2019 was the year that Brandi and Jeremy rediscovered their love of fishing.  Be it spin-fishing for bass or fly-fishing for trout or even bow fishing for carp, we have loved being out on the water together on warm summer nights, seeking the next trophy fish.

Their most recent fishing-related hobby has been bow-fishing, a sport that Brandi's brother introduced them to. This activity is designed to help control the spread of an invasive fish species called 'carp', which destroy habitat and hatchlings of prized fish such as cutthroat trout.  We fish for these 5-25 lb monsters on bright sunny days, and also on dark nights, with special spotlights to shine into the water from the boat.

We have chased fish from the Oregon Coast to the chilly lakes in Yellowstone and to mountain streams all over the Rocky Mountains-- But still, nothing seems to beat those relaxing summer nights right in our own hometown!

We took our bucket-list trip in the late summer of 2019, when we rented a 'camper van' and traveled across the coast of Oregon, visiting waterfalls, dining on giant blackberries, and watching sunsets on the Pacific beaches.

We were amazed at the size of the sunflowers-- Taller than Jeremy could reach and with flowers bigger than his head! The blackberries were no less impressive, and they were found plentifully on the side of the road in nearly even parking lot and at every beach.

Brandi had always wanted to walk the bridges at the famous 'Monoloma Falls' and Jeremy spent time in every gift shop searching for sasquatch merchandise.  Both of us loved the abundance of freshly made saltwater taffy and the magnificent hikes surrounded by gigantic trees and more greenery than they'd ever seen before!

At least once a year, we make a pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park, for those who frequent this area, they know that while u aren't always guaranteed a sighting of bear or wolf, it is quite common to see bison on most trips to the park.

On this particular trip, we were fortunate to see several bull bison up close and personal. One was so large that the ranger standing next to it appeared as small as a child! We also ran into a bull elk while hiking on a nature trail, and got to see a bear from the safety of our car, while he was digging up ground squirrels just a few feet off the highway.

Yellowstone will always hold a special place in our hearts-- whether we are traveling in a car, or taking a multi-day backpacking trip, or just driving in to eat an ice-cream cone while watching the Old Faithful Geyser erupt.  We are always eager to take part in the wonders that this national park holds!

Our lives got a little brighter around Christmastime of 2019, when Brandi and Jeremy adopted a little toy Australian shepherd named Percy.  His blue eyes and loyal demeanor and desire to cuddle have made him a treasured member of the family!

He is one of the smartest dogs that we have ever known-- He is eager to please and has learned dozens of 'party tricks' like playing dead, rolling over, and 'sneaking' across the ground in a modified army-crawl doggie style!

We decided that Percy needed a buddy, so in September of 2020, we got Percy a brother-- A miniature Austrailian Shepherd named Sky.  This second dog, while handsome, was also a handful, not quite as obedient and full of energy and mischief.  Even so, Sky and Percy are quite the pair, wrestling around the yard and even chasing each other around the house, bouncing up and over couches and under coffee tables whenever they get the chance.

Brandi is the designated 'dog groomer' and trainer-- She loves teaching new tricks as well as keeping up on the nail trimming and brushing!  Jeremy keeps the dogs busy with walks in the woods and playing fetch in the yard.

Life would not be the same without these fuzzy bundles of energetic fun!

One great aspect of living in our small community is having the best neighbors!  Recently, they have begun inviting us to participate in all sorts of adventures, including snowmobiling. 

Even though Brandi grew up riding 'sleds', Jeremy was new to the sport, and he faced a steep learning curve while trying to navigate in the deep backcountry powder and steep terrain.  After tipping over his ride a number of times, he finally caught on and was able to maneuver through the trees and creeks in the woods behind the house. He even decided to do a little riding wearing a bigfoot costume, which definitely attracted some strange looks from passersby.

Our friends have taken us horseback riding in the summer, and also taught us the art of 'polar plunge', in which sound-minded folks cut a hole in the ice pond, jump in, swim around a bit, and then run to a nearby sauna to get warm.  It's a pastime that Brandi and Jeremy have participated in on a regular basis during the past two winters!

We finally got the opportunity to host Thanksgiving for Jeremy's family.  His parents and all his siblings flew or drove from all around the country to spend a week together.  It has been a long time since all of Jeremy's family were together.  

We planned a lot of outdoor activities in the snow and recreated old pictures, playing games every night and enjoying everyone's company.  Luckily no one got sick or ended up getting covid after our gathering--We were lucky.  

We feel very fortunate to be able to spend time with family from both sides.  We live close by to most of Brandi's family and see them often.  As for Jeremy's family, we do plan 1-2 activities a year to get together with those that are afar. 

Family and traditions are such a special time for us and we find pure joy when we live in the moment and enjoy all we can.

Sometimes, we just need to take a trip to the most magical place on earth!  And since we felt a little silly going by ourselves, as an adult couple, we invited several nephews and a sister who would not likely have had the opportunity to take the trip otherwise.

It was a memorable trip, riding roller coasters and log flues and the infamous 'It's a Small World' ride.  Jeremy loved the submarine ride and Brandi will not forget eating lunch with everyone in looney town and having goofy come say hello!

No matter how old Jeremy gets, he always gets motion sickness on the 'spinning rides--Even some of the 3-D rides are often a bit too much for him! He was content to sit on the train that circumnavigated the park-- while his adrenaline--Junkie Wife was eager to try the faster, scarier attractions with her sister and nephews.

Brandi always makes sure everyone is having the time of their lives.  Brandi planned all the little meals and packed them in our cooler backpack every day.  Brandi also pre-bought Disney pins so her nephews could experience trading pins with those in the park.  We spent time at a beach that had gold sparkly sand.  Our nephews had never been to the beach before and it was such a treat that their parents trusted us to take them on a memorable trip like this!

Our most favorite place: HAWAII.  Vacationing in this island paradise never gets old!  On this trip, we invited a great friend and her mom to enjoy the trip with us on the island of Maui.  On this adventure, we saw some of the best humpback whales ever, and Brandi got a chance to practice her photography skills on a whale-watching excursion and also during spectacular sunsets.

We cooked most of our food in the rental house, and saw amazing red and black sand beaches and waterfalls not the 'Road to Hana' (which we discovered is even more windy and long than advertised!)

We saw monk seals on the beach, and Jeremy spent most of his 'beach time' snorkeling, watching for stingrays, moray eels, and a myriad of colorful reef fish.  One day, he might have spent a bit too much time face down in the water, as he lost track of time and got one of the worst sunburns in memory!

Even though we love traveling as a couple, taking a journey with good friends is always a welcome change of pace!

In March of 2018, we headed to Cancun with Brandi's family renting a big condo with a pool.  We explored the ruins, caves, cenotes, and beaches.  In sept of 2018, we traveled to the east coast to see Jeremy's sister get married!  When your family is spread out all across the country, we take advantage of every opportunity to get together and reconnect with people we love!

While visiting, we got to eat lobsters fresh from the ocean, as well as a bunch of yummy fresh seafood!  Home-cooking is a big deal in Jeremy's family.

The wedding was a successful affair-- Jeremy's sister is a down-home, country gal, and she and her husband got married in a beautiful field under a sunflower archway, and shortly after, had a reception in a barn loft, with guests dancing and playing bean-bag toss around a campfire late into the night.  Seeing old grandpa cut a rug at 90 years old was a special treat for everyone!

We went back to see Jeremy's family just a year later, to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in 2019.  During the trip, we took a tour of the coast, taking pictures with lighthouses and finding unique rocks and shells on the beach which our house is full of.  Jeremy is a bit of a collector, especially with rocks.

In August of 2018, we moved to our new home!  There were a lot of exciting changes associated with this move...Importantly, Brandi would no longer be working nights or weekends!  Plus we would be living in the country which meant trading street lights and sirens for starry nights and owls hooting.

Our new home was purchased with the philosophy of 'if u build it, they will com...' We are hopeful that one day our hallways will be filled with the sound of pattering feet and children's laughter!

Since moving in, we have spent time painting several of the rooms, including bedrooms and bathrooms... Jeremy has built a large kitchen table and made quite a few improvements to the garage, where he does a lot of his woodworking.

Thus far, there have been no permanent residents in our home, although we love to entertain family and other guests on a regular basis.  WE take nephews and nieces hiking on nature trails less than a mile from our driveway, and we use the trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.  In the summer we go paddle boarding and fishing on a nearby reservoir on a regular basis.

Be it winter, spring, summer, or fall... We love where we live and take advantage of all the opportunities we have in this beautiful place we call home!

In May of 2017, Brandi completed a lifelong goal, when she graduated with her master's degree and became a Nurse Practitioner.  She had spent the previous 3 years working a full-time job while studying in every spare minute that she had. 

Jeremy spent a lot of hours helping to edit her many papers at the start of her schooling, but during her last year of school, her writing skills did not need any assistance as her skill in both writing and nursing grew exponentially.

With Brandi finishing her last week of school we decided to book an adventure to celebrate.  Since Jeremy has never experienced a cruise before we decided what a perfect opportunity to get away and relax.  We invited Brandi's parents to come and the day came when we were on our way.  

On day two we started to adventure around to all the pools and fun sports activities on the ship.  We both entered a pin pong competition.  Brandi being the competitive type ended up slipping and hurting her knee to the point where she couldn't put full weight on it for the entire trip.  This did not stop her as we continued to go boating and parachuting and snorkeling the rest of the week.

Despite being injured, we thoroughly enjoyed the company, food, and nightly karaoke.  

Jeremy's running career took a step up from 'impressive' to 'epic' when he toed the line at a 100-mile mountain race in Utah! With several friends and family members helping Brandi to 'crew' and support him during the event, he managed to push himself mile upon mile through, a very tough wilderness.  Quite a few runners dropped out due to hypothermia after an early winter storm dropped sleet and snow on all the runners, but Jeremy was able to finish the race in under 30 hours. He cried for quite a few minutes after finishing, and Brandi was right there to bandage up his blisters and to massage his tired muscles.

Jeremy's clan gathered in July of 2016, for a reunion of epic proportions!  With nieces and nephews all over the place, we went to the zoo, played games in the yard, and spent a day out on the water letting 'Uncle Woody' tow them around the lake on tubes.

As is customary during a visit to the coast, several seafood dinners were enjoyed by all, including a healthy dose of lobster for Brandi, who, although not native of the coastal state, quickly acquired a taste for the delicious shellfish.

Mini golf has always been a family favorite, and Brandi fit right in playing this unique sport, winning a round on a course overlooking the ocean.

Exploring Jeremy's mother's favorite island 'Campobella' we scoured the beaches for sea glass and tide pool creatures!

Another trip to the mountains, this time inviting 'Aunt Janet' to come along.  While we feared that her age might limit her capabilities on the rugged trail, she proved to be a strong hiking companion, keeping up with us 'youngsters' and telling her share of jokes along the way.

An abundance of trout were caught on this trip, and we go the opportunity to cook a few new backpacking items in a newly purchased 'Backcountry Oven', which allowed us to make pizza, monkey bread, and biscuits with ease!

A couple of days after getting back from this camping trip, we headed up to a different part of the state to enjoy a day of river rafting with some of our best friends.  Jeremy fell out of the boat while going through the rapids, and was lucky that his friend Jeff was strong enough to pull him back into the boat!

Keeping with the spontaneous theme of the month, we headed out on another backpacking trip the very next weekend, taking with us a friend and his 4-year-old daughter.  It was her first overnighter with 'daddy' and she walked nearly the entire 4-mile trail by herself. Upon arriving at the mountain lake where we would be spending the night, it was discovered that we had left behind a large bag containing most of the food for the night, so Jeremy had to head back down the trail to get the misplaced items, before running back up the trail as the sun dipped below the horizon.  He then caught and cooked a slew of trout for dinner.

Every once in a while, we like to stay on the North American Continent!  In 2015, we traveled up north to check out the highly touted 'Banff National Park', and the views did not disappoint!

We hiked to Egypt lakes, facing the worst mosquitos we'd ever experienced.  Along this 3-day backpacking trip, we also saw the most beautiful fields of wildflowers and photos do not do the colors justice.

The mountain lakes up there were calm and beautiful.  We hiked to several mountain lakes, and even got to kayak across the stunning turquoise glaciated lake, much to the jealousy of all the tourists strolling along the boardwalk.

During this 2-week adventure, we stayed in a tent most nights (although a couple of nights of hotels in the middle to shower and enjoy fresh sheets was much-appreciated respite!) Most of the tent spots were surrounded by electric fences to keep out the main predator of the area--The might Grizzly bear!  One day, we took a tram ride up to the top of a green ski-hill, spotting several bears along the way.  A highlight of the trip was seeing a grizzly run downhill at top speed, running at least 40-50 miles per hour in pursuit of some unknown prey.

While on the trip, Jeremy kept up with his exercise, and woke up early to explore some of the more rugged and long trails in the vicinity of their campsites.  On one such run, he informed Brandi he would likely be back in 2 hours or so-- After a longer (and tougher) run than he anticipated, Jeremy returned to the campsite to find Brandi teary-eyed in the rental care, sure that her hubby had been eaten in the forest! No long after this experience, they purchased a satellite phone, which proved to be useful to keep Brandi informed and happy on Jeremy's wilderness adventures for years to come.

Brandi and Jeremy have always enjoyed taking backpacking trips together, and have accumulated a sizeable quantity of lightweight tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags that make the journeys more pleasant.

One of our favorite places is in the White Cloud Mountains of Idaho.  They have taken several nice trips to the area, and whenever we go, the flyfishing action does not disappoint!  Jeremy usually outfishes the group, but Brandi is no slacker in the fishing department, and she has eaten her share of fresh-caught rainbow trout cooked in lemon and breadcrumbs over an open fire.

To commemorate a year of marriage, Brandi and Jeremy went to Florida to experience the magic of Disneyworld.  They rode a few of the 'easier' rides (since Jeremy gets motion sick), and watch a few fun shows, including an unexpected visit from comedian Jimmy Fallon!

While spending most of their time in Orlando, they also visited Gatorland and Crystal Springs, the place where Manatees are known to frequent.

Brandi and Jeremy have always tried to make anniversaries a special occasion, either taking a fun trip, or relaxing at a nearby hot spring to celebrate their love for each other.

After several years of hard training and a lot of dedication, Jeremy finally checked off the bucket-list item of running the Boston Marathon.  This was a special weekend for many reasons, not the least of which was running in front of his 82-year old Nana, who was a Boston native and who had watched the race for decades.

Jeremy's mom made hats for the whole family, and even a pillow with motivational notes for Jeremy to keep after the event was over.

There were over 40,000 runners and even more spectators, so finding a spot to cheer was not an easy task.  After looking around for a few hours, Brandi and the rest of Jeremy's family settled on a viewing spot about 18 miles into the race, and then they waited anxiously for him to arrive.

They knew what time he would start, and they also knew what time he was likely to arrive-- But finding his face in the crowd of so many athletes was going to be difficult! About ninety minutes into the event, they finally spotted him and cheered loudly.  They thought that he would wave and keep running, but instead, he whipped around and came back to give Brandi and his mom a kiss before speeding to the finish line in his best marathon time ever.

Brandi also has a history of running races, having completed a half marathons as well as several triathlons.  Both Brandi and Jeremy are competitive souls who love to push their limits to the max!

Brandi and Jeremy celebrated their honeymoon in Hawaii, cruising the beaches for sea turtles and playing the big waves!  They walked the sacred grounds of the Hawaii Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and learned how to surf (sort-of).

Most of the pictures of the trip were of them kissing...they didn't seem to mind who was watching them, as they were in a world of their own!

The honeymoon didn't end on a paddleboard, as they finished off with a few days in Las Vegas, sleeping in a high-rise hotel and enjoying the extremely warm temperatures of the city that never sleeps.  They watched some popular Vegas shows, checked out the fountain at the Bellagio, and walked the strip watching all the strange folks from around the world that tend to congregate there.

As the oldest in both their families, Brandi and Jeremy's nuptials were a cause to celebrate for both their families, and all relatives came from far and wide to witness the ceremony and accompanying reception.

They were married in a temple operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and unlike some couples, completed their reception the night before their wedding, with their logic being, that once the stressful wedding reception was complete, they might enjoy the special moments of the wedding a bit more!

The unorthodox planning of doing the reception and wedding on different days couldn't have been more timely.  The decorating company that was hired bailed at the last minute, leaving Brandi and Jeremy with the task of hanging lights and decorating tables on an outdoor pier where the event was to take place.  Luckily, having the time and quite a few friends come and lend a hand, the decorations were in place just in time for the guests to arrive, including a baby grand piano that would provide live music for everybody in attendance!

While the memories of this event will always be treasured, one thing we wish to forget is the extreme cold of the event; The June forecast turned frigid at the last minute, and several large stand-up propane heaters had to be rented, if not to warm-up the guest, at least to protect Brandi from the chilly air while she wore her lace-covered wedding dress. 

Our wedding weekend was perfect and one of a kind, despite the mishaps!

Not many couples get to have an 'exotic' location for their engagement photos, but Brandi and Jeremy were lucky enough to invite a few friends, including their wedding photographer, to accompany them on a trip to Ireland a few months before getting married.

Castles were a big hit with the group, and they explored dilapidated stone structures every chance they got! The thick green moss hanging over old walls never got old, and the sheep lounging in the endless meadows were always a welcome sight!

Jeremy took a long run along the cliffs of Mohor, and even decided to walk close to the edge to relieve himself several thousand feet above the raging ocean below (pictures of this not included!)

They both got to kiss the famous 'Blarney stone' and some might say this is where Jeremy got his gift of gab (although he would insist that he's always had a way with words).

Brandi loved visiting the Waterford Crystal factory, although her thriftiness created a reluctance to purchase too many of the pricey items found there.  Brandi was also the designated driver for the trip, and for the most part, she did an incredible job driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, although a hubcap did come off the van at one point, and needed to be repaired with some super glue.

Brandi has always been an 'event organizer' for as long as she can remember! In the winter of 2013, she rented a large cabin at a popular ski resort and invited a bunch of friends (including Jeremy!)

We spent the long weekend hitting the slopes, snowshoeing, and making long, majestic dives down powdered-covered hills that buried our bundled-up bodies in fluffy white stuff.

As he usually does when there is snow nearby, Jeremy made a large snow-cave in the front yard of the cabin, and friends took turns climbing inside to admire his engineering skills.  The group was not, however, in awe of Jeremy's kills on the night that group went ice-skating, since he had never before been on skates!  We won't pretend that he was anything close to proficient by the end of the night, but at least the group got to have a good laugh as he stumbled his way around the frozen pond like a newly born giraffe testing out its legs for the first time.

Brandi was the popular one always eagerly awaiting the next fun thing she has planned whether it be a delicious meal or playing some game that would include everyone that went.  Brandi would entertain groups for a weekend upwards of 15-20 people at a time.

Trips like this were the norm for Brandi and Jeremy while they were dating, and they have continued to enjoy traveling to this day!

During our dating years, we set out for an unforgettable adventure with camping, hiking, and canoeing.  This adventure was spur-of-the-moment planning and one of our best friends joined.  We explored as many hiking trails as our bodies could handle, then we alternated to canoeing giving our legs a break.  The beauty of the outdoors kept us in awe.  The outdoors is one of the things that tied us close together.  We enjoyed the serenity and the rejuvenation that we received anytime we were in nature together.