Treck to Texas

It was quite the treck to move from Provo to Houston--1455 miles to be exact. Luckily, we didn't have to move our belongings, only ourselves.

A trailer with all of our stuff left about 5 days before we did. We used a company called ABF. They bring a trailer to your house, you pack it, and they charge you by the foot. Then they take it to a truck terminal where they pack the rest of the trailer with commercial freight. It was kind of funny to pack our stuff into a huge semi, when we only used 7 feet. The driver told us that the rest of the truck would be packed with chocolate. I told him I wouldn't mind if they left some for us. ;-)

Brent's car also made the trip without us--on one of those huge trucks that carries cars (usually either crushed and ready for the dump, or brand new and ready for the dealership). Brent's car was just old and too weak to make the trip for a 3rd time in its life. Brent's parents graciously helped with the cost to move it. It was such a blessing to have just one car to take down and make the long drive together.

The drive takes 25 hours. We decided to break it up across three days instead of two-- partially because my birthday fell on one of the days we'd be on the road and partially because we thought it would probably be our only chance to take our time. So, I planned some fun along the way.

Our first stop: Mesa Verde, Colorado

I had always wanted to visit this national park, but I didn't know much about it until we got there. It turns out that Mesa Verde is the only national park dedicated to human ruins--an archeological find instead of a natural wonder. I also learned why it is called Mesa Verde: the cliff dwellings are on the edge of a huge mesa topped with green juniper trees. Now, I knew what a mesa was before our trip, but I don't think I really comprehended what that meant was until we were driving up the mesa verde. It took us about an hour-- after turning off the highway-- to get to the ruins, climbing switchbacks that led us slowly to the top of the mesa, and then miles and miles across it to its southern edge. I had no idea a mesa could be so huge!!

Once to the edge, we could see a deep canyon that eventually leads to the lowlands further south:

And on either side of this canyon, the ancestral pueblo native Americans (aka Anazazi Indians) built cliff dwellings in natural alcoves in the canyon wall. Supposedly they are hundreds in the area, but the Palace dwelling (the picture in the middle below) is the largest.

If you buy $3 tickets for a tour, you can actually walk around the dwellings, and that's what we did. It was an hour-long tour with a park ranger that included climbing up and down ladders to get to and from the dwelling. The actual people who lived here used hand and foot holds carved into the side of the cliff--not a way I would like to travel. If I had been born in that community, I probably never would have left!

The rest of our trip was fairly uneventful. We stayed in Farmington, New Mexico the first night after a white-knuckle drive through deer country and night. The next day was my brithday-- the day we crossed the boarder into Texas. Brent said it was my official birth as a Texan. That night we had dinner at the Olive Garden in Amarillo (which definitely felt foreign-- lots of boots, belt buckles, big hair, and accents) and then spent the night in the quaint town of Childress, TX (pronounced CHILL-dress). The last day was a beautiful wooded drive through the countryside between Dallas and Houston. I had no idea Texas had so many miles of rolling, wooded hills.

And then we arrived in Houston-- a big, spread-out city with good shopping, lots of restaurants, and plenty of fun things to do. The best part is, I live with the man I love!!

Here's a picture of a neighborhood just outside Houston. It gives you an idea of what the trees are like:

Living in Orem

For the first month of marriage, we lived in the Monson's basement in Orem. It is such a nice basement with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, and living area. We couldn't have asked for a nicer place to live-- especially considering the price. :-)

 Our first meal at home together:

 Neither of us had jobs, so it was like our honeymoon continued. I wrote lots of thank you notes and Brent studied for his CPA exam and arranged everything for the move--which was a lot of work. But the rest of the time we played. Before Brent and I had even met, he and Emily bought tickets to see the The Lion King for their mom's birthday. They both bought extra tickets for dates--not knowing who they would be. Brent secretly hoped he would take a fiancee. Little did he know, he would actually take his wife!!

 We also went to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, which is a must-do if you live in Utah!!! We heard some of the best stories ever. Great inside joke material!

 Even though Brent and I stopped working at the Provo temple, we still tried to go when we could. This is truly one of my favorite places and is definitely one of my favorite temples. I guess I didn't realize it was my favorite, until we decided to get married there. For both me and Brent it is a special place. We've both had so many prayers answered here.

Some people think this temple isn't very pretty, but trust me, it grows on you. And now I think it is so beautiful. The grounds are gorgeous-- with an amazing view of Utah Lake to the west and Rock Canyon to the east. And the interior is so well maintained. Before we got married they had just recarpeted the entire temple and refinished all the sealing rooms. It was so, so, so beautiful!

 

Another amazing thing we did is take a drive through Provo Canyon. I LOVE the mountains in the fall, and this was a perfect birthday treat for me.

 One of the best parts of living Provo was being close to Brent's family. I love my brothers and sisters in law and my nephews are just so cute!!

 

Emily and I have birthdays that are just 2 days apart, so we had a combined celebration. I miss Brent's mom's cooking already!! 

Simi Reception

At the end of our honeymoon, we had another reception. I was very excited for it, but I have to say it's a little harder to smile that much when you don't have the natural high of getting married that day. But we had such a good time. The food was delicious: a dessert bar with soft serve ice cream machines, tons of toppings, and lots of cookies. And we had fun music and dancing. Thanks to Karalee Newberry for these wonderful pictures:

 My high school friends: Felicia, Renae and Yvette

  Isn't Brent so handsome?

 Brent's Dad and sister, Emily

 My Parents

 Brent's Parents

 Liz was so sweet. She burst into tears when she saw me. So did Ashley. I love my Simi friends!!

 Bryan: Such a stud.

 Marie dancing the night away.

 Palms Middle School Friends: Melissa, Miriam, and Allison

 Yay for family!

 Cute Cuillard Family

Two Cute Moms!

Honeymoon

For the first two nights we stayed at Brent's grandpa's cabin in Walsburg-- a small town in Provo Canyon before you get to Heber. 

 We fed the horses left over watermelon from our reception, because neither of us likes watermelon. :-)

 We paddled around the pond in a row boat, read books on the deck, road the ATVs, and enjoyed a quiet day of relaxation.

 Then we drove to San Diego, but on the way we ate sushi at Makino's--- the best sushi buffet in Vegas. Oishii! (Delicious!)

 In San Diego, we went to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World...

ate at amazing Mexican restaurants every night. . .

toured ships, including a Soviet submarine (Brent's favorite), in the San Diego harbor. . .

and went to the San Diego Temple. We also enjoyed a day kayaking in La Jolla. Then, we ended our honeymoon by going to the Hollywood Bowl to hear an amazing concert by the L.A. Philharmonic.

Brent spoiled me SO much. We ate out at really nice restaurants every day, went to all the best sites in San Diego, and stayed at a very nice hotel. We had a great time!