SAN DIEGO!

The San Diego Temple. (In La Jolla) It was a miracle making it here on time.

There is the Lovely Michelle Clements! My fabulous traveling partner!

Ask us, we learned a lesson in not loosing hope as we barely made it inside!

Lunch in La Jolla. That is the ocean behind me.
Yep, been to both coasts in the past 3 months.
(A friend recently pointed out just how much I flex in pics,
so I decided to make it my theme this trip!)

Visiting the California Kelms. Warren and Misty (aunt and uncle) and their kids Halle, Conan, and Maddie.
Nothing says I love you like a goofy pose!

In honor of Star Wars!

Two sexy chicks!


Lion's "Chuffle" vs "Growl" vs "Roar". A "Roar" means "I'm looking for a mate." Hmmm, maybe I need to practice my roar!

Who doesn't like seeing the Pandas?

Father and son, just chilling. The baby was actually really playful, when he ran around he would do some random spins. It was cool.


Reminds me of another Paul I know, handsome, flirtatious, and charismatic!

Michelle's first every ride on a tram. It was way higher than Lagoon's and fast. Wow, San Diego Zoo is huge! We spent three hours there and saw almost all of it. We were told it could not be done, but then again, we are young and single...
no kids to drag around!

Yep, I'm tough and I know it !

Koala Bears! So cute and cuddly looking. They actually looked really fake.

Shout out to Physical Therapy! The pond in Balboa Park was used in WWII for wounded soldiers.



And finally...on to the beach!

Our toes at Del Mar Beach!

Michelle deciding how to conquer the ocean.

Tamara saying- I think that is as far as I want to go.

Michelle at Mission Beach. She looked at the water and said- Bring it!

Yep, we are awesome!

And tough!

Searching for the world's best burrito... Roberto's was pretty dang good!

Carne Asada and Shrimp- Mar Tierra, with a yummy tomatillo sauce!

And as if the burrito wasn't enough, we decided on topping lunch off with a monster waffle cone!
...which ended in one final adventure...the seagulls. I couldn't finish my cone, so I tossed it in the sand. I figured a bird would eat it. Little did I know, they were watching and instantly they attacked! Then, before Michelle could toss hers a seagull grabbed it right out of her hand. Yikes! Thank goodness we made it out alive to tell the tale.

So San Diego was awesome! Now on to Mesa, Arizona! ...

7 year old wisdom- "He was eaten by a fish!"

Conversation that occurred in the pool during a physical therapy session with a 7 year old boy.


Boy: Do you have kids?
Me: No, I am not married.
Boy: You aren't married? I know a 17 year old who is married and has a baby.
Me: Nope, not married. The love of my life is lost.
Boy: Really? What happened to him?
Me: Well he hasn't showed up yet, so he must be lost somewhere.
Boy: I know what happened to him.
Me: What?
Boy: He got eaten by a big fish!
Me: Really, eaten by a fish?
Boy: Yep, my dad and I went fishing and we saw a really big catfish. And you know what? One time a man was swimming and a catfish came and swallowed him up.

There you have it folks. The love of my life is lost because he was eaten by a really big catfish. I sure hope he has learned his lesson and gets spit out soon!

Heaps of Love!

"Makes me that much strongerMakes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarterSo thanks for making me a fighter"


Warrior Pose!

I am not one for change. I lived in the same apartment complex at BYU for 3 years! Then I lived at home for a very long time before moving into my own apartment. I've been in the same ward in Austin, Texas for 9 years. This past weekend, I made a change. It was time to switch things up, and I am now attending the Walnut Creek ward, a family ward, meaning it is not made up with just LDS singles. I anticipated a very rough day. Turns out, I'm a bit more dramatic then I need to be. (surprise surprise!) A friend told me- "you are not going to be any different of a person Sunday then you are today!". He was wise, thanks! I am in a ward where my dad is Bishop. Now let's think about this. I get to attend church where the man who loves me more than any other man is this world is. AND, I got to sit by my mom and got a back scratch! Can I be any more blessed then that?

This blog is an expression of gratitude. Gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the richness that is my life. Gratitude for the heaps and heaps of love and support I have around me. These are people who specifically thought of me or checked in on me yesterday, and I know prayed for me. I felt all of your prayers. It gave me strength! Thank you so much!

And Now I am an Artist!

I call it Foz de Iguacu! It is my ode to Brasil.

My first attempt at using acrylic paint and canvas. So much fun, I totally recommend it.

Pavlova revisited

Michael is returning to Rexburg, ID on Saturday. I decided before he left I'd try the Australian dessert Pavlova again.




You top the meringue with whipped cream.





Then with fruit of your choice.




And most importantly, lick the whipped cream off the beaters.

Hope it tastes delicious!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Last week was their 32nd anniversary. As of August 24, 2011, Tonia and Orlando Kelm figured they have been married 11, 688 days. Dad also calculated that if he has kissed his wife every morning and every night, one his way out the door to work, and when he returns home, then he has kissed her at least 60, 000 times. How adorable is that? Yep, that's what I am holding out for!