A Jonathan Day

Normally I like to portray things on our blog as pretty positive-- that we're lovin' life, and that we're always doing fun and adventurous things, so if I've fooled anyone into thinking that life doesn't have its thorns for us, I apologize!:) Obviously, these are our family memories and I want to focus on all the good things we get to do with the opportunities presented us. But with this post I have to give a much needed shout-out to my husband, so bear with me! We need to remember the good AND the bad, so I'm officially making note of it.

We have definitely met our match with this AEGD residency. It's funny too because we knew all along going into it that it would be difficult--everyone we'd spoken to had given us ample warning that this year would be harder than any year of dental school, so maybe it isn't right to start complaining now, but boy were they right. Poor Jonathan. Every day he is up by 4:30 or 5 a.m. on his way to the base to get a head start on the mountains of government paperwork and "charts," and to begin a grueling day of being "pimped"-- where the commanding officers in charge of him pump him for obscure information one-on-one in front of everyone else. They are MEAN about it too. If the resident wavers at all, they smell blood in the water and go after the person even more-- "You're an idiot! You didn't know that?!? How can you call yourself a Dr.? Did you even go to dental school?" etc. Then, they egg the other residents on to be super cut-throat and competitive with what they're doing, so that they all want to earn the coveted "Golden Apple Award" (which doesn't even exist, by the way), but it basically ensures that a horrible environment reigns supreme so that nobody can become friends, otherwise they'd wise up and realize there is no point to being kept to such grueling hours for this residency. But that's it, every day, 5 days a week, until at least 6 or 7 p.m. (on a good day), or 8 or 9 p.m. on a bad day. So then Jonathan comes home, where I lay into how bad my day has been, he stuffs down dinner (he doesn't get a lunch break), helps me put the kids to bed (if it's early enough that I haven't already-- so often he doesn't actually see them), and then he goes right into studying for the next day so he doesn't have to feel too stupid when he's being pimped again. He goes to bed around 12 or 1 a.m. and it starts ALL OVER AGAIN. I don't know how he does it. I surely couldn't.

But I guess that's the fate of a father-- which I've often felt is unfair. There is SO much pressure on dads to provide for their families, to make sure everyone has money for new shoes and that there's food on the table, to be the husband that can take over for the "exhausted" mom when they walk in the door, and play with their kids so there's something meaningful snuck in there, and to be good priesthood holders who do all their home teaching, and good sons who are always considerate and available, and good brothers, and friends, and, and, and. But never much time for THEM. And most of the time Jon, and probably most dads (I know mine included) doesn't complain. I think he feels like he can't, because isn't it just his duty?? But it's exhausting, and draining, and tiring to never get a break. He's been going without a significant break for 9 years-- first a mission, then undergraduate school, then dental school, and now a 60 hour+ a week residency. So, anyway. I guess 99% of the time what you see on the blog is the 1% of time we actually have Jonathan around to go do something fun together.






In honor of all of his hard work and stress the past couple of months, he had Monday (Columbus Day) off, and he got to go on an Extreme Hike at Mt. Charleston. He and another resident named Trent left just before sunrise to reach the summit (Trent had to be back by 3 p.m. to pick his wife up from the airport)-- which meant they did 16 miles in 6 hours with 4,000 feet of elevation gain. He got his Jonathan Day. But I think the strain of the hike may have contributed a bit to the fact that later that night he came down with the pukes. He had the 24 hour flu (and so did we all), but still managed to get up at 5 a.m. for work. When it rains, it pours I guess. Jonathan, WE LOVE YOU!! THANKS FOR WORKING SO HARD!!!!

Ice Box Canyon Trail

First up though, we made our way to the Las Vegas Renaissance Fair Friday night, of which I feel we are kind of connoisseurs since we went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair (which is the 2nd largest in the US) twice back East. Yea. It didn't quite live up to those standards, because as you can imagine there are a LOT weirder folks here in Vegas attracted to these sorts of things. I really ought to have taken pictures of some of the characters out and about, but then this blog would have been rated R. It was a strange cross between ex-stripper-meets-pirate-wench costuming, but at least Jon got his turkey leg, right?

Saturday we headed up to Red Rock Canyon about 30 miles west of Las Vegas. It's a national park, so there are lots of hiking trails and picnicing areas to choose from. With the cooler weather coming (hooray! it was 85 opposed to 105) we figured it'd be a great day to get out.

We decided to take the kiddos on one of the shorter trails called Ice Box Canyon, which was supposed to be 2.6 miles round trip and categorized as "Easy" and good for kids. I beg to differ. I don't think they meant for 3 year olds. There were lots of rocks and elevation climbs for Lucy to scramble over, but she handled them like a champ!

Beautiful Nevada dessert! It aint Valley Forge but it'll do!


We hiked right between those mountains down into the canyon below. It was a little scary knowing that if there was a rock slide or earth quake or flash flood we'd be toast. You could hear your echo really clearly off the high walls so Lucy and Zach were pretty enamored with that.


As we hiked into the shadows of the canyon it actually started getting a little chilly, so all of the bugs and insects and lizards were moving out of their hiding spots to find warmer ones. We had to literally walk right by this HUGE tarantula-- and I kept thinking to myself, "If he moves, I can step on him!" But unfortunately he was as big or bigger than my foot. Ugh. After about 2 miles in, there was no way that the trail was going to loop around in another .6 miles, so we decided we'd better turn around and head back the way we came. Lucy made it about half way back and then Jon ended up having to carry not only Zachy on back but Lucy in front. What a stud!! It was a fun hike.

Shearing Sheep

One of my pet peeves is when boys start getting little tufts of hair growing over their ears (like Luke Skywalker), which was beginning to happen to my sweet little Zachy. So I knew the time had come. It had been 2 months since his last haircut, the ear wings were a growin', and I knew I must strike quickly and efficiently. So I shaved it!

I honestly thought I had grabbed the 2, but after the first buzz with the clippers it was obviously much, much shorter. Whoops! But once I started I didn't really have a way to back out unless he wanted a mohawk...

I did learn long ago to cut Jon's hair, but it would take me at least an hour and a half because I was sooooooo slooooow. I think that's why a few years ago he decided to just shave it himself. Anyway, I knew there was no way Zachy would ever sit still that long for me to cut it, but I'm not prepared to pay $10 at some Great Clips place, so basically I chased him around the patio with the clippers. Then I finally realized he might be better if I gave him some M&Ms and voila! I sheared the sheep!

It was a LOT of hair. I wish it wasn't so short, but it'll grow back.

This girl was begging to be next, but at this point there is no way I'm going to be the first to chop those locks off. It would be like cutting Samson's hair.

Las Vegas Temple

Since General Conference ends for us now at 3 p.m. (versus 6 p.m. on the East coast), we actually had some time to take a drive after dinner! We drove the 45 min. to the Las Vegas temple, which is just beautiful. I hadn't been there since Jon's brother's wedding in 2007, so it was fun to go back and check it out now that it's "our" temple for the next year. The grounds are PRISTINE, and it was such an interesting contrast to be up on the hill at the temple and see the lights from the Strip. Kind of like waiting for the ball of fire from heaven to land on Sodom and Gomorrah.:) But really, I kept trying to find a spot to take a picture of the city but all around the temple are these thick trees blocking out the Strip-- so you'd never know it was just miles away. Pretty amazing how they've cultured this amazing oasis from the desert soil where nothing grows! Anyway, it was a very peaceful night, a beautiful sunset, a dad who was a) at home, and b) not studying, and a little 3 year old who was ready for her modeling debut!




This was the best view I could get of the Strip. Not bad, huh?

Cousin #2!!

She came! She came! Our second little cousin EVER came on September 28th, after a really long labor weighing 8 lbs. and measuring 21 inches long. We already love little SOPHIE JOAN MORRIS!!


Congrats Devin and Sarah, and of course, baby Eva who is no longer the baby.:)

Cutest big sister ever!! We can't wait to meet little Sophie this Christmas!!

Sunday Walks

Well, slowly but surely Vegas is beginning to feel like "home." Don't get me wrong-- we are still (well, at least I am) hit with some serious bouts of homesickness for Philly every now and then, especially since it should be fall and it should be cooling down, and we should be going to a pumpkin patch or driving out to Amish country, and we should be enjoying the great autumn colors and weather back East.... But anyway, one great thing about moving is that Jon and I got called as the Sunbeam teachers.

What does this mean? It means I am no longer alone every Sunday, left to get myself and 2 children through a long boring Sunday morning alive and then presentable for church at 1 p.m., and then back home again and dinner on the table all by myself while Jon is in bishopric meetings for 10 hours.

We suddenly have so much time! This is our 5th year of 1 p.m. church in a row (it was destiny!), and we finally have time to take a Sunday walk before church.... Isn't that something?!?

And one of these days it will cool down below 104 degrees, and we will really be singing Vegas' praises. I just know it!

Don't Eat Pete!

Tonight for FHE I decided to pull out an oldie, but goodie. When I was little my favorite game to play was "Don't Eat Pete!" I dont' know who made it or when it was invented, all I know is that it brought me a great deal of happiness as a child.
Here are the rules:

First you have to color a game board with lots of possible Petes. Your 3 year old can help, or you can borrow mine. She likes to color everybody's eyes brown to match hers though, so if you don't have brown eyes too bad.

Then you send one person out to hide while the rest of you decide which picture is going to be Pete. Once you agree on a Pete you bring the seeker back and put a piece of candy on each picture so they can start eating candy.


One by one they try to eat around who they think Pete is, until finally, they guess wrong and accidentally eat Pete.

That's when you all yell "Don't Eat Pete!!" That's the best part.

Zachy didn't understand the game at all, but he did love eating M&M's and clapping when I yelled "Don't Eat Pete" at him. Maybe that will be his first sentence, "Don't Eat Pete!"