Virtual Jack-O-Lantern

My mom just sent this Pumpkin Simulator link around in an e-mail -- pretty fun for those not wanting to make a huge pumpkin mess but still play around making jack-o-lanterns. Carve a face on the pumpkin with a pen and click "done" to watch it come to life.

Happy Halloween!!

'Save the Date' for 'The Office'

Okay, those who know us well know that we enjoy NBC's "The Office" probably a little too much. Every Thursday at 9 pm, or soon after, we plunk ourselves down on the couch for our weekly fill.

So much about the show and its characters crack us up. The latest laughs are coming at the expense of Andy and Angela. Andy, so in love with the less-than-enthusiastic Angela, has set up a "wedding website" that could easily be the real deal and now he's sent out their "Save the Date" announcement.

With a wedding date for Thanksgiving 2009, I'm not sure the odds look too good for the couple -- especially with Dwight still trying to entice Angela back. But I guess we'll have to wait and see. May the best man win.

Also, for those poor souls who missed it, I'm posting a link to the opening scene from the "Baby Shower" episode aired a few weeks back because it may quite possibly be the funniest yet. Click here to view (and laugh your head off).

Scenes From Virginia Beach

A few weeks back, Shane and I drove down to Virginia Beach for the funeral services of my great-grandmother, Evelyn Marie Tanner. Pictures of the her final resting place and her home in town are posted on our family blog.

Down below are a few pictures we took later that afternoon while walking the beach with my grandfather. There was a sand-building contest the week before and my favorite was definitely the one about the wise man/foolish man.

White House Welcoming Ceremony

The other week, President Bush welcomed President Kuofor of Ghana to the White House. A few of my Senate colleagues and I were fortunate enough to be offered tickets for the early morning event. It was a gorgeous morning out on the White House lawn. What a perfect way to start the week, eh?

All members of the military were present to participate in the ceremony.

President Bush, alongside President Kuofor, made the rounds, waving at the people.

Hard to see but Bush is speaking now at the podium.

These cute Ghanaian women were willing to let us take a picture of them in their gorgeous attire.

And I think this guy here just wanted a picture with some American girls...

Favorite Pics From California

My siblings are growing up so fast. I was fortunate enough to make it out to California last month for a visit. It was fun to see improvements made to the new house -- landscaping added, etc. -- but the highlight of the trip was definitely all the time I got to spend with family and a few dear friends.

I wish I had taken more pictures, but here's a sampling:

nat, me, katy

dylan and lenox

tanner sprawled out like the cat

with grandma sellers after lunch with her and grandpa

maya curled up on guess who's bed?

chad heading to his first college class ever

grandpa wiley vs. grandpa sellers after fhe

me, just out of bed, with my handsome bro, tim

natalie cuddling crawford

meredith and me

and again...

katybug unwinding after school

tanner picking up the cats yet again (he just can't resist, luckily they are pretty patient)

dylan strumming his guitar

Me & Meganis

Megan and Davey made their way out to Washington, D.C. in July and we had the chance to meet up with them a few times over a period of about 24 hours. It was all part of the Guerrero family's whirlwind tour across the East Coast.

And yes, Meganis is a lot taller and thinner than me. I have the stubby Sellers legs and we're still not sure where Megan's legs came from...Mom? :)

Advice for Life

My mom sent this around via e-mail and I thought it was a wonderful reminder of who we are and what our purpose is in this life. It's an excerpt from a BYU devotional talk given by Elder F. Enzio Busche of the Quorum of the Seventy back in May 1996.

Watching Fourth of July Fireworks

Well, I guess these shots were taken pre-firework show but we were up in Idaho Falls, camped on a blanket along the Snake River, and just waiting for the sun to set. We forgot the real camera in the car but still attempted to preserve the moment with Shane's cell phone camera. The Melaleuca-sponsored fireworks show (billed as the largest fireworks show West of the Mississippi) was quite impressive -- over 40 minutes of non-stop wonders all coordinated to patriotic music.

Smashed into the first photo are me, Shane, Wyatt
(oldest nephew) and Kayla (Shane's sister).

Trying to get both of our heads in the shot.

Not sure what was going on here...just being silly us.

East Coast Storms

The storms out East this year seem especially fierce. I know they are pretty well known for being so, but this year is the worst I've seen for sure. A storm rolls in just about weekly. It will be all hot and humid and the clouds gather and then the thunder starts and in less than a minute it can go from no rain at all to an all-out dangerous downpour. My first summer out here I remember the garage of our apartment building flooded -- including several cars themselves -- but it was only like a week or so of wetness -- nothing as perpetual as this summer's set of storms.

I enjoy the storms when I'm home, cuddled up on the couch and can open the windows to hear the incredible cracks of thunder and the whips of lightning. But when you get caught driving in them (and suddenly you can't see the road in front of you), or you get caught walking outside at work and end up with your suit completely soaked through (true experience, just a few weeks back), then it's not so fun anymore.

One-Year Wedding Anniversary

On Sunday, June 29, Shane and I celebrated one year as a married couple. We met up in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyo. for the weekend, spend a few days in Yellowstone and then the Bozeman, Mont. and Rexburg, Idaho during the next week.

They say the first year is the hardest but to be honest, Shane and I agree that our first year together didn't bring the difficult adjustments and surprises that many couples describe facing. Maybe we just got lucky but I don't know that I've ever been happier.

The biggest challenge by far was our wrestle with the decision of whether to stay or go -- and finally this last week we were able to feel peace about sticking it out in Virginia for a few more years while Shane continues his studies at The George Washington University. We're excited to have more time to explore the East Coast -- in many ways we didn't feel like we were done -- but we'll miss the West and look forward to moving out that way one day and live a bit closer to our families.

So here's to you, my handsome husband. And here's to another year of adventure. Sure do love you. Very much so.