Sweet Home Chicago

Last Friday we flew back to Chicago to surprise Steph's brother Dan for his high school graduation. We were there from Friday to Tuesday and over that time we went to a White Sox game, went to all the graduation stuff (actual graduation, open house, seminary graduation), went to the town Memorial Day parade, and spent some quality time with the Merrills over Memorial Day. Overall it was a really good time and May is a beautiful time in the Midwest as everything is very green and the temperatures were between 60-80 degrees.

Josh's Sports Update

The White Sox have won 8 in a row and are back in first place in the AL Central. The season has been up and down already. They started off fast, then they almost fell apart, and now they are back in first place and looking good with a good mix of pitching and hitting.

BULLS WIN THE DRAFT LOTTERY!

With only a 1.6% chance of landing the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, the Bulls lucked out with the top pick! Now they will most likely have decide between Michael Beasley from Kansas State, a scoring power forward, or Derrik Rose a pure point guard from Memphis (originally from Chicago). I think the Bulls will go with Rose and try and trade there current PG Kirk Hinrich, but I think either player would fit in great. I go back and forth but for now I think my vote is for Beasley, just because we need a big man to score in the post and grab some boards.

Drew decided to venture out away from his toys and find his own entertainment!

Here are some random pictures from the last little while including Drew with Nana, Mommy, and just playing around.

Favorite Quote of the Day

So I was sitting in church today and heard a quote from President Thomas S. Monson that really just hit me. I would like to share, "..you be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow." It was a wonderful talk, and it made me renew my efforts of reading the words from our Prophet. I am even more excited to read General Conference again in our Ensign!

Car Search

So we have been looking at getting a new car for a while now. Who knows when we will actually bite the bullet and get another car. We are looking for something that gets good gas mileage, is roomy enough to grow as a family, and an overall quality vehicle. Steph wants a Honda Accord, while Josh wants a Honda CR-V. Other options that we have looked at include the Honda Fit (we really like Honda's), and Toyota Camry, and the Toyota RAV4. We already have a Toyota Corolla and we love it, but we want something that has more space. Please feel free to comment on your likes and dislikes of any of these cars, or other cars that might be worthwhile to look into.

Drew Crawls

Just a day after Drew's Nana flew back home, he decided it was time to start crawling. Since then he has been on a mission to explore every nook and cranny that he is allowed to roam. He has also started to say what we interpret as "mama". Whether or not he is truly saying that is up for debate, but it does sound like it. If we can manage to get him on video saying it we'll post it.

My New Friend:
So for graduation I got the Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS. I must say that I have long admired Garmin and her abilities to help a lost soul such as myself find my path. For those looking for an affordable GPS that does the trick this is a good choice. It has all the bells and whistles: Bluetooth capability, text to speech, down loadable content, mp3 player, integrated traffic receiver (many other more expensive models don't come with an integrated receiver), and many other sweet options. If this still is a bit to pricey for your taste the Garmin Nuvi 200 is a good entry level model. So that's my new gadget, and I highly recommend it to any lost soul.
-Josh

GRADUATION!

After 5 years of going to the University of Utah, Josh finally made the big walk to get his diploma. Actually it was just a piece of paper because his diploma will come in the mail! (He kept reminding us that he wasn't actually getting the diploma at graduation to try to get out of going.) Drew was a proud son, and I am so happy for him to finish. It's been a long 5 years, with work and school and this past year with our new little man joining us, so it's been quite the accomplishment! Mom, Spencer, Matt, Jared and Megan came with us to the U to cheer Josh on. Thanks to everyone for their support- enjoy the pictures.