Where have Kim and Devin been?

Well, we are still alive! Never fear. I don't have any fun pictures to post...but I do feel like we need to let everyone know what we have been up to. We have been as busy as ever, graduation day is fast approaching for me, so that is really exciting. Other than that, we have been doing the norm and a few extra things here and there. We were on our ward's intramural intertube water polo team (yeah, have you ever heard of that?). It was super fun and we were actually really incredible, so much that they bumped us up a division for the championships and we lost on our second game! It was single elimination, so we were out. It was particularly a rough loss too, since we were tied basically the whole game and the other team scored their last two points in the last 5 seconds! It was a buzzer beater...oh well. Devin actually wasn't at that game and I still maintain that if he were, we would have won. He has such long arms, he could just pull the balls out of the air anytime! Well, anyway, it was a really fun experience and we will maybe go for the championship next year! Good thing kickball season is coming up again...

Also, we got to spend some time with Devin's family last weekend for Easter and for his sister Alisa's wedding. That makes all 8 Perry children married people now! His sister Mesha was kind enough to have everyone over on Easter Sunday. What a big party it was too. We had a barbeque and enjoyed each other's company. Alisa and Ren's wedding was on Monday, so we saw them again the next day.

Today we had a ward pinewood derby. Don't worry, we are not a family ward, just a student married ward, so it was couple vs. couple. We lost miserably. Oh well....it was funny to see all the people (particularly the men) getting so into it! We had trophies and everything for the winners. Devin and I are on the activities committee, which has been a really fun calling as we get to help with such fun events as these.

As far as the summer goes, I am currently looking for a new job that I can start when I graduate. No luck so far...but I will keep trying. Devin got a $2000 grant for summer school, which we didn't even apply for! We are feeling really blessed that way, so he will go to school both spring and summer terms and also go back to his window washing job that he loved so much last summer. We also will be moving at some point in May...just around the block from where we live now. Some of our ward members are moving out and we jumped at the chance to move into their apartment. It is the upstairs of a house and is probably twice the size of the one we currently live in and has probably 4 times the storage space! Believe me, I was excited about that. I think I will enjoy living there a lot. It is a cute little house that we can decorate more and feel like it's somewhere we can stay for the duration of the college career.

I guess that is all for now for an update! Sorry to bore you, I just didn't want anyone to think we had gone off and died or anything...but we don't have fun and exciting things to report! It seems like everyone else does, but someday we will!

Ode to the people and places...

Top: Sarah, Danika, Beth, Wendy

Bottom: Me, Becky
This weekend, I was able to go to an Ecuador reunion with some of the only people who truly understand my feelings about the experience-the ones who were there doing it with me! Of course, everyone couldn't come, but we did have a good group. This picture was taken after one girl, Katie, left. I just have to say that these are the type of friends that it doesn't matter if we haven't seen each other for months (year?), it is like nothing has changed when we all get together. Even though we are all at different points of our life now, we did share three months where I don't hesitate to speak for everyone in saying it changed our lives. On that note, I think it is fitting to do a mini picture review of some of the good times we shared while we were in Ecaudor and also in celebration of it being nearly two years since we came home as well. Let me just tell you, I would post picture of us in the orphanages, but it is against Ecuadorian law, so I will just have to post some of the other fun things we did, which were many.

Here we are getting ready to go waterfall repelling in a place called Banos. Don't worry, those aren't really diapers, but they sure do look like it!

This is Danika and I on a hike we went in a town called Mindo. It was BEAUTIFUL as you can tell.

We went to the beach for one of our Friday field trips...here we are eating at a beach front restaurant. Don't worry that I look awful, I had been swimming in the ocean, plus I had had the nightshift at the orphanage the night before. We took vans to the beach, so everyone picked Ashley and I up from the night shift and we drove for five hours starting at 4 am. Don't worry, I slept on the floor of the van, since I hadn't slept at all prior. Rough! We then flew home. Don't ask me why we didn't just fly both ways, since tickets were only like $30.

Since we were so close to the Equator, of course we had to visit there! Here we are standing on the line. They had some pretty cool experiments for us to do as well, including standing on both sides of the line and watching which way water swirls when it drains! If you do it right on the line, it doesn't swirl at all, it just goes straight down.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the entire time! This wall is at the Center of the Earth museum, so of course we had to attempt to spell out "Ecuador" ourselves! That is what it is, if you can't tell. :)

I even got the chance to kiss a llama once! Once, we played in a big fountain to re-enact "Friends". It was in the middle of a round-a-bout and there were cops on each corner and no one cared!
This ball was in a park near our house and I always wanted to climb on it because we passed it on our drive every day to the orphanages. Finally, right near the end, we did it!
There is a tram that takes you to the top of the city and you can overlook everything! It was amazing. They also had these nice grassy fields that were perfect for re-enactments of "The Soud of Music." This is Ashley and me.

On one of our days off, we pained the house where our special kids boys lived. Wow was that an adventure. Let me just say two things: watered down paint and small brushes! It made for a LOOOOOONG day!

The month of March is the celebration of "Carnaval" which just means that everyone dumps water on everyone else whenever they get the opportunity. It doesn't matter if they are strangers, either. So one day, we had a HUGE carnaval fight, which started in the house (poor housekeeper who had to clean up all the water...) then it went to the street where eggs, flour, and massive amounts of water and water balloons were involved. The local seminary kids were there that day, so they were part of the fun!

At the end, we got to spend three days in the deep jungle near the Napo River. This lovely attire is what we got to wear, THE WHOLE TIME. It rains non-stop, so ya know. We got to do lots of fun things there, swing from vines, make baskets, swim with the anacondas, watch our guide catch an alligator, hike, and be cleansed from the local medicine man, to name a few. It was a good way to unwind at the end of the trip and to see some of the other parts of Ecuador before heading home.

Well, of course I have millions of other pictures, but here is just a sampling. I loved my Ecuador experience, as everyone can tell. I think it says something that I am still obsessed with it and it has been two years. Oh well!

Look at Her Now!

(picture missing...again until the adoption is finalized)
This little girl was a mere 1 year old when I grew to love her in Ecuador. Now she is 3 and she has grown SO MUCH. I can't even believe it. The latest news with her is kind of bittersweet to me. She is almost walking, which is incredible. Had you asked me when I was there if she would ever walk, I would have told you definitely not, especially with the care that she had been receiving. But in the past 2 years she has received incredible care at her new home and is doing amazingly well. The other news is that her paperwork has been finalized to make her eligible for adoption! Stacey, the person who runs her old home has been on a furlough for the past little while and in the meantime, MF has been living with a foster family. They might adopt her, or there is one other family who is a possibility for adoption. I think this is wonderful news and so great that she will be able to have a family of her own, but it also makes me sad a little bit for completely selfish reasons. From the day I met her, I thought of her as my own little girl. I don't have children of my own, but I imagine the feelings are somewhat the same. I think of her daily, I pray for her constantly, and I want nothing but wonderful things for her. But, I know that when she is adopted, that is the last that I will ever hear from her. She will no longer be in need of a "sponser" and I won't get the handy monthly pictures and updates that I have become so accustomed to. It will be hard for me to not know where she is and how she is doing and to see the milestones that she reaches, but I know that it is so much better for her to have a family of her own. I remember when I was in Ecuador feeling so overwhelmed one day that I couldn't do it anymore. I just loved the kids so much and it was too hard for me to think of the future and not knowing what it would hold for them. I recall praying that night and having a distinct impression that the Lord knew my feelings and that just as much as I loved these children, the Lord loved them too and would take care of them in the future. Those thoughts have stayed with me and whenever I think about the babies in Ecuador, I think about the love that the Lord has for them as well and know that wherever they are, they are His children and that He will take care of them.

Rascal Flatts!

This past Friday night, I went to the Rascal Flatts concert with my co-workers and friends, Meghan and Ashley. It was a celebration for Ashley's birthday, which was the next day. We first went to the Cheesecake Factory to eat, which is new in Utah and has been a HUGE thing. We went at 4 and luckily got in at 4:30. The food was so good and we had a good time there.

Since it was Ash's birthday, we of course let the people know and they came and sang to her and brought her a microscopic ice cream sundae with a HUGE pile of whip cream! Meghan helped her eat it and I ate the whip cream. haha. Then we headed to Energy Solutions Arena (formerly the Delta Center, which I still call it...) for the concert! We got lucky and got free parking and made our way down to the arena. By this time, we were all feeling extremely hyper, as demonstrated by this picture of Meg acting like a cowboy. She even walked the whole way to the place like that. Okay, maybe not the whole way, but a good portion of the way. :)

The opening act was Kelli Pickler, who was an American Idol winner. She was actually realllly good! Her voice is amazing and Meghan and I agreed that she is the best opening act we have ever seen. Then came the big show! I am a big fan of Rascal but I have never before seen them in concert. We had a great time and were well entertained. We left with hoarse voices and even more hyped up than when we came. Good thing because I had to drive home still...but I was wide awake. I felt it the next morning though when I had to be at work at 8 am. I am nice and didn't schedule Meg or Ashley, but of course I scheduled myself. Oh well. I only wish I would have been able to get better pictures of the band, but I didn't because we were up a ways and my camera is just not that good.

It's Official

I can't tell you the number of times I have used that title for a post. But this time, I really mean it!!!

Devin and I are going to Chicago for Stefani and Ronnie's wedding in May!!!! We got our tickets all squared away today and I couldn't be more excited. Let me just tell you that I love to travel and there is something about getting out that makes life so much better.

I have never been to Chicago, so for anyone who wants to give me ideas on what we should see and what we should do, feel free! I am looking for suggestions. I am a mastermind planner, so by the time this trip happens, you better believe that I will have down a minute by minute itinerary with exact travel plans and such. Can't have it any other way.

As a side note, even though Stef most likely will deny this, I am 100% responsible for this union (well maybe I will give some credit to Camille too). Ronnie was one of our friends our beloved freshmen year. He moved out after that school year to go to law school in Louisiana. The next year, Stefani moved in with us and we became great friends. We then gave Stef Ronnie's email address or vice versa and they started writing love letters, then they started dating, and now they are getting married!! WAHOO!!!

Happy Birthday Ol' Christopher!!!

Today happens to be the birthday of one of the best people ever, my brother-in-law Chris, or as we sometimes like to call him, "Skip Chris!". Chris turns the big 3-0 today and for his birthday Jennifer surprised him and took him to Sun Valley for a night. I am sure she will be posting pictures, so I will leave the details to her.

Chris is just an amazing person and we are lucky to have such a great example in our lives. Even though he is battling a brain tumor, he still has more optimism and goodness than most of us. Chris is a fighter and never ceases to amaze me.

So with that, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!!!!

Neglecting the Blog....

I have not blogged in forever, mostly due to the fact that our lives are really not that exciting and there isn't much to write about. I have also been really busy lately....and I have taken on a new project: figuring out my life. Yep, it's a big project.

I have been just cruising along this semester like always when the thought suddenly occurred to me that I don't really know how to be graduated. I have been in school for so long that I am a pro at going to school and being in student-mode. However, when I graduate, what do I really want to do with myself? I hadn't really considered it.

So many things are changing, yet so many things are staying the same. Devin will still be in school, so we will be here for a while more, that is unless we decide to transfer schools and move (which is a possibility). Don't get me wrong, I have loved my time in Provo, but I feel like I have done my time here and I am ready for a change. But, if we end up staying here for another few years as Devin finishes up his education, I will be okay with that too. We are currently in the process of finding a new apartment. We looked at one place that I thought I was really going to love, but I didn't. I also just keep feeling like we need to stay in our ward. I don't know why...so now we are focusing our search to places within the ward. We just need something a little bit bigger. Our apartment now is great and has a lot of perks, but it just has NO storage space and we can't keep piling our junk in random places. You have already seen the picture of our food storage in our bedroom. It's just not attractive.

The other thing is that I need to start looking for a new job. I have worked where I do for FOUR years and that has been great as it has gotten me through school, but I feel that it is time to move on. The very thought just scares me. I know how to do what I doing and I am comfortable there and the bottom line is that I just don't like change. I don't even know where to start looking for a new job to be honest. It is a scary thought. I wish my internship would just hire me, but they unfortunately don't have any positions. Ah.....I also have debated on and off about grad school. I was in class the other night and my professor congratulated those who made it into grad school (the Social Work program at BYU just announced its grad school admissions) and I was totally jealous. I didn't even apply, but I still felt a twinge of jealousy about those who would be going on. I didn't apply because I feel so burnt out that I didn't think I could do it. But who knows, after a summer break, I might have been more than ready to go.

Well those are just some of the ramblings of my life right now. I am sorry this is a boring post and pictureless, but hey...it's my blog and I will do with it what I want! :)