Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Summer 2013- Indian Wells and San Francisco


In March, Andrew and I were the luckiest kids around!!  We had the opportunity to join my mom at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, and then jet off to San Francisco to meet up with our good friends the Broadbents for the weekend.

Though my family goes every year, to Indian Wells, this was my first time and I have to say... I LOVE IT! Watching tennis live is so exciting. We got to see Roger Federer, Maria Sharipova, Andy Murray, the Bryan Brothers, and so many more. My mom and I enjoyed probably the most delicious frozen lemonades I have ever had, while Andrew enjoyed that nasty looking hot dog. He assured me he loved it- surprise, surprise!

We were hot and I was adorned in dresses both days (long story!) and we were surrounded by a lot of old people. Which is never a bad thing. I pictured Andrew and I there when we are old ... sipping that lemonade ... eating that nasty hot dog ... all super slow, to avoid brain freezes or heartburn of course. Maybe I'll encourage Andrew to forgo the Jalapenos when we are old. Anyway it was a perfect get away from chilly Utah.


 


 
 

^^^ I mean come on! That relish definitely looks artificially colored to me! but don't get me wrong... if that were a corn-dog, I'd be all-in. 



^^^ Janaka photobombs are the best... always with the mouth open (koch-girl signature).



After we were thoroughly sweaty and impossibly all-tennised-out we headed up north to spend the weekend in San Francisco with the Broadbents. Oh how we love the Broadbents! We stayed at the Fairmont in Ghiradelli Square and loved it. 


Trip Highlights:

the view from the Fairmont... stunning!

walking, or should I say hiking along the northern coast of the city to the golden gate bridge and the 
Presidio and back. it took us 6 hours. and I did it in a skirt! No regrets!

The FOOD! that one sandwich place and taco-licious. 

Andrew being told how to eat his "really hot" soup by the micro-managing Chinese restaurant owner's wife. 

Going to the BiRite creamery to get ginger and salted caramel ice cream. oh and of course to stare at the cheese. 

the view of the city from the top of the Art museum's tower. 

watching Andrew's little boy face light up when we found the salt water taffy

late night conversations ... duh

feeling super duper good about my navigation abilities (after Amy showed me google maps of course)

discovering the true definition of Dim Sum after realizing how completely craze-obsessed the people of San Francisco are for it. turns out it really isn't that hard to figure out what it is.... just ask a sweet old lady in Chinatown. Her face will light up and it will make you feel like you just gave her the world. 

and OF COURSE! getting to see the famous Erin Dean Roche' Skelton. oh how I have missed that lady. Who thought that having a friend since you were 5 would be so exciting, comforting, and just plain fun! I have decided that I am going to write a book about it. The Silly Ways of Nelson and Dean. No one will really care about this book except Erin and I, and maybe our moms and husbands, but I feel strongly that it has to be written for us. Erin is such a delight and I am so glad I got to spend a night with her and Cole. We laughed, we ate, we cried. San Francisco was so good to us.

** unfortunately we were not good photographers this trip :( hence the reason why the broadbents are only featured in the park/napping photo, and the photos are weird iphone formats and filters etc.


 
 ^^^ our view from the hotel.

^^^ I wanted to watch the seals all day. 


^^^ we got a big kick out of that sign. 


^^^ Andrew in HEAVEN!

^^^ My HEAVEN!

 

 

^^^ Oh man- melt my heart and spread it on toast! My Northwesterner. 


 


^^^ I know Amy looks headless here, but I really wanted to remember this moment: sharing a sweet conversation with my long-time friend while watching/ smelling the seals.



Monday, October 7, 2013

Summer 2013 - Camping in Goblin Valley


As the Summer of 2013 has not-so-rapidly come to a close for us Arizonians (alas, I am an Arizonian- sigh), and as I have acquired an extensive amount of time on my hands (pregnant and unemployed), I have decided to recap on what was possibly the most adventurous and exciting summer of our married life.

The Summer of 2013 really started in March.... with a final Utah Camping trip. We have truly had incredible friends while living in Provo and we decided that we wanted to take one last camping trip with four of them- Katie, TJ, Asher, and Halen. Well, since it was March, which is still a winter month in Utah, we decided to drive 3 hours south to Goblin Valley, a hot bed of red rock Goblin-y madness. 

Our trip highlights included- 

hiking Ding and Dang Canyon! so much bouldering! oh and the slot canyons!
parking our car and pitching our tents on a dirt bike course. 
being supplied power by GOALZERO Products
eating Oreos and Brats- not together of course
playing all over the Goblins
hiking so intense that shorts were ripping
our new friends hiking buddies
Asher and Halen's luxury queen-size, sky-high airbed. 
TJ's jumping and climbing
and of course being in the best company!!





















My favorite pictures are Halen and our new friend, Andrew being helped by Asher, and of course the picture of Katie trying to get everyone to do a little "Hey....Ho..." 

More Summer posts to come!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Elizabeth Marie

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Lizzie has made it! She is the first of the Brent Koch girls to get a mission call! On January 18th Lizzie opened her call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Houston, Texas Spanish speaking Mission. She will be going to the MTC on June 5th. 

Lizzie is a hero to me. She is smart, bright, gorgeous, big-hearted, and Christ-like. There is a reason she is the one going on the mission. I have been lucky enough to have Lizzie in Provo with me. I feel like I am the luckiest Koch Girl because I have lived in one of favorite places on earth with each of my sisters. Lizzie has brought a whole new light into my life since she has been here. Her sisterhood feeds my soul.  I love her

We were so blessed to have every member of our family in California for her to go to the temple the day after she opened her mission call. That weekend will stay with me forever as one of love, eternal families, joy, and giggles. I am so proud to be a Koch Girl. I wear that honor proudly.