Best Birthday EVER!!!!

I had the best birthday ever. Earlier in "Birthday week" my mom was in town and we went out for pizza and ice cream cake!On my birthday we started out the day by waking up at the same time I would have had to get up if I was going to work that day. For some reason I wasn't tired at all... I guarantee you if I was going to work, I would have had to pull myself out of bed. Weird how that works. Dane went out and got some food for a breakfast picnic in Kiwanis park. We were having fun eating and enjoying the nice weather when THE SPRINKLERS TURNED ON!!!!!!!!! It was so funny. We spilled fruit on the blanket, and some of our other food got a washing even though it didn't really need it. :)
After that we headed up to SLC to go to the Nike outlet. Dane returned some things that we got at the Nike Employee store, and took that credit and poured it right back into Nike. (He has four packages on their way.) Once we did the sweep of the Nike store (two or three times) we headed up to Tooele.
Tooele is on the other side of the mountains that we're used to seeing in the Salt Lake Valley or Utah County. It was fun seeing different mountain sides and being next to the Great Salt Lake.
We found the airport, watched a 20 minute video on how to Skydive, signed our life away, met our "tandem master," got strapped into a harness,did a quick "dry" run, and were in an airplane shortly after that.
Dane thought he would be a little nervous about the height thing... But he said he never was worried about that. The only time he was worried about it was when the plane leveled off at 13,500 ft. They threw the door open, and a couple experienced jumpers jumped right out. Colin, the guy I was attached to scooted me down the bench. I got to the edge of the plane, got my toes hanging over the edge, put my head back, grabbed on to my shoulder straps and.... We JUMPED!!!!
It was GREAT!!!! The first second you get the little roller coaster feeling in your stomach, but after that it really goes away. You just feel like you are in a really windy place, and there is NOTHING around you. Dane bought me a video so the camera man "flew" up to us, and we did some spins. Since he was around us, I was looking at him. It was fun seeing the "sign language" the camera man used to communicate with Colin.
Dane didn't get a video of his jump so his experience was different than mine. He didn't have anything close to him (except the guy strapped to is back, Justin). So he spent his free fall looking around and seeing the beautiful mountains that were green from all the rain that we've had lately.
One of the questions that we've gotten a lot was, "did it hurt when the parachute deployed?" The answer is no. On my movie it shows my legs getting all thrown around, (which makes it seem much worse than it really is). I've tried to analyze why that happened. I've come up with a couple theories:

• I was just chilling so my legs weren't flexed. Then they just got tossed when we deployed.

• The momentum carried them forward/up.

I think between those two factors it made my movie look much worse than it really was. The parachute ride was awesome. As soon as we leveled off I looked over and could see Dane's chute deploying. It was fun. They fell a little faster than us because they were heavier so Dane landed before me. During the ride we would also pull really hard on one side of the chute and it would spin you so "fast" that you were facing the ground again. The first time we did this I screamed because that helps the feeling in your stomach not result in anything unpleasant. We did it several more times and it was really fun as long as you don't keep at that for too long.
I got to watch Dane land, and we were hot on their heels. Landing wasn't that big of a deal. It was so easy. When we were watching our training movie we saw a clip of "Someone that didn't listen to their tandem master." It showed them getting dragged on their face for 15-20 feet. Luckily both Dane and I followed directions. Justin told Dane he better lift up his legs really high, or he would ride Dane across the lawn like a boogie board. He said it may be fun for him, but not as much fun for Dane. Stopping was gentle, just put your feet down and take a couple steps. End of story. Easy.
My video guy comes running up to us, and asks how it was and if I would do it again. Dane runs over, gives me a hug, and I answer the question with, "Well Dane says this is our only time doing this. So..." Dane chimes in, "Well, maybe not!" (Yes!) Obviously we both had an amazing time. It was so much fun and it was a great birthday present. Thanks Dane for being willing to follow your wife out of a plane!
We finished the day with a fun get together pool party with some family and a few friends! Dane also used this as a time to get a good water basketball game going. What a fun day. Thank you Dane. I'll always remember this as one of my favorite birthdays!

Happy Graduation!!!

For graduation this year, Dane decided it was going to be his gift to himself that he was not going to go to any graduation activities. Since he didn't need to get a cap and gown we borrowed some from our friends. All you really need graduation for is the pictures anyway right....? Here's our own picture session. Which was actually several weeks after graduation. It worked out better this way as well... no lines waiting to stand in front of the signs.

Dane and one of his best friends James.

Yay for grads!

My sister Jenny also graduated. I did go to her convocation. (Jenny un-invited Dane because she knew he had the goal of not going to any graduations this year.)

Good job Dane! You are the best. I can't wait for your next graduation! Good job other grads, Jenny, Tracy, James, Elyse and Lance!

Joplin Missouri has my sister and brother-in-law

I think about my home town and all the memories I have there. I think it is so fun going home and visiting... even though we will be moving back there soon. But then to think that a natural disaster has happened there and destroyed a large chunk of the town.
Maybe seeing on the news where I worked some summer jobs, or the high school I attended and both locations were totally destroyed. It would be heart breaking. This is what my brother-in-law Sean had to deal with. The tornado that hit Joplin Missouri on May 22nd 2011 missed his family's home. Unfortunately it didn't miss his neighbors, church leaders, friends or places he had worked. Within a few days of the news Sean and Nikki, my sister, decided they could put their lives, careers, and LSAT on hold to travel down to Joplin and lend a hand.
I am so impressed with their willingness to give service and devote the next month of their lives to this relief cause.
Before they left I made sure Nikki was going to keep us updated with what they are going through. She created a blog you are welcome to read and hear their stories. They have only been there a week, but already have had unique experiences and will continue to write about them. Thank you Sean and Nikki for being examples to us all! We love you!

www.seannikki.blogspot.com