Seattle, WA

What a beautiful, diverse, and exciting city!  We loved our visit to Seattle.  We stayed with my cousin Laura and her husband Tyler.  They were the best hosts!  The best food we ate was at their house.  Laura is quite the cook!  I checked out for the entire weekend.  In fact, I even missed out on entire conversations at times.  It was the relaxing vacation we were hoping for.

Day 1: We arrive!  We spent more time in the airport than we had planned.  A 4 hour delay because of a mechanical malfuntion left us with a 10:15 PM arrival in Seattle and $400 in flight vouchers.  Laura surprised me with balloons and a coconut cake topped with 30 candles (it was my 30th birthday after all!), and some sweeping views of the city.

Day 2- Our fabulous tour guide took us to the big city.  We toured Pike's Place, put gum on the gum wall, rode the fairy to Bainbridge Island, and ate some awesome seafood from Ivar's where we had to fend off the seagulls.

Day 3:  The boys indulged in their engineering side and took the factory tour at Boeing.  The girls had a less sophisticated approach; we hit up H&M and basked in the glory of a $4.95 shirt.  That night we watched the Mariners and King Felix get a win on the home field.  Neither Dallas or I had ever been to a pro game before and we had a total blast!  It was one of our favorite activities of the trip.  Plus the guy lounging in the camp chair with his binoculars provided endless entertainment.

Day 4:  This was an epic day.  We got up early and headed to the coast.  Along the way we visited the Quinault Rainforest, went inside the largest red cedar in the US (in circumference), flew kites and touched anemones at Kalaloch Beach, passed through Forks where I got to giggle about Twilight and take some "twihard" pictures of my own, and eventually landed at our destination- La Push Beach.  It did not disappoint.  We made it home via Bainbridge and capped the night off with a gorgeous city view from the fairy.

 

Day 5:  We slept in (can I get a hallelujah?!), went to church, visited the Chittenden Locks, and then had a double feature movie night with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Mr. Universe.

Day 6:  Travel home and back to the best sight I ever saw.

Kathy Ford Wilson

My sweet and funny Aunt Kathy passed away Tuesday, May 6th, at 8:42PM, surrounded by her family.  Kathy was my youngest aunt; vibrant and full of life!  She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer on February 15, 2013.  For just over a year she fought her hardest.  You would never know her suffering if you weren't in the midst of her immediate care.  She planned a wedding, talked in church and fulfilled her calling, faithfully wrote her missionary daughter, put on Christmas dinner for the Wilson family, and had a huge smile and a joke for you every time you saw her.


I will miss her so, so much.

It has been a hard week.  Grief is such a heavy burden!  BUT in the midst of it all, I have felt the love of a Heavenly Father and the strength of a loving Savior.  Kathy is not suffering; she has been freed.  While her family is left with heavy hearts, I know her spirit will never be far from them.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "In His plan, there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."

Cami took this picture going to work the morning after Kathy passed.  All that light!  Heaven was smiling over it's newest angel.

The nursing staff at McKayDee were so impressed with Kathy and the strength of her family, that they decided to leave the light on outside her room the day after she passed.  She really was a beacon of light to all that knew her.

Wilson posterity- My Dad, Scott, Kevin, Sue, and Kurt.

Sending balloons to Heaven for our party girl.  We let off pink, lime green and orange (Kathy's favorite colors), and my uncle Kevin let off the white "eternity" balloon.

Aunt Kathy doing one of her favorite activities- kayaking!

Tyler and his wife Megan, Brooke, and Josh

Kidnapped!!!

I was "enjoying" a miserable day at work when two bandits snuck in the back door, blindfolded me, and put me into their van.  I was terrified!  Who wouldn't be after being manhandled by people like this:

They brought me to one of my favorite little restaurants- through the back door, of course- where they took off my blindfold and I burst into tears.

I was surrounded by some of my most favorite people!  Friends, and family were gathered to wish me a happy 30th birthday.  I was so overwhelmed with emotion.  I am so blessed to have such great friends!  We spent the night eating, and laughing, which was exactly what I needed.  Here's to another decade filled with all of these great people!

Back Row:  Abby Nicoll, Katie Nelson, Holly Roylance, Mindy Kohler, Audra Thomas, Janelle Cook, Pam Stone, Krissi Cook, Jessica Studdert.  Front Row:  Kalie Chamberlain, Erin Pulley, Sariah and Riley Perkins, Jill Tuttle, me, Heidi Atwood, Breona Carter.

My very fave decor- my 30th birthday sign!  Bre spilled one of my darkest secrets to make it- we send eachother ugly selfies randomly throughout the day.  She blew them up and displayed them!  Only a real friend would be gutsy enough to do that.  She must know I would lover her anyway.

This will go down as one of the best nights of my life!  Thank you to all of my friends and family for always supporting and loving me... even when I send you an ugly selfie.

Here's to 30!

Fishing Record

There are two notable things about Will and Dallas' fishing trip today:
1- They didn't get skunked!
2- Dallas caught the biggest fish of his life- a 23" Cutthroat on Strawberry Reservoir.

Graduation Day!

Today was the culmination of a lot of time spent schooling.  6 years of papers and tests.  6 years of loans.  6 years of late nights and early mornings.  6 years of commutes.  6 years of missed events. 6 years of school poor.  6 short years compared to the career that will bless our family for a lifetime.

Worth it.  Every moment.

Even he couldn't hide his smile.

It was the best day!  One of the highlights of my life.  Dallas' sister Sierra Schvaneveldt also graduated from the University of Utah that morning with her Doctor of Pharmacy.  She is my hero!  We could not be more proud of her and are so grateful for her example to our kids.

We spent the day spending time as a family at our Aunt Laurel's in Salt Lake.  I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect day; great weather, great food, great company.  Dallas' brother Austin even drove all the way from New Mexico just to be there for the day.

Not only did Dallas and Sierra graduate, but Seth did, too!  His commencement was last week and he graduated from Weber State with a degree in Technical Sales.  Such a smart family I married into!

Laurel Morris, Seth, Sierra, and Joel Morris.  We had our graduation BBQ in their back yard.  They are huge Ute fans, if you can't tell...

Grandma Kaiserman says I earned my PhT.  "Putting Hubby Through."

Grandpa Kaiserman was a huge influence in Dallas getting his degree in Civil Engineering.  Grandpa is a Civil Engineer, and his dad was a Civil Engineer as well.

This picture right here is why I wanted Dallas to walk.  Will is going to remember this!  Maybe one day he'll want to follow is father and be a Civil Engineer as well.  We have high hopes for our smart boy!

Grandma helped put us through school one Sunday dinner at a time.

We have been so very blessed by family and friends that have supported us through this journey.  We have always been taken care of, and are so thankful.

When Dallas walked across the stage with his degree and fist pumped the air as we cheered, there was no greater moment!  HE DID IT!

Happy Easter!

It's officially spring!

The swing is up!  Come on over, swing with me, and I'll feed you a cookie.