LAGOON, THE TEMPLE, AND ONE CRAZY WEEK

I have wanted to post for the longest time now, it has been a crazy week, but more about that later. Last Friday was our work's Lagoon Day. Our boss invited all of our employees and their families, and all of our clients, and their families. He bought us a day pass, a parking ticket, and lunch at Lagoon. It was a lot of fun, and Tyson and I have a great boss! We only rode a few of the rides, it was pretty hot and really busy for a Friday. We had fun though, it was a great day!






After Lagoon, we drove out to Vernal, yet again. My little sis, Nikki, and her husband took their endowments out and got sealed on Saturday in the Vernal Temple. It was a great experience. I got to be her escort, which was really neat. We spent about 5 hours at the temple and it was so great to feel the Spirit and feel so peaceful. Nikki and Chris were sealed in the same room that Tyson and I were almost four years ago. Tyson's Father was a witness at our sealing, and Tyson got to be a witness in Chris and Nikki's. He sat in the same chair his Father sat in. That was very special for him. When they brought their little boy, Rooks, in to be sealed, I just lost it, the Spirit was so strong, and it was just a totally neat experience. Thanks Wildings for letting us share your special day!!!







So after the Temple, we all went to Golden Corral to eat lunch. It was a very special day! That night, my mom and dad had a BBQ up at their house, and the whole family got to spend some time together. Tyson and I decided to drive back to SLC Saturday night, we left at about 9:30 PM. I teach Young Women's every Sunday, and its so nice to be at my own house Sunday mornings, and not driving back from V-town at that time.

This week has been so crazy. We made an offer on a house last week, a normal response is within 24 hours, but banks take their own time, and 7 days later, we found out that the bank countered back at the full price. We countered back at our original offer, which was lower than the full price of the home. We still have not heard anything from them.

Work has been insane. I usually have a few hours worth of work in the morning, and little things to do throughout the day. The last three days I have had a full day's work each day. Its been very stressful; issues that my boss has never had to deal with, so he had me write a handbook, no easy task, and try to get the office back in ship shape. Plus its the end of the month, so payroll and billing have to be done, and they both take a great deal of time. I'm trying so hard to balance everything, still learning so much about people though, I guess nothing should surprise me!

Also, I have had a church related activity every single day of the week, Monday, FHE, Tuesday, Bookgroup (which I skipped, Tys and I went and had dinner together at the Bombay House, the issues at work has really worn on both of us, unfortunately), Wednesday, Young Women service project at Welfare Square, Thursday, Friday and Saturday is Youth Conference, and we are trying to look at homes, and I'm trying to plan my YW lesson for this Sunday, cook, clean, do laundry, buy groceries, exercise, work for my clients, and the list just never stops. I love Summer, I love the weather, everything is so beautiful and green, but it sure is a busy time of year!

We will survive though, at least we are young and able to do so many things, I can definitely say that our lives are never "boring." The issues at work will pass, the sun will come up tomorrow, its just been one crazy week, I'm glad we got to have a peaceful weekend at the temple.

TAG!!!

20 years ago....

1. I was 5 years old, going to kindergarten in a radio flyer wagon in a body cast.
2. My little sis, Nikki, and I were best friends one minute and enemies another minute.
3. My parents bought us a slip n' slide, and Nikki and I would have so much fun!

10 years ago...

1. I was going to Vernal Junior High and having tons of fun with friends.
2. Getting ready to go to Uintah High School.
3. I loved school dances, especially the Valentines one, it was fun to get all dressed up.

5 years ago...

1. I was 20, living in Salt Lake City.
2. I just graduated from the LDS Business College and was attending the U.
3. I had switched my major from accounting to business, business to law, law to elementary ed.
4. I joined a sorority and got to meet new people and had a ton of fun.

3 years ago...

1. I had been married to my husband for almost a year.
2. I was working at Mountain America full time and going to school full time.
3. I switched my major back to business with an accounting focus (right back where I started)
4. Tyson and I bought our first house in V-town, it was a disgusting rental and we fixed it up ship shape!

1 year ago...

1. I graduated with my bachelor's finally in Business Administration with an Accounting focus.
2. Tyson and I started traveling almost every weekend, we went to the Grand Canyon and the road was closed due to snow-it was May! We ended up spending most of our time in Zion's.
3. My sister had the first "Nebeker" grandchild, Rooks, born 07-07-07.

So far this year...

1. We have been to Hawaii, Taiwan, and China.
2. Tyson graduated!!! Yay for Tyson, International Studies with a Asian focus.
3. Tyson's Father passed away in China 6 days after we got home from spending 10 days with his parents.
4. We are buying a house!

Yesterday...

1. We made an offer on a house, guess we'll see how it goes!
2. My sis, Natalie, moved out to SLC and is staying with us through this week until she moves into her new apartment!
3. I walked about 4 miles with my awesome friend Amanda!

Today...

1. We are waiting to see if our offer was accepted on a house.
2. Tyson and I are doing a Chinese slideshow presentation up at the U tonight.
3. I lifted weights out on my back porch and did crunches,then made a yummy breakfast, german pancakes.

Tomorrow...

1. I will go to the track for another 4 or so miles!
2. I will have to decide if I'm chopping my hair off or not, getting a haircut!
3. Hopefully be able to go to the temple tomorrow night.

Next year...

1. I hope we are in a home and not renting anymore.
2. I hope we are able to get pregnant and have a baby.
3. We are hoping to make it back to China again, there is a tradition of planting a tree in memory of the person who has passed away, Tyson and I are hoping to be able to do this next summer.

I tag Nikki, Amanda, Brandi, and anyone who wants to!

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

I never got to post about all the many things that are so completely different in China, and also some things that are pretty much the same. The first few days, it was so weird to me, I couldn't read anything, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is in Chinese. I love to read, I'll read anything, street signs, billboards, cereal boxes, labels on food, and everything to be read was in Chinese. The garbage trucks play music like an icecream truck, a couple of tunes we heard were Fur Elise by Beethoven and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I took some pictures, and here are a couple of things that were very different, not bad, just very different to me:

The Beds: small (granted my husband is a giant)

and very firm, slightly softer than a slab of concrete.

The Markets: open air, freshly butchered meat

(we saw this the first morning, no wondered I struggled with the meat)

Same Market: again, open air, pick your own,

un-refrigerated eggs, fresh from the chicken coup

The Fruit: this fruit could draw blood it is so prickly and sharp,

but every other fruit we tasted was fresh off the tree and was amazing to eat!

The watermelon is yellow in Taiwan, very yummy!

The Toilet Paper: I'm building up the finale,

the toilet paper wasn't so bad, just not your typical roll,

it was tiny pieces of tissue paper, if there was any at all,

we had to carry it with us, even in the airport in Qingdao,

there was no toilet paper. Oh,and they do not flush the toilet paper,

thats what the handy garbage cans are for.

The Toilets (aka: squatters): This is a clean squatter, as the day progresses, these get pretty gross, I (gratefully) never had to use one, but I was terrified (literally) of having to pee on my leg, or fall over. I was pushed to the front of the line to the "western" toilet, or what we know to be a normal, sit down, no squatting necessary toilet. My mom bought me a mini Lysol, and I carried that and tissue paper, along with hand sanitizer everywhere with me. If there's no toilet paper, there was definitely no soap.

Okay, so there were a lot of things different, again, not bad, just different, and we survived it! We took pictures of some things that are very much the same here in the US:

The Church: We went to church both Sundays abroad,

both experiences were so awesome, the first picture is Tyson

in front of his old church in one of his areas from his mission in Huei.

Even in China, there was a small branch for foreigners, and

it was so awesome to be able to go in such a far place from home

and be able to go to the temple and church.

Fast Food: Yep, they have a McDonalds and KFC on just about every corner,we never ate at McDonalds, but we had KFC one night in Beijing, it was Edwin's favorite!

Finally, 7/11's: They are on every corner too, we went to a few to buy treats, we even got slurpee's one afternoon when it was about 85 degrees outside with 100% humidity.

It was really such a blast to go over to such a foreign place and see so many new and exiting things, truly an adventure! We are so grateful for the opportunity to go and see Tyson's mission, to meet the people and spend time with them, and then be able to go to China and spend 10 great days with his parents. We are especially grateful for the time we spent with Tyson's Father.

THANKS TO ALL

I just wanted to thank all of our friends and family members that have been such a great strength to Tyson and I, and our families. We have felt your love and prayers, and appreciate the support so much.

Tyson's father's funeral was last Tuesday, and the service was beautiful. Tyson, his siblings, and his mother were all able to participate, and it was a wonderful time to remember his father. The cemetary was beautiful from all of the flowers from Memorial Day.

Since we have been back to SLC, our friends and neighbors have made meals, brought us flowers and treats, mowed our lawn, and have just been so very thoughtful and kind to us. We appreciate the cards, kind words, and thoughts from everyone, it has meant so much to us and we have truly felt the comforter during this time.

Some other news, Tyson and I are looking to buy a house out here, we looked at 24 homes over the weekend, and are still going to look; there are over 8,000 homes in Salt Lake County alone for sell, so we will just be patient and take our time looking. We are finally feeling like we are ready to settle down a bit, now that we are both finished with school and doing really well with our jobs, this is a very exciting time for us.

Again, thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, kind words, and all other ways of supporting us through this, we have felt your love and the love of our Heavenly Father.