us. Steve said, "Yeah, we are looking for a...dresser." Wow! I was not expecting that! We looked at three places for a dresser and found one we both liked. We have to wait a few weeks for shipping, but I am so excited!

Jen also had a birthday surprise for me. Jenny took me over to Jen's house where some of the ladies in the branch had a surprise birthday party for me. I was so flattered! It was so fun!

Last night Steve took me on a date to Ely. There is a nice resturant called the Jailhouse. We both ordered steak and potatoes! Yummy!

A thanks to my parents and parent-in-laws for remembering me on my birthday. Thanks!

My birthday was so wonderful! I don't feel any older or wiser, but that's alright.

Steve's Crash

2009-10-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Two Thursday's ago, Oct. 8th, I was at dance with Jenny when I get a urgent message to call Brandon, Steve's boss. The horrible news was that Steve was in a wreck. He was already at the hospital, but he seemed to not be broken. What happened was that he was checking pivots and hit a ditch on the four-wheeler enough to make him fly 30 feet in the air and skid on his back for 70 feet. He hit his head pretty hard. The four-wheeler went front end over front end about 1 foot to the side of where he was sliding. They guess he was unconcious for 30 minutes. A Peruvian found Steve and drove him back to the shop. Steve couldn't remember the crash or working with the rams a few hours before the crash. On the way to the hospital, he kept saying the same thing. He got a few bumps on his head and road rash on his back. They did a cat scan and everything was fine, so they cleaned him up and sent him home. He had scabs and headaches, but the next Monday he went back to work. We were so blessed that the four-wheeler didn't land on him. His head is fine and the road rash on his back is healing very well.

The shirt we was wearing when he crashed.

His road rash

Our First Garden

2009-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Our first garden attempt went fairly well. Most of the things we planted came up AND we planted the garden in a really cool pattern.

What we learned from our experience:

the plants at the bottom of the water ditch grew better because of all the water that collects at the bottom,
buy peppers as plants for a garden, not as seeds,
spread out the carrots,
we only need two plants of squash, not seven,
weed continuously, and
(from Steve) if you are going to do something with your wife, she is in charge :)

The garden when things started to bloom

Harvest time

We had a good harvest. It was so fun to have this project with Steve. It will be fun to do it again!

The Beach

2009-09-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Pickering family has a tradition to go to Imperial Beach on Labor Day weekend. They rent out an apartment where we can walk out on to the beach. The whole family plays and swim together. I had so much fun and can't wait until next year.

Swimming in the pool

All the girls got their toenails painted, including Maddie.

All of us on the beach

Eric and LaDawna boogie-boarding. I've never boogie-boarded until this trip, and I love it. All you have to do is catch the wave at the right time, then ride it.

We went to the tide pools and found starfish, crabs, and even a baby octupus.

I loved this vacation. It was so fun to be with the Pickerings and to play with them. Thank you so much for having me in your family. :)

Ode to Summer

2009-09-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

This summer has gone by too quickly! I have had so many things to blog about, I didn't know where to start. So I decided to do one big summer blog and try to include everything.

For the 24th of July, we went to Enterprise for their big celebration. We participated in the 5K and Steve was in the rodeo (he wasn't riding a bull this time). We swam at the resevoir and played in the rain. Eric brought out the Johnny Popper for the little ones. That Sunday we went to Tyson's homecoming and visited with the Darrington side. It was such a fun weekend!

One day, Hyrum, Jen, and Riley were visiting and playing over at my house. Hyrum was in my garden and had dust all over him. So Jen let him play in the water to "clean himself." Trace thought that it looked fun, so he also headed towards the water. Their moms stripped them down so there wasn't too big of a mess.

Steve and Trace playing soccer one afternoon. They both look so handsome with their jerseys on.

(Other events that we did and I didn't have my camera):

We went to Lagoon with J.C. and Sara. We got a lot of sun and enjoyed the time off work.

We also went to Malta for grain harvest. We mostly hauled straw bales. Steve is so proud of his two stacks he built. We enjoyed Mom and Sara's cooking and everyone else.

So, goodbye Summer. We enjoyed the nice days and playing out in the sune. Until next year.

Ducky

2009-07-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love cats, and ever since Steve bought a motorcycle, I wanted something too. So for weeks I asked if I could get a kitten from my mom. He would give me a good explaination why I don't want one, and I would drop the subject until a few days later. When my parents came down for Riley's blessing and the 4th of July, a kitten came too! Steve surprised me with a kitty! He arranged it with my mom. So now we have our first pet, Ducky. It is kinda confusing that we named a cat after a different animal, but it is so cute!

This is the calmist it ever is!

This is how she ususally is.

She saw a dog.

She is pretty fun to have around. I love Steve and all that he does for me!

Picnic with the Pickerings

2009-07-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went to the Great Basin National Park to have a picnic with the Pickerings and Tony. It was wonderful to be outside in the mist of trees, rocks, dirt, and a cute creek. These are the moments that I realize how blessed I am!

Steve picked me some wildflowers! He won't admit it, but he is a romantic.

Latara sitting on the bridge, striking a pose. Steve wanted to be in the picture too.

Jenny and her beautiful baby, Maddie. She started crying right when I took the picture.

The men cleaning up.

Trace got in the water. So what's a better way to dry off?!?

Emergency Landing!

2009-06-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I was over at Jen's house watching a movie when a knock came to the door. It was Latara. She and Steve were going into town to Ely and were wondering if I wanted to come. Keep in mind that this is around 9:00 PM. I said, "Sure, but why are we going?" Earlier that evening a man in a glider emergency landed in our hay field! Luckily, we cut and baled the hay a few days before. He needed a ride back into Ely that night, and so we all jumped in the truck and took him back to the airport.
So I have never heard of gliding. I have heard of hang gliding, but this is like a airplane, but without an engine and propeler. Its wings are so long! This is the best picture I could get; he was loading it up the next morning. So that was the grand adventure for the weekend.

Spring Valley Fun

2009-06-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

This summer so far has been so fun. Even though Steve works full time, I ususally can go with him. We get to do so many things on the ranch.

Steve and I on a four wheeler ride.

Trace and Hyrum are best buds.
Steve branding a calf.

Steve working on his roping skills.

Birthdays!

2009-06-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

June 3rd was Steve's birthday. It was so fun to celebrate Steve's birthday. Since he loves racing his motorcycle, I thought it would be appropriate to make him a dirtbike cake. He was pretty surprised.

Jen's birthday was the 7th and all of the Johnson siblings were in Nevada to visit baby Riley. So that night Janelle and Sara made a wonderful dinner to celebrate Jen's birthday.

She's Blogging!

2009-05-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! This is my own blog! Yep, I figured since I'm growing up, I'll graduate from facebook to blogging. :) So, I really don't know what I'm doing, but I promise it will look better.