Dreams do come true!
(click the image for a close of up true bliss)



Chi-Chi-Chi-Chia!

A Week of Wonder

Shawn and I are not usually busy people, but this week--we were busy!

The week started off with a mass amount of homework, papers, and tests for Shawn. All of it was basically due on Tuesday. But, as luck would have it, Shawn had an in-class test in Statistics and I got to go to So You Think You Can Dance with the Brock Girls. The couldn't have worked out better! It was totally different than I was expecting, but it was fun to watch. Check out Carly's Blog for photos. I'm totally in awe of dancers' skills. If any of you have seen me dance (Shawn might be the only one) I'm horrible.

Thursday Shawn and I went Rock Climbing with Matt & Carla, and J & Heather. It was blast! I got scared on the rock, climbed really high on the edge of doom, and all in all got some wicked cool bruises on my knee. Everyone did a really cool job of climbing--even Matt's Brother Dave, who had never been before! After we climbed down the mountain in the dark we all went to the Thorup's for Little Caesar's Pizza and the Season Premier of The Office. I don't know if nights get much better than that.

(Pictures to come, I hope!)

Although Friday initally looked to be a boring night at home; Shawn came up with a sweet night full of activities. His work had previously given him tickets to The Living Aquarium, so we decided to head up there to visit our Aquatic Friends. It was so cool...as the pictures to follow will evidence.

This is a sweet translucent jellyfish...the aquarium has color-changing lights so you can see the jellyfish.
A Seahorse asleep. They were so cute! and We got to watch one swim around.
Can I say Finding Nemo??? The Coral Reef was cool...because you got to watch the plants move like they were totally alive. Amazing.
This is a Sting Ray. And I touched one. Heck yeah!
They also have sharks. Sharks scare me, but they were still cool to see. This is a Leopard Shark swimming around the tank.

I know you're all jealous that we got to go to the Aquarium because it was so cool. So go yourselves because I loved it! And Remember...

Saturday I straightened my hair and it didn't rain! Wahoo!! It was the General Relief Society Conference and my sister scored tickets at the Conference Center so My Mom, Sister, Cousin and me all got to go. This is us outside after the conference. Of course I only had my camera phone, but once again, our experience is documented, even if the pictures aren't fabulous, I think I did a dang good job!
Bottom Line: It was so amazing. I love being there. I love feeling the Spirit, and I love when the talks are just what you need to hear. I'm totally feeling prepped for General Conference this coming weekend! I'll keep you posted on what happens next...

Here's a Follow up with that last post...

This is a picture of Peter Breinholt singing. It was such a cool concert, and he is such an awesome guy.

In fact... I have a sweet Story to relay to all of you. Shawn decided to email Peter Breinholt and this is how it went...

"Peter,
Hey I just wanted to drop a quick line and say thank you for an amazing concert at Thanksgiving point. We didn't hear about the summer concert in Farmington this year so we had to come see you before summer was over!

I recently returned from Chile... I served in the Santiago West mission and can't believe how far the church has come. My most recent trip to Chile wasn't as a missionary but as a tourist with my wife. It's truly is a land of mystical wonder and beauty.

Would you mind sharing a brief history about "A Call I Hear"??? There's enough speculation about that song between friends you'd be helping us set some serious questions to rest.
Thanks Peter,
Shawn Brock"

And this was his Reply...

"A Call I Hear was written in 2000 (ten years after coming home) for an EFY album. It's really just a patchwork of scenes from my mission. The hill at the beginning is not Renca, contrary to popular opinion. It's supposed to be a missionary back home deciding to go in the first place. But beginning in the second verse ("I remember days when we laughed so hard") it's all Santiago. My trainer and I got along well, and laughed a lot. That whole scene with the children and sounds in the street is "La Pincoya", which is tucked up in the northern corner of the Santiago behind Cerro San Cristobal. I also told a story about a soccer player the other night that's not in this particular song. That happened in the Pincoya too. A rough place.
I ended my time in Maipu, which I think is now in your mission. I loved it there.

Anyway, glad you liked the show."

I just thought it was so cool that he wrote back, and so quickly! Anyway, just some insight into Peter Breinholt, if you haven't already--check him out!!

Music Makes the Moment

Life is all about appreciating the right moments. The past few days I've had the opportunity to notice some dang near perfect moments.

Saturday, Shawn and I went to the Peter Breinholt concert at Thanksgiving Point's Waterfall Amphitheater with our friends Zack and Cori. It was a great atmosphere. Listening fabulous music with friends nearby...and my personal favorite--a slight cool breeze blowing bringing with it the sweet smells of nature. I love it. I hope you can grasp the picture and the feeling of the whole experience. I just sat there listening, feeling the breeze, next to the man I love and couldn't help but think, "Wow, I don't know if it gets better than this!"

This morning, I had a similar experience. I woke up and got ready for work. It was gray and rainy. I got in my car and turned on the radio and "Daughters" by John Mayer was just starting. The music fit the scene so perfectly. The best part was that it kept going! The next 3 songs fit with the weather, my mood, and well the 'theme' of the day. It couldn't have worked out more perfectly.

Anyway, I realized that life is about noticing the simple little things, and appreciating how that affects you.

A purchase so cool it couldn't wait til morning!

Let me introduce you to our most recent purchase--The "BernzOmatic"

This very well may be one of the most useful items we have ever bought. During our Friday night visit to Walmart, shopping for all the random things you may need at midnight, we came across the "BernzOmatic". Ladies and Gentlemen it is a flexible butane lighter. That's right-I said flexible. You know all those hard to reach candle wicks? When if you try to light it with a match it burns your hand off, and if you use one of those long lighters (the ones that never light) but the flame burns the wrong way...Well never fear--the "BernzOmatic" is here! The neck of the lighter bends to meet all your lighting needs. It is so cool! But very dangerous!! We weren't sure how it was going to work, but for only $3.97 at your local Walmart, you can have your own a mini blow-torch! I know you're all excited, just be careful out there.

What you don't expect to hear when you're in the shower

Story time! When you get married one of the things you have to get used to is having someone else around the house, especially the bathroom. When you only have one bathroom and your spouse is in the shower, sometimes you need to go in and brush your teeth (among other things). This morning I was in the shower and I heard the bathroom door open and someone said, "Hi Sweetie!" For a split second nothing happens as I realize Shawn was not home when I got in the shower. Then I scream and jump about a foot in the air. Thankfully, I have a quick mind and remembered that Shawn usually comes home after class before he has to go to work, but our schedules don't usually overlap (I just happened to be running late this morning). Needless to say it scared me to death, got my heart racing, and woke me up!

A little Ditty about Jack and Diane-

"Oh yeah, Life goes on, Long after the thrill of living is gone."

The Blogging World

Blogging is such a funny thing. I'm not sure what to think about it. What determines when and what you blog about? Just you...its totally up to you. Or me in my case. Sometimes I think my life and my thoughts aren't exciting or interesting or worth blogging about. Does it even make a difference? Maybe it could to all the people out there who actually keep tabs on our Blog (Thanks to our Mothers, Mark, Mark's Mom, Carla and anyone else). Who knows. But I'm glad I'm blogging, if only because Shawn and I will have some documentation of our life. We take more pictures just so we can put them on the blog. I remember life differently because I think about our activities and analyze if it's blog worthy. Our life truly is becoming a story, because we get to tell it on the blog. Its not just the everyday forgettable stuff anymore (although a lot of that still happens). Anyway, Just felt like blogging about blogging. Keep on Truckin!
Melissa

Memory Lane

Hey there...So I have a camera, but we usually use Shawn's (his is better), but I do randomly bring my camera places and take pictures with it. Today I decided to load my pictures on to the computer--something I haven't done since December of 2006! I thought it would be a fun adventure to post a spattering of pictures from my latest photo download!


Look! I graduated!!! To bad it only got half my face...Oh well. Go Aggies!

This is my cousin Jemela and I at Birch Creek, Memorial Day 2007.

Shawn and I went camping together for the first time!

It was Emilee's first time camping too! Check out that hair, What a babe!

This is from Shawn's Grandpa's backyard, when we went to visit him as a part of the Brock Family Vacay 2007.

We also had the opportunity to visit Gettysburg. It was an awe-inspiring experience for me.

As part of the Brock Family Vacay, we visited New York and did it all in a day. This is Shawn taking a Lovesac call (I'm so glad I don't have to deal with those anymore!) at the Rockfeller Center.

While I found a turtle to love...

A picture of Shawn and I at dinner before we all went to see Wicked.

The kid is a skier--What more can I say??

This is my Mom and Emilee at the 4th of July Parade in good old Kaysville.

Matt and Brooke were there too! It was combined family experience, and it was Hot.

Sorry I don't know how to turn this one, but I had to post it. This was posted on a Women's bathroom in Chile. I love the pack and the skirt! And I am so grateful that I am home and don't have to pay to go to the bathroom anymore.

Shawn and I on the boat ride around the lake at the base of the Volcano. (See Shawn for all the technical Spanish vocabulary)

This is me (well half of my face really) when we first arrived in Santiago. I wanted a picture and Shawn was renting the car. This was the best I could do.

I love this picture of the 3 boys playing in the water at the beach in Los Rocas.

I can't ever remember the name of this place (it drives Shawn crazy) I think its called Punta De Tralcas or something close to that. Anyway. The waves shoot up huge sprays over the rocks, like 30 feet in the air.

In Valparaiso we rode this cool tram up the hillside, instead of walking up the super steep stairs.

Did I mention the sunsets in Chile are well...Phenomenal? The End.