Happy Father's Day, Padre!

"I have an excellent Father. His strength is making me stronger. God smiles on my little brother, inside & out he's better than I am. I grew up in a pretty house where I had space to run and I had the best day with you."

So the lyrics above are from "Best Day" by Taylor Swift. Although the song's about her mom, I know that my mom, brothers, myself and family as a whole would not be the same without my dad. My dad is fantastic and is the reason our family has the dynamic that it does. His life has influenced mine in so many ways and I am so grateful for him. Here are my favorite things/ memories about him that have been running through my head today:

• cooking breakfast in the kitchen growing up, always singing, always in his underwear, so happy to be up cookin for his kids
  

• watching him hustle to get Adam all ready to go and on the bus in the mornings while my mom was at work. This was always funny because Adam didn't wake up until 10 minutes before the bus came. Adam always wanted french toast or eggs, not the fastest breakfasts, and no one ever knew where his things were. ie, hearing aids, backpack, etc. But he helped every morning and was in a good mood
  

• He made our lunches everyday. Even put in extra $$ for the icecream lady and wrote notes on the napkins

• I'm so grateful I inherited my dad's confidence

• He is so handy around the house. Up until I left for college, he was changing my light bulbs and helping me rearrange furniture when I got crazy ideas to change my whole room around at 10 pm. He was always helping me hang pictures and things on my wall, even when I interrupted him from whatever he was doing. And he was glad to help me.
  

• My favorite story is one from middle school when my friend Elizabeth down the street missed the bus and came & knocked on our door to ask my dad for a ride. She felt more comfortable asking my dad than her own.
  

• Whenever I gave talks in sacrament meetings growing up I always started crying for some reason, and the first to cry with me were always Ryan Witt and my dad.
  

• He's so kind to everyone and will start a conversation with anyone he meets as he goes about his day; whether its the teller at the bank or the check-out guy at grocery stores. I'm so glad I inherited this trait of chatting with people from him

• He is so encouraging of my brothers & I. I was last on my cross country team but he came to every single race. When I didn't get into my major the first time he was the only person I wanted to talk to for a week straight.
  

• I love how easy-going he is (and passionate he is about certain things). He makes life less stressful and helps me feel at ease. Just check out the picture below:
  

• Having said that, I realize that my parents are probably the hardest workers on the planet and I appreciate all the hard work he's put into the bakery for his family.
  

• He'll do anything to spend time with us and taken his kids to countless sporting events, which we greatly enjoy. Football games, car races, baseball games, etc are one of my favorite memories. And who can forget the time we drove all the way back from Jordan's baseball game in the pitch black w/ no headlights?!

This picture was taken last year at the Redskins game

• 

I have so many fond memories of growing up with my Dad- you are so fantastic and I love you! I'm grateful for how well you've always treated mom and for the example you are to me, Jordy and Adam. Happy Father's Day =)

love,
mare

Eddie visits~

This past weekend Eddie came from Utah to visit big bad LA.  His great aunt and uncle live in Palm Springs and were gracious enough to host us for a night and were wonderful tour guides/hosts.  They took us to dinner & lunch, showed us all the hot spots of palm springs & gave us a tour of and free access to the amazing Spa his great-aunt works at.  

One of the main reasons it was so nice to go to PS is because of this little thing called June Gloom that happens here in LA every year- it sucks.  The weather turns crappy, cloudy and cold for a few weeks. Not in Palm Springs!  it was 85 and sunny~

downtown palm springs- loved the colored architecture

cruisin in our PT cruiser.  Paige if you ever read this, this one's for you!  Just imagine this thing flying over curbs in Asheville, only to land in a gas station full of cops =)

paradise.  seriously, check out the Desert Springs Marriott Resort & Spa- esp the spa.  Lake on one side, pool on the otha

 

They had these optional robes to wear between your massage/ the sauna/ steam room/ pool/ hot tub/ whatever & Eddie thought it was necessary to wear one poolside

water station by the pool. My dream of having a cabana boy come around refilling my beverage whenever it got low became a reality at the JW spa

There's over 100 golf courses in PS- the one at the resort is so beautiful.  The lake behind me starts in the resort and little boats come pick people up right at the hotel and take them to the shopping/ restaurant area

Eddie's Great Uncle Wally & Great Aunt Ruth- so generous, such fun people

we then headed to the Santa Monica boardwalk

Ever since I got here 6 weeks ago I've wanted to ride the ferris wheel on the pier at Santa Monica- check

on to... the Griffith Observatory overlooking LA.  It's better at night but we didn't have time- oh well

Next up: Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive.  This was more for me than him but whatev, I think he liked it too.  We stopped at the famous cupcake place SPRINKLES and got cupcakes for us & my roomies (6 cupcakes for $20!  I mean they were good.. but not THAT good).  The line is always out the door.  always.

What a good weekend~ 

Thai & Malibu

So with this internship I spend a lot of time in restaurants.  In a nut shell what we do is rally opposition against the styrofoam ban, which has been proposed by the State of California.  Everyday we go to restaurants all over CA, targeting those in the districts of certain Assemblymen who will have the most influence on the bill.  We are PRO-FOAM. It's actually really fun.  We get paid for doing the job no one wants to do, but I'm learning a lot about grassroots efforts and organizing people to better their lives/ work /the environment.  

So anywho, back to how we are always in restaurants.  During my last month in CA I've probably eaten at well over 20 different restaurants and discovered things  I never knew I would like; lots of new ethnic foods.  But as a whole, we interns have eaten at IT'S THAI more than any other place.  It's our absolute fav and the pic below was taken one night when we all, unbeknownst to each other, showed up at the place at 10:00 pm!  We were the only ones there.  Funny thing is.... we were all there the night before too =)  It rules. 

Kainoa, Betty & I in Malibu at Zuma Beach

the tidepools complete w/ purple crabs~  The water is so green/blue 

I forget what this is called but this guy made it look so easy.  Evidently it's the hardest water sport there is and it's such a good work out; I'm in

Can you spot the little window up in the trees??  I imagine it being a giant room with hardwood floors and the only thing in it is a huge modern bed with a big white fluffy comforter and sheer curtains blowing in the wind.  Looking right out over the ocean...my idea of perfection

i was here

..Here's to more sunshiny beach days