Enjoying Florida!

In March, Matt and I had the opportunity to attend a Yellowcard concert here in Florida. It was very crowded and EXTREMELY warm. Despite being told we were “past the concert going age” by some new bands sampling music outside the venue – I think we did pretty well!

The next week, we went to an event on our campus that hosted Common. He gave a guest lecture and then gave us an opportunity to meet him.

But the highlight of this spring so far has to be my mom’s stay! Mutti came down to visit for a week and we enjoyed some time at the beach, on the intercoastal waterway, and spending some time with Monsi.

It had been over 20 years since Mutti last saw her sister Ilse. While she was in town, we went to Monsi’s and spend the day chatting and munching. It was wonderful seeing my mother get to reconnect with her sister after so much time and for both of them to find that despite the years and distance – they are still so similar and close.

We had fun at the beach where my mom shared her tradition of making bracelets out of shells and natural materials found on the beach. On our few trips to the beach, we found seeds called “Ojos de Samuro.” These seeds are thought to bring good luck to those who find it.

We took my mom to tour Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. Riding the water taxi, eating at Shooter’s on the coast, and finding some authentic empanadas and cachapas in Miami helped my mom feel a little more comfortable leaving Utah after so much time. As we drove around downtown, my mom reminisced sharing stories of life in Venezuela and the memories this trip brought back.

It was such a special memory to have made with my mom – I hope that the next step will be making these memories with Francisco and Brigitte.

This last weekend, Matt and I took a boat ride out to the ocean to explore snorkeling. Though we didn’t fare so well against the choppy waves, difficulty breathing, and sea sickness Matt experienced – we were very proud to have taken a step to experience something we’ve never done. The good news was that we did jump into the water and tried exploring. But we found the glass-bottom boat a better way to observe the sea creatures.

Wrapping up all of these great experiences was the end of Matt’s first semester as a grad student. I’m very proud to announce that Matt got all A’s and will be working in a clinic with clients within a months time! We also have an exciting trip to Indiana coming up in a couple days that is much needed. We’re hoping for a fun trip to French Lick with Matt’s grandmother and grandfather along with some time catching up with our family friends the Peyton’s. I hope that in a couple of weeks we’ll have some pictures and updates to share!

Happiness on earth!

+ ESPN Weekend + Spring & Garden Festival + Rollar Coasters = Disneyworld!!! +

Matt and I just got back from another trip to Disneyworld but we were blessed to attend on a very busy weekend. It was ESPN’s annual fan’s weekend at Hollywood Studios and oh my goodness was it crazy amazing! We got to see a lot of celebrity athletes up close and there was a really enjoyable fan zone too!

Our highlights included Matt being seen on First Take and our interactions with some of the NBA’s legends! I had the privilege of being on camera with a question to Karl Malone about my home team the Jazz. Included in the session was Gary Payton, Alonso Mourning, Kevin MacHale, and Dr. J – Julius Irving. Talk about keeping good company. I also got to sit in on a special interview session with Mia Hamm who was a hero of mine growing up.

We also got to play in Epcot and visit the beautiful garden topiaries created for the Spring. We love traveling through the world showcase and sampling all the sweets but it was a special treat to find special little character spots around.

To wrap up our time we attended a special pass holder event at the Animal Kingdom. Typically, the park closes around 5 or 6. But since it was an anniversary event for the wicked sweet rollar coaster “expedition everest” – they opened up for a select number of us Floridians. It was really cool to see this park at night and with so few people to bump into. Even though Matt struggles with motion sickness – we made it on the ride four times before we had to sit out for some Dramamine. I was quite proud of how far he’s come haha.

Right now, we’re preparing to wrap up our semester. Our work load is heavy but we’re hopeful we’ll make it through this semester. Matt is looking into a possible on-campus job and we’ve got our fingers crossed for it. I just received a nomination to participate in a special organization on campus that will work directly with NSU’s new President. The club is called the “Presidents 64” and it’s 64 students that have shown great promise and success. I feel really honored for this and look forward to making a difference on our campus.

Next month we have some big plans to celebrate surviving another semester. My mom will be flying out to join us on the beach! My mom hasn’t left Utah in 10 years, flown in 15 yrs, and seen her sisters in over 20 yrs…! I’m very excited to share my experience out here with her and hopefully, give her an opportunity to reconnect with her family and past.

We also found out today that we’ll be flying to Indy at the end of April for some much needed time with family and friends. We’re very excited to go back home!

My handsome Sports analyst

Rocking our Toy Story 3-D glasses – Matt’s enthusiasm comes from his paparazzi wife

Pacers pride even in Florida

+ True Joy +

On camera with Karl Malone

Some NBA Legends Julius Irving, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone, Alonso Mourning, and Gary Payton (left to right)

Dr. J.

Some NBA Legends Julius Irving, Kevin McHale, Karl Malone, Alonso Mourning, and Gary Payton (left to right)

Ft. Lauderdale

Hello to our wonderful family and friends. 2011 has started as a very busy year for us. Matthew loves his program with some great professors also serving as a mentor to him. We both are spending some long hours studying but we do enjoy our library dates with dinner in the university center off of the meal plan..

AS a resolution for ourselves we decided that we want to try and find some more opportunities to go out and get to know sunny south Florida. On our recent adventures, we’ve started going out with fellow classmates to local restaurants, taking Disney trips with our annual passes, and our recent favorite – touring downtown Ft. Lauderdale!

Below we have attached some photos of our new adventures J P.S. Yes we buzzed Matt’s hair – and I totally find him handsome.

We went out with a co-worker of mine and her partner to the Museum of Art and lunch at the Riverwalk.

Thanks to our Graduate school we went on a night cruise on a yacht through the intercoastal waterway.

Wandering through the Riverwalk we found a Pita Pit nearby!

It was cold enough on our last trip that we had to wear jackets and sweaters! It was fantastic! Still no snow but 40 degrees in Florida sticks out like a sore thumb.

Disney – this picture shows the perfection in every trip here!

This photo shows Matt’s attitude after choosing to leave his jacket at home and having to shell out a good 50 dollars for one in the parks – though I think he looks rather dashing in it.