An Alabama Christmas

WHERE: Madison, Alabama & Nashville, Tenessee
WHEN: December 2010
WITH: Family
WHY: Grant got baptized and we stayed through until Christmas.

MEMORIES:
-Grant's baptism, I played the piano.
-It snowed on Christmas!  First White Christmas I'd had.
-Going up to Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry
-Visiting the Jack Daniel's distillery

Grant's baptism celebration.

Playing "hide and seek"

Family pictures.

Waiting for Christmas to start.

Christmas reactions.

Christmas place settings.

Christmas pie miracle!  (Can you see Santa?)

White Christmas!

Grand Ole Opry

Ice "land" at Grand Ole Opry

After Jack Daniel's tour.

Treats. San Francisco treats.

WHERE: San Francisco, California
WHEN: March 2010
WITH: Jill Macdonald (Hill) and Jessie Willes (Beesley)
WHY: Spring break!

MEMORIES:
-It was a long drive.
-We stayed with Glenn Germany (college friend) for a night and Steve Pearson (another college friend) for a few nights.
-Watching the second Twilight movie on Steve's wall when neither Steve nor his roommate were home.
-We met up with Ryan Hill (Jill's future husband) for some sightseeing as he was also driving down to San Francisco.  
-It got too confusing with two Jessi(e)s in the car, so Jessie Willes renamed herself Carol.  We still call her Carol, or Jessie Carol when we are both around each other or talked about in conversation.
-Pier 30, Ghiradelli Square, Trolley rides, Lombard Street, Chinatown, Full House house, Golden Gate Bridge, and Golden Gate Park (my favorite)
-Jelly Belly factory tour on the way home!

Ryan, Jessi, Jill, Jessie

Ghiradelli Square

Lombard Street

Trolley ride.

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Bridge

Watching Twilight on Steve's wall.

Jelly Belly Factory!

Chanties in Seattle

WHERE: Seattle, Washington
WHEN: July 2010
WITH: I went to visit my college friends Brooke (Huddleston) Newman and Ben Newman and stayed with Darin and family.
WHY: 4th of July

MEMORIES:
-Apparently there is a monthly gathering of people in downtown Seattle where people dress up, get on a boat, and sing pirate songs (sea chanties).  Went to go see this fabulous spectacle with Ben and Brooke.  Ben even sang along at one point!  It was weird, and funny, and great.
-Walking around University of Washington campus.
-4th of July ward party with Darin and family.

University of Washington campus

The boat was already at maximum capacity when we got there, so we had to enjoy the singing from the dock.

Me, Brooke, and Ben

People really dressed up like pirates...like that guy.

"Ben watches a lot of deadliest catch so he knew to wear that cap."

Ben singing along with the chanties.

Tami's brother Justin, Darin and Tami

Haden

Hallie

Hannah

What happens in Vegas...

WHERE: Las Vegas, Nevada
WHEN: August 2010
WITH: College friends - Jennie (Harris) Manning, Emily (Bowen) Veenendaal, Kelli Arnesen (Baker), Marcelle (Crockett) Calder, and Jenn (Talbot) Roundy
WHY: Girl's trip!

MEMORIES:
-My first time to Vegas.
-Kelli and I flew into Salt Lake and then we road-tripped down to Vegas with the rest of the girls.  In a white mini-van; not the typical Vegas trip, ha!
-Walked along the strip, saw a whole bunch of hotels.
-M&M store
-Trying different sodas from around the world at the Coca Cola store.
-Ethel M Chocolate factory tour.
-It is HOT in August in Las Vegas.
-We went to see the "O" Cirque Du Soleil performance.

 Marcelle made us cute treats.  We ate a lot of treats this trip.

Six girls in a white van.

Ethel M chocolate factory.

(Marcelle, Jennie, Kelli, Emily, Jessi, Jenn)

Soda tasting.

"O"

Love these girls.

"It's all a ruse, you see."

WHERE: Eagle Crest, Oregon
WHEN: November 2010
WITH: Friends - Diana, Matt Coss, Casey Chapman, Freyja Miller, Jon Hastings
WHY: Diana's boss gave her his vacation home to use for the weekend.

MEMORIES:
-We watched some small independent comedy where we all thought the line, "It's all a ruse, you see," was for some reason hilarious.  I don't remember the movie at all.
-We rode bikes in the freezing cold: cruisers, a deuce coupe, and a slingshot.
-We spent time in the hot tub in the freezing cold.
-Casey reciting Ke$ha lyrics in the car.
-We drank pink soda from martini glasses.
-We played games: Memory, Scrabble, and Settlers of Catan.

Diana, Casey and Matt

Deuce coupe!

Matt and Freyja on the cruisers and Casey on the slingshot

An intense game of memory.

Jon enjoying the weekend.