Hanging out with Jill, the Sequel...

Oh yeah, I know....PHOENIX!! So that is where I left the darkness behind and exchanged it for +70 and sunny, sunny sunshine! Loverly....



Speaking of loverly, 'there she is, Miss....' Hmm...well, hands down she'd win the Miss Used-to-live-in-Utah-now-lives-in-Aridzona-served-a-mission-in-Nicaragua!! Fo shizzle!



Smile for the camera, Jilly-Bean....

As Jill and I walked around P-hone-ix waiting for our Motocross adventure to begin, we were doubly grateful for Phoenix Public Works and how they make sure we're all on the same page! ;)

I would like you all to notice this picture. Last second we decided to play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. I looked at the photo and realized....'hey! Why am I done with my movement for 'rock' and she's still half-way deciding...'ohh..ohh yeah, paper, that's what I meant/wanted to do.' Cheater, cheater!



I showed this evidence of cheatery to her and she unashamedly admitted to it....I don't know....'when winning is everything...' ;)

There be the Motocross race track. I was really hoping for them to do those 'tricks' that they do, but alas, the night was dedicated to TCB...not Y...











I was so proud of me li'l camera! It has such a hard time taking 'movement' photos, but I kept it 'focused' and ready and as soon as the riders made their way around the corner (and proceeded to crash into one another, which, after taking into account the crowd's reaction, was the crowd's favorite part of the race)....those are fireworks bursting off as the racers make their way through the spills of humanery all around....





Again, ahhh....'the family that spectates at motorsports...' I don't want to end that sentence. ;)

















'Climb every mountain....' or at least drive up it for the view! ;) Here is a view of part of 'the Valley' from Fountain Hills area. Everything was greening up because of recent rains....




Jill took me to the 'highest fountain in Aridzona' - I'm just glad we were there for it....it lasted maybe 10 seconds...literally....



I don't know where the water comes from, but the area was 'watered with recovered waste water'....so....the whole 'no swimming' is probably wise in this case ;)


Pee-yoo!





So I am standing right there....trying to give Jill a wink or two to let her know that a kiss is on my mind, when she suddenly drops to her knees and kisses the frog!!



Women-to-Men interpreters, PLEASE HELP! What does this mean?



Sadly enough, the time came and passed all too quickly. We said our goodbyes and now she sits in Aridzona and I in Berlin, alas, a lass, Lassie...alas....

NoPo Christmas...

And that surprise was....SUSAN! My sister-in-law's mom. She's a friend of mine and for one reason or another I was talking to her in November. I had realized I had a 'companion' ticket that she could use to go to Fairbanks for Christmas. I asked her what she was going to do for Christmas and I asked her if she wanted to be my birthday present to Mel (my sister in law). She said 'yes' and so we had our secret rendezvous in the Phoenix airport.



So I asked permission to come visit Mel and David when I get back into Fairbanks at 2am. I walked in and asked Mel if she wanted her birthday present...in walked her Mom! Let's say there were tears, joy, hugs and it made my day! I love to surprise people!





So we got back to the Homestead around 3am and this is who met us - a crazy man painting everywhere he could, desperate to get things ready for the carpet layers who were going to show up in 5 hours!!



Julia, who had been working the whole day, and I took to painting...however, it got to 'drunky' point around 3:30am or so and Julia decided to decorate herself. See picture below...









But in the end I guess it was all worth it - the look of fulfillment and joy ;)

A very 'fumey', from the paint, and carpetless house awaited the workers...

What family holiday meal would not be complete without 'the pose', i.e. everyone around a table just like this? Except major renovations had now been complete and we were inaugurating the new dining room's first flight....




















So the girls and I decided to wear some hats from Hong Kong that were downstairs....fun times...





I am learning....you want to become a kid's best friend, just play with them and feed them every now and then and they'll love you 'FOR-EVER'...or just dress up in 'silly' clothes and answer to 'Enen' (Aaron in Annie-ese).








'The FIVE CHILDREN....' I know...it's time to let go, but I just can't ;)





So, a fun time was had by all. We ate, we played, we stayed up with Dick Clark and rang in the New Year...albeit 4 hours later than he actually did, but so what, eh?!





HAPPY NEW YEAR!!








And with that I flew off into the darkness (there is a lot of that in Alaska during the winter ;) to arise again like a...oh you know...what's that...bird? It burns up and then it....

Julia's Graduation

So I left Berlin and went and hung out in Alaska for about a week. It was great to see everybody again and especially to get reacquainted with my nieces. They are SO kyoot! We then went on a 'jet plane' and arrived in another place....





So, any guesses on where we are?





Yes, the home of the Vikings....err....I mean...they're not that anymore, so we're are BYU-Idaho, formerly known as Ricks College....























We assembled for the occasion of occasions in Julia's academic life. The time that she'd end being an 'under' and enter the world of gradumicated-types. Who no haw tuh spell realll gyood!





This is the Hart Building(?). We sat through a ceremony and I at least was thinking 'okay, this is great!' Little did I know that the fun was just beginning....

















Everyone then separated into their different schools. Julia graduated in Advertising and so we set off for this, in my opinion, 'cool' non-traditional LDS building, called the Taylor Chapel.





















'There she is...Miss United States...' right as they are calling her name to become gradumicated...






























What a rip-off! All of that time and money and you don't even get a diploma....no worries, I think someone said it was 'in the mail' or something....yeah, it'd better be or else...

























Julia took us around Rexburg. It's a lot different than I pictured it....it's kind of up on a hill, at least the college is. Here are the apartments where Julia spent many an hour of freezing, cold Idaho joy!


















Here is a view of some new buildings on campus - the Ricks and Hinckley buildings...























And then the piece de resistance - THE TEMPLE! And what a BRIGHT temple she is at that, so says I...





















Night shot...






















I just find this hilarious - apparently a personal 'highlight' for some was to go to the 'dollar' stores in Rexburg. (This photo is totally staged, just in case you couldn't tell... ;)
































So Julia took us down to the 'Sand Dunes' - apparently all the 'cool katz' go there...because apparently there isn't much else to do in Rexburg, but don't tell them ;)





And keeping up the 'coolness meter' of the Dunes, Beyonce started playing on the radio and we all had a spontaneous dance...spontaneously....oh that Beyonce!










Because all hotels were full in Rexburg, we actually stayed in Idaho Falls. There is the Idaho Falls Temple with 'the Falls' and some Christmas lights. Very purdy, if you ask me....










So we drove down to Suzanne's place in Provo. She took us up to the 'Y' mountain and we got to look over a spectacularly clear, beautiful day!





I love Utah Valley SO MUCH! It's SO beautiful!!















Only in Utah - two LDS chapels side-by-side!!
















Suzanne and I dropped Julia off at the airport and went driving around. Here's what all the restoration work looks like on the Utah Capitol building. Looking sharp!





And then Suzanne dropped me off - Thanks Suzanne! - for my next adventure. I just felt like I should go to Phoenix....Arizona.... ;)

Meeting Jill in ARIDzona...

There she be, Jilly-Bean! Rockin' away on a 'Guitar Hero'-like game. Yep, I know what you're all saying - 'be careful Aaron, she looks like a wild one....'





So Jill and I met on ldslinkup.com - I think it's a great site! I recommend it to you all, and please realize it's not just for dating, but people can find ex-mission buddies, etc.





Jill and I began our time together. Much fun was had, but I also had some time to myself when she was at work, so I explored 'the Valley', i.e. Mesa, Tempe, etc....
























This here is the Mesa LDS temple! I always liked pictures of it and it was cool to be able to see it and go inside....








I just think it's funny what we as humans get used to and how others find the 'boring' thing amazing, i.e. I'm used to seeing snow, the Northern Lights and moose....for others these things would be extraordinary, but for Alaskans they're just ordinaryordinary.... ;)





Anyway, I don't have a conscious memory of me ever seeing oranges on a tree! That is, on the temple grounds, and all over Mesa they had orange groves everywhere! How cool is that?!












After a long day at work Jill entertained me by taking me to the Christmas lights on the Temple grounds....








And there she be, all sparkily and glittery at night...loverly...

Driving through Mesa I found my street! I don't know what it means though when it says I'm 'not a through street' - me no understand....

Ahh....how kyoot! If only my dumb camera would have focused on us rather than the dumb 'Phoenix' sign....

I forgot how pretty sunsets in the desert are....

So I waved 'goodbye' to Jill as she drove away talking on her cellphone (grrrr...) and I in our rental car. I had a few hours to kill so I decided to go to Phoenix and look around.

Here is the Arizona Capitol building....

....and the Capitol is flanked on both sides by the State House of Representatives...

...and the State Senate.....

A view of one Central Street (I think)....it was fun to see all the palm trees....

And away I went....off to North Pole, Alaska and -30 F!!

But first, a plan sprung many moons ago had to be brought to pass....