We Moved!

Tristan and I bought a house! We moved last weekend with the help of family and friends (sorry if I neglected to tell you).

Our new address is 817 2nd Ave SLC, UT 84103. Here is a picture of the outside.

I would show pictures of the inside but all you would see are boxes :).

What an adventure!

2 months later

I can hardly believe that it has been two months since we last posted anything here. There has been so much going on...probably to the point of being overwelming. There are so many pictures I could post that I can't post any right now. Here is a list of things that have happened since the beginning of August:

We went camping at Tanner Flats (little cottonwood canyon) in the middle of August and ended up in a hail storm. I think it was the coldest weekend of the summer. In fact, at the top of the canyon, they received a couple inches of snow. After it warmed up on Saturday we went on a great hike to Catherine's Pass. It was an adventurous weekend.

We went to watch the sunset at Antelope Island.

I decided to go back to school. I am going to at Salt Lake Community College working towards another degree (this will be my third). This time, Physical Therapy Assistant.

On September 22nd we celebrated the life of my father. A few of us (Kerry, Matthew, Casandra & Asa) took the afternoon to hike to Blanche Lake (Big Cottonwood Canyon). It is a hike that I once did with Dad. It was hard but rewarding.

Tristan and I decided to buy a house. We will be moving in December.

Mom was in charge of the Gappmayer family reunion this year. She was very good and recruiting Tristan and I to help. It was a great reunion!! Mom did an amazing job teaching all of us about our ancestors. We had a large Bounce House for the kids (and kids at heart). Tristan made a ton of smoked pulled pork (it was so good).

We celebrated Tristan's Birthday on September 26th at Bandit's (our favorite Park City restaurant).

Jaime and I ran in the Canyonlands, The Other Half, half marathon (13.1 miles). This was Jaime's first half marathon and she did awesome!

I know that I am missing some things...just know that we are doing well and weathering all that life throws our way.

Movie The Cove

Today, Kristy took me to see the move The Cove. With out knowing much about it other then the fact that we were recommended to see it by Kristy's sister Kim, I was totally blown away by this independent film. Outrage is simply not a strong enough word to convey the emotions that I feel regarding the topic of this movie. For those that have not seen this movie, I highly encourage you all to see this film and take a moment to see why this is my feelings. There were moments during this film that I could barely keep my rage under control.

The movie is in regards to an issue that should receive more press coverage and more public outcry against this type of debauchery. There have been many misunderstandings between cultures but this is beyond some simple misunderstanding. This is mindless savagery and barbaric behavior which the government of Japan both on a local level and higher levels have convinently turned a blind eye to.

The slaughter of over 23,000 dolphins happens each year in Taiji, Japan. The whole sale slaughter of dolphins should never be attributed to TRADITION. Each time the question has been raised the answer provided was that we would not understand since it is tradition. Human nature some times astonishes me sometimes on how ridiculous our actions are. Despite proof being provided the continued harvesting of dolphins still takes place each year from September through March.

How far have we come when a barbaric act goes unpunished for years? When the so called governing body of the world IWC continues to view this as below their prevue? A toothless organization that fails in its attempt to be a guardian to our oceans. Where votes by members can be purchased in support of a nation that struggles to provide answers that are logical and clear cut. The blame for the decline in the fishing around the world has been placed squarely at the feet of the whales. This is what Japan has been trying to prove to get the anti-whaling law repealed. They have tried to buy the support of voting countries to get that accomplished. The decline in the fishing is due to a multiple conditions that typically point to one common point of origin, MAN.

There are many things that can be said, but it comes down to this simply fact, quoting Edmund Burke "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Will you act?

Happy B-Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEY

August 8, 2009

Into the terrific 2s!

On this day...

August 7th will always be the day my Father, Claron Edwin Swenson, was born and is a day to celebrate! I have to admit this one was a little harder than those of the past. I decided to take ballons to the cemetary this year...

...they were still floating around the family plots today.

Tristan and I took Mom to dinner on the 7th. When we first planned the dinner we thought a place in the mountains would be good because it would be cooler than the city. We decided on the Silver Fork Lodge in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It turned out that the valley was cool and the mountain were cold. I think Dad would have liked our choice and especially the surroundings!

Kim and Andreas' day

Kim and Andreas were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on August 1st, 2009. They were married last year on August 16th in California. Now they have been sealed in the Temple for time and all eternity. It was a beautiful ceremony. Earlier in the day Kim and Andreas spent and hour with Busath Photography on the Temple grounds taking pictures. Kim asked me to take a few pictures after so that they could have pictures to put on tables at the dinner. We went inside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for the pictures. It was a lot of fun working with Kim and Andreas! After the Temple cermony I also took some candid and group pictures. We then went to The Roof Restaurant for dinner. Here are some pictures from the morning:

Seeing Red...Finally

The tomatoes are finally turning RED!!! Well one cherry tomato is getting a little red but I will take anything we can get. We have a ton of green tomatoes on our 4 plants which include cherry, pear and a couple of early girls (which have not been so early). The zucchini plant has already produced about 10 large zucchini (I am ready to make zucchini bread). The squash plant is also producing some great crookneck. We have a couple of winter squash plant that are trying to take of the entire garden and they are now growing up the fence. Then there are the watermelon and cantaloupe plants are are starting to look promising...we may have the fruit in September. Once again it has been fun and therapeutic to spend time in the garden. Who ever would have thought that pulling weeds could be fun!

Cowboys VS. Steelers

It is flag football season again for Isaiah and he is playing for the Cowboys. The competitions this year is a little tougher, the kids are a little bigger, they are itchin to tackle (that will happen next year), a score is kept this year and everyone seems to all be having a lot of fun. It is fun to watch Isaiah play and improve each week. He plays tough and is a good sport even when the score is not in their favor. Here are some pics I took this week.

Nieces and Nephews

For Father's Day 2009, I decided to that for my brother's gift I would take pictures of their children without them knowing and give them a picture(s). I had a ton of fun running around with the kids taking pictures on their terms. Next time I should try candy...I hear it works well with kids (but then I would have to deal with drool). I still need to take pictures of David's 5 girls while there are in SLC and I will post them in a couple of weeks.

Here are of shots:

Zachary (age 1) - son of Aaron and Jaime

Caden (7 months) - son of Daniel and Becky

Caley (age 1) - daughter of Daniel & Becky

Casey (age 8) - daughter of Becky & Daniel

Asa (17 months old)- son of Matthew and Cassandra

Isaiah (age 7) - son of Kerry & Quentin

Swenson Family Camping Trip 2009

We spent another 4th of July at the Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was fun to spend time with family!

At the end of the trip there was a stubborn tent stake that nobody could get out. It was decided to dedicate the it to Dad and leave it in the ground.

It was a great trip!!!

New England Adventure

We just took a wonderful vacation to New England. I felt like I was home! I will admit that I had forgotten some of the short cuts that I knew so well when I lived in Boston but the windy New England roads are fun to drive on. This was jam packed trip that took in the Mountains, Oceans and City. I will try to keep the travel log short:

Saturday:
We arrived in Burlington, VT after taking the red eye flight. We drove through the city and even took in the Farmer's Market that had just started. We drove along the lake shore to take in some for Lake Champlain. That night we stayed in Stowe, VT at a Bed & Breakfast. On our way to the B&B we stopped and the Ben & Jerry's Factory for a tour and free sample. Then it started to rain...or was a deluge. We toured Stowe (it did not take very long). We took the time to drive up to the Von Trapp Family Lodge (Yes, this the Von Trapp family made famous by the Sound of Music). The view was stunning!

Sunday:
Tristan and I decided that we would avoid driving on the main highway as much as possible. It is a great thing that we had a handy GPS system that came with the rental car. We were on a mission to find some of the old covered bridges in VT. Mission Accomplished! We headed to Sharon, VT to the Joseph Smith Memorial. After spending some time at the Memorial we drove past the Quechee Gorge (The Grand Canyon of Vermont...although it is nothing like the Grand Canyon :)!). A quick stop at the Simon Pierce Glass Making shop was on the to do list. They were making a couple types of glasses when we were then. New Hampshire was the next stop, with a drive across the Kancamagus Highway (this cuts through the White Mtns). There were a couple stops along view points and some of my favorite trailheads (Sawyer Pond). We made it to North Conway and our next Inn.

Monday:
Our trip to the top of Mt Washington was eventful. It is an 8 mile drive to the highest peak in the Northeast. I drove the car in 1st gear and did not exceed 20 miles (usually going 10-15). The drive started on the road surround by forest but it did not stay that way for long. The drop offs seem very big when you combine them with the expansive view. We reached the the top and found 90 miles of visibility (which is great considering the Mtn is usually covered with clouds), 24 degree temps, and 25 mph wind chill. We both hiked to the actual summit for some pictures.
South to Boston:
Ater checking into our hotel which up until the week before was a Sheraton, we headed out to see a few things in the area. We picked up some chinese food in Belmont and went to Walden Pond. We then headed to the old North Bridge in Concord and the Green in Lexington (with a few sites in between).

Tuesday:
FENWAY! We took a tour of Fenway Park. It was great to see Fenway from so many perspectives. We even got to go onto the field. We also took in the Red Sox vs Blue Jays game at night (Red Sox win 3-2). After the tour we did the 2nd half of the freedom trail and visited Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution. The USS Constitution is currently under construction (they are refinishing the main deck and a few other things), so the beautiful masts were not up. Were weren't able to go out and see Thompson Island (I worked here for 5 years) due to the unavailability of boats to and from the island, so we went to South Boston (Southie) and looked at the island from afar. I miss the smell of the ocean!

Wednesday:
This was our day to tour Boston. I could not bring Tristan to Boston and not go on the Freedom Trail. The trail starts at the Boston Common. For anyone who does not know the trail is a red brick line/painted red line that we follow from one historic location to another. We had a book that explained each for the sites from Graveyards to the North Church. We stopped by the best pastry shop in Boston, Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street. Tristan was even impressed. We took time to buy some souvenirs to take home. After spending hours on the Freedom Trail we took some time to sit in the Boston Gardens. It is very beautiful part of Boston. Wednesday night we went to Noelle Thurlow's for dinner. Noelle and I worked together at Outward Bound. I was great to see her girls Peregrine and Aquinah. She also invited Chris Wallingford and Joan. Chris and I also worked together at OB. It was great to see them all again!

Thursday:
Cape Cod...This part of MA is beautiful. We stopped in Plymouth and took in the sites...Plymouth Rock, Mayflower 2, Monument to the Forefathers and others. We then spent the day exploring several different beaches along the Cape Cod National Seashore. We stopped at a BBQ shack for lunch. We drove past the place initially but we could smell it half a mile down the road and decided to turn back to try it. We also stopped by several lighthouses found on the Cape. It was a great adventure. After have dinner at our B&B (we don't have very many good things to say about this B&B) we headed to Greys Beach for the Sunset. It was Beautiful!!!

Friday:
After a little more exploration of Cape Cod we headed toward New Hampshire. We stopped in Boston for another stop at Mike's Pastry and Anna's Taqueria (two of my favorite places!). We stayed with my friends the Blackwell Family in NH. I meet the Blackwells when I lived in NH in 2000. I took Tristan to Boston University Sargent Center where I worked when I lived in NH. I introduced him to Black Flies. Biting flies that are prevalent throughout the Northeast. We had a wonderful dinner with Lonnie which included Lobster, Steak, grilled pineapple and much more. It was great spending time with Lonnie!!! We were able to bring back NH Maple syrup that the Blackwells make each spring.

Saturday:
Travel Home.

I hope that nobody actually just read all of that but if you did I hope you enjoyed it! It really was a great trip for both of us.

Rainbows

We were with the Boulter family and friends on Saturday in Vernal and Roosevelt, Utah. We celebrated Kylie's Birthday and Baptism. It was great to see everyone! We then stopped to see the baby Claire and visit with Amy and Brooks. I like holding babies when they are sleeping!

On the way to and from the Uintah Basin we had rain, snow, hail, sleet and sun. Tristan said a few times that he was glad I was driving. There were times when it rained so hard that I could not see out the windshield w/ the wipers on the fastest setting.

We were almost home when were saw this

It was even better in person!

What a great site to the end of a great day!

Tulip Festival

We went to Thanksgiving Point last week to see thousands of Tulips at the annual Tulip Festival. The number of colors and varieties found at the festival are countless. We strolled around the 4 miles of trails, tried to stay out of shots when pictures where being taken and enjoyed the pleasant evening with occasional sunshine. Here are a few pictures (there are more being developed).


We have decided that we could do a much better job on our Tulip garden. So we are going to pull the bulbs and try again next year.

Easter Weekend

I am a little late in posting the pictures from Easter Weekend but it is better late than never.

With the entire Swenson family in town we got together for some activities. I have included pictures of the trip to the bowling alley. The 2 year olds, Rachel and Rebekah, were winning until the end. This was a first time bowling trip for many people.



We had a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt on Easter afternoon!

Salt Lake City 1/2 Marathon

I did it! Thanks to everyone who supported me in this effort! I was to especially thank Tristan for his amazing support through this process. The help with early morning Saturday runs...helping me through my aching muscles (like right now)...making me go to the gym even when I did not really want to go...and countless other things.

The run/walk (I don't want anyone thinking I run the whole thing) was great until I hit Mile 10. I was still pacing at my training pace. I wanted to cry when I hit state street and saw the hill we had to go up (it is not so bad in a car!). I just was not ready for it mentally, although I knew it was coming. The downhill of South Temple was a blessing. Before I knew it, it was over!

It was great to see friends and family along the way. Tristan was at the start and finish lines. I was standing next to my cousin Emily Duke at the starting line. Bruce and Melinda Dickson passed me and said hello (thanks!). Risa, Spencer, Ali and Owen Christensen were at mile 6 (I was able to give them my long sleeve shirt), Aaron, Jaime and Zachary Swenson were at at Gateway, and I also saw Wendy Wilson when I was close to the finish line.

I don't have my official time, but my unofficial time 2:46:02 (thanks to Tristan's shot of the time clock!).

Two months between posts

Let's see what is new in the Moore family lives.

First off, Kristy has been training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon over the last couple of months. She will run that tomorrow Saturday April 18th. Her training has made me think it over and come to a decision that I will try to get ready to run a half marathon with her in the fall of 2010. It is a lofty goal but it is the climb towards that I think that will help both of us grow closer to each other.

Second, Kristy and I are closing in on our one year anniversary on May 10th. We have decided to use our tax return to pay for a trip for the two of us to the new england area. We will be heading in to Burlington Vermont on our way to Boston, Cape Cod, New hampshire and other sites. Kristy will be my personal tour guide as we endeavor to see the sites in the time we are out there. For her it will be a return to a place near and dear to her heart. We are going to catch a Boston Red Sox game while we are out in Boston. I am totally excited to see the area since I have always wanted to go to the East coast and explore the area.

Third, our flower bed that we planted back in the fall has blossomed. We have a mixture of tulips and daffodils. It is right outside our bedroom window. A nice mixture of colors to look out and admire.

There are more things that have gone on through out these months, but since I am technically supposed to be working and my boss is calling right now, I should get back to work. More will be posted later.

We pray and hope that all is well with each of you.

Last Day of your life by David Osmond Lyrics

Here are the lyrics that I wished to share with you:

Some day I knew I'd make it
whatever that is please tell me
Absurd as it seems its crazy
But I am all cried out
I'm hungry for the things
the world has to offer me
But I know that it is a race
that I can't win
I'm looking to the skies to save me
and I am all cried out
but nothing is going to get me down
and i got to find my way somehow

so now I got to live like it is
the last day of my life
live for the things that make it right
live for the ones that make me free
open up your heart and you will see
live to be proud that i made the day
somebody else to make a way
I got to live, you got to live
like it is the last day of your life

time flies but I got to stay true
all of my promises i cross my heart
I will see it through
even though they are an ocean apart
I've realized that a change in my life
is up to nobody but me
today's going to be the day
I've finally found a way on who i am going to be
nothing is going to get me down
and i got to find my place some how

so now I got to live like it is the last day of my life
live for the things that make it right
live for the ones that make me free
open up your heart and you will see
live to be proud I made the day
some body else to make a way
I have got to live, you have got to live
like its the last day of your life

I am holding on
holding strong
cause before you know
its come and gone
oh its come and gone

so I've got to live like its the last day of my life
live for the things that make it right
live for the ones that make me free
open up your heart and you will see
live to be proud that I made the day
somebody else to make a way

I have got to live
you have got to live
like its the last day of your life
your life...

Visiting Amy & Brooks

My friends, Amy & Brooks Snow, live in Roosevelt, UT and I went to visit them (Amy and I were roommates in Boston for 3 years). It has been over a year since I last went out to their house so Janna and I were going to head out. In a turn of events it ended up just being me, which was fine. I had seen Amy and Brooks a couple times since I last visited but it was always quick moments in time where we did not get to talk. This was our chance to catch up on just about everything! I need to go back more often. They are great people!


Baby Shower for Amy...
Amy had a baby shower the weekend after I went to visit. She is expecting a girl (to be named Claire). I asked her if she has any boy names picked up as a backup...they don't. I told her the story and about my nephew Asa. Until Asa was born everyone thought he was going to be a girl and his name was going to be Asa. That all quickly changed when he arrived.
Amy, just have it as a backup...just in case.

Over the Hedge...

Tristan and I were driving home the other night when...I know many things happen to us when we drive...we were stopped by a raccoon. That's right a raccoon, in the middle of the road, just down the street from our house! It moved out the street and walked toward the yard of the closest house...It could have been looking for its apple. We thought for a moment that we should look around for a turtle, opossum, chipmunk, skunk and a bear. We drove home instead.

My Power Bird

Thanks to my friend, Echo, I found my power bird...what is yours?

Your Power Bird is a Cardinal

You believe that each day is precious, and you spend your times as best as you can. You see the wonder in small things, and you are often content with what you have. You live an interesting, colorful life - and you bring color to those around you. Confident and expressive, you believe you know how to live a good life. You're living it!

What's" Your Power Bird?

THE SKY IS FALLING

The oddest thing happened the other night...Tristan and I were driving down 5th East and were stopping at 21st south, when all of a sudden an APPLE rolled down the front windshield. Yes, you read that correctly an APPLE. There was not thud...it did not splatter...no one was around that could have thrown it at us. Tristan asked "Did you forget your apple on top of the car?" (I ate my apple for lunch). We had already driven 2 miles from our home, made several turns and stops. The apple settled by the windshield wippers and hung out until we got to were we were going. It happened to be a Braeburn apple...not the kind that we even buy. It was a strange experience.

I tell you the sky is raining apples!

Walking with Dinos

Up close and personnal with the dinos...well we weren't so close but it was amazing! Tristan and I went to the BBC presentation of Walking with Dinosaurs on Saturday. We were taken back millions of years to the beginning of the Dinosaur. In all, we learned about 15 Dinos (could have been more) that spanned those millions of years of time. Small and Large...and then even larger and stronger.

We took a few video clips of the show (no flash photography allowed) and have uploaded a couple (2 of 10).
ENJOY!

Out with the Old IN WITH THE NEW

The year in review Top 10 greatest things that have happened to me this year.

1) Finally got married. That has got to be a relief to my parents. I love you mom and dad but you had to be secretly wondering if I would ever take that step.

2) Moved out of college level apartments. Let me tell you, once you see the bright side of life instead of the cheap college life apartments, there is such a big sigh of relief.

3) I can actually say the words Love You or I Love You to someone other then my parents or wife. Strangely enough that has been a stumbling block for me.

4) We bought a new car. That was an exciting moment not only in our relationship but being able to financially make that commitment. Buying furniture was a close second to this one but I thought the car was far nicer of a purchase. Although the couch we bought has a nice comfy feel to it.

5) I finally moved out of Provo. Goodbye Happy Valley Hello real life. For those that have spent time in the Happy Valley area, you all know what I mean.

6) I got called to be a Sunday School teacher in church. Can you imagine that? Me, a teacher? That still is a shocker to me every time I get up to teach.

Okay so I only got to 6, I have more thoughts in my head but I need to organize them better. You really shouldn't be writing a blog entry after finishing a night of ward basketball. I think my head is still ringing for that last hit I took.

This year has brought with it some very sad moments as we have been forced to say farewell to some dearly loved ones that have moved on. There is not a day that goes by that your presence and love is not through of and felt. To our fallen loved ones, a moment of silent prayer to express our love to each of you. Though you are not here, your touch and thoughts live on through each of us. They have enriched the lives of all of us with their time that they have spent with us. Raising the bar and the standard on how you should live your life or pattern your life after. Time will ease the pain we feel in each of us, the sadness that we feel will also ease over time as we remember the moments that brought so much laughter and warmth on so many occasions. Through your eyes we were all great in our own ways, often providing a sounding board for advice and a fountain of knowledge waiting to be shared. Knowing when a kind encouraging word or a smack upside the back of our head to knock some sense in to us would make the biggest difference.

This year has brought with it growth in family and in friends. New additions to bolster the laughter and joy that can only be found in the innocence of a child. Learning to become men or women as we are looked to for leadership and understanding. Stepping forward to assume the mantle of being a husband or a wife. I can honestly say with true understanding that I have finally started to become the man that I wanted to be and needed to be. Though far from a finished product, I could never ask for anything more then what has been given to me. The love of my wife, my health and the chance to write my story with our choices over the next decades to come.

Thank you wonderful friends and family for sharing the road with myself over the last year, it has been one filled with unexpected turns and twists. There have been moments where I wish truly wish that I could make time stand still. To each of you that reads this, remember just one thing. Live life. Be passionate about life. Go after it, chase your dreams, be fearless, be free. There is a saying from a movie that I will quote, my DiNozzo moment, Live free, Die well. If you know what movie that is from, all I can say is, what a waste of two hours. Haha.

The Holiday Season

This holiday season has brought with it many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The first time I actually had a christmas tree and gone about decorating it. The first Christmas as a married person (that itself I got to tell you is beyond measure). Listening to christmas carols had a new meaning for me. I know that for those of you that have read this until this point are thinking ah, that is so cute. For me, the holiday season is still a very new thing for me to experience. I come from a checkered past and a broken home. The holiday did not have meaning for me until the last 10 years or so.

There is an art of finding a gift that has meaning for someone. It really does not have to be something that breaks your budget or bowls you over with its new shine. There are the gifts that truly have a deeper then casual meaning to the one receiving as well as to the one giving. It is trying to capture the essence of the season in something so small.

I will use an example of one such gift that my wife and I were truly lucky to receive. My apologies if this embrasses anyone, Becky Castleton and Liz Thackeray (I truly hope I spelt that right!), you know who I am referring to. Over the years I have blessed with having such a wonderful array of friends that have shared my moments of good and bad. They have been steadfast and understanding. For this I am truly grateful to have. There is a saying that you can not choose the family you are born into but you can choose to surround yourself with the family that means the most to you. We, Kristy and I received a gift of not only a wonderfully decorated (done by the hand of the mentioned two friends before) christmas plate but we also received this little balls ornaments that were quite tasteful in their selection. Our christmas tree decorations were more then ample to suit our purposes but these few ornaments made the tree look absolutely wonderful. The perfect amount of color and decor. I have never had the chance to decorate a tree before this holiday season. This is an art form that I will have to learn over the years. There is such a delicate balance between tastefully done to over bearing.

Thank you, each of you that have given us gifts over this holiday season. We truly have been blessed to receive them and appericate the time and effort that was taken from each of them. To our family and friends, we love you very much. Happy Holidays to each of you.