Henrie Family Vacation

Last week we went to Panguitch and Bryce Canyon with Brandon's family. What a wonderful time we had! Here's what we did:

Bryce Canyon: 

We went hiking in Bryce Canyon one of the days. It was beautiful just like Brandon. It was really cool because we got to hike down in between all of the rocks. I loved it and would love to go there again. 

As in previous vacations, we fished. Luck was on our side. Brandon caught around 26 fish the whole trip and I caught 9 fish. We went fishing in a little creek near some land his Dad's family used to own. 

It is kind of hard to see in this picture, but there is a cabin in those trees where Brandon's dad used to stay growing up. 

We also attended the Panguitch Parade on the 24th. It was not the biggest parade I've ever seen, but they did give out otter pops... Brandon's grandpa even got to be in the parade with his high school class and he loved it!

While in town we ate lunch at Henrie's Drive Inn and saw the house Brandon's grandpa grew up in. 

Events not pictured included an archery contest, ATV's, swimming, talent show, camp fire, and games. We had yet another great vacation! 

A Grateful Heart

I am grateful today because something amazing happened last night. I went jogging with Brandon last night for the first time since my surgery and I actually felt good after (that is not usually the case). We were by no means running fast, and we didn't run very far, but I can't remember the last time I was able to run that long without getting tired and wheezing. I always thought I felt that way because I was out of shape, but with my fixed heart, I think on top of being out of shape, I had a bigger problem. I am so grateful that I have a healthy heart! I am so blessed. Maybe exercising will be easier now? Maybe. 

Island Park

Last week we went to Island Park with my dad's family. While we were there we went to Yellowstone, went to Montana to see a rodeo on the 4th of July, went to Yellowstone again, played games, ate a lot of food, "marshed" marshmallows as Thomas would say, went to Big Springs, went to a play, Brandon went fishing (caught 5 fish), I made a lot of earrings with Libby, went kayaking, and had a wonderful time. This was Brandon's first time in Yellowstone and I think he really like it. He said he would definitely go back so we can't wait until next time. Besides Yellowstone, one of my favorite moments from the trip was when Thomas was out by the fire. He gently blew on it and a few seconds later the flames got really big. He told my dad what had happened and as he was walking away he said to himself, "There is magic inside, you just have to believe in yourself." I am not sure where he comes up with all of his sayings. 

Some of the Buffalo we saw in Yellowstone

One of the many geysers in Yellowstone

Old Faithful

We saw this beautiful rainbow on our way home from the rodeo

Big Springs

Me and my sisters at Big Springs

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

More Grand Canyon

This here is Meg's sad attempt to capture one of the best moments at Yellowstone. We saw a grizzly bear. It should have been in this picture, who knows where it is?

6 Months

Today, Brandon and I have been married for 6 months! I can't believe I have been married for 1/2 of a year already but I have loved every minute of it. Brandon is the best husband I could have asked for and he is perfect for me. He is my best friend and I feel so lucky to have him as my husband!

For my own blogging purposes I wanted to document how Brandon and I met. Read at your own leisure.

The first time I laid eyes on Brandon was when I was in the 8th grade. He went to a dance with my sister Mattie. They came to our house for part of the date and I thought he was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I continued to look at their dance picture with my friends for a while just so we could drool over Brandon but then I forgot about him.

It wasn't until my senior year that I even thought about Brandon again. My good friend Mikelle was his next door neighbor and she told me that he was getting home from his mission and she wanted to set me up with him. She thought we would be perfect together but I told her that nothing would ever happen because he is too good for me.

A few months later I moved to college and Brandon happened to live in the same complex as me. The first Sunday I was there, Brandon introduced himself to me. It was funny because I knew exactly who he was the whole time but just played innocent. He sat next to me and asked me my name. I told him and when I said my last name he asked me where I was from and told me that he knew my sister. I didn't think anything would ever happen, but Brandon asked me on our first date December 2007. I still didn't think anything would ever happen but two months later in February, he asked me on a second date and the rest is history.

I never thought I would have married Brandon Henrie but being married to him for the past 6 months has been completely wonderful.

Flaming Gorge

Last week Brandon and I went to Flaming Gorge with my family. We had a great time. We went fishing, floated down the green river, ate good food, played games and enjoyed spending time with the family. I was really excited to take Brandon to Flaming Gorge because of the memories I have had there. I think he really liked it, especially the fishing part. I did not take many pictures but here are some of them:

Brandon and I after fishing at Red Canyon Lodge

Fishing at Matt Warner



Brandon and I went on the float tubes together, he caught two fish and I caught one

Thomas caught the last fish of the day right as they were coming in.

All of the kids outside of the trailer

As you can see, we had a really fun time. Thanks mom and dad!

Zero for Five

Today was my fifth fishing trip in about as many weeks. It went about the same as the previous four with the exception that I brought Lauren this time. What does Lauren bring to the table that an experienced, successful fisherman like myself doesn't have? I don't know.

We left to go fishing at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The destination was the Hobble Creek catch basin. After a short drive we arrived and parked the car on the side of the road over looking the picturesque pond. We picked out our fishing spot from the car, and then made our way down to the shore. I had the lines all ready to go with my trusty Panther Martin Spinners. We began the easy cast and retrieve of spin fishing as we stood on the bank.

After a about 15 minutes of spin fishing, Lauren turned to me and said, "I think I need to try the Power Bait." "Ok," I replied. She then asked, "aren't you going to put it on my spinner?" "No," I said after I had a good laugh. I began to prepare the power bait rig all the while chuckling to myself.

I left Lauren with the new power bait rig and returned to my rod with the Panther Martin. It wasn't more than a minute later that I heard, "I think I had a bite." I looked back at Lauren. No way, it's probably just grass," I thought as I stared intently at the tip of her rod. I was almost ready to look away convinced that my grass diagnosis was correct when I saw the tip of her rod jerk. A few seconds later it jerked down again. "Reel it in!" I called.

A half a minute later a flattened piece of power bait surfaced a few feet off the shore. I reshaped the bait for Lauren, and then went back to my Panther Martin. Another 30 seconds went by and again I heard "I got a bite!" I looked over to see the characteristic bend in the tip of her pole. She waited and then the pole bent again, but this time it was more than just a bite it was a hooked fish!

The fish splashed its way into shore, as two little boys on the other side of a tree next to us screamed "he's got one! he's got one!" The fish had about had it and was coming into shore, just about the same time that Lauren had had enough of the gender confused elementary age boys. "It's a SHE!" Lauren called out as the fished flopped onto shore.

We let the fish go, and I did the fish a favor by letting the day end without catching any myself...

Party in your mouth

Finals are over and Brandon and I are enjoying the beginning of summer. As of late, I have been really into Good Things Utah. I have discovered it is a great source for recipes. I have tried a couple of things and they have been a hit. Tonight I made some chicken tacos that I saw on one of last weeks show. We loved them and they were pretty darn easy to make. I thought I would share this recipe for anyone else who is looking for a good summer meal. In Brandon's words they were very "satisfying." (I would also suggest frying the tortillas. It was fun to do and they tasted great. Also, lime juice is a great addition.) 

 

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

1.2 tablespoons butter

2.Canola oil, for frying

3.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

4.breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

5.3 tablespoons chopped onion

6.2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

7.2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

8.1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

9.Salt, ground black pepper, garlic salt

10.12 corn tortillas

TOPPINGS:

Shredded Cheddar cheese,pepper Jack cheese, or a combination Sour cream Fresh spinach, thinly sliced Fresh Salsa (p. 125)or Tabasco sauce Lime wedges.

6 servings


1. Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium high
heat. Add the chicken and onions and cook and stir until the onions are
soft and the chicken is tender and no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook
about 1 minute more. Decrease the heat to low and stir in the tomato and
cilantro. Add water (or chicken broth) if the mixture seems too dry. Season
generously with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Continue cooking about 2
minutes. Cover and turn off the heat. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Heat 3/4 cup of canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry one
tortilla: With tongs turn it once to cook both sides, then quickly fold halfway
over and cook for a few more seconds to make the taco shape. Drain on
paper towels. Place the tortilla in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the
remaining tortillas, putting each one into the oven to keep warm. (If the taco
shells cool, they lose their crispness and become tough and chewy.) For soft tacos, simply heat the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over high heat for a few seconds on each side. (Or wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 275 degrees for 20 minutes.)

3. To serve, place a small amount of the chicken mixture in each taco shell. Put the filled tacos on a platter and serve. Pass the cheese, sour cream, spinach, salsa and lime.