Andrew Blesses Wedding From Samoa

Why We Went Through With It

Just a few photos of the wedding that made all the difficulties worth it. Just FYI, the best pictures are at the bottom, so if you're here, you may as well scroll down and see them all.

The entire wedding party (with a few people blocked out, oops)












The Salt Family (minus Andrew)














Anyone able to add Andrew In?















The cute couple



















Nice Groom's Cake!!!











I'm with him for how long?















I'm surprised that no one has a hernia (and that Sarah didn't get kicked in the face!)














And now the good stuff... Nathan decided that he should also get some shots to add to his portfolio for his future modeling career. Please forward to the right people as you see fit.








































































Hopefully you can see how happy they look and know that while it was difficult for us to feed so many and get everything ready while my wife worked just about every night the week previous, it was a great day.

We wish Natalie & Nathan all the luck in the world.

We Survived!!!

Thanksgiving this year was a little over whelming for me. As it approached I tried to not think about it. Thanksgiving plans for this year started many months ago. I was scheduled to work the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, and was not looking forward to flying to the Momma and Papa Salt house after work. Matt suggested that the family come here, to Colorado for Thanksgiving, and they agreed. I can handle that, me, Matt, Momma and Papa Salt, Choppy, Sarah, Ally, Nathan, Natalie, Adam, Grandpa Joe and Annette. No big deal, 12 people.

Then Nathan and Natalie decided they wanted to get married, and they could not wait for a better time than Thanksgiving and a wedding in Denver. My guest list for dinner jumped from 12 to 32 as it included Natalie's parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. I was just a little worried, mainly because I only have 4 kitchen chairs. During my stressed out moments, I would call my mother, who suggested I lay out a blanket and we have dinner picnic style. I liked that idea, Matthew did not. This is where my quest for chairs, tables, tablecloths, plates, silverware, cooking pots, food, etc, began.

Now that it is over I can say that it went alright. Nonetheless, it did not go with out my moments of crying and freaking out. As the day got closer, things started falling into place, mainly because Matt's mother is amazing and did a ton, including all the cooking. We had several late nights and early mornings to prepare. Here are some pictures:

Summer of A Thousand Vacations: Act IV - BYU vs UCLA

As you may be able to tell this post is way over due. A while back Matt kept telling his brother to find him a UCLA ticket and that he would drive out and go to the game. I thought to myself, like that is going to happen, that game is sold out, and the only tickets available one could purchase for over $100 a ticket. Well, the week of the game, Nathan called and said that some one in his group was actually not going to be able to attend the game and he had one extra ticket. That was enough for Matt so we made the trip. We arrived at my parents house late Friday night. Soon after Nathan and a few of his buddies arrived as well. The boys went downstairs and started playing XBox. They had so much fun on my parents projector that they played till 4:30am.

The next day as they were all leaving to head to Provo for the game, my generous little sister called and said that she had homework or what ever and I could use her ticket if I wanted. I was torn, can I take this ticket from her. My mom said don't worry about it and if she wants to give it to me, than take it. So I jumped in the car and off I went.

We don't need to dwell on the game much because we all know BYU Football is amazing, and that game was awesome, well at least the 2nd quarter was really exciting.


It was a fast trip, but fun none the less. Thanks to Kristin and Jamie for letting us have their tickets at no cost. (We will not tell them that they could have sold them for some good money)

If you look really hard, you might even be able to see the score in this picture.

Summer of A Thousand Vacations: Act III - Matt's High School Reunion

The week after our camping trip, was my 10 year high school reunion. So after a strenuous 3 day work week, we flew down to Houston for the weekend.

I will admit that I always enjoy going home. Even if my parents decide to retire somewhere else, Houston will always be home. The thick air, an Ultimate Cheeseburger & Milkshake at Jack In The Box, Blue Bell, and just being in the places that are so familiar. It happens when you spend 16+ years living there.

So we headed to the Salt Homestead, and enjoyed the afternoon with my parents. The it was off to a seminary reunion. It was good to see some of my friends that went through four years of early morning seminary together. We enjoyed cupcakes and updates from everyone in attendance and what they knew about other friends that couldn't be there. Thanks to Charlotte & Shannon for helping to arrange things. I hope that we can do this again at the next high school reunion, as it was the better of the two events for sure.

The next day was the high school reunion. It was at a posh hotel in the Galleria (the upscale shopping district in Houston). After wandering around the mall trying to find it, let's just say that I was underwhelmed at the attendance. For a class of 400+ kids, there were maybe 40 or so people in attendance. And the people there were predominantly the kids that were popular in high school. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being there and seeing a few friends from HS, but there were only 4 or 5 people that I really hung out with in High School. I actually had a better time when we left the reunion and headed to a nearby bar with those 4-5. Good to know AFTER shelling out $130. My advice, make sure that the people that you want to see are going to go before you spend the money to go.

The next day we spent time with my parents, and headed back to Denver. It was a nice weekend, but I have conflicted feelings about doing it again.

Summer of A Thousand Vacations: Act II - Arches

Over Labor Day weekend we arranged some camp sites in Arches National Forest, and invited several family members to attend. We had quite a turn out with my parents, sisters, suedo brother-in-law, Matt's brother, girlfriend, and old mission companion. Our total was about 30 people. It is always so much fun to get together with family.


We camped in Arches at Devils Campground. It turned out to be fun. We were surrounded by large rocks that we very pretty. We arrived Thursday night along with my sisters Pam and Kristin and Kristin's mission comp. The next morning after breakfast, Matt said he would be back because he was going to explore/climb the rocks. I chuckled at this because it is always fun to see his boyhood come out.


Among other things we did were hiking the delicate arch, swimming in the river, roasted marshmallows, and survive the heat, rain, and wind. If you have never been, you should try to make it some time.






As we were packing up, preparing, and planning to go to Arches, I was thinking to myself, this is a lot of work and it is just Matt and I. Think about my sister with her 5 kids. Then we arrived and talking with the adults and watching the little children run and play, climb in the rocks and dig in the sand, you realize that the work is all worth it.


Matt and Carli

Paige with Kanobee













Cale





Debbie and Cale

Summer of A Thousand Vacations: Act I - Idaho

As our first summer in Denver drew to a close, Debbie & I found ourselves in the middle of a whirlwind tour of America. It seems that everything that we had to do all summer was scheduled in a 5 week window in late August and early September.

Our first destination, Idaho. Debbie's Maid-of Honor, Angela, was herself getting married. So we loaded up the car and decided to head over after work on a Thursday. Because my wife is too cheap to spring for a hotel, we decided to camp in Jackson Hole (or thereabouts) on our way to Idaho Falls. (On a side note, this can at times be a good quality of my wife. At other times it's rather frustrating. This time I'll go with good quality).

Near the place that we stayed, we even had the pleasure of seeing some Buffalo on the side of a road on our way back to the highway.

This was a part of Wyoming that I never knew existed. It was a pleasure to drive through, unlike the god-forsaken wilderness that surrounds most of I-80 through the state.

It was so nice we stopped to take a picture (not too bad for setting it on top of the car and running over to the spot if I do say so myself).

I think that it was especially fun for Debbie as she got to visit all the places that she got to go to as a child. We stopped and had a square ice cream, visited the place that she went to girls camp and reminisced about all the time that she spent in the mountains between Jackson Hole and Idaho Falls.

This trip also became our de facto anniversary celebration. We stayed at the same hotel that we did when we were married. It was nice to be able to get away from our jobs and enjoy some time where someone else picks up the towels (ok well that was nice for Debbie, cause she does do most of the picking up at the Salt Casa).

And of course there was the wedding. What does a guy really supposed to say about a wedding? Well except that it was very warm to be outside wating for the bride and groom to come out for pictures, it was very nice. Beyond that, I guess I'll let our photos say it for us.

Have and Have nots!

I found this off a friend's blog, Jill, and I thought it might be fun. You should do it too! If you'd like to take up this challenge, simply reprint this list on your blog, and highlight in bold the things your have accomplished.

Have and Have nots!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Known CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

What a great mother we have!

My wonderful mother has done it! She and my dad dropped their last child off at college. I was curious how my mother was holding up, having pictured this day for a long time and it not being pretty. Then I received this e-mail. It was sent by my mother to all of us kids. It is just a little spec of how much my mother loves us all.



Well, we're officially "empty nesters" and it isn't all that great. After 38 years of raising kids in the home, it's sad to have them all gone. But when I saw Kammi in her college apartment and she was so happy, and was growing up to experience being on her own, I didn't feel sad, but was very happy for her. I will sure miss her being around here and hearing her music and seeing her shoes in the living room and her other stuff left around, and her friends over to visit. She'll come back once in a while and I will really love that. . . I really do enjoy the times that we can all get together. Enjoy raising your kids while they are in your home. They are all so precious. I'm grateful I was blessed to be able to raise kids for so long. It's been the very best part of my life.

I love you all,

Mom



I am so thankful for all that my mother has and still does. She loves all of us and we all know that we are her #1. We know that what ever we do she will always support us. When ever we have a hard day she is always available to talk about it. I always knew growing up that no matter what happened to me, be it at school, in my social life or other, that she would take my side while all the others were wrong. Thanks for everything mom!! I love you!

This is a picture of all of us (except for Kristin and the new babies) last year at Karen's wedding

Fortune cookie I hope comes true soon.

The other night Matt and I went out to eat at PF Chang's. It was a great dinner. The conversation, as usual, turned to children. As many may know, Matt and I can't have children, so we were discussing adoption options, for the millionth time, timing, finances, etc. The conversation changed and we went on with our meal. As we paid for our meal they brought us our fortune cookies. After Matt ate his, he smiled and handed me his fortune. This is what his fortune read.




It was a good ending to a good meal.

Hotter Than Hell???

Well I can confirm one thing, Arizona in July is really quite warm. It's really a dead heat for which is hotter in the summer in my mind, Houston or Phoenix.

Thank goodness for Blue Bell (available in both places), Jack-In-The-Box Milkshakes (available in both places) & swimming pools (a requirement in both places).

We had a great time with everyone that we were able to see, and we're sad we couldn't be there longer to see everyone else (and that Debbie was sick for a day or two, cutting into visiting time).

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we had being a part of them!!!


Uncle Matt & Danielle became fast friends!!!















Cale & Carli ready for church.














What they were really thinking!!!















Carli looks lovely in the morning!!!














After the blessing, all the family took a picture:

The Little Kammi all grown up!

This post is a bit over due. Last month I was able to travel back to Utah to attend Kammi's High School graduation. It was fun to be with Kammi and to celebrate with her. Going to a high school graduation brought back many memories. I loved high school, I loved all the talk about starting a new adventure, about the friendships made, and on and on. Now she is off to college. Through out the whole graduation my mother kept commenting, "I can't believe Kammi is graduating." I don't think she ever imagined this, she has been raising children since our oldest sister was born in 1970. That is 38 years of raising kids. What a wonderful mom with all the service that she has put into her children. She won't know what to do with herself next year with out having Kammi's games to go to.

Kammi, along with all of her soccer teammates, wore her soccer socks. It was pretty stylish with her skirt and cute shoes.

Good Luck Kammi!!!

New Tagged

The Five Tag

5 years ago: (2003) I had just finished my junior year at BYU. Matt and I had just started dating. I went to Denver for the summer, to live with my sister and work for South Suburban Parks and Rec moving parks with Rahmon. What a strange person. Great times.

5 Months Ago: (January) I was studying for the NCLEX. Yuck!! After I passed I started my current job as a RN

5 Things on my to do list:
1. Finish unpacking
2. Check out of apartment
3. Send e-mails
4. Iron
5. Make dinner

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Any candy/sweets
2. Yogurt
3. Pretzels/chips
4. Peanuts
5. Drinks, such as crystal light, and choc milk

5 Things I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:
1. Adopt some children from Africa and Asia
2. Pay off our school loans
3. Build an amazing house
4. Buy a fast car, and I guess one that would fit our new children
5. Invest for the future

5 of my BAD habits:
1. My OCD tendencies, then teasing my sisters for doing the exact same thing
2. Being mean to Matt to make him mad
3. Wasting time
4. Interrupting others conversations
5. Forgetting who I told what to

5 Places I have lived:
1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Provo, UT
3. Hite, UT
4. Katy, TX
5. Aurora, CO

5 Jobs I have had:
1. Counter girl at D&L Cleaners
2. Parks and Rec mover
3. Lake Powell Dock worker
4. Nanny
5. Registered Nurse

5 things people don't know about me:
1. I am not sure, I usually tell everyone everything.
2.
3.
4.
5.

5 people that I tag:
1. Angela
2. Sarah
3. Katie
4. Stacey
5. Kristen

THE KITCHEN

Well, we finally got all of our appliances. Since we bought a foreclosure the previous owner took everything, all the appliances, the garage door opener and even the rack to hang the towels on. They did leave the end things, what ever they are called, to attach the rack to. That was nice. The one good thing about it was that we got to go and pick out nice matching appliances. The last one was delivered yesterday. Also, Matt was brave enough to install the microwave. He did a great job, and was so proud of himself. He is definitely getting braver at trying things and seeing how it goes. Who knew he was so handy? Enjoy the pictures.




This is where we will be putting our kitchen table in addition to replacing a few blinds. Nice!

We bought a house!!!

Matt and I are officially home owners. It is kind of strange, yet exciting. We closed on April 30th and had some problems getting the water turned on and other things, but it finally is all set to go. It was a foreclosure and had been empty for quite a while, therefore we are taking our time moving in. My sister Donna, and her five kids came over and helped us clean. It is pretty dirty and there is dog hair everywhere. Thanks Donna for your help!! It was great!! Her kids were awesome, they have too much of her OCD personality in them that they were so excited to clean and were constantly wanting to do more and help out. We are almost finished with cleaning and yesterday our carpets got cleaned and the house looks so different and so much better just with those few changes. Here is a picture of the outside. I will post more of the inside as we get more appliances and furniture moved in. (BTW, the neighbor was kind enough to leave his cars in our driveway while the house was empty)

Something About Matthew

I got tagged to write things about Matt, so here it goes:


A -ATV of choice? No idea
B - Born? May 1980
C-Cookies or Candy? Actually he would rather have a hamburger. There are certain cookies like snickerdoodles and candy like crunch bars and starburst, but he has to be in the right mood and have milk with his cookie or else he won't eat it.
D-Date of Choice when you go out? Dinner, then to some sort of ball game, Dynamo, Rockets, etc
E-Essential Item? Cell Phone and glasses
F-Favorite Foods? Matt loves dinner, lasagna, fish, and steak
G-Gas or Diesel vehicle? Gas
H-Hobbies? Let's see.... watching or playing sports, watching the Discovery and History channel, creating excel spreadsheets.
I-Ice Cream Flavor? I am not real sure, we don't ever buy it and he never asks for it, but I would guess either vanilla or mint.
J-Job? Financial Analyst at Northrup Grumman
K-Kids? none
L-Last Vacation as a couple? Pretty much every vacation we go on is as a couple, but last summer we went to D.C. with my sister Sharon and her husband.
M-Morning person or night owl? Night owl--stays up all hours of the night
N-Number of Siblings? 3 brothers and 1 sister, he is oldest.
O-OCD or sloppy? Sloppy, although he can be clean when he wants to be, if he knows people are coming over and such.
P-Pet Peeves? When I interrupt him when he is trying to tell me something
Q-Quiet or Loud? Loud.
R-Restaurant? Any fish place, because I never cook fish.
S-Sports? ALL
T-Tight wad or spender? Depends on what you are comparing it to. Compared to me, a spender, but that is not saying much.
U-Unknown Fact about him? He was best friends with his grandma and he has three kidneys.
V-Vegetables? Almost all of them.
W- Worst Habit? Leaving his dirty dishes around the house.
X-Xtra Curricular activities in high school? Seminary, I would consider early morning as extra, other than that I am not sure, he worked his junior and senior year.
Y-Your favorite things about him? He is always so nice and polite to me, and his favorite thing is to make me laugh
Z-Zodiac Sign? not sure... hmm.


I tag Sharon, Jill and Jana.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!

Today is Matt's Birthday and I wanted to wish him a happy birthday. You are the best. I love you so much, you make me laugh and cry and everything in between. I don't know what I would do without you. Thanks for all your help and always believing in me.

Do I Look Like A Little Girl???

(This post was not meant to offend little girls, in fact they are some of my favorite people.)

The other day I went to the doctor to among other things have them take a wart of my foot. When we got to that point of the procedure, he told me that the new laser treatment was better on your foot on the 2nd & 3rd day, but that it was worse on the day they did the treatment.

While he removed some of the skin in the area with a razor blade, I remembered that I had a basketball game that evening. So I asked the doctor how bad it was going to hurt that evening because I had said basketball game. He told me that it might hurt quite a bit and that we could wait until my next visit to take care of the wart.

Well that was just insulting. In my mind I thought to myself, do I look like a little girl? I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and shoot the wart & then just for fun shoot that laser somewhere else on my foot just for giggles. I mean seriously, do I look like a little girl?

And if the doctor thought that the laser was painful, then man he better hope to not have half the stuff I've had, because this was nothing. And thinking about that experience and having my wife laugh at the story repeatedly (is that a good thing or a bad thing???) had made me think about things that have made me "tough".

Kidney stones, concussions, a broken thumb & broken nose all seem to jump to the top of the list. Surfing lessons, climbing mountains & white water rafting also make the list. Growing up I did a lot of things that looking back on them would be considered really dangerous. And truth be told I wasn't even the adventurous one in the family, not by a long shot.

But I think that all those things made me a better person. Some were hard or painful. Some took more determination than I thought that I had. But they made me a better person and I hope that I can overlook the danger and let my kids enjoy some of life's more challenging adventures, even if they fall and scrap their knees along the way.

I mean, I don't want them to look like a little girl, well except if they are in fact little girls.