And we're off!!

From one place to the next, this month has been spend traveling from place to place. From Provo, to Las Vegas, to California, to Costa Rica!! Our next destination...



ROSEVILLE!!! We get to spend the week with the Trythall family and we could not be more excited!! I think it is the best way to spend the new year. Although we miss everyone in Las Vegas, Texas, and Illinois, Northern California is our next stop.

This may be the last post for a while, but we will be thinking of you all! Have a happy new year!!

Playa de Escondida

Our favorite beach yet!! It was beautiful! The water looks brown, but it is SO pretty. The sand is black (at every beach) and it makes the water look dirty, but once you get past the waves you can see the bottom to clearly. AND the water is SO warm!! Here are just a few pictures from the beach. The last two pictures are of Ava who got into the brownie mix bowl while no one was watching :-)

Costa Rica Adventures

We have had quite the adventures the past few days. All the boys went deep sea fishing yesterday and caught tons of Mahi-Mahi. It was delicious!! Here are some pictures from the boat (Dallas slept for 8 hours because he was sea sick)








This morning we went zip lining through the jungle. We didn't see any monkeys, but the view was amazing. As we were flying through the air we had the best beach view. Here are just a few pictures:

Christmas in Costa Rica Part I

We made it to Costa Rica!! After our 7 hour flight and 2 hour car ride we were happy to finally arrive. Here are just some fun pictures from our trip. The first order of business once we arrived:

A Diet coke!! And people wonder why I love it so much... my whole family does!!



Here are some pictures from our house. I haven't taken a picture of the front, but here are my favorite parts... the pool, family room, and kitchen!





Ava is at the fun stage where you ask her to say anything and she will. When Ashley was young and didn't want to wear her seat belt my mom always told her "Governer Dimagian says wear your seatbelt" Naturally, whenever they got in the car she would repeat. We thought it would be funny to teach Ava to say Arnold Swartznegger. She has the Arnold part down, its the Swartznegger we are still working on. Her favorite bear is now named Arnold, and where ever we go, Arnold comes with us.



Christmas Eve and Christmas were so much fun. We decorated stockings and opened matching PJ's. Grandpa Honey is an artist so of course his stocking was the best. But I think we all gave a valiant effort.




I didn't take any pictures on Christmas morning, so you'll have to check out Ashleys or Mom's blog. But here are just a few from Christmas dinner:




We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, we missed everyone at home and look forward to seeing you soon!!

Merry Christmas

We are off to Costa Rica!! Many people enjoy a White Christmas, but growing up in California I prefer a warm 65 degree+ Christmas. We are very excited to lay by a pool and read a book for fun that is not required for school!! We will not have access to internet for a few weeks so we apologize for the future non-posts. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Christmas Eve Celebration

Every Christmas Eve we spend it with my mom's side of the family, eating Mexican. Since we will be in Costa Rica this year we celebrated tonight. We had fun eating Uncle Kevin's famous carne asada and guacamole. Ava opened an early Christmas present from Aunt Traci and she LOVED them. They are the funniest twin dolls that talk to one another and sing in harmony "Patty cake". We had a great time, and it is fun creating memories for our "first christmas". Enjoy!


Ava and I at Dinner

Andy and I

Ava and her dolls!

Aunt Traci's

Since we had to be out of our apartment 7 days before finals were over, but we only had our trailer for 3 days I got to stay at my Aunt Traci's house in Salt Lake while I finished. Here are some pictures from the weekend! Between decorating cookies and getting manicures I was pretty pampered, we had the best time!! Thanks again everyone!!


the whole family before dinner

The girls and I

Decorating Cookies

Austin decorated a Utah Ute Snowman and got attacked with blue! Go Cougs!

Preschool!

I just finished with my preschool final and received all the pictures from the semester... so instead of studying for my last two finals I am posting a couple just to give our page a new look!

Playing Duck-Duck-Goose, apparently very nervous to be chosen

My favorite student Courtney


The whole class on our last day

Farewell for a little while...

We are packing up our computer now, and heading to Las Vegas, so it might be a week or two before a new post! But here are a few things I know I will miss about Provo-

Random guys singing to their crush in the Wilk. (Yesterday it was Happy BIrthday opera style, and yes he did ask for everyone's attention)

BYU Creamery Chocolate Milk

Magleby's French Toast and amazing syrup

Our cute apartment, although small, and a horrible management who found fees every month to charge us with, I did love it.

Going to class... I liked class, it was just the tests and assignments I didn't enjoy

Preschool (someday I will post pictures of my cute little preschoolers)

All our friends who will hopefully all move to Las Vegas someday!!

The three seasons... Spring, Summer, and Fall. I LOVE these three seasons in Utah, especially fall.

That is all I can think of at the moment, but I am sure their are more things I will miss about Provo. Merry Christmas to everyone if we don't post before then! Next time we will be posting from our new home! :-)

I did it!

I woke up this morning knowing that I had a lot of homework due next week. Since my day of Christmas shopping got thrown the window when a foot of snow showed up, I decided to start some homework. Although I have been sitting at the computer since 9:00 AM (It is not 12:08 AM) I can proudly say that I wrote 6 papers, made an entire recipe book (And took it to kinkos to be bound and laminated) and now I AM DONE WITH HOMEWORK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!! Well until we have kids and I have homework packets and projects to do, but nevertheless, I am done!!!!! I just had to tell someone, so I am blogging about it. Now it is time to stretch and go to bed.

PS- not to worry I did take time to shower, clean the kitchen, and eat!!

Gingerbread House 2007

Tonight Leandra hosted our annual gingerbread house contest. We had fun, although our house was struggling. Luckily, Andy picked it up towards the end and it turned out really cute. I am sad that we are leaving our friends here in Provo, but at least they will soon have a weekend getaway from the snow! Thanks Stromberg family, we had lots of fun!

Take one at trying to get a good picture with our house...

Take 2? I gave up on take 3

Kara and I

The whole gang.... we were all running to try and get in the picture

Why does it get worse before it gets better?

Today we began packing, and it doesn't matter how organized we are about it, it is just a mess until it is all done. The good news is we are moving!! No more snow for us! Here is what our apartment looks like right now... trust me it looks better now then it did a few hours ago! I haven't even started the kitchen yet, any tips on the best way??

Not the best post...

We dont really have much to say, this week has been pretty boring, just school, studying and the testing center! However, here are a few pictures from church on sunday and the orange rolls!

The moment of truth....

I woke up this morning to finish the orange rolls, nervous to see how they turned out. At the beginning things weren't looking too swell, but by the time they came out of the oven they looked so good. Obviously I am going to like them regardless how authentic they taste compared to Jane's famous rolls. The biggest test was Andy's response-- The first roll, "They're good, but I don't think they are as good." Then the second batch came out of the oven, "Wow, these are pretty good" Then the last batch came out, and they tasted SO GOO (As my dad would say it, it it just a funny way of saying so good) So, although they weren't AS pretty as Jane's I think the taste level was pretty high. A little more practice is definitely needed, but by next Thanksgiving at the Bruce household we might just have a new tradition!! (i'll post pictures later... the internet connection is slow since Xbox live is on :)

What a day!

Today we woke up to a foot of snow! I was hoping that the first snow fall wouldn't hit really late this year so we would miss it, but it came. Of course we had planned on doing laundry today so we got to walk across the parking lot, through our complex and down to the laundromat all day. I only fell once, it was pretty funny actually. It wasn't like I just fell, but the movie type where your legs literally come out from underneath you and they fly up in the air. Andy turned around to see me flat on my back. you would think my bottom would be sore, but my elbow took the fall. Haha, leave it to me to hurt my elbow. We then decided to hit the mall and get some Christmas shopping done. I love shopping for Christmas, I just hate finding the best gift for someone and then having to wait till Christmas to give it to them. It is pure torture. After working up an appetite, we went to Chili's for dinner. It was such a long wait, so we sat in the bar because it was open. I am not an advocate for sitting in the bar, but since we were in Provo it was a nice atmosphere, Andy got to watch football, and the best part, our waiter would bring TWO diet cokes out at once so in case he couldn't get back before I drank my first, I had another one to sip on. It was the best! There is nothing worse than being thirsty and not having a drink, with no waiter in sight. I still had a diet coke that I couldn't finish by the time we left. Chili's was on the ball tonight, which always makes for a pleasant dining experience.

For tomorrow's dinner I thought orange rolls would be a good side since they are my new found love. Everyone in the Coons' family loves them, but says they are very hard to make. Kelly told me the trick is making the dough the night before and letting it sit in the fridge. I watched Jane very carefully on the morning of Thanksgiving since Andy says the filling is what makes the roll, so I'll keep you posted on how they turn out, cross your fingers that they at least are edible!! That's all for today, sorry we have no pictures, but any update is better than none??