Dip Netting

This weekend I went dip-netting with my next door neighbors on the Kenai River and I caught six salmon! Well... I guess I didn't really "catch" them they just swam into my net! But it was still exciting! There were TONS of people on the river dip-netting and fishing, I couldn't believe it! Here I am holding one of my fish! Slimy! Yuck! And... don't scroll down any further if you have a weak stomach! Here is all our fish we caught, there was SO much blood and guts and slime and scales everywhere... it was DISGUSTING! The boat looked like a murder scene when we were done! These salmon were all about 2 to 3 feet long...still bigger than any fish I ever caught in Utah!

Anyways, it was another fun trip, I just feel bad I am having all of these amazing experiences without Branden... Next year for sure we are doing it all again!

Finally!

I Finally got a Kitchen Aid mixer! I have been wanting one since we got married, and I used all of the money I got for my birthday to get it! Thankyou everyone for the birthday gift! Hopefully it it will be a gift that will give back by the many goodies I will make with it! I love it!

Just for the Halibut!

This weekend I went fishing with my next door neighbors down to the Kenai Peinninsula in the Cook inlet. It was about a four hour drive from where I live, but well worth it, the drive was georgeous! I have never seen such a beautiful state! I also caught my first "real" fish. I say this because any other fish I have caught in my life were the size of the bait we were using to catch these ones! The first day I caught the first fish of the day which was my first halibut I've ever caught and it weighed about 35 pounds! Man are these things hard to reel in! I thought I was going to be pulled right into the ocean! I caught two more the first day, and the second day I caught five! They were all at least 1o pounds or larger! Here is the big one!

And this is all of the fish we caught the first day, minus the ones we threw back because the limit is two fish a person and we had five people on the boat. Even the smallest fish was way bigger than any I had caught before!

We had an amazing view of Redoubt volcano where we were, here it is at "night" like midnight, and it didnt get any darker, I love Alaska in the summer!

I hope you all had a good fourth of July! I had a pretty good one, except I wish Branden was here, he would have loved this fishing trip! I want to thank him and all of the many other military members for my freedom! I love you Branden!

Message in a Bottle

Today was our 3 year Wedding Anniversary, and the second one we have not been together for, so Branden really wanted to something special for me since he was going to be gone yet again. I think he topped all the charts with this one! He had this fantastic idea of sending me a message in a bottle since he is overseas and so far away. So, he googled (message in a bottle) and found this website called messageinabottle.com and he wrote me a poem and this website prints the message (or in this case the poem) and sends it in a bottle to who ever you want. CUTE!!! I LOVED IT!!! It was the best gift I have ever and possibly will ever receive! He is SO thoughtful! I hope he doesn't mind me sharing his poem he wrote, but I just thought it was so adorable, it is just so simple but so cute at the same time! I LOVE him SOOOO much! Thankyou my love!!! I miss you! Happy 3 year anniversary!

My Beautiful Wife

I wish I had some insight,

to know what to write.

Even though I'm far away,

I really want to make your day.

If only I could be there,

my heart would not be so bare.

If you could only see,

how much you mean to me.

I always am amazed,

how often you leave me dazed.

You always make it seem,

as if my life were a dream.

I know I'm sometimes mean,

even though you are my queen.

I don't always behave,

even though I have it made.

I wish I could erase,

every time I have been a disgrace.

If I were there,

I'd wipe away your tear.

Even though we're apart,

you're always in my heart.

I love having you as a wife,

you've given me a new life.

On this special day,

what I'd really like to say,

You'll always be mine,

'til the end of time.

You are my treasure,

I'll love you forever.

Happy Anniversary My Love!

Jeremy's Graduation

I haven't posted for a while, so there is another new one further down after this one!

My little brother Jeremy graduated on June 4th from Clearfield High! I am so proud of him! I am glad I was down here, so I was able to attend the graduation.

Here is all the kids, me, Ryan, and our two 'younger brothers' Jeremy and Keaton, who are both taller than us!


The brothers
Jeremy with Ryan and Ashlee

Grandpa and Jackie

Dave and Mom

and Dad

We had a barbeque after that all the family and some friends came to, it turned out good, and the food was good too! Jeremy is going on a Senior trip to California, so my mom and I are going to St. George again this weekend because Jeremy and his friends are spending the night in St.George in the condo on their way to Cali. This time hopefully we can veg by the pool more!

St. George

I'm late posting this but, A couple of weekends ago me, my mom, my brother, and my sister in law went to St. George. They picked me up from the airport and we just headed straight there. It was kind of a long drive but in the end it was worth it! I did a lot of shopping at the outlet mall which I was looking forward becausae there is no where to shop in Alsaka! I got a bunch of cute clothes! Yea! Finally! We also drove up to some of the infamous red rock mountains and did a very small hike and took some pics...it was way hot! SO, we went and chilled by the pool for the rest of the night.

Here are some pictures of the St. George temple, it is so beautiful!

Here is Ryan, Ashlee, me, and my mom

Branden really wants me to send him some pictures of myself so I had my brother take some. SO, here is one for Branden, hopefully he can just look it up online... I have a hard time printing pictures anymore!

Me & Mom

Ryan & Ashlee

And then the rest of these pictures are my poor attempt at my dream of being a photographer... but I love taking picture regardless, and St. George is a beautiful place to do it!

Happy Mothers Day Mom!

Mom, I just wanted to do a post honoring you on Monther's Day since I am not able to be there with you. I hope you like it! Here are a few pictures of you and I throughout the years, I was sad to realize that I don't have very many because you were always the one taking the pictures, but you were always there for me for everything, I mean EVERYTHING in my life!

First of all here is a picture of you, me, and Ryan on Mother's Day 1987. You were beautiful then, and you are beautiful now! I can only hope that I will age as well as you have!

Here is another one of you and the kids, minus Keaton, but this one is on Easter. I don't think I ever thanked you for all of the dresses and clothes you made me while I was younger, but I appreciate it so much, even though I may not have acted like I did at the time! Here we are in our matching dresses!

And our matching Easter vests! I hope I can be as good of a mom to my kids as you are to us!

Here we are on my graduation day, I never would have made it with out your love and support! By the way, I love your short hair here! You should cut it like this again!

And my wedding day, of course you were there for that! Dang we look good!

And most recently you flew to Alaska to be with Branden and I as we were sealed in the temple! I can't thank you enough for that, with one days notice! I am so glad you were able to be here for that and all of the important things in my life!

I love you so much! Thankyou for everything you do for me and everyone else in your life!

And once again Happy Mother's Day! I miss you, and wish I could be there to tell you in person!