JS 2020

With the Chins still in town on Sunday, we had our own Sacrament and played so many games. I hit my quota for the next 5 years. We also recorded a song for Xander's mission including authentic chin choreography - which was going well until the Dadso konked his noggin on a light fixture he had warned us about moments prior. 

The classic jumping pic. (One take). 

Our next adventure was to Sunset Crater (which we planned on only visiting briefly, but Greg wanted to go to the top - which you can't actually do) and Waputki - which has tons of well-preserved ruins that we explored just a little before celebrating 2-days-before-Joseph-Smith's-birthday at El Tapatio again. 

The girls at the crater.

We then headed to Sedona - without realizing that it was the winter solstice and the hippies had organized a dance party at Cathedral Rock (our original destination). So the lots were full and we decided to try another hike a mile down the road. Which was fine, and 2/3 cars arrived. But then we found out that the Chin had typed in "red rock" to his GPS instead of "Cathedral Rock trailhead" as instructed. Our only saving grace was that Lauren had to go to the airport, giving up her parking spot to a very angry dadso. 

Our JS Bday celebration 2020. 

But after spending our time venturing off the trail and exploring and climbing like mountain goats, we had to decide whether to venture into the town or head to our next stop: Jerome. We chose that. And explored for bit before getting some Haunted Hammy's. Our ghost tour was then unexpectedly cancelled. Still waiting for details on that...

Christmas 2020. 

Kev and Trev stayed behind while the chins returned to CT. They went hunting with Roger - returning as 'No Kill Trev' and 'the Bone Daddy' with 7 quail and 1 dove for dinner. Which almost rivaled the ham and mashed taters that we had for Christmas dinner. We tried to connect all of our Christmas gifts to the gospel, excluding repeats, but then K/T both racked in 8 shirts each and it got boring. 

"Look up!"

Then we met up with the Sandalls at Jackass Canyon for a Christmas hike. It includes a whole lot of downhill and sliding and climbing. 

My big fishy. 

And fish. Which we saved 15 of for a nice dinner. I should eat more fish, but only when it's cooked by Roger bc 10/10. 

The sum totals. 

And No Kill Trev was no longer. 

Game for the Name

It started as a normal week. Then the chins arrived. Just in time for some friendly bball with Rog and a munch at his favorite restaurant without him (El Tapatio). 

What you can't see is him trembling in fear. 

Day two included a jaunt to the Grand Canyon, where the Chin started by being salty that we didn't tell him how to type "Grand Canyon" into Maps and continued with him being terrified and refusing to venture towards the rim lookouts.

What kind of feet do we have? Strong feet!

We walked about 3 miles along the rim to find the top of Bright Angel trail before venturing on a 2.5mi roundtrip down the trail. Moriah loved it.  What she loved MORE was the pizza joint we hit up afterwards - that also had lots of pasta (and she ate it all). 

The Naomi pose #1.

She and Isabelle and Lavinia slept over that night. We watched the Mummy 1 and 2 and did some fun projects. But then Roger took the girls shooting and Moriah and I ate breakfast. Apparently, Isabelle was surprisingly good with the revolver. Watch out. 

We grow on trees. 

We then took the crew to a local park known as Walnut Canyon. It's a cool 1-miler (including 700+ stairs) with some cliff dwellings that are left from hundreds of years ago, if not more. It's a beautiful area and more so for the history that exists there. 

BFF in the flesh. 

I had a chance to chat with Autumn and Jesse - which is always a delight - right before Lauren arrived, so a few of my good friends had a chance to meet each other. We had some drinks to celebrate neither of us having COVID and Lauren finally attending a wedding (even if it was fake). She only threw up a little. 

The ladies.

We had a chill day with waffles by Rog, hair by Hannah, a backdrop by Eve, and lots of help from the chins. We ended up having most of our guests cancel last minute on our shindig (which is perfectly fine, but we could've changed some things if we had known earlier). Still, it was a good turnout and a good time. And I spent most of it with my family anyways. 

The lads.

Mike did our ceremony, Greg and Mac ran the Zoom (and recorded it if you wanted to watch it later), and Zubs had the music ready. A big shoutout to everyone that helped. Carol, the Sandalls, the Chins, etc. We had dancing (with a playlist designed 90% by Roger for his family, who danced 10% of the time) and tacos. Which was MGH's favorite part. We had quick roasts and a walk-through reception. 

Chingear comin' in clutch. 

And then my favorite part, the chin v Sandalls (plus Markies, Garrett, and bridal party) basketball game.  We lost by 2, but more importantly - WE ALL PLAYED. With the exception of MGH and Mom only. 10/10 worth it. 

Roger goes hunting (and I lose 2 toes to frostbite)

 Now that I'm back in Flag and living with all my own stuff and I have some time to myself, guess what I'm doing? If you said studying and Roger's dishes - you are correct. What a life I lead! For the record, I hate studying with a fiery passion and am never going back to school again because it is the worst. 

The highlight of the week (for someone, I'm sure) is when we went hunting. If you've never been hunting before, here's how a trip usually goes: 

4:00 Wake up, hate your life. Put on 80% of your clothes and grab some hot chocolate to go. 

5:30 Arrive at your destination. Put on the remaining 20% of your clothes, with the camo's on the outside. Walk to a blind, preferably near water. It could be 0.25 miles or 3 miles, but you have to be set up at the site BEFORE the sun is up.

The pictures I take of him. 

6:15 Watch and wait. Don't make any sudden movements and preferably none at all. Even though you're in a blind - they can hear you and smell you. So now that hot chocolate is useless, your legs are cramping and you can't feel your left foot. 

9:00 Continue to watch and wait. Maybe you see some deer coming to water. Maybe elk. Whatever it is, it's probably not the species AND gender that you are looking for. But it's cool to see something happening, because you can't open the book you brought through your 3 layers of thick mittens.

11:00 The sun is out, but you can't tell because you're in the shade, where only the frigid wind can get you. Eventually, your hunter buddies will have to eat or pee, so you probably won't be here much longer. 

The pictures he takes of me. 

12:00pm Warm your frostbitten extremities in the truck slowly. You will go through several different stages of pain. It's normal. And it's snowing now, which seems like a good time to follow deer tracks. 

2:00 Well, you didn't get close enough and now the deer are bedded down for a nap and will be very challenging to find. Also it's snowing harder now and there's a chance your vehicle will not make it back to civilization and you are not prepared to camp here. 

2:30 After running back to the truck, you begin your way back to civilization and a nap. You've earned it. But not too long. It all starts again in a few hours for the evening hunt. Good luck!

Roger Goes to the Zoo (so stop complaining)

This was my last week. I like these people, I like this setting. It was interesting doing some coverage for inpatient this week, but that it definitely not my gig. We had a little party and cupcakes for my last day - and Trevor even saved his lunch so he could eat with us one day. This seems to be a good time to take a break from a hospital setting, as many people are getting sick. 

The fam. 

Friday I moved all my stuff up to Flag and had nowhere to put it, so it's strewn throughout the house. And then Saturday, I went back down to Prescott, so Amanda could take me, Roger, Paislee, and Marshal to the zoo, Out of Africa. 

These are the two baby giraffes. 

Our adventure began with an open bus ride safari into a pen with many large animals. Including giraffes that stuck their heads into windows, sniffing for spare cookies. The giraffes are always my favorites. 

The zebras follow the bus the whole time. 

Roger and I had practice not letting two small children get lost or eaten. 

There's a tiger in the background.

And then we went home and got ice cream and took a nap and went shopping and then I moved back into my apartment for real. 

Two monkeys. 

The Most Stressful Time (and all eternity)

 Stu & Eve slept at our house Saturday night - thanks to that $15 pullout couch, a mattress topper, and so many blankets. We all went and got covid tested so we wouldn't have to quarantine during our holiday travels. (This is the only exciting thing to happen the week of 11/21, so it does not get its own post.)

Then I had two days of work and plenty of time to stress out. The good news is that we made it onto our flight and they let us go to Connecticut. Also, very impressed with JetBlue's covid management. The dadso picked us up from Logan and brought us to the grandparents - where blueberry muffins, eggs, and the gurgling cod were waiting for us. We gave the man a preview of an exciting Christmas present and were off to Hutchinsville. 

The crew. 

After everyone took a nap, we headed to my favorite hike, Glacier Park. The trails were better marked, but the leaves were wet and slippy (aka "treacherous"). Everyone enjoyed it. Or at least told me they did. Then we had to play so many games while eating Ming Moon. 

Case in point.

Thursday was Thanksgiving. And it was nice not to have to convince Roger of the virtues of sweet potato casserole or raspberry jello. And he got to make pie bites, which I ate before he could stop me. And again, we played so many games. 

Thanks, Steve Lourenco. 

Nothing special happened on Friday. Jokes, we got sealed. Grampy came down with his escorts. We got to be in a temple during quarantine. We took so many pictures. And ate some real crab rangoons. 

Roger's favorite of my poses.

We had a nice break, changed into scrubs, and did our 1 hour drive-by reception, which was steadily busy the entire time. 10/10 would recommend. We even had a Zubby, who was there to fetch snacks and get people to sign our guest book (and sanitize everything afterwards). 

The Bridge. 

Saturday was a tourist day. We got cider at the mill (last weekend of the year, baby). We visited Mystic Village (get that honey, you already know). We walked up and down the bridge (welcome to water, Arizonans) and got ice cream. And I only LOOKED at the books (you're welcome, wallet). And Roger got to revisit Avalonea. Oh and Moriah got to pet the goat (the second time, the first time, it was the WRONG GOAT).

Abednagoat.

Anyways, then we flew back, had a delicious dinner, and I got ready for my last week of my second clinical internship of the last bit of school I ever want to attend.