A couple of weeks ago, Julie and I journeyed to Idaho to visit the family there. My family has a great majority of their birthdays in September, so the trip was essentially a birthday visit. We brought a model rocket with us...the kids were pretty excited and helped us put it together. We had alot of fun and the anticipation was high as we waited for better weather for the maiden voyage. The next day we went to the school yard behind my parent's house to launch the rocket...the results were not quite what we expected! I'll post more on what happened when I get the other pictures from my mom! We had a great time during the visit, however, and can't wait to go back. We also can't wait to go to California...is it Thanksgiving yet? - PAT
Julie and I went to Idaho on the 19th of August. It was nice to see everyone again...it was also nice to visit without the stress of a wedding or reception! My mom took this picture of me with a majority of the nieces and nephews...Olivia, Davey, Kali, and Maddox were unable to be there, unfortunately ;) I was showing them pictures of themselves that I had on my computer. They were pretty excited to see themselves caught on camera! We had a great time and can't wait to see everyone again. - PAT
Here are some pictures from the Idaho open house, which was held on July 22. We had alot of fun visiting family and old friends. We'd like to thank everyone that came and celebrated with us. It was absolutely amazing!
In the first picture Julie and I are talking with Mrs. Leora Hansen, my high school debate coach and the best teacher that I have ever had. Sister Connie Goodwin, the lady in the middle of the picture, knew me while I was growing up in the Blackfoot 4th Ward...ahh, the stories she could tell ;)
The second picture is of my longtime friends Ben Parrish, Phil, and myself. At this moment we were reminiscing and discussing our many adventures during high school. Shortly after the picture was taken we expressed our thanks to the Lord that the statute of limitations had expired and we were no longer in danger of immediate arrest!
The third picture is to show Julie that, although I tease her about her height quite often, I do know what it feels like to be the short man on the totem pole! Ben is 6'10" tall, and has been since high school. Having a friend possessing such a large stature came in handy, however. Our group of friends was never in danger of being harrassed by anyone, particularly when Ben was around! ;)
The final picture is of Julie and some of her old roommates. They made the long trip up to Idaho from Utah to see us. We were very glad that they made it...the party wouldn't have been the same without them!
Once again, we would like to thank everyone that made our celebrations in California and Idaho possible, particularly our parents. Thank you for all your love and support! Keep in touch and check back often for updates! - PAT
These are some pictures from our cruise. The cruise left from Los Angeles and then sailed to San Diego, Catalina, and Ensenada, Mexico. It was a blast...excellent food at all times of the day, beautiful scenery, and fun things to do! We highly recommend a cruise as a vacation.
The picture with the sunken boat is the scene that greeted passengers as they arrived (and left) Ensenada, Mexico. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the abilities of passenger ship captains! ;) As you can see from the next picture, the sunsets at sea were absolutely beautiful (though not nearly as beautiful as Julie). The next picture of Julie and me was taken next to 'La Bufadora', a blowhole that shoots water as the waves come in. It was pretty amazing! The final picture is a shot of one of my close relatives at the San Diego Zoo; a cousin from my Dad's side, I think. He's the one with the orange hair ;) He was smiling and having a good time with all the kids outside his enclosure. Overall the cruise was alot of fun. I think we'll miss the food the most, particularly when we have to start living off a teacher's salary ;) - PAT & JULIE
It's been awhile since we posted anything; things have been very busy! I've been interviewing at medical schools, Julie has been working, and I just spent a week collecting fish in Mexico. Here are some pictures from that trip. We visited approximately 21 streams and rivers throughout west central Mexico, gathering small fish and preserving them in ethanol. Three of us (Dr. Jerry Johnson, Laura Scott, and myself) were from BYU and two of the participants (Dr. Jaime Zuniga-Vega and Ivette Casas) came from the University of Mexico. It was a great trip; I learned quite a bit about fish and Mexico. I think Julie and I will be taking a trip down there some time in the future. Mexico is absolutely beautiful! - PAT
