Picture Frames

Sarah,
We wanted to thank you for picking out these lovely frames and show you how we are using them. So here they are for all the world to see!

20 Degree Camping on the Appalachian Trail

Click the picture below to see more pictures and a map.

Annapolis Rock

Old-ly Weds.....1 year and counting

They say that the first year is the hardest.....if that's true, then I can hardly imagine how great the next 50+ years are going to be!! We celebrated our first anniversary several weeks ago, on Sept. 16th. We went down to the Shenandoah area and visited Endless Caverns, and then stayed in a beautiful bed & breakfast out in the country. It was so refreshing to hear cows mooing again! It was a wonderful time to remember that amazing day at the Provo Temple the year before, to plan where our family is going, and to just be in love together.

Ahh.... what beautiful countryside! We sure miss it when we spend too long in the city.

So, for some reason we forgot to take our camera into the caves, leaving us nothing but our cell phone cameras to record the grand adventure. In the end, we got quite a mixed bag of photos...some were good, some were almost good except for the weird digital noise issues, most were blurry, and some were very amusing. I really dig this silhouette one. :D This particular room was actually used as a ballroom during Prohibition. Definitely the most surreal dance hall I've ever seen!

Here's one of the pictures that turned out pretty well! The caves are just full of room after room of amazing rock formations like this.

Here we are, just a happy, unsuspecting couple.... completely unaware that our camera phone would soon ruthlessly slice through the image of Timothy's neck and shoulder with a cold, harsh blade of digital noise.... :)

This is the little cottage where we stayed at the bed and breakfast. It was cozy and cheerful--the perfect place to stay for our anniversary!

A Labor Day Adventure

I spent my teenage summers kayaking at Camp Calleva. I don't really go anymore, so when the opportunity arose to visit Calleva's island, we jumped at the chance. Ah, it was wonderful! Here's me rolling my boat:


Thanks to Kirk for these.
Click below to see the rest of the pictures and videos:

Calleva Island 2007

I shouldn't be writing this post!

So, we finally succumbed to the pressure of the world, pop culture and majority opinions. Yes, we own Harry Potter 7. I never thought I would see the day. (I was hoping I wouldn't!) Ok, enough with the melodrama. I actually enjoyed the first two and a half Harry Potter books I've read so far. She writes well and they're fun. I guess when amazon.com comes out with custom shipping packaging I just get the feeling that there must be something I don't understand. (Click on the picture to get a better view of the wording on the package)

A Weekend in DC with Family

Rebecca's parents and recently returned-missionary brother came for a visit last week. We did some heavy touristing. Click on the picture below to see all of the pictures:

DC Summer 2007

Gettysburg on the 4th of July

We've posted some pictures from our Gettysburg trip. Click below to see more pictures.

Gettysburg 2007

Fireflies on an Evening Hike in June

After spending far too many days in the city, we finally got ourselves some time for a hike. We went to Greenbelt Park (map), which is very close to the city, but still feels like a real forest! You don't even notice you're still in the middle of civilization until you get near the edge of the park by the highway.

We ate PBJs and cucumbers, scoped out the campsites (they have RV hookups...yeah!), and watched the fireflies.

It's so nice to spend quiet time out in the great out-of-doors.

Petrified is Edible

From a Google Talk chat this afternoon. Edited for clarity:

Timothy: meatloaf sure is salty!
and gravy

Rebecca: mmmmm! salt......!

Timothy: (is salty)

Rebecca: how true

Timothy: (gravy is salty, not meatloaf is gravy)

Rebecca: also true

Timothy: (meatloaf is not gravy)

Rebecca: you're just full of true statements today, aren't you?

Timothy: i guess you are too!
:P

Rebecca: :P
did you buy lunch today then?

Timothy: i did

Rebecca: maybe when we have lunch together, I should go over there and have meatloaf and gravy!
I've been craving salt all day

Timothy: wow. their rolls are actually not stale

Rebecca: is that the only thing that determines whether a roll is good or not? if it's stale?

Timothy: it is not

Rebecca: oh
how is it then? (besides not stale)

Timothy: it is tolerable

Rebecca: :P

Timothy: stale is not tolerable
tolerable is not stale
tolerable is other things too

Rebecca: like what?

Timothy: tolerable is edible
stale is not edible

Rebecca: stale is edible!

Timothy: no it is not

Rebecca: yes, it is
stale is not enjoyable

Timothy: edible is enjoyable

Rebecca: no, edible is able to be eaten
moldy is edible
petrified is not edible

Timothy: petrified is edible

Rebecca: is not!

Timothy: petrified is enjoyable

Rebecca: what?
you've got your booleans switched around, I think

Timothy: petrified is very tolerable

Rebecca: oh, no I don't think so!

Timothy: i think so

Rebecca: are we talking about the same petrified here?

Timothy: yes we are
there is only one definition of petrified

Rebecca: no, there are two definitions
1. to convert into stone or a stony substance.
2. to benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion: I was petrified with fear.
3. to make rigid or inert; harden; deaden: The tragedy in his life petrified his emotions.
I meant number 1.

Timothy: i meant number 1

Rebecca: a petrified roll is one in which the organic material has been replaced with rock material
a petrified roll = roll made of rock
rock is not edible
petrified is not edible

Timothy: what is salt

Rebecca: !
lol

Timothy: if salt is not edible, why are you craving it

Rebecca: you got me

Timothy: HA!

Rebecca: you win

Timothy: (that was REALLY fun)
ahem
petrified is edible

Rebecca: good, I'm glad you liked it!

Scrabble on a Thursday Night

We love Scrabble. No, we LOVE Scrabble! We love Scrabble so much, we played on a Thursday night.

Christmas 2006

Wow. I'm finally blogging about Christmas!

So, we were with Rebecca's family in Utah for our first Christmas together. One of the reasons was that Rebecca's brother, Joseph, was getting married (to Lacey) the week before in Manti. It was a terrific wedding!

It was c-o-l-d!


Half of the ward Christmas program consisted of the Olson family and their wood.


For Christmas Eve, we travelled to Ephraim, where Rebecca's dad's family live. We swerved off the road barely not missing a deer and had to push the van back onto the road. I, of course, decided to document the event instead of help!


Every year, there are performances from each family. Rebecca's family didn't have anything prepared, so I decided to show off a newly acquired stupid-human-trick. Click on the picture to watch!

Christmas was excellent.

Beni the Bonsai

For my birthday, I was given a bonsai tree from my parents. I have always wanted a bonsai tree because I have never had time to meditate. I am a little anxious in owning a bonsai tree because I hear they are easy to kill. I spray mine with a water bottle at least twice a day. I also have a bonsai power shake that I'm supposed to feed it once a week. I hope this is enough and not too much. How do I know if I'm giving it too much water or not enough? Mom says it's a banyan, but I'm not so sure. So I decided to put it next to Grandma and have her take care of it. She'll do a much better job than I could. :) Maybe one day, I'll have time to meditate instead.

So, any ideas on how to care for a bonsai tree? And which kind this one is?

Dude. We built a couch.

So, our apartment entry is so small that we can't get a couch in. So, we built one! www.homereserve.com

Nineteen ninety-what?

Tim, David, Hal, Andy, Robby, (Christopher?)

Aunt Julie posted this picture here, and I just about did a backflip! It's a good thing we grow out of those teenage years, isn't it?!

The Grand Canyon: We made it. Wow!

For our honeymoon, we drove to the Grand Canyon in an RV. We recommend it to anyone!

On our way, we stopped at the historic Jacob Lake ranger station, where Rebecca's grandfather used to work.

The drive to the Canyon was gorgeous. The road was lined with deep green pine trees and autumn-yellow aspens. It reminded me a lot of the Montana scenery I grew up in. Here's a shot out of the RV windshield of the entrance to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon State Park. The Canyon itself was still a few miles away, but this was sure pretty anyway.

And here's our first shot of the canyon itself.

Amazing. It just struck us speechless. We learned later in the lodge that when most people get their first glimpses of the Grand Canyon, they won't talk above a whisper. Why? Don't know. Perhaps it's just so awesome that it makes us feel like we need to be reverent.

Getting close to the edge of the rim took a bit of courage! When we looked down towards the bottom and we saw huge trees and enormous boulders looking like specks, it made me realize how far down that was, and how incredibly tiny I am! And if that weren't enough to remind us just how deep it was, there was a cold and surprisingly strong wind that blew up from the canyon. It felt like we were looking over the brink into a completely different world. What a cool place to spend one of our first days as a married couple!

We decided to take the shortest way to the bottom--straight down, and then straight back up. Here we are reaching the top again.

...uh...

...just kidding.


...We didn't actually hike into the canyon until the next day. :)

We hiked all the way down to the bridge at the bottom of this ravine, and that wasn't even close to the Colorado River. This side canyon feeds into another side canyon which feeds into the main canyon. We're going to come back and do it all again someday!