Independence Day

Yesterday was Independence Day, the 4th of July.  Our holiday started very early, about 6:10 for me and 6:30 for Ryan.  We had to be at the Dobson Ward 4th of July Breakfast at 6:45 so that Ryan and three others could pull in one more practice as a Barbershop Quartet.  That's right.  Our ward parties are always huge undertakings and can get a little crazy sometimes.  When we got there, my brother Michael and I got roped in to helping with balloons and strings.  The party started at 7:00 with a flag ceremony starring the cadets from Luke Air Force Base and the singing of the National Anthem.  The music for the song sounded like it was coming from one of those little keyboards we used to play with when we were kids.  The ones that had the one song where you could just push a button and it would play, and you would pretend like you were playing it.  Anyways, we sang, listened to some policemen, firemen, and a man who gave a speech.  I don't know who he was, but he was kind of monotone.  I was sitting next to my little friend Truman who turned to me and whispered, "He sounds like he HAS to give the speech."  There's a lesson for all of us...when we are asked to do something, lets act like we get to do it, not that we so painstakingly have to do it.  After the speech, the main guest of honor, Sheriff Joe, said a little something.  Apparently, the lady in charge has been trying to get him to come to our little ward party for years.  He came last year, and obviously this year as well.  Last year he spoke for literally 60 seconds and then left.  Needless to say, Ryan and I were not impressed.  However, this year he talked for a few minutes, and it was good.  He redeemed himself, especially because he and his wife (who is being covered up by a balloon in the picture) stayed for the whole thing.  The final act to go on before breakfast was the Dobson Ranch Barbershop Quartet, as they were so falsely called.  Let me go back a couple of Sundays.  We sat down for Sacrament Meeting and read through the program.  There was a flyer inside advertising for the 4th of July Breakfast.  On it was a list of people who would be appearing, and the Dobson Ranch Barbershop Quartet was one of them.  I turned to Ryan and said that I didn't know there was a quartet in Dobson Ranch.  Then after church, Ryan explained that he was asked, "Do you sing?," then responded with a "Yes" and was told that he would be in the quartet.  Three other guys in the ward were asked the same thing, and ta-da, the group was formed.  They practiced for three hours total, wore paper vests and styrofoam hats as costumes.  They did a good job.  (Their order in the picture is Chris, Travis, Ryan, and James.  James is partially covered with the streamers.)  Later that night we went to see Hancock; it was pretty good.  Then we drove around to see the fireworks that were going on all over the valley.  I love fireworks.

Lastly, I want to say thank-you to some people.  Thank you to all the men and women who volunteer to fight for and defend our country.  Thank you to my Grandpa Stevens and Grandpa Tawney for serving in the military.  Thank you to my dad for being in the Air Force for 20 years and for being the best dad ever.  Also, thank you for being ready to go to Desert Storm (luckily you didn't have to go).  Thank you to my brother Michael for serving in the Air Force.  Thanks for going over to Korea and doing whatever top-secret stuff you did.  I guess I'll never know, but thanks anyway.  Thank you to my brother Christopher for being in the Marines and serving two tours in Iraq, including the Triangle of Death, and for coming home safely.     

Band Nerd

So yes, I was in band.  I played the trumpet from 7th grade through the end of high school. My school's band program was awesome in the fact that we won 1st in everything and went to state every year.  Last night was the Southwest Corp Connection at Glendale Community College which features some of the best Drum and Bugle Corps.  This already sounds nerdy and I'm not even finished yet.  Anyways, it was great.  Out of the 3 major competitors, I liked the Phantom Regiment the best (the people in white).  Watching the performances made me miss band, but only for a little bit.  What I don't miss, however, are the uniforms that magically turn everyone into men.  The actual uniform itself erases the appearance of a women, and then you also have to tuck all of your hair underneath the hat.  Not cute.  And then the shoes are really uncomfortable because they have a rolled heel that is supposed to help you march better.  They have a striking resemblance to nurse shoes...or some other kind of shoes.  After you have the uniform on, there is no doubt that if you are living in a place like Texas, or Arizona, that you are sweating like crazy.  Oh it gets so hot in those things.  Finally, playing the instruments is fun and all, until you come to the end of a dramatic song and have to sharply angle your horn up to the crowd.  There is a very good chance that your spit will come flowing through the pipes right back at you, so you have to be prepared and time it right.  It's disgusting, I know, but it's a fact of life that many band people have to deal with.

    

My South

As I had mentioned earlier, I went with my mom to her book club while I was home.  It was my mom's turn to review a book she had read and the one she chose really struck me.  It was called "My South: A People, A Place, A World All Its Own" by Robert St. John and Bryan Curtis.  It is a collection of poems from people all over the South explaining their South.  I come from a southern heritage, as my mom's family has been in Virginia since forever.  As my mom was reading some excerpts from the book, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed as I thought of my grandparents.  They both passed away July 2006.  They both meant so much to me as did the words my mom was reading about the South.  When my mom was finished, she, along with almost half of the other ladies there shared memories of growing up in the South.  I decided to also come up with my own tribute which I will include later.

Going Home

I went home to my beloved Texas this past week for Celeste's wedding.  I always love going home, there is just something about Texas that I can't get over.  This trip was a little bittersweet however, because I would be gone for our anniversary.  It was on Wednesday the 18th, the mark of three years of marriage bliss.  Ryan had no problem telling people that we were going through a trial separation.  That crazy kook.  I was pretty much my mom's shadow, following her wherever she went.  We did some fun things like go out to lunch with my dad, help Mindy pick out paint colors, buy a washer, and of course go shopping.  Now that she doesn't work anymore, she has no problem shopping more; my dad doesn't quite understand it.  On Tuesday night we went to Celeste's bridal shower, and on Wednesday we went to my mom's book club.  Ryan surprised me by flying in on Friday.  Apparently everyone in my family knew and had been trying to keep it quiet, which is hard for a bunch of loud Texans.  Friday was our usual Texas Pride trip.  It is one of the two best BBQ places around.  Just imagine eating meat on wax paper, sides in styrofoam cups, 99 cent loaves of bread, bins of pickles, and picnic tables, and that is the glamorous Texas Pride.  That same night they were having a live band and fish fry so we went back and watched for a little while.  Saturday morning was Celeste's sealing and she looked beautiful.  Her little niece kept saying, "Celeste, you look like a princess."  Between the wedding and reception we picked up Josh from Youth Conference and I was able to talk to Mr. Wilson.  He was my band teacher in middle and high school and was also in the bishopric in a ward in our stake.  We then went to Bracken Cafe where they make delicious 1/2 pound burgers and frito pie, among other things.  Sunday morning we went to church and it seemed to drag on forever.  The chorister and organist looked like they were going to get into a fight, the youth speaker had the most monotone voice in which she explained that she was excited to be giving a talk, and the music and congregation sounded like a funeral session.  But it was all worth it to go home to some homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, salad, and homemade biscuits.  Food is definitely a big part of my family's life.     

DISNEYLAND!

That's right! Disneyland!

On the way to church, Josh turned to Jade and said that he wanted to go to Disneyland before they left for Chicago. She said no unless we went with them because I had never been as a child. Who has never been to Disneyland as a kid? That poor child would be me. So they presented the idea to us after Sacrament Meeting and I immediately said yes. I was so pumped that I was even thinking about what I was going to pack during Sunday School.

We met at Oregano's (one of Ryan's other favorite places to eat) on Thursday to plan our trip. One of my favorite things from there is Pesto Bruschetta, which is also easy to make at home. Here's how to make it...

Pesto Bruschetta

French Bread

Pesto

Red Onion

Tomato

Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Cut the French bread in half lengthwise. Spread pesto on both sides of the bread. Dice the red onion and sprinkle on bread, then top with thinly sliced tomato. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Cut into sections.

So Friday was awesome. Not only was it the day we left for Disneyland, but it was also the day I finished my last college class. I am completely finished with college and never have to go back!

Anyways...we had a lot of fun on the 6 hour drive to California. On Saturday we got to Disneyland around 10:00 and didn't leave until about 1:00 in the morning. I felt like a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time. The rides were great, Ryan had his first churro, and we got to see Fantasmic. Those people at Disneyland sure know what they are doing.

On Sunday, we drove around Newport. It had cute stores and even cuter houses. I forgot to take pictures because I was in awe. The houses were beautiful and each one different than the next.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

On Tuesday, April 29 we were given 4 tickets to the Diamondbacks vs. the Astros baseball game. But these tickets weren't just any tickets, they were section 120, row 29, seats 10-13! Behind the home plate! They were great seats, three fly balls came practically to us, and we got free Diamondback towels (I don't know what I will do with them, but they were free). The interesting thing about the game was that it was the same night and time as the Spurs vs. Suns game. About the same time as the end of the 9th inning was the last 13 minutes of the basketball game (which they were showing on some TVs by the concession stands). I split my time going back and forth to see both games. There was a group of about 50 people at the one TV I was at, all of which were Suns fans. I was the only one there cheering for the Spurs, trying all the while to not get beat up. There were 2 cops that came over to "make sure the crowd stayed contained" and noticed that I was a Spurs fan. It was funny. Anyways, the Spurs ended up winning and moving on to round 2. It just proves that even though the Suns add Shaq to their team to try to beat the Spurs, they still can't do it. Better luck next year. And to all of those people who booed me for wearing my Spurs shirt, HA! I'll have to write about team loyalty at another time.

House Hunters

On April 19, we spent the day with Josh and Jade. We first started out by going to Vincent's in Phoenix. Vincent is a French chef who owns his own restaurant; the restaurant hosts a "mini fair" that includes food and different vendors selling things like jewelry and homemade jam. Because we can't get together without eating a ton of food, we went there for lunch. Jade and I got pizzas that Vincent made himself in a brick oven. I got the Caesar Chicken Pizza and it was absolutely delicious. It was so good that I craved it for the week after and had to make it at home. Now it won't taste quite the same as if Vincent made it in his brick oven, but here's how I made it...

Caesar Chicken Pizza
1 Pizza Crust (Store-Bought or Package)
Chicken Breast
Fresh Thyme
Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Romaine Lettuce
Croutons
Caesar Dressing (Homemade or Store-Bought, I like the new Kraft Caesar Dressing)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken breats into bite-sized pieces and cook in a pan with some olive oil or in a George Foreman grill. Put some of the mozzarella cheese on the prepared pizza crust, then top with cooked chicken and fresh thyme. Add more mozzarella cheese and bake according to the pizza crust directions. While the pizza is cooking, make a caesar salad with the romaine lettuce, croutons, and dressing. When the pizza is finished cooking, top with the salad, cut into slices, and serve.

Ryan and Josh got BBQ that was also absolutely delicious. It was tender and the side of potatoes were smothered in cream. Everything tastes better with cream. All the food was so good. After we were finished stuffing our faces, we went antiquing! I love going to antique stores. I was really excited, however, because one of the stores had old doors, windows, banisters, trim, corbels, and tin ceiling tiles. It may sound like trash, but to me it's treasure.
As if that wasn't enough for one day we still had to go see some million dollar homes that Josh's dad built. The first house was about 5-6 million dollars and was amazing. The kitchen was my favorite part as the island was about the size of my own kitchen. Just the island! The refrigerator and freezer were disguised as furniture and the stove had something like 8 burners. And that's not even everything. The second house cost about half as much as the first and was also beautiful. Then we saw Josh's parent's new house and all of its English Cottagish glory.

By that time it was conveniently dinner time. One of Ryan's most favorite places to go is Costa Vida and it happened to be down the road from where we were. And we couldn't finish the day off without homemade ice cream (compliments of Josh and Jade's new Kitchenaid ice cream attachment) and a movie. So the ice cream was a little on the soupy side, but like I said before, everything is better with cream.