Odds and Ends

Blake deserves an award.


If there is one thing he hates, it's getting his picture taken.  That and cucumbers. (Can you imagine going through life hating cucumbers? That is so sad. He is missing out on one of the most important additions at any salad bar.)


In this past week alone, Blake has endured 3 different "photo shoots," the first one was on Valentine's Day, and I'm pretty sure the reason he agreed was because I promised it would count as my Valentine's present.  My friend from high school turned incredible photographer selflessly sacrificed a huge chunk of her Valentine's Day to take pictures for us.  Check out her website, she's amazing. 


Then today we went up to Salt Lake to take family pictures with my family.  It was so much fun but really sad at the same time because it's our last family picture before Sean leaves on his mission.  This came way too fast.  He is so excited to go, but the poor guy has five older sisters who are really trying hard to act excited for him instead of sad.  His farewell is tomorrow, and he enters the MTC on Wednesday then on to Malaga, Spain.  I am really going to miss him!


After those pictures, all the siblings went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to take more pictures by my sister Lisa, also an incredibly talented photographer.  Blake thinks we don't have to take any more pictures for three years.  We'll see how long that lasts.


Now on to a really cool announcement.  Blake has been working in a cancer research lab on campus for almost a year now, and the professor he works with asked him and 4 other students to come to D.C. with him to present their research at a pretty big conference.  It's really exciting and will look great on his med school applications.  I think he's mostly excited that it's all-expense paid though. He leaves in March for about 4 days I think? It's kind of sad, we both love to travel, but it seems like a lot of the traveling we do is apart from the other one.  A year ago, Blake went to Mexico to go to a friend's temple sealing, then I went to D.C. for a week for PRSSA National Conference, and now Blake will be in D.C., then right after I'll be in New York for the summer.  We're talking about planning a trip that we'll actually get to take together once I get back, so let's hear it for tax refunds!