So, we recently had a week-long vacation in Laguna Beach, CA and had a blast.  Basically our days consisted of waking up early and exersizing (Chase biking; me jogging), heading to Emerald Bay for a few hours of wave catching and sunbathing, dinner at Ruby’s and then filling our nights with walks on Main Beach, going to Six Flags Magic Mountain,  or taking drives to Balboa Island.  It was Chase’s first time with the WHOLE Smith Family.  When I say that, I mean it….everyone that stems from my great-grandparents come; which means my grandparents, their brothers and sisters, my dad’s cousins and their children.  Total, I think there are about 90 of us that stay at the beach.  It is a blast.  But Chase enjoyed it and we both had a great time getting away. 

Then we had to come back to real life.  The day before we left for CA, I quit my job at BYU and got a job as a Receptionist at Calculated Research & Technology.  So when we got back, I hit it hard with my first day at work.  It’s been great so far.  There are only 12 employees which makes it fun because you get to know everyone on a personal level.  I do all the crap that everyone else in the company doesn’t want to do.  Stuff like reconciling the credit cards, updating client lists and lots of other things.  But it pays well and we get GREAT medical insurance so I can’t complain. 

The same day that I started work was also my BIRTHDAY!  I finally turned 20 and exited teenagerhood.  I am excited that Chase can’t use the “you’re still a teenager” line whenever he feels like insulting me.  Wahoo!  But he is the BEST husband in the world, and made my birthday so great.  He took me up to Canyon View Park in Provo Canyon (a park that we like to call ‘ours’ since we spent so much time there when we were dating) and set up a tinkerbell party.  He had tinkerbell plates, candles, tablemat, centerpiece and even had a pixie stick for me!  We ate Training Table at our picnic and played Phase 10 and other games until it was dark.  Then we went home…but it was a fantastic birthday and I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any different.

Since we’ve been back we have done a LOT of Olympic watching.  I know that I must be totally un-American but I can barely stay awake when those games are on.  Literally everytime Chase turns them on and I sit down to watch with him, I am asleep in about 5 minutes.  I don’t know why, but they are really boring.  Except for the intense Michael Phelps swims and Walsh/May volleyball which I could watch all day without getting bored.

Also, since my new job gives me some good “down time” I have been able to finally finish the fantasy book that Chase made me promise I would read.  I started it the day after our honeymoon and have put it off until now because me + fantasy= suicide.  BUT, I ended up enjoying the story and that makes him pretty happy.  Next time it will hopefully not take me four months to read a book eh?  And I’ve finished my recipe book!  I have been working on that for like four years and finally got it all typed up and printed out…so if any of you want a copy let me know.

Side note:  Chase did another century ride last Saturday.  He cycled about 111 miles around Utah Lake and did it like a champ.  He is an animal on that bike and could’ve finished in about 4 hours, but decided to stay with his group and came in with them.  It was funny because the only time he sweat was when the sun hit his face as he was walking back to the car with me.  His max heart-rate while he was biking at his group’s pace was only a couple beats faster than when he is just walking around.  That’s my man!  Good at about everything he does!  So, congrats Chase!

Anyway, I know I’ve been writing for ever, but I have to finish up with our “How to host a murder” party.  We invited some of our couple friends and had them come over for a Disco night.  We had a “bar” where they could make mixers out of juice and fresca, hung a disco ball, ate some fabulous dinner (if I can say that about my own food), and tried to figure out who the murderer was.  I won’t give away anything in case some of you are going to play this particular one in the future, but I will say that it was Crazy!  But we figured it out and actually had some people guess right!  It was an awesome party and we are planning on buying more of these “how to host murders” and do it more often! 

I want to put up all of the pictures of things we’ve been up to, but Chase has a lot on his iPhone so I will have to have him add his to this blog when he gets back from his bike ride.  For now, I’ll post the ones I have!