THE PROPOSAL!!!

It took me a really long time to decide how I was planning on proposing. I wanted it to be just the two of us, and something unique to just us. Before Rachel moved to California last summer, I went up into American Fork Canyon and carved our initials in a tree, and put it in a frame for her to take with her. I decided that I would do something similar to that, but I would carve our initials, and below that carve Will You Marry Me. My friend Nate and I went up to where Rachel and I were planning on camping this weekend, to carve everything into the trees with me. Everything went fine with the carving, but I was so nervous the whole time. Even though it wasn't going to happen for a few days, I was having butterflies. The time came for Rachel and I to go camping, and it really wasn't looking good for us. The weather didn't seem to want to cooperate with my plans, and the thought of having to come up here again another weekend when it was sunny, was not making me very happy. We arrived at camp and set up the tent and things, then the rain came. It rained for 30 min or so, and then it stopped. I knew I wouldn't have much time before the rain returned, so I insisted that we go on a walk. I could tell that she was a little apprehensive about going on a walk, but I wasn't going to take no for an answer this time. We began walking and the thought of what was going to happen was setting in. With every step, I was becoming a even more of a nervous wreck. Rachel told me later that I was walking so fast, she thought I was choking Togo with leash because I was dragging him up the hill. We got to the spot that we had marked, and I took the leash off of Togo and said "I wonder if he'll run after me into the trees?" I ran, and of course Togo wouldn't follow (He doesn't love me near as much as he loves Rachel) I asked Rachel to come up here to see if Togo would follow her. As she walked up to me, I crouched down acting like I found something in the ground. I told her to come over and look at what I'd found. As she got close, I said "Hey, look at that tree, that's cool." She turned and looked at a tree that I had carved hearts in, but missed the tree that said will you marry me. She turned back again and I said "The other tree." She turned and looked at it for what seemed like an eternity. We are both pretty blurry on what was said next by either of us, but she did say YES (of course) and it turned out to be a really great experience. Pics will be up soon. Sorry, if my story is a little unclear, but it was hard to recall all the details.

BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

Last weekend we took a hike up to Bridal Veil Falls. It was seriously gorgeous! At the bottom of the falls in a pool of water where everyone hangs out. The water was FREEZING!! But it was so nice to cool off in the hot sun. We took Togo and Shelby with us. Togo did NOT like cold water one bit. But Shelby had so much fun playing in it. It's a hike we will definitely do again in the fall, when the leaves are changing.

Heber Rodeo

Saturday we went to the Heber Valley Rodeo. I've gone every year since I was young (minus last year when I was living in Los Angeles). My grandma and her 2 kids came, along with my aunt and uncle. And we met Codee's cousin and his wife and 2 little girls who live in Midway. (Check out my steer wrestling and calf roping pictures on my photography blog)

Before our drive up to Heber we stopped at 7 eleven for some Slurpee's. As my uncle Bret was getting his, the machine let off a cherry Slurpee bomb all over his shirt. He lives in Layton, 45 minutes away, so we stopped at Sears so he could get a new shirt. All of us could not stop laughing the entire drive up.

Once at the rodeo, we walked around the fair and I rode THE TORNADO with Mariah and Anthany. I was so dizzy for about 20 minutes. The rodeo was so much fun! And luckily no one really got hurt. After the rodeo we went to the Dairy Keen (best shakes in Heber if you ask me). Codee and Mariah kept making weird faces at all the people inside. We were all laughing so hard! Codee is going to kill me for posting the picture of him....

Bret with his cherry slurpee bomb

Riding the tornadoCute Sydney

Mariah and GrandmaDon't kill me Codee... I love you hunny!

A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN

Last weekend we went to our favorite restaurant, Market Street Grill. Not the downtown location, not the river bottoms location, but the Cottonwood one. It is incomparable to the other locations. We both got our usual menu item... Halibut Oscar. SERIOUSLY AMAZING! And the clam chowder with sourdough bread is to DIE FOR! But at the end of every Market Street meal we end with a little slice of heaven... Raspberry Almond Tort. No words can describe the way your taste buds explode in your mouth.

Silver Lake

Last Sunday we went to Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was so HOT in the valley that day and when we made it up to the lake it was about 20 degrees cooler. Yay!! So we walked around the lake on the boardwalk, got an ice cream at the little cafe and just as we were leaving we saw this....

Just sitting next to the road... hanging out... wondering why 30 people were gathered around taking his picture. There were actually 2 of them. Something you don't see every day.

La Caille

Just because brunch is $30 a plate doesn't mean it'll taste good. Codee's dad gave us a gift certificate for Sunday brunch at La Caille. I was so excited to go this morning! I've never been to La Caille but heard it is a really good place. We ate outside on the patio, next to a bunch of peacocks. The grounds and the scenery was seriosuly gorgeous! I ordered the Crepe Champignon, fresh crepes filled with trumpet royale & velvet poippine mushrooms & fresh seafood in a ginger spiked cream sauce. And Codee had the Welsh Rarebit and Pork Chop, traditional English hunt breakfast with a sauce of ale and sharp Cheddar. Needless to say, mine was disgusting! I forced down half of one crepe and ate the side of pineapple. Codee really liked his. We did get a dessert, that was way YUMMY! A fancy eclair that looked like a swan.
While we were eating, peacocks would come over and "beg" for food. We reluctantly fed one, and soon after we were surrounded by peacocks. I recorded Codee feeding one of them...

Drive-In Baby!

Growing up my parents would always take Natalie and I to the drive-in. So I've been telling Codee for over a year that we should go and we finally did. We loaded up my Cuddlebag (so much better than Love Sac) in my Dad's truck, grabbed a pizza and headed to the Redwood Drive-In. We saw UP! (again) and The Proposal. We had so much fun and we definitely will be going again soon. There's nothing like watching a movie under the stars.

New Dog... sort of

Togo's cast finally came off! (It actually came off 2 weeks ago) The veterinarian brought him out and I started to cry a little. We weren't sure if it was going to come off that day, it all depended on the x-rays and what the doctor thought. I was so happy when they brought him out and I saw his little arm with no cast! His arm was all shriveled up and looked so SKINNY! When I picked him up and got a good look at his arm, there was the BIGGEST, UGLY sore on his arm. It was a big sore of matted hair, scab and dried blood. The next few days, he would hardly walk on it and hobbled around on 3 legs. I had to wait a week for his sore to fall off before I could take him to the groomer. I told them to just shave him and leave him a little beard (Brussels Griffons are known for their beards). When I picked him up, he was a whole new dog. He gets an attitude after hair cuts, it is SO FUNNY! So here is our new, not broken anymore, dog... TOGO.