Utah 2010!

Okay, so we all know how terrible I am at updating my blog. I don't lead an interesting life, people! BUT, after another rough semester of school (18 hours-all A's!), I treated myself to my annual trip to Orem, UT to spend time with my grandparents and visit others. Every year it gets better and better! 11 days wasn't enough. I think I need to be out there permanently. At least, that's what I've heard from a few birdies... ;-)

I was converted on my trip. Converted to loving the Utah Jazz!

The night that I arrived in Utah, the Jazz played the Lakers. I got a rundown of the team and what was going down right before the game. I didn't think I'd last the whole game (it was a three hour game and I'd been up since 4 a.m.), but it was so intense that I lasted! But we lost by one stinkin' point. My fellow Arkansans were happy, as was my Uncle Ken who now lives in Utah, but will not convert to be a Jazz fan. There was another game a few nights later in which the Jazz lost. But I had a blast watching the games and getting stressed out along with my grandparents!

Playing cards is a must in Utah. Continental Rummy. 1, 2, 3. Canadian Salad. Hand and Foot. Phase 10. Kings in a Corner. The list goes on! THIS, my friends, is where the process of my weight gain begins every summer. We sit around, play cards, and EAT. Grandma has way too much extra candy and nuts! But we have a blast. Especially when we play with other people! I'm quite the show off at Kings in a Corner.

A view from the Cascade golf course

Golf is also a must in Utah. I put a lot more on my post from last year about golf. We golfed about 4 times in the mountains and putted on the putting range alot. My golfing skills haven't improved much since last year-but I'm quite the putter! So one morning while we were golfing, it was quite chilly. Grandpa asked if I wanted to borrow his windbreaker in his golf bag. I accepted and threw it on without much thought until Grandpa asked me to put some golf balls in my "pouch" (I lose a LOT of golf balls). I noticed that I had a pouch! Therefore, I became a kangaroo on the course. The golf balls were my "babies". I named them all (by the brand of the ball). Sometimes I lost my babies (when I lost a golf ball), adopted babies (when I found a golf ball in the brush), and beat my babies (when I'd tee one off real hard). We had a little too much fun with it. Golfing with Grandpa is the BEST!

*Side note for those I babysit for-I'm different toward babies when I'm a human than when I'm a kangaroo. :)

The next best thing to golfing with Grandpa is ice cream! Grandpa and I...we're definitely related. Our minds think just alike. Sometimes, I think this irks Grandma! We L-O-V-E ice cream. In all forms. Especially any kind with chocolate. That's a double bonus. I don't even want to go through my journal and count the times we ate ice cream. At least once a day...if not more. We presented every case in the book to get our hands on some. And Grandma always let us win. :) Hot fudge sundaes from McDonald's were a favorite this trip!

For a lot of the trip, I hung out with the "older" crowd. Whether we were playing cards, eating out, celebrating a birthday, or playing BINGO, I was usually surrounded by older people. However, this worked to my advantage. Older people are so proud of your accomplishments-a big difference than your peers! And they all think you're "beautiful". And boy, do they crack me up.

The "Loser" Bingo table. Not for long-I brought them luck!

My two favorite couples are the Carslisles (Tom and Elaine) and the Dentons (Carlos and Joy). Tom and Elaine came over the first Tuesday I was there to play cards. I went to hang out with a friend right after they arrived but was able to spend a little time with them. Tom is the "quarter man". (Refer to older post for the whole story.) He gives out quarters for various occasions. Before they came over, Tom called me pretending to work for the census or something. He asked me three questions. 1) Was I a visitor in Utah? 2) Is Grandma Colleen as sweet as ever? 3) Does Grandpa Jay still talk to himself? I answered yesto all of the questions. Naturally, I assumed that I'd get a quarter when he came over. But he slapped a wad of money in my hand when he arrived and said I needed some "spending money". Him and Elaine are so sweet. Tom and my grandfather are quite a pair. When I got back from my outing, they were still playing cards. I laughed so hard that everything hurt when I went to bed. We also went to their BEAUTIFUL home one evening. Elaine fixed a wonderful soup and pizza. We snacked and played games all night. Finished with a wonderful coconut creme pie. They even gave me a goodie bag for my flight home (included food, a magazine, and a plane glider)! I love them so much!

Grandpa snapped the picture just as he said: "Get your hand off my granddaughter!" Thanks, Grandpa! Haha!

One of my friends that I visited served a mission out here in Jonesboro from late 2008-early 2009 (Willmore). My family got close to him and his companion (Elder Garrett). I got in touch with Willmore and was able to hang out with him a few times. It was fun to have someone close to my own age! I made him a scrapbook of his mission because his camera broke on his mission. I also brought some funny Arkansas t-shirts for him and his friend Chris-who will be coming out to Arkansas in July. We all had a blast! Garrett is still on his mission until late August. He spent Christmas Day 2008 with my family and he called his parents from my house. They called us about a week later to thank us for being so good to their son. They left us with their number and said to call if we were ever around. Well, I called! Brought some goodies for him when he gets home (a picture album and a nice bag of Arkansas memorabilia thanks to Sarah H)! I was planning on just dropping the bag by and saying hi to his parents, but they insisted on taking me out one night. We went to Los Hermanos (my favorite!) and talked, and talked, and talked! They are such great people. I spent some time at their home and they dropped me off at the Dentons' (where my grandparents were) and visited for awhile. I love those people and hope to see them again!

Brother Garrett, Sister Garrett, myself, and Gina (older sister)

Tom, Elaine, Grandpa, and Grandmda playing a game of Kings in a Corner. Intense moment.

Myself and Tom and Elaine.

The Dentons' are another family that is close to my heart. They have known my grandparents for YEARS! Back in the Cali days before Grandpa retired. Great people. And they are from Mississippi, so they can relate to the South! Every year I come, it happens to fall on Carlos' birthday. You'd have to know Carlos to appreciate this, but I make a BIG deal out of his birthday every year. Refer to last year's post and you will see that when we went to Los Hermanos to celebrate his birthday, I had the staff come and sing to him. They even put a sombrero on him because his name is Carlos. However, he has no Mexican blood in him! It was hysterical. He even got a free dessert that we all helped finish. He claims it embarassed him, yet he thanked me several times and brings it up often. Therefore, he LOVES the attention. And I love to give it. So this year, I decided I needed to up the ante a little. Carlos and Joy work at the MTC on Thursdays. My grandparents have access to their condo. Hmm...so what did I do? I dragged Grandpa to the Dollar Tree, spent nearly $20 on decorations (black balloons, black tablecloth, black plates, black napkins, black cutlery...see a theme?, a banner, a blank poster to fill, a black centerpiece with a helium balloon, streamers, and kazoos! His birthday dinner was scheduled for 5:00 at Magleby's in Springville, so we went a little early and decorated the condo. :) To make a long story short, everything turned out great and the birthday boy loved it! We had a very nice evening and had a wonderful cake/ice cream after dinner. I love them!

The dinner party at Magleby's

Myself and the birthday boy! (I had to buy another sombrero!)

The poster I made...priceless!

A few of the decorations.

Grandpa works in the Timpanogas temple on Wednesdays. So Grandma and I shopped! Grocery and clothing. It was great to spend girl time with her! She is such a great shopper-I need to learn some lessons from her! I even cooked her lunch (her first bowl of shells and cheese, haha)! My grandma is such a special lady. I'd better stop before I tear up...

I got to visit the Calvin family in Provo while I was out there! It was a very last minute thing and I am so grateful that they were so flexible and came to see me at such short notice! Katie Calvin was my Beehive advisor back when I was 12 or 13! We had some great times! We sure miss them in Jonesboro. We met them at The Creamery on BYU campus one afternoon. The visit was too short! We had so much to catch up on! Their kids are SO DARLING. I only really knew Emma, but it was good to get to see the other two that I read/see so much about on the blog! What a great family.

Myself and the Calvin family-cute!! Cannot keep that Spencer still! What sweethearts!

I love Utah. I can't describe my love for it. This trip was spectacular. I wouldnt' trade it for the world. I have only been home for less than a week and I miss my grandparents more than anything. They are perfection.

Myself and my Uncle Ken in Mapleton.

Myself and my dear grandparents.

Have to end with Grandpa in his "Chinese" mood. He and Tom like to "speak Chinese" to each other. Grandpa is saying "How you doing?!" with a scrap of my shirt around his head. Good times.

Quote from Ray (the evil twin of my Grandpa named Jay): "I'd rather be an enemy than an enema"! -while playing cards. Priceless.