Visiting the School

S

                                           

                                (favorite tree to study with)         (came. conquered. rule the world)

About a month ago, Dave and I headed up to New Hampshire to meet up with some friends. We were able to stop at my grad school in Vermont, SIT Graduate Institute. It was the perfect time to go, no one was on campus and we could walk around and explore. It was so fun to introduce Dave to this place, where lots of personal growth, learning, and my student debt came from. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to attend and graduate from this amazing place. It is full of a rich history and unique cultural.
I also am really grateful for such a supportive husband, who was really excited to see this place. I was finished with my masters before we meet and in some ways my masters, the debt, this experience, was not as visible and real to Dave. Being here made it real and also re-confirmed to me that it was a much needed and amazing experience for me.

The Falls

The Niagara Falls

It was lovely to get outside and go for a stroll along the Niagara Falls. We thought at first we would just take a peak on the Canadian side and then spend the majority of our time on the American side. But due to my starving stomach and a much needed car break we spent all of our time in Canada. It really had the best view of the falls and most of the attraction, plus we got to be in another country.

It was interesting to learn a little bit about the falls, stand in her mist, enjoy the view, and of course to get in some prime people watching. What else can I say about the fall? It is large, grand, and hard to process the amount of water going over. Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and are glad to have gone.

Road Trip to MA

Hello!
Where do I begin? Dave and I were so busy preparing for this move across the country, graduation, tying up loose ends at jobs, and saying goodbye to St. George all the wonderful people there. Whew! But I am determined to become a better blogger and to share a bit of our lives.

Across the country road trip..... I was really hesitant to drive across the USA. I have previsouly went on this adventure three times. Being with Dave made it so, so, so  much better! Just wanted to share our drive in a nut shell with a few highlights. 


Day 1 - We drove through Wyoming and made it just into Nebraska. It was a rainy day. We stopped in Cheyenne to eat and poor Dave got food poisoning that night. Watch out for Village Inn ( I know that is what everyone is wondering.) :(

Day 2 - Made it through Nebraska and stopped in Iowa for the night. We started listening to the 2nd Maze Runner book on CD. This provided really fun conversation and some entertainment to break up all the driving. We also ate at Panera, which was just as good as I remember it being. I love this place. Also the picture of Dave is at a really old gas station, that was kind of comical to figure out how to use.

Day 3 - On the road again, drove through Iowa, Illinois, and on to Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was really great to stop for a bit and see my friend and her cute family. First timer to Michigan and it was interesting to see a little bit of this state. We also really noticed the different kinds of road kill here. (Ask Dave about his song he made up) And it was great to hear about things from a local and get shown downtown and the college campus. Loved this stop.

Day 4- After a chatty and restful break, we got back on the road. We went over a bridge and drove into Canada. Thankfully we had no problems crossing the border. It took about 3 1/2 hours to drive to Niagara Falls (separate post to follow later). The speed limit was a lot slower than in the west. There are also these lovely rest stops along the highway with yummy food options, like Tim Horton's. Dave recommends the apple fritter. After viewing the falls, getting some grub, and time away from the car. We drove a little bit more and stopped in New York, right outside of Palmyra.  We stayed at a Best Western. I thought this was the best hotel of the trip. We decided to splurge and it ended up being the cheapest. Moral of the story stop at a later time, when you on the road to get the nicer hotel at a better price.

Day 5 - We spent the morning walking around Palmyra and visiting LDS historical sites. I had previously been here with my parents, but this was Dave's first time. It was really interesting and beautiful to learn more about our church's history and to be there.

And then finally we made it to Bridgewater, MA. Yay!

Blessed in 2015

As I have thought back over the past year, I can't help but feel really blessed. Even in the midst of many health challenges, break-ins, and stressful work and school, we have been very blessed.

2015 brought with it a kind of familiarity and routine. This was our second year of living in St. George. Dave has continued with school and I became more familiar with my job and had my 1 year work anniversary in October. We have really tackled my student loans and I have really become obsessed with our financials. We are still newly weds but not brand new ones. It has been nice to be settled and it also has had its challenges. I have realized that life has many ebbs and flows. Each season of life can be good and hard. And it is all about making the most of it for you and becoming closer to our savior and more at peace.

I didn't handle every challenge in 2015 very well, but as I am reminded over and over, there is always room for improvement. That is part of life. I am blessed to live with a good man, who overlooks my short comings and who helps me to improve. And who loves me. I am blessed to have a wonderful family, to turn to when things are really rocky or to help me see the joy in all situations. I am blessed to work and to become a better professional. To see and help others when they are at such a vulnerable time in their lives is an honor. I am blessed to have God in my life, who never abandons and uplifts me when I don't feel like going on. I am so blessed and that is what I choose to think about for 2015. And how the challenges have blessed me as well, have humbled me, lightened my weight, and have increased my capacity to care for others.

Sheryl

Whirlwind Summer

This summer has been a whirlwind of driving and hot weather. Dave and I have logged a lot of hours in the car, mostly heading north. We have loved going to cooler weather during the weekend. Each time we come back to St. George and step out of the car, I think, yep it is still hot here. Hopefully the heat breaks soon, but after being here for a second summer, I definitely have a hard time with the desert summer.
Here is my list of our summer traveling adventures:
July 4th - Smithfield & Malad: We enjoyed a few days in Smithfield with Dave's family, watching fireworks etc. and then we headed to Malad for my 10 year class reunion and time with my parents

July 16th- Idaho: The Ranch & Tubbs Family Reunion: We had a great time camping with my sister's family at The Ranch (my grandparent's homestead). I loved breathing in the cool fresh air, hiking to the cave, four wheeling, and just having a great time. On Saturday, we headed to Indian Spring, to swim and enjoy being with my whole family. It was really fun and relaxing weekend.

July 25th- Salt Lake City & Ogden: My dear friend, Susie got married and so we headed to her very fun reception in Salt Lake City. It was so beautifully done with lots of fun food and great visiting time with dear friend from Jerusalem. We then headed to Ogden to spend the night at Dave's brother's house and see his family. It was fun to be with them and their kids.

July 31st- Beaver: The Gardner's family reunion was held up a mountain by Beaver for the second time. We were so excited to go to this one, because we knew what to expect and how fun the campground is. There is a lake, nice hikes/ walks/, bathrooms, canoes, auction, and fun family time. After the reunion, Dave's family came back to St. George and stayed with us for a few days and we enjoyed a weekend with them.

August 8th- Boulder, Ut: Last weekend we headed to see Dave's Grandma and Grandpa Gardner. This was a really relaxing and beautiful weekend. I had never gone to their ranch before and it was a lot of fun to spend time getting to know then and seeing a new part of Utah. It is beautiful up there and very secluded from anyone. We had a nice time hiking, cooking, playing games, reading, and just enjoying the country air and beautiful scenery.

August 14th- Mt. Carmel/ Orderville, Ut: We just got back from going over the mountain to Dave's other grandma's house. I wanted to do some recuriting for my programs at the Kane County Fair and we also wanted to visit Dave's Grandma Mona. We had a fun time doing both. Their county fair is much different than my home one in Idaho, but it was fun to remember all the years that I spent being a part of that one and it made me miss it. I also was glad to get the word out about my programs and hopefully I can get some volunteers to join. I was grateful that Dave could come and help and be with me too.
So that is our whirlwind of a summer so far. We still have a couple more things in the works, but they are things that are closer to St. George. It has been so fun to see family, but I also am really appreciating being at home. Dave and I don't want to go any where far until the december holidays. I am doubting that will happen, we just have a hard time staying put. :)
Here are a few pictures from the past little while. Enjoy!

Surprise Date

Dave took me on a surpise date to Tuachn to watch some bull riding. It was so much fun to watch the Professional Bull Riders and to be with Dave. I just love rodeos and bull riding. I am glad that Dave is coming around to the country lifestyle. I am hoping we can go to a few rodeos this summer. Also the seats and view was great!

Karen comes to visit

 We were so excited to have Karen, aka sheryl's mom, come to visit for a few days in sunny St. George. I was hoping that the weather would indeed be sunny, one can never quite tell. We had a busy and fun weekend. A few things we did were to go to Brigham Young's Winter Home. Pretty cool, especially all the things they did with the wood to make it look fancy. We also ate at some fun places, like Judd's General Store and the Pizza factory. One day we went hiking in Zion's it was really busy, but also very beautiful. In-between those things my mom and I got to spend alot of time catching up and having fun girls talk. We were so glad that Karen could come and visit us and see where we live and all the red rocks. Love ya!