Our California Cottage

So now that we FINALLY have internet, I can show some California updates. Let me just emphasize that I primarily keep this blog for my own journaling purposes, so I don't expect anyone to be interested in all the details that will shortly follow. :)

First, I'll start with our cottage. My initial plan was to take all these pictures to show how gross and run-down our cottage is...but unfortunately, all the pictures I've taken make this place look better than it actually is. Really, I shouldn't complain. We have our own little place that was pretty reasonable for the area. We're in Menlo Park which is super nice and ritzy. It's just about 30 min. south of San Francisco. I don't feel classy enough to live here! Every other car is a BWM or a Mercedes...our '92 Avalon blends right in. Anyway. Our landlords are the sweetest old couple and have been fun to get to know. The cottage has a lot of "character"--if you know what I mean. The furnishings are completely out of date, which wouldn't really bother me, except that I feel like everything is SO DIRTY! Dust and cobwebs on everything. Ugh. I'm a little bit of a neat freak so it's taken me a few days to sanitize everything (and cover the couch with a sheet) to the point that I can feel comfortable here. It's beginning to feel a little bit like home.

Now, the tour of the cottage. I'll start with our main living area:


And the bedroom:


The Kitchen. Let me just say that "fully equipped kitchen" means different things to different people. The kitchen came equipped with 1 spoon, 3 forks, 2 butter-knifes, a few plates, bowls, cups, and one pot. We cook a lot so we're having to get creative. No frying pans, cookie sheets, real knives, mixing bowls, etc. We wish we would have brought a lot more. One more funny thing--the sink you see is our only sink in the whole place! It's fun storing all our toiletries in the kitchen.


The shower area. The 2'x 2' shower is so small that I have to turn the water off in order to lather up without all the soap running off my hands before I have a chance to apply it.


One thing I actually really like--our window above the couch:


One of the many funny decorations up in the cottage. We still can't figure this one out.


These are up all over the place. We're not sure what they are.


And lastly, the outside of the cottage. Which is actually pretty cute. We have a lemon tree outside and a blackberry bush. Mmmm!


One last funny quirk to mention--the reason we could afford the place is because it's right next to a caltrain. And I mean RIGHT next to it. Probably 20 feet away? It passes by every 20 min. or so and even comes by every couple of hours in the night. It actually shakes the cottage! Oh well--makes good memories. :)

Camping in Zion's

We just spent about 5 days camping in Zion's with Cameron's high school friend Brendan and Brendan's girlfriend, Lindsey. It was SO much fun!!! It was so fun to get to know Brendan better and to meet Lindsey. She and I really hit it off and I feel like I have a new great friend! I'm glad she'll be there once we move to California. It was the first time Cameron and I have camped together and it definitely won't be the last. It's such a fun, cheap way to vacation!

I think our favorite thing was hiking Angel's Landing...even though I almost peed my pants I was so scared one my way up there.



Brendan being funny on the way down...



Saturday was Brendan's birthday so we took a LONG (15 miles round-trip!) hike to the Kolab arch. The arch is hard to see in the picture--upper left hand corner-ish.



We also went to the Emerald Pools, Hidden Canyon, and a bunch of other little things. Zion's is SO beautiful and we already can't wait to go back.

My First Blog!

I've done it...I've finally decided to join the blogging community! I feel like it will be a good way to journal our adventures together. And I must admit that my biggest reason for getting a blog is because I really like reading everyone else's blogs.

I guess for my first post I'll describe a little bit of what our life is like. Cameron and I have been married almost a year--we were married August 18, 2009 in the Bountiful Temple. We're both half way through our Master's Degrees at BYU. I'm doing a Masters in Music--Piano Performance. Cameron is doing Accounting, the audit/professional stem.

As of now, we're enjoying summer break after a very stressful school year! We took a trip to Thailand for a few weeks (which I suppose I'll blog in detail about later)and just spent the weekend in Zion's with some friends. We're living with Cameron's parents until we head off to Palo Alto, CA for Cameron's internship with Ernst & Young for 8 weeks. Cameron's busy teaching piano and selling pest control. I'm busy teaching piano and...relaxing! I feel guilty and lazy for taking some down time, but I'm not sure how to get a job for just a few weeks. I've been spending some time in the lab at BYU arranging some hymns. It's one of my goals this year to try and get some things published (maybe) so I'm working on that. I shamefully admit I also watch a lot of Law & Order, Medium, and Modern Family. :)

Anyway! That's our life for now. I'll update about Zion's soon...buh bye!