The Past Several Weeks

I know that I should have had plenty of time to update the blog last week because it was spring break for us at the U, but unfortunately between sleeping in, working, relaxing, and being determined to finish a book, I just put blogging on the back burner. But now that I've finally found a spare moment when I'm willing to sit down and do it, (even though it's 12:30 in the morning), I decided I better do it!
The past several weekends have been extremely busy for Nick and I. Three weekends ago, Nick's parents were out of town, so Nick and I were in charge of watching the five week old Brittney Spaniel puppies that Nick's dog Annie gave birth to. They were so much fun to hold and play with, plus, it helps that they are absolutely adorable! Gunner (the dad), and Annie (the mom) sure make beautiful little pups!

All the pups eating dinner! They are so adorable!

These are two of the little girls, Dolly (left) and Roxy (right).

This is little Andy. By the end of my weekend he was my favorite little guy and I wanted so badly to take him home with me! It was hard not to! He reminds me so much of the dog I grew up with, Sam. Good Old Sam. He died the week before my wedding after spending nearly 16 years with our family, he was such a good dog.
The next Thursday I got the chance to babysit my adorable niece Pearl. She is such a handful, but so much fun! After we finished dinner, and watched "Word World" on tv, Pearl helped me do the dishes. She mostly just got water all over everything, but at least she was willing to help me do them! After that I took her out to play in her turtle sandbox that Grandma and Grandpa Jewkes (my parents) gave her for her first birthday, she loves that thing!


Peal has a shoe fettish, which she got from her father. It was so funny because while she was playing in her little sandbox, if sand would cover up her shoes, she would go "OH NO! Shoes!" and proceed with a swift clean of her precious shoes!

After playing in the sandbox for about half an hour, we decided to go in and make some cupcakes! Rainbow chip to be exact, and my were they delicious! Pearl is a great baker, just like her mom.
The next day after I got out of class, I went to Hogle Zoo with my older brother Jesse, his wife Emily (EZ for short), and their adorable little girl Ruby. It was so much fun to be able to spend the day with them and I think Ruby had a good time at the zoo!

She was definitely more interested in the waterfall than getting her picture taken, no matter how hard you tried to coax her into looking!

This is a howler monkey. I took a picture because last year when Nick and I went to the zoo together, he said this was the monkey that looked the most like him. Haha. Do you see the resemblance? I guess I kind of do...their both pretty hairy!

Penguins were always one of my favorite animals even as a child, so I couldn't help taking a picture of the little guys!

While living in Alaska I had many close encounters with black bears, but none quite like this. This picture reminds me of something you'd see on a postcard with some funny caption about sleeping butt to butt!


I think the giraffes were some of everyone's favorite animals! We spent a lot of time looking at them, and it was probably because they are the animals you can get the closest to. Look at his tongue!

This was Jesse's favorite animal, the Amur Leopard. It was beautiful! And it was a great sport posing for the camera! Jesse told me that there are only forty of these left in the wild, isn't that sad? They are such beautiful creatures.

Jesse and Rue-Bug sitting on an elephant.

This elephant is pregnant and expecting to deliver sometime this summer after 24 months of being pregnant! Holy crap that is a long pregnancy! Imagine how she feels all you mothers out there! Plus, she is absolutely MASSIVE. Her sides poked out like nothing I've ever seen before, you can sort of see how big she was with her shadow on her side.

I think Ruby's favorite part of the zoo was the giant water globe they had at the entrance! She ran around that thing for nearly half and hour getting soaked in the process!
That night after a dinner at TGI Friday's with Jesse and his family, Nick and I drove up to Logan to spend the weekend with my friends and family. I had such a wonderful time and can't wait to go back!
On Saturday afternoon, my friends Kory, Staci, Mikey, and my little brother went with Nick and I shooting. We spent a few hours out in the mud and muck shooting six different guns that Nick and Kory had brought. I had so much fun, and I learned that I was a pretty decent shot! And so was Kurtis!

This is me, Kurt, Mikey, and Staci.
Nick showing me how to shoot his 30-O6. Yeah, it left a bruise on my shoulder!

This is me shooting the favorite gun of the day, Kory's AR-15. Sweet gun.
After getting back home and enjoying the week off of school for spring break, my sister invited me over to her place for dinner/St. Patrick's day cookie baking! Pearl wanted to help so bad, so she was the first to get everything out all over the floor and proceed to pretend to make cookies. This is Pearl doing her "surprise" face.


Jenny hard at work while I took pictures!


The finished product. Jeff insisted on having blue frosting to represent his love for the Utah State Aggies. Silly Jeff.
To finish the week off, Nick and I joined his Mom and Dad for a celebration dinner on Saturday. We went to Market Street Grill and enjoyed some delicious steak and seafood! Thanks for turning fifty Gary and taking is out to dinner!
Oh, and one more thing..the last little while Nick has been getting into archery with our buddy Joe (aka Squito). One night I decided to join them thinking I would just sit back and watch. But they finally got me to shoot the bow...and well, I'm a regular Robin Hood! Really, I was pretty good for my first try. Even Joe, who is a nationally ranked archer who will be attending the next summer olympics told me that I was way good and should try competition archery out. I'm not quite that good yet, but boy did I have fun! Plus it helped that on my very first day I got a bullseye!!