GOAL!!!!

So this weekend we went and saw Transformers with Jill & Dave, and Danny & a date. I had read the reviews and everyone had trashed it, so I was a bit worried, but the movie was just about what I expected it to be! It wasn't as awesome at the first movie, but it wasn't crap either. Definitely just a fun summer movie with lots of explosions. Right as the movie got out, a huge storm came and drenched the Gateway! We had to eat at Costa Vida (right next to the theaters) because we couldn't walk any farther than that for fear of getting drenched! All in all, it was a good night.
These pictures are from after the storm passed, but the clouds still looked pretty dang cool.
The next day the weather decided to cooperate a bit more (it was HOT) and Jason and I got to enjoy the warm night by attending a Real Soccer game. I would never pay the $30/ticket that they charge, but luckily our work had some extra tickets so we got to go. It was a lot of fun! The new stadium is super nice, and had a large crowd (18,000+ people!). We lucked out and our team actually won! 3-0. The weather was great, so we took our motorcycle to the game. It's a lot easier to park and get around those areas with a small bike.
This is a picture of some fans after a goal. They have smoke and confetti and all sorts of stuff! Those are some hardcore fans...
This is a picture of the new stadium with the beautiful mountains in the background. I love where I live!
After the game, we got a beautiful sunset. I love the mountains when they are silhouetted like that. So beautiful! We decided the night was too nice not to be enjoyed, so before we went home we took a short motorcycle ride up to the Bountiful temple. It's so beautiful at night! It was fun to be up there and see the fireworks going off in the valley below. I love how the 4th of July is more like a month-long celebration (when you add in the 24th) instead of just a one day celebration. There is always something going on during the month of July related to our Independence Day!

Dawson Family Reunion

Last weekend I headed up to Downey, Idaho to partake in the Dawson Family Reunion. My dad called me no less than a year ago to make sure I put the date in my calendar. And then he called me to remind me about it almost every day before it finally came. So, needless to say, I knew it was important enough to him that I should go. Family reunions, by nature, can be pretty boring so I wasn't super excited for it. However, I do enjoy seeing my aunts and uncles as well as my dad and grandma, so I knew it wouldn't be a total bust. My family is kind of crazy, so it was fun to watch them interact with each other. I just wish more of my cousins my age would have been able to come! I was all alone with the old folks... :)
This is my awesome dad in the middle of telling a joke...I just wish I could remember what it was! His body facial expression is awesome! I was glad I went (especially because it reminded me that I am quite young in comparison to the company I was with!), and it was nice to spend Father's Day with my dad. We played Black Jack at our hotel to keep ourselves entertained, and it was fun teaching my dad the tricks of the game. Overall, not a bad weekend!

Weekend in Idaho

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. We went up to see him and hang out with the family in Idaho. It was a great time! I wish I was able to spend more time up there, but it always seems that as soon as I get situated up there we have to turn around and leave! Oh well...such is life! We got the whole family together to have some birthday cake and celebrate my dad's 58th. The candles on the cake said 85, but he'll forgive us someday!

The weather was kind enough to give us a break between storms so we were able to cook our hot dogs outside and enjoy the sun (even though it was still a bit cool). My nephews had a good time playing in the sand from my dad's water feature, and Allie was just enjoying crawling around on the grass and checking things out. She's so cute!

My family loves getting their picture taken...can't you tell?


She is going to be such a little heart breaker!!

Tyler making funny faces...

And Zach being a total goof ball. Such a funny kid!





Jacque shouldn't eat babies...especially ones this cute!



The boys showing off their muscles...



Me and Granddaddy! We had a BBQ over at his house on Saturday, but it was raining really hard so we had to eat inside. It was fun to have everyone together at his house as well. He made really tasty ribs, and we just sat and talked and enjoyed each other's company. Overall, it was a great time!

Zach didn't mind the rain!

And Nikki and Jacque didn't mind the food... haha!

Daily Happenings....

Hello again! I'm doing my part to try and update frequently, but that requires me doing cool stuff each week and I don't always do cool stuff. I suppose that blogging is a win/win situation really. I update more because I get to do more cool things in life. This post will be quick...we've been pretty busy the last little bit, but I haven't taken many pictures!

First things first, Jason and I celebrated our anniversary by having a quiet, intimate dinner at Caffe Molise in downtown SLC. It's got such a great atmosphere! We ate outside and enjoyed the beautiful day. It was the perfect temperature, and the food was excellent!
There was a very cool mural on the building outside. I loved the vines that were growing on the wall. Pretty!
These flowers were on the wall in the bathroom. I loved it! I want these vases all over my house.

My weekend ended up being very busy. I had some friends come into town that I hadn't seen in almost three years. I had a great time hanging out with them. We just hung out at our place and looked at old pictures and then played a lot of guitar hero. It was super fun!
It was really great to see my friends that I haven't spent time with in forever. Somewhere in the middle of hanging out with them, I also made a quick departure and went to my friend Jessica's wedding reception. She got married the next day and is now living in Australia with her new man. Such a life change! I was lucky enough to get to go to her Sealing. It was beautiful. She was married in the Bountiful temple, and it is gorgeous.
The temple has a great view and is so pretty on the inside. All my friends got married before I did, so I didn't get to go to any of their sealings. It was fun to be able to go to another one.

After the sealing, my college roommate Jessica (too many Jessica's!) came down from Ogden to hang out with me. It was so fun to see her. We had a lot of fun at my place just talking and relaxing. We also played some guitar hero. I can't help it! It's fun! I wish she lived closer so I could see her more.

Sunday was really relaxing. We went to church and to Nursery (that part? Not so relaxing....crazy kids that day!). After we got home, we took the short walk to the park behind our house and read in the shade. I love where we live. It is a safe neighborhood, and having the park so close by has been an unexpected perk. It's so nice!

Yesterday we got the opportunity to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was the first day it was open to the public, and we went with a bunch of people from work. It's very pretty as well. Apparently South Jordan is the only city in the world to have two LDS temples within its boundaries. Pretty cool, I think. It's also crazy to think that Salt Lake county has double the number of temples it did last year (Salt Lake temple, Jordan River temple, and now the new Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples). That's some serious growth!
And finally, the last bit of updating is regarding our house. We have finally begun tackling the backyard. Such a fun process! We had it leveled yesterday and the sprinklers are getting installed today. In a couple of weeks we will be having a sod-laying party. If you're reading this, then you're invited! :) Free food! I'm sure you are just dying to come... But anyway, here are some pictures of the progress:
Before...although I'm sure you could tell this was a before picture without me mentioning it. Yikes!!
During...And this isn't quite the "after" shot, but close enough. We have the trenches dug and they will have the sprinklers done today. After all the work they did yesterday, it was a big dust bowl back there. They had tilled the ground and there was a lot of loose, dry soil. And then a big thunderstorm came and kicked up a lot of that dust. And then the rain came. And came. And came. And our backyard turned into a big muddy mess. Seriously. The trenches were full of water and you couldn't even see the sprinkler pipes anymore. I'm glad I don't have to clean that up! :) Anyway, wish us luck as we finish the rest of it!