"IT CAME! IT FINALLY CAME!"

... a quote from Sid in Toy Story. Ben must have just said it in his head.

We babysat Eli tonight and Ben tried out his new toy. When we got home late, he got out of the car and started taking pictures of an injured dragonfly in our parking lot. We came in, and then he asked if he could go take more pictures. By the time he came back, he had an award-winning photo. I hope he'll post one soon. If not, I'll see if he'll let me touch it.

LAST DAY OF JUNE

{ sights in our neighborhood }

HE WAS NAMED AFTER A COMIC

CALVIN Moisés Juárez is 20

These were taken YEARS ago. I think just before I left to London in 2005.

I remember telling him his favorite color couldn't be red because that was Sean's favorite. I remember us telling him that his favorite color had to be yellow. I remember doing "Stay-Up-Club" with Sean and thinking we were so sneaky to leave Calvin out. (Back in the day where we all slept on the same foam futon on the floor). He turned out all right, though.

But Missionary Calvin is not left out anymore.

He landed yesterday on foreign soil for the first time (I hope) after a venture with flying on airplanes for his first time. (Since he was a baby). He wasn't supposed to leave P-town MTC until after the 4th of July, but London needed him. So my family got a call Wednesday night to say he was leaving the next day. He was nervous because he'd be traveling alone. No one to follow from point to point at the airport. I've been so worried ever since.

But why be worried? This kid's got smartzzz.
I'm positive he was the Chinese whiz of his district. (Of couse, I don't think he really needed his Chinese through the airports...) His mind is insane. He can work things out and make connections and then he can even explain it to you in the most proper of grammar but it will probably all go over your head.
He's street smart too though. He's one of the best drivers in our family (next to Papá, and maybe me, of course.) He's careful. He's sure. He's steady.

He's got a good head on his shoulders and even better he has a testimony like a rock. No one can knock him down. Those first few days in the field are tough but I bet he's taking it all in stride. I bet he's lengthening his stride. I miss him so.

Calvin, thanks for being born. Te quiero.
(Even though you can't understand Spanish anymore...)

LATELY...

We go to work and then we come home and are somehow busy until bed.

Last night I didn't go to bed until the birds started chirping at dusk. I was asked last-minute to design a brochure to help raise funds for families helped by this place. I think it was worth a sleepless night.

Ben went to the driving range with Levi.

We played World Cup soccer at the Sertoma field with little goals. I held my own as the only girl but I hate being competitive sometimes because I hate that I didn't score ONCE. I did get some fancy bruises on my hand and hip though. Thanks, Levi. (For organizing, that is)

I've been spending bits of time at my dear Amanda Knight Hall to help make something kind of like this, for Typophile Film Festival 5.

Ben's doing hard labor at work to help Blade move to a more great and spacious warehouse.

At the Downtown High Rise, I spent a whole day making a sailboat out of foam core to go around the coolers for today's free BBQ at the Nu Skin in celebration of the Team Elite Baltic Cruise. Marco helped me a lot. Internship is awesome.

Ben's also just been being amazing. He washed all the dishes for me yesterday. And today, while I had a lil' nap, made yum lasagna with chorrizo and then coleslaw and then Breyer's Ice Cream with really good strawberries. (Finally, good strawberries this year!)

We toured the Historic Homes of Provo on Friday- this year in the Timpanogos neighborhood. My fave. Tawny & Jaxton came! We also made pizzas the night before with Jon & Tallia. I put beets on mine even though they all made fun of me.

I've also been doing a logo for my cousin Ty-ty. Carmen and Ben helped too.

Tomorrow we're going to the Jazz Draft Party at Energy Solutions Arena. Ben said he got to go when he was 12. I've got a feeling it'll be like he's 12 again.

...

Yay for Provo lately and links too. I'll get back to photos next time.

MONDAY MORNINGS...

...go like this:

(I think this Monday morning was on the 8th of June...)

A FIRST

6 June 2009

"Can we go to Manti?"


"Sure."

"Look! Can you see it?"

"Happy Anniversary Jon & Tallia!"

"Happy first-initial-temple-sealing-scheduled-before-we-changed-it-to-August Anniversary Ben & Olivia!"

"Oooh, it's windy..."


*Sorry we didn't get a picture of the restaurant singer at Stockman's steakhouse with a Karen Carpenter-like voice and a baseball jersey & jeans.

A DREAM COME TRUE

I first heard about this just after high school, I believe.
Every year I wanted to go, and every year I either FORGOT, or was away.
Special thanks to Ben for joining me this year for my first time.

FOR MD

Even though we are across the country from little Mary Deane & fam, Ann assured us there was something we really could DO. We took steps is all. We walked one of the best walks in P-Town - and RIGHT in our neighborhood: Starting at the east-most part of Center Street and walking to my Nu Skin and then back. The activities were amazing... lots of entertainment... a nice visit with High School friend Catherine, and after, we got free burgers & hot dogs and free stuff from the raffle tickets we bought with our 'donation' money. I felt kind of bad for getting so much but as long as the money goes to helping MD & others in her situation, I guess it's ok. (Free stuff: The portable-foldable soccer-mom chairs, laundry detergent, A $10 giftcard & Free lettuce wraps at PeiWei, 2 Utah Valley Thunder T-shirts and 4 tickets to their game next week!)

"Ack-Why are we facing the sun & why is the shortest arm taking the picture?"

"Aah. Much better."

They played "Folsom Prison" without the "shot a man... just to watch him die" verse.

This guy was my favorite.

Ok so in addition to feeling bad that all our donation money went to lots of stuff for us, we felt bad because we didn't realize until the last minute that we were supposed to be gathering money this whole time as part of a competition of raising the most money for CF research. So, if you wouldn't mind helping us feel better, I learned you can still donate! It's all tech-centered of course, so it's even as easy as just clicking below and entering in your info. Ben and I each have a goal of $50--can you help us reach that? If you don't like the entering-in-your-info idea, just let me know & I'll get the money to the right place.

Click on your favorite:

(Don't have one? Better donate to both!)

Ben's Page or Olivia's Page

Hesitant? Might as well bribe a bit by just reminding you that it's for...

HER

MATHEMATICS

BEN...

+

OLIVIA...

+ 3D GLASSES...

= 3D OUTDOOR MOVIE!

Ben planned the first date night of June: we packed a picnic dinner & made the drive to SLC's awesome Liberty Park! We watched "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3D. It was cloudy but no rain! Just free fun. Free movie. Free popcorn.
Thanks, Ben.

SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMERTIME

I kind of had an inner desire to draw inspiration from Whitney & Matt and see what Ben would've looked like with straight hair, but Ashley offered, Ben accepted, and then this happened:



According to Ben, everyone says he looks younger except the haircutter, Ashley, said he looks older. And then my mom threw off the poll by saying he just looked "more distinguished"...

VALLEY OF GOBLINS

A little weekend trip that was JUST RIGHT! We left Friday at 5, set up our tents in the darkish rainy WIND (a funner challenge than it sounds), slept in Southern Utah warmth, played around with the Goblins in the morning, hiked the slot canyons in the afternoon and stopped by "Cafe Diablo" in Torrey for rattlesnake cakes on the way home - pulling into Provo again at 10:30pm. Not bad at all. I heart the Bakers!
We LOVE Eli!

Super fun gigantic PLAYGROUND.

We found 'Bunk-Beds' in the rock!

Then hiking in Little Wild Horse Canyon of the San Rafael Swell:

Maya did GREAT!

Slot canyons are cooool.

We hiked until we hit a giant watering hole.

Thank you to Bakers for letting Maya & I meet the Goblins! One more "Utah Never-Seen" crossed off our list!