Utah Trip!

This trip to Utah was almost a month ago, but I wanted to post some pics from the Utah adventure Blaine and I had with my family. It was filled with a hiking adventure to Ensign Peak, A Mad Tennis Match, Hanging out with Emmie and the fam, and a Photo Shoot. Here are some of my favorite pictures below! At the top of Ensign Peak with my sweetie!
Ensign Peak is where Brigham Young first went to look out over the Great Salt Lake Valley. This picture shows the cool view of the city.

The Mad Tennis Match!

Blaine and Emmie making music on the piano!

Isn't he the handsomest man ever?

My sisters and I

Papa King and his girls

More sister pics

Justin, Katie, and Emmeline

Delightful Fufu!

Tuesday June 28, 2010 was two whole years since I finished my mission in Ghana and returned to the United States. I decided to commemorate this day by making some real Ghana fufu, or at least as real as I can make it here. Kristin was a trooper and tried it with me and loved it enough that we had it again the next night! Just in case Justin is missing Ghana, he should know that we can hook him up with some pretty good imitation fufu and light soup!! Welcome back Justin!

Just so you know we don't eat AJAX soap. In Ghana when you eat at someone's house they bring out a bowl of water and soap to wash your hands before you eat. I was going for the real experience to truly commemorate Ghana.

Father's Day Weekend

On Father's Day, I got to be some of the men I love the very most! There is my Blaine, who is the best husband, and will be the best dad. Then there's my dad, who is the best Papabonjio! It was so fun to see my Grandpa Max. He is such a stellar grandpa!

We love Afton!

When we went to Utah, we got to visit with one of our favorite friends, Afton. She lives in my growing-up neighborhood. We got to go out to lunch with her and cruise the town in her spiffy car! (Notice the license plate!) This is one spunky, sassy, wonderful lady!

Blaine's Birthday!

This post is a long time in comin', but these are some pictures from Blaine's Birthday last month. Happy Birthday Blaine!

Happy 58th Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's 58th Birthday! (She is the one on the left. Isn't she so pretty?) In honor of her, I have just a few wonderful things that I love about her....

• She always had a stash of M&M's to share, hid in random places around the house.
• She was always so excited to go take meals to people in our ward, especially when she got to visit the cute new babies!
• She loved Jim Brickman music. Now everytime I hear it, I think of her and it makes me so happy:)
• She was always wearing some kind of red apron! I loved waking up in the morning to her cooking muffins or scones and hearing her cheery voice!
• She would always go borrow something from a neighbor and be there for like 3 hours until my dad would sent us to bring her home! She loved to chat!
• She used to make the most delicious oatmeal cake with coconut frosting and walnuts, and I would get to take pieces in my school lunch.

I wish my mom was her today so I could tell her Happy Birthday! It makes me a little sad thinking I can't give her a big birthday hug, but I know she would want me to celebrate today with the ones I love the very most! I think I might just have to make some oatmeal cake and listen to some Jim Brickman music with my Blaine! I hope all reading this will find someone wonderful to share today with :)

Our Garden

So since this blog is titled "The Murray Adventures" I decided that I can write too. I realize that Kristin is much more interesting, witty, charming, etc... that is why I married her. However, she didn't say I couldn't write on this blog so here goes with a highlight from our fairlytale little life.

Kristin and I have been doing a garden at my Grandma Munns house in Archer just outside Rexburg. We have been growing and watering and praying for this thing to work out. As you will notice from these pictures we have had a pretty good run at this first garden of ours as a married couple. I have had a blast working alongside Kristin as we have pulled weeds many hours under the hot sun this past summer. The garden also gave me such a stress relief during my Summer semester which ended July 24th. Dirt seems to be able to relieve tension for me, go figure.

My mom always is saying the phrase "there must be a gospel principle in that." As we have done this garden many lessons have come to us as we have experienced the ups and downs of a vegetable gardeners life. The first lesson we learned is that we need help! Although we both grew up in homes where gardens were grown, we both had to recognize that there is much we can and need to learn from others. We learned, in a hard core way, the law of the harvest. Both Kristin and I have used the lessons we learned in the garden in lessons and talks in church. I think above all we also learned that work can bring you closer to each other than almost anything else in this life. I am so grateful I got to be with Kristin as I did this. I love the crap out of her!!!

Enjoy our garden pictures!

Kristin and My uncle Lynn prepping the garden with a John Deere and a disk

Gettin' rows ready for seeds. Early May

Kristin and mama Murray planting seeds. Early May

Trench watering; tried and true. June

First signs of life: Beans!! Late June

First harvest- Raddish. July

Kristin, Riley (my niece), and myself in our towering corn. Late July

Again, this time facing the camera.

A skunk got into our corn one night so we had to take drastic measures. An electric fence was put up to keep the critters out.

Kristin's first time touching an electric fence. Now she's a real country girl!

This is the latest edition to our family... Little Bhuela Zucchini arrived on August 25, 2009 to a proud and loving mother. We decided to name her in honor of Justin, Thanks Manger.

Our first corn from the garden about to be consumed.