Remembering September 11, 2001

I woke up this morning and didn't realize it was September 11th. I think we need to make this an official memorial holiday. It was one of the most catastrophic days on United State's soil. Mallory and I would like to take a second and remember that day and what was going on in our lives.

Myself, I was a junior in High School. I was in early morning seminary, which started at 6:15 am PST. That's 9:15 am EST. I was probably a few minutes late. I first heard of it on the radio as I drove myself over to the Church building. I didn't think anything of it, I just heard them mention it and figured it was a prop plane that made an error. I go into my class sit down and go on with my morning. My friend Miles Curley arrives about 5-10 minutes after me to break us all the real news. A passenger plane crashed into the World Trade Center, not a prop plane. And that it probably wasn't any error. After seminary and before school I went home to watch the news. Right as I got home I saw the second plane hit the other tower live on the broadcast. That whole day, everyone in school was absolutely shocked. A lot of guys talked about having desires to join the service out of duty to their country. Others were saying it was the end of the world. I really didn't know what to think. I just remember feeling a lot of anxiety through it all. Just not knowing what would come about of this whole mess. Where the country would be in five years. Etc. So, on top of all that (not that this even compares with 9/11), my dog got attacked by another dog! Talk about getting attacked on all sides!

So Mike wants me to write in what I was doing when 9/11 struck. (I think it's funny we say that, 'cause it was actually the planes the struck... not really funny-funny, just ironic funny.) So, Fall semester of 2006, I was given this prompt from my Eng. 111 teacher and wrote the following:

It was probably the heat that woke me. I was still trying to acclimatize to Saipan, and island in the Pacific that my family had just moved to. I was almost fifteen, and I was used to the cool nights of down-east Maine. It was about two in the morning, and there's really no other reason I would be awake in the wee hours.

I wrapped my fingers around my know and opened the door. I immediately realized I was not the only person inhabiting the main parts of the house. A light from the kitchen shined off the marble floors and the picture window in the dining room. I stood in the dark hall for a few minutes staring up the steps that led to the dining room, gazing at the half-illuminated figures of Mum and Dad like a moving picture, framed in the archway I watched them through. Dad was dressed as though her were ready for work. After finishing whatever hushed conversation they were having, Mum tiptoed and Dad bowed his head for a kiss goodbye. Dad turned the corner and I heard the front door softly testify he had left. I climbed the stairs and joined Mum.

"Where's he going?"
"The hospital called him in. Governor Tenorio is meeting with all of Emergency management. Something's happened in the States."

Mum and I went downstairs to the family room and got on the computer. We accessed MSNBC and watched the footage of the planes crashing into those formidable towers like they were Lego's.

I felt like a traitor for getting out only a few months before they hit; as though leaving made me less of an American. It was a notion I had all through high school. I know now it was ridiculous, but I felt so strongly like I was abandoning my home. I had always been patriotic, but never before had I so fervently stood up for my country.

Valley of the Sun

After Utah, we went to Arizona for a few weeks so that Mallory and I could work. Mallory worked for my Dad at http://www.lightrailconnect.com. She helped out by making some phone calls and what not. I went back to my normal seasonal Arizona job at the Youth Treatment Center. It was fun to go back and see some friends I have worked with in the past. It was also fun to be around family for a few weeks and have some parties. There isn't too much to do in Arizona in the middle of Summer. It's kind of like being in Rexburg in the Winter...you just don't go out that much. One nice thing is you can definitely swim. And swim we did! Here are some pics of our stay in Arizona.


Here is Lexi, so excited to show us her rings that she forgets to swim.

Nanna, Mallory, and Kylie all diving at the same time

Myself taking a dive.

Kylie jumping off the diving board. She was like a fish out there!

I really like this picture of Lexi jumping off. It kind of shows her "no fear" personality.

This is a good one of Nanna (my Mom) surrounded by her grand kids.

Mallory and I featuring Kylie and Lexi on our shoulders. My smile looks great, huh?

BJ, Sam, and Shannon enjoying the water. Sam would get so worried when he saw BJ jump off the diving board.

These are some wild blackberries up in Pine, AZ where my parent's cabin is located.

This is the $1.2 million dollar home we stayed at in Mesa, AZ. It was a nice place to camp out for a few weeks.

Here is what our view was looking out into the backyard. It is a lakefront property, with an infinity pool (disappearing edge). It was so nice to have a pool to swim laps in every morning.

Out West

After our stay in Maine, we flew out to Salt Lake to stay in Park City for a few nights until the Utah open house. As peachy as it may sound, our journey TO Salt Lake was NOT as enjoyable as our actual stay in Utah. Let me explain. On Monday, August 4th Mallory and I flew out of the Bangor, ME airport to a connecting flight in Boston, MA. Due to booking difficulties, Mal and I were on separate flights from Boston to New York. I was scheduled to fly to JFK first. I left at about 2:00 pm. It was a very short flight...one of those "take off", "reach altitude" and "prepare for landing" kind of flights. We landed in JFK and sat on the runway for about 45 minutes awaiting an open gate to deboard. Needless to say, the traffic was extremely bad. Every incoming flight was delayed by at least 60 minutes. Here's the catch. Mallory was still in Boston, and had to make it to JFK before 7:15, when we would reunite and fly to Salt Lake. Her plane in Boston, now delayed until 7:00. She made it to JFK eventually, but I was on the flight to Salt Lake by the time she arrived. There were no more connecting flights to Salt Lake until 7:00 am the next morning. It was a very stressful time! I don't know if any of you have ever been to JFK, but there are birds flying around INSIDE the airport. It's disgusting. Very unsanitary. And we wonder why we have a bird flew problem? Their droppings are draped nicely along the airport walls that feature overhangs. Mallory said that there was even a rat sighting inside the airport. Sounds kind of like a camp out...only you are inside the airport of one of the richest and greatest cities in the world. Anyways, she made it to Utah the next morning and we were re-united! Park City was great. Thanks Grandma!


Sadie striking a cute pose.

Ty decided to go fishing up there, and actually caught a small trout.

Mal and I with our three beautiful nieces Lexi, Kylie, and Sadie.

Our nephew Sam, Sadie, and Lexi enjoying Chuckie Cheese.

Lexi and Sadie (nice mullet by the way!).

This is one of those freaky animatronics that used to terrify my as a kid. Look at her eyes!!!

From Maine to Utah

The Balance Rock Bed and Breakfast. This is where we stayed after the wedding in Boston, MA. It was amazing! This is the view from the entrance, looking out into the ocean-view windows. The food was just as good as the view, FYI. We only stayed for two nights, but it was really nice there.














This is my beautiful Malie standing in front of the B&B.














This is the view from the back deck. See that boat in the background? That will be mine someday, and everyone on their honeymoons will take pictures of me sailing in the ocean.







Malie found a little...or should I say BIG friend. He was a slobbery fellow.

Pre-Wedding Shenanigans in Boston

WELCOME TO BOSTON! Hahaha! Mike snapped this shot as we were walking down the street. Later, we were talking to Mum and she was going to snap a shot too, so you can think she's just as crass as we are. (Although she probably wouldn't have put it on her blog. But I figure, if no one sees it, what was the point?) Anyway, so yes, this is the opening shot of our trip to Boston.

















Mike and I carousing around Harvard. Ahem! I mean, Ha-vud, dahling! Mike is standing in one of the courtyards which was thoroughly littered with our studious colleagues.









I am standing on the steps of the Widener Library. We really wanted to go in and look around, but you need a student ID to open the door. Lame.

















Here I am, passing in front of a house covered in ivy. Mike really wanted a shot of this... can you blame him? You could count the number of ivy-covered buildings in the west without using any phalanges or limbs whatsoever.




















This is a great, big Baptist church. I have never seen a Baptist church that looks like this! They're usually a little smaller and more ... I'm not sure if it's more modest or just modern. I don't know,

but I was surprised to see this was a Baptist church. It was beautiful! (I'm sorry, I don't know why it's underlining. It just started doing it automatically, and I can't figure out how to get rid of it! There's not even an underlining option to begin with!)

The first picture here is of the monument to George Washington. It's right in the middle of the Public Gardens. This other is not of any girls we know, but it's my favorite swan one. The girls are just so cute! I love how the on in back is just hugging that teddy to beat the band, and holds her skirt so daintily! We have another one of a swan with his neck arched so classically, but I like this one just a little bit better. This is also in the Public Gardens.





Here us kids are (well, most of us, anyway) sitting on the steps of The Church of the Covenant in downtown. You've got to hand it to the east, we've got some pretty amazing churches. Dang, we've got some pretty amazing buildings! Mike has shot after shot of just different buildings in Boston on his camera, and now on my computer. But there's just something about churches. I love to go inside them. I tour them almost any chance I get. Without a doubt, there is a Spirit inside them all, that recognizes the devotion, no matter how far off the truth it may be.

I don't know what Ezra's doing in that first one. He's certainly one of the Conner brothers though, that's for sure.















These last two pictures are of us all taking a break in a deli a few blocks down from the Gardens. After walking all over town, we were all hungry, and more than a little thirsty. If you look at Eden's face in the second picture, you can see she is completely wrapped up in her drink. She was so thirsty, she didn't order anything to eat until after a completely finished drink. And it took another to convince her to let me buy her gelato! Kait and Ez didn't wait a heartbeat to take me up on the offer - despite the fact that I had only bestowed it upon Eden at that point.

A New Look

So, looking at other peoples' blogs, Mike and I noticed time and again that there were many just within the realms of our families and friends who shared the same great taste in backgrounds as we did. So, after checking out the link on Tiff's blog to thecutestblogontheblock.com we decided to try making our own background. We downloaded a photoshop-esque demo program and set to work. I like the program well enough, but it's just difficult coming up with all the right elements to create a very unique background in the amount of time I wanted it done (i.e. the slim amount of patience God granted my spirit wore unbearably thin and I opted out of continuing; maybe there'll be a next time).

So, I went back to the site and just downloaded a really cute background and adjusted my color scheme to how I wanted it. It's a really cute site, and is a whole lot easier than creating your own from scratch. But if you do want to go that route it gives instructions on how to go about it.

We've been meaning to upload pictures from Boston on here, and Utah, and Arizona while we were still here in San Diego, but the connection here at the hotel is SO SLOW! So, we're just going to have to wait until we get back up to Idaho, which, since we leave tomorrow morning for Utah, and then Friday morning for home, should be about Friday afternoon. We'll see you then! (Or, I guess more accurately, you'll see us.)

Pre-Wedding Shenanigans at Varnum's Camp

So here we are in San Diego, on our official honeymoon... even though we've been married for a little over four weeks now. We've been lucky enough to kind of honeymoon for practically free from Maine to Arizona, so we figured that in order to keep with the tradition of all newlyweds we needed some place to blow a little cash that we don't have.

It is here in California that we've decided to catch you all up on the events thus far, starting with pictures from Maine. This first one is a sweet snap shot of Varnum's Camp that Mike took.

Here are some of us gathered around the campfire eating s'mores. (And trying to stay away from the smoke.











Theoretically, this is a picture of me and Mike. But try telling two very photo-enthusiastic boys that they already had their picture with us, and now it's our turn. It doesn't really work. We finally just allowed them to jump in with us, then sent them off, and before they realized what was happening, Kait raised the camera again and snapped another shot of just us. It's a good one, but it came out a little diagonal. (We're planning on sending this one out as our "family picture" for Christmas.)



Ezra, Loren, and Eden looking at... fish? Maybe?














This one cracks me up every time! Lottie loved that s'more, but just couldn't handle the whole thing in one big bite like she thought she could.