November 2012

This November we went to our first football game together and decided every year to go to at least one (whatever team). It was fun though to cheer for the Utes this year, even though they lost the game it was very close and that always makes it fun.

Nothing else eventful happened in November besides my first class started with University of Phoenix, it has been a learning curve going from student to professional to professor. However, I was given excellent feedback from my Phoenix mentor and the students seem to be learning a lot and enjoying the class.

Thanksgiving also brought a new family tradition for us- football & a hike in the morning before dinner. I watched the parade with mom while Brad playing in a Turkeybowl and then we did our own football game and went on a hike. It was great to exercise and play before a big heavy dinner. A definite Dennis family tradition to continue.

 

And now we are ready to enjoy the holidays!

 

 

September-October 2012

September will be hallmarked as a "watershed" month as Brad calls it. We both had some incredible experiences that will forever change our lives (for the good). 2012 has been quite the year and for most of September we were both singing the song "Wake me up when September Ends" But like everything else September passed and we are stronger and happier because of it. 

October flew by, starting with Josh & Mary's wedding festivities and then ending with Halloween. The Arcadia SPED staff and I dressed up as The Village People (YMCA) and for the 4th year led the parade.

 The Grumpy Couple

 The Happy Couple

 Green was the memo

Aug- 2012

This past month has been quite busy with the start of school. Brad is teaching 2 classes up at the U of U and I finished my orientation with the University of Phoenix and am now preparing for my first college teaching experience. Our garden keeps growing and growing. We obviously planted too much for our space and the plants are fighting for space. The spaghetti squash has definitely taken out the peppers and early on the cucumber plant. It would have overtaken the tomatoes if we didn't keep cutting it back. So imagine the surprise when one day we looked out the window to see this

The spaghetti squash started growing up through the tree onto the roof and now we have squash growing like bananas!

It has been a flourishing garden.

August was also fun to spend time with family. 

We took half of our nephews and nieces on a hike. Compared to the boys Lindsey was slow but made it.

Mom, me, and Angie enjoyed a girls lunch at Gourmandies- yum

July- Look at our Garden Grow

This is the first year we have planted a garden (with vegetables). Brad has taken the role of garden monitor, monitoring watering and picking the ripe veggies. Mary has taken the role of monitoring weeding- not always doing a very great job, and preparing meals with the fresh produce. We planted zuchinni- though Brad did not want to so we just planted 1 because Dad said it probably would die. Ha- it is producing like mad! We planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumber basil, and spaghetti squash. The peppers and cucumber have been taken over by the spaghetti squash- as well as part of the patio, it just keeps growing. The best thing we have made from our garden is...PESTO from our fresh basil. This has been a good learning experience for us, cheers to gardens for years to come.

June 2012

June has brought many exciting changes for us

1. Mary started a summer job as the Superhero Specialist for the JCC summer camp. She's created a counseling curriculum "Finding the Superhero in You"

2. Dixie Meeks came into our lives June 23rd. We are so excited to have another niece!

3. Our garden is growing and the other day we had our 1st Zuchinni!

4. And we think there may be 2 Professor Dennis' in this Dennis family

We also enjoyed the Arts Festival and 4th of July festivities. We reinstated the 4th of July breakfast up the canyon and Jefferson Wiffle ball afterwards and  there is nothing like laying on your back listening to the 1812 Overture and watching fireworks light up the sky.  We are loving summer in Utah!

May 2012

I can't believe it is the middle of June. The summer has flown. May 2012 was not the easiest month for us, we started some fertility treatments which did not go well and now we seem to be taking the summer to emotionally recover. Who would have known that this trial could be so hard? But we are trying to look forward with hope and enjoy the happiness God wants for us right now. So the Summer of 2012 starts with an open slate of wonder and trepidation in moving forward to possible career advancements, travel adventures, fitness challenges and enjoying life in a more carefree way than we have ever done. The song "I'll go where you want me to go dear lord" seems to be a recurring theme in our lives, and we have decided to address this trial with "and trusting my all with thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me, I'll answer dear lord with my hand in thine I'll go where you want me to go...I'll do what you want me to do... I'll be who you want me to be."

 May started out with celebrating Brad's 32nd Birthday at Battle of the Bands. Go Adept Android!

 Brad was happy to find an Ibsen look alike

 We checked out the Rennaissance festival for the first time

 I had gypsy tell my fortune

 Brad loved the Sasparilla

 This is the first real jousting match I have seen- it was exciting

Later in May we celebrated ethnic cuisine at our annual lunch at the Living Traditions Festival

 We decided the Salvadorena cuisine was the best this year

 The Ethiopian samosa were delicious

 And the the Nepalese food was so- so

 We donated to build a school in Africa and got an ox one of the students made.

 And we say the best Hula dancing ever!

 May 27 we celebrated our anniversary in the mountains.