i never knew...

so, it's no surprise to anyone that mike (my father in law) is an avid gardener, a history buff, and a connoisseur of food (manages international cafes)...but indiana jones, austin powers?  who knew he was channeling these iconic figures in his "spare time?!"

props to you mike.

p.s. can you hook me up with bat girl or something awesome like that?!!!

blah, blah, blah

it always amazes me how little i have to say when publishing a post.  i mean, i was an english major for hell's sake and love writing.  go figure.

so, the above picture is at the good ole beaver cemetery with some of the olsen clan.  we took a 'blink and you'll miss it' road trip down for the day to visit robert (famous for pulling quarters out of your ear) and helen.  it was nice to see them and nice to visit some family sites.  i'm not a huge cemetery girl, which may or may not come as a surprise.  i mean, i like knowing and learning about the person, and seeing the gravestone once, but after that i just find it kind of morbid.  i don't know--something about walking around a place just a few feet above bodies kind of sicks me out.  perhaps i focus too much on the fact that there are dead bodies below me and not enough on the traditional aspect of burials, but, what can i say?!

this was also the blessed day that, as we were all getting reading to pack up and head out, we looked over to find that big daddy mike had received a little present from a bird...all over his shirt and face.  it was pretty funny...to us, at least.

other news: we have our olsen family reunion next weekend down in zion.  matt and i are going down a couple days early to stay in my grandparents trailer.  that's right, it's a double wide perched on a primo pad in a retirement community.  we'll be the young blood thrown into the mix of bingo playing, bridge mix eating grannys and grampys.  but, it's free, air conditioned, and has a pool.  so what if we'll be gawked at for our unsaggy skin and perkier...areas...

so far that's our only summer activity, but we're hoping to do some camping, climbing, and maybe make a trip up to jackson hole.  matt has a bike race on june 21 from kamas to evanston.  it should be fun.  i mean, i don't personally see any reason to bike 80 miles, gain like 3500 feet, and sweat enough to fill a small lake, but, i guess that's why i'm the water girl.

until next time,

jessi

a birfday, a jazz game, and a salmon fest

So, long time over due, but here's an update:
April 21 was my mom's birthday...she turned 29...again. We celebrated by going out to the Olive Garden and then back to our apartment for presents.
I suprised Matt (sort of) with playoff tickets to the first home game against the Rockets. We lost, but it was still fun! (Matt and I are pretty sure we're bad luck at sports games: when we went to the bee's game, they lost their first and only game thus far in the season and the jazz lost their third game when we went...)
So, we have two graduating fellows at my job-one will be staying with our division and will start as an attending physician in september, and the other didn't get hired and will be moving to connecticut. Before he leaves (in a month or so) he invited me and another girl i work with over for dinner-a 'thank you' dinner for all that we've done for him. It was my first time having salmon and i LOVED it. I'm happy to say that i'm now officially a salmon lover. Can't wait for more!!
Upcoming events: Matt's bike race up the mirror lake highway and into evanston...olsen family reunion in Zion...jessi's birthday...and SUMMER!!!

matt playing with my friends daughter...

matt playing with kids (and my friends mother in law...)

dinner at the OG!
do i have anything in my teeth?
blow, baby blow!
they handed out 'one team one dream' shirts for everyone to wear...
us in our kick ass jazz shirts on the 20th row!!

what a weekend...

It started with the Bee's game on Friday, followed by an ice-cream par-tay at our house (yes, we DID fit eight adults and three children in our apartment...), moving on to a Saturday morning bike ride, a sleepover in charleston with ken, missy, and the girls, and then down to uncle mike's b-day party...and, I'm happy to report that there were good times had by all!!

mama deb and big daddy mike

larsen fam

some photo posing strangers...(i look like a man in that

picture--and this is jessi, not matt, so it's a bit alarming...)

hallie

ky and cayden

mrs. merilee

clay...two hats is the new 'it' thing...don't you know...

matt and ken cuddling on the bean bag...

elise

sleeping addie

when do we eat?!?

snow, anyone?!

this picture is for carpy's mom (love ya Mama C)...she lives in mississippi where there are no snow banks taller than people that stay for months and months and months...

div>

crocheting is fun

SO, TO APPEASE MY BESTEST FRIEND MISSY, I WENT WITH HER TO A CROCHETING CLASS TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE BEANIES. I BOUGHT THE PATTERN AND THE HOOK AND THE YARN AND WENT UPSTAIRS TO THE CLASSROOM WHERE I PLANNED TO TURN MY BRAIN OFF AND WATCH MISSY CROCHET A MASTERPIECE. TURNS OUT, I DUG IT. I DIG IT. I DIG CROCHETING. IT'S FUN, ALBEIT TEDIOUS. SO, THESE ARE THE HATS WE MADE (IT TOOK GOING BACK TO CLASS FOR A MONTH TO ACTUALLY FINISH...IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS):

Are 'at home' vasectomys still safe???

the grand tetons project that kevin told me about at 5pm the day before it was due...

mini golfing and boondocks

easter morn

So, the 'rents were out of town for seven days leaving matt and i to babysit. that's right, homework, piano lessons, guitar lessons, last minute projects (that required a paper, a model, and a map...), dinners, cleaning, etc. it was all us, baby. after the first 24 hours, which always turns me into a bit of a stress case (what ever made me think that 12 & 13 year old boys listen??), it was [fairly] smooth sailing. we hung out, watched tv, played wii, ordered pizza, bowled, did some mini golf, had the whole easter celebrations sans parents (don't worry, the easter bunny still found us), and went on a simulated roller coaster ride (when i say 'simulated,' i don't mean star tours at disney land--we're talking full out upside down, twirling around, cork screw motions, and the whole shebang!). all in all, i'd say it was a pretty fun week. and, now that i've had a couple days to rest, yes, working 8-4 IS rest, i would gladly say that i'd do it again!! i love my family!!