An Awesome Trip Down Memory Lane

I love that I can hang out with all my old high school friends, and we can laugh and joke and be loud and weird like no time has passed. Most of us (Leslie, Bryson, Rob, Shanna, Heather, and spouses who probably grudgingly dragged along) were able to get together at my house last weekend, and I had so much fun and laughed so hard I wanted it to never end. Since I was having so much fun, I didn't take any pics, so enjoy this pic of us white trash bowling our senior year. We were, and are, sooo awesome.

I hope one day we can all live on the same street.... or at least the same town.....or I guess I can settle for the same state right now.

6 for 6

In honor of being a city slicker for 6 whole months now, I thought I would list my 6 favorite things about living in Salt Lake, and my 6 least favorite.

Favorite

• We are so much closer to family! If I go a week without seeing Jessie it feels weird and we try to see each other, even if it's for a few min. It only takes 40 minutes to get to my parents house opposed to the 210 minutes it took from Cedar (I thought stating it in minutes would seem more dramatic).
• There really are so many store options. We used to plan all our bigger shopping trips in St. George around when we were going to go to the temple. Now we can just go, and be back within an hour.
• We have discovered 5 Smith's within 10 minutes of our house (the latest one was just discovered last week). We are so amazed every time we are driving down a new road and find yet another Smith's!
• 3300 South. It is just that awesome.
• Our apartment is so spacious! We lucked out finding this place and just love it! We can invite all our family over (since they are all so close!) and everyone fits! Plus we have an awesome deck with a spectacular view!
• Being here means that we are that much closer to Trav being done with school and me retiring (2 1/2 years!)

Biggest Complaints (and they are big)

• Traffic, traffic, traffic!! Where are all these people coming from and going?! We HATE that you have to plan the time of day you are leaving somewhere based on the traffic. The first time we drove to Nephi it took us just as long as it did from Cedar because we were big idiots and we thought leaving at 4:00 was early enough. A few times it's taken us that long to get back because of car wrecks in the exact same spot!
• The University of Utah is sooo big! Trav and I are at opposite ends of campus, so even by shuttle it takes about 20 min to get to each other's building. Nobody knows anybody else in all the departments, and they are so unhelpful! SUU spoiled me (and I still really really really really miss that job..... Just ask Trav. He listens about it every day).
• The air quality sucks. You can see so much smog as you look off of our awesome deck.
• I have become quite the paranoid person. I am always looking over my shoulder expecting some crazed homeless person to be chasing me down. (I hate to look down upon the homeless, but I have heard many stories of the homeless taking over our church building, my work building, and the forest by Trav's building. Hence, paranoia. Plus you never know who really needs help, and who is just being lazy).
• Bikers think they are cars here. They get in the lanes, cut off cars and buses, and then are mad when a car hits them. They annoy me so bad. Who even knows what their arm signals mean anyways?
• You have to pay everywhere you park, and yet there is no where to park. Parking on campus sucks and is so expensive! Which brings me to my love-hate relationship.

BONUS ROUND: Love-Hate Relationship

• I hate driving, especially in high populated areas, so it is really nice that I get to take the bus to work everyday. It picks me up relatively close to our house, and drops me off a few blocks away from my office (and it drops Trav off right in front of his building!). They give every student and U employee a free UTA bus pass, so we save money on parking and gas. It is nice to not have to worry about all the traffic (especially in the snow/rain).
• As much as I love the bus, I hate waiting for the bus! Especially when it is late! And sometimes you get passive drivers who get stuck at every light! Or you get the real jerky (not personality wise) stop and go drivers. Then you are sick. Oh well, I would rather be sick than have to pay for parking.

I love to see the Temple

Last month we went to the Brigham City Temple Open House. It was so beautiful! It was also so nice to hear of the history behind that temple, and how they describe each room in laman's terms. I love the temple and always feel so blest when I am in/near a temple.

The best part of the trip was we went with my oldest friend, Bryson! We have been friends since kindgergarten, and I will always consider him one of my best friends. Whenver we are together our spouses are kind enough to tolerate our reminicings of 19+ years. Luckily he married a cute girl :)

To sum it all up, I am grateful for temples, and good, life-long friends.

 I had to throw this picture in because I find Travis extremely handsome in it. I am a bit squinty.

Our Awesome Jarrett Family (well, half of the family) trip to Moab

Last weekend Wayne, Connie, Travis, Jennie and I went to Moab. We were sad Cody, Marissa and Kaylee couldn't make it, but we had a great time! Here are just a few of the pics from our adventure.

Love these kids :)

 

 

Why Does the Grass Always Have to be Greener on the Other Side?

When I lived in Cedar, all I wanted to do was move up north. Now that I live up north, all I want to do is be back in Cedar!

Travis and I took a trip to Cedar this past week and it was awesome! I am still really missing it and having a hard time adjusting to life in "the big city". I love being close to family, but Cedar is such a great place.
Here are some pics of my weekend at Tuacahn with Erin. Travis feels left out that he didn't make it into any pictures from this weekend. Maybe if he could be half as fun as Erin ;)

It's July so that must mean THE UTE STAMPEDE!

This Stampede was way different from any Stampede I've been to, It was so cold! We had a huge downpour rain storm on the second night. It was so nuts! Even though we were under the covered seating we were drenched by the end of the night. That did not stop the rodeo. Travis and I had a great time like always!

In the box seats Friday night.

Wayne getting the barrels out for the hyde race. 

The ladies coin dig. I did not get any money :( 

What makes the Ute Stampede so special from other rodeo's is a skydiver brings a flag into the stadium. It is so cool and it really brings out the patriotic juices.  

With Trav's friends on Saturday night. (Trevor, Amanda, Trav, Me, Marc, Marcee) 

 This is the best picture I could get to show off all the rain. It left the arena so muddy, the stands sparse, and a really cool show!

You can't tell, but they are really wet.

Until next July!

Happy 4th from (almost) all the DeCastro's!

ChChChChanges

We've had some changes in the past two months.

 In April/May, we packed up our house in Cedar City....

Wayne brought the semi......

So we loaded it......

And moved to Salt Lake City......

We have an AWESOME AMAZING BEAUTIFUL view.....

Travis started classes in Physical Therapy and I started my new job.......

(class picture taken the first day http://www.health.utah.edu/pt/current/pictures/2015.html)

(picture on my work website www.csme.utah.edu)

 and we both take PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION(so weird coming from a small town) to the the U.....

We are adjusting to our new life (at a Bee's Game)......