Morris meets Becks

not face to face but he got to watch him play from the second row.

Thursday night Morris and some of his class mates went to see Beckham and the LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. The Galaxy were defeated by Chivas USA and Beckham was not able to get one past the keeper but a few close calls kept the game interesting.

It's You

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy timesIt's you, it's you, You make me sing.You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

On Wednesday Jaime, Tawni and I went to see Michael Buble at the Greek Theatre. It was such a perfect night to go to a show at this outdoor amphitheatre- even though our seats were the very last row. He put on such an amazing show-I loved every minute of it. He is such a performer and you can't help but fall in love with Buble and his boyish charm.

Tent Camping

Last weekend Morris and I headed to Yosemite National Park for some tent camping (I call it "tent camping" because until now my kind of camping always meant a cabin in a wooded area). Morris and I have lived in California for two years now and our list of things to see in this beautiful state is still quite lengthy. With residency applications sent out I realize we may not live in California for much longer. Yosemite was high on my list of things to see so my sister in law and I started planning the trip. We met up with Ben and Heidi on Saturday morning for a hike to the giant sequoias only to discover it was much further than we anticipated and the blisters already forming on our feet after 4 miles encouraged us to turn around and later drive back to the Mariposa grove of trees. After our "hike" we decided to go set up camp and have some lunch. When we reached our campsite we soon realized why #56 was the only remaining campsite in the park. Not one tree or ounce of shade on this barren waste land. Heidi and I then discovered why girls do not plan camping trips. After some begging and pleading and maybe a little bit of girl charm used on the park ranger we were able to be relocated to a new site that was much better. We set up camp and took a swim in the Merced River that was just behind the new site. We spent the next few hours roasting marshmallows on the fire and laughing around the camp fire. Sunday morning we headed to the other side of the park to get a view of Half Dome and El Capitan. We hiked up to Bridalveil Falls only to discover a lite mist trickling over the edge--you have to come earlier in the season to see the falls. We had a picnic lunch and then said good bye to Ben and Heidi. We had so much fun camping with both of you, can't wait to see you guys soon. Next time we go to Yosemite I think I would like to check in to here or here instead--I am not sure I am cut out for Tent Camping.

J.A.M.M.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have 3 of my roommates from college in town. Jennie, Melinda, Michelle and Me (Ashley) have decided it has become necessary to have a girls weekend once a year. This is our second year to meet for our girls weekend we have named "JAMM"--the initials that make up our names. Last year we spent a weekend in Vegas and this year the girls decided a weekend in So. Cal was just what we needed. We had a great weekend full of all things girl. We spent time shopping, visiting museums, dining at the local hot spots and a few hours soaking up some rays in Santa Monica. We had such a good time catching up on all of the happenings in the last year and giggling and talking into the wee hours of the morning. Morris was such a good sport and was so nice to let us girls take over the apartment. We had such a good time and I am so glad we could have this weekend of fun. Thanks for coming girls, it was great to have you here. Can't wait until next year.

You might live in the ghetto if...

Your neighbors dry there clothes like this. Seriously people, wet clothes on ink--not smart. The above picture is the scene I found when I came home from work yesterday. I thought I would share with all of you how sweet life is in the place we call home.

I love Tito's Tacos...

You love Tito's too, the only thing better than a Titio's Taco-is TWO! Los Angeles has lots to offer in the way of cheap Taco restaurants. Morris and I can always agree on Tito's. There tacos are the best. Try them-I think you will like them too!

Blockbuster is Better

After a year of service as devoted Netflix customers we have decided to make the switch from Netflix to Blockbuster. I had initially resisted the change but I am now embracing Blockbuster with open arms. Let me tell you a couple reasons why you should consider making a change as well.

1. Each movie you receive by mail can be returned to a Blockbuster store and be exchanged for another video from the store.

2. When a movie is returned to the store a new movie will be shipped to you immediately even when you have one at home from the store.

3. You get a free movie/game coupon each month.

4. Our subscription is 4 cents cheaper than Netflix.

5. It gives us twice as many nights to veg at home with a good flick.

Ok, so Morris and I need a bit more to do in our spare time.

Nice to meet you Miss Potter

This weekend I watched the movie Miss Potter. As I watched this movie I thought of all of the times I was tucked into bed to the words of Beatrix Potter. I loved the nights my father would read me tales of Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. The movie tells the life of Beatrix Potter and the challenges she faced in becoming a published author and the difficult relationship she shared with her mother. I really enjoyed this movie and the memories it evoked of Mrs. Tittelmouse and Jemina Puddle-Duck and others. I look forward to the days of kneeling by my children in bed and sharing the stories of this beloved child author.

Student Life

This is what I have resorted to so I can spend some time with my husband. Last night Morris and I had planned to go to the beach for FHE. At about 7:00 PM and Morris was still not home from school I realized the beach was not going to happen so I headed up to the school so I could be with him while he worked on some lab projects. I read Morris articles from the Ensign and watched a movie-Gray Matters (kind of werid) on my laptop while he set teeth. Oh the glorious day of dental school.

Christoper turns 6!

Saturday was my nephew Christopher's birthday. Morris and I headed out to celebrate after a very early session in the temple (5 AM). Christopher had decided to have a bowling party and I was excited to use my cake skills again, I didn't think I could mess up a bowling cake too bad. We had a great time at the party and the cake turned out pretty cute. It was a fun day spent celebrating with family. Happy Birthday Chris(topher)!

Claire has arrived!

On Christmas Day my brother Jeff and his wife Annette announced they would be having the 17th grandchild on the Allen side. Claire was born on July 19th and she is beautiful. We are so happy she is here. I can't wait to meet this little musher. I think her brother is a big fan of her as well.

Mmmm...Sprinkles

We did it! We finally braved the lines at the Kwik E Mart today. This morning Morris and I got up and decided we needed some pink donuts and squishees for breakfast. It was the mega sugar overload about an hour later that was not that fun. 7-11 has transformed 11 stores in the US to Kwik E Mart's to promote the opening of The Simpsons Movie. Each of the 7-11's are now stocked with all kinds of Simpson products and games. You can pick up your own box of Crusty O's a six pack of Buzz Cola or radioActive Man comic book. There was even an Abu (ish) man behind the counter. I may have to go back for another yummy vanilla Squishee (Simpsons lingo for a Slurpee), it was my favorite--maybe later in the day next time. "Thank you Come Again".

Who is it?

The above picture is the scene of some very hungry paparrazzi in Beverly Hills near my work. For the last two days I have tried to weave my way between hundreds of cars parked on the street waiting of the perfect shot of (?). I am going to continue to do some investigating and see if I can find out who has brought this many people out for a single shot. Maybe I will get lucky on one of my many daily drive by's and get my own peek. I suspect it is the Beckhams. Who else could be drawing this much attention?

Thank Goodnes for...

The last couple months I have been suffering from allergies for the first time in my life. And I am not enjoying them. The itchy eyes, runny nose, and constant sneezing are about enough to put me over the edge. I know I should not complain as many people suffer from allergies each year and this is my first time in 25 years of life. I recently had to discover Benadryl ALLERGY and I am so grateful for it. To all of you allergy suffers, I am sorry, and I now feel your pain.

Weekend Events

Morris and I had a pretty peaceful weekend. After being out of town for so long we were both looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. On Friday night we headed to Santa Monica to run the "Santa Monica Stairs". Completely exhausted and some 500 stairs later we decided some cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory was well deserved. We picked up a video and enjoyed our cheesecake at home. Saturday we headed to dinner in Torrance and then decided to take a scenic drive home on the PCH. We took a walk on the beach looking at all the nice beach houses and talked about the joys of living in Southern California. I like being a Cali girl--for now.

Swimmin Shin-Dig

Last Thursday Morris and I went to a swimming party for our friend Sean who was celebrating his entrance into his late twenties--his wife said it not me. Marissa and Sean hosted a great party at Bishop Loveless's house complete with burgers, watermelon, and some water basketball. It was a great night spent with good friends. Thanks Youngs for a good time.

Bear Lake=Happiness

Morris loves Bear Lake. He has been going there with his family for as long as he can remember. He loves it there. Morris has missed out on the last two summers of trips to the lake 1. Because he decided to get married to a wonderful woman and 2. Because he had to study for a huge test that determines the rest of our life. Had it not been for those two huge events Morris would have been there. He was not going to let another summer pass without getting to the lake. Our visit to the lake this year was very short (1.5 days) but it was well worth the wait. We spent most of our time basking in the sun at the "beach", riding the jet ski, and golfing. We had a great time (1.5 days) there and look forward to our visit next year. Thanks Morris and Dixie for the good times.

July 4th Fun

Morris and I spent the 4th of July in Logan enjoying the fireworks and spending time with family. Each year Morris's parents host a large family/neighborhood gathering at their home--his parent's backyard has a great view of Aggie Stadium. Morris loves the 4th of July and I am happy we were able to be in Logan to celebrate this year. We love spending time with our nieces and nephews and look forward to the days when the visits are not so few.

I screamed for ICE CREAM

Our last night in town we all headed down to Hawks Memorial Stadium to watch some Boise Hawks baseball. The Hawks did not play well at all resulting in a 11-2 final score. The highlight of the evening was that I screamed the loudest in our section and won FREE ice cream. Yeah for no soft pedal as my dad would always say--"Ashley, don't you have a soft pedal on that voice?"

The Beautiful Boise River

So many of my memories growing up involved the Boise River. Boise has so many wonderful attractions and the river is one of the greatest. The Boise River runs through the entire town and has paved running and biking trails on both sides of the river. These paths are called The Greenbelt and run the entire distance of the river. As children we would often take walks on the Greenbelt and have summer picnics along the river at our favorite spot we called "Allen Beach". We always had a dog growing up, mostly Vizsla's. We had one dog; Meisha that loved to chase ducks in the river and run down the Greenbelt while my younger brother Todd would be pulled by Meisha on his roller blades. Each summer in high school we would spend many summer days beating the heat by floating the river.

Sunday night after many of my family members left town Morris and I met up with Jeff and Annette for a walk along the river. Annette and I played with Lincoln while the big boys had rock skipping contests. Monday afternoon I took Morris down the river(well Morris took me--he paddled the entire time). We had a small 2 person raft and we relaxed as we floated down the river on a hot summer day. It was so fun being in Boise and showing Morris all of the things that make Boise so great and all of the things I did a child.

The Main Event

Our entire excuse to go to Boise. Todd and Kim were married on Saturday the30th. It was a beautiful day in the Boise Temple. This was the first time my parents have had all 8 children and spouses in the temple together. Kim was a beautiful bride and we are so excited to have Kim officially be an Allen. The day was perfect from the sealing and luncheon to the reception. It was fun to be at the reception and to see some old faces from high school and to catch up on the happenings of where I come from. Congratulations Todd and Kim! We love you!

Main Street Mile

Three years ago my brother began a race in Boise called the Main Street Mile to promote men's health. Many of my family member have traveled to Boise over the last couple years to run in the race and to support Jeff in his efforts. This was the first year Morris and I were able to be there on race day. It was so fun to watch as my nieces and nephews run behind an ice cream truck and to see the delight on there faces at the end of the race when they each were rewarded with an ice cream bar. My nephew Lincoln (Jeff's son) who is almost 2 was born with club feet, he wore casts and braces for the first months of his life to correct his condition. It was neat and very emotional for me to see him complete the race on his own with his dad holding his little hand the entire way.

The Tempest

Our first night in Boise Morris and I went to see The Tempest at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. I was really looking forward to seeing The Tempest at this wonderful outdoor theatre set on the Boise River. We laid out our blanket under the stars and enjoyed this great work by Shakespeare.

All 8 Allen's

This is the Allen family photo that was taken when were in Boise for Todd's wedding. It is not very often that all 8 of us are together so we have to take a family photo each time it happens. I will post the photo with spouses when it arrives from the photographer.

That Makes TWO!

On June 24th Morris and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. We had originally planned to spend the weekend in Santa Barbara but after looking into local B&B's we discovered it was way out of our price range. So we opted for a relaxing day in LA and decided to go to Santa Barbara for a day trip another time. We had massages in the afternoon and then headed to the beach for a few hours of sun bathing. We had been wanting to go to dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse for a long time and we thought our anniversary was the perfect excuse for a nice dinner. I took a break from my sugar free diet for some delicious creme brulee--my favorite dessert. I think we will be going back just for dessert every time I need a sugar high.

It was a perfect day. It was so fun to spend an entire day with Morris without the stress of school and work on our minds. It has been a wonderful two years together and look forward to all of our adventures ahead. I love you Babe!

Can I be Sugar Free?

...I am not convinced. Last Saturday I decided I was going to attempt to cut sugar out of my diet. Not all sugars--I love bread way to much to do that. I am going to try to get rid of snacks and desserts (my ultimate weakness). I feel like every meal should be ended with a dessert of some sort or even just dessert for dinner (I only get away with this when my husband does not make it home for dinner).

So it is now Thursday (6 days) and I have done much better than I thought I would--thank goodness for Diet Pepsi. I secretly did not want to tell anyone so I could sneak a treat every now and then. I guess I blew that plan. I realize I have to do much more than just simply get rid of sweets to see an improvement in my waistline but we are going to take baby steps.

Here's to being sugar free--sort of.